John Calvin Commentary Haggai 2:20-23

"And the word of Jehovah came the second time unto Haggai in the four and twentieth [day] of the month, saying, Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; and I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith Jehovah, and will make thee as a signet; for I have chosen thee, saith Jehovah of hosts." — Haggai 2:20-23 (ASV)

The Prophet now proceeds still further, for there is here a truly gracious and spiritual promise, by which God affirms that He will care for His people to the end. He does not now speak of wine and grain in order to feed the hungry, but He shows that He would be an eternal Father to that people, for He could not and would not forget the covenant He made with their fathers.

There is no doubt that he points to Christ in the person of Zerubbabel, as we will soon see. Therefore, it is right to distinguish this prophecy from the previous one. In the previous prophecy, God had shown that the worship which the Jews had for a time disregarded was pleasing to Him, as a reward was ready. He also showed that He was offended by the negligence previously rebuked, since He had inflicted clear punishment, not once, nor for a short time, but for many years, and in various ways.

What then follows? In this second prophecy, He addresses Zerubbabel and promises to be a Savior to the people under his authority.

Regarding these words, some think that a continuous act is signified when God says He will shake the heavens and the earth. They offer this explanation: that although it is God’s role to shake the heaven and the earth, and He is accustomed to overthrow kingdoms, yet He will make firm the sacred kingdom which He has raised among His people.

But this view is very unconvincing. We see even from this chapter what is meant by the shaking of the heaven and of the earth, which is mentioned. The Apostle also rightly interprets this passage when he teaches us that this prophecy properly belongs to the kingdom of Christ (Hebrews 12:26).

Therefore, there is no doubt that the Prophet means something special here when he introduces God as saying, Behold, I shake the heavens and the earth. God then is not speaking of His ordinary providence, nor simply claiming for Himself the government of the heaven and the earth, nor teaching us that He raises the humble and the lowly on high, and also brings down the high and the elevated.

Instead, He intimates that He has some memorable work in mind, which, when done, would shake people with fear and make heaven and earth tremble.

Hence, the Prophet undoubtedly intended here to lead the Jews to the hope of that redemption, a prelude of which God had then given them. But its fullness could not yet be seen—indeed, it was hidden from human view. For who could have expected such a renovation of the world as was brought about by the coming of Christ?

When the Jews found themselves exposed to the injustices of all people, when so small a number returned, and there was no kingdom and no power, they thought themselves to have been, as it were, deceived. Hence the Prophet affirms here that there would be a wonderful work of God, which would shake the heaven and the earth.

Therefore, it is necessary that this be applied to Christ. For it was, as it were, a new creation of the world when Christ gathered together the things scattered, as the Apostle says, in the heaven and in the earth (Colossians 1:20).

When He reconciled humanity to God and to angels, when He conquered the devil and restored life to the dead, when He shone forth with His own righteousness, then indeed God shook the heaven and the earth. And He still shakes them today when the gospel is preached, for He forms anew the children of Adam after His own image.

This spiritual regeneration, then, is such evidence of God’s power and grace, that He may justly be said to shake the heaven and the earth. The meaning of the passage is that it was necessary for the Jews to conceive in their minds something greater than could be seen by their eyes, for their redemption was not yet completed.

Hence He adds—I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariot and him who sits in it; come down shall the horses and their riders; every one shall fall by the sword of his brother.

He confirms here the former statement—that nothing would prevent God from renewing His Church. And He rightly adds this by way of anticipation, for the Jews were surrounded on all sides by deeply-rooted enemies; they had as many enemies as they had neighbors, and they were hated even by the whole world. How then could they emerge into that dignity which was then promised to them, unless God overturned the rest of the world?

But the Prophet here addresses this objection and briefly shows that God would rather have all the nations perish than have His Church remain in that dishonorable state. We then see that the Prophet here means nothing other than that God would overcome all those obstacles which Satan and the whole world might place in the way when it is His purpose to restore His Church.

We now perceive the Prophet’s intentions, and we also perceive the application of his teaching. For whenever obstacles and difficulties come in our way, calculated to drive us to despair when we think of the restoration of the Church, this prophecy should come to our minds. It shows that it is in God’s power, and that it is His purpose, to overturn all the kingdoms of the earth, to break chariots in pieces, and to cast down and lay prostrate all riders, rather than to allow them to prevent the restoration of His Church.

But in the last verse, the Prophet shows why God would do this—namely, that Zerubbabel might prosper together with the whole people. Hence He says—In that day saith Jehovah, I will take thee, Zerubbabel, and will set thee as a signet, for I have chosen thee.

As we have said before, God addresses Zerubbabel here so that in his person He might testify that He would bless the people whom He intended to gather under that sacred leader. For though Zerubbabel never had a kingdom, nor ever wore a crown, he was nevertheless of the tribe of Judah; and God designed that some spark of that kingdom should exist, which He had raised in the family of David.

Since, then, Zerubbabel was at that time a type of Christ, God declares here that Zerubbabel would be to Him as a signet—that is, that his dignity would be esteemed by Him. This comparison of a signet is also found in other places. It is said in Jeremiah 22:24, Though this Coniah were a signet on my right hand I would pluck him thence. But here God says that Zerubbabel would be to Him a signet—that is, you will be with Me in high esteem.

For a sealing signet is usually carefully preserved, as kings seek in this way to secure to themselves the highest authority, so that more trust may be placed in their seal than in the greatest princes. The meaning, then, of the comparison is that Zerubbabel, though despised by the world, was yet highly esteemed by God.

But it is evident that this was never fulfilled in the person of Zerubbabel. It therefore follows that it is to be applied to Christ. God, in short, shows that people gathered under one head would be accepted by Him, for Christ was eventually to rise, as is evident, from the seed of Zerubbabel.

But this reason is to be especially noticed—Because I have chosen thee. For God does not here ascribe excellencies or merits to Zerubbabel when He says that He would hold him in great esteem, but He attributes this to His own election. If, then, the reason is asked why God had so exalted Zerubbabel and bestowed on him such illustrious favors, it can be found in nothing else but in the goodness of God alone.

God had made a covenant with David and promised that his kingdom would be eternal; hence it was that He chose Zerubbabel after the people had returned from exile. This election was the reason why God exalted Zerubbabel, though his power at that time was small.

We indeed know that he was exposed to the contempt of all nations. But God here invites the attention of the faithful to their election, so that they might hope for more than what the perception of the flesh could conceive or apprehend. For what He has decreed cannot be made void, and in the person of Zerubbabel He had determined to save a chosen people, for from him, as has been said, Christ was to come.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that as we are still restrained by our earthly cares and cannot ascend upward to heaven with as much readiness and eagerness as we ought—O grant, that since You extend to us daily such a liberal supply for the present life, we may at least learn that You are our Father, and that we may not at the same time fix our thoughts on these perishable things, but learn to elevate our minds higher, and so make continual advances in Your spiritual service, until at length we come to the full and complete fruition of that blessed and celestial life which You have promised to us and procured for us by the blood of Your only begotten Son. Amen.

CHAPTER 24.