Haggai

Authorship

Haggai’s name (ḥaggay) means “festival” or “holiday.” He was mentioned alongside of Zechariah in the book of Ezra (Ezra 5:1; 6:14). Zechariah may allude to Haggai as well, because he speaks about plural “prophets” who encouraged the people during the rebuilding of the Temple (Zech. 8:9).

If Haggai saw the destruction of the first temple (Hag. 2:3), then this would imply that he was very old when he wrote this book. Haggai is one of the few prophets that the people actually listened to. Thus, Alden comments, “Though his words were plain and not poetic, he had one major point to make; and he made it forcefully and well.”

Date

We can date Haggai’s book quite specifically to the second year of Darius (Hag. 1:1). This was the year 520 BC. He only prophesied for four months total.

Four messages

Main message: The work on Temple stopped for 15 years, and this was the point that Haggai came in to speak for God in Israel (520 BC). This, no doubt, encouraged the people to continue their work (1:12). Haggai’s main message is this: “Rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified” (Hag. 1:8).