Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of Haggai Chapter 1
Metaphysically Interpreting Haggai 1:1-15
1:1In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, 1:2Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, This people say, It is not the time for us to come, the time for Jehovah's house to be built. 1:3Then came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet, saying, 1:4Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your ceiled houses, while this house lieth waste? 1:5Now therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Consider your ways. 1:6Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
1:7Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Consider your ways. 1:8Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith Jehovah. 1:9Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith Jehovah of hosts. Because of my house that lieth waste, while ye run every man to his own house. 1:10Therefore for your sake the heavens withhold the dew, and the earth withholdeth its fruit. 1:11And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the grain, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labor of the hands.
1:12Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of Jehovah their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as Jehovah their God had sent him; and the people did fear before Jehovah. 1:13Then spake Haggai Jehovah's messenger in Jehovah's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith Jehovah. 1:14And Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work on the house of Jehovah of hosts, their God, 1:15in the four and twentieth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.
November 24, 1935: Haggai 1:2-8
Is the body good or evil? The true body of man is inherently good, for it is an expression in part of the universal thought substance out of which come perfect ideas. The quality of man’s thought concerning himself determines the character of his manifest body.
Of what is the phrase “Jehovah’s house” a symbol? The temple of man’s body is Jehovah’s house.
When is the true spiritual body of man to become manifest? This takes place here and now as man realizes that he is a spiritual being and that his body is the expression of the perfect “image and likeness” man existing from the beginning in Divine Mind.
What does the prophet Haggai represent? That insight in man which heralds his full deliverance from oppression is represented by the prophet Haggai. It is a joyous, free state of mind imbued with rich substance for both mind and body.
Explain the metaphysical meaning of Haggai's commandment “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house.” This commandment enjoins man to ascend into spiritual consciousness where he finds and lays hold of the idea of substance. By incorporating this idea in all his thoughts and affirmations concerning his body, he builds the house or temple of Jehovah.
What is necessary before one can become inspired by new ideas? One must first get rid of the old limited ideas of sense. This is done through silent prayer, which makes man receptive to ideas the existence of which he would not otherwise suspect.
June 16, 1940: Haggai 1:2-12
What does the name Haggai mean, and what does it represent? It means “feast,” “joyous,” and represents the spiritual insight in man that heralds joyous, full, free deliverance from oppression, and sees abundance of rich substance and life for mind and body.
What represents the Christ body or spiritualized body of man? The words Jehovah's house.
Of what importance to man is the Christ body (“Jehovah's house”)? Man manifests his true nature as a son of God only as he incorporates his body into the Christ body or substance of Truth (builds “the house”). Haggai, the spiritual insight that leads him to see that he can do this, is also the spur inciting him to undertake the task of identifying himself with the Christ.
Why does man need to be spurred on to realize his oneness with the Christ body? Because the consciousness of the natural man holds him in the conviction that he must defer the work of realizing his oneness with Christ until after the death of the body. “It is not the time for us to come, the time for Jehovah’s house to be built.”
How is the work of building Jehovah's house begun? As in all building, the first step is to examine the plans and specifications, “Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Consider your ways.” One first, gets a clear idea of just what one wishes to do. The errors that have been built into the body through wrong thinking must be found and corrected.
What are the effects of some of these errors? Wasted effort (“Ye have sown much, and bring in little”), unsatisfied desire (“Ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink”), lack (“Ye clothe you, but there is none warm”), and improvidence (“He that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes”). The list could be extended.
Where does man obtain the material for building the true body? Spirit substance, the building material, is found in the Christ consciousness. “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house.” The “mountain” represents exaltation, a high plane of consciousness. “Wood” represents substance.
In addition to the imperfections of the natural body, what other difficulties result from man's failure to realize the Christ in himself? Lack of harmony with his environment and failure to exercise dominion over the external circumstances of his life are the chief difficulties that man encounters in addition to those already named.
What faculties or traits in man are instrumental in the task of building the spiritual body? A very strong and influential thought activity belonging to the spiritual phase of man (presented by Zerubbabel); and the I AM, which governs and controls the activity of thought in the inner realms (represented by Joshua the son of Jehozadak): these two direct the work and control it.
April 18, 1948: Haggai 1:3-8
If we think of the body as material or as doomed to eventual death and decay, we can scarcely expect it to express health, strength, or beauty. “Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Consider your ways.” We experience real satisfaction in life only as we put first things first. Reversing the divine order by putting last things first results in confusion, lack, and disappointment. He who keeps only man-made law sows much and brings in little, whereas he who keeps the divine law produces much from little with the law of increase functioning normally.
– UNITY magazine.
April 18, 1948: Haggai 1:13-14
How may the natural man limit himself and his environment? By wrong thought habits and by narrow, self-centered living. Both of these conditions limit a man's consciousness as well as his circumstances.
How is the actual building of the house of Jehovah (the spiritual body) done? The thoughts that turn Godward (the Children of Israel) do this constructive work in our consciousness.
April 18, 1948: Haggai 1:13-14
Under the law of cause and effect spiritual thinking and living result in spiritual consciousness. “I am with you, saith Jehovah.” Whenever we are conscious of God, God is with us.
– UNITY magazine.
Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 01-25-2014
