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    In Context

    Who Is the Prophet Haggai in the Bible — In Biblical Context

    Haggai challenged the returned exiles to stop neglecting God's temple and prioritize rebuilding it, promising that God's glory would fill the new house.

    Quick Answer

    Haggai challenged the returned exiles to stop neglecting God's temple and prioritize rebuilding it, promising that God's glory would fill the new house.

    "Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?" — Haggai 1:4 (KJV)

    The Biblical Context

    Haggai prophesied in 520 BC to the Jewish exiles who had returned from Babylon. They had rebuilt their own houses but left the temple in ruins. Haggai confronted their misplaced priorities: 'Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?' (Haggai 1:4). He explained that their economic hardships were connected to their neglect of God's house. The people responded to Haggai's message and resumed building. God promised through Haggai that 'the glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former' (2:9)—a prophecy many see fulfilled when Jesus Himself walked in the temple built on this foundation.

    Where It Sits in Scripture

    The core passage for this question, Haggai 1:4, sits inside Haggai 1. To grasp the full meaning, read the surrounding paragraph — the verses before set up the thought, the verses after carry it forward.

    "Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?"
    — Haggai 1:4 (KJV)

    Supporting Passages

    Haggai 2:9
    "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts."

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