DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Fish, Wine, & Oil
Martyrs Eleutherios & Anthia
Kellia: Haggai 2:1-10
Epistle: Ephesians 2:11-13
Gospel: St. Luke
14:1-11
Haggai’s Nativity Vision: Haggai 2:1-10 LXX,
especially vs. 10: “For the
glory of this house shall be great, the latter more than the former, saith the Lord Almighty: and in this place will I give
peace, saith the Lord Almighty, even peace of soul
for a possession to every one that builds, to raise up this temple.” This prophecy from Haggai the Prophet is
especially suited to the present season of preparation for the Nativity of our
Lord Jesus Christ. In the Canon at Orthros, in celebration of Haggai, Theophanes
the Hymnographer reveals that the new temple that the
Prophet sublimely prophesied is in fact the Incarnate Christ Jesus our Lord:
“To Thy Prophet, O Christ, Thou didst show the animate temple...which
came forth from the Virgin.”
The whole of Haggai’s prophecy, received
in this manner, opens up into a wonderful preparation for the Lord’s
Nativity in the flesh, disclosing the gracious saving work of the Church, the
eternal “animate temple” of the Lord’s own body, which began
in time with His birth. However,
when Haggai first delivered these words, they were received as encouragement
for the old exiles who had lived long enough to return
from
Notice how the Prophet especially exhorted the
two chief leaders of the community of returnees: Zerubbabel,
their civic leader, a living descendant in the royal line of King David through
his father, She-alti-el, and Joshua, their high
priest, from the line of Aaron through his father Jehozadak
(vs. 3). Still, Haggai’s
message was for all: “let all the people of the land strengthen
themselves, saith the Lord, and work” (vs. 5),
then: “all the nations shall come: and I will fill this house with
glory” (vs. 8). Considering
that second house, can we say that it exceeded the glory of Solomon’s
temple? The final enlargement of
it, built by the Herods, may have come close to the
glory of the first temple, but it was quickly thereafter utterly and finally
destroyed by the Romans in the siege of
One the other hand, the Church, the living
Body of Christ, is the ineffable fulfillment of Haggai’s
prophesy. The Epistle of
Barnabas, a Christian epistle written around AD 100, for instance, notes that
the “Jews, wandering in error, trusted not in God Himself, but in the
temple, as being the house of God.
For almost after the manner of the Gentiles they worshiped Him in the
temple, that is, they worshiped the temple instead of Him.” The Faithful, following the wise
Apostles, know Christ Jesus is the true temple, Who has shaken free from
“all nations...the choice portions of all the nations...[to]
fill this house with glory” (vs. 8).
In whose midst, then, does the Spirit of God
remain? (vs. 6).
Using the words of St. Basil the Great, ask yourself: is not the Church
the most evident of all places where He, “Who is omnipresent, and exists
together with God,” is to be found?
Of course! And for this
reason, the Church highly exalts “Him Who is in His nature divine, in His
greatness infinite, in His operations powerful, [and] in the blessings He
confers, good.” Join in her
praises!
The Holy Spirit is He Who gives
“peace...even peace of soul for a possession to every one that builds, to
raise up this temple,” the Body of Christ (vs.
10). Thus, as Theophanes
the Hymnographer teaches: “truly great will be
the glory of the Church of the Incarnate Word Who hath shared the nature of
men, surpassing that of the assembly of
O Holy Prophet Haggai, as thou didst
prophesy the deliverance of all men by the Savior, beseech Him with thy
supplications, that He grant great mercy unto all.
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