Subscribe to BBC on Apple, Spotify , or Amazon
When was the second temple built in Jerusalem?
In Ezra 5 and 6, after 20 years of hard work, the Israelites will finish building the second temple on the third day of Adar in the sixth year of King Darius’ reign. This is right around March 12, 515 BC.
God Reignites the Temple Project in Ezra 5
In Ezra, there are four Persian kings who are pertinent to our story: Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes, and Artaxerxes. As we begin Ezra 5, Cyrus is dead and Darius is king. There was a king between them but he is not mentioned. Darius is not related to Cyrus, and the crown has passed to another Persian family, so Darius may not be familiar with Cyrus’ decrees.
In our last two chapters, the neighbors didn’t like the returning exiles, so they used fear tactics, bribes, and politics to halt the temple rebuild for years. In Ezra 5, it’s time for God to step in and get the Temple rebuild back on track.
To do that, in Ezra 5:1-2 God provides what His people need most in order to complete His work, both exhortation and encouragement. This comes in the form of two very different prophets, Haggai and Zechariah. Both these bold leaders have their own books in the Old Testament.
Who is Haggai in the Bible?
The prophet Haggai’s entire book of the Bible is just two chapters and corresponds to this time period in Ezra. He is a plain speaker and gets right to the point telling the people that the Lord wants to know why they are living in nice houses while the Temple is a wreck. They are wasting time and have nothing to show for it.
Haggai uses this not-so-gentle exhortation to get the people moving and, according to Haggai 1:12, his rebuke works. The people listen because the Lord sent him, and they fear the Lord.
What is the main message of the book of Zechariah?
The first eight chapters of the book of Zechariah are next. They also refer to what is happening in Ezra 5 and 6. God uses Zechariah’s encouraging words to cast a vision of what is sure to come for the Israelites because God is in control.
God will rebuild His house in Jerusalem, and the people of Judah will prosper. It will not happen by might or power but through His Spirit. Zerubbabel, the one who started it, will finish it. That way everyone will know God ordained it all.
And that is exactly what happens.
The words of Haggai and Zechariah renew the Israelite’s faith and rally the people into action. With the people back on track, the Temple rebuild begins again.
The Opposition to the Temple Rebuild Has a New Name
To accomplish His will, God moves in both the hearts of men who worship Him and those who don’t, including Tattenai in Ezra 5:3–5. Tattenai is a Persian governor over the region that includes Jerusalem. He must be somewhat important, because his name is documented in Persian tablets. But no matter how many new names are introduced, God will accomplish His will.
Tattenai’s Report to the King
Tattenai’s questions to the Israelites are not as threatening as the Samaritans’ questions were in the last chapters. He is simply doing his job with authority. He does not stop the work but seeks verification from headquarters that this building is allowed.
In Ezra 5:6–17, Tattenai writes a fair-minded letter to Darius. He reports that the king should know the Jews are rebuilding a Temple on his land, and they say Cyrus gave them permission to build it. Then he asks the king to fact-check this in the royal archives.
God Turns Bureaucracy into a Blessing in Ezra 6
After years of a stalled rebuild, in Ezra 6:1–12 the returned exiles experience a miraculous moment when bureaucracy actually works for them. Darius finds the archives in the citadel of Ecbatana, and they confirm Cyrus did indeed decree the Temple should be rebuilt. Not only that, but it is to be paid for from the royal treasury and the gold and silver articles returned to the Temple.
Just as God providentially raised up Cyrus, He places Tattenai, a foreign administrator over Jerusalem. Tattenai then moves in the Israelites favor to bring the dusty, forgotten scrolls into the light, and God moves in the heart of King Darius to do the right thing. The end result is a miracle.
The script is flipped. Now those same neighbors from our last chapters who discouraged and opposed the building of the second Temple must fund it with their taxes, supplies, and even provide animals for sacrifice. Any pesky neighbor who interfere is threatened with death, and it will not be a pretty death.
The threats that once plagued the Jews are transferred to the very people who initiated them. The underdog has become the top dog. It’s a very clear case of what man intends for harm, God redirects for good.
Points to Ponder
Sometimes God uses opposition to accomplish His purpose. In this case, opposition results in an all-expense-paid Temple. Similarly, opposition in our own life can build us into a better temple. Opposition refines, strengthens, redirects, and builds us. And if it builds us, it builds the church.
Opposition is not the end of the story. It is often a sign that God is at work writing an even more glorious story. A story better than we could have imagined. Perhaps we should flip the script and take pleasure in opposition because we know it glorifies God. Can’t you just hear the enemy grinding his teeth about that? He brings opposition and rather than being discouraged we rejoice.
The Second Temple Is Finished
The Temple is completed in Ezra 6:13–18. This is possible because of:
- Zerubbabel and Joshua’s leadership
- Haggai and Zechariah’s preaching.
- The people’s zeal to build.
- Tattenai’s report.
- Darius’s decree.
- And most of all because of God.
This is the Temple where God will meet His chosen people whom He redeems again and again. The people who carry the seed of the Savior who will redeem humanity with one sacrifice, ending dependence on this very Temple and the need for repetitive sacrifices for the atonement of sin.
Reflection Point
How many times in our journey through the Bible have we seen that without God we could not be free from sin, Satan, and opposition? He is the only thing that stands between us and destruction. His plan saves. It began in the beginning, and He will see it through to the end.
Celebrating the First Passover in the Second Temple
Building of the second Temple began right after Passover, which is the celebration of the Israelite’s first exodus and redemption from slavery in Egypt. Providentially, 20 years later in Ezra 6:19-22, the rebuild is finished just in time to celebrate the Passover. This symbolically links this Temple with the Israelite’s original Exodus from Egypt.
When was passover in the Bible?
In Exodus 12:1, God commanded Moses to celebrate the Passover in the first month of their year, which is the month of Nisan in the Jewish calendar.
Temple Symbolism
Everything about the Temple points to the Israelite’s redemption, not just once but twice. Did God want them to remember (and never forget again) that He always initiates the relationship?
He is faithful. Can they learn to be faithful too?
How to Celebrate Christian Passover
Passover is the most frequently mentioned celebration in the Bible appearing 49 times in the Old Testament and 28 in the New. However, for Christians, the Last Supper replaces the Passover. The Last Supper was the night before the crucifixion when God prepared our sacrificial Lamb, Jesus, who took on the weight of the world. It’s when Jesus said not My will but Yours, Lord, and we celebrate it on Maundy Thursday, also called Holy Thursday.
As the Passover is replaced by the Last Supper for Christians, it’s as if God is reminding us, “I have always been here, and I am going to redeem you once and for all. I remember you, will you remember Me?”
Up Next…Ezra Finally Makes an Entrance
Between 1 Chronicles 1 and Ezra 6, we have discussed 71 chapters written by the prolific Ezra as he painstakingly documents Israel’s history. Finally, in our next chapter, we will meet the man himself. Ezra arrives on the pages of his beloved story.
🎧 Ready to dive deeper? Listen to episodes of the Bible Book Club Podcast here.
Other Podcast Episodes Mentioned:
