You probably know most of the prophets in the Bible like Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Daniel, and the others with Old Testament books named for them, but the bible identifies many more prophets. In this blog series we will get to know most of the prophets of the Bible, the ones with books named after them, and those whose names you may not know at all.
The English word prophet in the Old Testament comes from the Hebrew word “nabiy” which means “spokesman” or “speaker”. The Greek word for prophet is “prophētēs”, which can mean “one who speaks forth” or “advocate.” Prophets are also called “seers,” because of their spiritual insight or their ability to “see” the future, as directed by God.
The eleventh prophet in this series is Haggai a man whose name means “my holiday”
Haggai
We know almost nothing of Haggai’s personal history. All we know about him is that it appears that he may have been one of the one of the captives taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.
Jeremiah 52:12-16 (NLT)12 On August 17 of that year, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard and an official of the Babylonian king, arrived in Jerusalem.13 He burned down the Temple of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He destroyed all the important buildings in the city.14 Then he supervised the entire Babylonian army as they tore down the walls of Jerusalem on every side.15 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, then took as exiles some of the poorest of the people, the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had declared their allegiance to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen.16 But Nebuzaradan allowed some of the poorest people to stay behind in Judah to care for the vineyards and fields.
Haggai recorded four messages to the Jewish people of Jerusalem in 520 BC, eighteen years after their return from exile in Babylon. He talks about the splendor of the Temple before it was destroyed by the Babylonian Army. He would have seen Jerusalem before the destruction of the first Temple and exile in 586 BC. He would have remembered the splendor of the city and temple, and would have a desire to see his people rise up from the desolation of defeat and exile to again reclaim their place as the people of God.
Haggai 2:3 (NLT) ‘Does anyone remember this house—this Temple—in its former splendor? How, in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all!
Haggai’s prophecy came at a time when the people of Judah were extremely vulnerable. They had been humbled by their exile to Babylon, hopeful in their return, and then became discouraged in the face of opposition to the point that they actually stopped work on rebuilding the temple.
Ezra 4:23-24 (NLT)23 When this letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai, and their colleagues, they hurried to Jerusalem. Then, with a show of strength, they forced the Jews to stop building.24 So the work on the Temple of God in Jerusalem had stopped, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.
Haggai tells them that the reason for their troubles was because they stopped work on the temple.
Haggai 1:3-11 (NLT)3 Then the LORD sent this message through the prophet Haggai:4 “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?5 This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you!6 You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!7 “This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you!8 Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the LORD.9 You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses.10 It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops.11 I have called for a drought on your fields and hills—a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olive trees and all your other crops, a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get.”
He called on them to get back to work without fear because God would be with them in spite of any opposition.
Haggai 1:13-15 (NLT)13 Then Haggai, the LORD’s messenger, gave the people this message from the LORD: “I am with you, says the LORD!”14 So the LORD sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the enthusiasm of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the enthusiasm of the whole remnant of God’s people. They began rebuilding the house of their God, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies,15 on September 21 of the second year of King Darius’s reign.
The English word prophet in the Old Testament comes from the Hebrew word “nabiy” which means “spokesman” or “speaker”. The Greek word for prophet is “prophētēs”, which can mean “one who speaks forth” or “advocate.” Prophets are also called “seers,” because of their spiritual insight or their ability to “see” the future, as directed by God.
The eleventh prophet in this series is Haggai a man whose name means “my holiday”
Haggai
We know almost nothing of Haggai’s personal history. All we know about him is that it appears that he may have been one of the one of the captives taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.
Jeremiah 52:12-16 (NLT)12 On August 17 of that year, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard and an official of the Babylonian king, arrived in Jerusalem.13 He burned down the Temple of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem. He destroyed all the important buildings in the city.14 Then he supervised the entire Babylonian army as they tore down the walls of Jerusalem on every side.15 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, then took as exiles some of the poorest of the people, the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had declared their allegiance to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen.16 But Nebuzaradan allowed some of the poorest people to stay behind in Judah to care for the vineyards and fields.
Haggai recorded four messages to the Jewish people of Jerusalem in 520 BC, eighteen years after their return from exile in Babylon. He talks about the splendor of the Temple before it was destroyed by the Babylonian Army. He would have seen Jerusalem before the destruction of the first Temple and exile in 586 BC. He would have remembered the splendor of the city and temple, and would have a desire to see his people rise up from the desolation of defeat and exile to again reclaim their place as the people of God.
Haggai 2:3 (NLT) ‘Does anyone remember this house—this Temple—in its former splendor? How, in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all!
Haggai’s prophecy came at a time when the people of Judah were extremely vulnerable. They had been humbled by their exile to Babylon, hopeful in their return, and then became discouraged in the face of opposition to the point that they actually stopped work on rebuilding the temple.
Ezra 4:23-24 (NLT)23 When this letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai, and their colleagues, they hurried to Jerusalem. Then, with a show of strength, they forced the Jews to stop building.24 So the work on the Temple of God in Jerusalem had stopped, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.
Haggai tells them that the reason for their troubles was because they stopped work on the temple.
Haggai 1:3-11 (NLT)3 Then the LORD sent this message through the prophet Haggai:4 “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?5 This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you!6 You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!7 “This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you!8 Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the LORD.9 You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses.10 It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops.11 I have called for a drought on your fields and hills—a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olive trees and all your other crops, a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get.”
He called on them to get back to work without fear because God would be with them in spite of any opposition.
Haggai 1:13-15 (NLT)13 Then Haggai, the LORD’s messenger, gave the people this message from the LORD: “I am with you, says the LORD!”14 So the LORD sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the enthusiasm of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the enthusiasm of the whole remnant of God’s people. They began rebuilding the house of their God, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies,15 on September 21 of the second year of King Darius’s reign.
Haggai Dated His Prophecies
Unlike most of the other prophets, Haggai specifically dated his prophecies.
Haggai 1:1 (NLT)1 On August 29 of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the LORD gave a message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
Haggai 2:1 (NLT) Then on October 17 of that same year, the LORD sent another message through the prophet Haggai.
Haggai 2:10 (NLT) On December 18 of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the LORD sent this message to the prophet Haggai:
Haggai 2:20 (NLT) On that same day, December 18, the LORD sent this second message to Haggai: (Bold Mine)
These four prophetic messages encouraged the people to finish building the temple and to have hope in God for the promise of blessings in the future.
Something else unique about Haggai’s prophecy was that the people ignored many of the prophecies of Old Testament Prophets but they listened and acted on Haggai’s.
Haggai 1:8 (NLT) Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the LORD.
The temple was rebuilt.
Ezra 6:14-15 (NLT)14 So the Jewish elders continued their work, and they were greatly encouraged by the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. The Temple was finally finished, as had been commanded by the God of Israel and decreed by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, the kings of Persia.15 The Temple was completed on March 12, during the sixth year of King Darius’s reign. (Bold mine)
How Does Haggai’s Prophecy Relate To Us Today?
Much like the people of Haggai’s day we get caught up in focusing on our own interests and not God's. When we do that we are storing up treasures that will not stand the test of time.
Haggai 1:5-6 (NLT)5 This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you!6 You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!
But Haggai told them to change their focus and when they did things would change.
Haggai 2:18-19 (NLT)18 “Think about this eighteenth day of December, the day when the rebuilding of the LORD’s Temple began. Think carefully.19 I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you.”
Jesus said something similar;
Matthew 6:31-33 (NLT)31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
The returning Jewish people faced opposition in the rebuilding of the temple.
Ezra 4:1-5 (NLT)1 The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were rebuilding a Temple to the LORD, the God of Israel.2 So they approached Zerubbabel and the other leaders and said, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God just as you do. We have sacrificed to him ever since King Esarhaddon of Assyria brought us here.”3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other leaders of Israel replied, “You may have no part in this work. We alone will build the Temple for the LORD, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded us.”4 Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work.5 They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans. This went on during the entire reign of King Cyrus of Persia and lasted until King Darius of Persia took the throne.
We have an enemy as well;
1 Peter 5:8-9 (NLT)8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.
Haggai’s encouragement to rebuild the temple in the face of opposition and their own selfishness is like Paul’s encouragement to us today;
Haggai 2:18-19 (NLT)18 “Think about this eighteenth day of December, the day when the rebuilding of the LORD’s Temple began. Think carefully.19 I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you.”
1 Corinthians 3:10-17 (NLT)10 Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful.11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw.13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value.14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward.15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.16 Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?17 God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
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