The Desire of the Nations

Haggai 2:7 says, “I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come.” The context is the coming of the Lord at the end of the age. God will shake the nations in judgment, then bless them by giving them their desire — even Jesus. Now how can Jesus be called “the desire of the nations”? Judging by the world’s past and present rejection of him and his Bible, he is far from being desired.

The answer is that the world does not realize that Jesus is what they desire. They see clearly the thingsthey desire. Freedom, peace, and social justice. The end of violence, crime, hate, and war. Fairness, equality, and opportunity for all. They do not, however, see clearly how these things are to be obtained. They are flying blind.

Despite 4500 years of effort, man has failed to procure these things. Why? Two reasons. First, the world cannot be fixed until the strong man (Satan) is bound (Matt. 12:29). As long as he is free, he will sow bad seed — bad men, bad messages, and bad situations. Second, man can’t fix anything. He fights hate with hate. He judges one sin and indulges another. He replaces one injustice with another. But when Jesus comes, he will bind the strong man and rule the world in righteousness. He will give the nations their desires. And they will see that he — the source of the things they desire — is their ultimate desire.