HAGGAI

Theme – Rebuilding of the Temple after exile, and forecast of a more glorious Temple yet to come.

Haggai – Author –

Meaning Festal’ festive.

Maybe that was because he was born on the day of a major feast, such as Tabernacles. His second message was during that feast 2:1. We know from this book and two and two references to him in Ezra 5:1; 6:14, that he was believed to have been born in Judah before captive and would probably be about 75 years old. Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi belonged to the exile period. Haggai was older than Zechariah probably worked along him rebuilding the Temple.

Date – It was Cyrus of Persia who issued a degree allowing them to return and build the Temple, in 536 B.C. Ezra 4-6 gives the background to the Book of Haggai.

1:1-11   - 6^th month, 1^st day (Aug. 29, 520 B.C.)

2:1-9     - 7^th month, 21^st day (Oct. 17, 520 B.C.)

2:10-19 - 9^th month, 24^th day (Dec. 18, 520 B.C.)

2:20-23 – 9^th month, 24^th day (Dec. 18, 520 B.C.)

Note – Haggai and Zechariah aided in the rebuilding of the Temple 520-516. Malachi is thought to have been associate with Nehemiah nearly a 1000, years later, in the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem. The Temple and the wall rebuilding are of two different times.

Chronology of the period.

536 B.C. 50,000 Jews, returned under Zerubbabel to Jerusalem.

536 B.C. 7^th month, they build the Altar, and other sacrifice.

535 B.C. 2^nd month, work on the Temple begin, and stopped.

520 B.C. 6^th month, (Sept.) 1^st day, Haggai’s call to build.

               6^th month, 24^th day, building begin.

               7^th month, (Oct.) 21^st day, Haggai’s second appeal.

               8^th month, (Nov.), Zechariah’s opening address.

               9^th month, (Dec.), Haggai’s 3^rd and 4^th appeal.

               11^th month, (Feb.), 24^th day, Zechariah’s visitors.

518 B.C. 9^th month, (Dec.) 4^th day Zechariah’s visitors.

516 B.C. 12^th month, (March), 3^rd day, he Temple is complete.

515 B.C. 12t month, (April), 14^th-21^st day, joyful Passover.

457 B.C. Ezra comes to Jerusalem, and makes certain reforms.

444 B.C. Nehemiah rebuilds the walls. Period of Malachi.

Haggai could have seen the first Temple time 66 years earlier, (2:3).

The Situation

Let me explain what the Temple must have looked like after it’s destruction in 586 B.C. After 70 years captive about 50,000 Jews return under Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the priest. They begin to rebuild the Temple, but were stopped by their neighbors quickly.   (Ez. 3:10&4). Nothing was done for 15 years until a new of Persian came to power. Under the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah the work resumed in 520 and completed in 516 B.C.

A Survey of Haggai;

I. Worked begin but stopped.

II. They were able to build for them self-rich dwellings. (1:4).

III. God reminds the people of His convent of the past (2:4,5)

IV. He reminds them of His future plans (2:6-9).

Jesus of Haggai;

1. Promise of the future Temple, Completed by Herod the Great, and it was filled with the glory of the Lord “incarnated” every time Jesus entered into it. (2:9).

Zerubbabel (2:23) This was the entry of the Messianic line. Joseph Matt. 1:12 & Mary Luke 3:27.