The Glory of the Church

Haggai 2:1-9

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the Temple for the Israelites. We talked last week about the great detail and work that went into the construction of the Tabernacle, a kind of mobile temple that that Israelites used throughout their journey through the wilderness and for several centuries between the conquering of the land under Joshua and the reign of the third king of Israel, Solomon. The Tabernacle and Solomon’s later permanent counterpart, the Temple, represented the very presence of God with His covenant people. This is why it was such a big event when the glory of God filled the Tabernacle at the end of Exodus 40, and later when it filled the Temple after its completion. And this is why it was such a big deal for the presence of God to be withdrawn, as Ezekiel foresaw in his prophecy.