Israel, the prophet Haggai speaks to you. It’s time to rebuild the Temple.
Haggai was a prophet to the nation of Israel. He spoke and wrote during the days shortly after the return from Babylonian captivity. Before him came Jeremiah, who, by the Word of the Lord, said Judah would go into captivity for seventy years. Daniel prayed for Israel’s release as the seventy years came to a close. Nehemiah, Ezra, and other leaders helped with rebuilding of the broken nation. But something went wrong with the rebuilding project.
Life got in the way.
The rebuilding of the nation went through many tough struggles.
But eventually, the time came for Haggai to speak. And when he did, the Lord gave him one primary message.
Israel, stop rebuilding your own houses. Rebuild the House of God!
Build it and the Messiah will come
“Rebuild God’s House.” That was the message then. I believe the same thing is true today. It’s time to build the House of God. The Jews of modern history were taken through the deadly furnaces of trial and testing in the last century. By God’s grace and mercy, the Jews have returned to the Promised Land. Prophecy is unfolding. But as was true in the days of Haggai, it’s true again. They have delayed the important step they must take. In order for Israel to prepare to meet their God and Messiah, they must restore the Lord’s house in the city of Jerusalem.
The Jewish people will rebuild the temple. That’s a hotly debated issue, but I believe the scriptures are clear on that point. So, it’s time to get your attention (National Israel) off your own houses, it’s now time to rebuild God’s Temple. The prophets pointed to a third temple. And perhaps even a fourth in the last chapters of Ezekiel.
The Jews have built a great nation, with homes, gardens, and great military strength to keep their citizens safe. But only the Lord can keep them truly safe.
It’s time to put aside the home building and focus on the Temple. It must be rebuilt. Do it now. The Messiah will return soon after the temple is built.
And to the Jewish people, I say this. As you prepare to rebuild the lost glory of your nation, prepare to meet your God. Come to the Lord in repentance. And prepare to mourn. Another trial is coming. But in the end, your Messiah will return, riding upon the clouds of glory. He will cleanse the temple that the Antichrist will defile. So, if you seek your Messiah, build the Temple.
https://thewritelife.tech/2018/03/02/joel-3-1-8-the-lord-will-bring-the-nations-into-the-valley-of-decision/
Here’s another great video from the great folks at The Bible Project.
The Book of Haggai outlined
The Prophet of the Temple.
Haggai is thought to have been born during the seventy years of captivity in Babylon, and to have returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel. This ‘prophet of the temple’ was a colleague of Zechariah as we can infer from Ezra 5:1 and 6:14.
Main Theme
There are sharp rebukes for the neglect to rebuild the temple. But that is joined by strong encouragement and promises to those who undertake the effort to rebuild the House of God.
Key Verses
3 Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet,
4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?
5 Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways.
6 You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough, you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.
7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways.
8 Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord.
Historical setting
The remnant of Israel had returned from captivity. And they were selfishly occupied with their own affairs. They spent much of their time building and beautifying their own homes. The House of the Lord remained an unfinished national disgrace. The work had started but ceased for too long. See Haggai 1:4
The message of Haggai
- A sharp rebuke was given. The prophet showed that God withheld his blessings because the temple was left in ruins, 1:3-11
- Encouraging words for the little bit of work that was done, 1:12-15.
- Inspiring promises to the older people who had seen Solomon’s Temple. The elders were discouraged at the inferiority of the new structure they were seeing built, 2:3. They were told of a coming manifestation of divine power and the appearing of the Messiah when the glory of the Lord would fill the house, 2:7-9
- A reminder of their unworthiness to build a house for the Lord of Hosts, 2:10-14
- Prediction of the doom of the heathen nations. These words were followed by words of praise for Zerubbabel, who was God’s chosen instrument for the rebuilding effort, 2:20-23
Choice Selections (2:4-9)
- Divine presence and strength, 2:4
- God’s Power, 2:6
- His Glory, 2:7
- The Lord’s Peace, 2:9
Haggai Begins Temple Building (Chapter One)
1 In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,
2 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘This people says, “The time has not come, even the time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt.”
3 Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying,
4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?”
5 Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, “Consider your ways!
6 “You have sown much, but harvest little, you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied, you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk. You put on clothing, but no one is warm enough, and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes.”
Consider your ways!
7 Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Consider your ways!
8 “Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified,” says the LORD.
9 “You look for much but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the LORD of hosts, “Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house.
10 “Therefore, because of you the sky has withheld its dew and the earth has withheld its produce.
11 “I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on men, on cattle, and on all the labor of your hands.”
“I am with you.” declares the Lord.
12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people showed reverence for the LORD.
13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke by the commission of the LORD to the people saying, “ ‘I am with you,’ declares the LORD.”
14 So the LORD 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 spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,
15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of Darius the king.
Encouragement to the builders (Chapter Two)
1 On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying,
2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people saying,
3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?
4 ‘But now take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the LORD, ‘take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the LORD, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares the LORD of hosts.
5 ‘As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!’
6 “For thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land.
7 ‘I will shake all the nations. And they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts.
8 ‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the LORD of hosts.
9 ‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘and in this place, I will give peace,’ declares the LORD of hosts.”
Your offering is unclean
10 On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Haggai the prophet, saying,
11 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Ask now the priests for a ruling:
12 ‘If a man carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and touches bread with this fold, or cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?’” And the priests answered, “No.”
13 Then Haggai said, “If one who is unclean from a corpse touches any of these, will the latter become unclean?” And the priests answered, “It will become unclean.”
14 Then Haggai said, “ ‘So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘and so is every work of their hands, and what they offer there is unclean.
15 ‘But now, do consider from this day onward. Before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the LORD,
16 from that time when one came to a grain heap of twenty measures, there would be only ten. And when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there would be only twenty.
17 ‘I smote you and every work of your hands with blasting wind, mildew and hail; yet you did not come back to Me,’ declares the LORD.
18 ‘Do consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month; from the day when the temple of the LORD was founded, consider:
19 ‘Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree, it has not borne fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you.’”
The Lord will shake the heavens and the earth
20 Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,
21 “Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.
22 ‘I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations. And I will overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders will go down, every one by the sword of another.’
23 ‘On that day,’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’” declares the LORD of hosts.
Whether it’s popular or not isn’t the issue. The Temple will sit once more in Jerusalem. And the man of sin (the Antichrist) will do what sinful men have always done.
But then, the Lord will act and finish what started, thousands of years ago.
The Man of Lawlessness
2 Thessalonians 2:3Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed. 4He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5Do you not remember that I told you these things while I was still with you?…
https://thewritelife.tech/2018/08/20/who-is-the-restrainer-in-pauls-account-in-2-thessalonians/
Let me know what you think.