Answer
The book of Haggai, situated among the final books of the Old Testament, is part of the Minor Prophets. It was written by a prophet of God named Haggai. In his short book, Haggai provides a distinctive perspective in Israel’s history and God’s redemptive story as a whole. This prophetic work emerged during the post-exilic period, a time when the vulnerable remnant struggled to rebuild the temple and city.
According to the first verse, the prophet Haggai directed his writings to the governor Zerubbabel and Joshua, the high priest. He urged these leaders to finish rebuilding the temple, a work that had been neglected for years. While Haggai’s four messages were specifically addressed to the leaders, their relevance extended to the broader populace.
Haggai delivered his four messages over four months. In the initial message, he linked the lack of God’s blessing on Israel’s crops to the neglect of the temple construction. The Israelites responded positively to Haggai and finished constructing the temple (Haggai 1:12; Ezra 6:14–15).
The rebuilt temple paled in comparison to its former glory (Ezra 6:14; Haggai 1:12–14; 2:3–9). Nevertheless, Haggai assured them, in the second message, that the “glory of this present house shall be greater than the glory of the former house” (Haggai 2:9), a reference to the fact that the Messiah would come to this one. Haggai’s third message continued the reassuring tone, as Haggai promised that God would replenish the Israelites’ crops. The final message was specifically tailored to encourage and strengthen Zerubbabel, the heir to David’s throne and a human ancestor of Jesus.
In Haggai 2:3, the prophet poised some poignant questions: “Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?” These questions suggest Haggai’s familiarity with Jerusalem before the exile and the destruction of Solomon’s temple. If so, this implies that Haggai penned his messages as an aged prophet with a strong desire to see the Israelite nation rise again. He probably spent time in Babylon as well. Notably, Haggai stands out for precisely dating his messages. The New Living Translation specifies dates as “August 29” (1:1), “October 17” (2:1), and “December 18” for the final two (2:10, 20).
Some scholars have expressed uncertainty regarding Haggai’s authorship due to the frequent use of the third person perspective. However, it is not uncommon for an author to refer to himself in the third person. Additionally, if Haggai was advanced in age when composing his messages, it’s plausible that he received assistance from some helpers. Either way, there is no compelling reason to dispute the validity of his authorship.
Within the book of Haggai, the people’s response to Haggai distinguishes itself from their previous hardness of heart toward other prophets, signifying a gradual return to God and a turning away from selfish interests.
