served as a prophet to Judah about 520 B.C., after the return from exile.
| Climate of the times | The people of Judah had been exiled to Babylon in 586 B.C., and Jerusalem and the Temple had been destroyed. Under Cyrus, king of Persia, the Jews were allowed to return to Judah and rebuild their Temple. |
| Main message | The people returned to Jerusalem to begin rebuilding the Temple, but they hadn’t finished. Haggai’s message encouraged the people to finish rebuilding God’s Temple. |
| Importance of message | The Temple lay half-finished while the people lived in beautiful homes. Haggai warned them against putting their possessions and jobs ahead of God. We must put God first in our lives. |
| Contemporary prophet | Zechariah (520–480 B.C.) |