THEOSISDimitri of Rostov
At this moment, the Lord sends the prophet Haggai to the Jewish people with admonitions and warnings, alongside the promise of divine support and a profound announcement concerning the excellence and magnificence of the second temple in comparison to the first. His name, when translated from Hebrew to Russian, signifies celebration or festivity. To inspire the spiritual fervor of His chosen ones, particularly the courageous and resolute, God appointed His prophets Haggai and Zechariah, whom we will now address. The holy prophet Zechariah, known as the bearer of the sickle, hailed from the Levi tribe and was the son of Barachiah, grandson of Iddo; the latter returned with Zerubbabel from Babylonian exile and is recognized in the book of Nehemiah as the leader of the priestly lineage.
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Notes: * The name of the prophet Haggai is mentioned in various scriptures, including the superscriptions of certain psalms (Psalms 137:1, Psalms 145:1, Psalms 147:1), the first book of Ezra (1 Ezra 5:1, 1 Ezra 6:14), and in the epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews (Hebrews 5:1, 1 Ezra 6:14; also Heb. 12:26). * His feast day is celebrated on December 16. * The name Zechariah means "memory of the Lord" in Hebrew. * The title "sickle-bearer" for the prophet Zechariah is attributed to some Church Fathers based on a vision he received, which involved a flying scroll resembling a sickle (Zech. 5:1-2). * In the scriptures, Zechariah is referred to as the son of Adda; this may indicate a custom in Jewish genealogy to name notable ancestors, or possibly that he was raised by his grandfather after his father's passing, a view held by St. Cyril of Alexandria. * It is recorded that during the high priesthood of Jehoiakim, son of the high priest Jesus (Zechariah ch. 3), Zechariah himself was already a priest and the head of the generation, likely due to the premature death of his father (Nehemiah 12:12-16).