The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV
Page 435
Outline and Chronology
I. Rebuke for Disobedience 1:1-11
Year: 2
Month: 6
Day: 1
II. Remnant Responds and Rebuilds 1:12-15
Year: 2
Month: 6
Day: 24
III. Return of God’s Glory 2:1-9
Year: 2
Month: 7
Day: 21
IV. Religious Questions 2:10-19
Year: 2
Month: 9
Day: 24
V. Reign of the LORD 2:20-23
Year: 2
Month: 9
Day: 24
The Book of
HAGGAI
Haggai 1
The Command to Build God’s House
(Ezra 5:1)
1In athe second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by bHaggai the prophet to cZerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to dJoshua the son of eJehozadak, the high priest, saying,
2“Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built.” ’ ”
3Then the word of the LORD fcame by Haggai the prophet, saying,
4“Is it gtime for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this 1temple to lie in ruins?”
5Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: h“Consider your ways!
6“You have isown much, and bring in little;
You eat, but do not have enough;
You drink, but you are not filled with drink;
You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;
And jhe who earns wages,
Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”
7Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways!
8“Go up to the kmountains and bring wood and build the 2temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the LORD.
9l“You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, mI blew it away. Why?” says the LORD of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house.
10“Therefore nthe heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit.
11“For I ocalled for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on pall the labor of your hands.”
The People’s Obedience
12qThen 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 feared the presence of the LORD.
13Then Haggai, the LORD’s messenger, spoke the LORD’s message to the people, saying, r“I am with you, says the LORD.”
14So sthe LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, tgovernor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; uand they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,
15on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius. Zerubbabel
Haggai 2
The Coming Glory of God’s House
1In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month, the word of the LORD came 1by 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:
3a‘Who is left among you who saw this 2temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, bis this not in your eyes as nothing?
4‘Yet now cbe strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the LORD; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the LORD, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the LORD of hosts.
5d‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so eMy Spirit remains among you; do not fear!’
6“For thus says the LORD of hosts: f‘Once more (it is a little while) gI will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land;
7‘and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to hthe 3Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this 4temple with iglory,’ says the LORD of hosts.
8‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts.
9j‘The glory of this latter 5temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give kpeace,’ says the LORD of hosts.” The Temples of the Bible
The People Are Defiled
10On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying,
11“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Now, lask the priests concerning the law, saying,
12“If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?” ’ ” Then the priests answered and said, “No.”
13And Haggai said, “If one who is munclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?” So the priests answered and said, “It shall be unclean.”
14Then Haggai answered and said, n“ ‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ says the LORD, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.
Promised Blessing
15‘And now, carefully oconsider from this day forward: from before stone was laid upon stone in the temple of the LORD—
16‘since those days, pwhen one came to a heap of twenty ephahs, there were but ten; when one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty baths from the press, there were but twenty.
17q‘I struck you with blight and mildew and hail rin all the labors of your hands; syet you did not turn to Me,’ says the LORD.
18‘Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from tthe day that the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid—consider it:
19u‘Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will vbless you.’ ”
Zerubbabel Chosen as a Signet
20And again the word of the LORD came to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,
21“Speak to Zerubbabel, wgovernor of Judah, saying:
x‘I will shake heaven and earth.
22y I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms;
I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms.
z I will overthrow the chariots
And those who ride in them;
The horses and their riders shall come down,
Every one by the sword of his brother.
23‘In that day,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says the LORD, a‘and will make you like a signet ring; for bI have chosen you,’ says the LORD of hosts.”
Haggai Commentaries
Haggai 1
1:1–11 Discouraged by the opposition of her neighbors (Ezra 4:1–5, 24), the people had wrongly concluded that it was not yet time for them to rebuild the temple (v. 2). With a biting query, the LORD reminded them that it was not right for them to live in paneled houses while the temple lay in ruins (v. 4) and urged them to consider carefully the consequences of their indifference (vv. 5–11).
1:1 second year of King Darius. Not to be confused with Darius the Mede (cf. Dan. 5:31), Darius I (Hystaspes) became king of Persia in 521 B.C., having ascended to the throne after the death of Cambyses. As an officer of Cambyses and the great-grandson of Cyrus the Great’s brother, Darius retained the loyalty of the Persian army and thereby defeated other contenders for the throne. He reigned until his death in 486 B.C. sixth month…first day. The first day of the month of
Elul corresponds to Aug. 29, 520 B.C. Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the grandson of Jehoiachin (Jeconiah in Matt. 1:12; cf. 1 Chr. 3:17, 19) and thus he was in the Davidic line. Though it is highly questionable if he is to be identified with Sheshbazzar (Ezra 1:8, 11; 5:14, 16), his role as civil leader (Ezra 2:2) and overseer of the temple rebuilding project (Zech. 4:6–10) is certain. He reestablished the Davidic throne, even though it will not again be occupied until the time of Messiah (cf. Pss. 2; 110). Joshua…the high priest. Spelled Jeshua in Ezra 3:2, Joshua was a descendant of Zadok (1 Chr. 6:15) and the religious leader of the exilic community that returned to Jerusalem. He reestablished the high-priestly line of Aaron though Eleazar. Jehozadak. One of Nebuchadnezzar’s captives (cf. 1 Chr. 6:15)
1:2 This people says. Haggai begins his message by quoting a popular expression of the people, saying it was not time to build the temple. Though propelled by the hostile opposition of their neighbors (Ezra 4:1–5, 24) and the lack of economic prosperity (cf. vv. 9–11), the roots of their reluctance lay ultimately in their selfish indifference to the Lord. God’s displeasure is noted in His reference to them as “This people” and not “My people.” They wanted their wealth for themselves, not a temple.
1:4 temple…ruins. Cf. Ezra 3:1–13 for the start of the second temple. Selfish indulgence, revealed by the prophet’s rhetorical query, demonstrated their hypocrisy and misplaced priorities. Walls and ceilings overlaid with cedar were common in wealthy residences (cf. 1 Kin. 7:3, 7; Jer. 22:14).
1:6 Using 5 pairs of poetic contrasts, each concluding essentially the same thing, Haggai painted a vivid picture of their economic and social distress. Their selfish lack of concern for God’s house had only caused them more hardship (cf. Matt. 6:33). This was Solomon’s message in Ecclesiastes, restated, “All is vanity.”
1:8 Go up…bring wood…build. Three imperatives give the remedy for their trouble. The long captivity of 70 years had let the forests grow so there was ample wood. They were to use it to rebuild the house of the LORD, and therein He would be glorified. By putting God first, He would then be honored in their worship and they would be blessed in the secondary matters of life. Compare this pitiful project (Ezra 3:12; Hag. 2:3) to the opulence of Solomon’s first temple (cf. 1 Chr. 28, 29; 2 Chr. 2–6).
1:9 runs to his own house. Because the Jews were zealous to pursue their own interests, the prophet drew a contrast between the one who eagerly ran to care for “his own house,” while disregarding God’s house (“My house”).
1:10, 11 Economic catastrophe, resulting from God’s withholding of the summer dew, was the price for their disobedience (cf. Deut. 7:13). Grain, wine, and oil were the primary crops of the land. Cattle, also, languished because of the absence of spiritual health (cf. Joel 1:18–20).
1:12–15 Haggai’s second message came 23 days after the first one (v. 15), around Sep. 21, 520 B.C. The LORD’s call to “Consider your ways” (vv. 5, 7) caused the people to respond in repentance and obedience (v. 12). This new message “I am with you” further stirred the Jews to action (vv. 13, 14).
1:12, 14 the remnant of the people. The exiles who returned from Babylon took the message to heart. Realizing that the words of the prophet were from the LORD, they “obeyed” and “feared,” knowing that God was present.
1:13 I am with you. Oppressed by hostilities from without and famine from within, the LORD responded to their genuine repentance and obedience, assuring them of His presence with them. This should have evoked a memory of God’s Word to Joshua and the returning people centuries before (cf. Josh. 1:5).
1:14 stirred up the spirit. The LORD energized the leaders and the people through His Word to carry on the work of rebuilding the temple. God had sovereignly moved in the heart of Cyrus 16 years earlier (cf. 2 Chr. 36:22, 23; Ezra 1:1–3). The people’s response of repentance and obedience allowed God’s Spirit to energize them for the task.
Hag. 1:15
Zerubbabel
Haggai 2
2:1–9 With building operations in full swing, the LORD gave a strong message of encouragement, especially to the elderly among them who had seen Solomon’s temple. Though the temple of Solomon was of greater magnificence, the LORD urged the people to be courageous, assuring them of His presence (v. 4), His faithfulness to His covenant promises (v. 5), and promises of a greater, more glorious temple in the future (vv. 6–9).
2:1 seventh month…twenty-first. This day in the month of Tishri corresponds to Oct. 17, 520 B.C. Leviticus 23:39–44 indicates that this was the final day of the Feast of Tabernacles, a feast to celebrate God’s provision for Israel during her 40 years of wilderness wanderings and give thanks for a bountiful harvest. On this occasion the LORD gave Haggai the third message.
2:2 The first message was directed toward the leaders, Zerubbabel and Joshua (see notes on 1:1). Here the prophet includes the remainder of the exiles who returned from Babylon.
2:3 you who saw. Some remained, perhaps even Haggai, who had seen the temple of Solomon before its destruction (cf. Ezra 3:12, 13). With 3 rhetorical questions, the LORD through His prophet Haggai drew attention to the fact that this temple was inferior to Solomon’s temple (cf. Ezra 3:8–13), which caused many to be discouraged by its lack of splendor.
2:4 be strong. To counteract the discouragement, the Lord repeated the command to “be strong” and to “work,” assuring them of God’s presence. This was the second reminder from the LORD, “I am with you” (cf. 1:13).
2:5 Spoken at the close of the feast commemorating God’s provision during the wilderness wanderings, His covenant commitment and the promise that His Spirit would be with them as “when you came out of Egypt” would be most reassuring (ca. 1445 B.C.). He had not forgotten them over the last 9 centuries (Ex. 33:14). My Spirit. The third Person of the Triune Godhead (cf. Num. 11:16, 17).
2:6, 7 I will shake. The shaking of the cosmic bodies and the nations goes beyond the historical removal of kingdoms and the establishment of others, such as the defeat of Persia by Greece (Dan. 7). Rather, the text looks to the cataclysm in the universe described in Rev. 6–19, the subjugation of the nations by the Messiah, and the setting up of His kingdom which will never be destroyed (cf. Dan. 2:44; 7:27; Zech. 14:16–21; Matt. 25:32; Luke 21:26; Heb. 12:26; Rev. 19:19–21).
2:7 Desire of All Nations. See Introduction: Interpretive Challenges. While some view the phrase as referring to Jerusalem (e.g., Ezra 6:3–9), it seems preferable to see a reference here to the Messiah, the Deliverer for whom all the nations ultimately long. I will fill this temple with glory. There is no Scripture to indicate that God’s glory ever did come to Zerubbabel’s temple, as the first temple was filled with the Shekinah glory (cf. 1 Kin. 8:10, 11; 2 Chr. 5:13, 14). However, His glory will fill the millennial temple (Ezek. 43:5). This glorification cannot refer to Christ’s physical presence in Herod’s temple, for the events of vv. 6–9 cannot be accounted for historically. The context speaks of the establishment of His earthly, Davidic, millennial kingdom and His presence in the temple during that kingdom.
2:8 silver…gold. Economically destitute, the people were reassured that He is the possessor of all things (cf. Ps. 50:12).
2:9 this latter temple. The Jews viewed the temple in Jerusalem as one temple existing in different forms at different times. The rebuilt temple was considered a continuation of Solomon’s temple (cf. v. 3). However, the eschatological glory of the millennial temple, i.e., the latter temple, will far surpass even the grandeur of Solomon’s temple (the former temple). Cf. Ezek. 40–48 for the detailed description of the millennial temple. I will give peace. This peace is not limited to that peace which He gives to believers (e.g., Rom. 5:1), but looks ahead to that ultimate peace when He returns to rule as the Prince of Peace upon the throne of David in Jerusalem (Is. 9:6, 7; Zech. 6:13; Acts 2:30).
Hag. 2:9
The Temples of the Bible
Identification: The Tabernacle (mobile Temple)
Date: about 1444 B.C.
Description: Detailed
plan received by Moses from the Lord
Constructed by divinely appointed artisans
Desecrated by Nadab and Abihu
References: Ex. 25-30; 35:30-40:38; Lev. 10:1-7
Identification: Solomon’s Temple
Date: 966-586 B.C.
Description: Planned by David
Constructed by Solomon
Destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar
References: 2 Sam. 7:1-29; 1 Kin. 8:1-66; Jer. 32:28-44
Identification: Zerubbabel’s Temple
Date: 516-169 B.C.
Description: Envisioned by Zerubbabel
Constructed by Zerubbabel and the elders of the Jews
Desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes
References: Ezra 3:1-8; 4:1-14; 6:1-22
Identification: Herod’s Temple
Date: 19 B.C.-A.D. 70
Description: Zerubbabel’s temple restored by Herod the Great
Destroyed by the Romans
References: Mark 13:2, 14-23; Luke 1:11-20; 2:22-38; 2:42-51; 4:21-24; Acts 21:27-33
Identification: The Present Temple
Date: Present Age
Description: Found in the heart of the believer
The body of the believer is the Lord’s only temple until the Messiah returns
References: 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; 2 Cor. 6:16-18
Identification: The Temple of Revelation 11