Rebuild the Temple

1 ^(A) On the first day of the sixth month of the second year that Darius was king of Persia,^[a] the Lord told Haggai the prophet to speak his message to the governor of Judah and to the high priest.

So Haggai told Governor Zerubbabel and High Priest Joshua^{[b] 2-5} that the Lord All-Powerful had said to them and to the people:

You say this isn't the right time to build a temple for me. But is it right for you to live in expensive houses,^[c] while my temple is a pile of ruins? Just look at what's happening. ⁶ You harvest less than you plant, you never have enough to eat or drink, your clothes don't keep you warm, and your wages are stored in bags full of holes.

⁷ Think about what I have said! ⁸ But first, go to the hills and get wood for my temple, so I can take pride in it and be worshiped there. ⁹ You expected much, but received only a little. And when you brought it home, I made that little disappear. Why have I done this? It's because you hurry off to build your own houses, while my temple is still in ruins. ¹⁰ That's also why the dew doesn't fall and your harvest fails. ¹¹ And so, at my command everything will become barren—your farmland and pastures, your vineyards and olive trees, your animals and you yourselves. All your hard work will be for nothing.

¹² Zerubbabel and Joshua, together with the others who had returned from exile in Babylonia, obeyed the Lord's message spoken by his prophet Haggai, and they started showing proper respect for the Lord. ¹³ Haggai then told them that the Lord had promised to be with them. ¹⁴ So the Lord God All-Powerful made everyone eager to work on his temple, especially Zerubbabel and Joshua. ¹⁵ And the work began on the twenty-fourth day of that same month.

The Glorious New Temple

2 ^1-2 On the twenty-first day of the next month,^[d] the Lord told Haggai the prophet to speak this message to Governor Zerubbabel, High Priest Joshua, and everyone else:

^3 (B) Does anyone remember how glorious this temple used to be? Now it looks like nothing. ⁴ But cheer up! Because I, the Lord All-Powerful, will be here to help you with the work, ^5 (C) just as I promised your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt. Don't worry. My Spirit is^[e] right here with you.

^6 (D) Soon I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. ⁷ I will shake the nations, and their treasures^[f] will be brought here. Then the brightness of my glory will fill this temple. ⁸ All silver and gold belong to me, ⁹ and I promise that this new temple will be more glorious than the first one. I will also bless this city^[g] with peace.

The Past and the Future

¹⁰ On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month,^[h] the Lord God All-Powerful told the prophet Haggai ¹¹ to ask the priests for their opinion on the following matters:

¹² Suppose meat ready to be sacrificed to God is being carried in the folds of someone's clothing, and the clothing rubs against some bread or stew or wine or olive oil or any other food. Would those foods that were touched then become acceptable for sacrifice?

“Of course not,” the priests answered.

^13 (E) Then Haggai said, “Suppose someone has touched a dead body and is considered unacceptable to worship God. If that person touches these foods, would they become unclean?”

“Of course they would,” the priests answered.

¹⁴ So the Lord told Haggai to say:

That's how it is with this entire nation. Everything you do and every sacrifice you offer is unacceptable to me. ¹⁵ But from now on, things will get better. Before you started laying the foundation for the temple, ¹⁶ you recalled what life was like in the past.^[i] When you wanted 200 kilograms of wheat, there were only 10, and when you wanted 50 jars of wine, there were only 20. ¹⁷ I made all of your hard work useless by sending mildew, mold, and hail—but you still did not return to me, your Lord.

¹⁸ Today you have completed the foundation for my temple, so listen to what your future will be like. ¹⁹ Although you have not yet harvested any grain, grapes, figs, pomegranates,^[j] or olives, I will richly bless you in the days ahead.

God's Promise to Zerubbabel

²⁰ That same day the Lord spoke to Haggai again and said:

²¹ Tell Governor Zerubbabel of Judah that I am going to shake the heavens and the earth ²² and wipe out kings and their kingdoms. I will overturn war chariots, and then cavalry troops will start slaughtering each other. ²³ But tell my servant Zerubbabel that I, the Lord All-Powerful, have chosen him, and he will rule in my name.^[k]

The Prostitute and the Beast

17 ^(A) One of the seven angels who had emptied the bowls came over and said to me, “Come on! I will show you how God will punish that shameless prostitute who sits on many oceans. ^2 (B) Every king on earth has slept with her, and her shameless ways are like wine that has made everyone on earth drunk.”

^3 (C) With the help of the Spirit, the angel took me into a desert, where I saw a woman sitting on a red beast. The beast was covered with names that were an insult to God, and it had seven heads and ten horns. ^4 (D) The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet robes, and she wore jewelry made of gold, precious stones, and pearls. In her hand she held a gold cup filled with the filthy and nasty things she had done. ⁵ On her forehead a mysterious name was written:

I AM THE GREAT CITY OF BABYLON, THE MOTHER OF EVERY IMMORAL AND FILTHY THING ON EARTH.

⁶ I could tell that the woman was drunk on the blood of God's people who had given their lives for Jesus. This surprising sight amazed me, ⁷ and the angel said:

Why are you so amazed? I will explain the mystery about this woman and about the beast she is sitting on, with its seven heads and ten horns. ^8 (E) The beast you saw is one that used to be and no longer is. It will come back from the deep pit, but only to be destroyed. Everyone on earth whose names were not written in the book of life^[a] before the time of creation will be amazed. They will see this beast that used to be and no longer is, but will be once more.

⁹ Anyone with wisdom can figure this out. The seven heads that the woman is sitting on stand for seven hills. These heads are also seven kings. ¹⁰ Five of the kings are dead. One is ruling now, and the other one has not yet come. But when he does, he will rule for only a little while.

¹¹ You also saw a beast that used to be and no longer is. That beast is one of the seven kings who will return as the eighth king, but only to be destroyed.

^12 (F) The ten horns you saw are ten more kings, who have not yet come into power, and they will rule with the beast for only a short time. ¹³ They all think alike and will give their power and authority to the beast. ^14 (G) These kings will go to war against the Lamb. But he will defeat them, because he is Lord over all lords and King over all kings. His followers are chosen and special and faithful.

¹⁵ The oceans you saw the prostitute sitting on are crowds of people from all races and languages. ¹⁶ The ten horns and the beast will start hating the shameless woman. They will strip off her clothes and leave her naked. Then they will eat her flesh and throw the rest of her body into a fire. ¹⁷ God is the one who made these kings all think alike and decide to give their power to the beast. And they will do this until what God has said comes true.

¹⁸ The woman you saw is the great city that rules over all kings on earth.