John Trapp Complete Commentary
Haggai 2:7
And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
Ver. 7. And I will shake all nations] First, by the civil wars between the Triumviri, not long before Christ's incarnation. Secondly, by the general tax, Luke 2:3, when all went to be taxed every one into his own city. Thirdly, by the preaching and miracles of Christ and his apostles, whereby the nations were shaken out of their sinful condition, and brought to the obedience of faith by effectual conversion. Thus a Lapide. "I will shake all nations" with wonder at so great a mystery, with joy and with newness of life, saith Sa. The gospel (saith Forbes on Rev 14:6) hath three degrees of operation in the hearts of men. First, it falleth to men's ears as the sound of many waters, a confused sound, which commonly bringeth neither terror nor joy; but yet a wondering and acknowledgment of a strange force, and more than human power, Mark 1:22 2 John 1:7 :46. This may be in the reprobate, Acts 13:41. The second effect is the voice of thunder, which brings not only wonder, but fear. This may also be in a reprobate, as Felix. The third effect, proper to the elect, is the sound of harping; while the gospel not only ravisheth with admiration, and shaketh the conscience with terror, but also filleth it with sweet peace and joy. Certain it is, that the gospel maketh a stir where it cometh, and brings an earthquake to men's souls, as it did to the jailer's, Acts 16:26,27, and Peter's converts, Act 2:37 And this partly through the frowardness of our affections, and partly through the malice of Satan, fearing the ruin of his kingdom. For, as for the gospel, this effect follows it, by accident. See Matthew 10:34,35, See Trapp on " Mat 10:34 " See Trapp on " Mat 10:35 " See also Luke 12:49. It is by accident to the sun that it maketh the dunghill stink. It is by accident to the sea that it maketh the passenger sick; the ill humours in his stomach disease him. So here.
And the desire of all nations shall come] That is, Christ, for so the apostle expoundeth it, Hebrews 12:25,26. And the Church saith of him, Totus ipse desideria, Song of Solomon 5:16, he is all over desirable (Valete mea desideria. Goodbye my love, Cic. xiv. 2, ad Uxorem et Filiam to wives and daughters). And again, Isaiah 26:9 "With my soul have I desired thee in the night: yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early." "And unto Shiloh shall the gathering of the people be," saith Jacob, Genesis 49:10, as unto the standard bearer, Song of Solomon 5:10, the carcase, Matthew 24:28, as the doves scour to their columbaries, Isaiah 60:8. When I am lifted up, saith he, I will draw all men after me, John 12:32, that is, all mine elect; these will follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth, as the hop and heliotrope a do the sun. And because the nations had not heard of Christ till he came in the flesh, and this coming of the desire of all nations seems to follow presently upon the preaching of the gospel, therefore Junius renders it Desiderati, the desirable ones of all nations, and interprets it, of the elect (the Septuagint also say the same, of οι εκλεκτοι των εθνων), who should come to the second temple in a spiritual sense, worshipping the same God that these good Jews did, and should come with strength of affection (as the Hebrew importeth), should make hard shift to come, Isaiah 66:20 "They shall bring your brethren as an offering to the Lord, upon horses, in chariots, and in litters," that is, though sick, weakly, and unfit for travel, yet rather in litters than not at all. Neither shall they come empty handed, but with all their desirable things (so some render this text), colligent omnes suos thesauros, saith Calvin, they shall come with strong affections, with liberal contributions, as Acts 4:34, and as Tyrus, who, when once converted, leaves hoarding and heaping up wealth (as formerly), and finds another manner of employment for it, namely, to uphold God's worship, and to feed and clothe his saints, Isaiah 23:18 .
And I will fill this house with glory] This rebuilding temple shall be honoured with Christ's bodily presence (Diodati); and the spiritual temple, which is the Church, shall be honoured by my presence in spirit, the abundance of my graces, the light of my word, and power of my spirit, who shall rest upon my people as a spirit of glory when the world loadeth them with greatest ignominy, 1 Peter 4:14, rest upon them by a blessed Shechinah.
a A name given to plants of which the flowers turn so as to follow the sun; ŒD