Haggai 2:23-The Lord Will Make Zerubbabel His Signet Ring Lesson #45

Haggai 2:20 Then the Lord spoke again to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 2:21 Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah: ‘I am ready to shake the sky and the earth. 2:22 I will overthrow royal thrones and shatter the might of earthly kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and those who ride them, and horses and their riders will fall as people kill one another. 2:23 On that day,’ says the Lord who rules over all, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ says the Lord who rules over all.” (NET)

Haggai 2:23 contains a Messianic prophecy and asserts that the Lord, the God of Israel would take Zerubbabel, Shealtiel’s son, His servant and this is followed by an epexegetical clause which identifies specifically what is meant by this and asserts that the Lord would surely put on Zerubbabel as His signet ring.

The Lord then asserts that the reason He will surely do this is that He has chosen Zerubbabel.

The prepositional phrase bayyôm hahûʾ (בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֣וּא), “on that day” which begins Haggai 2:23 identifies when the Lord will make Zerubbabel His signet ring.

It refers to the last three and a half years of Daniel’s seventieth week and the Second Advent of Jesus Christ which results in the Lord Jesus Christ’s millennial reign, which is indicated by the prophetic statements in Haggai 2:21-22.

In verse 21, the Lord orders Haggai to communicate to Zerubbabel, Judah’s governor and specifically to say that He was about to cause the stellar universe, the earth’s atmosphere as well as the earth to shake.

This is very similar to the contents of Haggai 2:6.

So therefore, Haggai 2:21 is very similar to Haggai 2:6 in the sense that both passages assert that the Lord was about to cause the stellar universe, the earth’s atmosphere and the earth to shake.

Like Haggai 2:6, the Lord declaration here in Haggai 2:21 that He was about to cause the stellar universe, earth’s atmosphere and the earth itself to shake will be fulfilled during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week of Daniel and the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, which terminates this week.

In Haggai 2:22, the Lord declares that he will overthrow royal thrones and shatter the might of earthly kingdoms and He also declares that He will overthrow chariots and those who ride them and horses and their riders will fall as people kill one another.

Then, in Haggai 2:23, the Lord asserts that on the day or during the period of time in which He will do the things recorded in Haggai 2:21-22, He will take Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, His servant and will make him like a signet ring for He has chosen him.

The prophetic statement in Haggai 2:23 is Messianic and will be fulfilled by Jesus Christ at His Second Advent and subsequent millennial reign.

Haggai 2:22 contains five prophetic statements.

The first asserts the Lord will surely cause thrones of kingdoms to be overthrown and presents the result of the prophetic statement in Haggai 2:21 which asserts that the Lord was about to cause the stellar universe, the earth’s atmosphere and the earth to shake.

Therefore, the prophetic statement in Haggai 2:21 and the first one here in Haggai 2:22 are teaching that the Lord will surely cause thrones of kingdoms to be overthrown as a result of the Lord causing the stellar universe, the earth’s atmosphere and the earth to shake.

The implication is that the governments of the world would be adversely affected by the Lord causing the stellar universe, the earth’s atmosphere and the earth itself to shake.

The first statement in Haggai 2:22 asserts the Lord will surely cause thrones of kingdoms to be overthrown.

It presents the result of the prophetic statement in Haggai 2:21 which asserts that the Lord was about to cause the stellar universe, the earth’s atmosphere and the earth to shake.

Therefore, the prophetic statement in Haggai 2:21 and the first one here in Haggai 2:22 are teaching that the Lord will surely cause thrones of kingdoms to be overthrown as a result of the Lord causing the stellar universe, the earth’s atmosphere and the earth to shake.

The implication is that the governments of the world would be adversely affected by the Lord causing the stellar universe, the earth’s atmosphere and the earth itself to shake.

The second prophetic statement in Haggai 2:22 asserts that the Lord will surely cause the military capability of kingdoms of the nations to be destroyed and is epexegetical because it explains in further detail the first one.

Therefore, this second prophetic statement identifies specifically for the reader what the Lord means when He declares that He will surely overthrow the thrones of kingdoms or civil governments.

This indicates that when the Lord declares He will surely overthrow throne of kingdoms, He means that He will surely cause the military capability of kingdoms of the nations to be destroyed.

In the third prophetic statement in Haggai 2:22, the Lord declares that He will surely overturn chariots as well as their riders and serves to further identify what is meant by the first prophetic statement and is an addition to the second which also serves to identify the first.

The fourth prophetic statement is an addition to the third and asserts that horses and their riders will surely die and in the fifth, the Lord declares that each man will die by the sword of his brother.

Now, each of these five prophetic statements in Haggai 2:22 are a reference to the last three and a half years of the seventieth week of Daniel (Dan. 9:27; cf. Dan. 7:25; Rev. 12:6; 13:5) as well as Jesus Christ’s Second Advent (Matt. 24:27-31; Mark 13:24-30; Rev. 19:11-21).

Specifically, it refers to the Lord Jesus Christ destroying the military capability of kingdoms of Gentile nations during the seventieth week of Daniel and His Second Advent.

This act would express God’s wrath or righteous indignation towards these nations which have rebelled against Him as a result of being deceived by the members of Satan’s kingdom who have been unified in their purpose to oppose Him throughout human history.

Here in Haggai 2:23, the noun ḥô·ṯām, “My signet ring” is used in a figurative sense of Zerubbabel’s descendant Jesus Christ receiving royal authority from God the Father to rule over all of creation and every creature and also signifies that Jesus Christ enjoys a personal relationship with the Father.

This interpretation is supported by several factors.

First, the title “My servant” which appears here in Haggai 2:23 often identified the Davidic king (cf. 42:1–9; 49:1–13; 50:4–11; 52:13–53:12] and also cf. 2 Sam. 3:18; 1 Kings 11:34; Ezek. 34:23–24; 37:24–25).

Also, the prophet Zechariah who was a contemporary of Haggai used the messianic title “Branch” to refer to Zerubbabel (cf. Zech. 3:8; 6:12; cf. Isa. 11:1; Jer. 23:5-6; 33:14-16).

Furthermore, the “signet ring” was a seal of royal authority or personal ownership.

It is significant that Zerubbabel is compared to God’s signet ring which is clarified by Jeremiah 22:24-25 since in this passage God said that if Jehoiachin, who was Zerubbabel’s grandfather, were His signet ring, then He would pull him off His hand and give him over to Nebuchadnezzar.

It appears that in Haggai 2:23, God is announcing that He is reversing this curse.

Matthew 1:12 asserts that Zerubbabel was in the line of Jesus Christ and thus the messianic line which confirms Zerubbabel’s representative role in typifying the Messiah and the contents of the prophecy in Haggai 2:23 indicate that the millennial reign of the Messiah.

Thus, the prepositional phrase bayyôm hahûʾ (בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֣וּא), “on that day” points to the millennial reign of Christ.

Now, we must clarify something, namely although this prepositional phrase refers to the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, it is wrong to suggest that Zerubbabel would be the one to rule as the anointed one on the Davidic throne.

The prophecy of Haggai 2:23 was not designed to announce Zerubbabel was the Messiah any more than the crowning of Joshua the high priest indicated that he would exercise political rule on the Davidic throne (cf. Zech. 3:1-10).

The latter was symbolic of events which would be fulfilled by the Messiah (Zech. 6:9-15).

In Zechariah’s vision, Joshua was revealed in his official role as high priest rather than his own person.

Likewise, Zerubbabel was the Lord’s “signet ring” in his representative position as a descendant of David and not for personal fulfillment.

Rather, he was the Lord’s “signet ring” only in the sense of pointing to Messianic fulfillment in the kingdom of David’s greatest descendant, the Messiah, Jesus Christ (cf. Luke 1:32-33).

Notice, in Haggai 2:23 that the expression nĕʾum-yĕhwâ (נְאֻם־יְהוָ֣ה), “says the Lord” appears three times in this verse which emphasizes that prophetic statement in this verse is divine in origin and also expresses divine authority.

Also, notice in this verse that the expression ṣĕbāʾôt (צְבָאֽוֹת), “who rules over all” appears twice in this verse, which expresses the Lord sovereign authority over both human and angelic armies.

These expressions are designed to comfort and encourage the remnant of Judah and all of God’s people throughout the centuries because they emphasize that God will establish His kingdom on earth through a man, namely His one and only Son Jesus Christ to rule over all of creation and every creature, including both human beings and angels.