January 10

THE DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS

" 'And I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,' says the Lord of hosts" (Haggai 2:7, NKJV).

Like golden threads woven into a crimson tapestry, Christ is displayed in Scripture as the "Desire of All Nations." No title of Jesus so accurately portrays His universality.

While this messianic prophecy pointed primarily to the first advent of Christ, its broader meaning reaches to all times. Its ultimate fulfillment is the final restoration of all things and the establishment of the universal kingdom of glory. Of this John writes: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever" (Revelation 11: 15, NIV).

Across the centuries, Christ has remained the indisputable "Desire of all Nations." Though rejected, despised, and crucified by His chosen people; though sometimes betrayed and denied by those who profess His name, He still remains the "Desire of All Nations."

The most powerful proof of Christ's universal appeal is the ever expanding community of believers that constitutes the universal church. Elect from every tribe and race, from every clime and place, millions proclaim Him the "Desire of All Nations." The church, scattered among all nations, fervently awaits the appearing of the "Desire of All Nations." The apostle Paul wrote of those longing for this long-awaited event as "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13).

And Ellen G. White adds: "Everywhere men are unsatisfied. They long for something to supply the need of the soul. Only One can meet that want. The need of the world, 'The Desire of All Nations,' is Christ. The divine grace which He alone can impart, is as living water, purifying, refreshing, and invigorating the soul.'--The Desire of Ages, p. 187.

My Prayer Today: Lord, may the "Desire of All Nations" inspire me today with new hope. Amen.