In the second year of Darius, the king, the year 520 B. C. IN THE SIXTH MONTH, that is, of the Jewish year, corresponding roughly to our September, IN THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH, CAME THE WORD OF THE LORD BY HAGGAI, THE PROPHET, who was therefore simply the medium through which the Lord communicated... [ Continue Reading ]
THE INDIFFERENCE OF THE PEOPLE REBUKED. When the exiles, under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua, had returned to Jerusalem, they had begun the work of rebuilding the Temple with great eagerness. But when the Samaritans and others had placed various obstacles in their way, they had discontinu... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, the prophet employing this formula in order to bring out the importance of his message, SAYING, THIS PEOPLE SAY, THE TIME IS NOT COME, THE TIME THAT THE LORD'S HOUSE SHOULD BE BUILT, that being the lame excuse with which the people tried to cover their indifference,... [ Continue Reading ]
Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai, the prophet, saying,... [ Continue Reading ]
Is It time for you, O ye, to dwell In your celled houses, for yourselves to dwell in wainscoted houses, paneled in the most expensive manner, showing that they lived not only in comfort, but in luxury, AND THIS HOUSE LIE WASTE? since it had never gotten beyond the foundations, only the altar of burn... [ Continue Reading ]
Now, therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways, literally, "Set your hearts upon your ways," contemplating the consequences of their late behavior and upon the manner in which the Lord had regarded it, as His treatment of them showed.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ye have sown much, or have been sowing much, in the expectation of big crops, AND BRING IN LITTLE, the harvest being small in spite of all their efforts; YE EAT, BUT YE HAVE NOT ENOUGH, they were not really satisfied in spite of the apparent abundance; YE DRINK, BUT YE ARE NOT FILLED WITH DRINK; YE... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the Lord of hosts Consider your ways, think them over very carefully, for the matter was urgent,... [ Continue Reading ]
Go up to the mountain, to the great forests of the country, AND BRING WOOD, timber for building, AND BUILD THE HOUSE; AND I WILL TAKE PLEASURE IN IT, glad to regard it as the house where He might be worshiped, AND I WILL BE GLORIFIED, SAITH THE LORD, receiving the honor which was due to Him, which h... [ Continue Reading ]
Ye looked for much, expecting still greater crops and a corresponding prosperity, AND, LO, IT CAME TO LITTLE; AND WHEN YE BROUGHT IT HOME, believing that at least the little which they had gotten was safe, I DID BLOW UPON IT, thus dissipating and scattering it. WHY? SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS. He Himse... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, withholding the moisture necessary to insure full crops, AND THE EARTH IS STAYED FROM HER FRUIT, it does not yield even its ordinary harvest.... [ Continue Reading ]
And I called for a drought upon the land, upon the cultivated fields, AND UPON THE MOUNTAINS, with their rich meadows, AND UPON THE CORN, the grain products, AND UPON THE NEW WINE, AND UPON THE OIL, all the chief products of the country. AND UPON THAT WHICH THE GROUND BRINGETH FORTH, AND UPON MEN, A... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua, the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, all the rest of the returned exiles, OBEYED THE VOICE OF THE LORD, THEIR GOD, AND THE WORDS OF HAGGAI, THE PROPHET, AS THE LORD, THEIR GOD, HAD SENT HIM, probably an additiona... [ Continue Reading ]
Then, when the people showed such obvious signs of repentance, SPAKE HAGGAI, THE LORD'S MESSENGER, IN THE LORD'S MESSAGE UNTO THE PEOPLE, the fact that his mission was that of Jehovah being brought out time and again, SAYING, I AM WITH YOU, SAITH THE LORD, He accepted their repentance as genuine and... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people, and they came and did work, they took steps to continue building operations, IN THE HOUSE OF THE... [ Continue Reading ]
in the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, twenty-three days after the first message of Haggai, IN THE SECOND YEAR OF DARIUS, THE KING. When people are filled with the spirit of repentance and of the fear of the Lord, it is an easy matter for them to take up any part of the work which the Lor... [ Continue Reading ]