Having put down the pervasive rebellion, Darius I (the Great) set about raising the Medo-Persian Empire to it's greatest power and most extensive borders. Sensing their chance, the Jews begin anew to build their Temple. We are told in Ezra 5:1 it was primarily the stirring of the leaders by two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, that saw renewed activity. Note that Sheshbazzar has passed on, and Zerubbabel is now fully in charge as governor.
Haggai -- The man's name denotes a birth during some unidentified festival, and can be translated "Celebration." He was probably not yet a legal adult during the Return under Cyrus. Little else is known of him.
His prophecy is divided into four messages, each precisely dated. On 29 August 520 BC, he noted the Jews had been suffering from poor harvests and a depressed economy. This was because they lacked the will to obey God's command to rebuild the Temple. They kept saying it was not yet time, though they had time to finish building sumptuous houses for themselves. About a month later the work on the Temple resumed.
During the next month there was a lot of grousing how this Second Temple was so poor compared to the First. On 17 October the same year, Haggai warned them the glory of either building compared poorly to that of Jehovah's presence. If they would apply themselves to the task and obey, they should expect His very presence to make it all worthwhile. In the process, Haggai tosses out something Messianic, a vision of something yet to come. It is altogether natural the people should misunderstand. He speaks of events that will shake the Heavens -- that is, the Spirit Realm -- with repercussions on the earth. However, they miss the point and assume he refers to a worldly Kingdom of God.
This time was the birth of the Messianic Expectations regarding a great and mighty earthly Kingdom of Israel that would exceed the previous glories of David and Solomon. Under such thinking, the people began to assume their hands were made holy by handling the Temple stones during the construction. On 18 December that same year, Haggai makes a show of querying the priests in public on what the Law of Moses says about such things. The answer is clear: when it comes to ritual purity, holiness is not contagious, defilement is. In terms of Mosaic ritual purity, it was the sins of the people making the Temple defiled. Unspoken was the obvious reference to Samuel's words to Saul -- "The Lord has more regard for the sacrifice of obedience than the burnt flesh of animals." However, to show His mercy on their sins, He promised from that day forward, they should expect all future crops to yield abundance.
On that same day, Haggai had a message to Zerubbabel. His message seems to nominate the Governor as the Messiah. In the context of other prophecy, we know this was not meant literally. While Zerubbabel did play a critical role, it was his royal bloodline to which Haggai was speaking. Zerubbabel was the symbol of the Lord's plans to redeem the whole world through the House of David. Nonetheless, there was a group of Jews in those days who regarded this prophecy literally.
We note here that the rise of sects within Judaism becomes most notable from this time. There is a large community of Jews in Egypt still, and they will later rise to challenge the spiritual leadership of the Babylonian Synagogue. Within the small group of returnees, we find evidence that Messianic Judaism begins here, and splits into several factions. Every major change in the political and economic situation is viewed through the several lenses of these sects.
Zechariah -- If Haggai stirred up a bit of mystery, Zechariah brought in a tsunami of it. First, we must note his name is rather common to that time, and he is one of probably 37 fellows in Judah then by that name. Second, his prophetic material is rather unique among prophecies. He speaks of night visions, and loads his messages with imagery that brings a wide variation in interpretation. So, too, his work did more to fan the fire of sectarian Messianic Judaism than almost all other Old Testament literature combined.
It is impossible to summarize the meaning of his writings here. The obvious point is the impact these messages had on the Jews during the second attempt to build the Temple. With beatific visions of how Jehovah was preparing to work through this very building, how could they delay? Until the Temple was finished, God was not going to address any other order of business. All the joys and wonders of what the Lord desired to pour out on them was waiting their obedience. That they took this all too literally is now clear, for we have drawn from this low rumble of excitement a great mass of literature describing all manner of blessings for the Jews under the coming rule of the Messiah. Many books published during the next 400 years of Jewish history are loaded with the stuff. It's the primary reason they failed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, because they were so certain what His rule would be -- quite other than His teaching.
We note there is a great deal of criticism of this prophetic book because of this. Obvious to readers, there is a distinct break between the first eight chapters and the rest. Up through Chapter 8, the visions are dated. Beginning with Chapter 9, the writing seems to be from a different man. The simplest explanation is that Zechariah's book was published near or after his death. The first half was the result of his work during the years the Second Temple was being built, working alongside Haggai. The rest appears to come much later in his life, for the perspective is rather different, and not tied to any historical events. While various historical enemies of Israel are discussed, they are best seen as symbols of a larger message. Whatever view one takes, it is clear how this material, in the confused minds of the returnees, could lead to the birth of an industry in Messianic Expectations.
Ezra 5 -- Under constant prodding of these two prophets, the work on the Second Temple progressed rather quickly. The activity could not possibly go unnoticed. It's quite obvious the previous trouble-makers were no longer in power, and the Samaritans had not yet found any new agents to bribe in the Imperial Court. Still, it's quite certain they reported this "rebellion" to the satrap. The satrap appointed over the Syrian Province, which included Judah, came down and asked Zerubbabel what was going on. Under the assumption such activity was probably illegal, this satrap, Tattenai, tried to stop the work. However, the Jews resisted his interference. The explanation the Jews gave him mentioned the decree of Cyrus, so he used no force to stop them. Instead, he sent a letter the Darius asking for confirmation of the decree, and instructions.
Ezra 6 -- The archives in Babylon held no clue, but the older library at Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the old Median Empire, produced an accurate record of the decree. Keep in mind that Medo-Persian law forbade countermanding any previous decree. Darius, a strong law-and-order ruler, was rather forceful in keeping this custom. Given his requirement to abide by the decree of Cyrus, he ordered the satrap and all others to stay away from Jerusalem and let the building proceed. Further, Darius ordered the satrap to provide from the Imperial treasury there anything the Jews requested for the Temple, and for the worship and sacrifices. Given the penchant Darius had for appointing incorruptable servants, the decree was obeyed in full. Tattenai acted as if it was his joy to support the project.
On 12 March 515 BC, the Temple was completed. There was a great celebration for the dedication service. Then the priests and Levites were assigned their service rotations in the Temple. The next month, on 21 April, Passover was celebrated. This time the priests were ready ahead of time, and the sacrifices proceeded in good order. Anyone who had begun seeking Jehovah, though not Jewish, was invited to join this and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
During the next few decades, we find Darius initiating the long contest with Greece. His attacks fail, but help to stir the growing power of the Greeks. Darius dies in 486 BC, leaving the contest to his successors.
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Ed Hurst
25 June 2005
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