If You Build it...He will Come (Haggai 2:9; Matthew 16:18)

FIELD of DREAMS

Several years ago there was the Kevin Costner movie "Field of Dreams", an artfully crafted story about a farmer who heard a voice telling him, "If you build it...he will come". He plowed under his corn fields and built a baseball diamond, and all the baseball greats of the past, showed up to play on the field, including his father, to play catch with him; which is the climax of the story.

GATES of HELL

Jesus said, "...I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt.16:18).

[The gates, of course, symbolized the place where the rulers or elders of a city met, and legal transactions took place governing the ruling and relationships of the city (Ruth 4:1-16). It was also part of the legal promise of God, that the seed of Abraham would "...possess the gate of his enemies" (Gen.22:17) and the blessing pronounced upon Rebekah, that she would be the mother of "...thousands of millions, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them" (Gen.24:60), meaning that they would rule over them, and not the other way around; so that the gates of hell not prevailing against the church means the church of Jesus Christ will rule over demonic forces].

BUILDING UP

Jesus builds His church, but the growth is caused by Him working through every member "...working in the measure of every part, making increase of the body to the building up of itself in love" (Eph.4:16)

BUILDING UP in LOVE

"For because of Him the whole body (the church, in all its various parts), closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part [with power adapted to its need] is working properly [in all its functions], grows to full maturity, building itself up in love" (Amplified)

"...from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every joint with which it is supplied, when each part is working properly, makes bodily growth and upbuilds itself in love" (RSV)

FULLY FUNCTIONING

Jesus desire is to see His Church, His Body, grow and increase, but the growth and increase happens through each one of us fully functioning in the power and passion He has placed in us.

HAGGAI 2:9 contains a prophetic word, relevant to this day in which we live. God, our Father said, "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" (KJV).

"The new glory of this Temple is going to surpass the old says Yahweh Sabaoth, and in this place I will give peace - it is Yahweh Sabaoth who speaks" (Jerusalem Bible).

"The latter glory of this house [with its successor, to which Jesus came] shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place will I give peace and prosperity, says the Lord of hosts" (Amplified)

"...in this place will I grant prosperity and peace. This is the very word of the LORD of Hosts" (NEB).

GREEK TRANSLATION (HAGGAI 2:9)

These translations are all based from the Hebrew text, but the Greek translation of the Old Testament [which is quoted in over 95% of all New Testament quotations, whether by Jesus, or any of the apostles], adds even more clarity to the word as it continues the text from where the Hebrew leaves off, at peace and prosperity.

"For great will be the glory of this house, the last one above the first, says the LORD Almighty. And in this place I will establish peace, says the LORD; even peace of soul for the procurement to every one creating to raise up this temple" (Apostolic Bible)

"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 [or, salvation] to every on that builds, to raise up this temple" (Brenton, LXX)

"...in this place, I will give...peace of soul for the obtaining [of salvation], to whoever contributes to the building of this temple" (Theological Lexicon of the New Testament, Spicq, Vol.3, p.102)

HIS HOUSE BUILT

The Father wants His house built and promises peace and prosperity of soul, to whomever will put their hand to the work, and help to build His church, in these last days; making the glory of this last day church, more than the former. Jesus is coming soon, and the urgency is to be about our Father's business (Lk.2:49), not with the normal, but functioning and operating in "...attesting miracles and miracles of a startling, imposing, amazement making character, and with variegated miracles and with distributions [of spiritual gifts] from the Holy Spirit according to His will" (Wuest, Heb.2:3-4), that our "...faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God" (1 Cor.2:5).

HIS CHURCH

He is passionate, for His church. He shed His blood, for His church. He died and rose again, for His church. He is coming again, for His church.

"If you build it...He will come"

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours