Discovering Haggai
Background Information
We know surprisingly little about the author of this book, the prophet Haggai. Though he is named nine times in the book (1:1, 3, 12, 13; 2:1, 10, 13, 14, 20) and twice in the historical book, Ezra (5:1; 6:14), these references tell us nothing about his age, family, birthplace, or call to be a prophet. Some commentators suggest that Hag 2:3 indicates that Haggai had seen Jerusalem before captivity and destruction by Babylon, which would indicate that Haggai spoke as an older man (older than 70 yrs.). This suggestion, though interesting, is not conclusive though because he doesn’t say, “Who among us?” (including himself), but, “Who among you?” possibly excluding himself from those who were that old. We simply don’t know how old he was.
We only know that he was a prophet sent by God who was the source of this book and who sought to motivate and persuade the people of Judah to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. He served and prophesied for a period of about four months (see specific month and day markers in Hag 1:1, 15; 2:1, 10, 18, 20)?
This message and ministry occurred during the second year of King Darius, which places the book at a date of 520 BC. Darius was a Persian king, Persia being the empire who overtook the Babylonian empire during Judah’s captivity to Babylon. It was the first ruler of this empire, Cyrus the Great (539-530 BC), who issued a decree (537-38 BC) which freed the Jews to return from captivity to Jerusalem, especially for the purpose of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem (2 Chron 36:22; Ezra 1:1-2, 7-8; Isa 44:28).
Of all the Israelites in captivity, only 42,000 returned to the land, led by a man named Zerubbabel (Ezra 1:5; 2:64). Zerubbabel was a descendant of David (Hag 1:1), grandson of Jehoiachin, and is named in the genealogy of Christ (Matt 1:12-13; Lk 3:27). He served as the governor of Judah and Jerusalem upon Israel’s initial return from captivity.
During Zerubbabel’s leadership in this period of resettling the land, the people initially built up the Temple altar and laid the Temple foundation by sometime in their second year of return. But strong opposition and resistance from surrounding people groups caused Israel to halt their rebuilding of the Temple for about fourteen years, 536-522 BC (Ezra 4:4-5, 24).
Purpose for the Book
The purpose for this book was to revive Israel’s efforts to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem (1:8). He did this in concert with the message and ministry of another prophet, Zechariah, and this purpose was eventually achieved in 515-516 BC (Ezra 5:1-2). The following table, with key details provided by Dr. Timothy Berrey (who also supplied the outline given for the book), shows how the messages of both Haggai and Zechariah correspond to the completion of the second Temple in Jerusalem.
Through these messages of Haggai, God urged his people to resume and finish their rebuilding of the Temple and to also have hope in his promise of even greater blessing in the future.
Outline and Content
The book of Haggai divides neatly into four sections, each of which serve as distinct, successive messages delivered as the previous table indicates.
Message 1 – Judah’s economic hardships are due to their failure to rebuild God’s house. (1:1-15)
This particular message addresses the most immediate, pressing part of Haggai’s purpose – motivating Israel to resume their rebuilding of the Temple – and divides into two parts.
In Part 1 (1:1-11), Haggai gives a strong rebuke. The people of Israel had become comfortable with delaying to rebuild the Temple, using their many challenges as an excuse to “kick the can down the road.” They said, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built” (1:2). Haggai responds to this attitude with a strong rebuke from Yahweh, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins? … consider your ways!” (1:4-5). Then he explains why the people were facing agricultural, financial, and material hardship. This was the result of God’s discipline towards them because they were prioritizing their own priorities while neglecting that which pleased the Lord, the rebuilding of his Temple.
In Part 2 (1:12-15), we see that the people responded to this message by resuming the Temple rebuilding project twenty-three days afterward. They obeyed!
Message 2 – The latter glory of the Temple will be greater than its former glory. (2:1-9)
Now that the rebuilding of the second Temple had begun, this second message begins to shift attention to from their present situation to the future. First, Haggai acknowledges how the older people who had seen the first Temple (the Temple of Solomon) were disheartened because they viewed the first Temple as superior to this second one. And in a sense, this was a true sentiment, for the first Temple had been larger and more opulent. This discouragement from comparison seems to have been a contributing factor to the people’s disinterest in finishing the project.
To encourage them, Haggai announces that better days were ahead. First, God would “shake heaven and earth, the sea and the dry land” (2:6). After this cataclysmic, universal divine activity, people from all nations will come to the Temple in large numbers, bringing much treasure as an offering and tribute of submission and worship. This great shaking of the world envisions a massive earthquake and uses the same kind of language used previously to describe other OT instances of God’s extraordinary supernatural intervention into the affairs of history, such as at the Exodus and more (Judg 5:4-5; 2 Sam 22:7-16; Psa 68:7-8; 77:15-20; Isa 13:13; Jer 10:10; Ezk 38:20; Joel 2:10; 3:16; Nah 1:5; Hag 2:21-22).
Looking ahead, Scripture uses the same terminology to describe the coming Day of the Lord when God will remove the wicked and establish his eternal, universal reign (Isa 2:12-21; 13:13; Ezk 38:20; Joel 3:16; Amos 8:8; Hag 2:21-22), with special mention given in the gospels to Christ’s second coming prior to the Millennium (Matt 24:29-30). This statement is also the one instance that the NT clearly quotes from Haggai, in Heb 12:26, noting also that “we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken” (Heb 12:28).
Note that “the Desire of All Nations” (2:7) is often considered a messianic reference, as in the carol “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” which says, “Come, Desire of Nations, come! / Fix in us thy humble home.” Or as when the carols “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus,” says, “Dear desire of every nation / joy of every longing heart.” While this may be an accurate interpretation, it may also be [more] likely that we should interpret this to refer instead to the desirable treasures from every nation which will be brought to Christ as tribute.
In summary, Haggai announces that the people should not be discouraged with the apparent lackluster appearance of the Second Temple, for the Temple would be far more glorious and resplendent in the future even though it wasn’t at the moment. The best days were ahead!
Message 3 – Uncleanness in one area invalidates spiritual or religious activities in other areas. (2:10-19)
In this third message, the Lord tells the people that their refusal to rebuild the Temple had rendered all their other religious behavior worthless in God’s sight. For this reason, he had caused their material prosperity to decline from the time that they had begun to neglect the rebuilding project some fourteen years before. But now that they had resumed, God promised to bless their agricultural and material efforts bountifully once again.
Message 4 – Zerubbabel becomes a type of the future Messianic Son of David. (2:20-23)
This final message shifts attention directly away from the present moment to the future millennial reign of Christ (2:21-22). Then Haggai points to Zerubbabel, who was a descendant of King David through Jehoiachin and his present efforts at leading the rebuilding effort and the people of Israel, as a “type” or “historical, prophetic representative” of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. Christ would be like him only better. Both Matthew and Luke include Zerubbabel in their genealogies of Christ (Matt 1:12-13: Lk 3:27). It is also worth noting that the mention of a “signet ring” corresponds with a prophecy by Jeremiah, in which he describes Jehoiachin (Zerubbabel’s grandfather and the second-to-last king of Judah before the captivity) as a “castaway signet ring” (Jer 22:24-25), depicting God’s disgust with the rebellious, ungodly line of David at that time. So then, Christ would bring an end to God’s disappointment with the Davidic kingly line.
Personal Takeaways
Consider your ways. When we read this book, especially the first of four messages in it, we are challenged to “consider our ways.” Like Israel, have we walked away from what we started? Are we giving priority to our personal activities and priorities in life while neglecting those things which bring ultimate pleasure to God? For us, such divine priorities do not consist of building a temple, but they consist of tending to our physical bodies and morality (1 Cor 3:16-17; 6:18; Eph 4:30-31; cf. John 14:16-17). They also consist of tending to the functions and ministries of our church family (Eph 2:22; 1 Pet 2:5), for it is in our bodies and among the members of a church that the Spirit of God dwells today, not within a physical building like the Temple. As we consider our ways, we should be prepared to get back into focus and resume living moral, ministry-minded lives for the glory of Christ. If this is not your focus today, then it's possible that some of the hardships you are facing (financially, materially, physically, etc.) are God’s way of reminding you to resume living a gospel-focused life.
Look forward to the coming of Christ. As difficult and perhaps disenchanting as your life in this present world may be, you can serve God with enthusiasm because you know that the future will be better than before. God will shake the world and establish his universal reign over all nations, and we will go to worship him together in the grand and glorious city of Jerusalem, where Christ will be enthroned as king forever.
We know surprisingly little about the author of this book, the prophet Haggai. Though he is named nine times in the book (1:1, 3, 12, 13; 2:1, 10, 13, 14, 20) and twice in the historical book, Ezra (5:1; 6:14), these references tell us nothing about his age, family, birthplace, or call to be a prophet. Some commentators suggest that Hag 2:3 indicates that Haggai had seen Jerusalem before captivity and destruction by Babylon, which would indicate that Haggai spoke as an older man (older than 70 yrs.). This suggestion, though interesting, is not conclusive though because he doesn’t say, “Who among us?” (including himself), but, “Who among you?” possibly excluding himself from those who were that old. We simply don’t know how old he was.
We only know that he was a prophet sent by God who was the source of this book and who sought to motivate and persuade the people of Judah to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. He served and prophesied for a period of about four months (see specific month and day markers in Hag 1:1, 15; 2:1, 10, 18, 20)?
This message and ministry occurred during the second year of King Darius, which places the book at a date of 520 BC. Darius was a Persian king, Persia being the empire who overtook the Babylonian empire during Judah’s captivity to Babylon. It was the first ruler of this empire, Cyrus the Great (539-530 BC), who issued a decree (537-38 BC) which freed the Jews to return from captivity to Jerusalem, especially for the purpose of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem (2 Chron 36:22; Ezra 1:1-2, 7-8; Isa 44:28).
Of all the Israelites in captivity, only 42,000 returned to the land, led by a man named Zerubbabel (Ezra 1:5; 2:64). Zerubbabel was a descendant of David (Hag 1:1), grandson of Jehoiachin, and is named in the genealogy of Christ (Matt 1:12-13; Lk 3:27). He served as the governor of Judah and Jerusalem upon Israel’s initial return from captivity.
During Zerubbabel’s leadership in this period of resettling the land, the people initially built up the Temple altar and laid the Temple foundation by sometime in their second year of return. But strong opposition and resistance from surrounding people groups caused Israel to halt their rebuilding of the Temple for about fourteen years, 536-522 BC (Ezra 4:4-5, 24).
Purpose for the Book
The purpose for this book was to revive Israel’s efforts to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem (1:8). He did this in concert with the message and ministry of another prophet, Zechariah, and this purpose was eventually achieved in 515-516 BC (Ezra 5:1-2). The following table, with key details provided by Dr. Timothy Berrey (who also supplied the outline given for the book), shows how the messages of both Haggai and Zechariah correspond to the completion of the second Temple in Jerusalem.
| Prophetic Material & Key Events | Jewish Calendar Dates | Modern Calendar Dates |
| Haggai’s 1st message (1:1-11) | 1st day of Elul (6th mo.), 520 | Aug 29, 520 |
| Rebuilding the temple resumes (1:12-15) | 24th day of Elul, 520 | Sept 21, 520 |
| Haggai’s 2nd message (2:1-9) | 21st day of Tishri (7th mo.) 520 | Oct 17, 520 |
| Zechariah’s 1st message (1:1-6) | Marheshvan (8th mo.), 520 | Oct/Nov, 520 |
| Temple foundation done (Hag 2:18; Zech 8:9) | 24th day of Kislev (9th mo.), 520 | Dec 18, 520 |
| Haggai’s 3rd message (2:10-19) | 24th day of Kislev (9th mo.), 520 | Dec 18, 520 |
| Haggai’s 4th message (2:20-23) | 24th day of Kislev (9th mo.), 520 | Dec 18, 520 |
| Zechariah’s visions (1:7-6:15) | 24th day of Shebat (11th mo.), 519 | Feb 15, 519 |
| Zechariah’s 2nd message (7:1-8:23) | 4th day of Kislev, 518 | Dec 7, 518 |
| Temple completed (Ezra 6:15) | 3rd day of Adar (12th mo.), 515 | Mar 12, 515 |
Through these messages of Haggai, God urged his people to resume and finish their rebuilding of the Temple and to also have hope in his promise of even greater blessing in the future.
Outline and Content
The book of Haggai divides neatly into four sections, each of which serve as distinct, successive messages delivered as the previous table indicates.
Message 1 – Judah’s economic hardships are due to their failure to rebuild God’s house. (1:1-15)
This particular message addresses the most immediate, pressing part of Haggai’s purpose – motivating Israel to resume their rebuilding of the Temple – and divides into two parts.
In Part 1 (1:1-11), Haggai gives a strong rebuke. The people of Israel had become comfortable with delaying to rebuild the Temple, using their many challenges as an excuse to “kick the can down the road.” They said, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built” (1:2). Haggai responds to this attitude with a strong rebuke from Yahweh, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins? … consider your ways!” (1:4-5). Then he explains why the people were facing agricultural, financial, and material hardship. This was the result of God’s discipline towards them because they were prioritizing their own priorities while neglecting that which pleased the Lord, the rebuilding of his Temple.
In Part 2 (1:12-15), we see that the people responded to this message by resuming the Temple rebuilding project twenty-three days afterward. They obeyed!
Message 2 – The latter glory of the Temple will be greater than its former glory. (2:1-9)
Now that the rebuilding of the second Temple had begun, this second message begins to shift attention to from their present situation to the future. First, Haggai acknowledges how the older people who had seen the first Temple (the Temple of Solomon) were disheartened because they viewed the first Temple as superior to this second one. And in a sense, this was a true sentiment, for the first Temple had been larger and more opulent. This discouragement from comparison seems to have been a contributing factor to the people’s disinterest in finishing the project.
To encourage them, Haggai announces that better days were ahead. First, God would “shake heaven and earth, the sea and the dry land” (2:6). After this cataclysmic, universal divine activity, people from all nations will come to the Temple in large numbers, bringing much treasure as an offering and tribute of submission and worship. This great shaking of the world envisions a massive earthquake and uses the same kind of language used previously to describe other OT instances of God’s extraordinary supernatural intervention into the affairs of history, such as at the Exodus and more (Judg 5:4-5; 2 Sam 22:7-16; Psa 68:7-8; 77:15-20; Isa 13:13; Jer 10:10; Ezk 38:20; Joel 2:10; 3:16; Nah 1:5; Hag 2:21-22).
Looking ahead, Scripture uses the same terminology to describe the coming Day of the Lord when God will remove the wicked and establish his eternal, universal reign (Isa 2:12-21; 13:13; Ezk 38:20; Joel 3:16; Amos 8:8; Hag 2:21-22), with special mention given in the gospels to Christ’s second coming prior to the Millennium (Matt 24:29-30). This statement is also the one instance that the NT clearly quotes from Haggai, in Heb 12:26, noting also that “we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken” (Heb 12:28).
Note that “the Desire of All Nations” (2:7) is often considered a messianic reference, as in the carol “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” which says, “Come, Desire of Nations, come! / Fix in us thy humble home.” Or as when the carols “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus,” says, “Dear desire of every nation / joy of every longing heart.” While this may be an accurate interpretation, it may also be [more] likely that we should interpret this to refer instead to the desirable treasures from every nation which will be brought to Christ as tribute.
In summary, Haggai announces that the people should not be discouraged with the apparent lackluster appearance of the Second Temple, for the Temple would be far more glorious and resplendent in the future even though it wasn’t at the moment. The best days were ahead!
Message 3 – Uncleanness in one area invalidates spiritual or religious activities in other areas. (2:10-19)
In this third message, the Lord tells the people that their refusal to rebuild the Temple had rendered all their other religious behavior worthless in God’s sight. For this reason, he had caused their material prosperity to decline from the time that they had begun to neglect the rebuilding project some fourteen years before. But now that they had resumed, God promised to bless their agricultural and material efforts bountifully once again.
Message 4 – Zerubbabel becomes a type of the future Messianic Son of David. (2:20-23)
This final message shifts attention directly away from the present moment to the future millennial reign of Christ (2:21-22). Then Haggai points to Zerubbabel, who was a descendant of King David through Jehoiachin and his present efforts at leading the rebuilding effort and the people of Israel, as a “type” or “historical, prophetic representative” of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. Christ would be like him only better. Both Matthew and Luke include Zerubbabel in their genealogies of Christ (Matt 1:12-13: Lk 3:27). It is also worth noting that the mention of a “signet ring” corresponds with a prophecy by Jeremiah, in which he describes Jehoiachin (Zerubbabel’s grandfather and the second-to-last king of Judah before the captivity) as a “castaway signet ring” (Jer 22:24-25), depicting God’s disgust with the rebellious, ungodly line of David at that time. So then, Christ would bring an end to God’s disappointment with the Davidic kingly line.
Personal Takeaways
Consider your ways. When we read this book, especially the first of four messages in it, we are challenged to “consider our ways.” Like Israel, have we walked away from what we started? Are we giving priority to our personal activities and priorities in life while neglecting those things which bring ultimate pleasure to God? For us, such divine priorities do not consist of building a temple, but they consist of tending to our physical bodies and morality (1 Cor 3:16-17; 6:18; Eph 4:30-31; cf. John 14:16-17). They also consist of tending to the functions and ministries of our church family (Eph 2:22; 1 Pet 2:5), for it is in our bodies and among the members of a church that the Spirit of God dwells today, not within a physical building like the Temple. As we consider our ways, we should be prepared to get back into focus and resume living moral, ministry-minded lives for the glory of Christ. If this is not your focus today, then it's possible that some of the hardships you are facing (financially, materially, physically, etc.) are God’s way of reminding you to resume living a gospel-focused life.
Look forward to the coming of Christ. As difficult and perhaps disenchanting as your life in this present world may be, you can serve God with enthusiasm because you know that the future will be better than before. God will shake the world and establish his universal reign over all nations, and we will go to worship him together in the grand and glorious city of Jerusalem, where Christ will be enthroned as king forever.
Posted in Bible Talks
Tagged with Old Testament, Minor Prophets, Haggai, Temple, Worship, Israel, Prophecy
Tagged with Old Testament, Minor Prophets, Haggai, Temple, Worship, Israel, Prophecy
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