Category:Book of Haggai

THE PROPHECY OF HAGGAI

Haggai was one of those that returned from the captivity of Babylon, in the first year of the reign of king Cyrus. He was sent by the Lord, in the second year of the reign of king Darius, the son of Hystaspes, to exhort Zerubbabel the prince of Judah, and Jesus the high priest, to the building of the temple; which they had begun, but left off again through the opposition of the Samaritans. In consequence of this exhortation they proceeded in the building and finished the temple. The prophet was commissioned by the Lord to assure them that this second temple should be more glorious than the former, because the Messiah should honor it with his presence.

Haggai Chapter 1
'The people are reproved for neglecting to build the temple. They are encouraged to set about the work.'

1:1. In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, to Zerubbabel the son of Salathiel, governor of Judah, and to Jesus the son of Josedec the high priest, saying:



1:2. Thus says the Lord of hosts: "This people says, 'The time has not yet come for building the house of the Lord.'"

1:3. The word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying:

1:4. Is it time for you to dwell in ceiled houses, and this house lie desolate?

1:5. Now thus says the Lord of hosts: Set your hearts to consider your ways.

1:6. You have sowed much, and brought in little; you have eaten, but have not had enough; you have drunk, but have not been filled with drink; you have clothed yourselves, but have not been warmed; and he that has earned wages put them into a bag with holes.

1:7. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Set your hearts upon your ways:



1:8. Go up to the mountain, bring timber, and build the house: and it shall be acceptable to Me, and I shall be glorified, says the Lord.

'''1:9. You have looked for more, and behold it became less, and you brought it home, and I blew it away: why, says the Lord of hosts? Because My house is desolate, and you make haste every man to his own house.'''

1:10. Therefore the heavens over you were stayed from giving dew, and the earth was hindered from yielding her fruits:

1:11. I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the wine, and upon the oil, and upon all that the ground brings forth, and upon men, and upon beasts, and upon all the labor of the hands.



1:12. Then Zerubbabel the son of Salathiel, and Jesus the son of Josedec the high priest, and all the remnant of the people hearkened to the voice of the Lord their God, and to the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God sent him to them: and the people feared before the Lord.

1:13. Haggai the messenger of the Lord, as one of the messengers of the Lord, spoke, saying to the people: I am with you, says the Lord.

1:14. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Salathiel governor of Judah, and the spirit of Jesus the son of Josedec the high priest, and the spirit of all the rest of the people: and they went in, and did the work in the house of the Lord of Hosts their God.

Haggai Chapter 2
'Christ by his coming shall make the latter temple more glorious than the former. The blessing of God shall reward their labor in building. God's promise to Zerubbabel.'



2:1. In the four and twentieth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king, they began.

2:2. In the seventh month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying:

2:3. Speak to Zerubbabel the son of Salathiel the governor of Judah, and to Jesus the son of Josedec the high priest, and to the rest of the people, saying:

'''2:4. Who is left among you, that saw this house in its first glory, and how do you see it now? Is it not in comparison to that as nothing in your eyes?'''

2:5. Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord, and take courage, Jesus the son of Josedec the high priest, and take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord of hosts: and perform (for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts)

2:6. The word that I convenanted with you when you came out of the land of Egypt: and my spirit shall be in the midst of you: do not fear.

2:7. For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet one little while, and I will move Heaven and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land.

2:8. I will move all nations: AND THE DESIRED OF ALL NATIONS SHALL COME: and I will fill this house with glory: says the Lord of hosts.

2:9. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts.



2:10. Great shall be the glory of this last house more than of the first, says the Lord of hosts: and in this place I will give peace, says the Lord of hosts.

2:11. In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius the king, the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet, saying:

2:12. "Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests the law, saying:



2:13. "'If a man carry sanctified flesh in the skirt of his garment, and touch with his skirt, bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat: shall it be sanctified?'" And the priests replied, "No."

'''2:14. Haggai said, "If one that is unclean by occasion of a soul touch any of all these things, shall it be defiled?" And the priests replied, "It shall be defiled."'''

By occasion of a soul. . .That is, by having touched the dead; in which case, according to the prescription of the law, Num. 19.13, 22, a person not only became unclean himself, but made every thing that he touched unclean. The prophet applies all this to the people, whose souls remained unclean by neglecting the temple of God; and therefore were not sanctified by the flesh they offered in sacrifice: but rather defiled their sacrifices by approaching to them in the state of uncleanness.

2:15. Haggai responded, So is this people, and so is this nation before my face, says the Lord, and so is all the work of their hands: and all that they have offered there, shall be defiled.

2:16. Now consider in your hearts, from this day and upward, before there was a stone laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord.

2:17. When you went to a heap of twenty bushels, and they became ten: and you went into the press, to press out fifty vessels, and they became twenty.



2:18. I struck you with a blasting wind, and all the works of your hand with the mildew and with hail, yet there was none among you that returned to me, says the Lord.

2:19. Set your hearts from this day, and henceforward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month: from the day that the foundations of the temple of the Lord were laid, and lay it up in your hearts.

'''2:20. Is the seed as yet sprung up? Or has the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree as yet flourished? From this day I will bless you.'''

2:21. The word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying:

2:22. Speak to Zerubbabel the governor of Judah, saying: I will move both Heaven and earth.



2:23. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and will destroy the strength of the kingdom of the Gentiles: and I will overthrow the chariot, and him that rides therein: and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.

2:24. In that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel the son of Salathiel, my servant, says the Lord, and will make you as a signet, for I have chosen you, says the Lord of hosts.

O Zerubbabel. . .This promise principally relates to Christ, who was of the race of Zerubbabel.