The Lord directed his command to rebuild the temple to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, and Joshua the high priest. These two individuals represented the two institutions that were to govern the faith and life of the community that had endured the exile (1 Chronicles 6:14–15; Ezra 3:2). It was their responsibility to guide the people. So the word of the Lord was directed to them, and through them to the people.
1 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest: