In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying, Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying, Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?

Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts: According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.

For thus saith 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 all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. (Haggai 2:1-7 kjv)

The Book of HAGGAI Haggai is the first of the prophets who spoke to the exiles after they had returned Palestine. Because of the precise dates given for each prophetic message, the events of this book may be dated more accurately than perhaps any other hook in the whole Bible. Darius who is mentioned for the first two dates, was the Babylonian king that removed the interdict for the rebuilding of the temple (521 B.C.).   Haggai ministered in 520 B.C. between the months of August and December. He delivered four messages during this time (Hag. 1:1 -15 [some divide this into two messages at v. 12]; 2:1 -9; 2:10 -19; 2:20 -23). From the comments to verse three of chapter two, it seems likely that Haggai was born before Solomon's Temple was destroyed in 586 B.C. He was, therefore, a very old man at the time he prophesied, and his death may account for the brevity of his ministry. His ministry had a single focus: urging God's people to be obedient, especially in the rebuilding of the temple. The Exiles had returned under Zerubbabel in 536 B.C., but opposition from the surrounding rulers (see Ezra 4:1 -24) and self-centered thinking (Hag. 1:2 -4) kept the returned exiles from doing any more than laying the foundation for the temple (Ezra 3 :8-13).   Haggai and Zechariah were raised up by God to promote a spirit of revival among His people (see Ezra 5:1; 6:14). Haggai's first message was one of challenge, but the rest were concerned with encouraging the people and their leaders in the work, and reminding them of the consequences of previous disobedience. Following Haggai's ministry, work on the temple was begun again, and completed in 516 B.C. It is not known whether Haggai lived to see its completion.  [Source for Introduction of chapter: Hebrew Greek Key Study Bible KJV edited by Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D. AMG Publishers, Chattanooga, TN 37422]