We hope this outline of Haggai will assist you as you investigate the Bible. May He speak to you from the pages of His Word.
Haggai was the first of the three post-exilic prophets. He was the first prophet after the death of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Daniel lived until approximately within 15-20 years of Haggai’s prophecy, but Daniel’s prophecies were in Babylon and Daniel was not listed among the prophets of Israel in the Hebrew Scriptures. God raised up Haggai to motivate His people back to His work.
He was a contemporary of Zechariah and is mentioned in Ezra. He had a simple message: “It’s time to build the temple.” There are four messages from God in this book. The response of the prophesy of Haggai and Zechariah is that the people finished the temple that had been begun back some 20 years later, but stopped (see Ezra 3; 4:23-24; 6:13-18).
Date: 520 B.C., August to November
The book is divided as follows:
I. It’s Time to Build 1:1-15
- “Consider your ways” 1:5, 7
- Obedience leads to the promise of His presence 1:12-13
II. Don’t Be Discouraged 2:1-9
- Doing apparently insignificant work for God brings the promise of His presence 2:3-4
- Promise of the presence of the Spirit 2:5
- Promise of Peace 2:9
III. Be Holy 2:10-19
- It is total holiness or total uncleanness. Uncleanness pollutes cleanness, holiness does not clean uncleanness. We must be fully holy in all our actions.
- Promise of His blessing 2:19
IV. I Will Use You 2:20-23
- God speaks to Haggai a second time 20
- God will do the work, we are but his signet ring 23
Key Idea: It is time to build God’s House
Key Passage: 1:8
Key Lesson: It is time to do God’s work and trust Him for the result