A broad summary of the Book of Haggai is that because the remnant endured such hardships in returning to Israel from Babylon, God looked favorably on them, even though they were involved in temporal things. The Lord told them they were not prospering because of their delay in rebuilding the Temple.

In verse 1, the “word of the LORD” came on the first day of the sixth month of the second year of Darius. Now it was the 24th day of the same month and year. Thus it took only a little more than three weeks for the remnant of Jews to respond. In other words, the response was immediate, and God’s spirit came on (1) Zerubbabel, the “governor,” or civil prince; (2) Joshua, the high priest; and (3) the people. However, it took a prophet, speaking in the name of Jehovah, to light the fuse, as it were, to bring this energy.