{"id":1318,"date":"2018-02-03T08:55:55","date_gmt":"2018-02-03T07:55:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/?p=1318"},"modified":"2018-02-03T08:55:55","modified_gmt":"2018-02-03T07:55:55","slug":"the-book-of-haggai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/2018\/02\/03\/the-book-of-haggai\/","title":{"rendered":"The Book of Haggai"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to<\/em><\/span> Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying.<\/em><\/p>\n

Haggai 1:1<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Historical Background<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>A. The Author<\/p>\n

The name Haggai<\/em> means \u201cthe festive one.\u201d From the same Hebrew root, the words \u201cfestival\u201d and \u201cfeast\u201d are derived. As far as Haggai\u2019s family is concerned, nothing is known, since he did n<\/span>ot state whose son or grandson he was.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>B. The Date<\/p>\n

Concerning the date of the book and his prophecies, Haggai states in verse 1<\/a> that it came in the second year of Darius.<\/em> This is Darius Hystaspes, and the second year of Darius Hystaspes wa<\/span>s 520 b.c. Several times that year, during a three-to four-month period, the Word of God came to Haggai. The first message from God came in the sixth month of the Jewish calendar, which corresponds to<\/span> September on the modern calendar. The last message he received came in the ninth month of the Jewish calendar, which corresponds to December on the modern calendar. Thus, Haggai\u2019s prophetic ministry extended over only a three-to four-month period, <\/span>from September to December of the year 520 b.c.<\/p>\n

There were three Post-exilic Prophets: Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Haggai and Zechariah were contem<\/span>porary prophets to the Jews who returned from the Babylonian Captivity, whereas Malachi lived almost a century later. Both Haggai and Zechariah had the same burden: to encourage the Jewish people to complete the rebuilding of the Temple. While Haggai\u2019s prophetic ministry lasted only three to four month<\/span>s, Zechariah\u2019s ministry lasted much longer than that. During that short period, no doubt Haggai and Zechariah knew each other. In fact, they are mentioned together in the Book of Ezra as being the encouragers of the people in the rebuilding of the Temple.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>C. The Locale<\/p>\n

As to locale, Haggai\u2019s prophetic ministry was in the City of Jerusalem. His entire prophetic ministry centered around the leadership of Israel and the Temple, and this was all in conjunc<\/span>tion with the City of Jerusalem.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>D. The Historical Setting<\/p>\n

The historical setting of these prophecies can be discovered from the Book of Ezra. The Medo-Persian Empire had replaced the Babylonian Empire and the seventy years of the Ba<\/span>bylonian Captivity had ended. Cyrus, the emperor of the Medo-Persian Empire, allowed the Jews to return to their Land. Just as it is true today, only a minority chose to do so. Today there is a State of Israel, a nation to which every Jew is free to return. But at this point, only a minority of Jews have chosen to do so. Out of the fifteen million Jews in the world today,<\/span> only five million are citizens of the State of Israel. Of the remaining ten million scattered around the world, six million are in the United States, three million are in the former Soviet Union, and one million are scattered throughout other nations. The same thing was true in the days of Haggai. While all the Jews were allowed to return to Israel, only a minority chose to do so. The majority was scattered throughout Babylonia, Persia, and Egypt.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The minority that returned to the Land began to rebuild the Temple in order to be able to reinstitute the worship service as required under the Mosaic Law (Ezra 3:8<\/a>). Initia<\/span>lly, that was the priority. Because there can be no sacrifices apart from the Temple, for seventy years there had been no sacrificial system. According to Ezra 3:10<\/a>, in a short period of time they com<\/span>pleted the laying down of the foundation. But suddenly, opposition arose from Gentiles in the surrounding the area, and because of this, they ceased their building (Ezra 4:24<\/a>). They were given orders <\/span>to proceed no further, and for fifteen years they did no more work on the Temple. For fifteen years the foundation lay there, completed, but nothing more was done about it. For fifteen years, people could see the foundation, b<\/span>ut no building was being erected upon that foundation. When Darius Hystaspes became the new emperor of the Medo-Persian Empire, he favored the rebuilding of the Temple, and there was no longer any royal opposition to it. Now the problem was no longer with the Gentile rulers, but with the Jewish people themselves. They had lost their zeal concerning the rebuilding of the Temple. In the second year of the reign of Darius Hys<\/span>taspes, Haggai was called to be a prophet, and God used both Haggai and Zechariah to move the people to complete the Temple (<\/span>Ezra 5:1<\/a>). Eventually, <\/span>the Temple was completed through the encouragement of the prophetic messages of Haggai and Zechariah (Ezra 6:14\u201315<\/a>).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>E. The Major Points<\/p>\n

The Book of Haggai makes two major points. First, it emphasizes the divine origin of the prophetic message: that true prophecy came directly from God. Although his book is short, o<\/span>nly two chapters, with a total of thirty eight verses, twenty times it was stated that Jehovah was the One doing the speaking. The second point it makes is the danger of procrastination and the judgment that could result from putting off what one knows to be the will of God. The Jewish people procrastinated in <\/span>carrying out God\u2019s will, and as a result, they suffered divine judgment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>F. The Theme<\/p>\n

The entire emphasis of the theme of the Book of Haggai is: Rebuild the Temple!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>G. The New Testament Quotations<\/p>\n

Haggai is quoted once in the New Testament. Haggai 2:6<\/a> is quoted in Hebrews 12:26<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>H. The Exposition<\/p>\n

The Book of Haggai is divided into four major segments, with each one based on the four specific messages Haggai received from the Lord.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>I. The First Message\u2014Haggai 1:1\u201315<\/a><\/p>\n

The first section is sub divided into three units: the date and the call, the rebuke, and the response.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>A. The Date and the Call\u2014Haggai 1:1<\/a><\/p>\n

In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of <\/em><\/span>Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying.<\/em><\/p>\n

The date given is: the second year of Darius the king<\/em>, this was 520 b.c.; in the sixth month<\/em>, which is the He<\/span>brew month of Elul<\/span>. Furthermore, it was in the first day of the month<\/em>, so this prophetic message came during a New Moon Festival. The Jewish calendar is based on the lunar calendar. According to the M<\/span>osaic Law, the New Moon Festival was observed on the first day of each month (Lev. 23:23\u201325<\/a>; Num. 10:10<\/a>; 28:11\u201315<\/a>; 1 Sam. 20:5<\/a>, 18<\/a>, 24<\/a>, 27<\/a>; 2 Kg. 4:23<\/a>; 1 Chr. 23:31<\/a>; 2 Chr. 2:4<\/a>; 8:13<\/a>; 31:3<\/a>; Ps. 81:3<\/a>; <\/span>Is. 1:13\u201314<\/a>; 66:23<\/a>; Ezek. 45:17<\/a>; 46:1<\/a>, 3<\/a>, 6\u20138<\/a>; Amos 8:5<\/a>). It was quite appropriate that his first prophetic message came to Haggai during the New Moon Festival, since his name meant \u201cthe festive one.\u201d<\/span> The exact date on the modern calendar was August 29, 520 b.c. On that day, came the word of Jehovah by the hand of Haggai the prophet<\/em>; or more literally, \u201cThe Word of Jehovah came by the hand of the <\/span>Prophet Haggai.\u201d At that point, Haggai was officially called into his prophetic office because he received direct revelation from God.<\/p>\n

His message was directed to two leaders: Zerubbabel<\/em> and Joshua<\/em>. Z<\/span>erubbabel was the civil leader, who served as governor under Medo-Persian authority. He was the son of Shealtiel<\/em>. His Hebrew name means \u201cborn in Babylon\u201d or \u201cthe seed of Babylon,\u201d which shows that his<\/span> grandparents were taken in the Babylonian Captivity and that he was born in Babylon. Because he was born in Babylon, he also had a Babylonian name, Sheshbazzar. He was also a member of the royal house of Judah, and mentioned in the <\/span>Matthew 1<\/a> genealogy of Joseph, the step-father of Yeshua (Jesus). The second leader was Joshua<\/em>, the religious leader, who was high priest at that time. He was the son <\/em><\/span>of Jehozadak<\/em>, who was transported to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar (1 Chr. 6:15<\/a>). Furthermore, he was the grandson of Seraiah, who was killed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 b.c. during the destruction of Jerusa<\/span>lem (2 Kg. 25:18\u201321<\/a>).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>B. The Rebuke\u2014Haggai 1:2\u201311<\/a><\/p>\n

As Haggai issued his rebuke, he dealt with two things: the sin of the people and the remedy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>1. The Sin\u2014Haggai 1:2\u20136<\/a><\/p>\n

Haggai dealt with the sin of the people in verse 2<\/a>: Thus speaks Jehovah of hosts, saying, This people say, It is not the time for us to come, the time for Jehovah\u2019s house to be<\/em><\/span> built.<\/em><\/p>\n

In order to avoid finishing the Temple, the people used the excuse that it was not yet time for the Temple to be rebuilt. This might have been a valid excuse before the message of Haggai and Z<\/span>echariah came into the picture; but now that God has chosen two prophets and revealed His will for the people, it was no longer a valid excuse.<\/p>\n

They were doing what some believers do when they know wh<\/span>at the Bible teaches about a certain thing, but they do not want to do what it says. They will excuse themselves along spiritual lines, such as, \u201cIt is just not the right time\u201d or \u201cWe have not reached that stage yet\u201d or \u201cWell, I simply do not feel led of t<\/span>he Lord to do so\u201d or \u201cI have not felt led to do so.\u201d These excuses are irrelevant. Once God has revealed His will, no special further leading is necessary. It is sufficient to know what the will of God is. God will not lead in a special way to do something He has already commanded. That very command is the leading right then and there.<\/span><\/p>\n

God re<\/span>sponded to their excuses by asking them a question in verses 3\u20134<\/a>: Then came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your ceiled houses, while thi<\/em><\/span>s house lies waste?<\/em><\/p>\n

Through Haggai the prophet<\/em>, God spoke to their excuse. His question was, \u201cIs it time for you to live in your ceiled houses<\/em>?\u201d The Hebrew word for ceiled<\/em> means \u201cpaneled.\u201d Thus, ceile<\/em><\/span>d houses<\/em> refers to houses that were paneled with expensive wood. It is interesting to note that this is the same Hebrew word used in connection with the building of the First Temple (1 Kg. 6:9<\/a>, 15<\/a>; 7:<\/span>3<\/a>, 7<\/a>). The only time it is not used of the Temple elsewhere in the Old Testament is in the building of King Jehoiakim\u2019s palace in Jeremiah 22:14<\/a>. In other words, the fact that this word is used primar<\/span>ily in conjunction with the First Temple shows that the wood that was intended to be used to rebuild the Second Temple fifteen years earlier had been taken by the people and used for the building of t<\/span>heir private homes. Most homes in the Old Testament Period were not ceiled<\/em> or paneled because this was something only rich people could afford. Most houses were simply blocks of stone with some kind o<\/span>f plaster on the inside. Apparently, there was a lot of wood lying around the Temple Mount that was originally intended to be used to rebuild the Temple. Since the Temple was not going up, the people had taken this wood and used it to make their own homes look better.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because of this, Haggai reminds them of the punishment in verses 5\u20136<\/a>. He begins with an exhortation in verse 5<\/a>: Now therefore thus <\/em><\/span>says Jehovah of hosts: Consider your ways.<\/em><\/p>\n

The exhortation was: Consider your ways.<\/em> The Hebrew literally means \u201cplace your heart and mediate on this\u201d or \u201cpay special attention to this.\u201d They were to l<\/span>ook back on the past fifteen years while the Temple was not being rebuilt and consider carefully what had happened.<\/p>\n

There had been an obvious lack of prosperity in verse 6<\/a>: Ye have sown much, and brin<\/em><\/span>g in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earns wages earns wages to put it into a bag with holes.<\/em><\/p>\n

The<\/span>re was a lack of productiveness, a lack of clothing, and a lack of sufficient wages. The idiomatic expression he that earns wages earns wages to put it into a bag with holes<\/em> emphasizes that inflation <\/span>was so bad that no matter how much they gained in wages, the wages left as quickly as they gained them. This lack of productivity, lack of clothing, and lack of sufficient wages was something the Mosaic Law said would happen if<\/span> the people disobeyed (Deut. 28:38\u201340<\/a>). According to the Mosaic Law, obedience brought prosperity. Today, people often use the Mosaic Law to teach the doctrine that God want<\/span>s believers to prosper materially; however, one must not apply the Mosaic Law in this case. The Mosaic Law was given to the Jews, not to the Church. For the Church, there is no guarantee of prosperity. One must be careful not to misapply the Scriptures by taking promises given to a specific group of people for a certain period of time<\/span> and applying them to another group of people at a different point of time.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>2. The Remedy\u2014Haggai 1:7\u201311<\/a><\/p>\n

In presenting the remedy for the problem of verses 2\u20136<\/a>, Haggai issued a command in verses 7\u20138<\/a>: Thus says Jehovah of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain, and br<\/em><\/span>ing wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, says Jehovah.<\/em><\/p>\n

In verse 7<\/a>, again God says: Consider your ways.<\/em> \u201cMeditate, think on it; think of your spiritual st<\/span>ate in light of what has been happening over the past fifteen years.\u201d In verse 8<\/a>, if they learned the lesson well, if they understand why these things happened, the remedy is: Go up to the mountain<\/em>, t<\/span>o the hill-country of Judah; and bring wood<\/em>, to rebuild the Temple; and build the house<\/em>, finish the Temple. If they would finish it, God said He would do two things: I will take pleasure in it, and I <\/em><\/span>will be glorified.<\/em><\/p>\n

Then, in verses 9\u201311<\/a>, he reminded them of three punishments they had suffered in the past for their failure to rebuild the Temple: Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; an<\/em><\/span>d when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? says Jehovah of hosts. Because of my house that lies waste, while ye run every man to his own house. Therefore for your sake the heavens withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. And I ca<\/em><\/span>lled for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the grain, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground brings forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labor of the hands.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

First, in verse 9<\/a>, that which the Land produced was burned up, and the reason was that the Temple was lying waste whil<\/span>e the people lived in houses. This is in keeping with what Deuteronomy 28:24<\/a> predicted. Secondly, in verse 10<\/a>, there was a lack of rain in fulfillment of Deuteronomy 28:33<\/a>. And in verse 11<\/a>, the third <\/span>punishment was that of drought in every area of life, in fulfillment of Deuteronomy 28:51<\/a>. Their sin was the failure to finish the Temple; their punishment was a lack of productivity; and the remedy w<\/span>as to get the Temple finished.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>C. The Response\u2014Haggai 1:12\u201315<\/a><\/p>\n

The obedience of leaders and the people is revealed in verse 12<\/a>: Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the rem<\/em><\/span>nant of the people, obeyed the voice of Jehovah their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as Jehovah their God had sent him; and the people did fear before Jehovah.<\/em><\/p>\n

Haggai begins by focusing on <\/span>the leaders, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest<\/em>. Both the civil and the religious leaders respond with all the remnant of the people<\/em>, those who had retur<\/span>ned to the Land. For the most part, the way the word remnant<\/em> is used in the Book of Haggai is in reference to the minority of Jews who returned to the Land from Babylon; but not all of them were neces<\/span>sarily believers. Their act was that they obeyed the voice of Jehovah their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet<\/em>. God spoke to Haggai, and the people believed that the message of Haggai was the Wo<\/span>rd of God; and the result was that the people did fear before Jehovah.<\/em><\/p>\n

A word of encouragement came from God in verses 13\u201314<\/a>: Then spoke Haggai Jehovah\u2019s messenger in Jehovah\u2019s message unto the people<\/em><\/span>, saying, I am with you, says Jehovah. And Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the <\/em><\/span>spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work on the house of Jehovah of hosts, their God.<\/em><\/p>\n

As they began their act of obedience, God encouraged them in verse 13<\/a>: I am with you.<\/em> T<\/span>hey began the rebuilding of the Temple on the foundation that had been laid fifteen years earlier. In verse 14<\/a>, the work itself is commenced because Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel<\/em>; He sti<\/span>rred up the spirit of Joshua; and He stirred up the spirit of all the remnant of the people. The result was twofold: first, the people came<\/em> together, and secondly, they did work on the house of Jehova<\/em><\/span>h of hosts, their God.<\/em><\/p>\n

The specific date on which the work resumed is given in verse 15<\/a>: in the four and twentieth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.<\/em><\/p>\n

The spec<\/span>ific date is the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.<\/em> This corresponds to the modern calendar as September 20, 520 b.c. In other words, the work began a mere tw<\/span>enty-three days after Haggai\u2019s first prophetic message. That was how fast the people responded. Few prophets have experienced the joy of that kind of quick response that Haggai had.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>II. The Second Message\u2014Haggai 2:1\u20139<\/a><\/p>\n

The second message can be sub-divided into three units: the date, the problem, and God\u2019s response.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>A. The Date\u2014Haggai 2:1<\/a><\/p>\n

In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet, saying.<\/em><\/p>\n

The specific date of the second prophetic message is the<\/em><\/span> seventh month<\/em>, which corresponds to Tishrei<\/span> on the Jewish calendar. Furthermore, it is the twenty-first day of the month, which is also the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:33\u201344<\/a>). Th<\/span>is corresponds to October 17, 520 B.C on the modern calendar. This means the second message came three and one-half weeks after the work was resumed in chapter 1:15<\/a>. But at this point, a problem arose<\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>B. The Problem\u2014Haggai 2:2\u20133<\/a><\/p>\n

The second prophetic message was again addressed to certain people in verse 2<\/a>: Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jeh<\/em><\/span>ozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying.<\/em><\/p>\n

First, it was addressed to Zerubbabel<\/em>, who represented the civil leaders. Secondly, it was addressed to Joshua<\/em>, who represented the r<\/span>eligious leaders. And thirdly, it was addressed to the remnant of the people<\/em>, who had returned from Babylon.<\/p>\n

The reason a prophetic message came to them at this point is because of the discouragement <\/span>of verse 3<\/a>: Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes as nothing?<\/em><\/p>\n

Through Haggai, God asked the people three rhetorical questions,<\/span> which showed the emotions of the people at that time. The first question was: Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory?<\/em> The words former glory<\/em> refer to the magnificent Solomonic <\/span>Temple. Apparently, there were a number of people still around who were in their eighties or older, and who remembered what the Solomonic Temple was like. As they compared the Solomonic Temple with wh<\/span>at was now going up, they could see a radical difference in magnificence, beauty, and splendor.<\/p>\n

Then came the second question: how do ye see it now?<\/em> The word it<\/em> refers to the Second Temple that was no<\/span>w going up. But one should notice how he phrased it: \u201cHow do you see it<\/em> now?\u201d From God\u2019s viewpoint, the First and Second Temples were one and the same house<\/em>. How do you see this house in its former gl<\/em><\/span>ory<\/em> as compared to how you see it<\/em> now? It is the same house<\/em>, but it is different in point of glory. The point of the second question is for them to admit that the Temple now going up just does not com<\/span>pare in any way with the Temple that Solomon had built, which the Babylonians destroyed seventy years earlier.<\/p>\n

The third question was: is it not in your eyes as nothing?<\/em> When the older Jews compared t<\/span>he building that was going up with the magnificence of the Solomonic Temple, it seemed to be totally insignificant to them. Some things were less than the Solomonic Temple, and some things were even missing. There was a similar sit<\/span>uation fifteen years earlier when the foundation was laid (Ezra 3:8\u201313<\/a>). It became obvious that, as they looked at this foundation, there was no way the new Temple could<\/span> compare with the Solomonic Temple. It was a lesser house. Now, fifteen years later, when the work was being resumed again, those who remembered the greater glory were saying, \u201cIt is nice that a Temple is going up, but it just does not compare to what we used to have in the good old days.\u201d This was<\/span> a point of discouragement to the people. The younger people were involved in the building, but the older ones were voicing negative thoughts.<\/span><\/p>\n

The one point of similarity between the two Temples was that both had one Altar of Incense, made of gold. But some things were less than the Solomonic Temple.<\/span> The Solomonic Temple had ten tables of showbread; the Second Temple had only one. The Solomonic Temple had ten lampstands; this one had room for only one. Furthermore, five things that the First Temple had were missing in the Second Temple. First, there was no Ark of the Covenant. The Solomonic Temple had the Ark of the Covenant with the Tablets of the Co<\/span>venant, but the Ark of the Covenant had been destroyed by the Babylonian destruction. Therefore, the Holy of Holies of this Temple contained the foundation stone of the First Temple. Secondly, there was no sacred fire. Thirdly, the Spirit of Prophecy was missing. Fourthly, the <\/span><\/span>Shechinah<\/span> Glory did not return when this Temple was finished. And fifth, there was no longer the Urim<\/span> and Thummin<\/em> through which the Word of God could be discerned. <\/span>So with some things being less and some things being missing, the Word of God came to them a second time to give them encouragement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>C. God\u2019s Response\u2014Haggai 2:4\u20139<\/a><\/p>\n

God\u2019s response is to provide encouragement to counteract the discouragement from the older ones watching the new building going up. This encouragement comes in two ways:<\/span> reminders from the past and promises regarding the future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>1. God\u2019s Encouragement from the Past\u2014Haggai 2:4\u20135<\/a><\/p>\n

Regarding the past, He began with a promise addressed to the civil leader, religious leader, and the people in general in verse 4<\/a>: Yet now be strong, <\/em><\/span>O Zerubbabel, says Jehovah; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, says Jehovah, and work: for I am with you, says Jehovah of hosts.<\/em><\/p>\n

God <\/span>admonishes them to be strong<\/em> and to work<\/em>. \u201cDo not be discouraged or worry about what went on in the so-called good old days.\u201d The issue is not whether the octogenarians are pleased with it; the issue <\/span>is whether God is pleased with it. He basically reminds them of His promise in the first message: for I am with you, says Jehovah of hosts.<\/em><\/p>\n

He then presented them with the second basis for encourageme<\/span>nt, proof from the past, based on two things in verse 5<\/a>: according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, and my Spirit abode among you: fear ye not.<\/em><\/p>\n

First, the Mosaic Coven<\/span>ant was evidence that God was with them in the past. This was the covenant that was made when they came out of Egypt and promised blessing for obedience and curses for disobedience. In chapter 1<\/a>, they<\/span> experienced some of the curses for disobedience; now that they were in a state of obedience, God said He would be with them and bless them, as promised by the Mosaic Covenant (Ex. 19:5\u20136<\/a>; 24:8<\/a>; 29:45<\/span>\u201346<\/a>). The second proof from the past was the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was with the people in the Exodus Experience, and He would be with them again in this experience. The promise <\/span>from the past concerning the abiding of the Holy Spirit is found in Numbers 11:17\u201325<\/a> and 27:18<\/a>.<\/p>\n

God first gave them encouragement from the past in that, just as He was with them in the past when they <\/span>obeyed, even so He would be with them in the present, now that they were in a state of obedience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>2. God\u2019s Promise for the Future\u2014Haggai 2:6\u20139<\/a><\/p>\n

Having given them the encouragement of the past, God now gave them a promise for the future. Three statements are made concerning this promise.<\/p>\n

First, He p<\/span>rophesied a \u201cshaking\u201d in verse 6<\/a>: For thus says Jehovah of hosts: Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land.<\/em><\/p>\n

This is a prophetic, futur<\/span>e shaking in preparation for the Messianic Kingdom. The Hebrew words used here are the same ones used to speak of the final upheaval of nations in the Last Days, in conjunction with the Second Coming of the Messiah. This usage<\/span> is also found in Isaiah 13:13<\/a> and 14:16<\/a>. God promised that a day will come when there is going to be a final shaking in preparation for the Messianic Kingdom. This shaking w<\/span>ill occur during the Great Tribulation.<\/p>\n

He made a second prediction in verse 7<\/a>: and I will shake all nations; and the precious things of all nations shall come; and I will fill this house with glory, <\/em><\/span>says Jehovah of hosts.<\/em><\/p>\n

The second prediction was the filling of the House of God. The term precious things<\/em> means \u201cchoice things.\u201d The point is that the Gentiles will beautify the Temple with their cho<\/span>ice things. After the shaking of the Tribulation in verse 6<\/a>, will come the Kingdom. In the Messianic Kingdom, there will be a Millennial Temple, which will be the Temple beautified by the Gentiles. Th<\/span>is was also predicted by Isaiah 60:5\u20137<\/a>. As stated earlier, from God\u2019s perspective, it is always only one house; whether it is the Solomonic Temple, the Second Temple, or the Millennial Temple. Further<\/span>more, the glory<\/em> will also include the Shechinah<\/span> Glory, when the Shechinah<\/span> Glory returns to the Millennial Temple, according to Ezekiel 43:5<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There is a third prediction in verse 8<\/a>: The silver is mine,<\/em><\/span> and the gold is mine, says Jehovah of hosts.<\/em><\/p>\n

God says that they should not be discouraged by the poorer metals they have to use, because He will some day beautify the Temple in a greater way: by a ne<\/span>w manifestation of the Shechinah<\/span> Glory, the visible manifestation of God\u2019s presence. The Millennial Temple will be built not by the hands of man, but by the hands of the Son Himself. While the Millenn<\/span>ial Temple is far into the future, the Temple they are building is part of the overall prophetic program.<\/p>\n

Then He made a promise concerning the Temple that was being built in verse 9<\/a>: The latter glory<\/em><\/span> of this house shall be greater than the former, says Jehovah of hosts; and in this place will I give peace, says Jehovah of hosts.<\/em><\/p>\n

In verses 6\u20138<\/a>, God promised through Haggai that, while the Temple th<\/span>ey were then building was less than the Solomonic Temple in many ways, the day will come when He Himself will build a Temple that will be superior to the Solomonic Temple. Indeed, the Temple of the Millennium will be far superior than the Solomonic Temple<\/span>, and the details are given in Ezekiel 40\u201348<\/a>. But this Temple is part of the divine plan. Before that great future Temple can come into being, th<\/span>is Temple must fulfill the program of God.<\/p>\n

What about this Temple? God now gave them a promise that the latter glory of this house<\/em> [the one they were then building] shall be greater than the former<\/em> [t<\/span>he Solomonic Temple]. The glory of the former<\/em> was when the Shechinah<\/span> Glory authenticated Solomon\u2019s Temple by taking up residence within the Holy of Holies. This promise was eventually fulfilled in two<\/span> ways. First, it was fulfilled by the fact that the Temple they were building was later reconstructed and refurbished by Herod the Great. By the time Herod the Great was finished remodeling, the very Temple they were then building superseded the Solomonic Temple in beauty and glory. In fact, the rabbis said, \u201cHe who has not seen H<\/span>erod\u2019s Temple has not seen beauty in all his life.\u201d The second way t<\/span>he promise was fulfilled was that, while the Solomonic Temple had the Shechinah<\/span> Glory in the form of a cloud, this particular Temple is the one in which Yeshua ministered, so this Temple had the Shech<\/span><\/span>inah<\/span> Glory in a greater way: by means of the Incarnation of the God-Man. The many times that Yeshua functioned and ministered in the Temple Compound was a fulfillment of this verse: in this place will<\/em><\/span> I give peace<\/em>. Indeed, one of the names of the Messiah is Sar Shalom<\/em>, which means \u201cthe Prince of Peace.\u201d In conjunction with His work in the Temple and the final sacrifice of His own blood, He did pro<\/span>vide spiritual peace in the hearts of believers. He will ultimately provide physical peace in the world when He returns.<\/p>\n

Thus, the second message was, \u201cDo not be discouraged by the seeming inferiority<\/span> of this building because the latter glory<\/em> of it will supersede that of Solomon\u2019s. Actually, the fulfillment came in two separate ways. First, many years later, when Herod the Great totally reconstruc<\/span>ted the Second Temple that was vastly superior to the one Solomon had built. And secondly, when the Shechinah<\/span> Glory manifested Itself in the Messianic Person in conjunction with this particular Temple<\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>III. The Third Message\u2014Haggai 2:10\u201319<\/a><\/p>\n

The third prophetic message is sub-divided into five units: the date, the lesson of the Torah<\/em>, the application to the nation, the evidence, and the reversal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>A. The Date\u2014Haggai 2:10<\/a><\/p>\n

In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet, saying.<\/em><\/p>\n

The date was the twenty-fourth day of th<\/span>e ninth month, in the second year of Darius<\/em>. On the Hebrew calendar, the ninth month is Kislev, which comes after the fall harvest. On the modern calendar, the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month cor<\/span>responds with December 18, 520 b.c. It had been two months since the second message had come and three months since the work had been resumed. It was the month of December, so the winter season had be<\/span>gun following the fall harvest, which was a poor one. This seemed to negate Haggai\u2019s promise in the first and second messages. The reason given in the first message for their poor productivity over the last fifteen years was their disobedience about rebuilding the Temple. But now the Temple was being rebuilt, and yet the fall harvest was poor. How could that be? <\/span>The fact that the fall harvest was poor could have moved them to stop reconstruction, because it did not seem to make any difference at all in their material lives. The third message came to explain why they had a poor harvest although they were now in a state of obedience, and why the promise of blessing in the second message had not yet begun to take effect.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>B. The Lesson of the Torah\u2014Haggai 2:11\u201313<\/a><\/p>\n

God directed Haggai to approach the priests in verse 11<\/a>: Thus says Jehovah of hosts: Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying.<\/em><\/p>\n

There were two theologica<\/span>l questions concerning points of the Mosaic Law to be asked in verses 12\u201313<\/a>. The first question was in verse 12<\/a>: If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, <\/em><\/span>or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any food, shall it become holy? And the priests answered and said, No.<\/em><\/p>\n

The point of the first question is holiness. If a man carries a holy sacrifice in his robe, and t<\/span>hat robe touches something else, will whatever he touches become holy? On the basis of Mosaic Law, the priests answered, \u201cNo.\u201d That is a correct answer according to Leviticus 6:27<\/a>. The point is that h<\/span>oliness is not contagious; it cannot be transmitted from one person to another, from a person to an object, or from an object to a person.<\/p>\n

The second question was in verse 13<\/a>: Then said Haggai, If one<\/em><\/span> that is unclean by reason of a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.<\/em><\/p>\n

The point of the second question is uncleanness. According to<\/span> the Law, if a man becomes unclean by touching a corpse and then touches another object, will that other object also become unclean? This time the answer is, \u201cYes,\u201d a correct answer according to Levit<\/span>icus 11:28<\/a>; 21:1<\/a>, 11<\/a>; 22:4\u20136<\/a>; Numbers 6:6\u20138<\/a>; 19:11\u201313<\/a> and 22<\/a>. The point is that defilement or sin is contagious.<\/p>\n

The lesson of the Law of Moses is that, on one hand, holiness is not contagious and can<\/span>not be transmitted from one thing to another, on the other hand, defilement is contagious and can be transmitted from one thing to another.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>C. The Application to the Nation\u2014Haggai 2:14<\/a><\/p>\n

Then answered Haggai and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, says Jehovah; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they o<\/em><\/span>ffer there is unclean.<\/em><\/p>\n

The application is: So is this people, and so is this nation<\/em>. In this phrase, the Hebrew word for people<\/em> is am<\/em>, a common word for the people of Israel, emphasizing that they are<\/span> the people of God. The Hebrew word for nation<\/em> here is goy<\/span>, which normally is used of Gentiles. The point of this statement is that, while the Jews are the people of God, they acted like Gentiles. Bec<\/span>ause they acted like Gentiles, Israel was set aside. Originally, they were set aside for God to be holy (Ex. 19:6<\/a>). But the nation had become defiled, specifically for failing to rebuild the Temple, s<\/span>o that this defilement, this uncleanness, was transmitted to their offerings, and their offerings became unclean as well. They transmitted their lack of obedience to the work of their hands, and that is why, initially, even the work of their hands was unclean and, therefore, unacceptabl<\/span>e.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>D. The Evidence\u2014Haggai 2:15\u201319a<\/a><\/p>\n

God presented evidence through Haggai that they had failed to attain the blessing because defilement was transmitted to the work of their hands. There had been no bless<\/span>ing from the laying of the foundation fifteen years earlier to the resumption of the building, which had begun three months earlier. This is brought out in two points.<\/p>\n

First, God explains the reason t<\/span>his had happened in verses 15\u201317<\/a>: And now, I pray you, consider from this day and backward, before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of Jehovah. Through all that time, when one came to a hea<\/em><\/span>p of twenty measures, there were but ten; when one came to the winevat to draw out fifty vessels, there were but twenty. I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the work of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, says Jehovah.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

In verse 15<\/a>, God asks them to consider from this day and backward<\/em>; they are to meditate, to pay careful attention to these things. In verse 16<\/a>, the Land <\/span>did not produce what was expected of it. What it did produce was destroyed in verse 17<\/a>. That was the situation between the laying of the foundation fifteen years earlier and the resumption of the work<\/span> three months earlier.<\/p>\n

Secondly, He also pointed out there had been no blessings since the resumption of the work in verses 18\u201319a<\/a>: Consider, I pray you, from this day and backward, from the four and <\/em><\/span>twentieth day of the ninth month, since the day that the foundation of Jehovah\u2019s temple was laid, consider it. Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, the vine, and the fig-tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive-tree have not brought forth.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

In verse 18<\/a>, He again asked them to consider from this day and backward<\/em>; to pay careful attention to what had been happening. Over the last three-month period sinc<\/span>e the work had resumed, there had been no blessing. This showed that defilement was still in effect. The defilement had extended to the work of their hands and could not be immediately reversed. When the present harvest was planted, they were still defiled, so the harvest was poor. That was <\/span>the point of the illustration from the Law.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>E. The Reversal\u2014Haggai 2:19b<\/a><\/p>\n

from this day will I bless you.<\/em><\/p>\n

Only after those three months would blessings be restored. During the three-month period since the rebuilding had resumed, the curse of God<\/span> was not removed because the defilement of the past fifteen years was still extended to the work of their hands. With defiled hands the seeds had been planted. But during the three-month period of working on the Temple, the people\u2019s hearts had been tested and proven. The fact that they were still working at the reconstruction in spite of<\/span> the poor harvest showed that they were not going to go back into a state of disobedience. They did not resume work on the Temple just to get material blessings. They would continue to rebuild the Temple. This proved their loyalty, and because of this, God <\/span>anno<\/span>unced: from this day will I bless you<\/em>. From then on, they would have the material blessings He had promised them. The next time they sowed, it would be with cleansed hands, and this would show with th<\/span>e next harvest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>IV. The Fourth Message\u2014Haggai 2:20\u201323<\/a><\/p>\n

While the third message was directed to the people in general, the fourth message was directed to one person in particular. The final message contains three units<\/span>: the date, the shaking of the nations, and Zerubbabel\u2019s place in the Kingdom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>A. The Date\u2014Haggai 2:20<\/a><\/p>\n

And the word of Jehovah came the second time unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying.<\/em><\/p>\n

The fourth messages came on the same day as the third message.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/span><\/span>B. The Shaking of the Nations\u2014Haggai 2:2\u201322<\/a><\/p>\n

Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; and I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; and I will destroy the <\/em><\/span>strength of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.<\/em><\/p>\n

In vers<\/span>e 21<\/a>, the special message to Zerubbabel was that there will be a shaking of the nations in the Tribulation in preparation for the Kingdom.<\/p>\n

In verse 22<\/a>, the shaking of the nations will mean the fall of<\/span> the Antichrist and his army. Notice just how this verse is phrased: I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms.<\/em> The word throne<\/em> is singular, but the word kingdoms<\/em> is plural. Normally, one would expect t<\/span>o read \u201cthrones [plural] of kingdoms\u201d, every kingdom having its own throne. However, in the last half of the Great Tribulation, the Antichrist will rule all of the kingdoms of the world. Haggai spoke of one <\/span>throne<\/em>, the throne of the Antichrist, ruling over all the kingdoms<\/em> of the world. The shaking of the nations in verse 21<\/a> will lead to the fall of the Antichrist and his armies in verse 22<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Furth<\/span>ermore, God promised that when the shaking comes, He will do three things. First, He will overthrow the throne of the kingdoms<\/em>; He will destroy the Antichrist and his armies. Secondly, He will destroy<\/em><\/span> the strength of the kingdoms of the nations<\/em>; He will destroy the power of these Gentile kingdoms. At this point, the Times of the Gentiles will come to an end. Thirdly, He will overthrow the chariots<\/em><\/span>, and those that ride in them; the horses and their riders shall come down.<\/em> God will destroy the armies of the Antichrist as part of the Campaign of Armageddon. One of the ways He will do so is every <\/em><\/span>one by the sword of his brother<\/em>. One of the many ways by which the armies of the Antichrist will be destroyed is that the many different nationalities will begin to fight among themselves and begin to<\/span> kill each other. That will all be part of the shaking of the nations, which will bring to an end the Antichrist and his domain.<\/p>\n

As in the second message, this message deals with the final shaking of <\/span>the nations in the Great Tribulation in preparation for the Messianic Kingdom. The first time He spoke about the shaking of the nations was to encourage the people in general about rebuilding the Temple. But now, as a personal message to Zerubbabel, the shaking of the na<\/span>tions will lead to a special position for Zerubbabel in the Messianic Kingdom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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C. Zerubbabel\u2019s Place in the Kingdom\u2014Haggai 2:23<\/a><\/p>\n

In that day, says Jehovah of hosts, will I take you, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, says Jehovah, and will make you as a signet; for I<\/em> have chosen you, says Jehovah of hosts.<\/em><\/p>\n

The phrase In that day<\/em> puts this event into the prophetic future, following the shaking spoken of in verses 21\u201322<\/a>. This verse describes Zerubbabel\u2019s place in the Kingdom: he will be as a signet<\/em>. The signet ring was a sign of authority. For that reason, someone who had the signet ring would not easily part with it. In the Messianic Kingdom, Zerubbabel will be in a position of authority, because God said He has chosen<\/em> Zerubbabel for this unique place in the Messianic Kingdom. According to Isaiah 32:1<\/a> and Ezekiel 45:8<\/a>, one of the positions of authority in the Messianic Kingdom over Israel will be a position of princes<\/em>. According to this verse, Zerubbabel will be one of the princes in the Messianic Kingdom. Who the others will be is not known.<\/p>\n

With this promise, the Book of Haggai ends.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying. Haggai 1:1 Historical Background A. The Author … <\/p>\n

\u201eThe Book of Haggai\u201c <\/span>weiterlesen<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-allgemein"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1318"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1318\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1319,"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1318\/revisions\/1319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buch.jehovah-shammah.de\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}