In our study of Haggai chapter two, we will look at the temple that was built when the Jews returned from exile. In this we will see the promise of Christ and our beautiful new home with Him.
Now, if God speaks to you in this study, you can save your own personal notes on this page. Then, every time that you look at this study, your notes will automatically be added to the page. To add a note or to display your previous notes, click on the YOUR NOTES button.
On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, this word of ADONAI came through Hagai the prophet: "Speak now to Z'rubavel the son of Sh'alti'el, governor of Y'hudah, and to Y'hoshua the son of Y'hotzadak, the cohen hagadol, and to the rest of the people; say this to them: '"Who among you is left that saw this house in its former glory? And how does it look to you now? It seems like nothing to you, doesn't it?
God sent the prophet to the leaders and to the people with His third message. The temple that they had built was not nearly as fancy as Solomon's temple and the questions that he asks point this out. We saw, in Ezra 3, how there was weeping from the older people when the foundation of the temple was laid. They had wept because they remembered how magnificent Solomon's temple had seemed compared to this rather humble new temple. They could not yet see the promised beauty of this humble house.
Nevertheless, Z'rubavel, take courage now," says ADONAI; "and take courage, Y'hoshua the son of Y'hotzadak, the cohen hagadol; and take courage, all you people of the land," says ADONAI; "and get to work! For I am with you," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot. "This is in keeping with the word that I promised in a covenant with you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit remains with you, so don't be afraid!"
God reassures the people that His Spirit is with them in the building of this humble house. He reminds them of His promise to be with them and to be their God. God reminds them that they are blessed (without worry) because His Spirit is with them. This same promise is for us as our humble bodies have become the dwelling place of the Spirit. The call to work for Him applies to us as well. They were called to build the temple out of stone and other materials but we are called to build the temple in the hearts of our fellow men.
For this is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot says: "It won't be long before one more time I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasures of all the nations will flow in; and I will fill this house with glory," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot.
This passage tells of the coming of Jesus Christ to the temple. This "little while" was over five hundred years but Jesus did bring glory (God's presence) to this humble house of God.
"The silver is mine, and the gold is mine," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot. "The glory of this new house will surpass that of the old," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot, "and in this place I will grant shalom," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot.'"
This passage tells us of the mission of Jesus Christ which was to bring peace to man from God. The Jews were expecting this peace to come from following the religious practices and obeying the Mosaic Law because they did not realize that the law could not bring peace to man. The Jews were looking at the physical building and its furnishings but God was promising them (and us) something much more valuable.
On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month in the second year of Daryavesh, this word of ADONAI came through Hagai the prophet: "Here is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot says: 'Ask the cohanim what the Torah says about this: if someone carries meat that has been set aside as holy in a fold of his cloak; and then he lets his cloak touch bread, stew, wine, olive oil or any other food; does that food become holy too?'" The cohanim answered, "No." Then Hagai asked, "If someone who is unclean from having had contact with a corpse touches any of these [food items], will they become unclean?" The cohanim answered, "They become unclean."
On this day (December 24, 520 B.C.), the prophet delivers a message to the priests in the form of questions regarding the law. From these questions, we see that holiness is not transmitted by contact with an object. Just because they passed through the doors of a temple didn't mean that they were holy in God's sight. The same thing is true for us today, in that, just because you enter a "church building" it does not make you a Christian.
Hagai then said, "'That is the condition of this people, that is the condition of this nation before me,' says ADONAI, 'and that is the condition of everything their hands produce; so that anything they offer there is unclean.
Because of their idolatry, their worship was not acceptable to the Lord.
Now, please, from this day on, keep this in mind: before you began laying stones on each other to rebuild the temple of ADONAI, throughout that whole time, when someone approached a twenty-measure pile [of grain], he found only ten; and when he came to the winepress to draw out fifty measures, there were only twenty. I struck you with blasting winds, mildew and hail on everything your hands produced; but you still wouldn't return to me,' says ADONAI.
God tells the people to look around them and remember how things were before this day. He had removed His hand of blessing from them and so they struggled to survive on their own. It is much the same with us before we come to accept the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. We struggle and struggle to get through the day on our own as God is waiting for us to call on Him.
'So please keep this in mind, from this day on, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day the foundation of ADONAI's temple was laid, consider this: there's no longer any seed in the barn, is there? and the vine, fig tree, pomegranate tree and olive tree have produced nothing yet, right? However, from this day on, I will bless you.'"
The twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (in this Jewish calendar) is what we call Christmas Eve (December 24th). The prophet delivered this message to the exiles who were in Jerusalem but it is a beautiful promise to all men of the coming of Jesus Christ. God tells the people to look around them and see that there is nothing stored up from their own efforts but promises to bless them from this day forward. This is a picture of the fact that we cannot be saved by our own efforts but only through faith in Jesus Christ. We are truly blessed with a beautiful new home through Him.
The word of ADONAI came a second time to Hagai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, as follows: "Tell Z'rubavel, governor of Y'hudah, 'I will shake the heavens and the earth, I will overturn the thrones of kingdoms, I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and I will overturn the chariots and the people riding in them; the horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.
The first message on this day (Christmas Eve) was a promise of Jesus coming as a baby to die for our sins. This second message is the promise that Jesus is coming a second time to rule and reign on the earth. The prophet was to tell the leader of the people that Jesus would be coming to lead His people.
When that day comes,' says ADONAI-Tzva'ot, 'I will take you, Z'rubavel, my servant, the son of Sh'alti'el,' says ADONAI, 'and wear you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,' says ADONAI-Tzva'ot."
A signet ring was used to identify royalty and especially to seal royal decrees. We see that God gave His authority to Zerubbabel and this promise was extended to us through Jesus Christ. In the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18 -20), Jesus also made the disciples God's signet ring and, in Acts 2, it was extended to all believers. We are servants in this world but in our beautiful new home we will reign with God.
Read about what we do with the data we gather and the rules you agree to by using this website in our privacy policy.