11-3-4 Angels In Haggai

HAGGAI

If Judah had followed what the Angels made potentially possible, they would have worked zealously to rebuild the temple according to Ezekiel's specifications. Note the word play in Hag. 1:13,14: the messenger (Heb. malak- the word for Angel, the Angel who was behind the words of the prophets) gives a message (malakut) to the people to "work" (melaka). It's rather like making a word play in English between 'word' and 'work'- if the word of the prophets, the word of the Angels, had been taken seriously, the people would've worked. And so with us- if we perceive the spiritual possibilities which the work of the Angels is setting up through God's word, then we will work, doing our part to bring it all to realization.

The Angels were zealous for the restoration to proceed, and therefore influenced the people as far as they could to be zealous for it too. They did this in various ways- e. g. by direct rebuke through the prophets whom they inspired: "Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord's house should be built" (1:2). The context of this, according to Ezra 5:1, was of the people losing heart in the rebuilding because of the opposition from the Samaritans and the temporary ban on the work from Babylon. They argued: 'We'll do God's work if we get the chance, but this ban is clearly a sign from God not to go ahead'- when really it was their self-satisfaction with their "ceiled houses" (1:4) that made them give up so easily. But the Angels were eager to go ahead! The paltry excuses for shirking the Lord's work today are no better. As ever, they stem from the apathy born of materialism, but are wrapped up in pseudo-spiritual reasoning.  The  satan  Angel  that caused the 21 day-year delay in the rebuilding (Dan. 10:12,13; Zech. 3:1 etc. ) was maybe representing the apathy of the Jews as well as the opposition of the Samaritans in the court of Heaven. The two Angel chariots sent to overcome this opposition (see notes on Zech. 6) would therefore have tried to influence the Jews to be more genuinely committed to Zion's cause. Part of their work was in the inspiring of Haggai's words (n. b. the many references to "the Lord of Hosts" in Haggai). Again, the context of Ezra 5:1 must be remembered- Haggai prophesied to encourage the people during the 21 year cessation of the rebuilding (details in Ezra 4).

Despite the apathy of the people, the Angel's encouragement was tremendous: "Be strong, O Zerubbabel. . be strong, O Joshua. . be strong, all ye people. . and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of Hosts" (Angels)- 2:4. "My Spirit (Angel) remaineth among you" "(2:5), just as the same Angel was with them “when ye came out of Egypt”. And with us too.

In common with Ezekiel, Zechariah and Isaiah, Haggai also speaks of the possible glory that could have been at the restoration, but which has now been postponed until the second coming: "Thus saith the Lord of Hosts: Yet once, it is a little while, and  I will shake the Heavens, and the earth. . 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 (Angels). . . the glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of Hosts" (2:6,7,9). Compare this with what actually happened- the old men wept because the new rebuilt temple was nothing like the former temple.