Haggai 2:1-Identification of the Date, Origin, Agency of the Second Message

Haggai 2:1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Lord spoke again through the prophet Haggai. (NET)

As we noted in our introduction to the book of Haggai, the structure of this book is built around four messages.

Each presents the date and divine origin of the prophecy as well as the recipients.

As we also noted, the first message was delivered by Haggai on the first day of the sixth month of King Darius’ second year, which was Elul 1 according to the Jewish calendar, which in our modern Julian calendar was August 29, 520 B.C. (Hag. 1:1-11).

It was addressed to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah and Joshua the high priest.

This message accuses the Jewish remnant of abandoning the rebuilding of the Lord’s temple (1:2-6), which is followed by an exhortation for them to rebuild again (1:7-8).

The Lord asserts that this failure to complete this project is the reason why they have been impoverished since their return from exile (1:9-11).

The remnant responds to the message by beginning to work on this rebuilding project (1:12-15).

Haggai 2:2-9 contains the second message the Lord communicated to Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest through the agency of the prophet Haggai.

Haggai 2:2 “Ask the following questions to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the remnant of the people: 2:3 ‘Who among you survivors saw the former splendor of this temple? How does it look to you now? Isn’t it nothing by comparison? 2:4 Even so, take heart, Zerubbabel,’ says the Lord. ‘Take heart, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you citizens of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and begin to work. For I am with you,’ says the Lord who rules over all. 2:5 ‘Do not fear, because I made a promise to your ancestors when they left Egypt, and my spirit even now testifies to you.’ 2:6 Moreover, the Lord who rules over all says: ‘In just a little while I will once again shake the sky and the earth, the sea and the dry ground. 2:7 I will also shake up all the nations, and they will offer their treasures; then I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord who rules over all. 2:8 ‘The silver and gold will be mine,’ says the Lord who rules over all. 2:9 ‘The future splendor of this temple will be greater than that of former times,’ the Lord who rules over all declares, ‘and in this place I will give peace.’” (NET)

This message was to be communicated to the remnant of Judah by Zerubbabel and Joshua.

Haggai 2:1 asserts this message was communicated by the Lord on the twenty-first day of the seventh month.

Although the year is not explicitly mentioned, the assumption is that this message was delivered during the second year of Darius’s reign (cf. 2:10).

The seventh month was the Jewish month Tishri, which according to our modern calendar would be October 17, 520 B.C.

The twenty-first day of Tishri marked the seventh and last day of the Feast of Tabernacles (cf. Lev 23:33–36, 39–43; Num 29:12–40; Ezek 45:25).

It also coincided with the date 440 years earlier (960 b.c.) when Solomon finished building his temple (1 Kgs 6:38; 8:2).[1]

October 18, 520 B.C. would mark the anniversary of Solomon dedicated the temple in 959 B.C. (2 Chr. 7:8-10).

In fact, Tishri was a month of celebrations for the Israelites because on the first day of this month, the celebrated the Day of Atonement.

In this message, the Lord through Haggai declares that the glory of this rebuilt temple will be superior to the glory of Solomon’s temple.

So therefore, when the remnant of Judah received this second message from the Lord through the prophet Haggai they had been working on completing the rebuilding of the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem for a month since the first communicated to them came on the first day of the previous month.

This second message would encourage this remnant since it asserts that the glory of this rebuilt temple would be superior to Solomon’s.

Now, as was the case in Haggai 1:1, the prophet word formula appears again in Haggai 2:1 to introduce this second message to the remnant of Judah.

This prophet word formula contains the expression ḏeḇǎr-yeh·wā(h)ʹ (דְבַר־יְהוָ֜ה), “The Lord spoke this message.”

It appears 270 times in the Old Testament and fives along in the book of Haggai (1:1, 3; 2:1, 10, 20) and is used the majority of the time in the Old Testament to refer to a Word spoken by Yahweh to a prophet as a technical expression for the prophetic word of revelation.

It is the formula that gives the prophetic books of the Old Testament their distinctiveness.

This expression in the Old Testament also is an earmark of inspiration indicating that what the prophet is communicating to people in writing is inspired by the Holy Spirit and is a revelation of God’s will (cf. 2 Peter 1:20-21).

It is the typical introductory phrase used among the prophetic books (cf. Jeremiah 1:2; Ezekiel 1:3; Hosea 1:1; Joel 1:1; Jonah 1:1; Micah 1:1; Haggai 1:1; Malachi 1:1).

This formula in Haggai 2:1 asserts this second message originates with the Lord and not the prophet.

This message refers to the content or what the Lord, the God of Israel said to the prophet Haggai.

The content of this second message is recorded in Haggai 2:2-9.

However, the exact manner in which Haggai received this message is not identified for the reader.

The use of the term “Lord” which is the proper noun yhwh (Yahweh) is significant since it is the covenant-keeping personal name of God used in connection with the remnant of Judah which returned to the land of promise from Babylon.

It is emphasizing the covenant relationship that existed between the remnant of Judah and God.

This word is also emphasizing the “immanency” of the Lord meaning that He involves Himself in and concerns Himself with and intervenes in the affairs of men and in this content that He intervenes in the affairs of this Jewish remnant.

This revelation given to Haggai to communicate to this remnant manifests this truth.

The term yhwh, “Lord” emphasizes God’s concern for the remnant of Judah which returned from the Babylonian deportation in that He intervenes in the affairs of this nation and emphasizes the divine origin of this message Haggai received and communicated to the remnant of Judah.

Thus, this expression ḏeḇǎr-yeh·wā(h)ʹ (דְבַר־יְהוָ֜ה), “The Lord spoke this message” emphasizes with the reader, the remnant of Judah and her leaders that Haggai received divine authority to proclaim a second message to them from God.

Now, Haggai 2:1 identifies the prophet Haggai as the instrument or agency which the Lord employed to communicate this second message to the leadership of the remnant of Judah.

Haggai 2:1 also identifies Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah and Joshua the high priest as the recipients of this second of four messages from the God of Israel through the prophet Haggai.

Zerubbabel is also the grandson of King Jehoiachin according to the genealogies of Jesus found in Matthew and Luke (Matt. 1:12-13; Luke 3:27) and he is named in Ezra 2:2 as one of the leaders of the Jewish remnant returning from Babylon.

His father is identified as Shealtiel who is identified in Scripture as the son of Jeconiah, the last king of Judah before the final Babylonian deportation in 586 B.C. (1 Chr. 3:17; Ezra 3:8; 3:2; Neh. 12:1; Hag. 1:12, 14; 2:2, 23; Matt. 1:12; Luke 3:27).

Therefore, Zerubbabel was a descendant of king David because he was from Judah and descendant from the kings of Judah (Hag. 1:1).

Joshua the son of Jehozadak is identified in Haggai 2:1 as the high priest of the remnant of Judah and he was taken into exile by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C. (1 Chron. 6:15; cf. Ezra 3:2, 8; Neh. 12:1, 8), but then returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel in approximately 537 B.C. (Ezra 2:2).

The descendants of his family also returned (Ezra 2:36; cf. 2:40) and he evidently was the grandson of Seraiah, who was the high priest when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem, whom Nebuchadnezzar executed at Riblah (2 Kgs. 25:18-21; Jer. 52:24-27).

Together, Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah and Joshua, the high priest of this kingdom represented the political and religious leadership in the nation respectively.

They led the remnant of Judah in completing the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem.

[1] Biblical Studies Press. (2005). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press.