Lord’s Day, Vol. 12 No. 51
Opening the Book of Haggai
The prophet Haggai was the greatest revivalist of the Old Testament to Israel. His name means “Festival” alluding to possibly the time of his birth. He preached vehemently for several weeks and it was effective to stir returnees to Israel after their captivity in Babylon to complete the rebuilding of the Temple that has stalled for the past 15 years.
Darius I (521 – 486 B.C.) was king of Persia during the prophet ministries of Haggai (the older prophet) and Zechariah (the younger prophet).
The admonitions were given in Hag 1:4, 6-11: “Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?…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. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 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. 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. Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. 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.” The Lord has withheld His blessing because their desire for material prosperity was at the expense of fulfilling God’s will for their lives.
The returnees have laboured for physical prosperity in the past 16 years yet not prospering. God raised the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to plod the people to resume building their spiritual lives by rebuilding the Temple – Ezra 5:1-2 (KJV) Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them.
Haggai and Zechariah sounded the alarm to awaken them out of their slumber before judgment comes! This is a timeline for Haggai and Zechariah’s preaching. Haggai 1:1 (1 September 520 B.C.) – Consider Your ways …; Haggai 1:15 (24 September 520 B.C.) – ; … My House Lies Desolate; Haggai 2:1 (21 October 520 B.C.) – The Latter Glory of this House Will be Greater; Haggai 2:10 (20 December 520 B.C.) – The Blessing of God Upon Israel for the Rebuilding – Rebuke and Encouragement.
The people took heed to Haggai’s preaching to rebuild the Temple – Haggai 1:13-15 (KJV) Then spake Haggai the LORD’S messenger in the LORD’S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD. 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, 15 In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.
There was much discouragement for the older returnees who compared the former glory of the first temple and this new temple. Haggai assured them that the future glory of this second temple – Haggai 2:3-9 (KJV) 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? 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: 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. 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; 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. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. 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.
Haggai jolts them to holiness of life, obedience to God’s laws that their building work may be with clean hands and pure hearts – Haggai 2:10-14 (KJV) 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, 11 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, 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. 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. 14 Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so isthis nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.
The work of reconsecration of the people to the LORD in their lives was emphasized and Haggai showed them the future glory of Jerusalem with the overthrow of Israel’s enemies in the surrounding nations – Haggai 2:20-23 (KJV) And again the word of the LORD came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying, 21 Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; 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. 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.
Opening the Book of Zechariah
William Shakespeare says, “Open Thy gate of mercy, gracious God! My soul flies through these wounds to seek out Thee.” The book of Zechariah opens to us the gate of God’s mercy. It is God’s step-by-step book of encouragement for the afflicted and repentant. The secret of God’s blessings is in the Person of Israel’s Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Israel returned to their dilapidated homeland in Jerusalem after 70 years of captivity in Babylon. The gloom that surrounded the people of God threatened to cause them to give up their faith! There was great economic depression facing the returnees. There were powerful enemies around that sought to devour them. They were in a precarious situation. The returnees were on the brink of abandoning God to rebuild their physical lives at all cost. God sent His prophet Zechariah to arouse them out of their self-indulgence. While Haggai emphasized the rebuilding of the Temple, Zechariah focused on their spiritual transformation. The older folks wept when they saw the pathetic state of the rebuilt Temple. Yet Zechariah had to awaken them to look beyond the externals to the spiritual, beyond the present to the future, that they may see the very presence of God in their midst, leading and guiding them.
We often see with our physical eyes and conclude that the situation for us is hopeless! But God has given to us spiritual eyes to see through His good and comforting words to uplift our hearts and to show to us our future hope and glory with Christ. The events today are zooming toward Christ’s Second Coming. What should we do as Christians? How should we order our lives? May the study and meditation on this book of Zechariah challenge us to greater zeal for the work of God.
Zechariah is best known as the prophet called to minister comfort and hope in the post-exilic period. His message was a challenging voice that roused Israel to rebuild their spiritual lives as they rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple was the centre and symbol of their faith. It was to put them once more on the path of devotion to their Lord. Zechariah was from a priestly family. His father was Berechiah and grandfather Iddo. His contemporaries were the elderly prophet Haggai, Zerubbabel the governor, and Joshua the high priest (Ezra 5:1-2; Zech 3:1; 4:6, 6:11). Haggai began his ministry two months earlier in the 6th month (Hag 1:1), that is, 1 September, 520 B.C. While Zechariah in November, 520 B.C. Zechariah 1:7 (24 February 519 B.C); Zechariah 7:1 (4 December 518 B.C.).
God spoke through Zechariah at a specific point in history: after 70 years of captivity and exile in Babylon. It was the 8th month called Heshvan (November) in the Jewish calendar, a rainy month when wheat and barley were sown. It was the second year of Darius Hystaspes’ reign, emperor of Persia. The year was 520 B.C. Observe that the dating is based on the reign of a foreign king, so the returnees were under foreign domination. The older returnees had much to reflect on as they pondered upon God’s dealings with their forefathers and in their own generation. Israel was forever cured of idolatry and profoundly penitent for past backslidings. It was a new beginning.
Zechariah means “The Lord remembers” based on the same form of the imperative in Psalm 25:7 “…remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.” It is an urgent plea that God forgets not His own people. How do we know that God will remember us? It is according to God’s tender mercies and loving kindness.
The tender mercies of God describe the mercy of God that includes the element of compassion. The root verb is “love” (raham). It is the outworking of God’s love for His people. It is derived from the noun “womb.” The picture of God’s love for His people is likened to the unborn baby nourished in the mother’s womb. The umbilical cord supplies the oxygenated, nutrient- rich blood to nourish the unborn baby. The unborn baby is fully dependent on the life-line of the mother. This is how much we are dependent on our Creator, who is also our Sustainer and most importantly, our Saviour. We are lost and helpless, estranged from God, when we choose to walk our own way. The loving kindness (hesed) of God speaks of His mercy, goodness, kindness and faithfulness. It expresses His loyalty and devotion to the solemn promises in His Word. The steadfast love of God will keep His covenant promises with Israel. He does not forsake neither does He forgets His children. The Lord spoke through Zechariah to the discouraged Jews in their devastated homeland to pick up courage to rebuild the Temple. (The rebuilding stopped 15 years earlier, in 535 B.C.) The people were like a bruised reed and smoking flax. The compassionate Lord will not allow them to be broken nor quenched.
Is your family experiencing sufferings and afflictions of illness, deaths and other distresses? The ancient prophet has a good message of God’s unfailing love for you. We cannot see the hand of God but the knowledge of His loving heart stills us through every trial of life.
The background of the book of Zechariah is given in Ezra 1-6 and Haggai 1-2. The exiles first returned from captivity to Jerusalem in 536 B.C. (Ezra 1-2). The altar was erected and the foundation of the new Temple laid in 535 B.C. (Ezra 3). However, the work of the Temple was stopped from 535 B.C. to 520 B.C due to opposition (Ezra 4). The work of the Temple resumed in 520 B.C. (Hag 1, Zech 1) and was completed in 516 B.C. (Ezra 5-6).
Zechariah prophesied from 520 to 518 B.C. spanning from Zechariah chapter 1 to chapter 8. Many years later, when apostasy set in again, he wrote chapter 9 to chapter 14. The Temple was completed in 516 B.C. after 4 years. One hundred or more years after that, the prophet Malachi brought God’s final words of warning and promise before the inter-testament era of 400 years. Zechariah, Haggai and Malachi are also known as the restoration prophets. Do you know that the New Testament quotes and alludes to the Book of Zechariah 41 times! The Book of Zechariah is “the most Messianic, the most truly apocalyptic, and the most eschatological of all the writings of the Old Testament” (International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia). This book is longer than the book of Daniel and no less important in revealing the prophetic future of Israel but classified under the Minor Prophets. It is a difficult yet most rewarding to study.
The Lord had predicted that Israel would fall, yet she would not be totally eradicated. When we sin against God, He sees and He knows. We cannot escape the eyes of God. While the Lord tarries, may we take the opportunity to repent and return to Him.
The Book began with a series of 8 night visions (Zech 1:7-6:8). They are like windows that let in light to an otherwise dark house. The returnees, tasked with the rebuilding of the second Temple were a discouraged lot. In their darkness, God had to show them some light to encourage them to arise and build. It is perhaps for this reason the night visions were given.
These are the 8 visions: (1) The Horses among the Myrtle Trees (1:7-17) – Promise of Future Blessings; (2) The Four Horns and Four Carpenters – God provides the Neutralizing Counteracting Power to Adequately Destroy Enemies in Every Direction (1:18-21); (3) The Man with the Measuring Line (2:1-13) – Blessing of the Enlargement of Jerusalem; (4) The Cleansing of Joshua, the High Priest (3:1-10) – Power over the Demonic World Leading to Forgiveness and Reconsecration thus Duty and Honour; (5) The Golden Candlestick and Olive Trees (4:1-14) – The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Power to Overcome All Obstacles; (6) The Flying Roll (5:1-4) – Judgment upon God’s people who Transgress His laws; (7) The Woman in the Ephah (5:5-11) – Global Rebellious and Unrighteous Practices Including Israel; (8) The Four Chariots (6:1-8) – Divine Judgment Upon the Nations.
Zechariah testified, “I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white” (Zech 1:8).
The interpreting angel explained to Zechariah that the man riding upon a red horse is the “angel of the LORD” (v 11). This is the pre-incarnate Christ, the second person of the Trinity, before He was manifested in the flesh, the great Head of the Church. The myrtle tree is prized for its fragrant leaves. Its leaves give the richest fragrant odour only when bruised or crushed. This is a picture of the persecuted returnees, a small remnant of nearly 50,000 returning to Jerusalem surrounded by massive, hostile enemies. Even the insignificant group of Samaritans in the north became a really potent force to resist the returnees in their rebuilding project. This vision is a symbolic picture of Christ in the midst of His children in all their afflictions. Notice the myrtle trees that were at the bottom of the valley signifying the lowly state of Israel. Christ standing among the myrtle tree signifies His presence with them in their distresses.
Remember Jesus said to His disciples these comforting words before His ascension in Matthew 28:20, “Lo, I am with you always.” Dearly beloved, are you in some kind of affliction and feel that you are at a low point in your life with problems so overwhelming? Remember this first vision. Jesus is with you! Fear not. Persevere on!
What a beautiful picture of the abiding presence of our Lord dwelling with His people even when we are at the bottom of our lives. It is a picture of great comfort.
This Messiah “shall build the temple of the Lord” (6:12-13) known as The Branch, which was distinct from the temple that the returnees were then building. It included the Millennial Temple (Ezek 40-48), the coming of the incarnate Temple of our Lord with men (Jn 1:14; Rev 21:3), and “the church of the living God” (1 Tim 3:15; Eph 2:19-22; 1 Pet 2:5). One day all three of these elements shall gloriously come together! Then shall the Branch, our Lord Jesus Christ, rule as King and Priest; then shall the Church and state be joined together in a reign of peace this earth has not yet seen. John Calvin was called to pastor the Church-State in Geneva in 1536. Calvin had been preaching against all the vices that abound in the city. In July 1937, the Council of the city of two hundred required all citizens to assent to the Confession of Faith in the Church of St. Peter. In November the Council even declared that all who would not take the oath of abiding by the order be banished. Here was the Church governing the State, like the theocracy of Old Testament times. When Calvin refused to serve the Lord’s Supper to members of the City Council, it inflamed the people to the point that in 1538 the town council voted against his co-labourer Farel and asked both he and Calvin to leave the city.
When our Lord reigns on earth for one thousand years, Satan will be bound (Rev. 20:2). Only then will peace be lasting and all rebellion will cease, for all will be in subjection to the Supreme Ruler over all the earth. There will be obedience. Our Lord’s rule is a gracious one that men and women willingly subject themselves to Him. What a glorious future for Israel and the Church!
Zechariah examines Israel’s motive for fasting (Zech 7:1-3) and gave 4 messages – (1) Rebuke of Hypocrisy (7:4-7); (2) Repent of Disobedience (7:8-14); (3) Restoration of Israel (8:1-17) – Blessing of Long Life in the Millennium; Rejoice in Israel’s Future (8:18-23) – From Fasting to Feasting.
Zechariah 9 to14 details the prophetic program of Israel and the Gentile nations, especially in relation to the person and work of the coming Messiah. It has distinctive Christological emphasis, with particular focus on the betrayal, humiliation, suffering and death of Christ. These chapters represent the most quoted sections of the prophets in the narratives of the Gospels. This great prophesy of the Messianic future involves two prophetic oracles or “burdens” (Zech 9:1, 12:1). In the Old Testament, “burden” refers to some announcement from God that is heavy with judgment.
The first prophetic oracle (Zech 9- 11) delineates the judgment through which Gentile world powers over Israel will finally be destroyed. Israel will come into full blessing with strength to overcome its enemies. The second oracle (Zech 12-14) deals with the divine purging through which Israel herself will be sifted and purified in the final struggle with the nations. Israel will be transformed into a holy, priestly nation at the second advent of the Messiah.
Yours lovingly,
Pastor Lek Aik Wee