Fr. Eduardo Emilio Aguero, SCJ
Historical Context
Parts of Third Isaiah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi mark the final prophetic voices in the post-exilic era. Prophecy then falls silent for four centuries, until John the Baptist appears, bearing witness to the Messiah as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (Jn 1:29). After King Cyrus of Persia issued a decree in 538 B.C. allowing the Jews to return to Judea, historical sources indicate that only a small number—between 10,000 and 20,000 people—chose to return to their ancestral land. Many had already become well established in Babylon. Leaving all behind and settling in Judea was tough. Other groups had already claimed the land, including Jews who stayed and many Samaritans. Rebuilding Jerusalem and its temple was hard. Besides local resistance, people had to work the fields and care for animals to survive. The temple was completed only in 516 B.C. That year marks the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy: “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.” (Jer 29:10) These seventy years are counted from the destruction of the temple by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. until the dedication of the second temple in 516 B.C.—exactly seventy years! The events in Haggai happened in 520 B.C., that is, four years before the rebuilding of the temple. The seventh month was usually set aside for the temple (see 1 Kings 8). However, the temple was still in ruins, which made the occasion ironic. Haggai is briefly introduced as a temple prophet in Jerusalem.
The book of Haggai is structured in four oracles, of which we will tackle the first two.
- Call to Rebuild the Temple ( 1:1–11)
- Encouragement and Future Glory (2:1–9)
- Blessing for Obedience (Haggai 2:10–19)
- God’s Choice of Zerubbabel (Haggai 2:20–23)
A Call to Rebuild the Temple (1:2–15)
Haggai’s central message is that divine sovereignty and covenant faithfulness must guide the rebuilding of the temple; true peace and fulfillment are achieved when God’s presence takes priority in communal and personal life. “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider how you have fared. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored, says the LORD.”(1:7-8) By God’s loving kindness, the exiles returned to Jerusalem. But when they arrived, they focused on their own needs. They neglected what mattered most: God’s presence among them. The temple was the only place where God’s Glory dwelt—the same Glory Ezekiel saw leave Jerusalem when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed God’s home in Zion (cf. Ezk 10). The principal challenge in Haggai is placing God’s presence at the center, not earthly priorities. Like the ancient Israelites, today’s society risks missing fulfillment by neglecting what really sustains us: the Lord as the source of life. “You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes… Because my house lies in ruins, while all of you hurry off to your own houses. Therefore, the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce.” (1:6,9)
The people stopped paying attention and forgot that it is God who gives rain and enables the land to produce food. Like them, we may find ourselves working hard for things that are ultimately futile and unprofitable. As in Elijah’s time (see 1 Kings 17:1), God warns about a drought. Without God in the temple, life in the promised land cannot go well. Jesus, in the Gospel of John, speaks of dwelling “in Him” — “Abide in me, and I in you” (Jn 15:4), of “remaining in Him” — “Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit” (Jn 15:5), and of “abiding in His love” — “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love” (Jn 15:9). St. Paul conveys the same experience when he says: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:19–20). Encouragement and Future Glory (2:1–10)“Then Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the words of the prophet Haggai, as the LORD their God had sent him; and the people feared the LORD” (1:12).
Haggai speaks to the leaders, Zerubbabel and Joshua, who returned after the exile. He tells them the temple must be rebuilt and says God will show His power when the temple is restored. Later, both the leaders and the people start rebuilding. This quick answer to Haggai is rare for prophets. It allows God to guide them. When they begin the work, God tells them He is with them. “Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the LORD; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the LORD.” (2:2-4a) The temple they built was smaller than Solomon’s. Still, simple as it seemed, it was a sign or a step toward the real temple: Jesus’ body (cf. Jn 2:19): “The future glory of this house will be greater than before” (2:9).
The New Temple
Jesus Christ is the true place of encounter with God (cf. Jn 1:14). The temple of Jerusalem was the dwelling of God’s Glory. Jesus’ “Hour” of “Glorification” arrives when He gives up His life for those He loves (cf. Jn 13:1; 17:1). This New Passover event surpasses and transcends the restoration of the sanctuary on Mount Zion. “ People of the Land: work, for I am with you, says the LORD of hosts, according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear.” (2:4b-5) The Church, the new temple, calls us to embody Haggai’s thesis: to work, with the power of the Holy Spirit to build community on God’s presence, and strive for reconciliation, justice, and peace. Like in the Exodus, the Lord stayed with His people as they crossed the desert to live at Mount Zion. God promises He is with us. The new temple will welcome all nations, who will bring their gifts to God, who will give peace to the world from His holy dwelling: “I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the LORD of hosts” (2:7).
In all cultures and nations, there are seeds of the Word, which can grow and bear fruit in the Church and enrich her as the beautiful spouse of Christ. We have seen how the prophets don’t only speak of chastisements or calamities but, above all, they convey a message of hope and universal peace and reconciliation.
Praying with the Word of God
1. Do I recognize God’s presence as central in my life, or do I focus more on my own needs and priorities, like the people in Haggai’s time?
2. In what ways does God’s faithfulness invite me to trust Him, especially when my own efforts seem unfruitful or incomplete?
3. How can I respond to God’s call—personally or in community—to build up His dwelling, whether in my heart, my family, or the Church?
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