Haggai 2

Yet He ends with a promise: “From this day on I will bless you” (verse 19). Because the people had responded to Haggai’s message, they could be assured of God’s covenant blessings (see Leviticus 26:3–13). When we change our attitude toward God, He will change His attitude toward us (see Zechariah 1:3; James 4:8).

Zerubbabel the Lord’s Signet Ring (2:20–23)

20–23 These final words are addressed to Zerubbabel. The Lord again looks ahead to the end of the world (verses 21–22), when the heavens and the earth will be shaken and the nations shattered (see verses 6–7). on that day—the future day of the Lord—God promises Zerubbabel that He will make him like His signet ring (verse 23)—that is, He will grant to Zerubbabel the privilege of being a direct ancestor of the MESSIAH (Matthew 1:12–13). In ancient times, a “signet ring” was given to the ambassador of a king; it was a guarantee that the ambassador had the king’s authority. Thus Zerubbabel was given the authority not only to lead the Jews of his day, but also to guarantee the arrival of Jesus the Messiah.⁹

. . . for I have chosen you (verse 23). God chose Abraham; He chose Moses; He chose David; and now He chooses Zerubbabel. God chooses everyone. He has chosen you and me. We wear His signet ring.

Let Haggai speak to us. Is anyone discouraged? God says: “I am with you” (verse 4). Has anyone started out to do God’s work but then not finished it? God says: “Be strong . . . and work” (verse 4). Does anyone doubt God’s call? God says: “I have chosen you” (verse 23). And if God has chosen us, He will see us through to the end. . . . he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

¹ Cyrus was the Persian king who conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. and allowed the Jewish exiles to return to their homeland the following year (Ezra 1:1–4). Cyrus died in 529 B.C. About seven years later Darius came to the throne and reigned from 522 to 486 B.C. He is known in history as Darius the Great. It was during his reign that the temple in Jerusalem was completed.

² The people’s purses had “holes” in them (verse 6). This is a way of saying that because of scarcity, prices had risen sharply; it was as if the people’s money was “leaking away.”

³ For further discussion of the significance of the Lord’s earthly dwelling place, see Exodus 25:1; 1 Kings 6:1 and comments.

⁴ For what it means to “fear the Lord,” see footnote to comment on Genesis 20:8–13; Deuteronomy 6:1–3; Proverbs 1:7 and comments.

⁵ Solomon’s original temple had been destroyed by the Babylonians sixty–six years earlier (2 Kings 25:8–9).

⁶ The author of Hebrews quotes verse 6 and relates it to the “shaking” that will take place at the end of the world (see Hebrews 12:26–27). Then he goes on to say that, although the created heaven and earth will be removed, those who have put their faith in Christ will receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28–29).

⁷ In verse 7, the expression the desired of all nations has two possible interpretations. First, it can mean “desired things” or “valuable articles”; this refers to the wealth of the nations—the silver and gold (verse 8)—that will be brought into the future temple (see Ezra 6:5; 7:15–17; Isaiah 60:5).

Second, the desired (singular in the Hebrew) can mean “the desired one.” Many scholars believe this refers to the Messiah; this is reasonable, since the entire passage deals with the Messianic age.

⁸ To be consecrated, or to be holy, means to be set apart for God. “Consecrated meat,” therefore, is meat from an animal that has been sacrificed to God. For further discussion, see Word List: Consecration.

⁹ Christians have also been given a signet ring: it is the Holy Spirit. The royal signet ring served as a stamp or seal; the seal was a guarantee that the king would do as he had promised. The Holy Spirit is our seal, guaranteeing that we will have an inheritance in heaven (see 2 Corinthians 1:21–22; Ephesians 1:13–14).