321.   RESTORATION UNDER CYRUS

"The latter splendour of this house shall be greater than the former"

Judah had been led into captivity to Babylon because they had forsaken Yahweh. the first invasion of Nebuchadnezzar took place in the year 606 B. C, in the 3rd and 4th years of the reign of Jehoiakim, King of Judah (2 Kgs. 24:1; Jer, 25:1). Daniel and many others were carried into servitude at this time (Dan. 1:1). During the long years of slavery the faithful exiles were encouraged by the prophecies of Ezekiel and Jeremiah which assured them of a return and restoration. Jeremiah had boldly proclaimed the fall of Babylon and the concurrent redemption of Israel (Jer. 50:17-20). He had stipulated that the captivity would last seventy years only (606-536 B.C.). Daniel lived through this period and witnessed the fall of Babylon to Darius the Mede (Dan. 5:30-31). Daniel realised that God's Word demanded an end to the captivity and desolation of Judah. Accordingly he besought Yahweh to make His face to shine upon His Sanctuary that was desolate (Dan. 9:2, 17).

Our aim in this lesson is to see that God blesses those who arise and work in His service and who are not discouraged by opposition.

Ezra 1-6; Haggai

THE DECREE OF CYRUS (Ezra 1).

Cyrus had reigned cojointly with his uncle, Darius the Mede, for two years. When Darius died, Cyrus the Persian reigned over Babylon alone and it was in the first year of his sole reign that he made the important proclamation calling upon the Jewish exiles to return and build the Temple. History records that Cyrus' policy was to foster nationalism among the countries of his empire, and so keep the peace. He rightly claimed to have been charged by the God of heaven to build Him a house in Jerusalem. Accordingly he summoned the Jewish exiles and encouraged them to return. He recovered the vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had removed, and required that they be restored to the Temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1). About 50,000 were involved in this first restoration (2:64-65). Zerubbabel was appointed governor and Joshua, the high priest (3:2). The details of the rebuilding of the Temple, which will comprise the remainder of this lesson, are found in Ezra 3-6. Later there was a second restoration under Ezra, the priest, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes (Ezra 7-10) and thirteen years later Nehemiah returned (Neh. 1:1).

THE ALTAR SET UP AND FOUNDATIONS LAID (Ezra 3).

It was in the important seventh month, when the Day of Atonement (10th day) and Feast of Tabernacles (15th-22nd days) were held (Lev. 23:27-43), that the people came together in Jerusalem. No time was wasted in re-establishing the sacrifical code of the Law of Moses. The "altar of the God of Israel" was built and the appropriate sacrifice made (w.3-5).  The Feast of Tabernacles would have taken on a new significance. In the first place it celebrated Yahweh's deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage. But now redemption from Babylon would add to its meaning. In the Age to come this feast will again be joyfully celebrated from year to year to commemorate the deliverance of all nations from the rule of men (Zech. 14:16).

In the second month of the second year work on the foundation commenced. When the foundation was laid, the priests with trumpets and the sons of Asaph with cymbals praised Yahweh for His mercy. But the people were not all of one mind. While the young men shouted for joy, the old men compared the foundations with Solomon's magnificent Temple and wept. It was not clear on that day whether there was sorrow or joy and the prophet Zechariah later rebuked those who made comparisons with the words, "who hath despised the day of small things!" (Zech. 4:10; Hag. 2:3). The same might apply of the work of God in the earth today. When the heart is devoted and dedicated to the service of Christ, the blessings of the Father will abound though the faithful be few in the earth. Who hath despised the day of small things?

OPPOSITION € THE WORK CEASES (Ezra 4).

News of the building progress reached the surrounding peoples. They were descendants of various nationalities who had been brought there by the Assyrian kings (v.2; 2 Kgs. 17:24-41). Their worship was a mixture of a little truth with much error. They came to the builders and offered to assist, pleading "we seek your God"! But Joshua and Zerubbabel knew that such an unwholesome alliance would lead to the Truth being com promised, and in any case they were forbidden to mix with idolators. So they refused: "Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia had commanded us" (v.3).

This reply sparked opposition which eventually led to the work stopping. The adversaries of Judah discouraged and hindered the people. They even hired counsellors to divide them and break their will. They wrote letters full of accusations to Ahasuerus (Cambyses, the son of Cyrus), but failed to obtain a royal decree to bring the work to a halt. Later, another letter was sent to Artaxerxes, a heathen priest who had usurped the throne and was a Jew-hater. He yielded to their demands and made a proclamation calling for an end to the building (vv. 17-22). As soon as the adversaries of Judah received the reply, they made haste to the building site and compelled the Jews to cease work.

THE PROPHETS TO THE RESCUE (Ezra 5).

The people were discouraged and, soon growing apathetic towards the work, they turned to their own interests. The blessings of God were withdrawn and there was suffering. This is the background of the prophecy of Haggai. It was to this situation that the prophets Haggai and Zechariah addressed their words. It appears that the people exempted themselves from the responsibility of the work, because the time had not come when the house of Yahweh had to be built! Besides prophesying seventy years of servitude (606-536 B.C.), Jeremiah had also declared that there would be seventy years of desolations, commencing with the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. (2 Kgs. 25; Jer. 25:11). Haggai spoke to the people in the second year of Darius (B.C. 520), when there remained four more years for the seventy years of desolations to elapse (Ezra 4:24). Thus they excused themselves, but their attitude was wrong. They occupied themselves with their own personal pursuits and interests. So, too, might we fail if we become engrossed in the material prizes this world has to offer and say within our hearts, "Our Lord delayeth his coming" (Matt. 24:48).

Haggai exhorted the people to consider their ways and declared that their agricultural calamities were the direct result of spiritual apathy. But if they changed their ways, he assured them, blessings would take the place of cursings (Hag. 1:7-11; 2:15-19). They were aroused to action. Despite the renewed hostilities on the part of Tatnai and Shethar-boznai, the work progressed: "The eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease" (5:5).

The vision of Zech. 3 is based on this incident. Joshua, as High Priest, represents the nation of Israel; "Satan" is the adversary; and the "angel of Yahweh" is the "eye of their God". The angel justifies Joshua but condemns the adversaries with the words, "The Lord rebuke thee". In Jude 9 the incident is again referred to. The "body of Moses" is the returned remnant of Judah, "baptised into Moses" (1 Cor. 10:2). The "devil" represents the adversaries, and "Michael", the arch-angel, is identified as the angel of Yahweh, present on that occasion.

The adversaries asked the question, "Who hath commanded you to build this house?" The Jews replied that they did so by the decree of Cyrus and they ignored the decree of Artaxerxes which forbade them. Tatnai, Shethar-boznai and his companions took up the matter and wrote to Darius. They implied that the Jews were about to rebel because they were hastening the rebuilding and would not reveal the names of the chief men directing the building. Doubting that Cyrus had ever made a decree at all, they suggested that Darius search out the matter (5:6-17).

THE TEMPLE IS FINISHED (Ezra 6).

Darius received the letter and commissioned a search to be made to see if Cyrus had ever made a decree to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. By the grace of God, the exact record was found in which Cyrus gave the project his unreserved blessing (vv.1-6). Darius seemed to be seized with the same zeal as Cyrus. He addressed a remarkable letter to Judah's "Satan", rebuking them. Yahweh Himself was blessing His zealous remnant who were busy about His House. In this way the words of Zech. 3:2, "The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan", were fulfilled.

Darius told Tatnai and his companions to cease hindering the building and to start helping it forward! He told them that expenses for the Temple should be provided from the Samaritan tribute! Moreover, they should supply all the sacrifices required by the Levites € day by day! He threatened with death any that might seek to alter his decree and invoked the vengeance of the God of Jerusalem upon any who destroyed the Temple! (vv.6-12).

When this letter was received, the cowardly Samaritans were full of fear and hastened to comply with the king's commands. Materials, expenses and provisions were soon forthcoming and the work proceeded to its completion in the sixth year of Darius (w.13-15). Four years were occupied with building (cf. 4:24).

There is a lesson in this account. When the Jews neglected God's house they suffered, but when they took up the work and overcame the obstacles they were blessed beyond their expectations. The same is true today, for Yahweh has not changed. If we "draw near to him, he will draw near unto us". He is "able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think" (Jas. 4:8; Eph. 3:20).

THE GREATER TEMPLE TO COME.

The building of this temple in Jerusalem became the basis of far-reaching prophecies. Joshua, because he was the High Priest, and Zerubbabel, because he was Governor, are types of the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Zech. 3 and 4 respectively). "He shall build the temple of the Lord" and "be a priest upon his throne". In him the offices of kingship and priesthood will combine and there will be harmony between them for the first time in history. Zechariah and Haggai, the two prophets, were moved by the Spirit of God to write things which could only fully apply to Messiah's day. In fact the Jews were encouraged to labour because they were doing, in type, Messiah's work € even if on a smaller scale. God told them through the prophet that the house they had built for Him would be destroyed (cf. Hag. 2:6-7; Heb. 12:26-27), but assured them that, nevertheless, He would "fill THIS house with glory". Messiah's Temple would be the same house, His house, even though it would be a different building. "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. The latter splendour of this house shall be greater than the former" (Hag. 2:8-9 R.S.V.). The magnificence of Messiah's temple is related in Ezekiel 40-48. There are numerous references to the great tem ple which shall be "an house of prayer for all nations" (e.g. Zech. 14:16; Mk. 11:17; Isa. 56:7; 2:1-5; Psa. 122).

But God is not interested in houses of stone and mortar. His real interest lies in the human heart. It is there only that His word can take root and He be honoured by faith and loving obedience (Isa. 57:15; 66:1-2; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 3:17). We can be temples of God if we allow the Truth to sanctify us and govern our thoughts, words and deeds. We can even now do a greater work than the building of Zerubbabel's Temple.

LESSONS FOR US:

• God controls the purposes of kings and so the seventy year prophecies were fulfilled.
• God will curse us if we "despise" the work of the Truth because it is small today € but bless us if we arise and labour in His service.
• The adversaries were unable to stop the work of rebuilding and God made them pay for the work!
• We must sanctify our hearts by clearing away the rubbish of evil desires and building into our lives the qualities which show that God dwells in us. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God?"

REFERENCE LIBRARY:

"Prophets after the Exile" (J. Carter)

"The Story of the Bible" (H.P. Mansfield) € Vol. 7, Nos. 1, 2

"Consider Your Ways" (H.P. Mansfield)

PARAGRAPH QUESTIONS:

1. Describe how Jeremiah's prophecies of the seventy years of desolation were fulfilled.
2. Zechariah said, "Who hath despised the day of small things?" When did he say this? How can his words apply today?
3. How can we build the "temple of God" today?

ESSAY QUESTIONS:

1. What lessons can be taken from the attitude of the Jews during the rebuilding of the Temple?
2. What part did Zechariah and Haggai play in the rebuilding of the Temple? What lessons can we learn from their work?
3. What were the three great proclamations by Persian kings which affected the rebuilding of the Temple?

Briefly recount the work of rebuilding the temple under Joshua and Zerubbabel How did they overcome the difficulties confronting them?