Objective

In this study, we’ll see that God sent prophets to encourage His people when they returned from exile and to point them toward the coming Messiah.

Key Verse

Haggai 1:7: This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.”

Introduction

When God’s people returned from their long exile in Babylon, they faced enormous challenges. They had to rebuild not only their temple and their city, but also their faith and their way of life. In His faithfulness, God did not leave them to struggle alone. He sent prophets to guide them, encourage them, and remind them of His promises.

The three prophets we will study today brought different but complementary messages to God’s people during this crucial time of restoration. They called the people back to faithfulness, warned them against spiritual complacency, and assured them that God’s greatest promise—the coming Messiah—remained certain.

In this study, we’ll focus on the three post-exilic prophets who ministered after the return from Babylon:

• Haggai: The prophet who called God’s people to rebuild the temple
• Zechariah: The prophet who gave visions of God’s glorious future
• Malachi: The prophet who confronted spiritual compromise and pointed to the coming Messiah

These prophets spoke to people who had experienced both God’s judgment and His mercy. Their messages remind us that God never abandons His people, even when they struggle with discouragement or drift into spiritual indifference.

Haggai: The Prophet Who Called for Action

Haggai prophesied during a specific moment in Israel’s history that we can pinpoint precisely. When we read the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, we discover that Haggai and Zechariah were God’s instruments to motivate His people during the temple rebuilding project.

Ezra 5:1: Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them.

Ezra 6:14: So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.

The situation Haggai addressed was both practical and spiritual. The people had returned to Jerusalem with high hopes and noble intentions. But as time passed and difficulties mounted, their enthusiasm cooled. They became more concerned with their own comfort than with God’s house.

Haggai spoke directly to this problem. He rebuked God’s people for their delay in rebuilding the House of God while they lived in comfortable homes themselves.

Haggai 1:4-6: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

Notice how God diagnosed their spiritual condition through their physical circumstances. They were working hard but not prospering because they had their priorities wrong. This is a powerful reminder that when we put our own interests ahead of God’s kingdom, even our earthly efforts become frustrating and unfulfilling.

God’s solution was clear and direct. He called them to refocus their attention and energy on what truly mattered.

Haggai 1:7-8: This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord.

(Notebook Moment: Think about your own life and priorities. Are there areas where you have become comfortable while neglecting what God wants you to do? What would it look like for you to “give careful thought to your ways” today?)

This message speaks powerfully to us today. It’s easy to become so focused on our own comfort and security that we forget our calling to serve God and His kingdom. Like the returned exiles, we can lose sight of what really matters when life becomes routine or when we face difficulties.

The people responded positively to Haggai’s message. When confronted with the truth about their misplaced priorities, they repented and returned to the work God had called them to do.

Haggai 1:12-14: Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord. Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with you,” declares the Lord. So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God.

Notice that God’s response to their repentance was immediate encouragement. He reminded them of the most important truth they needed to remember: His presence with them.

Haggai 1:13: Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with you,” declares the Lord.

Haggai 2:5: “This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.”

For us as Christians, this promise takes on even greater meaning. Jesus Himself assured us that He would never leave us or forsake us.

John 14:18: I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Zechariah: The Prophet of Visions and Future Glory

Zechariah prophesied during the same period as Haggai, but his message had a different emphasis. While Haggai focused on the immediate need to rebuild the temple, Zechariah gave the people a broader vision of God’s plans for the future. His prophecies encouraged them to see beyond their present struggles to the glorious things God would accomplish through the Messiah.

The book of Zechariah can be divided into two main parts that complement each other beautifully:

• The rebuilding of the temple and encouragement for the present (chapters 1-8)
• Prophecies about the end times and the Messiah’s reign (chapters 9-14)

Zechariah is sometimes called “the Apocalypse of the Old Testament” because, like the book of Revelation, his prophecies are filled with vivid symbols and dramatic visions. His writing style connects him with other prophetic books that deal with the end times, and students of Bible prophecy often study Zechariah alongside Daniel, Matthew 24, and Revelation.

What makes Zechariah especially significant is the number of prophecies about Christ contained in his book. Except for Isaiah, no other prophet speaks about the Messiah as frequently or as clearly as Zechariah does. His prophecies span from Christ’s first coming to His second coming, giving us a comprehensive picture of God’s redemptive plan.

Two of Zechariah’s most important Messianic prophecies were fulfilled during Jesus’ earthly ministry:

Zechariah 9:9-10: Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.

This prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, as Matthew records:

Matthew 21:4-5: This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'”

Another remarkable prophecy speaks about the crucifixion:

Zechariah 12:10: And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

The apostle John saw this prophecy fulfilled at the cross:

John 19:37: And, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they pierced.”

(Notebook Moment: Consider how these specific prophecies about Jesus, written hundreds of years before His birth, strengthen your faith. What does it mean to you that God planned and promised the details of Christ’s life so far in advance?)

Zechariah’s prophecies don’t end with Christ’s first coming. The book concludes with dramatic visions of Christ’s second coming and His reign on earth.

Zechariah 14:1-4: A day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls. I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.

These prophecies remind us that God’s plan for history has both a “now” and a “not yet” dimension. Christ has already come to save us from our sins, but He will come again to establish His kingdom on earth. This gives us hope and perspective as we face the challenges of our present lives.

Malachi: The Prophet Who Confronted Compromise

Malachi prophesied after the temple had been rebuilt and the initial excitement of the return had faded into routine. By this time, a new generation had grown up in Jerusalem—people who had not experienced the exile personally and who perhaps took God’s blessings for granted. Malachi’s message addressed the spiritual complacency and compromise that had crept into the community.

We know that Malachi prophesied after the temple was rebuilt because he condemned the people for offering defective sacrifices there.

Malachi 1:7-8: “By offering defiled food on my altar. But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible. When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty.

This passage reveals how far the people had drifted spiritually. They were still going through the motions of worship, but their hearts were not in it. They offered God their leftovers—sick animals they couldn’t use for anything else—while keeping the best for themselves.

Malachi also confronted the corruption among the priests, who should have been leading the people in faithful worship instead of contributing to the problem.

Malachi 2:7-8: “For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth. But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi,” says the Lord Almighty.

The prophet also addressed the people’s complaints and their ungrateful attitude toward God.

Malachi 2:17: You have wearied the Lord with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?”

Instead of being thankful for God’s faithfulness in bringing them back to their land and enabling them to rebuild their temple, the people complained that life wasn’t fair. They looked around and saw wicked people prospering while they faced difficulties, and they questioned whether God really cared about justice.

When God called His people to return to Him, they responded with more questions and complaints.

Malachi 3:7-8: “Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ In tithes and offerings.”

The people had become so spiritually numb that they couldn’t even see their own sin. When God pointed out specific areas where they were failing, they acted surprised and defensive.

Eventually, their spiritual coldness led them to question whether serving God was worthwhile at all.

Malachi 3:14: “You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty?'”

This attitude reveals the heart of their problem. They were serving God for what they could get out of it rather than out of love and gratitude for what He had already done for them.

However, not everyone had fallen into this spiritual trap. There was a faithful remnant who remained true to God, and He took special notice of them.

Malachi 3:16-17: Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name. “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him.”

(Notebook Moment: In what ways might you be tempted to offer God less than your best, like the people in Malachi’s time? How can you guard against spiritual complacency in your own walk with God?)

Despite the people’s unfaithfulness, Malachi’s prophecy ends with hope. God had not forgotten His promises about the Messiah. He would send a messenger to prepare the way for Christ’s coming.

Malachi 3:1: “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.

This prophecy was fulfilled in John the Baptist, who came to prepare people’s hearts for Jesus.

The book concludes with a vision of Christ’s final judgment and His righteous reign.

Malachi 4:2-3: But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty.

Conclusion

As we reach the end of our study of the Old Testament prophets, we discover something remarkable about God’s plan. The Old Testament begins with a promise about the Messiah in Genesis 3:15, and it ends with the same promise in Malachi 4:2-3. From beginning to end, God’s Word points us toward Jesus Christ.

After Malachi finished his prophecies, four hundred years passed before the next prophet appeared. These are sometimes called the “silent years” because there were no new prophets speaking God’s word to His people during this time. This does not mean that God had abandoned His people, but rather that there was no new revelation given during this period. The faithful continued to study the Scriptures they had already received and to wait for the promised Messiah.

When Jesus was finally born, there were still faithful people like Simeon and Anna who had been waiting and watching for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

Luke 2:25-32: Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

Luke 2:36-38: There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

These faithful servants remind us that God’s people in every generation are called to wait patiently for His promises while remaining faithful to what He has already revealed. Simeon and Anna waited for Christ’s first coming. We now wait for His second coming.

Titus 2:13: while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The messages of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi remain relevant for us today. Like the returned exiles, we need to examine our priorities and make sure we are putting God’s kingdom first. Like the people who received Zechariah’s visions, we need to remember that God has a glorious future planned for those who trust in Christ. And like the faithful remnant in Malachi’s day, we must guard against spiritual complacency and continue to serve God with sincere hearts, knowing that He sees and remembers our faithfulness.

These three prophets brought their messages to people who had experienced both God’s judgment and His restoration. Their words remind us that no matter what challenges we face, God remains faithful to His promises. The same God who brought His people back from exile and who sent His Son to be our Savior will complete the work He has begun in our lives. As we study these ancient prophecies, we find hope, encouragement, and motivation to live faithfully as we await our Lord’s return.

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