The Second Temple in Jerusalem

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Even before Judah went into exile, the prophet Isaiah prophesied about Cyrus, whom Yahweh would raise up in His righteousness to rebuild Jerusalem and lay the foundation of the Second Temple.

Isaiah 44

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who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd

and will accomplish all that I please;

he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,”

and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.”’

Isaiah 45

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I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness:

I will make all his ways straight.

He will rebuild my city

and set my exiles free,

but not for a price or reward,

says the Lord Almighty.”

According to the word of Yahweh, Jeremiah's prophecy that the exile in Babylon will last seventy years, and Isaiah's prophecy about Cyrus were fulfilled when Cyrus, king of Persia, issued a decree and made a proclamation to build a temple for Yahweh in Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 29

10

This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.

2 Chronicles 36

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In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia,  the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah  was fulfilled. The LORD put it into the mind of King Cyrus of Persia to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and also to put it in writing:

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This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build Him a temple at Jerusalem in Judah. Whoever among you of His people may go up, and may the LORD his God be with him.

The exiles of Judah in Babylon, under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah; Joshua, the high priest; and the prophets, Zechariah and Haggai, returned to Jerusalem to build the Second Temple for Yahweh.

In the seventh month after the Israelites arrived in Jerusalem from their exile, they built the altar of the temple of the LORD.

Ezra 3

1

By the seventh month, the Israelites had settled in their towns, and the people assembled as one man in Jerusalem.

2

Then Jeshua son of Jozadaka and his fellow priests, along with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates, began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.

6

On the first day of the seventh month, the Israelites began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, although the foundation of the temple of the LORD had not been laid.

The foundation of the temple of the LORD was laid during the reign of Cyrus king of Persia.

Ezra 3

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In the second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak and the rest of the people (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work. They appointed Levites twenty years old and older to supervise the building of the house of the LORD.

Haggai 2

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the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, the day the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid

Ezra 3

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When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the LORD, as prescribed by David king of Israel.

11

And they sang responsively with praise and thanksgiving to the LORD:

“For He is good;

for His loving devotion to Israel endures forever.”

Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD had been laid.

Israelites faced opposition during the reign of Cyrus, Xerxes and Artaxerxes until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Ezra 4

5

They hired counselors against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

6

At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes,

an accusation was lodged against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

7

And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes.

24

Thus the construction of the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

In the first year of Darius, son of Ahasuerus, Daniel the prophet prayed and pleaded with Yahweh to bring an end to the desolation of Jerusalem that lasted seventy years and show mercy toward the people of Israel.

1

In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus, a Mede by descent, who was made ruler over the kingdom of the Chaldeans—

2

in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the sacred books, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.

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So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petition, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

Daniel's prayer was answered and the coming of the Messiah—The Anointed One—to Israel was made known to him by a man named Gabriel.

Daniel 9

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while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.

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He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.

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As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision:

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“Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy.

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 “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.

Haggai received the word of the LORD on the first day of sixth month in the second year of Darius, and Zechariah received the word of the LORD in the eighth month of the second year of Darius

Haggai 1

1

In the second year of the reign of Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest

Haggai 1

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this is what the LORD of Hosts says:

“These people say, ‘The time has not yet come

to rebuild the house of the LORD.’”

3

Then the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet, saying:

4

“Is it a time for you yourselves

to live in your paneled houses,

while this house lies in ruins?”

7

This is what the LORD of Hosts says:

“Consider carefully your ways.

8

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 1

1

In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo

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On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo.

According to the word of Yahweh made known through the prophet Zechariah, Yahweh would soon send His servant—The Branch—to Israel; therefore, He empowered Zerubbabel with His Spirit to finish the construction of the Second Temple, and He gave charge to Joshua, the high priest.

It is imperative to understand that Zerubbabel or Joshua is not the Branch, but the LORD's servant—The Anointed One, The Messiah is the Branch mentioned in Zechariah 3:8 and Zechariah 6:12,13. The Branch shall build the temple of Yahweh described in the book of Ezekiel, when He establishes the kingdom of God on earth.

Read: Who is the Branch?

Zechariah 3

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Then the angel of the LORD gave this charge to Joshua:

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“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘If you walk in My ways and keep My instructions, then you will govern My house and will also have charge of My courts; and I will give you a place among these standing here.

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Hear now, O high priest Joshua, you and your companions seated before you, who are indeed a sign. For behold, I am going to bring My servant, the Branch.

Zechariah 4

6

So he answered and 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.

7

‘Who are you, O great mountain?

Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!

And he shall bring forth the capstone

With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ”

Haggai 2

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Consider carefully from this day forward—from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, the day the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid—consider carefully:

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Is there still seed in the barn? The vine, the fig, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yet yielded fruit. But from this day on, I will bless you.”

Zechariah 4

8

Then the word of the LORD came to me:

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“The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it.

Zechariah's and Haggai's prophecy reached its fulfillment and the construction of the Second Temple was completed in the sixth year of the reign of Darius, king of Persia.

Ezra 5

1

Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them.

Haggai 1

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Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, as well as all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the words of the prophet Haggai, because the LORD their God had sent him. So the people feared the LORD.

13

Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, delivered the message of the LORD to the people:

“I am with you,”

declares the LORD.

14

So the LORD stirred the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, as well as the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and began the work on the house of the LORD of Hosts, their God,

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on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.

Ezra 5

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Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

king Darius supported the Jews and issued a decree to rebuild the house of God on its site.

Ezra 6

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Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you other officials of that province, stay away from there.

7

Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.

8

Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God:

Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop.

12

May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.

I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.

Ezra 6

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So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.

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The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

Ezra 6

19

On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover.

22

For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the LORD had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.

The construction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem mentioned in the Scriptures is an important event that occurred in Israel, for it was in preparation of the coming of the Messiah—The Branch, The Anointed One—to Israel to accomplish the work entrusted to Him by Yahweh.


Read: Yahweh and His Messiah—The Anointed One

Read: The key to unlock the mystery of the Messiah in Scriptures

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