From the history of ancient Israel…the Tabernacle of Moses, Temple of Solomon, and Herod’s Temple are familiar topics to many Bible students. But it seems the Temple of Zerubbabel, also called the 2nd Temple or Ezra’s Temple, is comparatively less lauded. This is about the building of the 2nd temple.
The Temple of Solomon (Israel’s 1st temple) stood on Mt. Moriáh (2Ch.3:1) in Jerusalem for 400 years; from circa (c) 990 BC until it was destroyed by King Nebuchadnézzar of Babylon in 586 BC (2Ki.25:8-15). He had taken Judah captive in 597 BC, exiling Jews to Babylon (2Ki.24:10-18).
Then c 572 BC, the exiled prophet Ezekiel envisioned a new temple in Jerusalem rebuilt (Ezk.40–48). The dream of a future temple house for the Lord remained in the hearts of the Jewish people. (This isn’t to say the Temple of Zerubbabél is the ‘fulfillment’ of that vision.)
In 539 BC Babylon fell to Cyrus II, the Great, of Persia. Isaiah had prophesied about Cyrus (Is.44:28-45:1) some 150 years earlier. Ezr.1:1-7 the Lord inspired King Cyrus to decree that exiled Jews could return to the Holy Land; c 538 BC (cf. Je.29:10). Ezr.1:3 they were to build a 2nd temple in Jerusalem.
Ezr.2:1-2-ff the first wave of Jewish returnees were led by Zerubbabel, who became governor of Judah (Hag.1:1-2). He was the grandson of Judah’s penultimate King Jehoiachín/Jeconiáh (1Ch.3:17-19).
Hag.2:23 “Declares the Lord, ‘I will take you Zerubabbel, son of Shealtiél, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you.” A signet ring or seal was held by the sovereign or the legal authority. Barnes Notes Hag.2:23 “Cyrus entrusted him with the return of his people, and made him (who would have been the successor to the throne of Judah, had the throne been re-established) his governor over the people.” Pulpit Commentary “Zerubbabel is set at the head of the nation in the place of his grandfather Jeconiah.” Though Zerubabbel wasn’t made king, he was as a signet ring, as Jeconiah had been (Je.22:24). Joseph, Mary, and Jesus would descend from Zerubbabel (Mt.1:12, 16; Lk.3:23, 27)!
The first returnees numbered nearly 50,000 (Ezr.2:64-65), coming back in 538 BC or soon afterwards.
I’ll trace the history from the book of Ezra. Zerubbabel and Yeshúa the high priest initially erected an altar in Jerusalem for regular burnt offerings; they then kept the Feast of Booths there (Ezr.3:1-6).
Ezr.3:7-13 it took two years to lay the foundation for the temple. v.10-11 “The priests stood to praise the Lord…because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.”
Who was prince Sheshbazzár (Ezr.1:8-11, 5:14-16)? Most commentators think he was Zerubbabel (‘sown in Babel’). JFB Commentary Ezr.1:8 “Zerubbabel, that is, stranger or exile in Babylon. Shesh-bazzar, signifying ‘fire-worshipper’, was the name given him at court, as other names were given to Daniel and his friends [Da.1:6-7].” cf. Ezr.3:8-10, 5:16. Or, Sheshbazzar was Zerubbabel’s uncle Shenazzár (1Ch.3:17-19); possibly he began the work on the temple and Zerubbabel finished it.
Samaritans living in the Holy Land were descendants of peoples brought in when Israel’s northern kingdom of Samaria was deported by Assyria, many in 721 BC (2Ki.17:24). Those peoples brought in gradually assimilated with remaining Israelites, and became known as Samaritans. The Samaritan mixed peoples now wanted to join in building the temple.
Ezr.4:1-3 however, the Jews viewed them as adversaries and rejected them, c 535 BC. v.4-5 as a result, the Samaritans instead opposed the build. The Jews feared to continue. Temple construction was frustrated and halted. It wouldn’t resume (v.5) “until the reign of Darius king of Persia [522–486 BC]”.
The timing of Ezr.4:6-23 in history is debated by Bible commentators. I’ll postpone discussion of that passage for now…until Part 2 of this topic, “Temple of Zerubbabel (2) – the Period”.
We pick up the account again with Ezr.4:24. “Work on the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it was stopped until the 2nd year [520 BC] of the reign of Darius king of Persia.” Darius I the Great.
Ezr.5:1-2 the prophets Haggai and Zechariah encouraged Zerubbabel & Yeshua to resume construction.
Ezr.5:3-17 Persian officials came to the Judah province to view the building project, and inquired of King Darius about its legitimacy.
Ezr.6:1-5 King Darius found in the archives Cyrus’ prior decree authorizing the Jews to rebuild the temple. v.6-13 Darius then issued his own decree for temple construction to be resumed/carried out.
In those days, Haggai and Zechariah prophesied the temple would be finished. Hag.2:4 “Take courage, Zerubbabel’, declares the Lord; ‘Take courage, Yehoshúa, the high priest, and all you people of the Land take courage, and work; for I Am with you’, says the Lord of hosts.” Zechariah wrote in Zec.4:8-9. “The word of the Lord came to me saying, ‘The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house [temple], and his hands will finish it.”
The Lord’s Spirit would see to it. Zec.4:6 “The word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit.” And Hag.2:5 “My Spirit is abiding in your midst; fear not.” Again, the Lord had declared this temple was His will, way back in the days of Isaiah. Is.44:28 “It is I who says of Cyrus, he is My shepherd, he will perform all My desire; who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built’, and of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.” The foundation was laid before Cyrus died in 530 BC.
Ezr.6:14-18 the prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah came to pass. After 20 years, the temple was completed. v.15 “In the 6th year of King Darius [516 BC].” The Jews celebrated the event with much joy and offerings. v.19-22 they ate the Passover. (There’s no record of the Passover lawfully being eaten in exile, with no temple or central sanctuary existing outside the Holy Land.)
The temple was built on Mt Moriah. (Not on Mt Zion; also see the topic “Zion in the Bible”.) Wikipedia: Zion “Mount Moriah, better known as the Temple Mount, upon which the Temple of Solomon [2Ch.3:1] and the Second Temple were built.”
The restored Temple of Zerubbabel (the 2nd) would stand for 500 years (until 20 BC)! What is known about the appearance of and articles in this Second Temple?
My Jewish Learning: Building the Second Temple “While there is no complete description of the Temple built by Zerubbabel, considerable detail can be gleaned from various sources. Vessels from the First Temple [of Solomon], recovered by the Persians from the Babylonians whom they had conquered, were returned to the Jews.” The returnees brought those vessels back to the Holy Land in c 538 BC. A list of those temple articles is in Ezr.1:7-11, 5:14. They were used in sacrificing.
Kevin J. Conner The Temple of Solomon, p. 210 “Very few details are provided concerning the restored Temple. Zerubbabel’s Temple was 60 cubits high and 60 cubits broad and 100 cubits long (Ezr.6:3). It stood on its original site [Mt.Moriah] and seemed to follow much of Solomon’s Temple and some of Ezekiel’s visionary Temple in parts.” A few newer translations render “60 cubits” as “90 feet”.
My Jewish Learning op. cit. “It [2nd Temple] had two courtyards [1Mac.4:48]. Various chambers surrounded the Temple in both courtyards…and were used for the storage of tithes, equipment, and vessels [and priestly garments]. Certain high officials apparently merited private chambers within the Temple precincts. The Temple building was of hewn stone, with wooden beams reinforcing the walls from within.”
Zerubbabel’s Temple had both a Holy Place and a Holy of Holies innermost room, separated by a veil (1Mac.1:22), as Solomon’s Temple had. Plural veils (probably two) are indicated in 1Mac.4:51.
Sacred divine fire originally sent from heaven to burn continually on God’s altar was also eventually present in Zerubbabel’s Temple (ref Le.9:24 & 6:12-13, 2Ch.7:1). After Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem from Persia ca 444 BC, miracle fire (from naphtha) once again burned sacrifices on the altar. ref 2Mac.1:18-35. A wood offering was mandated for Jewish returnees, to keep that altar fire burning, Ne.10:34. (see the topic “Fire From Heaven!”.)
Costly materials weren’t available for this 2nd temple; it wasn’t as ornate as Solomon’s Temple. Hag.2:3 “Who is left among you who saw this house [Solomon’s Temple] in her former glory? And how do you see it now? It seems like nothing in comparison.” The 1st Temple was beautiful!
Got Questions: What Was Zerubbabel’s Temple? “Zerubbabel’s temple was built on a smaller scale and with much fewer resources.” Wikipedia: Second Temple “The Second Temple was originally a rather modest structure.”
1Mac.4:44-51 Zerubbabel’s Temple had an altar of stone (not bronze, cf. 2Ch.4:1) in the outer court for sacrifices. It had only one candlestick, one table for showbread, and one incense altar. Whereas the Temple of Solomon had: 10 candlesticks of gold (lampstands burning oil, 2Ch.4:7, 20), 10 tables (2Ch.4:8, 19), one golden incense altar (1Ki.7:48).
Yet Zerubbabel’s (lesser) Temple was still the Lord’s doing. Zec.4:10 “Who has despised the day of small things? These seven eyes of the Lord (cf. Re.1:4, 5:6), which scan the whole earth, will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.”
{Sidelight: God’s church today will succeed not by human might nor power nor solely by our own resources…but by the empowerment of His Spirit (Zec.4:6). God does great things, and He does small things, according to His will. The Lord spoke in a still, small voice in instructing Elijah regarding His will, 1Ki.19:12-ff. God’s growing Kingdom is like a mustard seed, smaller than other seeds, Mt.13:31-32. Jesus affirms in Mt.19:26, “With God, all things are possible”.}
Significantly, there were 4 components missing from Zerubbabel’s Temple (according to various sources, including the Babylonian Talmud Yoma 22b), which Solomon’s 1st Temple had:
#1) Ark of the Testimony/Covenant. Conner op. cit. “No Temple since Solomon’s has had the Ark of God in it.” cf. 2Ch.5:7. (see the topic “Ark of the Testimony – Journeys”.) With no Ark or mercy seat upon which to sprinkle blood on the annual Day of Atonement, they placed a ‘stone of foundation’ upon which the high priest put his censer on that day.
#2) Shekínah glory Presence of the Lord was missing. There was no Ark for the Presence to rest upon.
#3) Urím & Thummím stones of judgment, which had been on the breastplate of high priests (cf. Ex.28:29-30), weren’t among the 2nd temple articles.
#4) Holy Spirit didn’t inspire prophets then. After Malachi (c 425 BC), the traditional ‘400 Silent Years’ ensued when there was no prophetic revelatory voice. Only the Apocryphal books were written.
Nonetheless, the Temple of Zerubbabel became the main place of religious gathering and perpetuation of Israelite culture. Conner op. cit., p.211 “The Divine purpose in allowing the Temple to be restored was to hold the nation in the Land until the coming of John [the Baptizer] and the Messiah [Jesus], even though these 4 things were missing from the nation’s central religious point.”
This topic is continued and concluded in “Temple of Zerubbabel (2) – the Period”.
Bible Topic Exposition 