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About Haggai
Haggai 1:3 “Then the word of YHWH came by Haggai the prophet”
The Hebrew name for Haggai is H2292 – ḥagay, meaning Festive! From the root words H2282 – ḥāḡ and H2287 – ḥāḡaḡ, all meaning to hold a feast, hold a festival, make pilgrimage, keep a pilgrim-feast, celebrate and dancing! This is perfect, but so ironic for a prophet to have this name at this time. Most prophets so far had warnings and encouragement, but this prophet seems to have the task of convincing the people to celebrate, and make their journey back to Jerusalem – because they didn’t feel like it. They have settled comfortably and Jerusalem was just a pile of rubble.
YHWH even says.., the Temple won’t be as glorious as when king Solomon lived, but to Him it will be even better than the glory of Solomon’s Temple. Haggai 2:3,9 “Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing?.. ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says YHWH of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace’”
Hosts
Haggai 1:5 thus says YHWH of hosts: “Consider your ways!
The Hebrew word for Hosts is Tsebaoth H6635 – ṣāḇā‘, meaning a host of army and host of whole creation, that which goes forth. The root word Seba H6634 – ṣᵊḇâ means to serve, be inclined and be willing. This word is first used with Creation, in Genesis 2:1 “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.” This word and title, YHWH Tseboath is a favourite among the prophets. Haggai is only 2 chapters, but he says it 12 times, Zechariah has 14 chapters, but says it almost 40 times, in some places almost in each sentence! Also in Malachi, and even Isaiah and Jeremiah uses it a lot.
Click here to read about a previous posts about War in Joshua 5, what hosts also mean. YHWH is Elohim of the host of angels and all of creation.
