“Desire of the Nations”

Tuesday, January 05, 2021

“and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts.”  (Haggai 2:7)

God promised after 70 years of captivity, a remnant of Jews would be allowed to return to Jerusalem. The first group was under the leadership of Zerubbabel in 536 BC. Their first mission was to rebuild the temple that had been destroyed by the Babylonians. This would be a challenging and sometimes discouraging work, thus God employed prophets like Haggai to encourage the people.

The message of these prophets would also include a glimpse of Israel’s future glory in Jesus Christ. While the message of Haggai was to encourage the temple builders to complete their mission, the full significance of this passage would only be realized in the work of the Messiah. The word “desire” suggests something that is pleasant, valuable, or beautiful. What is the desire of the nations?

All nations have desired a visible God; and such a revealed deity has been given to mankind in Jesus Christ. According to Solomon (Ecclesiastes 3:11), God put eternity in the hearts of men. It seems that with mankind there is a universal instinct for worship. Those of every society have a longing for a god that is more than just a conception of the mind, but a being who is infinitely exalted, and one to whom they could enter into fellowship. Jesus Christ claimed to be that god, and the object of religious contemplation and worship. He claimed to be the image of the invisible God, saying “I and my father are one“ (John 10:30), and “he who has seen me has seen the father.““ (John 14:9)

Along with their longing for God, humans also possess a sense of unfitness to enter into fellowship with God. Thus, wherever men have sought fellowship with God, he also had an altar. Such altars were reserved for offering sacrifices out of a sense of impurity and the need for mercy. Only Jesus Christ, the longing of the nations, can supply the need of the human heart, and satisfy the justice of God. (John 1:29; 1 Timothy 2:5)

Not only have men sought divine favor from God, but also desired trustworthy information from God. A direct connection with God has been explored in various ways: either through signs in the sky, a phenomena of nature, or through seers and sages. Some of these religions, such as Islam, Brahmanism, or Hinduism, have “sacred” books that supposedly reveal divine truths. But when Jesus came into the world, men would marvel at his teaching. “The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!” (John 7:46). And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”(Matthew 7:28,29) God, though his prophets, has given us a book, the Holy Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16) that teach his marvelous truths.

In almost all of man’s religions, there is belief of a future life beyond the grave. Both Hindus and Muslims believe in some sort of system of rewards and consequences that are realized after death. Even certain skeptics and philosophers have candidly revealed a longing for something better than life on earth. Jesus Christ answers man’s inquiries about the future life with clear and convincing information in comparison to the teachings of all other religions. With the appearing of Jesus Christ, death was abolished and life and immortality were offered through the gospel.

Both philosophy and history show that only Christ meets all the moral longings of humanity. The moral craving of humanity is satisfied in Christ, and in Christ only. Man desires reconciliation to his Creator. Man deeply desires an inner harmony of soul. This is the desire of the nations! This is offered only through Jesus Christ, the son of God.

By George Slover 
 

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