The Synaxarium

The Departure of the Upright Haggai the Prophet.

On this day, the upright Haggai, the Prophet, departed. This righteous man was a descendant of Aaron, the priest, and from the tribe of Levi. He was one of the twelve minor prophets. When King Nebuchadnezzar captured the Jews of Jerusalem and took them to Babylon, the parents of this prophet were among them, and he was born in exile. This prophet returned to Jerusalem along with Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah and the rest of the people of Israel. He prophesied in the second year of the reign of Darius, King of Persia, who reigned in the year 3484 of the world and that was 15 years after the return of the people of Israel from the Babylonian exile. This prophet directed his prophecies by the command of God to Zerubbabel, then to Joshua the son of Jehozidak, the high priest. He incited the Jews to complete the rebuilding of the temple of Solomon, the son of David. They had started rebuilding the temple after they returned from captivity, then they abandoned it to build their own homes. The prophet rebuked them saying, "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses and this temple to be in ruins? Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, 'Consider your ways! You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag of holes.'" (Haggai 1:4-6) Those who were upright amongst the people of Israel feared the threats of the Lord and built the house of the Lord as they were supposed to. Haggai the prophet had announced to the people after they finished building it, that the Lord was pleased by that. This prophet lived more than 70 years, and he was 430 years before the advent of our Lord Christ. He departed in peace and was buried in the tomb of the priests in Jerusalem. His prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.