THE BOOK OF EZRA
Lesson 3: Chapters 5-6
The Covenant People of Judah Rebuild the Temple
and Celebrate the Feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread
Lord God,
In the Sacrament of Baptism, our bodies become temples of
the Holy Spirit and each Christian a living stone in the "house" of God that is
the New Covenant Church of Jesus Christ.For those who returned from the
Babylonian exile, rebuilding the Jerusalem Temple was the symbol of the
spiritual rebuilding of the covenant people.They had not only come back from
pagan lands but to their covenant family relationship with Yahweh.It was a relationship
built on faith and obedience, rewarded with temporal blessings to help them
thrive in the Holy Land God gave them.In the New Covenant in Jesus Christ,
God also gives us blessings for covenant faithfulness and obedience, but our blessings
are not temporal; they are eternal!Send Your Holy Spirit, Lord, to guide us
in our lesson as the renewed covenant people learn to listen to the voice of
God through His prophets.We pray in the name of God the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit, Amen.
+ + +
If, however, from
there you start searching once more for Yahweh your God, and if you search for
him honestly and sincerely, you will find him.You will suffer; everything I
have said will befall you, but in the final days you will return to Yahweh your
God and listen to his voice.For Yahweh your God is a merciful God and will
not desert or destroy you or forget the covenant which he made on oath with
your ancestors.
Deuteronomy 4:29-31
"The glory of this
new Temple will surpass that of the old," says Yahweh Sabaoth, "and in this place
I shall give peace," Yahweh Sabaoth declares.
Haggai 2:9
The first wave of returnees from Babylon in 538 BC was soon discouraged by what they found in their homeland.The task of rebuilding their homes and establishing their fields seemed overwhelming.They immediately rebuilt Yahweh's altar of sacrifice on top of the foundations of the original structure, reestablished the twice-daily liturgical worship services of the Tamid lambs and other compulsory and voluntary sacrifices.They also began work on restoring the Jerusalem Temple on the foundations of Solomon's Temple and celebrated the Feast of Shelters (Sukkot), the feast that remembered the giving of the first Sanctuary of Yahweh at Sinai as a sign of the liturgical link between the old and new holy sites of worship and praise.
However, their leaders, Zerubbabel, a descendant of David who was then serving as the Persian governor of Judah, and Jeshua, the High Priest, became discouraged because of the threats and disruption caused by their Gentile neighbors and the Persian officials (Ezra 4:4-5).
Persian kings mentioned in this lesson:
Darius I ruled from 522-486 BC
Xerxes ruled from 486-465 BC
Artaxerxes I ruled from 465-424 BC
Chapters 5-6: The Rebuilding of the Temple (520 "515 BC)
The events in Chapters 5-6 took place before the events in Chapter 4:6-23 that concerned the protests of Judah's neighbors on the rebuilding of Jerusalem as a fortified city after the completion of the Second Temple.
Work on the
Temple of God in Jerusalem then ceased, and was discontinued until the second
year of the reign of Darius King of Persia.
Ezra 4:24
Darius I, the Great, ruled from 522-486 BC.His accession year was 522 and his first year was 521; therefore, his second year was 520 BC.He was a successful and accomplished military commander, a gifted administrator who continued Cyrus' generous policies toward non-Persian peoples, and a builder of monuments.The most famous monument from his reign is the Behistun Inscription that Darius had carved on a cliff face in what is today western Iran.Written in three languages: Old Persian, Elamite, and Akkadian, the inscription described Darius' rise to power and provided the key for deciphering the ancient Akkadian language of Mesopotamia, a western Semitic language spoken in both Assyria and Babylon before Aramaic became the language of the region.
Ezra 5:1-2 ~ God Intervenes
1 When the prophets
Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and
Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel who was over them, 2 Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of
Jozadak began rebuilding the Temple of God in Jerusalem; with them were the
prophets of God, supporting them.
The events in the Book of Ezra are related to the work of the prophet Haggai who was one of the three post-exile prophets along with the prophets Zechariah and Malachi. The dates of Haggai's prophetic ministry are according to the Liturgical lunar calendar (Hag 1:1, 15; 2:1, 10, 20).He refers to events in Judah between August the 29th, 520 BC to December the 18th of the same year; a period of about 3 ½ months (as we count) during the second year of the reign of King Darius I of Persia and a decade after the death of King Cyrus I. Ezra Chapters 5-6 continue in Aramaic until returning to Hebrew in 6:19. The focus of Haggai's mission is on the rebuilding of the Temple as a sign of the peoples' spiritual restoration and the Messianic hope.
The Book of the prophet Zechariah compliments Haggai. His first oracle concerns the rebuilding of the Temple connected to the prophecy of Jeremiah 25:11-12 and 29:10 about the restoration after seventy years of exile that would be the start of a new stage in the history of salvation.
Haggai presents the rebuilding of the Temple as not just a physical reconstruction of the First Temple, but he as proof of the people's faith in Yahweh promises of His Divine presence among his covenant people and His absolute sovereignty over their lives and the lives of all men and women.
After the Jews rebuilt the altar of Yahweh and began offering sacrifice, all work on the Temple had stopped in 538/7 BC after the Samarians lodged an official protest with the Persian government.However, in 520 BC, in the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia, God intervened. He called upon the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to encourage the people and their leaders.
Read the summons to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem in Haggai 1:1-15 and God's message to Zerubbabel in Zechariah 4:6-10.The Book of Haggai refers to Jeshua, the high priest as "Joshua" [Hebrew = Yeshua; Aramaic = Yehosua or Yeshua (Jeshua), English = Joshua/Jesus] but he is the same son of Jehozadak/Jozadak and grandson of the last high priest of the Jerusalem Temple as in Ezra 2:2.
Oracle #1: Haggai 1-15 ~ The Summons to Rebuild the Temple
Haggai 1:1-11 ~ The Prophet's Call and His Message
1 In the second
year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of Yahweh
was addressed through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel governor
of Judah and to Joshua son of Jehozadak the high priest as follows, 2
"Yahweh Sabaoth says this, This people says: The time has not yet come
to rebuild the Temple [House] of Yahweh.'" 3 (And the
word of Yahweh was addressed through the prophet Haggai, as follows,) 4
"Is this a time for you to live in your paneled houses, when this House lies
in ruins? 5 So now, Yahweh Sabaoth says this, Think
carefully about your behavior. 6 You have sown much and
harvested little; you eat but never have enough, drink but never have your
fill, put on clothes but feel no warmth. The wage-earner gets his wages only to
put them in a bag with a hole in it.' 7 Yahweh Sabaoth
says this, Think carefully about your behavior. 8 Go up
into the hills, fetch timber and rebuild the House; and I shall take pleasure
in it and manifest my glory there,' Yahweh says. 9 The abundance
you expected proved to be little. When you brought the harvest in, I blasted
it. And why? Yahweh Sabaoth declares. Because while my House lies in ruins, each
of you is busy with his own house. 10 That is why the sky
has withheld the rain and the earth withheld its yield. 11 I
have called down drought on land and hills, on grain, on new wine, on olive oil
and on all the produce of the ground, on humans and animals and all your labors.'"
[...] = IBHE, vol. III, page 2152.
The focus of the Book of Haggai is the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple and Yahweh's dwelling place among His covenant people and the hope of a Messianic David.Work on the Temple had stopped for about seventeen years (c. 537-520 BC), and so God intervened to move forward His divine plan by sending His prophet Haggai whose first prophecy dates to the month of Elul that is our August/September of 520 BC.
Haggai 1:1 ~ In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of
the sixth month, the word of Yahweh was addressed through the prophet Haggai to
Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel governor of Judah and to Joshua son of Jehozadak
the high priest...
The dates in Ezra and Haggai follow the Liturgical lunar calendar of
the Jews in the year 520 BC, a decade after the death of King Cyrus.The dates
of oracles in the Book of Haggai according to our calendar:
God appoints His prophets Haggai and Zechariah to deliver His divine message to Zerubbabel (the Davidic prince who is the Persian appointed governor) and Jeshua/Joshua (the Jewish high priest) who are the leaders of the community. Haggai's first oracle is in two parts:
In his first oracle, Haggai presents three images:
Question:What problems were the returned exiles having in addition
to the trouble caused by their neighbors the Samaritans.When Haggai tells
them to "think," he asks them to reflect on their problems resettling in the
land.What is causing their problems?
Answer: In addition to not trusting God to deal with the
Samaritans, they were selfishly putting their needs before their obligation to
rebuild the Temple.They have worked hard for themselves, but their efforts
produced a disappointing harvest because of the drought Yahweh caused by holding
back the rain.They never have enough to eat or drink. Haggai tells the Jews
that their lack of success is because of their behavior.They have put all their
efforts into their houses but have neglected their obligation to Yahweh in rebuilding
His "House," the Jerusalem Temple.
The reference to paneled houses in verse 4 suggests that they were taking special care to line the inner walls of their homes with wood; it was an extravagance, especially while Yahweh's "house" was in ruins with no walls.
When Yahweh took the children of Israelites as His covenant people, He had Moses draw up a covenant treaty with them at Mt. Sinai that identified His obligations to them as their Great King and their obligations to Him as a vassal people. In a Covenant Treaty, both the dominant King and his vassal swear an oath in treaty form, thereby creating a covenant bond between the two parties.The ratification of a covenant treaty took place in three ways:
For example, at the covenant ratification at Mt. Sinai, Moses read the treaty (Ex 24:4a):
Biblical covenants with Yahweh, however, were unique in that they were not just a treaty between a Great King and His vassal(s), but they also created a family bond through the blood sacrifice with the Divine King and the subject of the Covenant Treaty becoming "one blood." There are eight covenants in the Old and New Testaments: six formed between God and individuals and one between God and Israel as a corporate covenant people in the Old Testament, and one New Covenant in Christ Jesus in the New Testament (see Yahweh's Eight Covenants).
The standard Biblical covenant had five parts:
Pagan covenant treaties had a sixth part calling on the pagan gods of both nations to witness the document.Covenant treaties are not contracts. Contracts concern tangibles like material possessions and land ownership while covenants are concerning with the non-material and intangibles like honor, loyalty, service, and obedience.
Haggai's message reminds the people of Judah that the conditions of the Sinai Covenant Treaty are still in place.Their lack of prosperity indicates that the sanctions concerning blessings and judgments in Israel's Covenant Treaty with Yahweh in Leviticus 26:3-13 (blessings), 14-46 (judgments) and Deuteronomy 28:1-14 (blessings), 15-69/29:1 (judgments).See the documents:
Question: What are those conditions that result in blessings or judgments
in Leviticus and Deuteronomy?
Answer: Obedience to Yahweh will mean His protection in the
temporal blessings of prosperity in the land, many children, the absence of sickness
and wars.However, disobedience will result in Yahweh withdrawing His protection,
and the people will be subject to droughts, illness, and wars, and exile.
Haggai 1:12-15 ~ The Authorities and the Peoples' Positive
Response
12 Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,
Joshua son of Jehozadak the high priest and the entire remnant of the people,
paid attention to the voice of Yahweh their God and to the words of the prophet
Haggai, which Yahweh their God had sent him to deliver. And the people were filled
with fear before Yahweh. 13 Haggai, the messenger of
Yahweh, then passed on Yahweh's message to the people, "I am with you, declares
Yahweh." 14 And Yahweh roused the spirit of Zerubbabel
son of Shealtiel governor of Judah, the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak the
high priest and the spirit of the entire remnant of the people; they came and set
to work in the Temple of Yahweh Sabaoth, their God. 15 This
was on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.
Hearing the prophet's message in August 520 BC, filled the people with "fear before Yahweh."It was a reverent fear that came from God speaking to them through His prophet and knowledge that they had failed Him by stopping work on the Temple.Yahweh had "roused the spirit" of King Cyrus to issue the edict of return (Ezra 1:1) and "roused the spirits" of the faithful remnant of the people from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin and the chief priests and Levites to return to Judah from their exile (Ezra 1:5).Now, He "rouses the spirits" of Zerubbabel, Jeshua/Joshua, and the people to continue the work to rebuild the Temple.The began work 24 days after Haggai received his first oracle' perhaps the time it took to gather the supplies.
Question: Along with the prophet's message to resume
work on rebuilding the Temple, what assurance does God give His covenant
people?
Answer: He assures them that "I am with you!"
Question:How is the response of the civil and
religious leaders, and the people to God's prophet Haggai different from that of
their fathers and grandfathers to the message of God's holy prophet Jeremiah
before the cataphoric events of the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile?
Answer: The leaders and the people listened to
Haggai and were obedient to God's message, but their fathers and grandfathers
resisted and persecuted Jeremiah.
Oracle #2: Haggai 2:1-9 ~ The Future Glory of the
Temple
1 In the second
year of King Darius, on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of
Yahweh was addressed through the prophet Haggai, as follows, 2 "You are to speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel
governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak the high priest and to the
remnant of the people. Say this, 3 Is there anyone left
among you who saw this Temple in its former glory? And how does it look to you now?
Does it not seem as though there is nothing there? 4 But
take courage now, Zerubbabel! Yahweh declares. Courage, Joshua son of Jehozadak
high priest! Courage, all you people of the country! Yahweh declares. To work!
I am with you, Yahweh Sabaoth declares, 5 and my spirit
is present among you. Do not be afraid! 6 For Yahweh
Sabaoth says this: A little while now, and I shall shake the heavens and the
earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I shall shake all the
nations, and the treasures of all the nations will flow in, and I shall fill
this Temple with glory, says Yahweh Sabaoth. 8 Mine is the
silver, mine the gold! Yahweh Sabaoth declares. 9 The
glory of this new Temple will surpass that of the old, says Yahweh Sabaoth, and
in this place I shall give peace, Yahweh Sabaoth declares.'"
Question: What is significant about the 21st day of the seventh month of Tishri in the liturgical calendar?
See Lev 23:33-36; Num 29:12, 32-35, Dt 16:13-16.
Answer: It is the last day of the seven-day feast of Shelters (also called Tabernacles or Booths) that was held from the 15th
to the 21st and which every man of the covenant was required to attend. The 21st was the day before the sacred assembly on the eighth day.
It was the God-ordained annual feast held in the early fall at the time of the harvest when the covenant people gathered the fruits of their labors. Scripture mentions the feast during the reigns of King Solomon (2 Chron 8:13), Hezekiah (2 Chron 31:3), and after the exile (in Ezra 3:4; Hag 2:1, and Zech 14:16-19). Jesus attended the Feast of Shelters where He announced His Messianic mission to fill God's people with His Spirit on the last day of the feast (Jn 7:2-3, 14, 37-41). The Feast of Shelters remembered the deliverance from bondage in Egypt and the dedication of the desert Sanctuary at Mt. Sinai as God told the people at Sinai when He said, "You will keep this feast in the seventh month. For seven days you will live in shelters: all the citizens of Israel will live in shelters, so that your descendants may know that I made the Israelites live in shelters when I brought them out of Egypt, I, Yahweh your God." (Lev 23:42-43).
Question: What messages does Yahweh give the people and their
leaders in Haggai's second oracle?
Answer:
6 For Yahweh Sabaoth says this:
A little while now, and I shall shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and
the dry land. 7 I shall shake all the nations, and the
treasures of all the nations will flow in, and I shall fill this Temple with
glory, says Yahweh Sabaoth.
Hebrews 12:26 refers to God's promise from Haggai 2:6: ... but now he
has given us this promise: I am going to shake the earth once more and not only
the earth but heaven as well.This is the most quoted verse by Christians
from the Book of Haggai on the basis of St. Jerome's Latin translation: the
Desire of all nations shall come (et veniet Desideratus cunctis gentibus),
read as a direct prophecy of Jesus, the Messiah in the commentaries on Haggai by
the Church Fathers St. Cyril of Alexandria, Theodoret of Cyrus, St. Jerome, etc.
They saw the second oracle as containing Messianic promises that the Second Temple
will herald a new era in the history of salvation and a turning point in experiencing
God's bounty of the "treasures" of peace with God and His spiritual blessings
to humanity.
Haggai 2:15-19 ~ A Promise of Agricultural Prosperity
15 So now think carefully,
today and henceforth: before one stone had been laid on another in the sanctuary
of Yahweh, 16 what state were you in? You would come to a
twenty-measure heap and find only ten; you would come to a vat to draw fifty
measures and find only twenty. 17 Everything you turned
your hands to, I struck with wind-blast, mildew and hail, and still you would not
return to me, Yahweh declares. 18 So think carefully,
today and henceforth (from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the
day the foundation of the sanctuary of Yahweh was laid, think carefully) 19
if seed-corn is still short in the barn, and if vine and fig tree,
pomegranate and olive tree still bear no fruit. From today onwards I intend to
bless you.'"
The warning is to "think" and not to repeat the mistakes of their
fathers in refusing to heed the signs of God's judgments and therefore refusing
to repent their sins.
Question: What is Yahweh's command through his prophet Haggai for
Zerubbabel, Joshua/Jeshua, and the faithful remnant of Judah to lift the
judgments and bestow the blessings?What is the promised blessing if the people
fulfill the command?
Answer: The command is to rebuild the Temple, and if they are
obedient, the blessing of agricultural prosperity will follow.
Oracle # 4: Haggai 2:20-23 ~ Messianic Oracles for Davidic
Prince Zerubbabel
20
On the twenty-fourth day of the month the word of Yahweh was
addressed a second time to Haggai, as follows, 21 "Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah. Say this, I am
going to shake the heavens and the earth. 22
I shall overturn the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of
the kings of the nations. I shall overthrow the chariots and their crews;
horses and their riders will fall, everyone to the sword of his comrade. 23 When that day comes,' Yahweh Sabaoth
declares, I shall take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel my servant,' Yahweh
declares, and make you like a signet ring. For I have chosen you,' Yahweh
Sabaoth declares.'"
This oracle is on the same day as the one in 2:10, the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month.The tone is Messianic and repeats the imagery in 2:6-9 by suggesting the dawn of a new phase in God's divine plan for salvation history. The Davidic prince Zerubbabel will have a central role, like "a signet ring," in that plan. A signet ring was a seal of authenticity of its owner. Yahweh is the owner and Zerubbabel will be the "mark" God will place upon history as the ancestor of the Davidic Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.
Zechariah 4:6-10 ~ Yahweh
Commands Three Sayings About Zerubbabel
6 This is the
word of Yahweh with regard to Zerubbabel, "Not by might and not by power, but
by my spirit," says Yahweh Sabaoth. 7 "What
are you, great mountain? Beside Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! He will
bring out the keystone while it is cheered with Hurrah! Hurrah!" 8 The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,
9 "The hands of Zerubbabel have
laid the foundation of this Temple; his hands will finish it. (Then you will
know that Yahweh Sabaoth has sent me to you.) 10 A day of little things, no doubt, but who would dare despise it?
How they will rejoice when they see the chosen stone in the hands of Zerubbabel!"
In this oracle, Zechariah reveals that the rebuilt Temple
on Mt. Moriah is not as significant as Zerubbabel who is the central figure in
God's continuing plan for humanity's salvation.
Question:What are the three predictions
concerning Zerubbabel and what is the significance beyond Zerubbabel's present
in God's plan?See the prophecies concerning a "cornerstone" or "keystone" concerning
leaders in Judg 20:2; 1 Sam 14:38; Is 19:13, 28:16; Zech 10:4.Also see Ps 118:22 that uses the same metaphor that Jesus applies to Himself to announce
his exaltation (Mt 21:42; Mk 12:10; Lk 20:17) and also quoted by Saints Peter (Acts 4:11; 1 Pt 2:4-8) and Paul who affirms that the New Covenant Church, raised upon
the foundations of the Apostles and the prophets, has Christ as a cornerstone (Eph 2:6).
Answer:
Like Yahweh's message to Haggai, Zechariah's eight visions are precisely dated.Zechariah's first prophecy dates to October-November 520, two months after the first prophecy of Haggai.Like his brother prophet Haggai, Zechariah's concern is with the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, but he is even more concerned with the spiritual restoration of the nation and the moral conduct of commitment to a life of holiness required of a covenant people.The prophecy for Zerubbabel points to a Messianic fulfillment.
Question: What is the significance of Zerubbabel in God's plan
of salvation? See
1 Chron 3:1, 18-19;
Ezra 1:11-2:2;
Jer 23:5-8;
Ez 34:23-26;
Hag 2:22-23;
Mt 1:12 and
Lk 3:27.
Answer: Zerubbabel was a Davidic prince, the descendant of
King Jehoiachin/Jeconiah and the nephew of Sheshbazzar.With his uncle, he led
the exiles on their return to Judah, stirring in the people the hope of God's promise
foretold by the prophets of a future Davidic Messiah. Zerubbabel is in the
genealogies of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (traditionally understood to be
Joseph's lineage = the legal line) and the Gospel of Luke (traditionally understood
to be the lineage of Mary = the physical line).In both genealogies, from King
David, the two linages split between David's sons Solomon (Gospel of Matthew) and
Nathan (Gospel of Luke) but is restored in the person of Zerubbabel.Zerubbabel
becomes the center of the messianic genealogy, sealing both branches together.
It is the fulfillment of the prophecy made by Haggai in 2:22-23.
Notice that the New Testament genealogies lists Zerubbabel as the son of Shealtiel ( Ezra 3:2, 8; 5:2; Neh 12:1; Hag 1:1, 12, 14; 2:2, 23; Mt 1:12 and Lk 3:27), but the genealogy in 1 Chronicles 3:19 lists his father as Pedaiah, suggesting a levirate marriage took place.(1)Ironically, Zerubbabel setting in place the cornerstone/foundation stone can also refer to Jesus, the cornerstone of the New Covenant Kingdom of the Church (Acts 4:11; 1 Cor 3:11; Eph 2:20; 1 Pt 2:6-8), prophesied by the prophets (Is 28:16; Ps 1118:22-24; Zec 3:9; 4:7), and a descendant "set in place" by the Davidic bloodline of Zerubbabel.
Question: What is the two-fold focus of Haggai and Zechariah's messages
of restoration?
Answer: The physical restoration of the Temple represents the spiritual
revival of the covenant people that is necessary for their Messianic hope.
Ezra 5:3-5 ~ The Governors of the Other Provinces
Attempt to Stop the Jews from Rebuilding the Temple
3 It was then
that Tattenai governor of Transeuphrates [Beyond the River], Shethar-Bozenai
and their associates came to them and asked, "Who gave you the order to rebuild
this Temple and complete this structure? 4
What are the names of the men putting up this building?" 5 But the eyes [eye] of their God were [was on] watching
over the elders of the Jews, so they were not forced to stop until a report could
reach Darius and an official reply about the matter could be received from him.
[...] = IBHE, vol. II, page 1243.
During the reign of King Darius, Tattenai was the governor of the province of Beyond the River. Shethar-Bozenai's name always appears just after Tattenai and is perhaps his official scribe.He led a delegation to Judah and threatened the Judahite leaders, demanding to know by what authority they have resumed work on the Temple.
Royal officials who sent reports to the king and his ministers were known as "the king's eye" and "the king's ear."Texts found in the Persian royal city of Persepolis confirm that reports and inquiries were sent directly to the king for his review and action.However, for the Jews, "the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews," His covenant people, and they were not forced to stop until they received a decision from Darius (verse 5).
Question: What prophecy from the 8th
century BC prophet Isaiah does the event of the return of the exiles led by Davidic
prince Sheshbazzar, his nephew Zerubbabel, and the high priest Jeshua fulfill,
and what is the significance of the fulfillment of the prophecy?See Isaiah 31:7-9 and quote the passage.
Answer: The fulfillment of the prophecy shows that God will
never abandon His covenant people. It is a hope for all ages of the faithful.
Prophesying the day of the covenant people's return to the Promised Land, God
told Isaiah: Thus says the LORD: Shout with joy for Jacob, exult
at the head of the nations; proclaim your praise and say; The LORD has delivered
his people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them back from the land
of the north; I will gather them from the ends of the world with the blind and
the lame in their midst, the mothers and those with child; they shall return as
an immense throng.They departed in tears, but I will console them and guide
them; I will lead them to brooks of water, on a level road, so that none shall stumble.
For I am a father to Israel, Ephraim is my first-born (Is 31:7-9).
The people and their leaders were obedient to God, and the work on the Temple began on the 24th of August 520 BC.
Ezra 5:6-17 ~ The Governors' Letter to King Darius
6 A copy of
the letter which Tattenai, governor of Transeuphrates [Beyond the River],
Shethar-Bozenai and his associates, the officials in Transeuphrates [Beyond the
River], sent to King Darius. 7 They
sent him a report which ran as follows: "To King Darius, hearty greetings! 8 The king should be informed that we
went to the province of Judah, to the Temple of the great God, which is being
rebuilt with large stones; beams are being embedded in the walls; the work is
being carried out energetically and is making good progress. 9 Questioning these elders, we asked
them, Who gave you permission to rebuild this Temple and complete this structure?'
10 We also asked them their
names, to inform you, so that we could record the names of the men who were
their leaders. 11 They gave us
the following answer, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth; we
are rebuilding the Temple built many years ago, which a great king of Israel
had built and completed. 12 But
because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he handed them over to
Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldaean king of Babylon who destroyed this Temple and
deported the people to Babylon. 13 In
the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, however, King Cyrus issued an official
order that this Temple of God should be rebuilt; 14 furthermore, those gold and silver articles belonging
to the Temple of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had removed from the temple in
Jerusalem and brought to the temple of Babylon, King Cyrus in turn removed from
the temple of Babylon and handed back to a certain Sheshbazzar whom he had appointed
governor. 15 He said
to him, Take these articles; go and return them to the Temple which is in
Jerusalem and let the Temple of God be rebuilt on its original site;' 16 this Sheshbazzar then came and laid the
foundations of the Temple of God in Jerusalem, and it has been under
construction ever since, and is not yet finished." 17 Hence, if it please the king, let search
be made in the royal treasuries in Babylon, to find out if it is true that an
official order was issued by King Cyrus for this temple of God in Jerusalem to be
rebuilt; and let the king's decision on this matter be sent to us."
In verses 6-17, Tattenai writes to King Darius questioned the authenticity of the claims of the Judahites that they have permission to rebuild the Jerusalem Temple.Sheshbazzar (verse 14) was the Davidic prince and uncle of Zerubbabel who led the returning exiles back to Judah and served as the first governor of the province under Cyrus.Tattenai writes that in answer to his challenge to their rebuilding the Temple, the Jews gave him a summary of their history concerning the destruction of the first Temple, beginning with the claim that they "are the servants of God of heaven and earth":
In verse 11, "the God of heaven and earth' is the expression identifying Yahweh to non-covenant peoples. The "great king" Tattenai refers to in verse 11 is King Solomon of the United Kingdom of Israel (1 Kng Chapters 1-11).
Question: What two requests does Tattenai make of the king?
Answer: He requests that the king should have a search
made of the royal treasuries to find out if their claim is valid and to send
his decision concerning the matter.
Ezra 6:1-12 ~ King Darius Replies
6 Then,
on the order of King Darius, search was made in the archives deposited in the
treasuries in Babylon 2 and a
scroll was found in the fortress of Ecbatana, which ran as follows: Memorandum.
3 "In the first year of King Cyrus,
King Cyrus issued this order: Temple of God in Jerusalem. The Temple is to be
rebuilt as a place of offering sacrifice and its foundations retained. Its
height is to be sixty cubits, its width sixty cubits, 4 with three layers of large stones and one
layer of timber. The cost is to be met by the royal treasury. 5 Furthermore, the gold and silver articles
belonging to the Temple of God which Nebuchadnezzar took from the Temple in
Jerusalem and brought to Babylon are to be given back and returned to the
temple in Jerusalem, each to its proper place, and deposited in the Temple of
God. 6 Hence, Tattenai governor of Transeuphrates
[Beyond the River], Shethar-Bozenai and your associates, the officials of
Transeuphrates [Beyond the River], keep away from there! 7 Leave the governor of the Jews and the elders
of the Jews alone, to get on with their work on that Temple of God; they are
permitted to rebuild that Temple of God on that site. 8 And herewith are my instructions as to how you
will assist these elders of the Jews in the rebuilding of that Temple of God: the
cost is to be paid in full to these men from the royal revenue, that is, from
the taxes of Transeuphrates [Beyond the River], and without interruption. 9 And whatever is required: young bulls, rams,
lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, oil, as the
priests in Jerusalem request, is to be given them day by day without fail, 10 so that they may offer sacrifices acceptable
to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. 11 Furthermore I have issued an instruction that
if anyone disobeys this order, a beam is to be torn from his house, he is to be
impaled on it and his house is to be reduced to a rubbish-heap for his offense;
12 and may the God who has caused
his name to live there overthrow the king of any people who dares to defy this
and destroy that Temple of God in Jerusalem! I, Darius, have issued this order.
Let it be punctiliously obeyed!"
6 Then, on the
order of King Darius, search was made in the archives deposited in the
treasuries in Babylon 2 and a
scroll was found in the fortress of Ecbatana...
Archaeologists discovered several repositories of well-preserved
royal archives in the capitals of ancient Near Eastern kingdoms (i.e.,
Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, etc.).(2) The fortress of Ecbatana
was the ancient capital of Media that later became the summer residence of the
Achaemenian kings of Persia and one of the three capitals of the Persian
Empire.The city was located in the eastern part of the Persian Empire and is
also mentioned in 2 Maccabees 9:3; Judith 1:1, 2, 14, and many times in the
Book of Tobit. The modern city of Haddadan, Iran covers the site of the ancient
city.
King Darius sends a letter confirming the claim of the
Jews that they have permission from the Persian government to rebuild their
Temple.(3)
Question:What five
commands does Darius' letter give concerning the Jerusalem Temple?
Answer:
*The dimensions are c. ninety feet wide and c. ninety feet high, a square-shaped structure which probably includes the Sanctuary and the inner and outer courts.The Sanctuary of Solomon's Temple was ninety feet long, thirty feet wide, and forty-five feet high (see 1 Kng 6-7; 2 Chron 3-4). Not only does the provincial governor have to allow the building of the Jerusalem Temple to continue, but he must also pay for its construction out of the taxes collected in his province.
Ezra 6:13-18 ~ The Completion of the Temple
13 Tattenai
governor of Transeuphrates [Beyond the River], Shethar-Bozenai and their
associates punctiliously obeyed the instructions sent by King Darius; 14 and the elders of the Jews made good progress
over their building, thanks to the prophetic activity of the prophet Haggai and
Zechariah son of Iddo, completing the reconstruction in accordance with the
command of the God of Israel and the order of Cyrus and of Darius. 15 This Temple was completed on the twenty-third
day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. 16 The Israelites: the priests, the Levites and
the remainder of the exiles, joyfully celebrated the dedication of this Temple
of God; 17 for the dedication of
this Temple of God they offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four
hundred lambs and, as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he-goats,
corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 Then they installed the priests in their
orders and the Levites in their positions for the ministry of the Temple of God
in Jerusalem, as prescribed in the Book of Moses.
Verses 13-18 describe the completion and dedication of the Temple on March 12, 516/515 BC, almost 70 years after its destruction. While some translations list the date in verse 15 as the 3rd of Adar, the NJB, 1 Esdras 7:5, and Josephus record it as the 23rd of Adar (Antiquities of the Jews, 11.4.7).The renewed work began on September 21, 520 BC (Hag 1:15) and a sustained effort continued for about 3 ½ years.
Verse 18 refers to the duties of the chief priests and Levites associated with Temple worship and the offering of the various kinds of sacrifices in the books of Leviticus and Numbers.2 Chronicles 35:4-5 attributes the organization of the priests and Levites into clans to King David, not Moses.
Ezra 6:19-22 ~ Celebrating the Passover and Feast of Unleavened
Bread of 515 BC
19 The exiles
celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 The Levites, as one man, had purified
themselves; all were pure, so they sacrificed the Passover for all the exiles,
for their brothers the priests and for themselves.21 So the Israelites who had returned from exile
and all those who had renounced the filthy practices of the people of the
country to join them in resorting to Yahweh, God of Israel, ate the Passover.
22 For seven
days they joyfully celebrated the feast of Unleavened Bread, for Yahweh had
given them cause to rejoice, having moved the heart of the king of Assyria in
their favor to support them in their work on the Temple of God, the God of
Israel.
The text returns to Hebrew from 6:19-7:11. The Passover was on the 14th day of the first month in the Liturgical calendar which was the month of Aviv/Abib or Nisan (the Babylonian name for the month that the Jews will use after their return); see Exodus 12:1; 13:4.They ate the Passover sacrifices in a sacred meal on the first night of Unleavened Bread that began at sundown after the Passover sacrifices, on the 15th, and the feast continued for seven days (Lev 23:5-8; Num 28:16-25).These two annual remembrance feasts celebrated God's action in Israel's history, freeing them from captivity and bondage in Egypt as a free people.Now, once again, they are celebrating God's activity in their lives by freeing them from captivity in Babylon and spiritually renewing them as His covenant people.
20 The Levites,
as one man, had purified themselves; all were pure, so they sacrificed the
Passover for all the exiles, for their brothers the priests and for themselves.
Like the Passover and Unleavened Bread feasts celebrated
after the children of Israel crossed the Jordan River into Canaan (Josh 5:2-12),
and the covenant renewal during the Feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread in
the reigns of Hezekiah and Josiah (2 Kng 23:21-27; 2 Chr 30:13-31:1), the
people and their priests submitted to ritual purification before the feasts
according to the dictates of the Law (Ex 12:43-51).Levites refers to the chief
priests and the lesser Levitical ministers who were all members of the tribe of
Levi.The Levitical lesser ministers helped each family group in slaughtering the
many Passover victims, and they collected the blood of the sacrificial lambs
and goat-kids in chalices.However, only the chief priests could perform the
blood ritual of pouring it out before the altar, and only they could serve at
the altar of sacrifice.(4)
The New Jerusalem faithfully renders verse 20 as all
were pure, so they sacrificed the Passover.Some translations do violence
to the text by adding the word "lamb" to the word "Passover."
Question: Nowhere in the Biblical text are the words
"Passover lamb" linked together, not even in St. Paul's identification Jesus as
fulfilling the Passover in 1 Corinthians 5:7b that reads in Greek, For our Passover
has been sacrificed, that is, Christ..."Why? See Ex 12:3-5.
Answer: The Passover sacrifice was not a single
sacrifice, but initially perhaps a thousand, and later tens of thousands of
lambs or goat kids were offered in sacrifice.
Josephus recorded the sacrifice of 256,500 Passover lambs and goat kids on one Passover when he served as a chief priest in the Temple during the reign of Emperor Nero (Wars of the Jews, 6.9.3 [424]).
21 So the Israelites
who had returned from exile and all those who had renounced the filthy
practices of the people of the country to join them in resorting to Yahweh, God
of Israel, ate the Passover.
According to Exodus 12:43-44, 47-49, no alien may eat
it, but any slave brought for money may eat it, once you have circumcised him.
No stranger and no hired servant may eat it.[...]The whole community of Israel
must keep it.Should a stranger residing with you wish to keep the Passover in
honor of Yahweh, all the males of his household must be circumcised: he will
then be allowed to keep it and will count as a citizen of the country.But no
uncircumcised person may eat it.The same Law will apply to the citizen and
the stranger resident among you.Therefore, any Samaritans who submitted
to circumcision and renounced their illicit religious practices were invited to
take part in the sacred meal.
22 For seven days
they joyfully celebrated the feast of Unleavened Bread, for Yahweh had given
them cause to rejoice, having moved the heart of the king of Assyria in their favor
to support them in their work on the Temple of God, the God of Israel.
Darius' decree, like Cyrus' decree, is under divine
influence.The 1st-century Jewish priestly historian, Flavius Josephus,
calls Darius "the Persian king" (Antiquities of the Jews, 11.4.8) not
the Assyrian king. Darius, like all Persian kings since Cyrus, were kings of
Assyria, Babylon, and Persia. It was the governor of the northern province that
was formerly the Kingdom of Assyria who sent and received letters from King
Darius who was the ruler of what had been the kingdom of Assyria.It is
probably because God "moved the heart" of Darius who now ruled over Assyria and
its royal Persian governor that verse 22 calls him "the king of Assyria."
The Feast of Unleavened Bread was the first of the three "pilgrim feasts" in which Yahweh required every man of the covenant to appear before His holy altar and participate in worship with other members of the covenant community as a sign of their commitment as a unified people devoted to Yahweh (Ex 23:14-17; Dt 16:16; 2 Chr 8:13).They ate a sacred covenant meal on the first night of the feast and offered compulsory and voluntary sacrifices for seven days in remembrance of the Exodus liberation (Ex 24:18; Lev chapters 1-7; 23:1-44; Num Chapters 28-29).
However, the rebuilding of the Temple will set the covenant people on the path to the new covenant promised by the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 31:31-34).In the Second Temple restored by King Herod, in the spring of AD 30, there occured the last legitimate Passover victims offered in sacrifice.That night, on the first night of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Jesus son of David, son of God will host the sacred meal for His disciples, giving those assembled unleavened bread and saying, "This is my body given for you: do this in remembrance of me."He did the same with the cup after supper, and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood poured out for you" (Lk 22:20).At that moment, the new phase in salvation history that began with the rebuilt Temple on the Feast of Unleavened Bread was ready to reach its climax in the offering of the unblemished Lamb of God on the altar of the Cross later that same day.Jesus' sacrifice inaugurated a new exodus liberation out of sin and death with the hope of reaching the Promised Land of Heaven.
Questions for discussion or reflection:
1. Why didn't the priesthood of Judah immediately embrace the Samaritans
when they offered to help rebuild the Jerusalem Temple (see 2 Kng 17:24-41).
2.What did Jesus tell the Samaritan woman who asked Jesus about the difference between the Jews worshipping Yahweh in Jerusalem and the Samaritans worshipping Yahweh at their temple?See Jn 4:19-22.
3. What dangers are there in too zealously embracing the spirit of ecumenism?When is an ecumenical compromise acceptable and when it is not possible?
4. God promised the people of the Sinai Covenant temporal blessings for obedience and temporal judgments for disobedience to His commands and prohibitions.Jesus also promised blessings and judgments for those baptized into the New Covenant in Christ Jesus.What is the difference between the blessings and judgments of the Old Sinai Covenant opposed to those blessings and judgments of the New Covenant in Christ Jesus?
Endnotes:
1. When a man of the covenant died without producing an
heir, the Law of Moses encouraged his brother to marry the widow to provide offspring
to continue the name of the deceased and inherit his ancestral lands (Dt 25:5-10).
If there was no surviving brother, the nearest relative could assume the
responsibility as in the case of Ruth and Boaz (Ruth 3:12; 4:4-10).
2. Even ancient writers made use of royal archives.Berossus, a Babylonian priest who lived in the third century BC, used the documents in the Babylonian archives to write a history of Babylon covering events from the end of the Assyrian Empire to the Hellenistic Era.
3. Extrabiblical evidence supports the Biblical account that Persian kings consistently helped to restore the temples of different peoples in their empire.Cyrus provided the funds to repair other temples at Uruk and Ur, and his son, Cambyses, gave funds for the temple at Sais in Egypt while Darius rebuilt the temple of Amon in the Kharga Oasis in Egypt.
4. The chief priests served as Yahweh's ordained ministers (Ex 28:1; 40:12-15), and the Levitical lesser-ministers were members of the three clans of the tribe of Levi who served the chief priests (Num 3:5-10; 1 Chr 23:27-32).The Levites assisted the chief priests in the Court of the Priests.However, they could not offer sacrifice at the altar, touch the sacred vessels, forgive sins, or take on any other duties specifically assigned to the chief priests; nor could the Levitical lesser minisers enter the Sanctuary (Num 3:10; 18:1, 6-7; Mishnah: Kelim, 1:8I-L).During the slaying of the thousands of lambs and kids on the Feast of Passover, the Levites collected the blood of the victims in the Court of the Priests, but they passed the chalices of blood to the chief priests who applied the blood to the sacrificial altar (2 Chr 30:15-16).
Michal Hunt, Copyright © 2018 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.
Catechism references for this lesson (* indicates
Scripture is either quoted or paraphrased in the citation):
The Covenant formation and ratification at Mt. Sinai in Exodus
Chapter 24 (CCC 613*, 679*, 2026*, 2075*)