Ezra 5:1
“Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem. They prophesied to them in the name of the God of Israel.”
What does Ezra 5:1 mean?
After the Jewish people returned from exile in Babylon, the work of rebuilding the temple had stalled, and the community had grown discouraged. Haggai and Zechariah stepped into this moment with urgent words of encouragement, reminding the people that God was still with them and calling them to complete what they'd started. Their message wasn't their own invention, but came "in the name of the God of Israel," meaning they were speaking with God's authority and on God's behalf. Sometimes we need someone to speak a timely word of hope when we've lost our way, and this passage reminds us that God sends encouragement through faithful voices at just the right time.