In the first chapter the Lord strongly spoke to His people commanding them to build His house. It had been in ruins and He had called forth a drought that had affected the land and its productive capabilities as well as His people. But the remnant obeyed the word of the Lord and began to “consider their ways,” repented and came together to work on the house of the Lord of Hosts. But it was in the second chapter that I received the following:
In chapter 2:1-9 I noted that the word of the Lord came to Haggai for both Zerubbabel who was the son of Judah’s governor (governmental authority) and to Joshua the son of the high priest (the priestly authority) to the remnant saying, “…be strong and work for I am with you, says the LORD of Hosts.” After the warning that He was going to shake all nations, He states that He will fill His temple with glory…and that the glory of the latter house shall be greater than that of the former. Then in 2:18-19 He asks, “Is the seed still in the barn…vines, and fruit-bearing trees not yielding their fruit?” But then He states, “From this day forward I WILL BLESS YOU! In verse 23 there is a strong promise that He will make you as a signet (the word ring is not in the original though it was usually attached to one) FOR I HAVE CHOSEN YOU, says the Lord of Hosts.
Saw that the word involves both the governmental an apostolic/prophetic watchman intercession that is part of the who and what LBI is. We are king-priests by the Blood of the lamb, worshiping warriors both in intercession and in war. In 2:4 I sensed the Lord saying to us, “…be strong, My governmental priests, and work for I am with you!” We are part of the “latter House…” I am reminded of another Joshua who heard the Lord say the same thing, "Be strong and courageous," in Joshua 1:6, 7, 8-9 and 18! The promise in Joshua 1:3 is ours as we walk forward on the “land” He indicates is ours to take.
The Lord had spoken to me from Haggai 2:17-19, and 23 during a personal retreat time in 2004. I was at a place where I had to “consider my ways” and went through some repentance time. It was then that He clearly spoke verse 19 to me! After that there was a period of shaking after which He opened the door for me to be trained in the prophetic. Nothing has been the same since. Now I am receiving this again only this time is for us in that He has taken us through shakings but now He is saying that from this day – I believe that is when we meet on the 21st – He will bless us. The promise of being His signet is an awesome concept! In Esther 8: 10 it is written that the King gave his signet ring to Mordecai and he “wrote in the name of the King and sealed the decree that saved the lives of the Jewish people and birthed the celebration of Purim! We are being born for such a time as this, have been through some shakings and now will have the awesome privilege of being His signet ring that will bring forth deliverance for His people and celebration will break forth. I do not know how all that will come about but believe He has spoken that LBI and those of us who will be a part are chosen and called to move forward in unity under the leadership of Holy Spirit worshiping Abba and rejoicing in Jesus Who paid the price of our redemption by His Blood. He promises to “fill this house with His glory.” What a God we serve!!
Esther Tubbs, March 21, 2015.