Dear Desire of Every Nation

By Joshua Mills

“6 For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.
7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures [lit. desire] of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts.
8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts.
9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts.”

— Haggai 2:6–9

In the hymn Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus, Charles Wesley wrote about the people of God’s longing for the Messiah in the Old Testament. When God’s people walked through the dark providence of exile, they wondered if God would remain faithful to His covenant promises. From Genesis 3:15 onward, God progressively revealed Himself as the only Savior of His people.

In Haggai’s day, the returned exiles stood amid the ruins of Solomon’s glorious temple and wondered whether God would dwell among His people again. Into that moment of darkness, God spoke through Haggai, promising that a day of greater glory was still to come. The Lord declared, “I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations… The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former… and in this place I will give peace” (Hag. 2:7, 9). This “Desire of All Nations” is Christ Himself.

This article argues that Haggai 2 shows us that God remains committed to displaying His glory among the nations through the Messiah. His glory will shine brighter than the glory revealed in Solomon’s day. As John Owen observed, “the glory of Solomon’s temple was only a shadow of the glory revealed in Jesus, in whom the fullness of God shines.” To establish this, we consider the former glory and the coming glory.

The Former Glory (Haggai 2:1–5)

At the time of Haggai’s prophecy, the returned exiles looked upon Jerusalem and saw devastation where glory once stood. What had been the center of worship—the dwelling place of God—now lay in ruins. All those precious moments of meeting with the living God were now memories of former glory.

“And they said to me, ‘The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.’ As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”

— Nehemiah 1:3–4

The Lord Himself asked His people, “Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now?” (Hag. 2:3). Solomon’s temple was magnificent in architecture and craftsmanship, but its true glory was not the building itself—it was the God who dwelt there.

“As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven… and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.”

— 2 Chronicles 7:1–3

That was the former glory. Yet God promised to do something far greater.

Rather than living in past memories or paralyzed by fear, God called His people forward: “For I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts” (Hag. 2:4). God reaffirmed His covenant faithfulness and pledged His presence. The call was simple and strong: be strong and work. God would display His glory again—far beyond anything seen before.

The Coming Glory (Haggai 2:6–9)

Haggai then turns our eyes from the past to the promised future. “The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former… and in this place I will give peace” (v.9). How would God accomplish this?

First, the Lord would shake creation by His coming: “Yet once more… I will shake the heavens and the earth” (v.6). This language points us to both the incarnation and the return of Jesus Christ. Isaiah longed for this day when he cried, “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down” (Isa. 64:1).

“At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’”

— Hebrews 12:26–29

Second, the Lord would shake the nations themselves: “And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in” (v.7). While some debate the phrasing, the New Testament confirms that this promise finds its fulfillment in Christ—the true treasure and hope of the nations (Heb. 12:26–29). Jesus Christ is the pearl of great price, the Desire of the Nations.

This is the nature of the gospel: a summons to behold. God fills the world with the knowledge of His glory through the proclamation of Christ.

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

— 2 Corinthians 4:6

Matthew Henry rightly observed that “the glory of God’s grace in the Messiah far outshines the glory of Solomon’s temple.” In Luke 2, we see this glory revealed as Simeon beholds the Christ-child in the temple and declares that his eyes have seen God’s salvation—a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory for Israel.

Conclusion

God remains committed to displaying His glory among the nations through the Messiah. The former glory has given way to a greater glory—the glory of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Advent reminds us that this promised glory has come and will one day come again in fullness.

Like Simeon, may we say with confidence and joy, “My eyes have seen your salvation.” Come, Lord Jesus.

For more from our latest series please visit: Christ Our Light and Hope: Reflections for Advent