Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in 586 BC and many Jews lived in exile in Babylon. Around 538 BC, Cyrus came to the throne in Persia and offered some relief, permitting some Israelites to return to their land. As the Israelites come home, they have major projects they must attend to — they have to rebuild, beginning with the temple complex. They started rebuilding but then stopped and there was a 16-year halt in the rebuilding process. This is where Haggai comes in to offer four oracles encouraging the completion of the rebuilding projects. Michael teaches an overview of the book of Haggai, the second-shortest book in the Bible.