The Book of Haggai

Steven Crook

Today’s study comes to us as I was studying a book I hadn’t really ever given much thought to. There isn’t too much to it with only 38 verses total between two chapters, but there is a wealth of spiritual knowledge to be gained if we are able to see it as the Lord wills it.

The name Haggai H2292 in the strong’s Hebrew, as strong’s concordance defines it, means festive. This Hebrew word comes from H2282 which strong’s defines as, “A festival, or a victim therefore: – (solemn) feast (day), sacrifice, solemnity.”

Hitchcock’s bible names dictionary defines it as, “feast, solemnity.” Solemnity of course is defined as dignified seriousness.

So, we can see that the very name of this book, Haggai, leads us to a certain starting point that should set our mindset on what we are about to be told. “Dignified seriousness” is what encompasses sacrifice. During the feast days of the Old Testament, there were many sacrifices given for various reasons prescribed by the Law of Moses. With that in our mind, we will start the study.

Haggai the Prophet

At the very onset of this book we see very important information being given to us as we embark upon discovering what the Lord has in store for us as He delivered His message through His prophet, Haggai.

Hag 1:1 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,

Hag 1:2 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built.

In the second year:
In the sixth month:
In the first day of the month: came the word of the LORD by Haggai.

Now, I used to often wonder why specific times were given. Whenever there is emphasis put on the timing of an event, we should at least be aware that there is something being told to us. Of course, there others studies on IWWB that you can read which point out what various numbers means spiritually in the scripture, but I will briefly just mention those that we just read.

The number two of course means witness:

Deu 19:15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

Mat 18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

The number is the number of man or mankind:

Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

And the number one signifies unity i. e. one flesh, one mind, me and my Father are one.

Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Joh 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

So, in verse 1 we see a witness to mankind about the unity that will be spoken about in this book. Now you may be thinking, “Steven, where do you come up with that?” Well, as we navigate through the rest of the book, let’s see if we can spiritually come to that same conclusion. We can start that navigation in verse 2:

Hag 1:2 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built.

When I read this verse something conjures up in my mind immediately and that is this:

Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Rev 22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

In verse two, “this people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built.” Spiritually speaking, what is the Lord’s house? “Don’t you know that you are the temple of GOD”

1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

So, what is the Lord saying with this? Let the Lord speak for Himself:

Hag 1:3 Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,

Hag 1:4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?

Hag 1:5 Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

Hag 1:6 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.

Hag 1:7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

All I want to shout from the rooftops is AMEN and AMEN. How true is it for all of us that our ways are not the ways of the Lord? How true is it for all of us that whatever my ways are, whatever my words are, whatever my thoughts are all ALL MAN’S GOINGS?

These all lead to one thing, and we just read it. We sow much to the flesh, and bring in little result. We eat and drink the things our flesh provides to us, and WE ARE NEVER FILLED. We cloth ourselves with OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, and it does NOTHING to give us peace. We have a WAGE that is fleeting and guaranteed to produce one thing – – > death. Let’s see if scripture bears this out.

Isa 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Continuing,

Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Isa 64:7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.

Isa 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

As we are instructed to consider our ways, what are we to consider as the “ways of the Lord” versus our ways in reference to what Haggai has to say to the Lord’s people?

Hag 1:8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.

Hag 1:9 Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.

Hag 1:10 Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.

Hag 1:11 And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.

Hag 1:12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.

In verse 8 we see a reference to what the Lord told us to do. He tolds us to “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD”.

However, as being “shaped in the hands of the potter” What does He do once we try to follow these commands according to how we want to do it?

Hag 1:9 Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.

Hag 1:10 Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.

Hag 1:11 And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.

What is this “mine house that is waste” versus “everyman runs to his own house?” This is paramount in understanding what we are being told. It seems like these verses are so out of place compared to what is said in the following verses. Just to make this super abundantly clear, what is the Lord’s house versus “every man’s own house”?

1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

2Jn 1:10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:

2Jn 1:11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

Heb 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

And this is compared to “our man” who sits on the throne where he doesn’t belong. We have an earthy house that we tend to run to.

2Co 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Act 7:49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?

Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

As a result, we see the the Lord’ people obey and fear the Lord and go about “doing work in the house of the Lord”. Doing the work “in the house of the Lord” is huge. We just read where the house of the Lord is. The work is to be DONE IN US, but this only happens when the Lord is working with us.

Hag 1:12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.

Hag 1:13 Then spake Haggai the LORD’S messenger in the LORD’S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD.

Hag 1:14 And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,

Hag 1:15 In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

Judgment Begins at the House of God

We have now gotten to the second book of Haggai, and this is where we start to see the results of everything we have just been talking about in chapter one.

So, we come to chapter 2 just reading that The Lord told His people what to do to “build His house”; yet they went about it their own way which was pretty much fruitless. Then the Lord comes back to His people and lets them know that it is He who has caused their work to come to naught. He tells them why, but I will quickly read it again to make the point that is coming in chapter 2.

Hag 1:8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.

Hag 1:9 Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.

Hag 1:10 Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.

Hag 1:11 And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.

Hag 1:12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.

All these things we attempt on our own while CLAIMING to do it in the “name of the Lord” are things which the Lord will judge. It may not be apparent now that judgment will come to all men, but it indeed will.

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Now we will continue with chapter 2 while having this fresh in our minds.

Hag 2:1 In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying,

Hag 2:2 Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying,

Hag 2:3 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?

Hag 2:4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts:

Hag 2:5 According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.

How amazing is it to look back on our lives both as Christians and before and see the work of the Lord in our lives. I am sure we all have our stories, but they all are going to be very similar in one respect. In all of our lives, there is an old man and a new man, an Abel and a Cain, no Christ in our lives, and then Christ appears.

Spiritually speaking, look at this house that the Lord is building in you now compared to what that world compares against what the old ‘man’ was. Lord knows how many times I have been told “you are the one that has changed” or “you didn’t used to think like that”. Praise the Lord!

In the world’s estimation, the Steven they see now is much more “desirable” to the eyes than what I use to be in “all my glory”. I use to be “fun”. I use to “love life” and in comparison what I am being told is that I don’t love life any longer. However, spiritually speaking, I LOVE LIFE! I love Jesus Christ, the only thing worth calling life.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Christ is the Alpha and Omega, beginning and ending. Christ is the first Adam and the second. Christ is everything, but it is only now that we are awakened from this death, from this flesh, and given this knowledge and wisdom. The best part is that it is completely the work of the potter and not of myself or else I would have failed miserably.

2Co 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

So, we see in Haggai at the start of chapter 2 that we are seeing something that has very little value to the wisdom which man’s wisdom teaches which says “eat, drink and be merry because tomorrow we die.”

Luk 12:19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

Luk 12:20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

My comment and mind on that is that I don’t need to wait until tomorrow because I die today and every day. I die daily to this flesh that so often wars against the spiritual man that is within me. I die to EVERYTHING this flesh ahs to offer me which all parishes away.

1Co 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Continuing in Haggai we see:

Hag 2:6 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;

Hag 2:7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

Hag 2:8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.

Hag 2:9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.

With all that the world and the flesh have to offer, I can see the promise of the Lord here in this book of Haggai. I am promised that his house that I am to go work in will have a greater glory that the fleshly house that I had built. I am promised more than a carnal minded person could ever grasp because it is not given to them to grasp it. My mind cannot fathom just what is completely in store for me when I receive the fullness and not just the down payment I have now.

We just read in 2:1 a few numbers which have a huge significance to what comes right after those declarations.

We have the seventh month representing the completeness of our judgment as declared in the following verses, we have a unity of a witness to this truth in the numbers one and twenty. Twenty of course can mean a few things but 2 is witness and ten is completeness in the flesh, etc. You can brush up on the study of numbers in scriptures in the study notes section, but all of this is very revealing.

The rest of the book of Haggai goes on to share this wonderful news with us. It is painful to dwell in the consuming fire, but it is not to be compared with what the reward is for those who are judged now.

Heb 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.

Isa 33:13 Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.

Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

Isa 33:15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

Isa 33:16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

This is what is promised me. I will be given BREAD = Christ. I will be given water = Christ. I will be given and am given eternal life!

Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

So, let’s continue to see how this unfolds in Haggai.

Hag 2:10 In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,

Hag 2:11 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,

Hag 2:12 If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.

Hag 2:13 Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.

Hag 2:14 Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.

Hag 2:15 And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD:

Hag 2:16 Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty.

Hag 2:17 I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the LORD.

Hag 2:18 Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD’S temple was laid, consider it.

Hag 2:19 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.

Can we not see what the Lord is saying? Can we not hear what we are being told? Lord willing we can. Lord willing we hear the word of our shepherd as He speaks these words to us. He is telling us that our former glory in our flesh, this old house, is unclean to Him. Nothing our flesh produces is worth anything to the Lord, but it is USED of the Lord to be reshaped into something of honor for the Lord’s house.

“Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD’S temple was laid, consider it.”

Again, if we look closely at the numbers we can see what we are about to be told about this walk, about this flesh we dwell in. I won’t go over in detail why these numbers mean what they do, but I can summarize it. The time is too short for this study to get into depth about this, but look at what we see.

Hag 2:10 In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,

Four = the whole of something:

Two = witness

Nine = God’s judgment

Ten = completeness in the flesh

This whole book witnesses to us what God’s judgment is on our flesh and what it comes to when the flesh is complete. This is what we are to expect:

Hag 2:20 And again the word of the LORD came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying,

Hag 2:21 Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth;

Hag 2:22 And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.

All these things are happening now, Lord willing in all of us. I recently posted something similar on Facebook but I thought it would be a good addition here. Where is God’s kingdom?

Luk 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Now, if we believe what we just read about where the Kingdom of God is, what will happen to ALL OTHER KINGDOMS? They will be overthrown. Your kingdom, my kingdom and the kingdoms of the world that live within us spiritually will be brought to NAUGHT. How will this be accomplished? It will be accomplished by “every one by the sword of his brother?”

What is the Sword? Who is the Sword?

Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

The Word of God will do all of this. What does the Word of God say about His Kingdom versus the kingdoms of this world that He will overthrow? Where is the Word of God? It is within you and me, Lord willing. It is this judgment that will DEVOUR everything that is contrary to Christ Jesus.

Psa 18:6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

Psa 18:7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.

Psa 18:8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

Jer 5:14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

I could go on and on, but alas the time is short and this study must come to an end.

Conclusion

As is always my disclaimer, I do not profess to having revealed all the types and shadows that are nicely tucked away and hidden in this book. There is a lot more here, but I think the overview of what has been talked about is more than enough to “chew the cud” right now.

However, we have seen many revealing things that show us that we are all in this walk that is, Lord willing, continually being judged daily. We tend to call on the Lord when we have distress, but it is only when we have no others that we do so…and this is all according to how the Lord works in the lives of those He works with.

Through all of it though, we can be thankful that we are given the knowledge that the Lord will bring us through it when we completely rely on Him in all aspects of our lives. He will build His temple and house up, and He will use us to do the work because it is the wood, hay and stubble in us that He is burning away when we are being judged. The consuming fire will not stop until all that can be consumed, is.

I did want to finish up with pointing out the last verse of the book, and it read as this:

Hag 2:23 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.

We are all in type and shadow, Zerubbabel, my servant who will be MADE A SIGNET…a SIGN…to the rest of the world. We have BEEN CHOSEN to this saith the Lord of Hosts.

Psa 43:3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.

Psa 43:4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.

Mat 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Mat 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.