The Prophet Haggai delivered his messages from the Lord during the time when a portion of the Children of Israel had returned from Babylon. His messages covered a four month period, from the first day of the sixth month to the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. On the Gregorian calendar, this was approximately from August to November.
The people of Judah who had returned had built their homes, but had not begun to rebuild the House of God (Haggai 1:3-4), beyond the laying of the foundation (Ezra 3:10). This was in part due to the resistance of the governor of the region of Samaria, Tatnai (Ezra 5:3-6). But the Lord, through Haggai, urged them to start the building of the Temple.
The Lord’s advice to the people of Jerusalem, through the prophet, was this; consider what you are doing.
“Ye have sown much, and bring 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 earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.” – Haggai 1:6The Lord pointed out that they were not being blessed because of their priorities, which were their own homes and not the House of God. The remnant of Judah that returned to Jerusalem took the advice from Haggai the prophet, and got busy working on the Temple. Again through the prophet, the Lord told the people that from that day forward, He would bless them (Haggai 2:18-19).
The Lord also gave Haggai an End Time prophecy. He said:
“And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.” – Haggai 2:7The “desire of all [Gentile] (goy – Strong’s H1471) nations is the Messiah, the Lord Jesus. The Lord then promised that the glory of the Millennial Temple would be greater than the glory of the former (Solomon’s) Temple (Haggai 2:9). The prophet described the Millennial Temple as the “latter” Temple. The Hebrew word used for latter is acharon (Strong’s H314), which means hindermost, or last.
Haggai’s prophecy concludes with the promise to Zerubbabel that the Lord would make him His signet, or seal. Zerubbabel was not only the governor of Judah, but the Messiah, the Lord Jesus was a descendant of Zerubbabel (Matthew 1:13). What a blessing!
Haggai’s wise and wonderful advice is good for us today. What are our personal priorities?
Praise the Lord for His promises and His mercy and His grace. Praise Him always and ever!