EXEGESIS AND EXPOSITION OF 1:1-2

Pastor William E. Wenstrom Jr. WENSTROM MINISTRIES Norwood, Massachusetts 2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries

Exegesis and Exposition of :1-2

Haggai 1:1

First Day of the Sixth Month of King Darius’ Second Year

Haggai 1:1 On the first day of the sixth month of King Darius’ second year, the LORD spoke this message through the prophet Haggai to son of , governor of , and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak. (NET) “On the first day of the sixth month of King Darius’ second year ” is in ” (2) feminine singular “ ,( בְּ ) composed of the following: (1) preposition b the year ” (3) feminine dual form of the “ ,( שָׁ נָה) (construct form of the noun šā∙nā(h (of ” (5 “ ,( לְ ) second ” (4) preposition lĕ “ ,( שְׁ נַיִם) cardinal number šenǎ∙yim Darius ” (6) articular“ ,( דָּרְ יָוֶשׁ) masculine singular proper name dār·y ā·w ěš ,( בְּ ) the king ” (7) preposition b “ ,( מֶ לֶ) masculine singular form of the noun mě∙lěḵ ” the month “ ,( חֹדֶ שׁ) in ” (8) articular masculine singular form of the noun ḥō·ḏě š“ ,( בְּ ) sixth ” (10) preposition b “ ,( שִׁשִּׁ י) articular singular cardinal number šiš·šî (9) (the day ” (12 “ ,( יוֹם) on” (11) masculine singular construct form of the noun yôm“ first ” (13) preposition “ ,( אֶחָד) common singular form of the cardinal number ʾě∙ḥāḏ the “ ,( חֹדֶ שׁ) of ” (14) articular masculine singular form of the noun ḥō·ḏě š “ ,( לְ ) lĕ month .” The noun šā∙nā(h) means “year” referring to a unit of time involving a complete cycle of seasons, spring, summer, fall and winter. The construct state of this word indicates this word is grammatically bound to the noun cardinal number šenǎ∙yim , which means “second” and which follows it, expressing a genitive relation between the word words. Here we have a genitive of number which means that cardinal number šenǎ∙yim indicates how many there are of the construct term šā∙nā(h) . Thus, the cardinal number šenǎ∙yim indicates that it was in the second year of the reign of the Darius that the Lord communicated a message through the prophet Haggai to the leadership of the of Judah. The noun šā∙nā(h) is the object of the preposition b, which is a marker of an extent of time within a larger unit expressing the idea that “during” the second year of Darius, the Lord communicated a message through the prophet Haggai to the remnant of Judah. The proper name dār·y ā·w ěš means “Darius” and refers to the Persian king named Darius I Hystaspes who reigned from 522-486 B.C. This word is the object of the preposition lĕ which functions as a marker of possession indicating that this second year “belongs to” the reign of King Darius I Hystaspes. The noun mě∙lěḵ means “king” since the word pertains to a governmental head of a kingdom indicating that Darius is a governmental head, and which government

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1 is the Persian Empire. The articular construction of this word indicates that this king Darius was well-known when the Lord communicated a message through Haggai to the leadership of the remnant of Judah. The articular masculine singular form of the noun ḥō·ḏě š means “month” since the word pertains to the calendar lunar month, i.e. a period of time as one full cycle of the moon. The articular construction of this word indicates that this noun is unique in its class indicating that this month is unique in the sense that there is only one sixth month. The word is modified by the articular singular cardinal number šiš·šî , which “sixth” since the word pertains to being sixth in a series involving time. The articular construction also denotes that this denotes that this month is unique in its class. There is only one sixth month. The noun ḥō·ḏě š is the object of the preposition b which is a marker of an extent of time within a larger unit expressing the idea that the Lord communicated a message through the prophet Haggai to the remnant of Judah “during” the sixth month of the second year of King Darius’ reign. The noun yôm is in the singular and means “day” referring to a unit of time reckoned from sunset to the next sunset, including two or more segments (morning and evening) about 24 hours. The construct state of this noun means that it is governing the word which follows it. It is expressing a genitive relation with this word, which is the common singular form of the cardinal number ʾě∙ḥāḏ, which means “first” since the word pertains to being first in a series involving time. The word is the object of the preposition b means “on” since it indicates a point in time. Here it indicates that “on” the first day of the sixth month during the second year King Darius’ reign, the God of Israel communicated a message through the prophet Haggai to the leadership of the remnant of Judah. Once again, we have the noun ḥō·ḏě š which means “month” referring to the calendar lunar month, i.e. a period of time as one full cycle of the moon. The articular construction of this word is anaphoric, which means that it is pointing back to the use of this word earlier in the verse. This indicates that when this word appears a second time in the verse, it is retaining the same meaning and referent when it appeared the first time. This word ḥō·ḏě š is the object of the preposition l is functioning as marker of possession indicating that this first day “belongs” to the sixth month of the second year of King Darius’ reign.

The Lord Communicated a Message Through the Prophet Haggai

Haggai 1:1 On the first day of the sixth month of King Darius’ second year, the LORD spoke this message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak. (NET)

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2 “The LORD spoke this message through the prophet Haggai ” is composed of the following: (1) third person masculine singular qal perfect form of the verb hāyâ came ” (2) masculine singular construct form of the common noun dĕbar “ ,( הָיָה) the “ ,( יהוה) spoke this message ” (3) masculine singular proper noun yhwh “ ,( דָּבָר) through ” (5) feminine singular construct form of “ ,( בְּ ) Lord ” (3) (4) preposition b ,( חַגַּי) through ” (6) masculine singular proper name ḥǎ g·g ǎy “ ,( יָד) the noun yād ”. the prophet “ ,( נָבִ יא) (Haggai ” (7) articular masculine singular noun nā·ḇî( ʾ“ The noun dĕbar means “message” referring to what , the God of Israel said to the prophet Haggai. The content of this message is recorded in the . The exact manner in which Haggai received this message is not identified for the reader. The contents of the book of Haggai indicate that the message is directed toward to the governor Judah, Zerubbabel, , the Levitical priests and the remnant of Judah which returned from the Babylonian exile. The proper noun yhwh (Yahweh ) “ Lord ” is the covenant-keeping personal name of God used in connection with the remnant of Judah which returned to the land of promise from . It is emphasizing the covenant relationship that existed between the remnant of Judah and God. Because the ancient Hebrews wrote only consonants, not vowels, the pronunciation of words and names was passed down by the parents to the children. Throughout times people used the name Yahweh freely. When the rabbis began to add their traditions about 300 B.C. they noted that the Third Commandment forbids misusing the name of Yahweh (Ex. 20:7). Therefore, they decided it was too holy to pronounce so they quit pronouncing the name. Whenever they came to the name ( YHWH ), sometimes called the Sacred ) in Scripture, they read ‘ adhon , “ Lord .” In time, everyone forgot how to pronounce the name. In the sixth and seventh centuries after Christ, Jewish scholars of tradition (Masoretes) added vowel marks to the Hebrew to help them remember the traditional pronunciation. Wherever they came to YHWH , they put vowel marks to remind them to read ‘ adhon , “ Lord ” unless the verse had ‘adhon YHWH . Then they put vowel marks to remind them to read ` elohim , “God .” Later, some European scholars wrote JHVH instead of YHWH . Then about 1220 A.D. some of them took the vowels for “ Lord ” (modified by Hebrew grammatical rules) and put them with JHVH to come up with Jehovah , which is not a real name, for it has the consonants of a proper name and the vowels of a title. The construct state of the noun dĕbar means that the word is in “construction” with another noun or we can say that it is governing another noun. Specifically, it is used to indicate that it is grammatically bound to the nominal that follows it in a broadly possessive or genitival construction. The construct relationship can often

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3 between the nouns. Also, a noun in (־) be recognized by the presence of a maqqef the construct state never has the definite article. If the last noun is definite, the noun in construct is also definite. Correspondingly, if the last noun is not definite, the noun in construct is not definite. Here the construct state of dĕbar means that it is governing the noun yhwh . The genitive function is source indicating that this message that Haggai was communicated to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah and Joshua the high priest “originated from” the Lord Himself. The verb hāyâ means “to communicate” since the context indicates that the Lord is communicating a message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak and the remnant of Judah. The qal stem of the verb hāyâ is fientive expressing the action of the Lord communicating a particular message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak and the remnant of Judah. The perfect tense of the verb hāyâ is complete-action perfect which refers to a verb with the meaning of complete action describing the event as a complete whole, with its beginning, middle, and end all in view. The action may be already finished or it may simply be described that way. Here the perfect pertains to a present state resulting from a previously completed action. Therefore, here in Haggai 1:1, the perfect tense expresses the idea that the Lord communicated a particular message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak and the remnant of Judah in the past, which the prophet in turn was to communicate to these individuals in the present. The masculine singular proper name ḥǎ g·g ǎy means “Haggai” identifies the agency the Lord employed to communicate this message to the remnant of Judah during the second year of the reign of Darius I Hystaspes. The name means “festive” or “festal,” which derived from the Hebrew word ḥāḡ (“a festival”). The feminine singular construct form of the noun yād literally means “hand” but here it is used in a figurative sense for the instrumentality or agency in connection with divine inspiration of a message. The word contains the figure of metonymy where the organic cause or instrument is put for the thing effected by it. Here we have the hand of Haggai is put for himself as the instrumentality which the Lord employed to communicate a message to the remnant of Judah. This noun yād is the object of the preposition b, which means “through” which functions as a marker of agency indicating that Haggai was the agency or the instrumentality which the Lord employed to communicate a message to the remnant of Judah. The construct state of the noun yād means that the word is in construction with another noun or we can say that it is governing another noun. Specifically, it is

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 4 used to indicate that it is grammatically bound to the nominal that follows it in a broadly possessive or genitival construction. Here it is governing the articular masculine singular noun nā·ḇî( ʾ), “the prophet.” The genitive relation between these two words is possession indicating that this hand “belongs to” Haggai. The articular masculine singular noun nā·ḇî( ʾ) means “the prophet” since the word pertains to someone who speaks on behalf of and interprets the will of a supernatural being, often rebuking as well as encouraging and predicting future events. Therefore, this word pertains to a person who speaks or proclaims a particular message from God. Here in Haggai 1:1, the noun nā·ḇî( ʾ) is ascribed to Haggai expressing the fact that he represented God and communicated a message from God to the leadership of the remnant of Judah. The articular construction of this noun indicates that this word is speaking of a particular prophet who is identified as Haggai.

The Recipients of the Lord’s Message

Haggai 1:1 On the first day of the sixth month of King Darius’ second year, the LORD spoke this message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak. (NET) “To Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to the high priest ,( אֶ ל) Joshua son of Jehozadak ” is composed of the following: (1) preposition ʾě l (Zerubbabel ” (3 “ ,( זְרֻבָּבֶל) to ” (2) masculine singular proper name zerǔb·b ā·ḇě l“ son of ” (4) masculine “ ,( בֵּן) masculine singular construct form of the noun bēn Shealtiel ” (5) feminine singular “ ,( שְׁ אַלְתִּ יאֵ ל) singular proper name šeʾǎl∙tî∙ʾēl governor of ” (6) masculine “ ,( פֶּחָה) (construct form of the common noun pě·ḥā(h ,( וְ ) Judah ” (7) conjunction w “ ,( יְהוּדָ ה) singular form of the proper name yĕhûdâ to ” (9) masculine singular proper name yehô·š ǔaʿ “ ,( אֶ ל) and ” (8) preposition ʾě l“ ,( בֵּן) Joshua ” (10) masculine singular construct form of the noun bēn “ ,( יְ הוֹשֻׁﬠַ ) ” Jehozadak “ ,( יְהוֹצָדָ ק) son of ” (11) masculine singular proper name yehô· ṣā·ḏāq“ (the priest ” (13 “ ,( כֹּהֵן) articular masculine singular form of the noun kōhēn (12) (high ” (14 “ ,( גָּדוֹל) articular masculine singular form of the adjective gādôl which is not translated (15) qal infinitive construct form of the ,( לְ ) preposition lĕ .which is not translated ,( אָמַ ר) verb ʾāmar The masculine singular proper name zerǔb·b ā·ḇě l, “Zerubbabel ” is identified as the governor of Judah following the Babylonian exile. He is identified as a descendant of king (Hag. 1:1) and grandson of King Jehoiachin and is listed in the genealogies of Jesus found in Matthew and Luke (Matt. 1:12-13; Luke 3:27). He is named in :2 as one of the leaders of the Jewish remnant returning from Babylon. The masculine singular proper name zerǔb·b ā·ḇě l, “Zerubbabel ” is the

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 5 object of the preposition ʾě l which functions as an indirect object which means that it is receiving the direct object of the verb hāyâ which is dĕbar . It can also be interpreted as a marker of advantage expressing the idea that this message from the Lord communicated by the prophet Haggai was “for the benefit of” or “on behalf of” Zerubbabel. The masculine singular construct form of the noun bēn means “descendant” since it pertains to an offspring of an ancestor, of any of a number of generations. The construct state of this noun means that the word is in construction with another noun or we can say that it is governing another noun. Specifically, it is used to indicate that it is grammatically bound to the nominal that follows it in a broadly possessive or genitival construction. Here it is governing the masculine singular proper name šeʾǎl∙tî∙ʾēl, “ Shealtiel ” who is identified here as the father of Zerubbabel. He is also identified in Scripture as the son of Jeconiah, the last king of Judah before the final Babylonian deportation in 586 B.C. (1 Chr. 3:17; :8; 3:2; Neh. 12:1; Hag. 1:12, 14; 2:2, 23; Matt. 1:12; Luke 3:27). The genitive relation between these two words is possession indicating that this Zerubbabel is a son who “belongs to” Shealtiel. The genitive relation is expressing the familial relationship that existed between Zerubbabel and Shealtiel. The feminine singular construct form of the common noun pě·ḥā(h) means “governor” since the word pertains to one who governs an administrative district for a king. Here it identifies Shealtiel’s son, Zerubbabel as the person who governed the remnant of Judah on behalf of Darius I Hystaspes. The construct state of this noun pě·ḥā(h) indicates that the word is grammatically bound to the nominal that follows it in a broadly possessive or genitival construction. Thus, it denotes that it is governing the word which follows it and is expressing a genitive relation with this word which is the masculine singular form of the proper name yĕhûdâ , “ Judah .” The name yĕhûdâ , “ Judah ” means “I will praise the Lord.” It was given to the fourth child that Leah bore to Jacob whose birth is recorded in Genesis 29:35. In Haggai 1:1, the word yĕhûdâ , “ Judah ” refers to the remnant of the southern which returned from the Babylonian exile during the reign of Darius I Hystaspes. After the death of Solomon, the nation of Israel had a civil war and was divided into a northern kingdom and a southern kingdom. The latter took the name Judah. The genitive relation between these two words is possessive expressing the idea that the governorship of Judah belongs to Zerubbabel who was the son of Shealtiel. The conjunction w means “as well as, in addition” since the word is used in an adjunctive sense expressing the idea that “in addition to” Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, Judah’s governor, Joshua the high priest and son of Jehozadak was the recipient of this message from the Lord through the prophet Haggai.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 6 The masculine singular proper name yehô·š ǔaʿ means “Joshua” who is identified in Haggai 1:1 as the high priest of the remnant of Judah. He was taken into exile by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C. but then returned to with Zerubbabel in approximately 537 B.C. (Ezra 2:2). The descendants of his family also returned (Ezra 2:36; cf. 2:40). The masculine singular proper name yehô·š ǔaʿ, “Joshua ” is the object of the preposition ʾě l which functions as an indirect object which means that it is receiving the direct object of the verb hāyâ which is dĕbar . It can also be interpreted as a marker of advantage expressing the idea that this message from the Lord communicated by the prophet Haggai was “for the benefit of” or “on behalf of” Joshua, the high priest and son of Jehozadak. Once again, we have the masculine singular construct form of the noun bēn which means “son, descendant” since it pertains to an offspring of an ancestor, of any of a number of generations. The construct state of this noun means that the word is in construction with another noun or we can say that it is governing another noun. Specifically, it is used to indicate that it is grammatically bound to the nominal that follows it in a broadly possessive or genitival construction. Here it is governing the masculine singular proper name yehô· ṣā·ḏāq, “ Jehozadak ” who is identified here as the father of Joshua, the high priest. Some translations have Jehozadak as the high priest (cf. ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV. However, :1, 8 clearly indicate that Joshua was high priest (see also :1–2; cf. NAB). The same potential misunderstanding occurs in Hag 1:12, 14 and 2:2, where the same solution has been employed in the translation.1 The genitive relation between these two words is possession indicating that this Joshua is a son who “belongs to” Jehozadak expressing the familial relationship that existed between these two men. The articular masculine singular form of the noun kōhēn means “the priest” since the word pertains to priests of every kind. It is ascribed to the high priest of the remnant of Judah and pertains to Joshua performing religious duties and ceremonies to the God of Israel on behalf of the remnant of Judah which returned from the Babylonian exile. The articular construction of this word is monadic indicating that this priest is one of a kind. This interpretation of the article is supporting by the fact that this word is modified by the articular masculine singular form of the adjective gādôl , which means “high” since the word pertains to a standing above others in position. Specifically, it speaks of this priest as having authority over the other Levitical priests. The articular construction of this word

ASV American Standard Version (1901) NASB New American Standard Bible NIV The New International Version NRSV New Revised Standard Version (1989) NAB The New American Bible 1 Press. (2005). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible . Biblical Studies Press.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 7 expresses a superlative idea constituting the degree of grammatical comparison that denotes an unsurpassed level. introduces direct discourse and specifically it ( לֵאמֹֽ ר) The expression lēʾmōr introduces Haggai’s message to Zerubbabel, the governor of the remnant of Judah and Joshua the priest of this remnant. It introduces the content of this message recorded in Haggai 1:2 which presents the topic of this message. The qal infinitive construct form of the verb ʾāmar means “to say” and pertains to the act of speaking and is the object of the preposition l, which is a marker of purpose expressing the purpose for which the Lord communicated a message to Zerubbabel and Joshua through the prophet Haggai. This indicates that the Lord communicated a message through Haggai to Zerubbabel and Joshua “for the purpose of” communicating the contents of Haggai 1:2. The qal stem of this verb is fientive expressing the action of the Lord through the prophet performed the action of communicating a message to the governor of the remnant of Judah, Zerubbabel as well as Joshua, the high priest of this remnant.

Translation of Haggai 1:1

Haggai 1:1 During Darius, the king’s second year, during the sixth month, on the first day of this month, a message from the Lord was communicated through the agency of the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel, Shealtiel’s son, Judah’s governor as well as to Joshua, Jehozadak’s son, the high priest for the purpose of saying. (Author’s translation)

Exposition of Haggai 1:1

Haggai 1:1 presents the introduction to the first of four messages the Lord communicated to the remnant of Judah through the prophet Haggai. It asserts that the Lord communicated the first message through the prophet Haggai on the first day of the sixth month of Darius’ second year as ruler of the Persian Empire. This sixth month was 1 according to the Jewish calendar, which in our modern Gregorian calendar was August 29, 520 B.C. (Hag. 1:1-11). It was addressed to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah and Joshua the high priest. This message accuses the Jewish remnant of abandoning the rebuilding of the Lord’s temple (1:2-6), which is followed by an exhortation for them to rebuild again (1:7-8). The Lord asserts that this failure to complete this project is the reason why they have been impoverished since their return from exile (1:9-11). The remnant responds to the message by beginning to work on this rebuilding project (1:12-15). The introduction in Haggai 1:1 is composed of four parts: (1) The identification of the historical context when the message was communicated to the recipients. (2)

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 8 The prophetic word formula which identifies the divine origin of this message. (3) The identification of the prophet who is the agency communicating this message. (4) The identification of the recipients of this message. Let’s take a look at the first part of this introduction, which again identifies the historical context in which the Lord communicated this message through the prophet Haggai to the leadership of the remnant of Judah. This verse asserts that this message communicated by the Lord through Haggai on the first day of the sixth month of the second year of the reign of Darius. History records that this “Darius” mentioned in Haggai 1:1 was the Persian king Darius I Hystaspes who reigned from 522-486 B.C. One must not confuse Darius mentioned in Haggai 1:1 with Darius the Mede who appears in the since he was sixty-two when he began to rule according to Daniel 5:31 (6:1). Furthermore, the Darius of Haggai 1:1 was of a Persian royal line because his father, Hystaspes, was of the . On the other hand, the father of Darius the Mede was Ahasuerus who was of Median descent according to Daniel 9:1. The Darius in Haggai 1:1 took the throne by a coup d’état whereas Cyrus appointed the Darius of Daniel 9:1 to be king over Babylon. Darius I Hystaspes is mentioned in :5, 24; 5:5-7; 6:1, 12, 15 as well as Haggai 1:1; 2:10; :1, 7; 7:1 whereas Darius the Mede is only mentioned in the book of Daniel (6:1, 6, 9, 25, 28; 9:1; 11:1). Steel Brand writes “Darius seized the Persian throne in 522 BC in what he described as a countercoup in the . Many questioned his claim to legitimacy, but he proved to be as capable a monarch as . He incorporated the Elamite capital of Susa, completed construction of Cyrus’ capital at , and built a magnificent bureaucratic complex at (on the royal capitals, see Allen, Persian Empire , 59–86; Dandamaev and Lukonin, Culture and Social Institutions , 238–58). He reorganized the empire along new lines as satrapies, constructed new canals and other irrigation projects, began extensive monumental building throughout the empire, established a courier system along new roads, overhauled the Persian legal system, reassessed imperial tribute, and began circulation of the Persian daric . Because of Darius’ preoccupation with tribute, the Greek historian Herodotus dubbed him the ‘royal huckster’ (Hist. 3.89). The successes of Darius’ predecessors Cyrus and Cambyses likely spurred Darius’ desire to expand the Persian Empire. Cyrus had conquered the Median and Babylonian Empires. Cambyses had conquered Egypt. Darius thus set his sights on Europe, and his efforts were met with mixed success. Scythia rebuffed his forces, but Darius successfully extended control over Thrace and Macedonia. After he put down the Ionian Revolt (499–493 BC ), he waged a campaign against Athens and Eretria. His two attempts to invade Greece failed. In 492 BC storms off Mount Athos wrecked his fleet. Then, when a Thracian tribe

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 9 wounded the commander Mardonius, the expeditionary force returned. Two years later, the famous invasion of 490 ended in the startling Greek victory at the . When Darius died in 486 BC , his son Xerxes continued the Greek campaigns (compare ancient sources in Kuhrt, The Persian Empire , 181–85).”2 R. A. Taylor writes “No empire in the ancient Near East exceeded the size of this superpower. Persia controlled an area reaching from northern Africa to southern Russia and from Asia Minor all the way to India. 3 In the period immediately preceding Darius, the Persian empire was governed first by Cyrus the Great (559–530 B.C.) and then by his son Cambyses (530–522 B.C.). In 522 B.C. Darius seized the reins of power after overthrowing Gaumata, an impostor who had briefly laid claim to the throne. The new king had to deal with rebellions in various parts of the empire in order to consolidate his rule. But by the time of Haggai’s public ministry the initial unrest had been settled, even though some lingering signs of instability may have yet remained. 4 Increasingly Darius was able to solidify his control of the empire and focus on what would become his unique and lasting contributions to Persia’s national life.”5 Notice, the precision in which Haggai 1:1 dates this message from the Lord to the remnant of Judah. R.A. Taylor writes “The use of exact dates at the beginning of prophetic oracles is not unusual in biblical literature from this general period (cf., e.g., Ezek 1:1–2; 8:1; Zech 1:1, 7; 7:1). But the repeated occurrence of precise dates in a book as brief as Haggai is striking. 6 No other prophetic book exceeds Haggai in terms of its density of dated material. 7 The specificity with which these dates are given in Haggai serves two purposes. First, it underscores the factuality of the events that are described, situating them within a verifiable historical context. Second, it lends credibility to the predictive portions of the prophet’s message, since his accuracy on past allusions can be readily established. 8 The dates cited in Haggai reveal that the prophet’s recorded ministry spanned only a very brief time. The events of this book are confined to a period of about three and a half months. In that brief time Haggai was able to move his community from stark

2 Brand, S. (2016). Darius I Hystaspes . In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary . Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. 3 See E. Stern, “The Archeology of Persian Palestine,” in Introduction: The Persian Period , CHJ (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984), 1:88. 4 See E. Stern, “The Archeology of Persian Palestine,” in Introduction: The Persian Period , CHJ (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984), 1:88. 5 Taylor, R. A., & Clendenen, E. R. (2004). Haggai, (Vol. 21A, p. 103). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers. 6 E. H. Merrill likens Haggai’s interest in chronology (and Zechariah’s as well) to that found in extrabiblical texts of roughly the same period, pointing out that such attention “is characteristic of the annalistic style of history writing employed in Neo-Babylonian and Persian times” ( An Exegetical Commentary: Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi [Chicago: Moody, 1994], 4). 7 So R. B. Dillard and T. Longman III, An Introduction to the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 423; S. Amsler, “Aggée, Zacharie 1–8,” in Aggée, Zacharie 1–8, Zacharie 9–14, Malachie , 2d ed., CAT 11c (Geneva: Labor et Fides, 1988), 9. 8 See further P. A. Verhoef, “Notes on the Dates in the Book of Haggai,” in Text and Context: Old Testament and Semitic Studies for F. C. Fensham (Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1988), 263–64.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 10 apathy to vigorous action. That a single individual was able to accomplish so much in so short a time speaks impressively of the prophet’s effectiveness.”9 Also, notice that unlike his predecessors, Haggai relates this prophecy to the reign of a non-Israelite or Judahite king. The Babylonian captivity had brought to an end the Israelite monarchy. Therefore, it was essential for a post-exilic prophet like Haggai to relate events they describe to a Gentile monarch like Darius I Hystaspes. Connected to this, we must remember that after the exile, the Jews adopted the Babylonian calendar which began the year in the spring. Our calendar in the twenty-first century begins January 1, in the middle of the winter. The sixth month in Haggai 1:1 would therefore, correspond to the month of August in our Gregorian calendar. Therefore, when Haggai 1:1 asserts that this first message to the remnant of Judah was delivered on the first day of the sixth month of King Darius’ second year, this would be Elul 1 according to the Jewish calendar, which in our modern Julian calendar was August 29, 520 B.C. R.A. Taylor writes “According to Hag 1:1 the prophet’s first message dates to the second year of Darius, which is best understood to be 520 B.C. 10 The 520 date is based on the understanding that the Persians adopted the Babylonian accession year system of calculation, whereby the initial partial year of a new king was regarded not as the first year of his rule but as an accession year. With this understanding, the first year of the king’s rule was the first full year following the accession year. 11 ”12 Now, in the of the Old Testament, prior to the Babylonian exile, the prophets would usually date the events with reference to a king of Judah or Israel. However, the Jews had no king in the days of Haggai since they were now under Gentile control and in particular they were under the Persian Empire. During “the times of the Gentiles” Israel would be under Gentile domination. “The times of the Gentiles” refers to a period of human history in which God is disciplining the nation of Israel for her corporate rebellion against Him. It refers to an extended period of time when the Gentiles are the dominant world powers and Israel is subject to those powers. It extends from the Babylonian capture of

9 Taylor, R. A., & Clendenen, E. R. (2004). Haggai, Malachi (Vol. 21A, p. 106). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers. 10 For a discussion of the main issues see J. Kessler, “The Second Year of Darius and the Prophet Haggai,” Transeu 5 (1992): 63–84; id., The Book of Haggai: Prophecy and Society in Early Persian , VTSup 91 (Leiden: Brill, 2002), 80–85; also S. Japhet, “ ‘History’ and ‘Literature’ in the Persian Period: The Restoration of the Temple,” in “Ah, Assyria …”: Studies in Assyrian History and Ancient Near Eastern Historiography Presented to Hayim Tadmor , ScrHier 33 (Jerusalem: Magnes, 1991), 176, n. 17. 11 E. J. Bickerman adopts a nonaccession year method for calculating Darius’s second year, arriving at the date 521 (“La seconde année de Darius,” RB 88 [1981]: 23–28). See also L. Waterman, “The Camouflaged Purge of Three Messianic Conspirators,” JNES 13 (1954): 73–78. Bickerman prefers the earlier date in part because of an interpretation of 2:20–23 that understands Haggai to be predicting the soon demise of the Persian empire. Such a prediction would fit better the unsettled political conditions of 521 than it would the political climate of the following year, by which time Darius had consolidated his rule. This interpretation of 2:20–23, however, is tenuous, and it seems unlikely that Haggai should be seen as engaging in such risky political maneuvers. H. W. Wolff concludes that the evidence favors the 520 date ( Haggai: A Commentary [Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1988], 74–76). W. H. Rose concludes that Darius’s second year was most likely from April 3, 520 to March 22, 519 ( Zemah and Zerubbabel: Messianic Expectations in the Early Postexilic Period , JSOTSup 304 [Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2000], 27–30). See also L. Depuydt, “Evidence for Accession Dating under the Achaemenids,” JAOS 115 (1995): 193–204. 12 Taylor, R. A., & Clendenen, E. R. (2004). Haggai, Malachi (Vol. 21A, pp. 103–104). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 11 Jerusalem under Nebuchadnezzar in 605 B.C. and continues through the Tribulation (Revelation 11:2) and ends with the Second Advent of Jesus Christ. This period of history includes the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and the church age and the Tribulation period. This phrase does not rule out temporary Jewish control of Jerusalem as has occurred in the past during the Maccabean era (164-63 B.C), the first Jewish revolt against Rome (A.D. 66-70), the second Jewish revolt (A.D. 132-135) and now since 1967 and the Six-Day War. However, this control is only temporary because Revelation 11:1-2 predicts at least another three- and-one-half years of Gentile domination during the last half of Daniel’s Seventieth Week, also known as the Tribulation. Therefore, any Jewish takeover of the city of David before the Second Advent of Christ must be therefore viewed as a temporary one and does not mean that “the times of the Gentiles” has ended since it can only end with the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, which will forever stop Gentile powers waging war against Israel. The Times of the Gentiles will come to an end with the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, which also brings to completion the four hundred ninety prophetic years mentioned in Daniel 9:24-27. The times of the Gentiles is the period of human history in which God is exercising His righteous indignation towards the nation of Israel. However, at His Second Advent, the Lord Jesus Christ will bring to an end the times of the Gentiles and the seventieth week and thus the exercise of God’s righteous indignation towards the Jewish people. There will also be a national regeneration of the nation of Israel at the Second Advent. He will also destroy the Tribulational armies, have Antichrist and the False Prophet thrown into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:11-19), will imprison Satan for a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-3) and will establish His millennial reign on planet earth (Rev. 20:4-6). At that time, the Lord and His armies will orbit the earth before landing on the Mount of Olives, which was the site of His Ascension (Acts. 1:9-11). There will be a great earthquake when our Lord’s foot touches the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:1-8) and will be a unique day having neither day nor night (Zech. 14:7). The Lord Jesus Christ describes the Tribulation period in detail and His Second Advent in Matthew 24:29-31 and Luke 21:25-28. In Luke 21:24, the Lord Jesus Christ makes mention of “the times of the Gentiles” in relation to the Tribulation period in His Olivet Discourse. There are also two great prophecies that appear in Daniel chapter two and chapter seven, which present to us the prophetic outline of the Gentiles during the times of the Gentiles. The prophecy that appears in Daniel chapter two, views the times of the Gentiles from the perspective of man whereas the prophecy in Daniel chapter seven, views it from God’s perspective. These two prophecies also reveal that there will be a revived form of the Roman Empire during the Tribulation period under Antichrist, which will be destroyed by the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 12 The expression “ the fullness of the Gentiles ” in Romans 11:26 is not the same as the expression used by our Lord in Luke 21:24, namely, “ the times of the Gentiles .” The apostle Paul in Romans 11:26 cites :20 to support his assertion that there will be a national regeneration of Israel and to teach that it will take place at Christ’s Second Advent. Romans 11:26 teaches that at the Second Advent of Christ and immediately after the full number of Gentiles that have been elected by the Father in eternity past have been saved there will be a national regeneration of Israel. Therefore, in Romans 11:26, the apostle Paul cites Isaiah 59:20 to support his assertion that immediately after the full number of Gentiles that have been elected by the Father in eternity past have been saved there will be a national regeneration of Israel at Christ’s Second Advent. So “ the fullness of the Gentiles ” in Romans 11:25 and the “ times of the Gentiles ” in Luke 21:24 both end with the Second Advent of Christ. However, the former deals with the number of Gentiles who will be saved whereas as the latter is political dealing with the political control of Jerusalem. Now, as we noted, when the southern kingdom of Judah returned from Babylon, they continued to follow the Babylonian calendar. The Babylonians began their year in the spring rather than the fall (cf. Ex. 23:16; 34:22). Now, each new month began with a new moon. The Israelites celebrated the occasion with a New Moon festival (cf. Num. 28:11-15; Isa. 1:14; Hos. 2:11). The New Moon festival was a time of rest (Amos 8:5) and rejoicing (Hos. 2:11). Haggai 1:1 asserts that this first message from the Lord to the remnant of Judah was delivered on the “first day” of the month, which was a new moon and a day in which the prophets were sometimes consulted. Therefore, this first message the Lord communicated through the prophet Haggai would therefore, be presented on a day when most Jews would have been in Jerusalem for this festival. R.A. Taylor writes “That the first day of the month was the occasion of Haggai’s message is of interest in that according to the first of every month was a time for special offerings to the Lord (cf. Num 28:11–15). As such it was to be a time of celebration and rejoicing (Num 10:10). But with the temple lying in ruins, there was no way properly to observe these festive occasions as had been done less than a century before. It may be that by delivering his message on this first day of the month Haggai intended the very timing of his message to call attention to the spiritual dilemma that confronted his people.”13 Now, as we noted, the second part of the introduction which appears in Haggai 1:1 contains the prophet word formula, which is the expression ḏeḇǎ r-yeh·w ā(h) ʹ The LORD spoke this message .” It appears 270 times in the Old “ ,( דְ בַר־יְהוָ֜ה) Testament and fives along in the book of Haggai (1:1, 3; 2:1, 10, 20) and is used

13 Taylor, R. A., & Clendenen, E. R. (2004). Haggai, Malachi (Vol. 21A, p. 105). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 13 the majority of the time in the Old Testament to refer to a Word spoken by Yahweh to a prophet as a technical expression for the prophetic word of revelation. It is the formula that gives the of the Old Testament their distinctiveness. This expression in the Old Testament also is an earmark of inspiration indicating that what the prophet is communicating to people in writing is inspired by the Holy Spirit and is a revelation of God’s will (cf. 2 Peter 1:20-21). It is the typical introductory phrase used among the prophetic books (cf. :2; Ezekiel 1:3; Hosea 1:1; Joel 1:1; Jonah 1:1; Micah 1:1; Haggai 1:1; Malachi 1:1). This formula asserts the prophecy originates with God and not the prophet. This message refers to what Yahweh, the God of Israel said to the prophet Haggai. The content of this message is recorded in the book of Haggai. The exact manner in which Haggai received this message is not identified for the reader. The use of the term “Lord ” which is the proper noun yhwh (Yahweh ) is significant since it is the covenant-keeping personal name of God used in connection with the remnant of Judah which returned to the land of promise from Babylon. It is emphasizing the covenant relationship that existed between the remnant of Judah and God. This word is also emphasizing the “immanency” of the Lord meaning that He involves Himself in and concerns Himself with and intervenes in the affairs of men and in this content that He intervenes in the affairs of this Jewish remnant. This revelation given to Haggai to communicate to this remnant manifests this truth. The term yhwh , “ Lord ” emphasizes God’s concern for the remnant of Judah which returned from the Babylonian deportation in that He intervenes in the affairs of this nation and emphasizes the divine origin of this message Haggai received and communicated to the remnant of Judah. Thus, this expression ḏeḇǎ r-yeh·w ā(h) ʹ The LORD spoke this message ” emphasizes with the reader, the “ ,( דְ בַר־יְהוָ֜ה) remnant of Judah and her leaders that Haggai received divine authority to proclaim a message to them from God. The Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms writes immanence is “the idea that God is present in, close to and involved with creation. Unlike pantheism, which teaches that God and the world are one or that God is the ‘soul’ (animating principle) of the world, Christian theology teaches that God is constantly involved with creation without actually becoming exhausted by creation or ceasing to be divine in any way.” 14 J. I. Packer writes “God is both transcendent over, and immanent in, his world. These 19th-century words express the thought that on the one hand God is distinct from his world, does not need it, and exceeds the grasp of any created intelligence that is found in it (a truth sometimes expressed by speaking of the mystery and

14 Grenz, S., Guretzki, D., & Nordling, C. F. (1999). Pocket dictionary of theological terms (63). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 14 incomprehensibility of God); while on the other hand he permeates the world in sustaining creative power, shaping and steering it in a way that keeps it on its planned course. Process theology jettisons transcendence and so stresses the immanence of God and his struggling involvement in the supposedly evolving cosmos that he himself becomes finite and evolving too; but this is yet another unbiblical oddity.” 15 Therefore, this prophetic word formula in Haggai 1:1 is therefore asserting that Haggai’s message to the leadership of the remnant of Judah is divine in origin and thus it brings into view the doctrine of inspiration. The term “inspiration” like “Trinity” is not a biblical word but does summarize some important facets of biblical truth. The theological idea of inspiration presupposes a personal God with a mind and a sovereign will. The Christian’s conviction regarding the inspiration of the Bible is based upon the Bible’s own testimony or in other words, it is based upon on explicit assertions. Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines the word “inspiration” as “a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him to receive and communicate sacred revelation, the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions.” They state that the word “inspire” means “to influence, move, or guide by divine or supernatural inspiration.” Therefore, the doctrine of inspiration contends that, God the Holy Spirit so supernaturally directed the human authors of Scripture, that without destroying their individuality, their literary style, their personal interests, and their vocabulary, God’s complete and connected thought towards man was recorded with perfect accuracy in the original languages of Scripture. The original languages of Scripture contain the very words of God, and therefore, bear the authority of divine authorship. The definitions of inspiration presented above speak both of God’s action, by His Spirit, in the human author and of the nature of the resulting text. Therefore, the Scripture states that “no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation; indeed, prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20– 21). Furthermore, the Scriptures teach that not only are the human authors of Scripture “carried along by the Holy Spirit,” but the resulting Scripture is “God- breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). Notice that these passages teach that it is Scripture that is so described, not the human author. If we choose to use the word “inspired” instead of “God-breathed,” then we can say that it is the text that is inspired, not the human authors. Now, if we use the term “inspire” to the fact that the human authors were “carried along by

15 Ferguson, S. B., & Packer, J. (2000). New dictionary of theology (electronic ed.) (276–277). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 15 the Holy Spirit,” then the authors of Scripture were in fact inspired. Therefore, our definition of inspiration is designed to capture both the work of the Holy Spirit through the human author and the resulting status of the text of Scripture. It is important to understand that there is nothing in this definition that requires a particular mode of inspiration. The Scriptures reveal that inspiration may operate through a vision, a trance-like dream, and hearing voices. However, we must also keep in mind that there is nothing in the definition that requires such phenomena. In fact, the Scriptures also reveal that it is not clear that all of the biblical writers were always self-consciously aware that what they were writing was canonical Scripture. So, the term “inspiration” is really not much more than a convenient label to attach to the process whereby God has brought about the existence of the Scriptures: verbal revelation and historical witness, words of human beings and words of God, the truth that God chose to communicate and the particular forms of individual human authors. Inspiration is God revealing Himself through the Word of God which is His mind whereas revelation is God using a vehicle. Inspiration is the means God used to reveal Himself through the Bible whereas revelation is concerned with the divine origin of Scripture and the giving of truth to men. Interpretation emphasizes the understanding of God’s revelation to man. Through revelation, God reveals truth and by interpretation man understands this truth. Interpretation deals with understanding the revelation provided in Scripture whereas illumination refers to the ministry of the Holy Spirit helping the believer to understand this revelation from God in the Scriptures. In revelation we have the vertical reception of God’s truth while in inspiration we have the horizontal communication of that revelation accurately to others. The word of God in its original languages is the vehicle by which God reveals Himself to mankind. In other words, inspiration is the process by which God worked through the human authors without destroying their individual personalities, vocabularies and writing styles to produce divine authoritative and inerrant writings. God reveals Himself to man in four ways: (1) by nature or creation (Psalm 19:1-6; Rom. 1:19-20). (2) Human conscience (Romans 2:14-15). (3) The Living Word, i.e., the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:18; 1 Tim. 3:16; 1 Cor. 1:24; Heb. 1:1-3). (4) The Written Word, the Bible in its original languages. God’s will, purpose and plan for your life can only be found in the written Word, not in nature since nature cannot: (1) Give information about God’s purpose for your life. (2) Give information about God’s will for your life. (3) Give information about God’s plan for your life. (4) Give the way of salvation.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 16 God’s will, purpose, plan and way of salvation are revealed to us: (1) in the written Word of God, i.e., the Bible. (2) By the Living Word of God, i.e., the Lord Jesus Christ. So, the process goes like this: (1) revelation is the objective fact of God communicating to mankind (2) inspiration is the means by which God communicated to mankind (3) interpretation is the process of understanding what God has communicated. The Holy Spirit is involved in every step. He is the member of the Trinity responsible for this revelation since He guided and directed the human authors of Scripture to put down in the original autographs God’s complete and connected thought to mankind. So, the Spirit was the means by which God communicated His will to men. He is responsible for the inspiration of Scripture. He is also the one who guides the believer in the interpretation of this revelation and helps them to understand it so as to make application. Verbal inspiration is a view of inspiration that holds that the words themselves in the original languages of Scripture are truly God’s words, inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is sometimes caricatured as a “dictation theory.” But most conservatives today do not believe that God simply dictated His Word to scribes working like a modern secretary or a robot. God used the prophets and controlled them, but He did not violate their styles or personalities. The expression “plenary” inspiration expresses the view of biblical inspiration that contends that God is the ultimate author of the Bible in its entirety. This means that God’s superintending work in inspiration extends to the whole Bible and to each part of the Bible. Plenary inspiration guarantees that all that the church has come to affirm as Scripture is both authoritative and helpful for Christian belief and practice. So “verbal” signifies the words of the original languages of Scripture whereas “plenary” means “full” or “complete” as opposed to partial. Thus, verbal plenary inspiration expresses the idea that each and every word in the original languages of Scripture are inspired by God who gave full expression to His thoughts in the original languages of Scripture. He influenced the very choice of the words used within the personality and vocabulary of the writers so that the Bible is not only the Word of God but also the words of men. The Scriptures claim that they are inspired by God the Holy Spirit. Thus, when approaching the subject of inspiration, one should let the Scriptures speak for itself. 2 Samuel 23:2 “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His Word was on my tongue.” (NASB95) Isaiah 59:21 “And as for Me, this is My covenant with them, says the Lord: “My Spirit which is upon you (Isaiah), and My Words which I have put in

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 17 your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from now and forever.” (NASB95) Mark 12:36 “David himself said in the Holy Spirit, “the Lord said to My Lord, sit at My right hand, until I put Your enemies beneath My feet.” (NASB95) Acts 28:25 “And when they (the unbelieving Jews in Rome) did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, “The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers.” (NASB95) 1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world (cosmic system), but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. (NASB95) Ephesians 3:4 As a result of the public reading of this you ought to be able to understand my technical knowledge about the mystery of the Christ, 5 which (mystery) in other generations was not made known to mankind as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by means of the Spirit. (Author’s translation) Hebrews 3:7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “today if you hear His voice.” (NASB95) 1 Peter 1:12, “It was to them (Old Testament prophets) that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the to you by means of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven-things into which angels long to look.” Revelation 2:7 “He, who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 2:11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (NASB95) Revelation 2:17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (NASB95) Revelation 3:6 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (NASB95) Revelation 3:13, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (NASB95) Revelation 3:22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (NASB95) Second Timothy 3:16 is considered by many as an internal argument for the inspiration of the Bible. If this verse is internal proof for the inspiration of the

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 18 Bible, then we must have an accurate translation of what this text actually does say. However, there are differences of opinion regarding the translation of this verse. 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. (NASB95) So, we can see here in 2 Timothy 3:16 that Paul is emphasizing with Timothy and the church which would read this epistle that the Old Testament Scriptures were God-breathed and thus are useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness. In other words, though God used men to communicate with the human race through the Bible, the Bible itself originates with God and is not merely human book but also a divine book. Therefore, it is a unique book because it is both human and divine just like Jesus Christ who is both God and man. 2 Peter 1:20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. (NASB95) The apostle Peter’s statement in verse 20 means that the prophecies that were written by the prophets of Israel that appear in the Old Testament did not originate with them. In 2 Peter 1:20-21, the apostle Peter is emphatically denying that Old Testament prophecy originates from human initiative. He also equally emphatically asserts that Old Testament prophetic literature originates with God. Peter is teaching his readers that the Old Testament prophets were influenced by the omnipotence of the person of the Holy Spirit, which enabled them to communicate in writing with perfect accuracy, God the Father’s sovereign will. The Old Testament prophets received the action of being influenced by the Holy Spirit when they communicated their prophecies in writing. The Old Testament prophets of Israel spoke from God because of being influenced by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we can see that like Paul’s statement in 2 Timothy 3:16, here in 2 Peter 1:20-21, Peter is asserting the divine origin of the Old Testament canon. Not only this, but both men are teaching that God spoke to mankind through the instrumentality of men. The Old Testament prophets distinguish themselves in their writings and public speeches that they were God’s spokesmen. They were of the conviction that they were speaking about God and His works as well as His sovereign will. They declared that the commands and prohibitions which they issued to Israel originated from God Himself. The fulfillment of prophecy demonstrated this fact. The Old Testament contains many references to individual instances of inspiration, and some of these seem to imply direct dictation. The and Deuteronomy record Moses receiving the tablets of stone inscribed “by the finger of God” (Exodus 31:18; 24:4; compare Deuteronomy 31:9; 31:22). The

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 19 prophets of Israel who followed Moses as covenant enforcers state that they spoke the word of God: “the word of Yahweh came to Samuel” (1 Samuel 15:10); “the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Gad” (2 Samuel 24:11); “the word of Yahweh came to Solomon” (1 Kings 6:11); “the word of Yahweh came to Elijah” (1 Kings 18:1; 21:17, 28), “the word of Yahweh came to Isaiah” (Isa 38:4). There are many passages which refer to prophets writing down the words they received from God (compare 1 Samuel 10:25; Jeremiah 36; Isaiah 8:1; and 12:12). Therefore, these passages imply that the original authors saw at least some instances of inspiration as being by direct dictation regardless of whether they viewed canonical works as a whole as having been dictated. Throughout His ministry, Jesus of Nazareth appealed to the Old Testament Scriptures while teaching and considered them authoritative because they were the Word of God. This is never more evident than in John 10:34-35. John 10:34-35 Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken).” (NASB95) In this passage, the Lord when defending Himself from attacks from His enemies quotes the Old Testament. Specifically, He quotes Psalm 82:6 and then says that this “Scripture can never be broken.” This statement makes clear that He considered the Old Testament canon as being the supreme authority in judging matters. Jesus again declares the Old Testament as from God in the Sermon on the Mount discourse. Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (NASB95) Notice again Jesus appeals to the authority of the Scripture and says that it is eternal and indestructible implying it is from God since God is eternal and indestructible. He also appealed to Scripture when dealing with the temptations of Satan (Luke 4). Throughout the , one can see Jesus asking the question “Have you never read in the Scriptures?” Our Lord’s confidence in the Old Testament canon also appears in Matthew 19:4 when addressing the issue of divorce. He appeals to the account of Adam and Eve in Genesis to reaffirm God’s original design for marriage.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 20 We can see that throughout the Gospels, Jesus testified that whatever is written in the Old Testament is the Word of God. He not only was of this conviction before His resurrection but also after it (Luke 24:25-46). The frequently refers to the Old Testament as “scripture” (Matthew 21:42.) which clearly implies a well-known body of literature considered authoritative both by the Christian and Jewish communities. Jesus Christ Himself referred to this authoritative literature in the same manner as did His contemporaries (Matthew 19:4). The apostle Paul does the same (Romans 1:17 et. al.). They both introduce quotations from the Old Testament with the phrase “it is written.” First Corinthians 15:3–7 is an early Christian creed which demonstrates how the orthodox Jewish view of Scripture was brought over into even pre-Pauline since it twice describes the death and resurrection of Christ with the words “according to Scripture” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). In his , the apostle Paul declares often the authoritative nature of his own writings (see 1 Corinthians 12:28; 7:25; 14:37; 1 Thessalonians 4:14; 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14; Galatians 1:8–11; Ephesians 2:20; 3:5). The second epistle of the apostle Peter which was considered by many one of the latest New Testament letters, combines the commands of the apostles of Jesus Christ together with the words of the Old Testament prophets in the sense that both are authoritative (2 Peter 3:2). In this epistle, Peter states that his fellow apostle Paul wrote according to the “wisdom that was given him (2 Peter 3:15). The written by the apostle John also makes direct claims to its own authority in that it promises blessings to those who obey its precepts (Revelation 1:3), and warning those who might add to or take away from it (Revelation 22:10). Now, as we noted, the third part of the introduction which appears in Haggai 1:1 identifies the prophet Haggai as the instrument or agency which the Lord employed to communicate this message to the leadership of the remnant of Judah. This man is identified as a prophet. Haggai himself and the prophet Ezra simply refer to him as “the prophet Haggai” (Hag. 1:1; Ezra 5:1; 6:14). However, he is the first prophet to be used by the God of Israel to address the postexilic Judean community. The contents of Haggai also identify the specific dates of each of his four messages to this community, namely 520 B.C. during the second year of the reign of Darius I. Ezra also asserts that Haggai was joined by the prophet Zechariah (cf. Ezra 5:1-2; 6:14). The prophet was unique among the prophets of Israel in that his words were listened and obeyed. The remnant of Israel immediately obeyed what he exhorted them to do in rebuilding the temple. The life and ministry of Haggai are a mystery since the Scriptures do not identify his parentage or genealogy. In fact, there are only two references to him

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 21 outside of his own book (cf. Ezra 5:1; 6:14). He is also alluded to in :9. This sets him apart from most of the prophets of Israel since most provide in their prophecies a personal genealogy or geographical origin or royal contemporaries (Isa 1:1; Jer 1:1–3; Ezek 1:1–3; Hos 1:1; Joel 1:1; Amos 1:1; Jonah 1:1; Mic 1:1; Nah 1:1; Zeph 1:1; Zech 1:1.). Thus, the book of Haggai is similar to the books of Obadiah, Habakkuk and Malachi. We also have no idea of when and where he died. It would appear that he was not exiled to Babylon or was born during this captivity since his name is not provided in the list of returnees found in Ezra 2. However, this is not itself sufficient ground for making this conclusion. There were a number of activities that the prophets of God were involved in such as communicating doctrine, issuing judgments, communicating future events, serving in the Temple, performing miracles, proclaiming Messianic prophecies, and interceding through prayer for the people (Hab. 3). An inspired prophet could be identified using the tests for prophets in Deuteronomy 13:1-5; 18:14-22. The prophets of Israel were the authorized spokesmen for God and proclaimed His will, purpose and plan (See Hebrews 1:1-2). There were a number of activities that the prophets of God were involved in such as communicating doctrine, issuing judgments, communicating future events, serving in the Temple, performing miracles, proclaiming Messianic prophecies, and interceding through prayer for the people (Hab. 3). An inspired prophet could be identified using the tests for prophets in Deut. 13:1-5; 18:14-22. An inspired prophet could be identified using the tests for prophets in Deut. 13:1-5; 18:14-22. Moses wrote the Pentateuch (Ex. 17:14; 24:4-7; 34:27; Deut. 31:9,22,24; Ezra 7:6; Ps. 103:7; Josh. 8:31, 23:6; I Kings 2:3). Some prophets clearly state that they were ordered to write (Jer. 30:2; Ezek. 43:11; Is. 8:1) and each of the 12 Minor Prophets call themselves prophets. The historical books were written by prophets (I Chron. 29:29; II Chron. 9:29; 12:15; 13:22; 20:34; 32:32; 33:19). Daniel accepted the as scripture (Dan. 9:2) and Joshua received Moses’ writing as Scripture (Josh. 1:26) and Isaiah and Micah accepted each other's writings as scripture contemporaneously (Is. 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-4). Solomon, Samuel, Daniel, Isaiah and Ezekiel all had dreams and visions, which squares with God’s description of a prophet (Deut. 13:1; Num. 12:6-8). The New Testament quotes the Old Testament over six hundred times (all of the Old Testament books are quoted except Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon and Acts 2:30 and Matthew 24:15 identify David and Daniel as prophets). Not only did the apostles learn from the Old Testament Scriptures and quote them extensively in their writings but also our Lord in His human nature did as well. After His resurrection from the dead, the Lord Jesus Christ employed the Old Testament Scriptures to instruct His disciples that the Messiah had to die and rise again from the dead (See Luke 24:44-47).

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 22 Now, as we noted, the fourth and final part of this introduction in Haggai 1:1 identifies the recipients of this message from the God of Israel. It identifies Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah and Joshua the high priest, the son of Jehozadak as the recipients of this, the first of four messages from the God of Israel through the prophet Haggai. Of course, the contents of this first message which appear in Haggai 1:2-11 make clear that the remnant of Judah are also recipients of this message since these two men would communicate this message to this remnant of Jews who returned from Babylon. Zerubbabel is also the grandson of King Jehoiachin according to the genealogies of Jesus found in Matthew and Luke (Matt. 1:12-13; Luke 3:27). He is named in Ezra 2:2 as one of the leaders of the Jewish remnant returning from Babylon. His father is identified as Shealtiel who is identified in Scripture as the son of Jeconiah, the last king of Judah before the final Babylonian deportation in 586 B.C. (1 Chr. 3:17; Ezra 3:8; 3:2; Neh. 12:1; Hag. 1:12, 14; 2:2, 23; Matt. 1:12; Luke 3:27). Therefore, Zerubbabel was a descendant of king David because he was from Judah and descendant from the kings of Judah (Hag. 1:1). Now, 1 Chronicles 3:19 appears to contradict Haggai 1:1 since the former reveals that Pedaiah was his father and Shealtiel his uncle. However, this problem can be resolved with either adoption or levirate law. This would then indicate that when Pedaiah died, his brother Shealtiel adopted Zerubbabel or Shealtiel adopted him after Pedaiah died. Eugene Merrill writes “Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel (see Introduction to Haggai under Historical Context) bears a name clearly attesting to his Babylonian origins (Akkadian zer babili, “descendant of Babylon”). As grandson of the last legitimate king of Judah, Jehoiachin (1 Chron. 3:17-19), Zerubbabel, the chosen ‘signet’ (Hag. 2:23), was qualified in every way to succeed as Davidic king even though under Persian dominion he had to settle for the office of governor. If in the biblical record Sheshbazzar is the same as Shenazzar (again see discussion in the Introduction; 1 Chron. 3:18), Zerubbabel was the second of a line of Jewish governors culminating in Nehemiah.”16 Joshua the son of Jehozadak is identified in Haggai 1:1 as the high priest of the remnant of Judah. He was taken into exile by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C. (1 Chron. 6:15; cf. Ezra 3:2, 8; Neh. 12:1, 8), but then returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel in approximately 537 B.C. (Ezra 2:2). The descendants of his family also returned (Ezra 2:36; cf. 2:40). He evidently was the grandson of Seraiah, who was the high priest when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem, whom Nebuchadnezzar executed at Riblah (2 Kgs. 25:18-21; Jer. 52:24-27).

16 Merrill, Eugene H., An Exegetical Commentary: Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi ; www.bible.org.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 23 Eugene Merrill writes “Joshua the son of Jehozadak, here designated the high priest, is mentioned outside Haggai in Ezra 3:2, 8; 5:2; 10:18; Neh. 12:26; Zech. 6:11. The Jehozadak of 1 Chron. 6:14-15 is without doubt Joshua’s father, a fact that establishes Joshua’s Aaronic lineage through Zadok (1 Chron. 6:1-5). Thus, the Davidic royal descent as well as that of the Aaronic priests meet in the postexilic age as common recipients of God’s word of hope and promise through Haggai and Zechariah. This dyarchic structure in post-exilic , spelled out in Zechariah, has profound Messianic and post-biblical ramifications. 17 ”18 Some translations of Haggai 1:1 have Jehozadak as the high priest (cf. ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV. However, Zechariah 3:1, 8 clearly indicate that Joshua was high priest (see also Ezra 5:1–2; cf. NAB). The same potential misunderstanding occurs in Hag 1:12, 14 and 2:2, where the same solution has been employed in the translation. 19 M.B. MacFarlane writes “In the Old Testament, the primary purpose of the high priest was to serve as a representative and mediator between the people and Yahweh. The office was established with Aaron, the brother of Moses, and high priests were the head priest first at the tabernacle and then later at the temple. Zadok served as high priest in the temple during the reign of Solomon. The high priest served several purposes that were crucial to Israelite worship. It was the high priest’s responsibility to see that the covenant was enforced, and to direct people to complete the duties of the temple and the law of Moses. As the representative for the nation of Israel, the high priest had a tremendous responsibility to direct the hearts of the people toward God and the fulfillment of the covenant. Some of the primary responsibilities of the high priest were the regular handling of sacrifices and offerings, the blessing of people, and the annual entrance into the most holy place within the tabernacle/temple during the Day of Atonement. Many of the duties, actions, and even the unique style of dress that was required of the high priest were symbolic. The office and responsibilities of the high priest were often familial (Lev 16:32; Exod 29:29). Generally, the office of high priest was assumed by the son of the current high priest when he was either no longer able to fulfill his duties, or upon his death. The primary way in which a high priest was evaluated in Scripture was in terms of their love for and loyalty to Yahweh and the zeal with which they held to the observation of the covenant. Throughout the Old Testament, there is a foreshadowing and forward-reaching hope of a more perfect high

17 Meyers and Meyers, Haggai, Zechariah 1-8, 7 18 Merrill, Eugene H., An Exegetical Commentary: Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi ; www.bible.org. ASV American Standard Version (1901) NASB New American Standard Bible NIV The New International Version NRSV New Revised Standard Version (1989) NAB The New American Bible 19 Biblical Studies Press. (2005). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible . Biblical Studies Press.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 24 priesthood that can represent Yahweh effectively and be a sufficient mediator for the people of Israel. The cyclical pattern of the lives of good and poor high priests makes it clear that no human being can fully perform this responsibility.”20 Israel was commanded by Yahweh in the Old Testament to observe seven feasts: (1) Passover (2) Unleavened Bread (3) Firstfruits (4) Pentecost (5) Trumpets (6) Atonement (7) Tabernacles. Passover was instituted the fourteenth of April 1441 B.C. (Ex. 12:1-4; Lev. 23:5). Christ is the literal fulfillment of the Passover (1 Cor. 5:7). It spoke of the Cross. The feast of Unleavened Bread began on the first day of April and lasted seven days immediately after Passover. The three-day feast portrayed the burial of The Lord Jesus Christ. Unleavened bread portrayed Jesus Christ who called Himself the “Bread of Life.” The feast of First fruits occurred on the first Sunday after the Passover. It fell on the third day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:9-14). This feast portrayed the resurrection of Christ who is the first fruits. The feast of Pentecost was a 1-day feast. It occurred on the first week in June, exactly 50 days after the Passover (Lev. 23:15-21). It marked the summer harvest in which many crops were available. It was literally fulfilled by Christ who was crucified on Passover, buried on Unleavened Bread, raised on Firstfruits, sent God the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The feast of Trumpets represents the trumpets judgments poured out during the seventieth week of Daniel and the regathering of Israel (Lev. 23:23). The trumpet was a signal for the field workers in Israel to come to the Temple. The Feast of Atonement was a day of confession and will represent that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Messiah. It represents the second Advent. Documentation: Leviticus 23:24-32; :10; 13:1, 6. The feast of Tabernacles lasted 7 days and represented the Millennium. The Lord will establish His Tabernacle in Jerusalem during the millennial reign (Ezek. 37:26-27). The Day of Atonement was a most solemn of these great Feasts (Lev. 16:26-32). It is derived from the Hebrew Yom Kippur. The only day in which anyone was ever permitted to enter the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle, or in the Temple. Only the high priest was permitted to enter it, and then only after he had brought an offering on behalf on his own sins (Lev. 16:13). Sacrificed on the Day of Atonement was a young bull (Lev. 16:6). It was for the sins of the high priest. Also, two goats were sacrificed for the sins of the people (Lev. 16:7-10; 15-16). The high priest sacrificed the bull on the brass altar as a sin offering for himself (Lev. 16:11). The blood represented Christ’s death on the cross. The blood was collected in a basin and carried past the huge curtain into the Holy of Holies. He then sprinkled it on the mercy seat (kapporet). The mercy seat was the golden lid

20 MacFarlane, M. B. (2016). High Priest . In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary . Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 25 that fit over the top of the Ark of the Covenant, which contains the emblems of Israel’s sin. (8) The Ark of the Covenant was overlaid with gold and stood in the Holy of Holies. The acacia wood of the box spoke of Christ’s humanity. The gold spoke of His deity. Together these materials represented Christ in Hypostatic Union or His uniqueness of the God-Man. On each end of the mercy seat stood the golden figure of a cherub. One represented God’s righteousness and the other His justice. Righteousness and justice looked down on sin (the emblems in the Ark) and condemned it. Once a year, the blood of the young bull was sprinkled on top of the mercy seat. When righteousness and justice looked down, they saw the completed work of Christ covering the sins of the high priest. The high priest sacrificed one of the goats as an offering for the people. The live goat was sent off into the wilderness after Aaron had laid both of his hands on its head thus transferring the iniquities of the people to the goat (Lev. 16:20-22). The “scapegoat” represents that aspect of Christ’s work, which puts away our sins (John 1:29). The goat that was slain (the Lord's lot) is that aspect of Christ’s death, which satisfies or vindicates the holy and righteousness of God that is demanded in the law. Aaron took the goats blood and entered into the Holy of Holies a second time to sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat. This time the death of Christ on the cross was dramatized as covering the sins of all the people. God does not remember our sins for they were put away and paid for by our Lord’s spiritual death (Psa. 103:12). The fulfillment of the Old Testament ritual came in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He entered the real Holy of Holies and not the shadow one on earth (Heb. 10:24). Our Lord did not have to offer a sacrifice for Himself as the Levitical high priest had to for himself for He was without sin, impeccable (Heb. 8:26-27). Instead, He offered Himself up once as a sacrifice to pay for the sins of all mankind (Heb. 8:27; 9:28a). He entered heaven one time and sat down at the right hand of God the Father (Heb. 10:12). Christ’s has obtained a much greater ministry than Aaron (Heb. 8:6). The Aaronic priesthood was a mere shadow of Christ’s royal priesthood (Heb. 8:1-6). The Tabernacle made on earth, which was made with human hands, was just a picture of the real one in heaven. The animal blood sacrifices were shadows or copies of the true sacrifice that was to take place on Calvary when our Lord died spiritually for our sins (Heb. 9:23-26). Our Lord’s sacrifice on the Cross-fulfilled completely the Mosaic sacrifices. His death paid for or covered our sins permanently, as the blood on the mercy seat covered the sins of Israel temporarily (Heb. 9:12-14; 10:4). The animal sacrifices in the Old Testament pictured the future sacrifice of Christ. They were merely shadows of Christ’s work on the cross (Heb. 10:1).

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 26 Together, Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah and Joshua, the high priest of this kingdom represented the political and religious leadership in the nation respectively. They led the remnant of Judah in rebuilding the altar and restoring sacrifices in Jerusalem (Ezra 3:2-6). When they began rebuilding the temple they were faced with strong opposition. They appealed to King Artaxerxes (Ezra 3:8- 4:24). They later corresponded with King Darius in order to recover Cyrus’ proclamation authorizing the rebuilding of the temple. This was after Joshua followed the instructions of Zechariah and Haggai. They finally renewed efforts to rebuild the temple (Ezra 5:2-6:15; Hag. 1:1, 12-14; 2:4). They completed the task in 515 B.C.

Haggai 1:2

The Lord of Hosts

Haggai 1:2 The LORD who rules over all says this: “These people have said, ‘The time for rebuilding the LORD ’s temple has not yet come.’” (NET) “The LORD who rules over all says this ” is composed of the following: (1) this ” (2) third person masculine singular qal perfect form of the “ ,( כֹּה) (adverb kō(h says ” (3) masculine singular construct form of the proper noun “ ,( אָמַ ר) verb ʾāmar who rules “ ,( צָבָא) Lord ” (4) feminine plural form of the noun ṣābāʾ “ ,( יהוה) yhwh which is not translated (6) qal infinitive construct ,( לְ ) over all ” (5) preposition lĕ .which is not translated ,( אָמַ ר) form of the verb ʾāmar The adverb kō(h) means “this is what, thus” since the word is a marker of transition in a discourse as a prompter of attention focusing on content that will follow. Therefore, it is marking a transition from the introduction of the book in verse 1 to the beginning of the first of four messages here in verse 2, and is focusing on this message, which follows it. Verse 1 asserts that the Lord communicated this message to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah and Joshua, the high priest of Judah through the prophet Haggai. The subject of this verb is the proper noun yhwh (Yahweh ), “ the Lord ” which is the covenant-keeping personal name of God and is used here in connection with His covenant relationship with the nation of Israel and in particular the remnant of Judah. It not only expresses God’s sovereignty over the kingdom of Judah but also the Persian Empire and all the nations on planet earth. The construct state of the noun yhwh indicates this word is grammatically bound to the feminine plural form of the noun ṣābāʾ, “ who rules over all ” which follows it, expressing a genitive relation between each other. In other words, the former governs the latter.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 27 The noun ṣābāʾ is in the plural and means “armies” since it pertains in this context to a military congregation as a large fighting or combat unit. The word denotes a large organized body of armed personnel trained for war especially on land. These armies refer to both human and angelic armies because we are speaking in the context of God. R. A. Taylor writes “The Hebrew word for ‘host’ (ṣābāʾ) in the Old Testament often means ‘army,’ either in reference to human armies prepared for conflict (e.g., Judg 8:6; 9:29; Isa 34:2; Jer 51:3; 2 Chr 28:9, etc.) or in reference to heavenly gatherings of angels (e.g., 1 Kgs 22:19, Neh 9:6; Pss 103:21; 148:2; Dan 8:10, etc.). The word can also be used to refer to the sun, moon, and stars as “the host of heaven” (e.g., Deut 4:19; 17:3; 2 Kgs 17:16; 21:3, 5, etc.).”21 The genitive relation between these two nouns is a genitive of subordination meaning that ṣābāʾ specifies that which is subordinated to or under the dominion of the construct noun yhwh . This indicates that the God of Israel was the Lord “over” the armies. Thus, this genitive expresses the fact that the Lord was the sovereign ruler over all human and angelic armies. The verb ʾāmar is in the qal stem and means “to say” with emphasis on the content of the declaration which follows it. The qal stem of this verb is fientive expressing the act of the Lord communicating the content of the first of four messages in the book of Haggai to Zerubbabel and Joshua through the prophet Haggai. The perfect conjugation of this verb is a complete-action perfect which describes a past action or event as a complete whole. It is a constative perfect which is describing in summary fashion the action of the Lord communicating the first of four messages contained in the book of Haggai. introduces direct discourse and specifically it ( לֵאמֹֽ ר) The expression lēʾmōr introduces Haggai’s message to Zerubbabel, the governor of the remnant of Judah and Joshua the priest of this remnant. It introduces the content of this message recorded in Haggai 1:2 which presents the topic of this message. The qal infinitive construct form of the verb ʾāmar means “to say” and pertains to the act of speaking and is the object of the preposition l, which is an epexegetical marker. This indicates these two words are introducing a statement which identifies specifically what the Lord communicated to the leadership of the remnant of Judah. So therefore, verse 2 begins by asserting that the Lord ruling over the armies says this to Zerubbabel and Joshua through Haggai and this expression lēʾmōr introduces specifically what the Lord said to them. Thus, this expression ( לֵאמֹ֑ ר) literally means “specifically saying.” The assertion “the Lord ruling over the

21 Taylor, R. A., & Clendenen, E. R. (2004). Haggai, Malachi (Vol. 21A, pp. 114–115). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 28 armies says this” begs to be defined or identified. Consequently, verse 2 literally reads “the Lord ruling over the armies says this, specifically saying “These people say, ‘the time has not arrived for rebuilding the Lord’ temple.’” The qal stem of this verb is fientive expressing the action of the Lord performing the action of communicating a message to the governor of the remnant of Judah, Zerubbabel as well as Joshua, the high priest of this remnant through the prophet Haggai.

The Remnant of Judah’s Refusal to Rebuild the House of the Lord

Haggai 1:2 The LORD who rules over all says this: “These people have said, ‘The time for rebuilding the LORD ’s temple has not yet come.’” (NET) “These people have said, ‘The time for rebuilding the LORD ’s temple has not yet come ” is composed of the following: (1) articular masculine singular form people ” (2) articular masculine singular form of the “ ,( ﬠַם) of the noun ʿam these ” (3) third person plural qal perfect form “ ,( זֶה) (demonstrative pronoun zě(h not yet ” (5) articular “ ,( לֹא) say ” (4) negative particle lōʾ “ ,( אָמַ ר) of the verb ʾāmar the time ” (6) qal infinitive “ ,( ﬠֵת) common singular construct form of the noun ʿēt has come ” (7) common singular construct “ ,( בּוֹא) construct form of the verb bô ʾ which is not translated (8) masculine singular construct ,( ﬠֵת) form of the noun ʿēt temple ” (9) masculine singular form of the proper “ ,( בַּיִת) form of the noun bayit for ” (11) third person plural“ ,( לְ ) Lord’s ” (10) preposition lĕ “ ,( יהוה) noun yhwh ”. rebuilding “ ,( בָּנָה) qal active perfect form of the verb bānâ The noun ʿǎ m is in the singular and means “people” in the sense of a large group based on various cultural, physical and geographical ties. It refers to a large group that is larger than a tribe or clan but smaller than a race. The word pertains to a body of citizens of a religious and political entity. In context, it refers to the remnant of the kingdom of Judah which returned from Babylon. The articular construction of this word points out that this people is unique. The remnant of Judah was unique because they possessed a covenant relationship with God unlike the nations of the earth who did not. The articular masculine singular form of the demonstrative pronoun zě(h) means “this” and is used as an attributive adjective. This indicated by the fact that when used in this manner it takes the definite article and agrees in gender (masculine) and number (singular) with the noun it modifies. Here in Haggai 1:2, it agrees in gender (masculine) and number (singular) with the noun it modifies which is the noun ʿǎ m. Once again, we have the verb ʾāmar which means “to say” with emphasis on the content of the declaration which follows it. However, this time we have the

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 29 third person plural qal perfect form of this verb. The third person plural form is referring of course to the citizens of the remnant of Judah. The qal stem of this verb is fientive expressing the act of the citizens or people of the remnant of Judah making the assertion lōʾ ʿet-bōʾ ʿet-bêt y ĕhwâ l ĕhibb ānôt The time for rebuilding the LORD ’s temple has“ ,( לֹ֥ א ﬠֶת־בֹּ֛ א ﬠֶת־בֵּ֥ית יְהוָ ֖ה לְהִ בָּנֽ וֹת) not yet come .” The perfect conjugation of this verb is a complete-action perfect which describes a past action or event as a complete whole. In other words, it is a constative perfect which is describing in summary fashion the action of the people of the remnant of Judah asserting that the time for rebuilding the Lord’s temple has not yet come. The articular common singular construct form of the noun ʿēt means “the time” and pertains to a particular period of time which in our context is that of the remnant of Judah rebuilding the Lord’s temple. The construct state of this word indicates this word is grammatically bound to the qal infinitive construct form of the verb bô ʾ, “ has come ” and which follows it, expressing a genitive relation between the word words. In other words, the former governs the latter. The genitive relation between these two words is an explicative genitive which specifies a subtype or genus within the broader category of the construct noun. So therefore, the infinitive construct form of this verb is specifying the period of time indicated by the noun ʿēt. The verb bô ʾ is in the qal stem and means “to arrive” since it pertains to understanding an event as coming to or arriving at a location. In other words, it pertains to making linear movement to a particular reference point in time. Specifically, it pertains to making linear movement to a particular period of time. The meaning of this verb is emphatically negated by the adverb lōʾ which functions as a marker of emphatic negation. Therefore, these two words indicate that the remnant of Judah in Haggai’s day were asserting that the time to rebuild the Lord’s temple “had by no means arrived” or “has absolutely not arrived.” The qal stem of this verb is stative expressing a state or condition. Here it refers to the state or condition expressing the idea of the time to rebuild the Lord’s temple existing in the state or condition of absolutely not arriving. The infinitive construct state of this verb is functioning as the subject of this clause. Thus, it is performing the action of rebuilding the Lord’s temple. Once again, we have the common singular construct form of the noun ʿēt which means “the time” pertaining to a particular period of time which in our context is that of the remnant of Judah rebuilding the Lord’s temple. However, this time the word is not articular. The construct state of this word indicates this word is grammatically bound to the masculine singular construct form of the noun bayit , which means “house” or “temple” of the Lord, which

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 30 follows it, expressing a genitive relation between the two words. In other words, the noun ʿēt is governing the masculine singular construct form of the noun bayit . The genitive relation between these two words is explicative which specifies a subtype or genus within the broader category of the construct noun. So therefore, the masculine singular construct form of the noun bayit is specifying the period of time indicating by the construct form of the noun ʿēt. The latter is modified by the for ” and the third person plural qal active perfect form of the“ ,( לְ ) preposition lĕ rebuilding .” Thus, this indicates the time in question is the “ ,( בָּנָה) verb bānâ period for rebuilding the Lord’s temple. The construct form of the noun bayit means that it is governing the word which follows it and is expressing a genitive relation with this word and thus governing this word, which is the masculine singular form of the proper noun yhwh , which means “Lord.” The genitive relation is possession expressing the idea that this house belongs to the Lord. R. A. Taylor writes “In this section Haggai repeatedly pictures the temple as a house ( bêt ) in which the Lord resides. The choice of terms is significant. In biblical language the description of the temple as God’s house suggests a roofed building equipped with furniture suitable to its function as a dwelling place for the deity. The temple perceived as a house differs in Old Testament thought from an altar, which could stand in the open by itself and which functioned not as a dwelling for the deity but as a place of sacrifice. 22 This notion of the temple as the house of God is thus important for understanding the urgency Haggai attaches to this structure. To leave the Lord’s dwelling in a state of disrepair was to show disrespect to its occupant. Furthermore, the word used in v. 2 to refer to the temple is a general word for ‘house’ (bêt ), the specific meaning of which can only be determined by context (cf. 2 Samuel 7). Its flexibility enables Haggai to use the same word in two very different senses, highlighting the contrast between the people’s personal interests and their religious concerns. Sometimes in this chapter the word refers to the temple as the place of the Lord’s residence (e.g., 1:2, 4, 8, 9, 14). Other times it refers to private houses as the place of the people’s residence (e.g., 1:4, 9[2x]). The fundamental problem to which Haggai points is that the people were concerned about the wrong house—they were looking after their own homes while neglecting the temple. The versatility of the word thus underscores a contrast to which Haggai repeatedly points in this is chapter. It is a contrast between indulgent concern over matters of personal comfort on the one hand and callused disregard for spiritual responsibilities on the other hand.”23

22 On this distinction see further M. Haran, “Temples and Cultic Open Areas as Reflected in the Bible,” in Temples and High Places in Biblical Times: Proceedings of the Colloquium in Honor of the Centennial of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Jerusalem, 14–16 March 1977 (Jerusalem: Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, 1981), 31–37. 23 Taylor, R. A., & Clendenen, E. R. (2004). Haggai, Malachi (Vol. 21A, p. 116). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 31 The verb bā·n ā(h) means “to rebuild” since the word pertains to returning something to its previous state and in context it pertains to the reconstruction of Solomon’s temple by the remnant of Judah. The niphal stem of this verb is a passive niphal which expresses an action where the subject is acted upon by either an expressed or unexpressed agency. Here the subject is the Lord’s temple and the implied agency is the remnant of Judah. Therefore, the passive niphal indicates that the Lord’s temple is receiving the action of being rebuilt by the remnant of Judah. The infinitive construct form of this verb is an infinitive construct of purpose indicating the reason why something is or should be done. Here it is indicating the reason why the arrival of a particular period of time had by no means arrived. Thus, it is expressing the idea that the remnant of Judah was asserting that the time had absolutely not arrived “for the purpose of” rebuilding the Lord’s temple.

Translation of Haggai 1:1-2

Haggai 1:1 During Darius, the king’s second year, during the sixth month, on the first day of this month, a message from the Lord was communicated through the agency of the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel, Shealtiel’s son, Judah’s governor as well as to Joshua, Jehozadak’s son, the high priest for the purpose of saying, 2 “The Lord ruling over the armies says this,” specifically saying, “These people say, ‘The time has absolutely not arrived, the time for rebuilding the Lord’s temple.’” (Author’s translation)

Exposition of Haggai 1:2

As we noted in our study of Haggai 1:1, this verse presented the introduction to the first of four messages the Lord communicated to the remnant of Judah through the prophet Haggai. The introduction in Haggai 1:1 is composed of four parts: (1) The identification of the historical context when the message was communicated to the recipients. (2) The prophetic word formula which identifies the divine origin of this message. (3) The identification of the prophet who is the agency communicating this message. (4) The identification of the recipients of this message. Haggai 1:1 asserts that the Lord communicated the first message through the prophet Haggai on the first day of the sixth month of Darius’ second year as ruler of the Persian Empire. This sixth month was Elul 1 according to the Jewish calendar, which in our modern Gregorian calendar was August 29, 520 B.C. (Hag. 1:1-11). It was addressed to Zerubbabel, Shealtiel’s son, the governor of Judah and Joshua, Jehozadak’s son, the high priest of the remnant of Judah. This message

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 32 accuses the Jewish remnant of abandoning the rebuilding of the Lord’s temple (1:2-6), which is followed by an exhortation for them to rebuild again (1:7-8). The Lord asserts that this failure to complete this project is the reason why they have been impoverished since their return from exile (1:9-11). The remnant responds to the message by beginning to work on this rebuilding project (1:12-15). Haggai 1:2, marks a transition from the introduction of the book in verse 1 to the beginning of the first of four messages. It records the Lord ruling over the armies quoting the remnant of Judah as saying that the time for rebuilding His temple has absolutely not arrived. This presents the God of Israel’s complaint against this remnant. Once again, as was the case in Haggai 1:1, the term yhwh (Yahweh ), “ the Lord ” appears in Haggai 1:2 as the covenant-keeping personal name of God and is used here in connection with His covenant relationship with the nation of Israel and in particular the remnant of Judah. It not only expresses God’s sovereignty over the kingdom of Judah but also the Persian Empire and all the nations on planet earth. In Haggai 1:2, the God of Israel is described as “ the Lord ruling over the armies .” The term ṣābāʾ means “armies ” since it pertains in this context to a military congregation as a large fighting or combat unit. The word denotes a large organized body of armed personnel trained for war especially on land. These armies refer to both human and angelic armies because we are speaking in the context of God. This expression “ the Lord ruling over the armies ” indicates that the God of Israel was the Lord “over” the armies. Therefore, it speaks of the God of Israel’s sovereignty over all creation and every creation, both human beings and angelic beings. The God of Israel’s sovereignty over Israel and all the nations of the earth is expressed through several phrases. First, as we see here in Haggai 1:2, there is the thus, says the Lord of hosts” which“ ,( אָמַ֛ר יְהוָ ֥ה צְבָא֖ וֹת) phrase ʾāmar y ĕhwâ ṣĕ bāʾôt appears seven times in the book of Haggai (1:2, 5, 7; 2:6, 7, 9, 11). The NET Bible has the following note on this phrase, which they translate “the Lord who rules over all.” They write “The epithet LORD WHO RULES OVER ALL occurs frequently as a divine title throughout Haggai (see 1:5, 7, 9, 14; 2:4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 23). This name ,yéhvah tséva’ot ), traditionally translated ‘LORD of hosts’ (so KJV , יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת) NAB, NASB; cf. NIV, NLT “Lord Almighty”; NCV, CEV “Lord All-Powerful”), emphasizes the majestic sovereignty of the Lord, an especially important concept

KJV The King James Version, known in Britain as the Authorized Version (1611) NAB The New American Bible NASB New American Standard Bible NIV The New International Version NLT New Living Translation NCV New Century Version (1991) CEV The Contemporary English Version

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 33 in the postexilic world of great human empires and rulers.”24 Another phrase ,( נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ ֣ה צְבָא֔ וֹת) expressing the sovereignty of God is nĕʾ um y ĕhwâ ṣĕ bāʾôt “declares the Lord of hosts” which occurs 6 times (1:9; 2:4, 8, 9, 23 twice). Lastly, ;says the Lord” appears 8 times (1:2, 5, 7, 8“ ,( אָמַ֥ר יְהוָֽה) the phrase ʾāmar y ĕhwâ 2:6, 7, 9, 11). R. A. Taylor writes “The expression ‘Yahweh of hosts’ occurs in early biblical literature to describe God as a warrior in charge of heavenly armies. But in postexilic literature the expression seems to be used mainly to emphasize the sovereignty of God, having lost some of its earlier specificity. In the Book of Haggai, the expression serves to remind the prophet’s audience of God’s transcendence and control over all human affairs.”25 The term “sovereignty” connotes a situation in which a person, from his innate dignity, exercises supreme power, with no areas of his province outside his jurisdiction. As applied to God, the term “sovereignty” indicates His complete power over all of creation, so that He exercises His will absolutely, without any necessary conditioning by a finite will or wills. Isaiah 40:15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. (NASB95) Isaiah 40:17 All the nations are as nothing before Him, they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless. (NASB95) Daniel 2:19 Next in a vision during the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel. Then Daniel showered the God of the heavens with adoring praise, honor, recognition and worshipful thanksgiving. 20 Daniel responded and said: “God has had His name showered with adoring praise, honor, recognition and worshipful thanksgiving from eternity past and in addition this will continue throughout eternity future because He inherently is wisdom as well as power. 21 Namely, He determines the appointed times as well as the durations of time. He deposes kings as well as elevates kings. He gives wisdom to wise men as well as knowledge to those who possess the capacity to receive understanding. 22 God reveals unfathomable events, yes events which are hidden. He alone knows what is in the darkness. Specifically, the light resides in Him. 23 For the benefit of You, O God of my fathers, I myself give thanks, yes and praise too because You gave to me wisdom, yes and power too. Indeed, now You have made known to me what we requested from You because You made known to us the king’s secret.” (Author’s translation) The apostle Paul also taught that the nations receive their time and place as a result of the sovereignty of God (Acts 17:22-34).

24 Biblical Studies Press. (2005). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible . Biblical Studies Press. 25 Taylor, R. A., & Clendenen, E. R. (2004). Haggai, Malachi (Vol. 21A, p. 115). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 34 Psalm 66:7 He rules by His might forever; His eyes keep watch on the nations; Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah. (NASB95) The humanity of Christ in hypostatic union has been promoted by the Father as the supreme ruler of history as a result of His victory over Satan at the Cross. Colossians 2:8 Don’t stop making it your habit of watching out for anyone belonging to a group who would seek to take each and every one of you captive through empty, deceitful philosophy based upon the tradition produced by human beings, based upon the elementary teachings promoted by the cosmic system, which are by no means based upon the teaching originating from Christ. 9 The reason for this command is that in Him, the totality of attributes which compose the divine nature permanently dwell in bodily form. (Author’s translation) Philippians 2:5 Everyone continue thinking this (according to humility) within yourselves, which was also in (the mind of) Christ Jesus 6 who although existing from eternity past in the essence of God, He never regarded existing equally in essence with God an exploitable asset. 7 On the contrary, He denied Himself of the independent function of His deity by having assumed the essence of a slave when He was born in the likeness of men. 8 In fact, although He was discovered in outward appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by having entered into obedience to the point of spiritual death even death on a Cross. 9 For this very reason in fact God the Father has promoted Him to the highest-ranking position and has awarded to Him the rank, which is superior to every rank 10 in order that in the sphere of this rank possessed by Jesus every person must bow, celestials and terrestrials and sub- terrestrials. 11 Also, every person must publicly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord for the glory of God the Father. (Author’s translation) 1 Timothy 6:13 I command you in the presence of God the Father, who does, as an eternal spiritual truth, cause each and every thing to live as well as Christ, who is Jesus, who testified the confession before Pontius Pilate which is of superior importance 14 that you conscientiously fulfill your commission with integrity of character, in other words, with irreproachable character until the revelation of our Lord, who is Jesus, who is the Christ, 15 which the blessed as well as one and only Sovereign, the King over those who are kings as well as the Lord over those who are lords, will cause to be revealed at His appointed time. 16 The only one who possesses immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom absolutely no one among human beings has seen nor are they, as an eternal spiritual truth able, for their own benefit to see. For the benefit of whom there will be honor (in the sense of public recognition and acknowledgment) as well as eternal manifested power. So, it will be! (Author’s translation)

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 35 Richard Tayler writes “Throughout the Book of Haggai, the Lord is pictured as an absolute sovereign who, rather than finding his intentions to be influenced adversely by persons or events outside of himself, is the one who moves in nature and in human history to bring about the accomplishment of his own purposes. He is very much in control of nature, as may be seen in the following references in Haggai. The Lord is capable of manipulating the weather, withholding precipitation if he chooses to do so (1:10–11). He can determine the success or failure of the harvest and the economic conditions that are the result thereof (1:5–6, 10–11). He can, if he wishes, cause drought (1:11) and various plant diseases that destroy crops (2:17, 19). He can send devastating hail and the sirocco, or east wind, that blows off the Arabian desert and mercilessly ‘blasts’ the crops of Judah (2:17). The Lord has the power to disrupt the world order, bringing about cosmic shaking of unprecedented proportions (2:6, 21). He can also bring renewed prosperity to failed agricultural productions if his people will but respond appropriately to his warnings (2:19). Not only is the Lord viewed as being sovereign over nature, he is also sovereign over human activity. It is the Lord who awakens and stirs the spirit of Jewish leaders and laypeople alike, leading them to resume work on the temple (1:14). It is the Lord who can bring to nothing the misplaced efforts of his people to ensure their own advantage while the work of God suffers due to their inattention to it (1:9). He can even move the leaders of pagan nations to fulfill his will by contributing their wealth for the building of his temple (2:7). After all, their silver and gold is not really theirs; it actually belongs to him (2:8). Those who arrogantly think otherwise will painfully discover that he can overturn their rule, shatter their power, and destroy their armies (2:22). But those who serve him will witness the peace, or wellness, that he promises to provide for his work (2:9). Clearly, in Haggai’s thought Yahweh is a sovereign Lord. Related to this emphasis on divine sovereignty is the implied notion that by comparison human beings are powerless to thwart whatever God chooses to do. Yahweh’s sovereignty is also hinted at in the phrase ‘the LORD of hosts.’ Fourteen times in this book the Lord is referred to in this way (1:2, 5, 7, 9, 14; 2:4, 6, 7, 8, 9[2x], 11, 23[2x]). The same expression in earlier biblical books often carries military overtones, with the nuance that Yahweh is ‘Lord over (heavenly) armies.’ But in the postexilic literature this phrase seems to have become simply a way of referring to the sovereign Lord. 26 As such it emphasizes his ability, indeed his right,

appears in divine titles some 285 times in the Hb. Bible, more often in later writings than in earlier ones. It does not occur at all צְבָאוֹת The word 26 in Genesis-Judges. The most frequent users of the expression are Isaiah (62 times), Jeremiah (82 times), Zechariah (53 times), Malachi (24 the LORD God“) יהוה אֱהֵי צְבָאוֹת the LORD of hosts”) occurs 265 times; the expression“) יהוה צְבָאוֹת times), and Haggai (14 times). The expression of hosts”) occurs 18 times. HALOT summarizes the following views that have been advocated for interpreting the phrase. (1) It portrays Yahweh as the God of armies; as such he is in charge of his troops. (2) It portrays Yahweh as creator of the stars. (3) It portrays Yahweh as one who has stripped Canaanite mythological powers of their strength. (4) It portrays Yahweh as in charge of a heavenly household. (5) It portrays Yahweh as functions as an intensive צְבָאוֹת in control of both earthly and heavenly beings. (6) It portrays Yahweh in a general way as almighty; in this case in Haggai and elsewhere. See יהוה צְבָאוֹת abstract plural. It is this latter usage that seems especially to describe the postexilic usage of the phrase is that of B. N. Wambacq, L’épithète divine Jahvé יהוה צְבָאוֹת further HALOT , 996–97. The most exhaustive treatment to date of the expression

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 36 to rule over all creation and to govern the outcome of history. 27 ‘The LORD of hosts’ is in Haggai a favorite designation for the deity, providing a fitting complement to this prophet’s thoroughgoing emphasis on the Lord’s sovereignty.”28 In Haggai 1:2, “ these people ” refers to the remnant of Judah or in other words, this remnant refers to a small percentage of the population of the kingdom of Judah who survived divine judgment in the form of the Babylonian invasions and deportations in 605, 597 and 586 B.C. and had returned to their homeland. This phrase the God of Israel’s displeasure with this remnant which He expresses His great detail in Haggai 1:3-6. M. R. Jacobs writes “Throughout the Old Testament the designation hāʿām- hazzê , ‘this people,’ is variously used to identify the people of Israel. In many instances, the designation appears as a neutral or favorable reference without indicating tension between the people and the speaker (Exod 5:23 vis-à-vis Exod 17:4; 32:21, 31; 33:12; Num 11:11; 14:15; Deut 31:7; Josh 1:2; 7:7). In other instances, when used of the relationship between God and the people, the reference usually connotes a strained relationship, in response to which God is displeased. Outside the prophetic literature, there are numerous examples of this strained relationship (Exod 32:9; Deut 5:28; 9:13, 27; 31:16). Within the prophetic literature, the strained relationship between the people and the prophet is also indicated by use of ‘this people’ (Isa 6:9–10; 8:6, 11–12; 28:14); however, when the speaker refers to the people who are being mistreated, the usual designation is ‘my people.’29 The usage here in Hag 1:2 at least suggests a strained relationship, and additional tension may be suggested by the people’s competing agenda versus Yahweh’s. 30 ”31 R. A. Taylor writes “The Lord’s remarks begin with the expression ‘these people’ (hāʿām hazzeh ). 32 There is a notion of contempt and disparagement in the words. The Lord does not refer to them as ‘my people,’ although in light of earlier covenantal promises extended to their ancestors he might have done so. Instead he calls them ‘this people.’ The personal pronoun ‘my,’ which might have brought a measure of reassurance to the people in the midst of their hardships, is replaced by the cold and detached demonstrative pronoun ‘this’ (cf. Isa 6:9, 10). The word

Seba’ôt: Étude philologique, historique et éxégétique (Desclée: De Brouwer, 1947). See also T. N. D. Mettinger, The Dethronement of Sabaoth: Studies in the Shem and Kabod Theologies , ConBOT 18 (Lund: CWK Gleerup, 1982). the“) יהוה צְבָאוֹת This seems clearly to be the understanding of the word assumed by the ancient Greek translators. The LXX usually renders 27 LORD of hosts”) by κύριος παντοκράτωρ (“the Lord Almighty”). But Kessler emphasizes the cultic associations of this term as especially appropriate to Haggai’s focus on the temple as a divine dwelling ( The Book of Haggai , 122). 28 Taylor, R. A., & Clendenen, E. R. (2004). Haggai, Malachi (Vol. 21A, pp. 80–81). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers. 29 Notable examples supporting this observation include Isa 3:15; 10:2; 40:1; Jer 8:11; 23:2 (cf. Exod 3:7; 5:1). 30 Verhoef, Haggai and Malachi, 54; Kessler, Haggai, 123. 31 Jacobs, M. R. (2017). The Books of Haggai and Malachi . (E. J. Young, R. K. Harrison, & R. L. Hubbard Jr., Eds.) (p. 37). Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 32 The Hb. expression is singular, “this people,” but English translators often prefer to render this collective singular as a plural, “these people” (so NIV, ESV, NRSV, Tanak, NET Bible).

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 37 signals at the outset of this message that something was wrong in the relationship between the Lord and the inhabitants of Judah.”33 As we noted Haggai 1:2 identifies the God of Israel’s complaint against the remnant of Israel, namely that they said amongst themselves that the time had absolutely not arrived for rebuilding the Lord’s temple. Now, the expression “ the Lord ruling over the armies ” would be a reminder to this remnant that the God of Israel was in control and not the human rulers on the earth who might be hindering this rebuilding project or preventing them from performing this task. If God is the Lord ruling over the angelic and human armies, then this remnant has no excuse for not rebuilding the Lord’s temple. If the God of Israel wants this remnant to rebuild His temple, they should waist no time in doing so since no one will be able to stop this task from being accomplished if God is sovereign and ruling over human and angelic armies and rulers. Unger writes “Although His covenant people were but a tiny nation in a mere province of the mighty Persian Empire, they were never to lose sight of the glorious fact that their being there was the will and purpose of their God, who as Lord of history and prophecy is in sovereign control of celestial and terrestrial armies and is working out His disciplines of grace for His people’s temporal and eternal good. It is not surprising, therefore, that the term ‘Lord of hosts’ occurred some fifteen times in Haggai and close to forty times in Zechariah in a time when the Jews were under the sovereignty of the nations.” 34 For fifteen years, the rebuilding of the Lord’s temple had been abandoned by the remnant of Judah. If you recall, under the leadership of Sheshbazzar, 50,000 Jewish exiles returned from Babylon to begin work on restoring Jerusalem and rebuilding the temple. Approximately two years later in 536 B.C., they completed the foundation with much rejoicing (Ezra 3:8-10). However, their success disturbed the Samaritans and their other neighbors who lived in fear of the political and religious implications of a rebuilt temple in a restored Jewish state. Consequently, they stridently opposed the project and were successful in temporarily stopping the restoration. But in 522 B.C. Darius Hystaspes (522-486 B.C.) became king of Persia (Ezra 4:1-5, 24). During this monarch’s second year, both Zechariah and Haggai exhorted the Jewish remnant to rebuild the temple. Tattenai, the governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai and their colleagues attempted to interfere with the rebuilding efforts. However, Darius Hystaspes ruled in favor of the Jews after investigating the matter in the royal records (cf. Ezra 5:3- 6; 6:6-12). In 516 B.C., the temple was finished and dedicated (:15-18).

33 Taylor, R. A., & Clendenen, E. R. (2004). Haggai, Malachi (Vol. 21A, p. 115). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers. 34 Unger, Merrill F., Unger’s Commentary on the Old Testament ; pages 1947-48; Tyndale Theological Seminary Published by AMG Publishers, 2002.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 38 So therefore, the God of Israel sends Haggai to deliver the four messages to the spiritual and political leadership of the remnant of Judah in order to command, encourage and persuade them to rebuild His temple despite the political opposition from their neighbors. Now, notice in Haggai 1:2, the remnant of Judah did not say that they will “never” rebuild the temple but rather the time had not come implying at some other time they would perform this task. They were in effect procrastinating so that the work of rebuilding the temple was not completed. They had economic stress, drought and opposition from their enemies as Haggai 1:3-11 and the reveal. However, they had no excuse when God Himself was sovereign over their enemies and their circumstances. Furthermore, Haggai 1:3-6 reveals that the remnant of Judah failed to complete the task of rebuilding the temple because of wrong priorities meaning that with them doing the Lord’s will did not take precedent over what they wanted. In other words, what they wanted came first in their priorities followed by what the Lord wanted. So, these verses make clear that the reason why the rebuilding the Lord’s temple was not completed was not because of the enemies of the remnant of Judah or any nation, but rather it was they did not have their priorities right. In fact, the theme of the book of Haggai is one which the church can readily make application here in the twenty-first century, namely priorities. The Lord and in particular obedience to the Lord was not the number one priority for the remnant of Judah upon their return from exile. This was demonstrated by their complete failure to complete the task of rebuilding the temple, which would serve as the place in the nation to worship the Lord. The Lord through the prophet Haggai confronts the priests regarding the ceremonial uncleanness of the remnant which demonstrated their disobedience to His Law (cf. Hag. 2:11-19). The Lord implores them to consider their priorities. Therefore, the book of Haggai teaches the church as it did Old Testament Israel that God’s people must prioritize their lives so that obedience to the Lord’s commands and prohibitions is their number one priority rather than placing priorities upon self. Warren Wiersbe writes “What more evidence did the Jewish people need that God’s time had come? How could they doubt that it was God’s will for them to rebuild the temple and restore true worship in Jerusalem? Hadn’t God moved King Cyrus to free the exiles and commission them to return to Jerusalem for that very purpose? (See 2 Chron. 36:22–23; Ezra 1:1–4.) Didn’t the king generously give them the money and materials they needed, and didn’t the Lord graciously protect the exiles carrying the temple treasures as they traveled from Babylon to Judah? The Jews certainly knew the words that the Prophet Isaiah had recorded about Cyrus: ‘He is My shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, even saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be rebuilt,’ and the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid”’

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 39 (Isa. 44:28, NKJV ). Isaiah had also written, ‘I have raised him [Cyrus] up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways; he shall build My city and let My exiles go free’ (Isa. 45:13). By stopping their work, the Jews were admitting that they had no faith in God’s Word or in God’s power to perform it. In the light of these facts, on what basis were the people refusing to obey God and build His house? For one thing, both Isaiah and Jeremiah had predicted a national restoration that would amaze the Gentile nations and bring glory to Israel, but that wonderful event had not yet occurred. (See Isa. 2:1–5; 11; 35; 60:1–5; Jer. 30–31.) The people failed to understand that some of these promises would be fulfilled in the end times (“the last days”); and when the situation in Judah became worse, the people questioned the dependability of the Word of God. Perhaps some of the scribes studied Jeremiah’s promise about the seventy years of captivity (25:1–14) and decided that the allotted time hadn’t yet ended. Only fifty years had transpired since the temple had been destroyed in 586, said the experts, so the Jews would have to wait another twenty years for the prophecy to be fulfilled. God took them at their word, and the work stopped for sixteen years. 35 The temple was completed in 515, so the scholars got their seventy years accounted for! The people were terribly inconsistent: it wasn’t time to build the house of God, but it was time to build their own houses! And some of the people had built, not just ordinary dwellings, but ‘paneled houses,’ the kind that kings built for themselves (1 Kings 7:3, 7; Jer. 22:14).”36 McComiskey writes “When the people objected that it was not the right time to build, they betrayed the conviction that they had an obligation to restore the temple. The traditions they received recognized that behind the decree of Cyrus (Ezra 1:2–4) lay the directive of God (Ezra 1:1), but when they met with opposition and legal barriers were apparently put in their way (Ezra 4:4–5), the initial impulse to build withered and soon the claims of God ceased to receive priority. There followed ‘a sort of truce between conscience and covetousness’ (Moore, Prophets of the Restoration , p. 58) until there was ‘no suitable time to men who are uninterested’ (McIlmoyle, “Haggai,” p. 745). In Old Testament thought, the house was not desired for itself, as a sort of lucky charm (see Jer. 7:4), nor is there any suggestion that without the house any rituals performed must be defective (Petersen, Haggai , pp. 79–85). The house was the outward form of the real presence of the Lord among his people. To refuse to build the house was at best saying that it did not matter whether the Lord was present with them. At worst

35 However, it’s difficult to think that God’s servants would wait for sixteen years before urging the people to get back to work rebuilding God’s house. Did Haggai and Zechariah arrive in Judah much later, sent by God to get the work going again? Or do their books record only the success of their ministry? They may have been urging the people all along to return to the task for which they had been released from bondage. Ezra doesn’t mention them in his book until 5:1. It’s likely that God permitted His people to suffer sixteen years of discipline and disappointment to prepare them for the words of His prophets. It’s a good illustration of the truth of Matthew 6:33. 36 Wiersbe, W. W. (1997). Be heroic (pp. 63–64). Colorado Springs, CO: ChariotVictor Pub.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 40 it was presuming on divine grace, that the Lord would live with his people even though they willfully refused to fulfill the condition of his indwelling that he had laid down. It amounted to seeking grace but refusing the means of grace. Not to build the house was not to want the Lord as and for himself.”37 This first message to the remnant of Judah in Haggai 1:1-11 like the rest of the book of Haggai is focused upon the rebuilding of the temple since in 586 B.C. Solomon’s temple was destroyed by the army of Nebuchadnezzar. The construction of the started in 536 B.C. under the leadership of Zerubbabel, thus it is called “Zerubbabel’s temple” by scholars and expositors of the bible. When the construction was completed in 516 B.C. during the sixth year of the reign of Darius I (522-486) under urging of Zechariah and Haggai, the remnant who remembered Solomon’s temple wept (cf. Ezra 3:12). Ezra 3-6 provides details regarding the rebuilding of the temple by returning exiles. This account asserts that the rebuilding began promptly in 536 B.C. but after the altar was built (Ezra 3:1-7) and the foundation was completed (Ezra 3:8- 13), the project came to a halt because of resistance from the people of the land (Ezra 4:1-5). Those opposing convinced the king of Persia to withdraw support from the project (Ezra 4:19-23). Fifteen years would pass (535-520 B.C.) before the work would begin again during the second year of the reign of Darius (Ezra 4:24). The prophets Zechariah and Haggai helped Zerubbabel restart the project and work began again in 520 B.C. (Ezra 5:1; Hag. 1:1; Zech. 1:1). The temple construction was completed during the sixth year of the reign of Darius in 515 B.C. (Ezra 6:15). The temple was dedicated by the Jewish remnant with a tremendous outpouring of joy and thanksgiving (Ezra 6:16-18). The dimensions of Zerubbabel’s temple more than likely constructed on the same foundation as Solomon’s temple and thus had the same east-west orientation. Solomon’s temple measured 60 cubits in length, 20 in width, and 30 in height. Ezra 6:3 does not specify the length but does assert that it was 60 cubits wide and 60 cubits high. This discrepancy is probably because the new temple was the same size as Solomon’s. One should compare 2 Chronicles 3:3 for the dimensions of Solomon’s temple. Although the new temple was relatively simple in comparison to the ostentatiousness of Solomon’s temple, Haggai prophesied that the former would be greater than the latter (Hag. 2:3-9). In fact, this was fulfilled in history since Jesus Christ who was a descendant of Zerubbabel (Luke 3:27; Matt. 1:12) entered into Zerubbabel’s temple and taught and performed miracles in it (Matt. 21:12-27; Mark 11:15-33; Luke 2:22, 46; 19:45-20:8).

37 McComiskey, T. E. (Ed.). (2009). The Minor Prophets: An Exegetical and Expository Commentary (p. 974). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 41 The worship of Yahweh in Zerubbabel’s temple by the Jews went uninterrupted until the rule of the Seleucid Antiochus Epiphanes IV in 169 B.C. 1:20-28 records him entering the temple and removing the vessels used in the sanctuary. Jerome asserts that he set up an image of Jupiter Olympus on the temple grounds. Josephus records that he built a “pagan altar” on the original altar and sacrificed a pig on it (Antiquities 12.5-4-253). This abomination came to an end as a result of the Maccabean revolt which was led by the Hasmoneans (165-164 B.C.). In 63 B.C., the Roman general Pompey attacked Jerusalem and entered the temple and thus desecrating it. Herod the Great renovated the temple beginning in the 18 th year of his reign around 20 B.C. However, in fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy it was eventually destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. Now, when the temple reconstruction was completed in 586 B.C., it fulfilled the prophecies recorded in Jeremiah 25:11-12, 29:10-4 and 2 Chronicles 36:20-21, which predict that the remnant of Judah would be exiled to Babylon for seventy years. In other words, the restoration of the marked the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy and thus the end of the exile in Babylon for the remnant of Judah. This is clearly indicated by a comparison of Scripture with Scripture. First, we must determine the date of these four messages in Haggai. As we noted in our study of Haggai 1:1, the prophet Haggai’s first message was delivered on the first day of the sixth month of King Darius’ second year, which was Elul 1 according to the Jewish calendar, which in our modern Julian calendar was August 29, 520 B.C. (Hag. 1:1-13). The second message was also delivered to Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest during the twenty-first day of the seventh month Darius’ second year (Hag. 2:1-9). This was the Jewish month Tishri, which according to our modern calendar would be October 17, 520 B.C. The third message delivered by Haggai to the priests of the Law was on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of Darius’ second year, which was the twenty-fourth day of the Jewish month Kislev, which in our Julian calendar would be December 18, 520 B.C. (Hag. 2:10-19). Lastly, the fourth and final message was delivered by Haggai to Zerubbabel only on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of Darius’ second year, which would be the twenty-fourth day of the Jewish month Kislev, which is December 18, 520 B.C. in our modern calendar (Hag. 2:20-23). Secondly, history records that Solomon’s temple was destroyed by the army of Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C. Furthermore, the construction of the second temple started in 536 B.C. under the leadership of Zerubbabel, thus it is called “Zerubbabel’s temple” by scholars and expositors of the bible. The reconstruction was completed in 516 B.C. during the sixth year of the reign of Darius I (522-486) under the urging of Zechariah and Haggai.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 42 The prophecies recorded in Jeremiah 25:11-12, 29:10-4 and 2 Chronicles 36:20- 21 predict that the remnant of Judah would be exiled to Babylon for seventy years. Jeremiah 25:11 ‘This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12 Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares the Lord, ‘for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it an everlasting desolation.’ (NASB95) Jeremiah 29:10 “For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’” (NASB95) 2 Chronicles 36:20 Those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, 21 to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years were complete. (NASB95) Therefore, when the temple in Jerusalem was restored under Zerubbabel’s leadership it fulfilled this prophecy found in Jeremiah 25:11-12, 29:10-4 and 2 Chronicles 36:20-21. This indicated by two events. The first is that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and Solomon’s in 586 B.C. and deported the population to Babylon. Secondly, a remnant of the kingdom of Judah returned to their homeland and restored Jerusalem and the temple was restored by 516. This would be seventy years. Thus, when God through the prophet Haggai commanded and persuaded and encouraged the remnant of Judah to complete the rebuilding of the temple, His purpose was to fulfill His Word He communicated to the people of Judah through the prophet Jeremiah. Therefore, this would indicate the completion of the rebuilding of Jerusalem could not be considered as the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy because it was not completed in the sixth century B.C. but rather the fourth century B.C. Daniel 9:25 presents a prophecy of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. Daniel 9:24 “Seventy units of seven years have been decreed for the benefit of your people as well as for the benefit of your holy city in order to put an end to the rebellion and in addition to bring sin to an end as well as to atone for iniquity likewise to bring about everlasting righteousness as well as to seal

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 43 up prophetic vision and in addition to anoint the most holy place. 25 Therefore, please know, yes please carefully consider: From the issuing of the command to restore, yes to rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed one, a prince, there will be seven units of seven years and sixty-two units of seven years. It will be restored, yes it will be rebuilt with a public square as well as a defensive trench even during distressful times.” (Author’s translation) The 70 years of captivity were the specific penalty for violating 70 sabbatic years, which would be 70 sevens, a total of 70 years. Seven days are in one week and every seventh year was a Sabbath rest and seventy sevens brought them to the year of Jubilee which is noted in Leviticus 25:8-12. The provisions for the land’s Sabbath rest are recorded in detail in Leviticus 25:2-4, 26:32-35, 43 but in those 490 years, Israel had violated exactly 70 sabbatic years so they would go into captivity for 70 years to make amends. The 490 could not designate days (about 1 1/3 years) for that would not be enough time for the events prophesied by Daniel 9:24-27 to occur and the same is true of 490 weeks of seven days each (i.e. 3,430 days, about 9 ½ years). Also, if days were intended one would expect Daniel to have added the phrase “ of days ” after “70 sevens” for in Daniel 10:2-3 he wrote literally, “three sevens of days”. It is also important to understand that the length of a prophetic year was “not” 365 days but rather 360 days since the solar year, which we live by, of 365.25 days was unknown to the nations in the Old Testament but the Jewish year of biblical times was lunar-solar and had only 360 days. This is borne out in Revelation in John’s vision of the Great Tribulation period since it describes the last 3 ½ years as precisely 1260 days (Rev. 12:6) and “ forty-two months ” of 30 days each (13:5). The “ time, times and half a time ” in Daniel 7:25 corresponds to these two passages in Revelation. Therefore, the “seventy weeks of Daniel” refer to 490 prophetic years of 360 days. Gabriel desires that Daniel know and carefully consider the exact time when these seventy units of seven years or 490 prophetic years would begin and when the sixty-ninth week would end as a result of these seventy units of seven years being decreed for Israel and Jerusalem. “From the issuing of the command to restore, yes to rebuild Jerusalem ” was the fourth of four decrees made by Persian rulers in reference to the Jews: (1) Cyrus’ decree in 538 B.C. (2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4; 5:13). (2) Darius’ I decree in 520 B.C. (Ezra 6:1; 6-12). (3) Artaxerxes Longimanus’ decree in 458 B.C. (Ezra 7:11-26). (4) Artaxerxes Longimanus’ decree in 444 B.C. (Nehemiah 2:1-8). The first three decrees say nothing about the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem itself since the first two decrees pertain to the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 44 and the third relates to finances for animal sacrifices at the temple, but the fourth decree granted the Jews permission to rebuild Jerusalem’s city walls. “From the issuing of the command to restore, yes to rebuild Jerusalem ” informs Daniel as to when the seventy weeks or seventy units of seven years (490 prophetic years) begin. It will begin with the restoration and rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem. The first of the four decrees by Persian rulers was the one Cyrus issued to rebuild the temple, which occurred in 538 B.C. (2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4; 6:3-5). This decree resulted in the return of the Jewish exiles in Babylon to the land of promise and the rebuilding of the temple but not a complete restoration of the city of Jerusalem. Cyrus issued the decree which brought an end to the exile and again turned the Jews toward Jerusalem. This edict refers to the rebuilding of the temple and not to the city, thus it could not mark the beginning of the seventy weeks. The commencement of the rebuilding began with Cyrus’ decree, but the city’s complete restoration was not at that time. The next decree in the restoration of the temple in Jerusalem was due to Tattenai, governor of Judah, who questioned the Jews’ right to rebuild the temple (Ezra 5:3-17). Darius I had a search made of Cyrus’ decree and then issued a decree himself about 519 or 518 B.C. to confirm Cyrus’ original decree (Ezra 6:1- 12). This decree will not serve as the beginning date for the seventy weeks because it has specific reference to the temple and not to the city. Furthermore, it really is not a new decree but only confirms a former one. The third decree was the decree to Ezra in 458 B.C. which encouraged the return of more of the Jewish exiles with Ezra as well as the further restoration of the temple and its worship, and in addition the appointment of civil leaders (Ezra 7:11-26). This decree did not mark the beginning of the seventy weeks because it does not contain a word about the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem but rather the temple in Jerusalem. The decree of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah in 444 B.C. to rebuild the city of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:1-8) is the decree being referred to here in Daniel 9:25, which marks the beginning of the seventy weeks or the seventy units of seven years (490 prophetic years). This is indicated by the fact that this decree makes a direct reference to the restoration of the city of Jerusalem (2:3, 5) and of the city gates and walls (2:3, 8). Also, Artaxerxes wrote a letter to Asaph to give materials to be used specifically for the walls (2:8). Furthermore, the and Ezra 4:7-23 indicate that the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem was done during tremendous adversity just as Gabriel predicted to Daniel here in Daniel 9:25. Therefore, the only decree that adequately fits the criteria listed in Daniel 9:25 is the decree of Artaxerxes in 444 B.C. which is mentioned in the book of Nehemiah. This decree marks the beginning of the seventy weeks.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 45 Nehemiah 1:1 states that Nehemiah heard of Jerusalem’s desolate conditions in the month of Chislev (November/December) in Artaxerxes’ twentieth year. Then in Nehemiah 2:1 we are told that later in Artaxerxes’ twentieth year in the month of Nisan (March/April) Nehemiah reports that he was granted permission to restore the city and build its walls. The fact that Nisan occurs later than Chislev (in the same year) seems curious. However, Nehemiah was using a Tishri-to-Tishri (September/October) dating method rather than the Persian Nisan to-Nisan method. Nehemiah was following what was used by the kings of Judah earlier in their history. The beginning of Artaxerxes’ rule can be established. First of all, his father Xerxes died shortly after December 17, 465 B.C. and he immediately succeeded him. The accession-year system was used, thus the first year of Artaxerxes’ reign according to the Persian Nisan-to-Nisan reckoning would be Nisan 464 to Nisan 463. It according to the Jewish Tishri-to-Tishri the first year of his reign would be reckoned as Tishri 464 to Tishri 463. Therefore, the report to Nehemiah (1:1) took place in Chislev (November/December) of 445 B.C. and the decree of Artaxerxes recorded in Nehemiah 2:1 occurred in Nisan (March/April) of 444 B.C. Thus, Nisan 444 B.C. marks the beginning of the seventy weeks of Daniel 9:24-27. So therefore, the completion of the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem in 516 B.C. marked the fulfillment of the prophecy found in Jeremiah 25:11-12, 29:10-4 and 2 Chronicles 36:20-21 which predicted that the remnant of Judah would be exiled in Babylon for seventy years. Thus, we can see why the God of Israel sent Haggai as well as Zechariah to the remnant of Judah to command, persuade and encourage them to complete the rebuilding of the temple since this would fulfill His Word to this remnant through the prophet Jeremiah. This demonstrates the faithfulness of God to His promises. Faithfulness is one of the attributes of God as related to moral beings (Deut. 7:9; 32:4; Lam. 3:23; Isa. 49:7; Hos. 11:12; Ps. 25:10; 33:4; 89:1-8; 91:4; 96:13; 98:3; 100:5; 119:75; 1 Cor. 1:9; 10:13; 2 Cor. 1:18; 1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 2 Tim. 2:13; Jn. 1:9; Heb. 10:23; 1 Pet. 4:19; Rev. 19:11). It is one of the relative attributes of God meaning that it is related to God’s relationship to men. Faithfulness characterizes God’s loyalty to His covenant people Israel and the Church. Faithfulness is one of the relative attributes of God. There are two kinds of attributes: (1) Absolute or intrinsic: those attributes that God possesses of Himself such as life and love. (2) Relative: those attributes related to His creation and especially men and angels. For example, by nature God is truth but when God relates that truth to man, God’s truth becomes faithfulness. Love is one of God’s intrinsic or absolute attributes but when His love is directed towards sinners, it becomes grace and mercy and compassion.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 46 God is faithful to His promises found in the Old Testament, which speak of the forgiveness of sins. The promise of the forgiveness of sins is of course rooted in the Old Testament (Is. 43:25; 53:11; Ps. 103:12-13; Ezek. 36:24-26; Jer. 31:34; Mic. 7:18-20). In Christ, all the promises of the Old Testament prophets are fulfilled including the forgiveness of sins. The Lord is faithful to His promises in the Old Testament and specifically the New covenant to forgive sins. This is what Paul is referring to here in 1 John 1:9. The voluntary substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths of Jesus Christ on the cross paid the penalty for every sin in human history-past, present and future and is the basis for the forgiveness of sins (1 John 2:12). The Lord in the institution of the Lord’s Table speaks of this promise of the forgiveness of sins, which is based upon His voluntary substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross, which is denoted by the phrase “My blood.” (Matt. 26:28) Therefore, the promise of the forgiveness of sins is related to this substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths of the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; 1 John 1:7). The Father remains faithful to the unfaithful Christian with regards to His promise to forgive sin, and which forgiveness of sins was based upon His death on the cross. The apostles proclaimed that this promise of the forgiveness of sins is appropriated through faith in the Lord Jesus because in Him is the fulfillment of all the promises that were made through the Old Testament prophets (Acts 2:14-41; 10:33-44; 13:16-39; 26:1-18; 2 Cor. 1:18-20). It is through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone that an individual receives the forgiveness of sins. This forgiveness of sins is based entirely upon the merits of the Lord Jesus and His finished work on the cross and for Christ’s sake the Christian’s sins forgiven (Rom. 4:1-17; 11:6; Gal. 2:16; 3:5-9; Eph. 2:1-9; Titus 3:5-7). The believer is no longer under judgment because of their faith in Jesus Christ which took place at their conversion which resulted in their being declared justified by the Father (John 3:18; 5:24). The believer is no longer under condemnation because of his union with Christ through the baptism of the Spirit (Rom. 8:1; Col. 2:13-14). God remembers the believer’s sins no more because of the merits of His Son Jesus Christ’s death on the cross (Ps. 51:1-9; Heb. 8:12; 10:17). The New Covenant to Israel is mentioned by our Lord in instituting the communion service in Luke 22:20 and by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:25. Although the church is not Israel, she still benefits from the promise of forgiveness of sins which is offered in the New Covenant. As we noted, those Gentiles who have trusted in Jesus Christ as Savior are engrafted into regenerate Jews according to Romans 11:17. Consequently, these regenerate Gentiles benefit from the New Covenant promise stipulating the forgiveness of sins to those who trust in the

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 47 Messiah. A Gentile benefits from the promise of the forgiveness of sins in the New Covenant when they exercise faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. Paul’s teaching in Romans makes clear that both Jew and Gentile sinners can receive the forgiveness of their sins and the gift of righteousness when they exercise faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is of the Jews not only in the sense that the Savior Jesus Christ is a Jew but also the promise of salvation and the forgiveness of sins is rooted in the New Covenant promises to Israel. The church age believer is restored to fellowship with God when they confess their sins to the Father because He is faithful to His covenant and His promise to provide for the forgiveness of sins, which is based upon His Son’s death on the cross. After conversion, the believer experiences, that which is true of themselves positionally when they confess their sins to the Father (cf. 1 John 1:9). God is faithful to His covenant and promise to forgive the believer’s sins because He was propitiated meaning He is totally and completely satisfied with His Son’s death on the cross as the payment for every sin in human history-past, present and future (1 John 2:1-2). Therefore, the believer who confesses their sins to the Father is in a sense reminding the Father of His covenant promise to forgive sins (1 John 1:9). This is of course is from the human perspective since God does not need to be reminded. The Father is true to His promise to forgive the sins of those who express faith in His Son. His steadfast fidelity to His promise in His Word to forgive sins obligates the Father to forgive the believer their sins when they confess them since the believer has met the requirements of the agreement at the moment of justification when they expressed faith alone in Christ alone. Now, why did God consider the rebuilding of the temple to be completion of Jeremiah’s prophecy and thus the end of the Babylon exile of the Jewish remnant and not the completion of the rebuilding of Jerusalem? The answer is simple. There is no nation of Israel or kingdom of Judah without God’s presence in the nation. The nation of Israel was chosen by God to represent Him to the unregenerate Gentile world surrounding them and eventually be the vehicle used by God to bring in the Savior of the world. The Jewish nation was to represent God to these nations by the manner in which they worshipped their God and also by the way that they conducted their lives which was to be governed by obedience to the Mosaic Law. They could not accomplish this task without a place to worship God. The temple was the location in which God wanted the Jewish remnant to worship, which localized His presence. Once, this was completed, they were considered by God to be a national entity again with borders and political and religious leadership since their sole purpose for existing as a nation was again to represent God before the unregenerate world and to be the instrument to bring in the Savior of the world.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 48 So therefore, this is why the rebuilding of temple received first priority and then the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Now, what if the Jewish remnant did not procrastinate and finished rebuilding the temple in a timely fashion, wouldn’t this mean that God did not fulfill His Word to the remnant of Judah through the prophet Jeremiah since this would mean that the nation would be restored before the seventy years was completed? This question is irrelevant for the simple reason that God from His omniscience figured this procrastination of this remnant into His divine decree and Jeremiah’s prophecy was communicating this decree to the remnant of Judah. Jeremiah’s prophecy of this seventy year exile in Babylon like all prophecies in Scripture are a manifestation of the divine decree and also reveal the will of God. The will of God is related to the divine decree of God which took place in eternity past before anything was ever created and is God’s eternal and immutable will. The divine decrees are the eternal plans by which God renders certain all the events of the universe, including both angelic and human history—past, present, and future. The divine decrees are actually one decree but because of the limitations of our human brain we often use the plural, decrees, to express the many facets of God’s plan. The decree of God is the chosen and adopted plan of all His works. It is His eternal purpose, according to His will; whereby, for His own glory, He foreordains whatever comes to pass. It is the sovereign choice of His divine will and His omniscience, by which all things are brought into being and controlled, made subject to His pleasure, and made to produce His glorification. Thus, the divine decrees originated with God, long before any creature of any kind existed, and are objectively designed for His own glory and pleasure (Romans 8:28-29). God has rendered certain all the events of the universe, including both angelic and human history-past, present and future. Therefore, God rendered certain to take place all the events of human history-past, present and future and thus figured these various circumstances into His plan. Thus, this would include all the decisions of the remnant of Judah and the Persian kings and the enemies of this remnant. God’s decree rendered all things as certain to occur and He decided that they would exist and so therefore, God rendered certain to occur all the events of human history-past, present and future and God decided that they would take place. So therefore, God decided in eternity past that all the decisions of the remnant of Judah and the Persian kings and the enemies of this remnant would take place in time. The “providence” of God is the divine outworking of the divine decree, the object being the final manifestation of God’s glory and expresses the fact that the world and our lives are not ruled by chance or fate but by God. Therefore, every event of human history-past, present and future does not happen by chance or fate

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 49 but because God ordained for them to take place in order to fulfill His plan for their lives and to bring glory to Himself. Again, this would include all the decisions of the remnant of Judah and the Persian kings and the enemies of this remnant. The “decree of God” is His eternal, holy, wise and sovereign purpose, comprehending at once all things that ever were or will be in their causes, courses, conditions, successions, and relations and determining their certain futurition (i.e., that they will certainly take place). When I say “comprehending” I mean that the omniscience of God is the source of the divine decrees by “determining” I mean that the sovereignty of God chose before anything existed which things would actually become historical events and human decisions. Therefore, the omniscience of God comprehended at once in eternity past each and every positive and negative circumstance that every human being would experience and every negative and positive decision that they would make during the course of their lifetime and every event in human history-past, present and future. Thus, He comprehended at once in eternity past all these circumstances and events and decisions. God also comprehended at once in eternity past the course that these events would take and their conditions and relations and determined that these events would take place. Therefore, each and every positive and negative decision that every human being would make during the course of their lifetime including the decision to accept or reject His Son Jesus Christ was sovereignly determined by God to take place and was known by God in eternity past before anything was created. So therefore, God from His omniscience comprehended from eternity past every positive and negative decision against His will which would include all the decisions of the remnant of Judah and the Persian kings and the enemies of this remnant. The decree of God is His eternal and immutable will regarding the future existence of events, which will happen in time and regarding the precise order and manner of their occurrence. Therefore, it was God’s eternal and immutable will that each and every positive and negative circumstance and positive and negative decision towards Him would take place as well as every event that would take place in human history-past, present and future. Furthermore, God decreed that these events would take place in time and the precise order of events leading up to these events and the manner in which these events would transpire. Thus, the rebuilding of His temple in Jerusalem was decreed by God to take place when it did. The will of God in common usage refers to what God desires of an individual or group in a particular situation. In relation to the divine decree the will of God refers to the decision God made in eternity past, from His attribute of sovereignty,

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 50 which established that certain things would actually come into being while other things would not. The will of God is His sovereign choice as to what will take place in time. God from His sovereignty decided in eternity past that each and every positive and negative decision with respect to His will during the course of their lifetime would take place. He also decided that these events would take place in the exact time that they did. God in eternity past decreed that angels and human beings would have volition and would be allowed to make decisions contrary to His sovereign will and without compromising His justice. In giving angels and men volition, God decreed that their decisions, whatever they might be, would certainly take place-even those that are contrary to His desires. Therefore, God decreed that the each and every positive and negative decision with respect to His will would all take place in time and even those circumstances and decisions, which were contrary to His desires. Being omniscient, God had the good sense to know ahead of time what men and angels would decide, and He not only decreed that those decisions would exist, but He also decreed the exact manner, consistent with His integrity, in which He would handle their decisions. Since God is omniscient He knew ahead of time the decisions that each and every positive and negative circumstance that every human being would make during the course of their lifetime with respect to His will and decreed that they would exist and He also decreed the exact manner in which He would handle these decisions. Therefore, each and every positive and negative decision that every human being would make with respect to His will during the course of their lifetime was a part of God’s sovereign will that is based upon His omniscient knowledge of all the facts concerning what will take place in the future. Since God is omniscient He knew ahead of time all the events in the past, all the events of the present and the future and that each and every one of these events would take place and decreed that they would take place and He also decreed the exact manner in which He would handle these events. Therefore, each and every event in the past, all the events of the present and the future are a part of God’s sovereign will that is based upon His omniscient knowledge of all the facts. The Lord knows perfectly, eternally and simultaneously all that is knowable, both the actual and the possible and thus has all knowledge of every event in human and angelic history. Therefore, the Lord looked down the corridors of time and decreed to take place each and every positive and negative decision with respect to His will. He looked down the corridors of time and decree every event of the past, all the events of the present and future to take place.

2019 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 51 Each and every positive and negative decision that every human being would make with respect to His will was figured into the divine decree and was a part of the providence of God, which is the outworking of the divine decree, the object being the final manifestation of God’s glory. Each and every of the past and the present as well as the future were figured into the divine decree and was a part of the providence of God, which is the outworking of the divine decree, the object being the final manifestation of God’s glory. In the divine decree, the sovereignty of God and the free will of man co-exist in human history. No one can stop God’s plans from being accomplished since His divine decree or eternal plan has taken into consideration both positive and negative decisions by His creatures and decreed that His sovereign will, will co-exist with the volition of men and angels. So therefore, the Lord from His omniscience comprehended from eternity past every positive and negative decision against His will which would include all the decisions of the remnant of Judah and the Persian kings and the enemies of this remnant. The relationship between human volition and the sovereign will and purpose of God can be view from different perspectives, namely, the “permissive” and “directive” and “overruling.” In relation to eternal salvation, the “directive” will of God refers to what God directly requires of an individual and desires for them, which is to be saved. His “permissive” will refers to Him “permitting” His creatures to act contrary to what He desires. Therefore, God permits people to reject His will or accept it. His “overruling” will refers to the fact that at times God “overrules” the bad decisions of His creatures in order to perpetuate His plan. The will of God (as to what would exist, i.e., the divine decree) calls for God’s will (His attribute of sovereignty) to function toward us in certain ways: (1) Directly stating what He desires of us (2) Permissively allowing us to our own way (3) Overruling our decisions-not letting them have their intended results-in order to protect us and the rest of mankind from our own negative volition and to preserve and perpetuate His own marvelous plan. The four messages presented in the book of Haggai express God’s directive will for the remnant of Judah. The permissive will of God was manifested when He permitted them to procrastinate in rebuilding His temple. His overruling will is manifested in these four messages which overrules their bad decisions to procrastinate.

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