STUDY THE BIBLE 30       (STB 30)

“THE BOOK OF HAGGAI”

Rebuilding the temple

Prophecy of the more glorious temple yet to come

 
THEIR MISSION AND MESSAGE
To try and save the Hebrew nation from IDOLATRY and wickedness.
Failing this, to announce to the nation, that they will be destroyed.
But not completely destroyed, as a remnant (a few left) will be saved.
Out of this remnant will come a Person who will bring all nations to God.

That person will be a great man who will one day arise out of the family tree of David. The prophets called him THE BRANCH. This family tree of David, once the most powerful family in the world, was cut down in the days of the prophets, and disappeared. But the family would comeback with this man called THE BRANCH - THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (Rev 19:16) Not even understanding the full meaning and importance of their words, the prophets were obedient.

There are three prophets whose mission were to other nations other than Israel (ten Northern tribes) and Judah (two Southern tribes), and these were JONAH to Assyria (Nineveh), OBADIAH to Edom (Esau) and NAHUM to Assyria (Nineveh).

16 PROPHETS IN FOUR GROUPS

NORTHERN KINGDOM CALLED ISRAEL had the ten tribes, and lasted about 210 years, and the prophets during this period were Amos, Hosea.

The destruction and captivity Northern kingdom went from 734-721BC. They were taken to Assyria have simply disappeared from the face of the earth.

SOUTHERN KINGDOM CALLED JUDAH had the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and lasted about 320 years, and the prophets during this period were Joel, Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Habakkuk, Zephaniah.

The destruction and captivity of the Southern kingdom, went from 606-586BC. Taken to Babylon.
Invading armies didn’t kill and destroy everything at once, but slowly strangled their captive nations, with taxes, slaves and goods. Under their rule, they then left the very poorest in the land to struggle on.

RESTORATION OF THE NATION made up of only Judah and Benjamin, NOW CALLED ISRAEL, happened from 536-444BC, and the prophets during this period were Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

OTHER NATIONS were ASSYRIA (Nineveh) with the prophets Jonah and Nahum and EDOM (Esau) with the prophet Obadiah

              THE 16 PROPHETS ARE GROUPED AS FOLLOWS

Northern - ISRAEL	Southern - JUDAH	Other Nations
Amos	Before captivity	Ninevah
Hosea	Joel	Jonah
	Isaiah	Nahum
	Micah
	Jeremiah	Edom (Esau)
	Habakkuk	Obadiah
	Zephaniah
	Before & to Babylon
	Daniel
	Captives in Babylon
	Ezekiel
	Return from Captivity
	Haggai
	Zechariah
	Malachi

“TABLE OF KINGS AND PROPHETS”

KINGS and PROPHETS
Two Prophets	Year BC				Year BC	Fourteen Prophets
		The Exodus 40 years			1446
		Joshua in Canaan 16 years			1406
		The Judges 340 years (450 yrs with gaps Acts 13:20)			1390	Samuel 1100-1050 BC
		Saul 40yrs			1050
		David 40yrs			1010	Nathan
		Solomon 40yrs			970
	930	KINGS NORTHERN reign years		KINGS SOUTHERN reign years	930
	930-911	1 Jeroboam I	22	1 Rehoboam         17	930-914
		2 Nadab	2	2 Abijah         2
		3 Baasha	24	3 Asa 40	912-872
		4 Elah	2
		5 Zimri	7 days
		6 Omri	12
Elijah	875-854	7 Ahab	22	4 Jehoshaphat         25	874-850
875-850
	855-854	8 Ahaziah	2	5 Jehoram         8	850-843
Elisha	854-843	9 Joram	12	6 Ahaziah         1	843
	843-816	10 Jehu	28	Athaliah         6	843-837
850-800
	820-804	11 Jehoahaz	17	7 Joash         40	843-803	JOEL  840-830 JONAH         790-770 ISAIAH         745-695 MICAH         740-700               ZEPHANIAH         639-608 NAHUM         630-610 JEREMIAH         626-586 HABAKKUK         606-586 OBADIAH         586
AMOS	806-790	12 Joash	16	8 Amaziah         30	803-775
	790-749	13 Jeroboam II      41		9 Uzziah         50	787-735
780-740
	748	14 Zachariah	6 mth	10 Jotham         15	749-734
HOSEA
	748	15 Shallum	1 mth
760-720
	748-738	16 Menahem	10
	738-736	17 Pekahiah	2
	748-730	18 Pekah	20	11 Ahaz         15	741-726
	730-722	19 Hoshea	9	12 Hezekiah         30	726-697
	ASSYRIA CAPTIVITY			13 Manasseh         55	697-642
	734-722
				14 Amon         2	641-640
				15 Josiah         30	639-608
				16 Jehoahaz         1	608
				17 Jehoakim         10	608-597
				Assyria falls 607 - Rise of Babylon
				18 Jehoakin         1	597
				19 Zedekiah         10	597-586
				BABYLON CAPTIVITY 606–586			DANIEL         606-534 EZEKIEL         592-570
				Babylon falls 536 - Rise of Persia Return from captivity 536
				Joshua	536-516	HAGGAI 520-516
				Zerubbabel	536-516	ZECHARIAH         520-516
				Temple rebuilt
				Ezra	457-430
				Nehemiah	444-432
				Wall rebuilt			MALACHI         440-400

HAGGAI
About 50,000 Jews, by the decree of King Cyrus of Persia, had returned to their own land in 536BC, after a 70 year captivity in Babylon 606-536BC.

Previously, Jerusalem had been conquered, burned, the temple demolished and the people carried away to Babylon as told in 2 Kings 24, 25.

After their return, they just managed to build an altar for sacrifices to the Lord, and start work on the foundation for the temple, but their enemies had stopped further activity, and God was far from satisfied.

Using the ‘carrot and stick’ method, this two man team of Haggai and Zechariah, take it in turns in

urging Israel to complete the temple over a four year period 520 -516BC.

Prophets were chosen of God, to tell the certain future before it happened, with prophecy. They would not predict the future, as this would imply guesswork on the part of the prophet. God simply used these messengers, to tell what WOULD be happening. No guessing needed!

The books of the prophets, Isaiah to Malachi, cover about 400 years, 830-430BC approximately, when the Hebrew nation was in decline.

 
THE TIME LINE

606 – 536 BC: 70 years captivity in Babylon

536    BC: Altar built for sacrifices and the temple work started

536 – 520 BC: 16 years of no work on the temple

520 – 516 BC: 4 years from Haggai and Zechariah urging the temple completion. 536 BC        50,000 Jews, under Zerubbabel, return to Jerusalem. (Read Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther). 536 BC         7th month, they build and altar and offer sacrifice.

535 BC        2nd month, work on the temple begins and is stopped.

520 BC        6th month (September), 1st day, Haggai’s 1st call to build. (Haggai 1:2,3-11) 6th month, 24th day, building begins (Haggai 1:14)

7th month (October), 21st day, Haggai’s 2nd call to build (Haggai 2:1-9) 8th month (November), Zechariah’s 1st address (Zec 1:3-6)

9th month (December), 24th day, Haggai’s 3rd & 4th call to build (Haggai 2:18, 20) 11th month (February), 24th day, Zechariah’s visions (Zec 1:7 - Zec 6:15 )

518 BC                 9th month (December), 4th day, Zechariah & fasting and compassion (Zec 7:1-14) 516 BC         12th month (March), 3rd day, the temple is completed (Ezr 6:15 )

515 BC        1st month (April), 14th – 21st days, a very joyful Passover. 457 BC    Ezra comes to Jerusalem and makes certain reforms.

444 BC        Nehemiah rebuilds the wall. This is then the period of Malachi.

Chapter 1 Work on the temple begins 15 years earlier, the temple foundation had been laid (Ezr 3:10). Then it had stopped as the people had lost interest. God says through Haggai that this is the reason for their poor crops. One of the main teachings of the Old Testament, is that national disasters were the result of disobedience to God. People took this to heart and commenced rebuilding 24 days later.

Chapter 2 Future glory of God’s house
Within another 27 days, the old foundations had been cleared. Then Haggai came forward with his vision of

the temple’s future exceeding the glory of Solomon’s temple.

In summary HAGGAI 520-516BC

REBUILDING THE TEMPLE; THE 2ND COMING OF A GREATER TEMPLE

Temple rebuilding from 520-516. Since the Jews return in 536, nothing done for 15years.

Chapter 1 Foundation laid but no interest & poor crops.

Chapter 2 Future glory of temple.

Haggai’s 1st appeal Hag 1:2

Work begins Hag 2:4

Haggai’s 2nd appeal Hag 2:1-9