The Tav Blog

Haggai means “festal one.”  We know nothing about him aside from this book and Ezra 5:1, and 6:14.

Main Idea(s)

The exiles returned from Babylon, but did not consider it important to rebuild the Temple.  God rebukes then, and they repent and build the Temple.  God tells them that the new Temple would be greater than that of Solomon, much as it would appear otherwise.  This is symbolic of the great things that God would do preparing the way for the Messiah to come.

Target: Judah

Time Period

• Contemporary of Zechariah
• During the reign of Darius the Mede

Famous verses and fragments

2:6-9

Questions

1. What is different about the last three books of the Minor Prophets?
2. How much time elapses during the book?
3. Why do you suppose they did not think it was time to build the Temple? Is that similar to anything in our lives?
4. Why does God rebuke them? How does he get their attention?
5. What effect did his message have?
6. Why are Zerubbabel and Joshua significant with respect to building the Temple?
7. What did God want for the materials of his Temple? How is that different than Solomon’s Temple?
8. Why might the people have been discouraged at the appearance of the Temple? How does God encourage them?
9. What is the second problem that God has with those in Judah? 2:10-19 What does this imply about our good works?
10. Does their uncleanness prevent God’s blessing in this case?
11. How would the glory of this Temple be greater than that of the former?
12. What is the greater plan of God in the midst of all of this? 2:6-9, 2:20-23?
13. How is Zerubbabel significant here? What does he prefigure?