The book of zechariah is an extraordinary inspired book which contains unique insights into the workings and the mind of god. Haggais timestamps fortunately for us haggai makes working out the background of his prophecy, and where it fits into the rest of israels history remarkably easy. Haggai is the tenth of the minor prophets, the last 12 books of the old testament. The words given to haggai urge the people to consider their ways and strengthen what they had. Obedience brings the encouragement and strength of the spirit.
May 25, 2018 while six of the minor prophets have explicit mention of their chronological provenance, none is as historical as haggai. These events that build the historical background of the book of haggai are described in detail in the book of ezra. The book of haggai is narrative history and prophetic oracle. Identify the historical setting in which haggai and zechariah prophesied. Haggai s messages were preached within a fifteen week period 29 august to 18 december 520 b. This is where we learn that the work of rebuilding the temple was interrupted for around 14 years but taken up again as a result of the prophetic ministry of haggai and zechariah in the second year of king darius. When you think about the book of haggai, think about it being connected with the history recorded in the book of ezra, chapters one through six. Two months prior to zechariah, the prophet haggai had begun to encourage the people to resume building the temple, but that revival was very shortlived.
Some of these riches would be sent by darius ezra 6. Left contextbar edge background right contextbar edge2 prior book prior. The book of haggai probably contains poetic oracles framed by narratival sections 1. His book shows us a picture of the degradation in the land at the closing of the old testament. He called them to reverence and glorify god by building the temple in spite of local and official opposition. In this the first in a new short series of sermons on the book of haggai, rev quigley sets the essential historical context with a comprehensive overview of ezra chapters 14. Edomites had migrated northwest from their traditional homeland just south of moab into the area immediately south of judea, which was now called idumea. This was probably when haggai returned to jerusalem 9. The book of haggai is essentially made up of collections of addresses by haggai to his different audiences. As noted above, the historical setting of malachi is the persian period 539333 b. Book of malachi overview insight for living ministries. If our suggested dating of around 430 is correct then a jewish remnant had been back in the land for about one hundred years. This was the time about eighteen years after the israelites had returned from exile in babylon bright, 1959, p.
The significance of haggais ministry to the church cannot be understood apart from this historical context. This is an event yet in the future and a hope that all nations and people desire. Haggai intro to haggai biblica the international bible society. It is about rebuilding jerusalem and why it was important for the jews to rebuild the temple. The specific mention of the second year of darius 1. This discussion supports the jewish tradition that haggai was the author of the book of haggai, with him and others recording his prophecies during his. Haggai 1 background information with maps and images picture. He exhorted them to turn from the uncleanness of their ways and to trust in gods sovereign power. As mentioned above, haggai is an eminently historical book. He probably was one of the jewish exiles of the tribes judah, benjamin, and levi who returned under zerubbabel, the civil head of the people, and joshua, the high priest, 536 b. Haggai preceded zechariah in the work by two months.
Introduction to haggai by matthew henry blue letter bible. Likewise, none is so tied to historical figures as haggai. We know nothing about haggai other than what the book of ezra mentions and what we learn from the prophets own book. Book of haggai overview insight for living ministries. He used the expression ye say instead of thus saith the lord. Haggai called them not to be discouraged because this temple would not be quite as richly decorated as solomons. The prophets haggai and zechariah were contemporaries and therefore shared a common historical setting jerusalem at the end of the sixth century b. He is known for his prophecy in 520 bce, commanding the jews to rebuild the temple. The prophet haggai recorded his four messages to the jewish people of jerusalem in 520 bc, eighteen years after their return from exile. The book is dated from the first day of the sixth month hag. Overview of the book of haggai third millennium ministries. When the people give priority to god and his house, they are blessed rather than cursed cf.
Haggai and zechariah prophesy and the temple was completed under darius i 521486. The book of haggai, the 10th of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets. For that reason, it is necessary to know the historical circumstances of the book in order to read it with understanding. Even though the book was written in the third person e. Phillips park street church christian formation 10 december 2017 historical context there are no chronological markers in the book of malachi as there are in the books of haggai and zechariah. Haggai ministered among the jews who had returned to judea after some 70. The section on the historical setting of the book of haggai will provide a discussion on its title, historical. Perhaps more than any other prophetic book, haggai is based in a particular time and place.
As we might expect from our discussion of authorship, the books of haggai and zechariah see introduction to zechariah have a common historical background, both prophets having begun their ministries in 520 b. After thousands of years, the book of haggai remains largely unique among the books of old testament prophets for one key reason. The geography he mentions is that of jerusalem in the time of zerubbabel who was of davidic stock and joshua the high priest both mentioned in the books of haggai and zechariah. I have chosen therefore to select the most appropriate time in relation to the prophet involved with the book. Haggai is second only to obadiah in brevity among the books of the old testament. Mason, the purpose of the editorial framework of the book of haggai, vt 27. Malachi was almost an unknown, except for this book that he penned. Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that i may be pleased with it and be glorified, says the lord. The section on the historical setting of the book of haggai will provide a discussion on its title, historical background, authorship, date and place of writing, recipients, and occasion. Haggai sought to challenge the people of god concerning their priorities.
It is a short book, consisting of only two chapters. It was a time when the israelites were strangers and pilgrims in their own land. Although it must be acknowledged that this conclusion is highly debated. Haggai is the second shortest book in the ot obadiah is. Dictionaries encyclopedias bible stories apocrypha books lexicons. But the simple and comprehensive timestamps of haggai are unique in the prophets so we know exactly what was going on. The historical setting dates around 520 bc before the temple has been. The book of zephaniah was written before 629 bc when josiah found and eagerly read the holy scriptures discovered in the temple. Haggai lived in the last part of the 6 th century bc. The final book of the old testament, malachi received its name from its author malachi 1. Rebuilding the temple haggai introduction haggai 1. Intro to haggai biblica the international bible society. The book of haggai was set sixteen years after the first return of captives. Aggaeus was a hebrew prophet during the building of the second temple in jerusalem, and one of the twelve minor prophets in the hebrew bible and the author of the book of haggai.
The historical environment of haggai is the period after the babof ylonian captivity around. Haggai s message to rebuild the temple was passionate, simple, and straightforward haggai 1. Haggai and zechariah were commissioned by jehovah haggai 1. Zechariah prophesied in the same time period as haggai ezra 5. The book of haggai, also known as the book of aggeus, is a book of the hebrew bible or tanakh, and has its place as the thirdtolast of the minor prophets. Spiritual lessons from the book of haggai united church.
The prophecies in the book of haggai were delivered in a four month period in 520 bc, the second year of darius the king. The book of haggai is a reminder of the problems the people of god faced at this time, how the people courageously trusted in god. Thankfully it is not within the remit of this introductory work to investigate these possibilities. In hebrew, the name comes from a word meaning messenger, which points to malachis role as a prophet of the lord, delivering gods message to gods people. Haggais message to rebuild the temple was passionate, simple, and straightforward haggai 1. Dates haggai the prophet references i originally studied zechariah, the parallel book to haggai, because the chapters have always held a fascination for me and i had, a number of years ago, begun a preliminary study of its pages for future reference and development. The historical setting dates around 520 bce before the temple has been rebuilt. The book of haggai was written in approximately 520 b. The specific mention of the second year of darius places the book in the year 520 b. The name haggai, with various vocalizations, is also found in the book of esther, as a eunuch servant of the queen. Those two earlier prophets had said that the rebuilding of the temple would result in peace, prosperity, the conversion of people from other nations, and the return of gods own glorious presence see haggai 2. This message shares the historical background and setting for the book of haggai.
Zephaniah historical overview foundations for freedom. Historical introduction zephaniah the prophet prophesied during the reign of king josiah who ascended his throne in 639 bc. An examination of this setting is useful in the interpretation of the book because it provides the context of the passage of scripture under examination. Haggais prophecies can be found in the book of haggai. It was an exciting, but challenging period of time. What is the historical background of the book of zechariah. It is a postexilic book, meaning it was written after post the captivity exile in babylon. The book of haggai contains messages delivered by the prophet haggai, and thus it is reasonable to consider haggai its author.
Author and date little is known about haggai apart from this short prophecy. Haggai is the second shortest book in the ot obadiah is shorter and is quoted by the nt once cf. Content, however, strongly argues for a time soon after the temple was built close to the time of. Haggai introduction commentary commentary critical and. Jews had returned 18 years before zechariahs appearance to lay the foundation of the temple, but then the work had stopped. As we go through the book of haggai and examine its lessons, we will see how it spiritually applies to all of gods people still today. The book of haggai is a book of the hebrew bible or tanakh, and has its place as the thirdtolast of the minor prophets. Obedience brings the encouragement and strength of the spirit of god. The short prophecy of haggai is very important on the prophetic scene. The book of haggai, also called the prophecy of aggeus, the 10th of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets. The book of haggai is closely linked with zechariah 18. Apart from obadiah, haggai is the shortest book in the ot, but its teachings are none the less significant. The phrase in this place is a reference to jerusalem and can only refer to the future, since the city and the region have never really experienced peace since haggai wrote. The significance of haggai s ministry to the church cannot be understood apart from this historical context.
Jan 02, 2020 haggai called them not to be discouraged because this temple would not be quite as richly decorated as solomons. There are also chronological prophecies in the book of haggai which dovetail with chronological prophecies in the following book of zechariah. They prophesied at a time when gods people needed a fresh challenge to finish the temple. Key personalities are haggai, zerubbabel, and joshua. And thus it is right to see how the treasure of the nations would come to jerusalem in the years after haggai. Then the prophets, haggai the prophet and zechariah the son of iddo. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The book closes with high expectations for zerubbabel, leaving little doubt that the book was written before the governors restoration program failed. Next to obadiah, haggai is the shortest book in the old testament, containing but two chapters comprised of a total of 38 verses. These books are called minor prophets, not because they are less significant than the major prophets in fact they have very important. Zechariah is a contemporary of haggai and shares his concern for a rebuilt temple and a new messianic age under the leadership of joshua and zerubbabel. Haggai 1 in the picture study bible, with maps and background information on haggai 1 bible history online.
It is the only book of the english bible to contain two chapters. With the fall of babylon about 19 years earlier in 539 b. In fact, haggai eschews all forms of brevity by naming these men, along with the remnant of israel. Even though it is difficult to say who wrote the book, the historical situation is readily discernible, notwithstanding the fact that there is no archaeological evidence to throw light on the two hundred years of persian rule in palestine eban, 66. Because his name means festal one, it is suggested that haggai was born on a feast day.
In the first two messages, haggai addresses zerubbabel and joshua. Jun 05, 2016 we know extremely little about haggai except his name. Haggai preached his sermons during the second year of darius i 521486 b. The temple had been completed for about eightyfive years. Haggai is among the most carefully and precisely dated books in the entire bible. The setting of the book was in jerusalem during the 2 nd year darius hystaspes of persia. They overlapped by one month as contemporaries, but zechariah continued to prophesy after haggai. Haggai is the second shortest book in the old testament obadiah is shorter, and is quoted by the new testament once compare heb. Haggai is known only from this book as well as two references to him in the book of ezra. That setting may be precisely identified, for no other biblical authors, with the exception of ezekiel, tied their ministries and messages more closely to a chronological framework.
Haggai would be on the scene in jerusalem until at least the time the temple was rebuilt in its entirety ezra 6. Haggai clearly shows the consequences of disobedience 1. The older prophet gave four messages in five months in 520 bc aug. Haggai with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. This was some 80 years after haggai and zechariah encouraged the rebuilding of the temple. Information and translations of book of haggai in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Study the bible online using commentary on haggai introduction and more. The first return from babylonian exile was under zerubbabel in 538 b. Each book of the holy scriptures is cloaked within a unique historical setting.
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