Property From Commitment

¹⁵ Now, please, from this day on, keep this in mind: before you began laying stones on each other to rebuild the temple of Adonai, ¹⁶ throughout that whole time, when someone approached a twenty-measure pile [of grain], he found only ten; and when he came to the winepress to draw out fifty measures, there were only twenty. ¹⁷ I struck you with blasting winds, mildew, and hail on everything your hands produced; but you still wouldn’t return to me,’ says Adonai. ¹⁸ ‘So please keep this in mind, from this day on, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day the foundation of Adonai’s temple was laid, consider this:

Before they began building the temple, they experienced shortages of grain and wine, and their crops suffered from blasting winds, mildew, and hail. Ever since then, their interminable delays in rebuilding had brought God’s chastisement in the form of hardship and deprivation. The Lord called the people to reconsider their situation before resuming temple building. In those days, the farmer found less than expected (cf. 1:6, 9–11).

¹⁹ there’s no longer any seed in the barn, is there? And the vine, fig tree, pomegranate tree, and olive tree have produced nothing yet, right? However, from this day on, I will bless you.’ 

As a result of their obedience, God promised to bless them from that day forth (cf. v. 10).

Special Prophecy

The fifth message to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah (v. 20), came on the same day as the fourth, and he returned to the theme of vv. 6–9 and the millennial reign of the Messiah. Once again, it depicted the overthrow of the kingdoms of the world and the establishment of the Messianic kingdom (cf. Daniel 2:44; 7:27). Since the predicted events did not transpire historically, the promise pertains to the royal line through which the Messiah would come. It looked to be the ultimate day when the Messiah reigns on earth (cf. Psalm 2; Revelation 19, 20).

²⁰ The word of Adonai came a second time to Hagai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, as follows: ²¹ “Tell Z’rubavel, governor of Y’hudah, ‘I will shake the heavens and the earth, ²² I will overturn the thrones of kingdoms, I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and I will overturn the chariots and the people riding in them; the horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.

I will overturn the thrones of kingdoms. Although Zerubbabel had little power and few military resources, God promised to work on his behalf to determine who would win the wars at that time.

²³ When that day comes,’ says Adonai-Tzva’ot, ‘I will take you, Z’rubavel, my servant, the son of Sh’alti’el,’ says Adonai, ‘and wear you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,’ says Adonai-Tzva’ot.” ^[1]

The day of the Messiah’s triumph (cf. Zechariah 12–14). My servant. A distinctly Davidic and Messianic title (cf. 2 Samuel 3:18; 1Kings 11:34; Isaiah 42:1–9; Ezera 37:24, 25). signet ring. The signet ring was a symbol of honor, authority, and power (cf. Song of Solomon 8:6). It corresponded to a king’s scepter, which was used to seal letters and decrees (cf. 1 Kings 21:8; Esther 8:8; Daniel 6:17). Z’rubavel, as God’s signet ring, stands as the official representative of the Davidic dynasty and represents the resumption of the messianic line interrupted by the exile. Just as Pharaoh gave Joseph his signet ring and made him second in the kingdom (Genesis 41:41–43), so God will do for the Davidic line of kings. The pre-Exilic signet of Jehoiachin was removed by God (Jeremiah 22:24), and it was renewed here in his grandson, Zerubbabel, who reestablished the Davidic line of kings, culminating in the millennial reign of Yeshua.

In your public interactions, you might struggle with negativity, especially when discussing politics or social issues. Inspired by Hagai, prepare to be a voice of hope this week. When engaging in discussions, actively seek to bring a positive perspective, focusing on solutions rather than complaints. Offer to pray for those involved and share a story of how faith has positively influenced your values. This will not only uplift others but also remind you of the transformative power of God’s promise.

In our next post, we will pick up where we left off by exploring Z’kharyah.

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^[1] Hagai 2:15–23.