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DECEMBER 26
DAY 25:What is the primary message of the Book of Haggai?
In 538 B.C.,as a result of the proclamation of Cyrus the Persian (Ezra 1:1–4),Israel was allowed to
return from Babylon to her homeland under the civil leadership of Zerubbabel and the spiritual guid-
ance of Joshua the high priest (Ezra 3:2).About 50,000 Jews returned.In 536 B.C.,they began to rebuild
the temple (Ezra 3:1–4:5); but opposition from neighbors and indifference by the Jews caused the
work to be abandoned (Ezra 4:1–24).Sixteen years later Haggai and Zechariah were commissioned by
the Lord to stir up the people to 1) not only rebuild the temple, but also to 2) reorder their spiritual
priorities (Ezra 5:1–6:22).As a result,the temple was completed 4 years later (ca.516 B.C.; Ezra 6:15).
The primary theme is the rebuilding of God’s temple, which had been lying in ruins since its
destruction by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C.By means of 5 messages from the Lord, Haggai exhort-
ed the people to renew their efforts to build the house of the Lord. He motivated them by noting
that the drought and crop failures were caused by misplaced spiritual priorities (1:9–11).
But to Haggai, the rebuilding of the temple was not an end in itself. The temple represented
God’s dwelling place, His manifest presence with His chosen people.The destruction of the temple
by Nebuchadnezzar followed the departure of God’s dwelling glory (Ezek.8–11).To the prophet,the
rebuilding of the temple invited the return of God’s presence to their midst.Using the historical sit-
uation as a springboard, Haggai reveled in the supreme glory of the ultimate messianic temple yet
to come (2:7), encouraging them with the promise of even greater peace (2:9), prosperity (2:19),
divine rulership (2:21,22), and national blessing (2:23) during the Millennium.

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Iddo the prophet: I saw by night, and behold,
December 26 a man riding on a red horse, and it stood
among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and
behind him were horses: red, sorrel, and
9
Zechariah 1:1–3:10 white. Then I said, “My lord, what are these?”
So the angel who talked with me said to me, “I
In the eighth month of the second year of will show you what they are.”
1 Darius, the word of the LORD came to 10 And the man who stood among the myrtle
Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of trees answered and said, “These are the ones
Iddo the prophet, saying, “The LORD has been whom the LORD has sent to walk to and fro
2
very angry with your fathers. Therefore say throughout the earth.”
3
to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Return 11 So they answered the Angel of the LORD,
to Me,” says the LORD of hosts, “and I will who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, “We
return to you,” says the LORD of hosts. “Do not have walked to and fro throughout the earth,
4
be like your fathers, to whom the former and behold, all the earth is resting quietly.”
prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the 12 Then the Angel of the LORD answered and
LORD of hosts: “Turn now from your evil ways said, “O LORD of hosts, how long will You not
and your evil deeds.” ’ But they did not hear nor have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of
heed Me,” says the LORD.
Judah, against which You were angry these
“Your fathers, where are they?
5 seventy years?”
And the prophets, do they live forever? 13 And the LORD answered the angel who
6 Yet surely My words and My statutes, talked to me, with good and comforting words.
Which I commanded My servants the 14 So the angel who spoke with me said to me,
prophets, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts:
Did they not overtake your fathers?
“I am zealous for Jerusalem
“So they returned and said: And for Zion with great zeal.
15 I am exceedingly angry with the
‘Just as the LORD of hosts determined nations at ease;
to do to us,
According to our ways and according For I was a little angry,
And they helped—but with evil intent.”
to our deeds,
So He has dealt with us.’ ” ’ ” 16 ‘Therefore thus says the LORD:
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh “I am returning to Jerusalem with
month, which is the month Shebat, in the sec- mercy;
ond year of Darius, the word of the LORD came My house shall be built in it,” says the
to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of LORD of hosts,

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