LORD of Hosts: Haggai and Zechariah often use this term for God to highlight the unstoppable power of God's word. The Lord can summon countless heavenly troops to fulfill his will instantly (2 Kings 6:17; Matthew 26:53). This idea aimed to encourage the Judeans, who felt weak and unimportant.
The time has not yet come: Poor crop yields from drought and pests had severely weakened Judah’s economy (Haggai 1:6, 9–11), leading the people to believe they could not afford to rebuild the temple. Haggai convinced them that they could not afford to leave the temple in ruins, as God would not bless and prosper them if they did not rebuild the Lord’s house (Haggai 1:4, 7–8).