Haggai 1
1. Who was Darius the king? What date is being referenced in the chapter's first verse? Answer
2. What makes Haggai unique among not only the Minor Prophets but also the entire Old Testament? Answer
3. Who was Zerubbabel? Answer
4. Who was Joshua the son of Josedech (Jehozadak)? Answer
5. What is the Lord criticizing in verses 2 to 4? Answer
6. How does the Lord attempt to motivate his people to finish the temple? Answer
7. How did the people respond to God's correction? Answer
Haggai 2
8. When was a new message from the Lord received by Haggai? Answer
9. Why were the people becoming discouraged? Answer
10. How did God encourage the people? Answer
11. When did Haggai receive his next message from God? Answer
12. What was the point of the Lord commanding the prophet to ask the priests certain questions (verses 11 - 13)? Answer
13. What promise is made to those rebuilding the temple? Answer
14. To whom was Haggai's last message directed? Answer
15. What does the message in verses 21 to 23 mean? Answer
Haggai 1 Answers
1. The first verse of Haggai references Darius I the Great who was the fourth ruler over the mighty Persian Empire. His reign, which began in late September of 522 B.C., will last until 486.
[Map of Persian Empire at its Height]
God commissioned Haggai to deliver a message within Darius' second year of rule or 520 B.C. The Lord spoke to Haggai on the first day of the sixth Hebrew month, or Elul 1, in 520. This corresponds to Sunday August 27.
2. Haggai is the most accurately dated book in the Old Testament. Its dating in Haggai 1:1, 15, 2:1, 10, 18 and 20 helps us pin down, to the exact day, when certain events took place!
3. Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, was likely a descendent of King David through David's son Nathan (see Luke 3:27, 31). Some Biblical commentaries, however, argue that 1Chronicles 3:17 - 19 points to Zerubbabel being a grandson of Judah's King Jehoiachin. In either case, he was a man of royal blood who was made governor of Judah (Haggai 1:1).
[Jesus' Genealogy Through Zerubbabel]
4. Joshua, which is spelled Jeshua in Ezra 3:2, served as high priest during the time of Zerubbabel. His grandfather Seraiah had also served as High Priest but was murdered by Babylon's King Nebuchadnezzar after Jerusalem fell (see 2Kings 25:18 - 21).
5. God is criticizing the fact that those in Judah were in no rush to complete the rebuilding of Jerusalem's temple.
[Location of Jerusalem's Temple]
The temple was originally destroyed in 586 B.C. Around 537 work was begun to rebuild it. A short time after the temple's foundation was finished (Ezra 3) the work began to slow due to harassment by those who didn't want the structure rebuilt (Ezra 4). The diligence of Judah's enemies finally led to the project grinding to a halt for about fifteen years (535 to 520 B.C.).
[Interior Design of Jerusalem's Temple]
In 520 B.C. God, through the prophet, rebuked his people for their negligence and indifference. Although they had houses to live in, they seemed unconcerned that the Lord's house was still unfinished (Haggai 1:4).
6. The Lord asks his people to consider their ways (Haggai 1:5, 7) and what it has produced.
Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes (Haggai 1:6).
The people planted lots of crops which only produced small harvests. In spite of their best efforts, the basic necessities of God's people such as food, drink and clothing were not being met. They were even experiencing the effects of inflation where it felt like any money they had was being stored in a bag full of holes!
The people struggled to get by because God was punishing them for their disobedience, They also suffered because their perverted priorities did not place the Lord's will above their own.
Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little . . . Why? saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste . . . (Haggai 1:9).
7. God's correction brought repentance from the people. On the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month or Elul 26 (September 19), all the people set their hand to continue rebuilding the temple (Haggai 1:14 - 15).
Haggai 2 Answers
8. Haggai received a new message to convey to the people on the twenty-first day of the seventh month or Tishri 21 in 520 B.C. This day corresponds to Sunday, October 15, the last day of the Biblical festival period known as the Feast of Tabernacles.
9. The people were becoming discouraged because they felt that what they were rebuilding would be inferior to the temple Solomon built.
[What Did the Temple Look Like?]
Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? (Haggai 2:3).
10. God stated that the glory of the rebuilt temple they were working on would exceed the original temple (Haggai 2:9).
11. Haggai received another message from the Lord on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month or Kislev 24 (Haggai 2:10). This corresponds to Sunday, December 17 in 520 B.C.
[What is the Biblical Calendar?]
12. The gist of Haggai's questioning of the priests regarding ritual holiness was to make a point. It was to reveal that Judah was still considered unclean due to their disobedience (Haggai 2:14). Such disobedience made even their offerings to God to be unclean and caused them not to be blessed (verse 17).
13. God promised to bless his people with an abundant harvest even though their seeds were recently planted.
Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you (Haggai 2:19).
14. The prophet's last message, also received on December 17, was directed to Zerubbabel (Haggai 2:21).
15. Zerubbabel is used to symbolize Jesus Christ. The Lord, who is of the seed of David (Matthew 1, Luke 3) just like Zerubbabel, will one day destory the world's kingdoms. He will then establish a new kingdom which will never end (Daniel 2:44, Revelation 19).