Haggai
Haggai or Aggeus
Life
Scarcely anything is known of his personal history, with the book of Haggai offering no biographical details about his ancestry or anything else in his life outside the prophecies of 520 BCE. Haggai is only mentioned in one other book of the Bible, the book of Ezra.
Haggai prophecies
Haggai prophesied in late 520 BCE Jerusalem, about the people needing to complete building the Temple. He has four messages, which begin on August 29 and culminate on December 18.[4] The new Temple was bound to exceed the awesomeness of the previous Temple. He claimed if the Temple was not built there would be poverty, famine and drought affecting the Jewish nation.
There is a controversy regarding who edited Haggai's works. According to scholars, they credit it to his students. However, Jewish Tradition believe that the Men of the Great Assembly were responsible for the edits. The Men of the Great Assembly are traditionally known for continuing the work of Ezra and Nehemiah.[2]
Haggai and officials of his time
Haggai supported the officials of his time, specifically Zerubbabel, the governor, and Joshua the High Priest. In the Book of Haggai, God refers to Zerubbabel as "my servant" as King David was, and says he will make him as a "signet ring," as King Jehoiachin was.[6] The signet ring symbolized a ring worn on the hand of Yahweh, showing that a king held divine favour. Thus, Haggai is implicitly, but not explicitly, saying that Zerubbabel would preside over a restored Davidic kingdom.[7]
Jewish Persian diplomacy
The Persian Empire was growing weak, and Haggai saw time as an opportunity to restore the Davidic Kingdom. He believed that the Kingdom of David was able to rise and take back their part in Jewish issues. Haggai's message was directed to the nobles and Zerubbabel, as he would be the first Davidic monarch restored. He saw this as important because the Kingdom would be an end to Jewish idol worship.[2]
Haggai in Jewish tradition
Haggai, in rabbinic writing, is often referred to as one of the men of the
Liturgical commemoration
On the
Haggai is commemorated with the other
Haggai in Freemasonry
In the Masonic degree of Holy Royal Arch Haggai is one of the Three Principals of the Chapter. Named after Haggai the prophet and accompanies Zerubbabel, Prince of the People, and Joshua, the son of Josedech, the High Priest.[10]
See also
- Book of Haggai
- Tomb of the Prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi
References
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Easton, Matthew George (1897). "Haggai". Easton's Bible Dictionary (New and revised ed.). T. Nelson and Sons.
- ^ "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Aggeus (Haggai)". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2023-01-01.
- ^ a b c Schiffman, Lawrence. Judaism in the Persian Period. pp. 53–54.
- ^ Bible Ezra 5:1, Ezra 6:14.
- ^ ISBN 0852342594.
- ^ Bible, Ezra 6:14
- ^ Bible, Haggai 2:23; cf. Jer 22:24
- ISBN 978-0195332728.
- ^ Babylonian Talmud (Yebamot 16a)
- Mosaic law, as also the biblical injunction to take in marriage the wife of one's deceased brother (Heb. Yibum = levirate marriage) when they had no offspring. The problem, however, that arises here is that a man whose daughter was married to his brother, had his brother died childless, he (the living brother who is the father of his brother's wife) could not consummate a marriage with his own daughter, a thing prohibited in Jewish law, and therefore even the co-wives of his brother assume the same prohibition and are forbidden for him to marry.
- ^ "A History of Royal Arch Masonry" (PDF). virginiaroyalarch.org. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
External links
- Prophet Haggai Orthodox synaxarion
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