Haggai

Haggai and Zechariah prophesied after God had returned Israel from their captivity in Babylon and from all the nations. These two prophets encouraged the Jews, who had been discouraged from rebuilding by the enemies Sanballat and Tobiah (Ezra 5:1).

Haggai encouraged Israel saying the glory of the latter house shall be greater than the former house (Hag 2:9). This was not literally fulfilled in their day. The temple they rebuilt in Zerubbabel’s day was very poor compared to the glory of Solomon’s temple. Later King Herod improved the temple, but even then it was never as great as the temple that Solomon built.

But the true glory of it was much greater, because Jesus came to this temple that Herod completed and walked in it, which He did not do in Solomon’s temple. This is the point!

So the temple that Haggai was really referring to was the church. The Jews who returned after the captivity would not have understood this fully then. They were discouraged by the poor temple they saw being rebuilt in those early days. So Haggai encouraged them by speaking of the glory of Christ and the New Covenant that was ahead.

This is why they had returned to Jerusalem, to prepare for the coming of Messiah. They should not be feeble:

For thus says the Lord of hosts; yet once, it is a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all nations and the desire of the nations shall come; and I will fill this house with glory…(Hag 2:6-7).

According to Heb 12:26 this prophecy of Haggai related to the bringing in of the New Covenant in Christ. Haggai said the same thing here as Isaiah said: the Gentiles would be included in Israel in their restoration through Christ in the gospel age.

Zerubbabel was the governor in Jerusalem when the captivity was restored from Babylon in those days. Because Zerubbabel was in the lineage of David and was governor, Haggai used him to speak of the coming of Christ. Haggai speaks of the day when all nations would be overthrown, including Israel, when God would make Christ the signet ring, or chosen Seed, who would establish His kingdom and church.

In that day, says the Lord of hosts, will I take you, O Zerubbabel, My Servant…and will make you as a signet: for I have chosen You…(Hag 2:23).

This verse speaks of the fulfilment of the promise to David through Christ. Zerubbabel’s grandfather Coniah was an evil king. God had said even if Coniah was a signet ring on His right hand He would throw him away due to his evil heart (Jer 22:24). Now in Christ God has made David’s descendant His signet ring, giving us redemption in Him. Zerubbabel was used to represent Christ.

In the day when God would make Christ His signet ring all nations would come against Israel, according to Joel 3 and Zechariah 14. The nations were all those that were part of the Roman Empire that then covered the known world. This was the time of the latter days, hundreds of years after the time in which the prophets spoke. It was fulfilled in the days when the church was born, as stated by Peter (Acts 2:16-21).