In part one of our study of the Book of Haggai, we learned that before the Israelites could live an abundant life upon returning from Babylon, they had to first complete the Lord's Temple. As New Testament believers we're told that we're the Temple of God. Does the same principle hold true for us concerning our abundant life? Let's find out.

This is what the LORD Almighty says: "These people say, 'The time has not yet come for the LORD's house to be built.' " Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"

Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD Almighty.
Zech 4:6

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

Whenever I get several questions on the same subject within a few days, I assume someone is trying to give me a topic for the feature article. This is especially true if it’s unrelated to anything I’ve recently written about, as was the case this week.

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

Many believe that Daniel 9:24-27 is the most important passage of prophecy in all of Scripture. Almost every mistake I’ve run across in studying the various interpretations of End Times Prophecy can be traced back to a misunderstanding of this passage.

What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight. (Luke 15:15)

On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. Luke 2:21

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. Isaiah 9:6

In chapter 10, Daniel tells of a revelation he received in 539 BC concerning a great war that was coming. It was still over 200 years away and would last nearly 200 years after that, and would pit the Seleucids against the Ptolemys. Remember from our previous study that Seleucus and Ptolemy were two of the four generals who assumed power at the death of Alexander the Great and divided the Greek Empire among them.

Two years after Daniel's vision of the four beasts that we described in chapter 7, he had another vision, this one of a ram and a goat. As we'll see, it was intended to give both him and us more detail on the things to come, because the vision has a dual fulfillment.