Prophetic Prospective Daily Devotional

The Prophet Haggai is a contemporary of Zechariah. These two prophets, along with Malachi, prophesied after the Babylonian captivity.

Both Haggai and Zechariah were exhorting the Jews that had returned with Zerubbabel to Jerusalem from Babylon to get busy in the rebuilding of the temple - to replace Solomon's temple, the first temple, that had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian King.

Haggai was concerned that those returning Jews were too busy building their own houses to take care of building the "house of the Lord". Haggai as a prophet was a bit more "crusty" than Zechariah, who was also a priest. Haggai gives the Jews a stern warning of the Lord's displeasure with their disobedience and lack of priority in the building of His house.

It is in this context that Haggai looks down the corridor of time to a future temple to be built on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Actually, from Haggai's day until the time that the Lord Jesus will sit on His throne in the Temple at Jerusalem there will be three temples.

The temple built in Haggai's day was the 2nd temple, also known as Zerubbabel's Temple or Herod's Temple. Then there will be the temple to stand in Jerusalem during the Tribulation Period. And finally, the temple referred to as "Messiah's Temple" the one that Jesus will build, Zechariah 6:12, following all the detailed instructions of Ezekiel 40-46.

The Messiah's Temple is the one Haggai is referring to in Haggai 2:9. When Jesus rules from that "latter house" the Lord will give peace to the whole world.

One final note: The next temple, the Tribulation Temple, is ready to be built right now. That would make us living in the days of that temple - meaning Jesus is coming and it could be soon. Remember, the Rapture takes place before the next temple is built in Jerusalem.

PRAYER THOUGHT: Thank you Lord for allowing us to be alive in what could be the day of your return.