And I will shake all nations
By changing their governors, and forms of government; which was
done by the Romans, when subdued by them; and by bringing in wars
among them, which produced those changes; and by civil wars among
the Romans themselves, in the several nations that belonged to
them, which were notorious a little before the coming of Christ:
or else this was to be done, and was done, by the preaching of
the Gospel, both in Judea, and in the Gentile world, when all the
inhabitants thereof were shaken by it, in one sense or another;
some had their hearts and consciences shaken by the Spirit and
grace of God through it, and were brought to embrace it, and
profess it; yea, were brought to Christ, to yield obedience to
him, his truths and ordinances; and others were moved with envy,
wrath, and indignation at it, and rose up to oppose it, and stop
the progress of it: and the desire of all nations shall
come;
not the desirable things of all nations, or them with them, as
their gold and silver; and which is the sense of Jarchi, Kimchi,
and Aben Ezra; but this is contrary to the syntax of the words,
to the context, ( Haggai 2:8 Haggai 2:9 ) , and to
facts; and, if true, would not have given this temple a greater
glory than Solomon's: nor the elect of God, as others, brought in
through the preaching of the Gospel; who are indeed the desire of
God, he takes pleasure in them; and of Christ, whose delights
have been always in them; and of the blessed Spirit, whose love
to them, and esteem of them, are very manifest; and with the
saints they are the excellent in the earth, in whom is all their
delight: yet not they, but one far more glorious and excellent,
is intended, even the Messiah, in whom all nations of the earth
were to be blessed; and who, so far as he was known by good men
or proselytes among the Gentiles, was desired by them, as by Job,
and others; and who, when he came, brought all good things with
him; and has all blessings in him, that may make him desirable to
men, being what they want; and though he is not in fact desired
by all, yet of right he should be, and to all sensible sinners he
is; even above all persons and things in the whole world; on
account of his excellencies and glories; his mediatorial
qualifications; his names, offices, and relations; the blessings
of grace in him; the works done by him; his truths and
ordinances, people, ways, and worship: and when it is said, he
"shall come", the meaning is, not only into the world by
assumption of nature, to obtain redemption for his people; but
into this temple now building, in that nature assumed; where he
appeared at the presentation of him by his parents; and at the
passover, when twelve years of age; and when he drove out the
buyers and sellers from it; and when he often taught in it. The
word "come" is in the plural number; and may denote his frequent
coming thither, as well as in different respects; his personal
coming; his spiritual coming; his coming to take vengeance on the
Jews; and his last coming, of which some understand the words
particularly: and I will fill this house with glory, saith
the Lord of hosts;
alluding to the glory which filled the tabernacle of Moses, and
the temple of Solomon, ( Exodus 40:35
) ( 1 Kings
8:10 1 Kings 8:11
) but that was but a shadowy glory, this a real one; here Christ
appeared in person, who is the brightness of his Father's glory;
here his glorious doctrines were taught, and glorious miracles
wrought; and the Spirit of glory rested on the disciples, in his
gifts and grace bestowed upon them in an extraordinary manner, on
the day of Pentecost.