The Glory of the Latter House

Haggai and Zechariah were prophets during the days of restoration, after the Jews came out of Babylon. The temple that had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar was rebuilt, but it paled in significance compared to Solomon’s temple. Those who were old enough to remember the glory of Solomon’s temple wept because the new temple fell so short of the grandeur of Solomon’s. But the younger Jews who had not known Solomon’s temple were rejoicing over their new temple. It was because of this mixture of emotions that Haggai was moved by the Spirit to prophesy.

Haggai 2:6-9 For thus says the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts.
8 The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts.
9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, says the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, says the Lord of hosts.

So while there is much weeping over the lackluster of Zerubbabel’s temple, Haggai prophesied that the glory of this latter house would be greater than the former house. But his prophecy was never fulfilled in that day. Zerubbabel’s temple never received a glory like Solomon’s. It still remains for Haggai’s prophecy to come to pass.

The Lord speaking through Haggai said, Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth…I will shake all nations…and I will fill this house with glory. And the prophecy is repeated in Hebrews 12:26-29. Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifies 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: for our God is a consuming fire. So the Book of Hebrews lets us know that Haggai’s prophecy is fulfilled in the days of the establishment of the Kingdom of God. It did not refer to Solomon’s temple and Zerubbabel’s temple after all.

The outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two was the beginning of the Church Age. The Early Church, then, is the former house. About three thousand people were added to the church that first day (Acts 2:41), and about five thousand were added shortly after (Acts 4:4). There was a great moving of God in that Early Church. It is said that many wonders and signs were done by the apostles (Acts 2:43)…And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people (Acts 5:12). The Lord had filled the former house with His glory, with a rushing mighty wind, tongues of fire upon each one, and they were all filled with the Spirit and began to minister with a tremendous anointing. That was the former house.

But Haggai’s prophecy said that there would be a greater glory upon the latter house. We understand the principle that the accomplishing of a thing or the finished product is greater than the beginning. And as great as the Early Church was, it was only the beginning of what God is doing. When He finishes His house it will have a greater glory than the Early Church. We haven’t seen the finished product yet. Christendom is much larger today than it was then, but it is not how large it is that makes the difference. It is not how large your church is either, but how much of God is in it that matters. The glory of the Lord filling the house is what makes the difference.

We don’t find any churches out in the church-world today that are even moving in a small amount of what the Early Church did. So far it seems that the Early Church still has more glory than the church of today. Nevertheless, that prophecy is still going to be fulfilled. What do you want to do? Do you want to take the Latter House glory and push it out into the future? Or would you like to say, “Lord, let us be the ones to experience Your glory. Let us be a part of that latter house, that temple You are building and that You will fill with Yourself.” It won’t just happen! But some will say, “Well, one day when the timing of the Lord is right, when that day gets here, it will happen.” It is not going to happen that way. If it was so, Jesus could have set a date. But He said that He didn’t know and the angels of heaven didn’t know either (Matthew 24:36). Why is the time unknown? Because it depends on a people to take the initiative to move in.

John 7:37-38 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.
38 He that believes on Me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

What does that mean? Well, if you want to be in this temple of the greater glory, if you are thirsty for God, if you are hungering after Him, if you want Him with all your heart, then come unto Him and drink! He didn’t say, “If you want to be a part of this latter house, then let Me know and I’ll come over and fill you with My glory.” He didn’t say that. He said, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink! In other words, He is on a higher realm and you will have to do some ascending. You will have to come unto Him and drink! This is speaking of initiative on your part. Are you thirsty? Then drink! Do you want to receive of His life? Then, when you go to the Scriptures don’t interpret them with your carnal mind, your intellect. Drink of His presence that is in the Word. When you are worshiping, don’t just go through the mechanics, but reach in with your spirit and drink of the Lord. Then, out of your belly will flow rivers of living water.

John 7:39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Jesus is speaking of the glorification of the latter house. What causes this latter house to receive the greater glory? It is because the people that make up the latter house are thirsting for Him and drinking of Him. You will have just as much of God as you want to have. The Lord doesn’t put a limitation on how much you can have. That is determined by your own desires for Him. It is the greater thirst that appropriates the greater glory.

So Jesus didn’t know when this would happen because He didn’t know when there would be a people thirsty enough to appropriate the greater glory. Do you realize we’ve had 2000 years of Christianity and those thirsty people haven’t been found yet? God is still looking for them. The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. John 4:23. He is looking for a people who are really interested in worshiping Him and drinking of Him. And until He does, the latter house will not have the glory.

Do you understand what I am saying? God has made a promise that a people will come forth, and they will have more of God in them than the Early Church had. God help us! Help that truth to sink into our hearts! They will come forth and we can be in that latter house. It is up to us.

I Peter 1:3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope…

What is that lively hope? It is the latter house we are talking about.

I Peter 1:3 …by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Don’t limit that to the historical resurrection of Jesus. Realize that when this latter house is filled with the glory it is because there has been a resurrection of His life in them. We are a dead people until His life comes forth in us (Ephesians 2:1). It is His life that makes the latter house glorious. The Early Church was glorious because they were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). The latter house will have even more. His resurrection life is coming forth in them.

I Peter 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and does not fade away…

You can’t say that the Early Church was incorruptible because in only 400 years they had apostatized. The result was a thousand years of darkness (the Dark Ages), both in the natural and the spiritual.

I Peter 1:4 …reserved in heaven for you.

That doesn’t mean it is up there in the heavens and when you get there you can have it. It is reserved in the realm of Spirit. Jesus said, My Kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). And in John 3:13 we find Jesus standing right here on this same terra firma that we’re on saying that He is in heaven. You don’t have to leave the earth to be in heaven. It is reserved in the realm of Spirit for you. It is waiting for you.

I Peter 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Peter’s epistle was written about 60 A.D. So he isn’t talking about Jesus dying on the cross. He is not talking about a salvation they already had. He is talking about a salvation that will be revealed in the last time. When is the last time? It is the time of the latter house when there is a people thirsting after the Lord, a people that drink of Him until they are filled with His glory. And because of their great thirst they become the latter house with a greater glory than that of the former. That is the salvation that is revealed in the last time.

People tend to interpret the term “last time” to mean the last period of days before the end of time. Your last time, as a person, is when you come into the maturity of your adulthood. So spiritually speaking our last time, or last days, is when we come into maturity, the days of fruitfulness.

Matthew 14:15 And when it was evening, His disciples came to Him…

Naturally speaking, this says that late in the day His disciples came to Him. And I’m sure that literally happened. However, you must remember that the Word of God is eternal and prophetic. So there is also a spiritual truth here. It means that in the evening time of the Church Age there is going to be a gathering together of His people under His Lordship (II Thessalonians 2:1). The evening time is the last time, the time of the latter house.

That is what Peter was speaking of when he spoke of a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. It is the same thing Haggai was speaking about when he prophesied that the glory of the latter house would be greater than that of the former. Peter said, “This salvation is reserved for you, and it is going to be revealed.” You can’t see out there right now. However, God is already moving on a people, dealing with their hearts and bringing forth a purity of spirit. It won’t take many. God has never been interested so much in numbers. It is not quantity that He is interested in. It is quality!

There are those who are entering this last time; they are becoming the latter house of greater glory. They are entering into the salvation that is to be revealed. But there are many Christians that don’t know anything about it. Who are the ones entering into this last time of greater glory? They are the ones that are thirsting and drinking in the presence of the Lord. It is that hunger and thirst that causes you to partake of Him. You can come up with all kinds of doctrines but the important thing is, “How much do you hunger and thirst after the Lord? How much do you want to know Him? How much desire do you have for His life to come forth in you?” Too many Christians are satisfied to have some laws and regulations and church rules to live by. They go to church, sing a few hymns, listen to the preacher preach from his own intellect and opinions, and they go home feeling fine. They have done their duty. There just isn’t much hunger for anything more. But there are some today that are really thirsting after the Lord, and they are drinking of His fullness.

Psalm 42:1-2 As the hart pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

I’m thirsting for God! I’m thirsting for Him! If you don’t find that thirst for Him in your heart, all is not lost. You can do something about it. First, be very honest before the Lord. Say something like, “Lord, I just read how the hart was thirsting after the water brooks. It had not had water for a long time, and it was panting after it. Well, I can’t say that I’m that thirsty for You. But I want to be. I want to thirst after You!” Then start worshiping Him and drinking Him in. In the natural the more you drink the less you want. But in the spiritual the more you drink the more you want. The more you partake of Him the more you will want Him. Take a step! Begin drinking of the Lord and soon the thirst will start building up. That is how you become a member of the latter house.

This thirsting and drinking is how the latter house receives the greater glory. You must realize, though, that the glory is not an exaltation of us. The glory is Him as He comes forth in us. He is the glory! Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27. That is what this whole Bible is all about. It is about Him coming forth in a people. You are the temple of the living God; as God has said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. II Corinthians 6:16.

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