The Second Temple holds a significant place in Jewish history, serving as the center of Jewish worship from its completion in 516 BC until its destruction in AD 70. The encouragement to rebuild the Temple after the Babylonian exile is a pivotal moment in the post-exilic period, marked by divine intervention, prophetic exhortation, and the leadership of key figures.

Historical Context

Following the destruction of Solomon's Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC, the Jewish people were exiled to Babylon. This period of exile lasted approximately 70 years, as prophesied by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:11-12). In 539 BC, Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylon and issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. This decree is recorded in Ezra 1:2-4 : "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. Whoever among you belongs to His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem.'"

Initial Efforts and Opposition

The initial group of returnees, led by Zerubbabel and Jeshua the high priest, laid the foundation of the Temple amid great celebration (Ezra 3:10-11). However, their efforts were soon met with opposition from neighboring peoples, leading to a cessation of the work (Ezra 4:4-5). This opposition persisted until the second year of the reign of Darius I of Persia.

Prophetic Encouragement

During this period of halted construction, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah played crucial roles in encouraging the Jewish people to resume building the Temple. Haggai's message was direct and urgent, as seen in Haggai 1:4-8 : "Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now this is what the LORD of Hosts says: 'Think carefully about your ways. You have planted much but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but never get warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a bag pierced through.' This is what the LORD of Hosts says: 'Think carefully about your ways. Go up into the hills, bring down lumber, and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,' says the LORD."

Zechariah's prophecies complemented Haggai's, offering visions of hope and restoration. Zechariah 4:6-9 emphasizes divine empowerment: "So he said to me, 'This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the LORD of Hosts. What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain. Then he will bring forth the capstone accompanied by shouts of: "Grace, grace to it!"'"

Resumption and Completion

Motivated by the prophetic messages, Zerubbabel and Jeshua resumed construction with renewed vigor. The Persian authorities, upon investigation, found Cyrus's original decree and supported the continuation of the work (Ezra 6:1-12). The Temple was completed in the sixth year of Darius's reign, as recorded in Ezra 6:15 : "And this temple was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius."

Significance

The completion of the Second Temple marked a new era for the Jewish people, reestablishing Jerusalem as the center of Jewish worship and identity. The encouragement to rebuild, driven by divine mandate and prophetic exhortation, underscores the faithfulness of God in fulfilling His promises and the importance of obedience and perseverance in the face of adversity.Haggai 1:8
Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, said the LORD.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Haggai 2:19
Is the seed yet in the barn? yes, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, has not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Zechariah 8:9
Thus said the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, you that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Later Hebrew Histories.
... of the rebuilding of their city and their temple, and of ... were written by Ezra, and
of the second book by ... are now the creatures of Mordecai, the Jews turn upon ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter vi the later hebrew.htm

A Discourse of the Building, Nature, Excellency, and Government of ...
... The Jews, Papists, Greeks, English, have each claimed the divine ... plainly see That
in the holy temple there was ... he falls not, but in the second charge, Spread ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a discourse of the building.htm

The Life of Mr. Hugh Binning.
... use it as a charm, even as the Jews did their ... the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the
temple of the ... For in the second part of his "Contemplations moral and divine ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/the life of mr hugh.htm

Seances Historiques De Geneve --The National Church.
... There is a time for building up old waste places, and ... the Lord Jesus himself offered
it to the Jews as a ... conversion of our own country; in the second or Saxon ...
/.../seances historiques de genevethe national.htm

Tendencies of Religious Thought in England, 1688-1750.
... the late Act for the admission of the Jews to Parliament ... Gibson, Second Pastoral
Letter, 1730. ... it up in his hand, the congregation clamorously encouraged him to ...
/.../tendencies of religious thought in.htm

Against the Modern Free-Thinkers.
... Now it is observable, that in this second part, in ... we may truly call the Free-thinkers
among the Jews. ... the priests, who looked upon the temple worship, and ...
/.../sect ix against the modern.htm

From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus.
... The second Epistle of John, which is written to Virgins, is very simple. ... The Jews
therefore said, In forty-six years was this temple built, and wilt thou ...
/.../who is the rich man that shall be saved/i from the latin translation of.htm

The Immaculate Conception
... through which the chosen ones among the Jews came to ... the account of the consecration
of Solomon's Temple as festival lessons for the second and eighth ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/ii the immaculate conception.htm

The Third Continental Journey.
... to us by night,"not for fear of the Jews, but for ... The second night we witnessed one
of the most dreadful ... the prison of Socrates, the famous Temple of Minerva ...
/.../chapter xii the third continental.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... done all by one only word) to proceed by degrees ... man is of the earth, earthy: the
second man is ... have descended from the pinnacle of the temple, as afterwards ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm

What was Herod's temple? | GotQuestions.org

What was Zerubbabel's temple/the second temple? | GotQuestions.org

What was Solomon's temple / the first temple? How many temples were there? | GotQuestions.org

Temple: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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