The Apostle, in quoted the above verses from the prophet Haggai, has been speaking of the coming Kingdom of Christ (along with the subsequent removal of the Law Dispensation.)

The late renowned Prof. Lee, of Cambridge University in explaining the words of the prophet as to the timing for their fulfillment, has this to say:

“..He (Vitringa) next argues from the words “yet a little while” * (Haggai 2:6), to show that 500 years at least must be meant. I remark, not a word about “while” is found in the original Hebrew here, nor in any one of the ancient versions. All the place says is, Yet (there is) one (thing), Is it a small one? Or the like. Then the shaking of the heavens and earth is mentioned..”

Samuel Lee, D. D. Prof. Of Hebrew, Arabic. &c. , Cambridge University, 1849.

The Old heavens and earth of the former economy were to be shaken by the coming of Christ in His earthly ministry, death and resurrection, and by the continuing ministry of His apostles, and later to be totally removed at His second coming in judgment upon that generation, and thus hail the end of the Law Age and the full establishment of the Gospel Dispensation.

In this glorious coming of Christ unto His people He was to shake “all nations” - but not to (spiritually) fill all nations with glory; but only to fill His own spiritual house (out of every kindred, tongue and nation):

“.. But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end…” Heb 3:6.

This house (to be filled with glory) was not to be a literal or physical house such as the Jewish Temple, neither a political house, such as their nation; but to be the house of believers who held fast their hope and confidence of His coming.

“…37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul…” Heb 10:37-39.

Some of that time (the writing of the Book of Hebrews) did indeed draw back into the former elements of the Law worship as intimated by the writer; but those that the Apostle speaks of in the latter persevered unto the end:

“.. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved…” Matt 10:22.

“…Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand…” Rev 1:3.

“..Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame…” Rev 15:16.

“…17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. 18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish. 19 In your patience possess ye your souls. 20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh…” Luke 21:17-20.

27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh..” Luke 21:27-28.

The Apostle Peter also speaks of the shaking and subsequent destruction of these Old heavens and earth:

“…10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness..” 2 {Pet 3:10-13.

“..11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. 12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger…” Isa 13:11-13.

“…4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree. 5 For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment…” Isa 34:4-5.

This judgment upon the wicked, and the coming of Christ, the Deliverer and Messiah had been many times foretold by the Prophets; and by Malachi at the very end of the Old Testament Scriptures, which seems a very appropriate place for it to be placed:

“…18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. 3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts. 4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse…”

The transient, changing and temporal nature of the foundations and former heavens and earth were often shown in the Old Testament:

“..11 Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens…” Jer 10:11.

“..25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. 26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: 27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. 28 The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee…” Psa 102:26-28.

In Rev. 21, Immediately following the casting of the adherents and followers of the “administration of death” covenant into the lake of fire which denoted the “second” or final death upon that economy (since they had rejected both Christ and His Apostles) of the generation of the Law worshippers, the new heaven and earth is brought to view:

“…11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea…” Rev 20:13-15, 21:1.

“…38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord…” Matt 23:38-39.

“..26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate…” Dan 9:26-27.

“… And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea..” Rev 21:1.

Again, the Hebrew writer brings to view the glorious coming Kingdom of Christ as she was to forever shine to and in the household of the faithful in Christ Jesus:

“…18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest….”.. 22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel…” Heb 18-22, 22-23.

There was indeed a great shaking of the heavens and earth at the Coming of Christ - witnessed at and by the work and testimony of the faithful in Christ Jesus, Who was now ready to judge both the living and the dead at the appearing of His glorious Kingdom:

“..4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom..” 2 Tim 4:1.

We see much of this shaking taking place during the activities of the Apostles as they were fulfilling the commission that Christ had placed upon them, which was completed by them in that Age of time:

“.. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature…” Mark 16:15.

“…If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister..” Col 1:23.

Jesus Christ must have suffered many things of that generation - and also His Apostles before the Age was ended, and before the final appearance of the New Heaven and earth wherein dwelled only His imputed righteousness; But this appearance must be attended with the final judgment upon the people and the land who looked only for a kingdom that was political and fleshly in nature and based upon the provisions of keeping a law of works for salvation:

“…20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. 22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. 23 And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. 24 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. 25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation…” Luke 17:20- 25.

“.. Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. 2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: 3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness…” Mal 3:1-3.

“..Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: 28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. 29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha…” Rom 9:27-29.

Even king Agrippa was shown to be an example of (the beginning of) this great shaking of heaven and earth, and the work which “was not done in a corner”, but which by the Apostles was “…Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ…” Rom 15:19.

“…Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: 23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. 24 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. 25 But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. 26 For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. 28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian…”

When the natural luminaries of the former heavens were to lose their luster, and the Law to have been fully fulfilled by the righteousness and obedience of the Son of God - then was brought to pass, and appears the holiness and beauty of the new heaven and earth as shown by the prophet Joel:

“,,,15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. 16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. 17 So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more..." And fulfills the words of Christ in Matthew 24 and in His Apocalypse: “… Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other…” Matt 24:29- 31.

“,,,24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, 25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. 26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven…” Mark 13:24- 27

John in Revelation has nearly the same identical words as Christ in Luke, Mark and Matthew:

“…12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places…’ Rev 6:13-14.

Notice also the words of the prophet Joel that was quoted by the apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost, which shows that the first part of the fulfillment of this prophecy was then even underway, but the second part of the (final) changes in the heavens and earth and the major signs that attended their dissolution was yet future - even to the end-times of that nation which involved her utter destruction:

“…16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, BEFORE that great and notable day of the Lord come..” Acts 2:16-29.

The “last days” were the days of the Apostles, or the last days of that Age. Peter shows this to be true, which is evidenced by the pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost - that the “last days” of that age were already under way (but not yet fulfilled.) perilous times was the lot for the Apostles, and even for many followers of Christ thereafter; But the term “last days” in the experience and from the perspective of the Apostles denotes the end of that Age of time in the purpose of God in salvation and deliverance of His church in His Son and His Kingdom. Paul, in 2 Tim 3:1, referring to this is speaking mainly of the present age, and not in general terms; for every age has borne the characteristic more or less to the persons of this passage; However, I think Paul is referring to the special brand of wickedness that was revealed at this time, especially the wickedness of the Jews along with the Pagan Gentiles and their rulers:

“…3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away…{ 2 Tim 3:1-5.

We see many today that would surely fit this description - even, or we might say - especially in the profession of Christianity - nevertheless, I believe that in Paul’s context he was referring mainly to his own Age as being the “last days” of that economy.

All this seems to clearly show that the second coming of Christ was in the end of that Age. (Although there are many more scriptures that correspond with, harmonize and support this opinion)

THE natural sun and THE natural moon of the Law and the natural man must go down and be obscured in God's Own time in Christ - When The Sun of Righteousness would arise with healing in His wings:

"...THE sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God THY glory. 20 THY sun shall no more go down; neither shall THY moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. 21 THY people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. 22 A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time..." Isa 60:19.

"... And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof..." Rev 21:23.

"... And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever..." Rev 22:5

OAB

The Sun Went Down At Noon