Haggai 2:7 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The returned community could see how small their rebuilt temple seemed beside the former house. Haggai 2:7 answers their discouragement by shifting attention from present appearance to the LORD's purpose. The future glory of the house would come from God's rule over the nations and God's own gift.
The LORD promises that He will shake the nations and bring their desired treasures, or what is precious among them, into His house, filling it with glory beyond its present weakness.
The Context of Haggai 2:7
Haggai speaks after the exiles have begun rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. He addresses Zerubbabel the governor, Joshua the high priest, and the people, including those who remembered the earlier temple and grieved over the comparison. The LORD calls them to be strong and work because He is with them, recalling His covenant presence from the exodus. Verses 6-9 form one promise: the LORD will shake creation and nations, His house will be filled with glory, all silver and gold belong to Him, and He will give peace in this place. Later in the chapter, Haggai confronts uncleanness and calls the people to consider the LORD's blessing from the temple foundation onward.
What Does Haggai 2:7 Mean?
The verse begins with the LORD Himself acting: "I will shake all nations." The shaking belongs to His authority over peoples and powers that can appear fixed and secure. Haggai then says that "the desire of all nations shall come." The phrase has been understood in more than one way. In its immediate setting, verse 8 speaks of silver and gold as belonging to the LORD, so it naturally includes precious wealth brought from the nations for the honor of His house. The sentence centers on the LORD's promise, not on human ability to make the temple glorious. What the nations prize is already under His claim, and He can direct it toward His purposes.
This promise meets the sorrow raised in verse 3, where the rebuilt house seemed as nothing beside the first temple. The LORD does not deny the community's small beginning. He gives them work to do in verse 4 and assures them of His abiding Spirit in verse 5. Yet the outcome rests with Him. The coming glory is connected with the shaking of heaven, earth, sea, dry land, and nations in verses 6-7. Verse 9 completes the thought by promising greater glory for the latter house and peace in that place. The temple is therefore treated as a real holy place where the LORD chooses to make His presence and blessing known among His covenant people.
The New Testament uses Haggai's language of shaking to speak of God's enduring kingdom. Hebrews 12:26-28 recalls the promise and calls believers to receive a kingdom that cannot be moved. That later use does not erase Haggai's first concern for the temple and its promised glory. It shows the reach of the LORD's word: every unstable power is subject to Him, while what He establishes endures. Christians have also long heard in "the desire of all nations" a hope pointing toward Christ, whose coming brings God's glory near. The immediate wording can refer to the nations' treasures, so that Christ connection is best held alongside, rather than substituted for, the verse's temple promise.
Bible Verses Related to Haggai 2:7
“For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;”
- Haggai 2:6
“The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.”
- Haggai 2:8-9
“Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.”
- Isaiah 60:5
“Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:”
- Hebrews 12:26-28
Where Haggai 2:7 Echoes in Scripture
Hebrews 12:26-28 explicitly recalls Haggai's promise that God will shake what can be shaken. The writer uses that promise to distinguish temporary created things from the unshakable kingdom received through God. This is a strong canonical echo because Haggai 2:6-7 already joins the shaking of creation with the LORD's larger purpose for His house. Hebrews invites reverent gratitude before the same God whose rule reaches every nation and every earthly security.
How to Apply Haggai 2:7 Today
When God's work seems modest, unfinished, or easily overlooked, Haggai's promise gives us reason to continue faithfully with the task before us. We can honor places of worship, shared service, generous giving, and the ordinary labor that supports the people of God, remembering that their deepest worth comes from the LORD's presence. The verse also loosens our grip on wealth and public power. Silver, gold, and national strength are never ultimate possessions. They belong to the LORD, and He can use what is unstable in ways that serve His holy purposes and bring peace.
Reflection & Prayer
Where have present limitations made God's work seem less hopeful to us? We may ask the LORD to strengthen our hands for the work He has given, to free us from fear of changing powers, and to fill our worship with reverence for His promised glory. Suggested prayer: "LORD of hosts, keep us faithful in small beginnings and teach us to seek the glory and peace that come from You."