"Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? Yet now be strong, all ye people of the land, and work, for I am with you, saith the Lord of Hosts. For thus saith the Lord: Yet a little while and I will shake the heavens and earth, the sea and the dry land, and the Desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, for in this house will I give peace, saith the Lord of Hosts." The prophecies of Zechariah, which belonged to the same period and had the same object,--to encourage the rebuilding of the second temple,--are full of anticipation of the coming Messiah. The prophet breaks forth into song like a bird of the morning:-- "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: Behold, thy king cometh unto thee. He is just and hath salvation; He is lowly, riding upon an ass-- Upon a colt, the foal of an ass." Again he breaks forth in another strain:-- "Awake, O sword, against my Shepherd, Against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts. Smite the Shepherd, And the sheep shall be scattered." We remember that these words were quoted by our Lord to his disciples the night before his execution, when he was going forth to meet his murderers. A hundred or so of years later, the prophet Malachi says:-- "Behold, I send my messenger. He shall prepare the way before me. The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple: Even the messenger of the covenant, in whom ye delight; But who may abide the day of his coming? Who shall stand when He appeareth? For, like a refiner's fire shall He be, And like fullers' soap. He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. He shall purify the sons of Levi." How remarkably this prophecy describes the fiery vehemence and energy of our Lord's first visit to the temple, when he drove out the money-changers and completely cleansed the holy place of unseemly traffic!