Wed, Sept 11

The Exiles Return to rebuild the altar and the temple

42,360 people return with Zerubbabel.

The first thing they do:

Rebuild the altar (there is no ark of the covenant, there is no mercy seat).

They observed the feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and feast of Tabernacles even though the foundation of the temple was not laid.

In the second month of the second year, they laid the foundation of the second temple.

It was smaller than Solomon’s (fewer resources, no ark of the covenant.)

The older men wept, because they had seen the first temple. They had witnessed God’s glory filling the temple on the day Solomon dedicated it. This did not happen in Zerubbabel’s temple at the time of its building.

Ezra 3:10–13 CSB

10 When the builders had laid the foundation of the Lord’s temple, the priests, dressed in their robes and holding trumpets, and the Levites descended from Asaph, holding cymbals, took their positions to praise the Lord, as King David of Israel had instructed. 11 They sang with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord: “For he is good; his faithful love to Israel endures forever.” Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s house had been laid. 12 But many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads, who had seen the first temple, wept loudly when they saw the foundation of this temple, but many others shouted joyfully. 13 The people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shouting from that of the weeping, because the people were shouting so loudly. And the sound was heard far away.

ezra 3 10-

Work on the temple began, but ceased for 15 years. So God sent Haggai and Zechariah to preach to encourage Zerubbabel and the people to continue.

the people had concentrated on their own homes and land rather than the house of God.

Haggai 1:2–11 CSB

2 “The Lord of Armies says this: These people say: The time has not come for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.” 3 The word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?” 5 Now, the Lord of Armies says this: “Think carefully about your ways: 6 You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough to be satisfied. You drink but never have enough to be happy. You put on clothes but never have enough to get warm. The wage earner puts his wages into a bag with a hole in it.” 7 The Lord of Armies says this: “Think carefully about your ways. 8 Go up into the hills, bring down lumber, and build the house; and I will be pleased with it and be glorified,” says the Lord. 9 “You expected much, but then it amounted to little. When you brought the harvest to your house, I ruined it. Why?” This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. “Because my house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house. 10 So on your account, the skies have withheld the dew and the land its crops. 11 I have summoned a drought on the fields and the hills, on the grain, new wine, fresh oil, and whatever the ground yields, on man and animal, and on all that your hands produce.”

2-11

Haggai promises that this temple, though it doesn’t look like much now, will one day be filled with the glory of God.

Haggai 2:3–9 CSB

3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Doesn’t it seem to you like nothing by comparison? 4 Even so, be strong, Zerubbabel—this is the Lord’s declaration. Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land—this is the Lord’s declaration. Work! For I am with you—the declaration of the Lord of Armies. 5 This is the promise I made to you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit is present among you; don’t be afraid.’ ” 6 For the Lord of Armies says this: “Once more, in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations so that the treasures of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,” says the Lord of Armies. 8 “The silver and gold belong to me”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. 9 “The final glory of this house will be greater than the first,” says the Lord of Armies. “I will provide peace in this place”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.

hagg 2 3-9

Ezra 2:3–9 CSB

3 Parosh’s descendants 2,172 4 Shephatiah’s descendants 372 5 Arah’s descendants 775 6 Pahath-moab’s descendants: Jeshua’s and Joab’s descendants 2,812 7 Elam’s descendants 1,254 8 Zattu’s descendants 945 9 Zaccai’s descendants 760

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Ezekiel saw a temple that was never built. We just don’t know what that temple was. My theory:

Ezekiel 47:1 CSB

1 Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple and there was water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the temple faced east. The water was coming down from under the south side of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar.

God intended that this temple would be the one Zerubbabel built, but the people did not build it.

eze 47 1-

However, Zerubbabel’s temple would be visited by Jesus. Instead of filling it with the glory of God, Jesus turned over tables and drove the money changers out. When He died on the cross the veil to the Holy of Holies was torn from the top down. Instead of filling this temple, with Glory, God visited it in the flesh, but it was for judgment. Ultimately, Jesus fills every believer with the Holy Spirit—we are the Third temple of God.

Zechariah encourages Zerubbabel to finish the second temple, but he also confirms that Jesus will build the Lord’s temple after the second temple is complete.

Zechariah 6:11–15 CSB

11 Take silver and gold, make a crown, and place it on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 You are to tell him: This is what the Lord of Armies says: Here is a man whose name is Branch; he will branch out from his place and build the Lord’s temple. 13 Yes, he will build the Lord’s temple; he will be clothed in splendor and will sit on his throne and rule. There will also be a priest on his throne, and there will be peaceful counsel between the two of them. 14 The crown will reside in the Lord’s temple as a memorial to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen son of Zephaniah. 15 People who are far off will come and build the Lord’s temple, and you will know that the Lord of Armies has sent me to you. This will happen when you fully obey the Lord your God.”

zech 6 11-15

Zechariah

Zechariah foretells more detail about Jesus:

Zechariah 9:9–10 CSB

9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you; he is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem. The bow of war will be removed, and he will proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion will extend from sea to sea, from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

zechariah 9

Zechariah explains the “Living water” Jesus told the woman at the well about:

Zechariah 13:1 CSB

1 “On that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the residents of Jerusalem, to wash away sin and impurity.

zech 13

Ezekiel 36:25 CSB

25 I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.

1 Corinthians 6:11 CSB

11 And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

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1 John 5:6 CSB

6 Jesus Christ—he is the one who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water and by blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

The Temple is Dedicated

it took 19 years for the temple to be completed.

The Passover is kept:

The story of Ester takes place 37 years after the temple is completed. Ezra comes 22 years after Esther’s story.