THE BOOK OF HAGGAI OT/NT: Old Testament SECTION: Minor Prophets (10 of 12) TRADITIONAL AUTHOR: Haggai KEY PEOPLE: Haggai, Joshua, Zerubbabel, people of Jerusalem and those returning from Exile. SUMMARY: Canonically, Haggai is the thirty-seventh book of the Holy Bible (1), the thirty-seventh book of the Old Testament (2) and the tenth of twelve Minor Prophets (3) books. Haggai is the first of three post-exilic prophets, followed by Zechariah (4) and Malachi (5). He was raised up by God to encourage His people to finish construction on the new Temple. In 586 BC, the Temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed. In 538 BC, King Cyrus of Persia allowed the Jews to return to return to their homeland to rebuild it. Under the leadership of Ezra (6) and Nehemiah (7), work on the second Temple had begun shortly after the exiles' arrival. While this group of dedicated worshipers made an admirable and ambitious start, they lost sight of their purpose and priorities. Opposition and apathy brought their efforts to a grinding halt. An inordinate focus on "self" has a way of do- ing that. Haggai steps onto the scene as a voice to urge and encourage them to get back on track. The timeless truth of seeking first the Kingdom, and all these other things shall be added unto you, is true today as it was then (Matthew 6:33). (a) While the new temple didn't meet their expectations, their efforts and faithfulness would be blessed. They could also be encour- aged by God's promise to build a New Jerusalem for His international Kingdom, defeat evil, and live in their midst. Future prophetic books contain more details about when these promises would be fulfilled. (b) COMING UP: Next up is the book of Zechariah (8). Click HERE to explore! FOOTNOTES: (1) http://www.downriverdisciples.com/the-word-of-god (2) http://www.downriverdisciples.com/old-testament (3) http://www.downriverdisciples.com/ot-minor-prophets (4) http://www.downriverdisciples.com/zechariah (5) http://www.downriverdisciples.com/malachi (6) http://www.downriverdisciples.com/ezra (7) http://www.downriverdisciples.com/nehemiah (8) http://www.downriverdisciples.com/zechariah PAGE SOURCES: (a) https://thefoundersbible.com/ (b) https://thebibleproject.com/explore/haggai/ http://www.downriverdisciples.com/haggai .