The blessings to the
Priest, Joshua, were foreshadowings of Him Whose Name he bore, and Whose
office he represented.
All was ruin and desolation; heaps of stones lay where beauteous
buildings had been, and the fields and vineyards lay waste; but glad
promises came by the mouth of Zechariah, that these empty streets should
yet be filled with merry children at play, and with aged men leaning on
their staves, at peace and at ease.
The first thing done by these faithful men, was to set up an Altar among
the ruins, where they might offer the daily sacrifice once more. Then
they began the Temple, in the second year after their return; the
trumpeters blew with silver trumpets, the Levites sang, and the people
shouted; but what was joy to the young, whose hope was fulfilled, was
grief to the old, who had seen Solomon's Temple in its glory. Where was
the Ark? where the manna? where the Urim and Thummim? where the Light
upon the Mercy-seat? Gone for ever, and heaps of ruins around! The old
men wept as the youths cried out for joy, and the shout of rejoicing
could barely be heard for the sound of wailing. But Haggai was sent to
console them with the promise, that though this House was as nothing
in their eyes, its glory should exceed that of the former one, for the
Desire of all nations should come and fill this House with glory.
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