OT - Survey 42 - Haggai

All content is derived from A Survey of the Old Testament by Andrew E. Hill and John H. Walton, with additional insights from R.C. Sproul's Dust to Glory. Further sources referenced are listed in the reference section below.

Key Ideas

The importance of establishing proper priorities

The value of the temple as a covenant symbol for Israel

The faithfulness of God in renewing his covenant promises to David’s descendants

Haggai: Rebuilding the Temple and Renewing Covenant Faithfulness

Haggai and the Postexilic Prophetic Tradition

— Haggai and Zechariah served as complementary prophets during the postexilic period, specifically under Persian rule from approximately 550 to 330 BC. Along with Daniel, Joel, and Malachi, they form the corpus of prophetic voices in this era. — Haggai's ministry focused on rebuilding the Jerusalem temple and restoring the liturgical calendar, including Levite sacrifices and feast observances. Zechariah's ministry emphasized spiritual renewal.

Authorship and Prophetic Office

— Haggai is identified explicitly as both "the prophet" (Haggai 1:1; 2:1, 10; Ezra 6:14) and "the LORD's messenger" (Haggai 1:13), affirming his divine commission. — Though tradition (via Epiphanius) suggests Haggai returned from Babylon under Sheshbazzar's leadership, he is not listed in the official register of returnees (Ezra 1–2). — Some have speculated that Haggai was a priest due to his teachings on purity (Haggai 2:11–14), though this is unproven.

Dating and Context of the Prophecies

— Haggai delivered four messages over a four-month period during the second year of King Darius I (520 BC). — These oracles likely preceded the temple's completion in 515 BC.

Historical Background: Return and Reconstruction

— After Cyrus the Great defeated the Medes and took Babylon in 539 BC, he issued a decree (538 BC) permitting exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return home. — The first group of 42,360 returnees (plus 7,337 servants; Ezra 2:64–65) was led by Sheshbazzar, who laid the new temple's foundation (Ezra 5:16), but the project quickly stalled. — Zerubbabel and Jeshua led a second group back around 522 BC and were motivated by Haggai and Zechariah to renew the reconstruction efforts in 520 BC (Ezra 5:11–12). — The temple was finally completed in 515 BC (Ezra 6:15).

Decline of Vision and Challenges

— The Israelites faced ongoing hostility, poor agricultural yields, and spiritual lethargy. — Despite initial hopes for a restored Davidic kingdom and temple as envisioned by Ezekiel, Persian dominance and societal instability impeded this ideal.

Purpose and Message of Haggai

— Haggai's mission was to initiate temple reconstruction nearly 70 years after its destruction by Babylon. — He delivered four interconnected messages to revive covenant responsibility, faithfulness, and hope.

First Message: Rebuke of Complacency (Haggai 1:1–11)

— The prophet rebuked the people for dwelling in "paneled houses" while the temple remained in ruins (Haggai 1:3–4). — His call to "give careful thought to your ways" (Haggai 1:5, 7) implies deep covenant introspection and change (cf. Genesis 21:18; Deuteronomy 32:46).

Second Message: Call to Repentance and Covenant Renewal

— Haggai urged the people to rebuild the temple as an expression of obedience and reverence. — The people responded immediately, obeying the LORD and beginning the work (Haggai 1:12, 14).

Third Message: Promise of Divine Justice and Restoration (Haggai 2:6–9)

— Haggai proclaimed God's intent to "shake the nations" and fill the temple with His glory. — This affirmed divine justice and rekindled the community's faith (cf. Zephaniah 3:14–20).

Fourth Message: Zerubbabel as the LORD's Signet Ring (Haggai 2:20–23)

— Zerubbabel is depicted as God's "servant" and "chosen," recalling Messianic language from Isaiah (Isaiah 41:8; 42:1). — The signet ring symbolizes restored royal authority (cf. Jeremiah 22:24–30), indicating the resumption of Davidic messianic lineage (Matthew 1:11–12).

Literary Structure and Organization

— Each of Haggai's four messages is precisely dated to a specific day and month in the second year of Darius, similar to prophetic dating in Jeremiah and Ezekiel. — The dating reflects theological significance: exile years marked covenant discipline, while Persian dates symbolized renewal and messianic expectation (cf. Ezekiel 37:15–28). — The formula "thus says the LORD" appears 29 times across two chapters, emphasizing divine authority and urgency. — Literary devices include chiasmus (Haggai 1:4, 9–10; 2:23), wordplay (e.g., on "ruin" and "drought"), rhetorical questions (Haggai 1:4; 2:3, 19), and imperative repetition (e.g., "give careful thought").

Major Theme: The Temple as the Symbol of Covenant Presence

— Deuteronomy foresaw the LORD establishing a permanent site for His name (Deuteronomy 14:23–25; 16:2, 11). Initially, the tabernacle resided at Shiloh (Joshua 18), but David secured Jerusalem as the temple site (2 Samuel 24:18–25). — Though David was denied permission to build the temple, Solomon completed it (1 Kings 5–6), and God's glory entered the sanctuary (1 Kings 8). — The temple was meant to inspire covenant obedience and remind Israel of God's presence.

— Over time, however, the temple was reduced to a false security symbol. Jeremiah condemned this view and predicted its destruction (Jeremiah 7:1–11). — Ezekiel later saw God's glory depart from the temple due to Judah's sins (Ezekiel 8, 10). — This judgment was realized in 587 BC when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:8–17).

Haggai called the people to proper worship of Yahweh in contrast to blind faith in the building. He also assumed that the appropriate attitudes of reverence and humility and unfeigned behavior demonstrating obedience to the law of God would naturally accompany the initiative to rebuild the temple. Then this second temple would again symbolize the covenant presence of Yahweh among His people and stamp the Hebrew people as the elect of God among the nations.

Summary

The Book of Haggai urges the Jewish postexilic community to rebuild the Jerusalem temple as a visible sign of renewed covenant faithfulness. Haggai's four dated messages confront spiritual complacency, encourage obedience, promise divine intervention, and affirm Davidic messianic hope through Zerubbabel. His ministry, tightly woven into historical and theological context, stresses that proper worship must come from covenant integrity, not superstition. The rebuilt temple was to reflect a renewed identity of Israel as Yahweh's elect and to rekindle hope for the messianic future promised throughout the Old Testament.

References

Hill, A. E., & Walton, J. H. (2009), A survey of the Old Testament (3rd ed.). Zondervan Academic.

MacArthur, J. (Ed.). (2021). The MacArthur study Bible (2nd ed.). Thomas Nelson. (New American Standard Bible).