Kingdom Promise / Haggai 2:20-23
Four Messages, One Ultimate Kingdom
Well, church, it is so good to see you again this week. I’m glad you’re with us. If you have a Bible, go ahead and turn with me to the book of Haggai. Today, we are going to finish our series in Haggai. It’s been a short series—we promised that from the very beginning. We set out to cover all thirty-eight verses of Haggai in four weeks, and we are doing just that.
If you’re just joining us as we’ve been trekking through this tiny prophetic book near the end of the Old Testament, we have seen three distinct messages that God gave the prophet Haggai to deliver to the people.
The first was a message of kingdom priority—reminding them that they had been liberated from their enslavement and captivity so that they might be released in freedom to serve God’s kingdom, rather than waste their lives building their own. It was a call to kingdom priority, realigning the people toward what matters for all eternity: God and His kingdom above all else.
Then we saw a message of kingdom perspective. As the people got to laboring and investing in that kingdom, God warned them against the danger of getting stuck looking in the rearview mirror. He warned against the slow death of comparison, where all we can see is the “good old days” behind us or some seemingly better thing down the road, and we fail to see in faith the eternal work God wants to do in the rubble right in front of us. It was a call to kingdom perspective, trusting Him to move forward.
Last week, we saw the third message: kingdom purity. As we continue to serve the Lord and His kingdom, we must do so wholly consecrated unto Him. We move forward in purity—not a purity earned by our own performance or good works, but one given to us through the grace and mercy of God as He clothes us in His righteousness. Out of that grace, we live a consecrated life to Him, not based on what we hope to get, but on what we have already been given.
A Personal Word to Zerubbabel
Now we come to the fourth and final message. This message is unique compared to the three that came before it.
Haggai 2:20-21 (NASB)
Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth [day] of the month, saying, ’Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ’I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.
What makes this message different? First, it wasn’t delivered a month, two months, or three weeks later. It was given on the exact same day as the message of kingdom purity. As soon as Haggai finished delivering that third message, he turned right around and gave another one.
Second, and even more unique, this message is not addressed to Joshua the high priest, nor is it given to the whole remnant of the people. This is the only message of the four delivered directly to one individual. It is a deeply personal message for the governor, Zerubbabel. Through it, we discover a powerful promise of hope—not only for Zerubbabel, but a promise that we ourselves have been grafted into.
You need to understand where Zerubbabel was coming from. Many believe that of all the people who struggled with discouragement in the book of Haggai, none carried a heavier burden than Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was only a child when the Babylonians swept in, sacked Jerusalem, destroyed Solomon’s temple, and marched God’s people nine hundred miles away into exile.
We know from the book of Ezra that Zerubbabel’s grandfather, King Jehoiachin, was on the throne when Babylon captured the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Jehoiachin was king, Zerubbabel was his grandson, and as a young boy, Zerubbabel—along with his father, Shealtiel—watched the demise of their entire kingdom. From King David all the way down to Jehoiachin, the royal line had reigned, and suddenly everything collapsed into captivity. Zerubbabel had to watch that happen.
In fact, his very name, Zerubbabel, means “offspring of Babylon” or “seed of Babylon.” His name was a daily reminder that he would not be raised under the throne God had established over Judah; he would be raised under pagan kings in Babylon and Persia. Yet, despite that rough beginning and the reality of enslavement early in life, he learned to serve faithfully in a pagan court, much like Moses, Daniel, and Joseph before him.
He served so faithfully that when the Persians finally permitted the exiles to return, Zerubbabel was chosen to lead God’s people back. He didn’t return as king, as he might have once dreamed in the line of his grandfather, but as governor. Much like Joseph was appointed prince over Egypt, Zerubbabel was appointed prince over Judah.
Yet as he led this massive, exhausting project of rebuilding the temple, discouragement inevitably set in. You have to wonder how many times Zerubbabel looked at the foundation and thought, Is anything truly good ever going to come out of this rubble? He carried that heavy weight.
So along comes Haggai with a very personal word of hope for this one man. God wanted Zerubbabel to know: There is an event coming down the road. Even though what you are doing right now feels small and insignificant, there is a future day in which I am going to use you. You have a vital part to play, and it is so eternally significant that you cannot possibly fathom it. I want to show you that day, Zerubbabel, so that you might have hope in the middle of the rebuilding.
The Great Shaking of the Earth
Look at how God describes this coming event through Haggai.
Haggai 2:21-22 (NASB)
’Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ’I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. ‘I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders will go down, everyone by the sword of another.’
God delivers a prophecy about a future, catastrophic, almost apocalyptic battle. In one sweeping moment, God will overthrow every earthly empire, every kingdom that has railed against Him and opposed His rule. In a single battle, God will bring down every enemy and place them beneath His feet.
That is an extraordinary prophecy. Have we ever seen a battle like that in human history? We have witnessed horrific, massive wars across the centuries, but we have never seen a battle where every contending world power is simultaneously brought low by the direct intervention of God.
What biblical event does this point toward? Have you ever heard of the Battle of Armageddon? This cosmic shaking is referenced throughout Scripture. Let’s look at where this exact prophecy from Haggai is quoted and expanded in the New Testament.
The Unshakeable Kingdom in Hebrews and Revelation
Turn with me to Hebrews chapter 12. The author of Hebrews was writing to believers who were being tempted to drift back into Old Covenant legalism or succumb to early forms of Gnostic heresy. God inspired the author to encourage them to stand firm and never reject Jesus.
Hebrews 12:25-28 (NASB)
See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned [them] on earth, much less [will] we [escape] who turn away from Him who [warns] from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, ‘YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN.’ This [expression], ‘Yet once more,’ denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;
Notice the argument. The author points back to the Exodus and says that when Moses warned the Egyptians on earth, they did not escape judgment. God shook the earth at Sinai. How much less will anyone escape if they reject the One who speaks from heaven, crying out, “Come to Me, all who are weary… receive the sacrifice of My Son”?
Then, in verse 26, the author quotes Haggai 2:21 word for word: “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.”
What I love about the New Testament is that the author of Hebrews interprets Haggai right there for us. What does it mean when God shakes the heavens and the earth? Verse 27 explains that the phrase “yet once more” indicates the removal of everything that is temporal and created, so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
There is a day coming when God will shake all the proud kingdoms of humanity, our temporal empires, and all our boastful inventions. The entire earthly foundation will tremble, and everything made by human hands will fall. The only things left standing will be the things that cannot be shaken: God, His eternal Word, and the souls of those who belong to Him. Therefore, we ought to be profoundly grateful, because through Jesus Christ, we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken.
Now turn over to Revelation 16 to see another picture of how this cosmic shaking unfolds. In Revelation 16, we are near the culmination of God’s righteous wrath, right before the return of Jesus Christ. The bowl judgments are being poured out.
Revelation 16:12-14 (NASB)
The sixth [angel] poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east. And I saw [coming] out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.
John describes three demonic spirits, resembling frogs, coming out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. Through deceptive signs, they gather the rulers of the earth together to wage war against the Almighty.
If you were a believer living through that, how would you feel? Imagine what it felt like to live in Europe during World War II, watching tanks roll in and entire nations fall. It must have been terrifying. This final battle will be even more intense. But right in the middle of the chaos, Jesus breaks in with a word of comfort for His people.
Revelation 16:15 (NASB)
(‘Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.’)
In other words: Hold on. Keep your spiritual garments on. Don’t be caught unprepared. I know everything around you looks like it is collapsing, but I am coming.
Then the scene resumes in verse 16.
Revelation 16:16-17 (NASB)
And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon. Then the seventh [angel] poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, ‘It is done.’
They assemble at the place called Armageddon. The seventh angel pours out his bowl, and a voice from the throne cries out, “It is done!”
Think about that. At the end of Christ’s first coming, hanging on the cross as the sacrifice for our sins, He cried, “It is finished!” And when He initiates the final consummation of His kingdom, the throne echoes, “It is done!”
Revelation 16:18-21 (NASB)
And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake [was it, and] so mighty. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe.
John describes flashes of lightning, peals of thunder, and an earthquake unlike anything humanity has ever experienced. The great cities of the nations fall. Every island flees; the mountains cannot be found. One-hundred-pound hailstones fall from heaven, and yet the hardened hearts of men still curse God instead of repenting.
It is an awe-inspiring, terrifying picture of the day God overthrows every enemy of His kingdom once and for all.
The Restored Signet Ring
When we return to Haggai, we can imagine Zerubbabel listening to this prophecy of cosmic judgment and asking, “Lord, that future day sounds glorious and terrifying. But what does that have to do with me? What does that have to do with this rubble in front of me right now?”
Listen to God’s answer in the final verse of the book.
Haggai 2:23 (NASB)
‘On that day,’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will make you like a signet [ring], for I have chosen you,’’ declares the LORD of hosts.
God tells Zerubbabel that on that future day, He will make him like a signet ring.
How could God use Zerubbabel in an event that hasn’t happened in twenty-six hundred years? We know Zerubbabel didn’t live for millennia. In fact, Ezra records the names of those present at the dedication of the rebuilt temple, and Zerubbabel’s name isn’t there. Most scholars believe he lived to see the construction completed, but died before the formal dedication.
God wasn’t speaking of Zerubbabel standing physically on the battlefield at the end of time; Zerubbabel was being chosen as a type—a prophetic foreshadowing. That is why God says, “I will make you LIKE a signet ring.”
What was a signet ring? In the ancient world, a monarch wore a signet ring bearing his royal seal. It represented his sovereign power and delegated authority. When an official decree was issued, hot wax was poured onto the document, and the king pressed his signet ring into the wax. It was the absolute guarantee of the king’s authority.
Why would this metaphor mean so much to Zerubbabel?
In 2 Samuel 7, God made a covenant with King David, promising that one of his descendants would sit upon an eternal throne. Generations passed, kings came and went, and people kept waiting for that ultimate King. But the monarchy grew increasingly corrupt, culminating in the reign of Zerubbabel’s grandfather, King Jehoiachin.
Jehoiachin was so wicked that God pronounced a devastating judgment on him through the prophet Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 22:24-25 (NASB)
‘As I live,’ declares the LORD, ’even though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were a signet [ring] on My right hand, yet I would pull you off; and I will give you over into the hand of those who are seeking your life, yes, into the hand of those whom you dread, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans.
God told Jehoiachin: “Even if you were the signet ring on My right hand, I would pull you off and cast you away.” And that is exactly what happened. God stripped the authority from Jehoiachin, the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, and the royal line seemed broken.
Growing up in exile, Zerubbabel had to wonder: Did God’s promise fail? Will the signet ring ever be placed back on the line of David? Is the covenant over?
Here, at the end of Haggai, God speaks directly to Zerubbabel’s deepest fear and declares: “No, My promise is not dead. I am placing the signet ring back on your line. I have chosen you.”
When we open the New Testament and read the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Matthew 1, stretching from Abraham all the way to Jesus, right there in the lineage of the Messiah is the name Zerubbabel.
God was telling him: Hang in there, Zerubbabel. Just a few generations from now, a child will be born in Bethlehem, wrapped in swaddling clothes. He will walk through the very temple courts you are rebuilding. Outside those city walls, He will lay down His life for the sins of the world. He will rise from the grave and ascend to the Father, establishing His eternal reign. And at the appointed time, that same Messiah King will return, overthrow every enemy, and make all things new. You are part of that story, Zerubbabel. Hold on to hope.
Living in the Light of Eternity
What a profound comfort that was for Zerubbabel, and what a powerful word for us today.
Think about the four messages of Haggai and how they speak to our lives.
We have received a message of kingdom priority. We who were once enslaved to our sin, held under the power of darkness, have been liberated through the cross of Jesus Christ. We were not redeemed so that we could spend the rest of our days building our own tiny, temporary empires. We were saved to invest our lives in God’s eternal kingdom.
The day is coming for every one of us when our earthly journey will conclude. Between right now and that final breath, how are we using the time God has entrusted to us? Are we stewarding our days for His kingdom, or wasting them on temporal things that will not survive the shaking of the earth?
Ephesians 5:15-17 (NASB)
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Once our priority is set, we must live with kingdom perspective. We have to fight the good fight of faith, keeping our eyes focused out the front windshield on the kingdom that is coming, rather than constantly longing for the rearview mirror. We must refuse the slow death of comparison and trust that God is at work even in the quiet, faithful rebuilding seasons of our lives.
From that perspective, we pursue kingdom purity. We offer our lives as holy, living sacrifices to Him—not in a desperate attempt to earn God’s favor through religious performance, but as a joyful response to the righteousness He has freely gifted to us by His grace.
And finally, we rest in kingdom promise. Even though we face trials, weariness, and grief in this broken world, we are anchored by the blessed hope that Jesus is returning to make all things new.
Our Blessed Hope: All Things Made New
For centuries, the early church read the final chapters of Scripture to fuel their endurance. It is estimated that over seventy-five percent of our historical hymns draw their themes from the return of Christ and the hope of eternity.
Listen to the glorious vision God gave to the apostle John.
Revelation 21:1-5 (NASB)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer [any] sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be [any] death; there will no longer be [any] mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.’ And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’
Revelation 21:22-24 (NASB)
I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp [is] the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.
Revelation 22:1-5 (NASB)
Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve [kinds of] fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name [will be] on their foreheads. And there will no longer be [any] night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.
There will be no more curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, His servants will worship Him, and they will see His face.
Revelation 22:7 (NASB)
‘And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.’
Romans 8:18 (NASB)
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Paul looked at all his shipwrecks, beatings, and imprisonments and said that the present sufferings of this world are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us. Jesus is coming. That is our unbreakable promise.
Looking Back, Looking Ahead: The Table of the Lord
There is no better way to conclude our journey through Haggai—celebrating Kingdom Priority, Kingdom Perspective, Kingdom Purity, and Kingdom Promise—than by gathering around the Lord’s Table.
Communion is a sacred meal the church has shared since the night Jesus was betrayed. In this meal, we take two simple elements: the bread and the cup.
First, communion invites us to look back. It calls us to remember the One who saved us. We are not redeemed by our own merits, but by the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. When we take the bread, we remember His sacrifice as our substitute. When we take the cup, we remember His blood, poured out for the complete forgiveness of our sins. We look back with sober hearts, profound gratitude, and worship.
Second, communion invites us to look forward. It is a joyful anticipation of the day when we will sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb. A day is coming when we will no longer need these symbols to remember Him by faith, because we will see Him face to face. Every time we take this meal, we proclaim His death until He comes.
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, if you have placed your faith in Him as your Savior, you are invited to come to the table. If you have not yet made that decision, I invite you to reflect on the good news of the gospel today and consider placing your trust in Christ.
Let’s pray together.
Father, thank You for the timeless truth of this small book of Haggai. Thank You that the promises You spoke twenty-six hundred years ago are alive and fulfilled in Jesus Christ. As we await the return of our King, fill our hearts with the joy of our salvation. Realign our priorities, grant us Your eternal perspective, sanctify us in Your purity, and anchor our souls in Your promises. As we come to Your table now, fill us with reverence, thanksgiving, and an unwavering hope for the day when You make all things new. In Jesus’ name, Amen.