Why weren’t Adam and Eve created at the same time (Genesis 2)?
Genesis 2 describes the creation of Adam and then indicates that Eve was created sometime later. Surely, God had a reason for not creating them at the same time.
Some have suggested that there is no clear rationale for God’s delay in creating Eve, but the text does imply a reason. Genesis 2:20 states, “The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him.” Each animal lived in community with other animals. In contrast, Adam was alone. It seems that God wanted Adam to recognize that aloneness before God created a wife for him. It was necessary for Adam to feel his need in order for the fulfillment to be truly satisfying.
The answer to Adam’s aloneness was Eve. She was called a “helper,” one who both supported and complemented Adam and a person he could support as well. God’s use of Adam’s rib to form Eve provided a unique connection point to highlight their dependence upon one another and the fact that they were “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).
If Adam and Eve had been created at the same time, this aspect of human community or companionship would not have been as conspicuous. The fact that God separated the times of Adam’s and Eve’s creation draws attention to their need for companionship. The man’s solitary existence was the only thing called “not good” in all of creation—a telling description by God Himself to accentuate our need for community (Genesis 2:18).
Interestingly, the Genesis account of the creation of Adam and Eve does not show Adam as better than Eve or Eve as better than Adam. Instead, they are shown as interdependent, one with the other, as part of God’s “good” creation. Genesis 2 concludes with God’s plan for marriage: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Marriage between a man and a woman is a unity that reflects God’s original pattern in creation.
Why did God make man out of the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7)?
Genesis 2:7 teaches, “The Lord God formed a man from the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” With the rest of creation, God had simply spoken things into existence (e.g., Genesis 1:3, 14, 20, 24), but God does things differently with man.
Three important observations can be made. First, the fact that man was created from dust makes him unique among all of God’s creation. To create the sun, mountains, animal life, etc., God simply spoke. We read, “Then God said” over and over in Genesis 1. Human life, however, included the “dust of the earth” and the very breath of God. Man is a unique combination of earthly, natural material and life-giving power from God Himself. Such a mode of creation highlights the importance and value of human life.
Second, the use of dust suggests a certain lowliness. God did not use gold or granite or gemstones to make man. He used dust, a humble substance. What gives man his glory? The dust, or the breath of God within the dust? Genesis 3:19 notes man’s dependence upon God and the fragile nature of human life: “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
Third, the literary structure of the passage puts man’s creation from the dust of the earth in a place of significance. The structure of Genesis 2:5–9 can be broken down like this:
A No plant life (verse 5a) B No intervention by God (verse 5b) C No man to work the ground (verse 5c) D Mist from God (verse 6) E God creates man (verse 7a) X God gives life (verse 7a) E Man become a living creature (verse 7b) D Garden from God (verse 8a) C Man works the ground (verse 8b; cf. verse 15) B God intervenes (verse 9) A Plant life exists (verse 9)
God could have chosen to create humans in any way He desired. However, Scripture records the particular way He did create—using both natural material (dust) and supernatural power to give humans a unique place in the cosmos. The recipe of dust of the earth + God’s breath emphasizes the supernatural power of God and the fragile nature of humanity. Human life is completely dependent upon God, and, as a result, humans are called to worship the Lord and to serve Him only.
Why did God rest on the seventh day of creation (Genesis 2:2)?
In Genesis 2:2 we read, “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.” If God is omnipotent—if He has all power—it doesn’t make much sense that He would need to “rest.” After we’ve had a busy week, we take a nap—but God?
First, we should quote the verse correctly. It doesn’t say God “needed” to rest; it simply says that He did rest. Also, it is clear from Scripture that God did not rest because He was tired. Genesis 17:1 calls God the “Almighty God.” Psalm 147:5 says, “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.” God is all-powerful; He never tires and never needs to rest. As Isaiah 40:28 says, “The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary.” God is the sum of perfection; He is never diminished in any way, and that includes being diminished in power.
When God said, “Let there be light,” the light appeared. He simply spoke creation into existence (Genesis 1:1-3). Later, we read that Jesus Christ “is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3). Forget the image of Atlas straining under the weight of the world on his shoulders. It’s not like that. The entire universe is held together by Jesus’ word. The creation and maintenance of the universe is not difficult for God. A mere word will suffice. As Psalm 33:9 declares, “For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.”
The Hebrew word translated “rested” in Genesis 2:2 includes other ideas than that of being tired. In fact, one of the main definitions of the Hebrew word shabat is “to cease or stop.” In Genesis 2:2 the understanding is that God “stopped” His work; He “ceased” creating on the seventh day. All that He had created was good, and His work was finished.
The context of Genesis 1–2 strongly affirms the idea of God’s “rest” being a cessation of work, not a reinvigoration after work. The narrative tells us which things God created in each of the first six days. His power is displayed through the creation of light, mountains, seas, the sun, moon and stars, plant and animal life, and, finally, humanity. There are many parallels between the first three days of creation and the second three days. However, the seventh day is a sharp contrast. Instead of more creating, there is shabat. Instead of God “doing” more, He “ceased” from doing.
God did not merely “rest” on the seventh day; He “stopped creating.” It was a purposeful stop. Everything He desired to create had been made. He looked at His creation, declared it “very good” (Genesis 1:31), and ceased from His activity. In the Jewish tradition, the concept of shabat has been carried over as the “Sabbath.” The Law of Moses taught there was to be no work at all on the seventh day (Saturday). Because God ceased from work that day, the Israelites were to cease from their work on the Sabbath. Thus, the days of creation are the basis of our universal observance of a seven-day week.
Simply put, God’s “rest” was not due to His being tired but to His being completely finished with His creative work.
What does God mean when He tells Adam and Eve to fill the earth and subdue it (Genesis 1:28)?
On the sixth day of creation, God created land animals and the first human beings. Unlike every other created thing, humans (both male and female) were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26–27; 5:1–3; 9:6; James 3:9). God blessed Adam and Eve—His crowning achievements—and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1:28).
God’s first assignment for this pioneering couple was, in reality, a divine blessing to “fill the earth and subdue it.” The task of “filling” or populating the earth was related to God’s command to “be fruitful and increase in number.” As heads of the human race, Adam and Eve were sanctioned by God to reproduce and inhabit the earth with children. Later, after the flood, Noah and his family (the subsequent heads of the human race) were given the same blessings by God to “be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1).
The job of filling the earth could only be accomplished if the pair worked together. Physically, God created Adam and Eve uniquely so that they could not complete the task alone. Likewise, both would need to work in emotional, spiritual, relational, and social cooperation to fill the earth with many children. In God’s paradisal plan, both a father and mother were essential to producing and raising children. While single-parenting is commonplace today, the circumstances are often challenging and require support from friends and family members.
It’s important to note that God’s command to be fruitful and increase in number is generally understood as an individual command to heads of the human race (Adam and Eve, and Noah and his wife). God would not demand that every person “fill the earth” or reproduce as many children as possible yet allow some couples to experience infertility. Some people are incapable of having children, while God calls others to remain single and childless (1 Corinthians 7:8).
Not only did God bless Adam and Eve with the responsibility to fill the earth, but also to work the earth and subdue it. In the original Hebrew, the word translated as “subdue” means “to make subordinate, dependent, or subservient.” The idea of subduing the earth involves actively ruling over it with physical force or effort, not to destroy it but to cultivate it, making the land productive and life-sustaining.
The Lord created everything for us but handed us the job of keeping it under control. He desired that we work to prevent chaotic conditions from spoiling the earth and rendering it useless. Adam and Eve were to use God’s creation to provide for themselves and to serve the Lord. Along with the privilege, God gave us the responsibility of caretakers: “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15).
God graciously and generously blessed humans with “every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food” (Genesis 1:29). People were vegetarians in the Garden of Eden, but God broadened their diet to include animals after the flood of Noah’s day (Genesis 9:3).
When the Lord told Adam and Eve to fill the earth and subdue it, He was showing humanity one of the primary reasons we were created—to be God’s representatives throughout the world and to rule over all things in His name (Psalm 8:6; 115:16). We were fashioned in God’s image so that we could represent Him on the earth. And we were made like Him so that we could be in relationship with Him. From the beginning, God desired to bless us with His magnificent creation, and He enjoyed living in close fellowship with us.
What does it mean that God saw that it was good (Genesis 1:18)?
Seven times in Genesis 1, God observes His creation to be good. In Genesis 1:4, after He had spoken light into existence, He declared it to be good. In Genesis 1:10, after separating the water from the land, He called that good. After creating plant life, in Genesis 1:12 He saw that it was good, also. In Genesis 1:18, after putting in place a system for lighting the earth and for separating night from day, He calls that good. In Genesis 1:21, after creating animals to populate the water and the air, He observes that to be good. In Genesis 1:25, after populating the land with animals and insects, He calls that good, too. Finally, after creating humanity as the capstone of His creation (Genesis 1:26–30), He observed all He had made and declared it to be not just good but very good.
The Hebrew word translated as “good” in the English is tov. The term rendered “very good” is hennah tov, which could be translated as “certainly good” or “surely good.” It is noteworthy that the word good is never actually defined in the Bible—the concept is simply assumed. It does seem, though, that the kind of good referenced in Genesis 1 is a good in the qualitative sense of functionality. Because of the success in design and execution of all that was created, it could be that God was calling things good because they were effective for fulfilling the function for which He designed them. If so, this would reflect a kind of instrumental good.
It is also worth noting that in each of these instances it is said that God “saw” that it was good. That God was observing that these things were good implies that He had a design and purpose in mind and that the created products met His approval—He judged them to be effective for serving His purpose. As the Creator, God has the right to define and judge. He assessed that which He had created and determined it was good. This is a good reminder for us that, because He has the authority that only a sovereign Creator can have, we ought to look to Him to learn of His judgments and assessments. If He judges something to be good (or not good), then it is that.
It is encouraging to know we can trust God to inform us truthfully and accurately. If He is making determinations like this—assessing the quality of all things created—and if we can trust Him with that, then there is a precedent clearly presented that we can trust Him with anything. He is the determiner of what is good and what is not. This is one reason that Satan’s statement in Genesis 3:4 (that God was either wrong or lying and that Eve would not die if she ate the fruit that God had prohibited) was so evidently wrong. God had determined what was good and what was not, and He communicated that to Adam (Genesis 2:17). Unfortunately, Adam and Eve failed to acknowledge that, as the Creator, God had the right to define, assess, and judge. It is easy for us to make the same mistake, but God has graciously allowed us access to His creation account so we can learn that He is the Definer, and we can trust Him—we should trust Him, in fact. If we don’t, we are falling into the same trap Satan set for Eve: trusting someone else’s judgment when God has defined, determined, and communicated. Wouldn’t it be nice if we learned from our mistakes and didn’t repeat them?
What does it mean that God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1)?
The first verse of the Bible is packed with meaning: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1, ESV). We can learn many things from this verse: First, God is the ultimate being, who exists independently of time, space, and matter. For this reason, He cannot be identified with the universe. The universe is not God, and God is not the universe. God is God, and He transcends the created order. He is not limited by time because He is eternal (1 Timothy 1:17). And He is not limited by space or matter because He is omnipresent (Psalm 139:7–12).
Second, God is the source of everything that exists. In Genesis 1:1, the Hebrew word for “created” is bārā’, which is always used in contexts relating to God (cf. Exodus 34:10). When humans “create” something (poetry, music, and skyscrapers), we use preexisting materials. But when God created the heavens and the earth, He did not use preexisting materials because, prior to the act of creation, God alone existed.
Third, God created the universe ex nihilo, or “out of nothing.” The NRSV translates Genesis 1:1–2 as follows: “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void.” This translation implies that matter existed prior to God’s special act of creation. The ESV translation, however, offers a better rendition of the opening verses: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void.” This may seem like useless hairsplitting, but it is crucial to emphasize that God created the universe ex nihilo.
Adherents of ancient pagan religions believed that their gods used pre-existing materials to mold and fashion the world. The Bible insists, however, that God brought everything into existence by the “word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3; cf. Genesis 1:1—2:3; John 1:1–4).
Fourth, the universe was not created in its final form. Genesis 1:2 states, “The earth was without form and void.” Initially, the universe was without form or shape, but God would soon mold it into something good and beautiful (cf. Psalm 19:1). Humans also make things that are beautiful (let us think of Beethoven’s Third Symphony or Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa). Thus, to be created in the image of God partially involves a creative element (Genesis 1:26–27).
How should we respond to the doctrine of creation? First, God should be worshiped as the creator and sustainer of the universe: “In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28; cf. Job 12:10). This means that everyone is dependent upon God and accountable to Him (Romans 3:19). We owe everything to God because, without Him, we would not exist. May we, therefore, dispel the lie that we are autonomous, independent, and self-sufficient.
Second, creation should not be viewed as inherently evil (as some pagan religions have taught). God is good, and creation reflects His goodness. Initially, evil did not exist. It was introduced into the universe by creatures who misused their freedom (Genesis 3:1–24). Nevertheless, God promised that our fallen world would be restored to perfection, and the children of God would one day dwell in the “new heavens and new earth” (Revelation 21:1).
A proper understanding of Genesis 1:1 ensures that we give God all the glory, praise, and honor for creating and sustaining the universe. The appropriate response is to “present [our] bodies as a living, sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is [our] reasonable worship” (Romans 12:1; cf. 1 Corinthians 6:19–20). We were made by Him and for Him.
What does it mean that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1)?
The significance of Genesis 1:1 is well articulated by apologist Frank Turek in his book Stealing from God (NavPress, 2014). He asserts, “The greatest miracle in the Bible is the first verse: ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’ If that verse is true, then every other verse in the Bible is at least believable” (p. 187).
God’s act of shaping the world forms the basis for Christianity. If a Divine Being created this world, then that Being would be the center of our existence. Similar to how we create things for specific purposes, this Being would have had a reason behind making the world and humanity. Our main goal should be to discover the right revelation of this Being and align with His desires.
Many other Bible verses support the concept of God creating the world in the beginning. An example is Colossians 1:16, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” (Also see Psalm 33:6; Hebrews 11:3; John 1:3.)
The Bible takes Genesis 1:1 as an established fact, which aligns with the cosmological argument for God’s existence. By combining scientific facts and philosophical reasoning, one can reasonably conclude that the universe had a beginning and a cause. The cosmological argument can be summarized as follows:
Everything that begins to exist has a cause.
The universe began to exist.
Therefore, the universe had a cause.
The first two statements are uncontroversial. Premise 1 is based on the law of causality, which states that every event has a cause. The second statement is supported by evidence such as the second law of thermodynamics, the expanding universe, and the big bang theory. Philosophers, both past and present, have also presented viewpoints for the universe’s beginning, with the kalam cosmological argument by William Lane Craig being a popular modern example.
The main point of contention lies with the third statement. Should we posit that God is the First Cause of the universe? Once again, we can draw insight from Frank Turek, who argues,
If space, time, and matter had a beginning, then the cause must transcend space, time, and matter. In other words, the cause must be spaceless, timeless, and immaterial. This cause also must be enormously powerful to create the universe out of nothing. And it must be a personal agent in order to choose to create, since an impersonal force has no capacity to choose to create anything. Agents create. Impersonal forces, which we call natural laws, merely govern what is already created, provided agents don’t interfere (ibid., p. 2).
The implausibility of something arising from nothing also lends support to the first verse of the Bible. If the universe is not eternal, then it either came out of nothing or was created by a self-existent Being called God. The latter is more reasonable, especially when considering other evidence such as fine tuning, objective morality and the irreducible complexity of cells.
Therefore, we can reasonably say that the first sentence of the Bible is true and that the Creator God aligns with the theistic worldview. The truthfulness of the statement that God created the heavens and the earth also makes miracles possible. Genesis 1:1 lays the foundation for other truths.
Why did God say, “Let there be light,” during creation?
On the first day of creation, God said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3), and light appeared as a thing separate from darkness. The phrase let there be light could be confusing to some modern English speakers who are used to using the word let in the context of permission, as in “Let me out of this box” or “Let me have the last cookie.” Some might wonder whom is God speaking to. Was there some cosmic jailer who was keeping the light under lock and key?
The phrase let there be light is a translation of the Hebrew phrase yehi ˈor, which was translated “fiat lux” in Latin. A literal translation would be a command, something like “Light, exist.” God is speaking into the void and commanding light to come into being. The Bible tells us that God created the heavens and the earth and everything else that exists by simply speaking them into existence (Genesis 1). His personality, power, creativity, and beauty were expressed in creation the same way an artist’s personality and personal attributes are expressed through art or music. The idea of light, existing first in God’s mind, was given form by the words “Let there be light” or “Let light exist.”
The reality of the creative power of God’s voice has important spiritual implications that go well beyond the creation account itself. Light is often used as a metaphor in the Bible, and the word illumination (“divine enlightenment of the human heart with truth”) has to do with bringing things into the light. Spiritual illumination is a kind of “creation” that occurs in a human heart. “God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). Jesus Himself is “the light of the world” (John 8:12).
When God said, “Let there be light,” at the creation, and light appeared, it showed God’s creative power and absolute control. The physical light that God made on the first day of creation is a wonderful picture of what He does in every heart that trusts in Christ, the True Light. There is no need to walk in the darkness of sin and death; in Christ, we “will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
What does God mean when He says, “Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6)?
After the Jewish people experienced exile in Babylon, King Cyrus of Persia allowed 50,000 of them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple under Zerubbabel, governor of Jerusalem. At the time, Zechariah, a prophet and priest of Israel, received several visions from the Lord. In one of those visions, God delivered this key message: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6, ESV).
In this period of Israel’s history, the prophets Zechariah and Haggai were both ministering. While Haggai encouraged the returned Jewish exiles in their work of rebuilding the temple, Zechariah urged them to repent of sin and renew their covenant with God. Spiritual renewal would be essential to their survival and worship of God once the temple was rebuilt.
Construction on the temple, which had been stopped by opposition from neighbors, resumed under the exhortation of Zechariah and Haggai. Zechariah experienced a series of night visions; in the fifth one, he saw a solid gold lampstand. Two olive trees provided the lampstand with its oil supply, which flowed through two golden pipes (Zechariah 4:1–3). The key message of the vision is contained in the words of verse 6: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.” The work of rebuilding the temple would only be accomplished by God’s Spirit and not by human might nor power.
In many places in the Old Testament, the Lord’s Spirit is represented by oil (Isaiah 61:1–3; 1 Samuel 16:13). The abundant supply of oil in Zechariah’s vision is the Holy Spirit’s power, which would help Zerubbabel finish rebuilding the temple (symbolized by the large lampstand). The lampstand’s light signified that Israel, God’s covenant people, were to shine forth light and glorify God in the earth.
Both in the Old and New Testament, God’s people are called to shine the light of God’s glory into all the world (Isaiah 60:1–3; Matthew 5:14–16). It is the great commission of every believer (Matthew 28:19–20). Just as Zerubbabel would need to depend on the Spirit of the Lord to accomplish the work, so do Christians today. God’s people have no ability in themselves to shine the light of God’s truth to those walking in darkness.
The word for might in Zechariah 4:6 is often translated as “army,” “force,” “ability,” or “efficiency” and is associated with human resources. It also relates to financial means and can be connected with wealth. The term power implies purposeful force, firm resolve, dynamic strength, and resoluteness. Not by might nor by power—not by their own abilities, plentiful resources, or fierce determination—would God’s people build the temple and send God’s light into the world. Only by the Spirit of the Lord would their work and worship become a light broadcasting into all the earth (Acts 1:8; John 16:7–15).
As the physical labor of rebuilding the temple was being done, a spiritual renewal was also taking place. Joshua, the high priest, and Zerubbabel were not to trust in financial resources or military prowess, but in the mighty power of God’s Spirit working through them: “It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’” (Zechariah 4:4–7, NLT).
God had made a similar promise to those who remained faithful to Him in Hosea’s day: “But I will show love to the people of Judah. I will free them from their enemies—not with weapons and armies or horses and charioteers, but by my power as the LORD their God” (Hosea 1:7, NLT).
Zerubbabel need not be discouraged by human limitations or afraid of earthly obstacles, and neither should present-day Christians (Romans 8:31; cf. Haggai 2:5; Isaiah 41:10). When God calls us to a purpose, His Spirit fills and equips us to complete it (Acts 2:17–18; John 3:34; Ephesians 1:18–20). As the apostle Paul learned, human weakness is no obstacle because God’s power is perfected in it: “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10; see also Hebrews 11:34).
Our God-given work is guaranteed to be successful, not by human might or power, but by the guidance and empowering of God’s Holy Spirit poured into our lives like the oil that fueled Zechariah’s lampstand.
In Haggai 2:7 the Lord says, “I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory.” The King James Version uses the phrase “the desire of all nations.” Who or what is this object of desire?
Because of the KJV translation, many have taken this verse as a reference to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. This interpretation is given wider circulation every Christmas season in the carol “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.” One line of that song states, “Come, Desire of Nations, come! Fix in us Thy humble home.” The “Desire of Nations” in Charles Wesley’s hymn is clearly speaking of Jesus as Messiah.
However, the Hebrew word khemdah is a collective singular, meaning the idea expressed is plural. The better translation is “desired” or “what is desired.” Haggai 2:8 provides the parallel that identifies these desired objects: “‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty.” The desired objects are most likely earthly treasures, not the coming Messiah.
Other translations render the Hebrew word as “the wealth” (NASB, CEB), “the precious things” (ASV), “the treasure” (NRSV), and “the treasures” (ESV, CEV). The idea is that the riches of all nations will be brought to the temple in Jerusalem.
Haggai 2:9 says, “The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former.” The former glory refers to that of Solomon’s temple, which was an opulent structure. Haggai predicts a temple that will be even more glorious than Solomon’s: the latter glory would be greater due to the wealth of the nations pouring in.
When will this happen? The beginning of verse 7 helps identify this future occasion. The Lord says it will happen when He “shakes all nations”; that is, after a time of judgment on the world. God has shaken nations in the past (Psalm 99:1; Isaiah 64:2; Habakkuk 3:6), and He will do so again when Jesus Christ returns to the earth (Joel 3:16; Matthew 24:30).
Hebrews 12:26 cites Haggai 2:7, followed by an explanation that, after this “shaking,” believers will receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken. This is a clear reference to the future millennial kingdom that Jesus will establish when He returns at the end of seven years of tribulation. Therefore, this portion of Haggai’s prediction is yet unfulfilled.
Some interpreters suggest that the text may concern both the Messiah and earthly riches. In the end, what is desired of the nations will come: a Savior, the Messiah, and tribute will be paid to Him during His millennial reign.
