To understand the gospel record of Jesus Christ, we must go back before the beginning of time where the Son of God already dwells. This lesson deals with the very important truth that God’s Son did not begin at the time of His birth in a manger. He existed in eternity past and was the Creator of all things.
Some say that prophecy is too hard to understand. Everyone interprets the Bible differently and there is no correct way to interpret prophecy. This is not true. As in everything else, God gives us the guidance to understand the prophecy that He wrote.
We drift away from the Lord. We turn from Him and His ways in rebellion. This brings on His chastening hand. We feel that there is no way back. But God gives a way. Come home. Come back to your Saviour and God.
Fear is the negative emotion of dread toward anticipated future evil.
The work on the temple has stopped because of opposition. However, even when the opposition has died down, the people do not get back to God’s house. They are concerned about building their own houses, working their own fields, taking care of their own stomachs. But things are not going well. It seems that no one can get ahead. Now comes two prophets of God: Haggai and Zechariah. They point out the real problem: they left the work of the Lord to feed themselves. Therefore, God has not blessed them. The answer is to return to the original work to which they were called: the rebuilding of the temple. The people hear the words of the prophets and they respond. The work on the temple resumes.