Greg Goswell, «The Fate and Future of Zerubbabel in the Prophecy of Haggai», Vol. 91 (2010) 77-90
The final oracle of Haggai is often viewed as royalist in orientation, with the prophet promoting Zerubbabel as a royal (or even messianic) figure. This study seeks to dispute the majority view. Neither the election terms used nor the metaphor of the “seal” assign a royal identity to him. The focus is on the dual leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua. Nowhere in the prophecy is Zerubbabel identified unequivocally as a Davidide. The temple orientation and the highlighting of divine action show that the establishment of God’s kingdom is in view, not the promotion of Zerubbabel as God’s vice-regent.
84 GREG GOSWELL
eschatological hope evinced by Haggai was a peripheral concern and a
mere device to gain support for the rebuilding of the temple 28. Rather, an
examination of the evident and essential connection of temple and
eschatology in the prophecy shows that eschatology was central to
Haggai 29. The overall temple-focus of Haggai’s eschatology, what the
temple symbolises (God’s palace) and anticipates (the universal reign of
God) 30, makes it unlikely that 2,20-23 promotes messianism. If his
preaching builds on Isaiah’s description of world pilgrimage to Zion (Isa
2,2-4 ; 62,1-5; 66,18-21), it needs to be noted that none of those Isaianic
passages feature a messianic intermediary. Furthermore, if Haggai’s
message amounts to an adoption of Ezekiel’s program 31, this rules out a
full-blown Messianism, given Ezekiel’s emphasis on the direct rule of
YHWH and his playing down of any political role for the Davidide in his
vision of the future in Ezekiel 40-48 32.
7. Dual leadership
The regular pairing of the leaders, Zerubbabel and Joshua, that we find
in Haggai (1,1.12.14; 2,2.4) is consistent with the treatment of the same two
leaders in Ezra-Nehemiah. Zerubbabel and Jeshua (Joshua) are given
prominence as the first two names in the list of eleven leaders in Ezra 2,2,
and they are mentioned again as work gets under way in 3,2. Neither
Zerubbabel nor Jeshua is given an official title in Ezra-Nehemiah 33.
Zerubbabel is not identified as the governor nor is Jeshua as the high priest
P.D. HANSON, The Dawn of Apocalyptic. The Historical and Sociological
28
Roots of Jewish Apocalyptic Eschatology (Philadelphia, PA 21979) 244-249.
Cf. H.F. VAN ROOY, “Eschatology and Audience: The Eschatology of
29
Haggai â€, OTE 1 (1988) 49-63.
MEYERS – MEYERS, Haggai, Zechariah 1-8, 82: “The rebuilding of the
30
temple meant the reestablishment of the kingship of God not of manâ€.
For an evaluation, see S.S. TUELL, “Haggai-Zechariah: Prophecy after
31
the Manner of Ezekielâ€, Thematic Threads in the book of the Twelve (eds.
P.L. REDDITT – A. SCHART) (BZAW 325; Berlin 2003) 273-291.
J.D. LEVENSON, Theology of the Program of Restoration of Ezekiel 40-
32
48 (Atlanta, GA 1976) 75-99; W.J. DUMBRELL, “Kingship and Temple in the
Post-Exilic Periodâ€, RTR 37 (1978) 33-42.
S. JAPHET, “Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel – Against the Background of
33
the Historical and Religious Tendencies of Ezra-Nehemiah, Iâ€, ZAW 94 (1982)
68-69. However, Neh 12,10-11 give the succession of high priests (without
explicitly using the title) starting with Jeshua. Certainly Eliashib was a high
priest (12,10; cf. 3,1; 13,28). In Neh 12,47, the history recounted in Ezra-
Nehemiah is divided into two main periods, the governorships (it is implied) of
Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah respectively (cf. 12,26).
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