Worship Revived in Jerusalem

GOLDEN TEXT: “Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” —Zechariah 4:6

EZRA 3:1,3,10,11; HAGGAI 1:7-9,14; ZECHARIAH 4:6-9

THE restoration of facilities in Jerusalem for use in worshiping the God of Israel, including the rebuilding of the temple, was largely supervised by Zerubbabel. His name implies that he was born in Babylon, and he was the recognized head, or prince, of the tribe of Judah. Our Golden Text indicates clearly that he was commissioned by the Lord for this important undertaking. This is also shown in Ezra 1:5. He was reminded that it would not be accomplished by mere human might and power, but by the Spirit of the Lord.

Before laying the foundations of the temple, Zerubbabel directed that an altar should be built upon which burnt offerings could be offered to the Lord—“morning and evening.” They kept the feast of tabernacles, and observed all the other “set feasts of the Lord,” “but the foundation of the temple was not yet laid.” It was not until the second month of the second year after arriving in Jerusalem that construction work on the foundation for the temple began.—vs. 8

When the foundation was completed there was a great celebration by the priests and Levites, “and all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.” (vs. 11) But when some who remembered the former temple of Solomon saw the foundation of the new temple laid, they “wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people.”—vss. 12,13

Haggai 2:3 indicates that those who remembered Solomon’s temple felt that the new temple came far short of being as glorious in appearance, hence the disappointment displayed in the weeping, as recorded in Ezra 3:12,13. The new temple was somewhat larger than the old, but not so rich and lavish as that provided by Solomon.

In Haggai 2:9 we read that “the glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former,” but here the prophet is evidently referring to the antitypical temple—Christ and his church in glory, the coming meeting place between God and all mankind. This is indicated by verse six which speaks of a shaking of the “heavens and the earth,” which Paul quotes in Hebrews 12:26-28 and applies to this end of the Gospel age and the establishment of the kingdom of Christ. This shaking will involve “all nations,” and then their desire shall come, and the Lord will fill “this house with glory.”—Hag. 2:6-9

After the foundation of the temple was laid the enemies of the Israelites sought to interfere with the undertaking; and they did discourage Zerubbabel, so that nothing further was done for fifteen years. Then the Lord raised up two prophets—Haggai and Zechariah—and through their words of encouragement Zerubbabel was stirred up to resume work on the temple.—Ezra 5:1,2

Haggai directed, “Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house, and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord.” (ch. 1:8) Verse 9 indicates that the people, while neglecting to build the temple, had provided themselves with homes, and with this the Lord was not pleased.

The Lord also encouraged Zerubbabel through the Prophet Zechariah. He wrote, “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of the house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you.” (ch. 4:9) In verse 7 we read, “Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace, unto it.”

Here a “mountain” is used to illustrate what seemed to Zerubbabel as insurmountable obstacles in the way of finishing the temple. But the prophet assured him that this “mountain” would become a plain, and that the temple would be completed and the headstone laid amidst great rejoicing. And it was so. The language reminds us of Jesus’ statement to the disciples concerning a faith great enough to remove mountains. Our great adversary, the Devil, makes small difficulties appear as mountains in order to discourage us. But as in the case of Zerubbabel, these “mountains” will become plains before us if by faith, we continue on in the narrow way.

QUESTIONS

Who was Zerubbabel, and what great task did the Lord commission him to perform?

Why did those who remembered Solomon’s temple weep when the foundation of the new temple was laid?

To what temple does the Prophet Haggai refer when he says, “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former”?

Why was work on the temple stopped, and what measures did the Lord use to revive it?

What was the great “mountain” which Zechariah promised would become a plain before Zerubbabel, and what lesson may be taken from this message of encouragement?

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