Di Glory of Dis House

For one building site for Jerusalem, some old men stand dey look one wall wey dem never finish. Some of di young workers dey shout for joy. But di old men dey cry, and dem no fit stop.

About seventy years before, di Babylonians burn Solomon big temple flat. Now na di Persians dey rule di world, and some of di exiles don come back home. Dem lay foundation for new temple, then dem stop for many years, because dia mind don weak and dem dey busy with dia own houses. But for di second year of King Darius, one prophet wey dem dey call Haggai wake dem up. Make una build, e talk. And dem build. Di governor Zerubbabel, wey come from David royal line, and di high priest Joshua lead di work. Now, less than one month after, na di seventh month, di season of di Feast of Tabernacles, when Israel dey remember how God faithful for di wilderness.

For di twenty-first day of dat month, God give Haggai one message, and e start with question. Who remain among una wey see dis house for im first glory? And how e dey look for una eye now? E no be like nothing for una eye? God no dey pretend. E know exactly how small dis new temple dey look. Di book of Ezra tell us say when dem lay di foundation, plenty of di older priests and leaders wey don see di first temple cry with loud voice, while others dey shout for joy. You no fit separate di crying from di shouting. Di old people remember walls wey dem cover with gold and cedar wood from Lebanon. Wetin dem dey see now na ordinary stone and hard work.

But God no leave dem like dat. E call each leader by name. Zerubbabel, be strong. Joshua di high priest, be strong. All una people of di land, be strong. And work. Why? Because I dey with una, na wetin di Lord of hosts talk. God remind dem of di promise wey e make when e bring dia grandfathers comot from Egypt. My Spirit still dey among una. No fear. Dia temple fit small, but dia God no small. Di same God wey divide di sea dey stand with dem for dat dusty building site.

Then God talk about di future. Small time from now, e talk, I go shake heaven and earth, di sea and di dry land. I go shake all nations, and di treasure of all nations go come, and I go fill dis house with glory. Di silver na my own, and di gold na my own, na wetin di Lord talk. No worry about wetin una no get money buy. And then di promise wey fit don make di old men stop to cry. Di glory of dis last house go big pass di first one, na wetin di Lord of hosts talk; and for dis place I go give peace. Small plain temple, wey go big pass Solomon own? E hard to believe. But God get something for mind wey dem never fit see.

Scholars wey dey study di calendars of Babylon and Persia don calculate say di twenty-first day of di seventh month for di second year of Darius fall for October, five hundred and twenty years before Christ. Dem finish dis temple wey dem rebuild few years after. Long time after dat, King Herod di Great expand am and decorate am well-well, as di historian Josephus describe. Dat second temple na di one where dem present baby Jesus, where e teach as small boy, and where e later waka and teach as grown man.

Dis promise dey Haggai chapter two, verse one reach nine. Di builders no fit see am, but di glory of dat house go big pass, because one day di Son of God imself go stand inside im courts. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When something wey you dey do for God dey look small, wetin e go mean for you to hear am talk say, be strong, and work, because I dey with you?