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J. O. CORLISS

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 14, 1910

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 87, No. 15.

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J. O. CORLISS

By J. O. Corliss

The History of the Hebrew Sanctuary—No. 12

J. O. CORLISS

Its Rebuilding by Zerubbabel

The Babylonian captivity wrought desolation to Judea and Jerusalem. The return of the captives found the Persian government in control of Palestine proper. Ezra 4:11; 5:3. The Cuthæans, or Samaritans, haters of everything Jewish, occupied the central part of the country. The Scythians possessed the south border town of Galilee, the Canaanite stronghold of Bethshan. The country of Moab and Ammon east of the Jordan, though badly devastated by the Chaldeans, was still the home of its earlier grudge-bearing inhabitants. On the west were the ancient Dagon-worshiping Philistine enemies of Israel, with their chief city Ashdod, largely regulating the speech of its semi-independent nation. Neh. 4:7; 13:24.
The south swarmed with the illiberal and vindictive Edomites, who claimed the entire country as their own. The returningJews were therefore circumscribed in territory to the small strip of country about Jerusalem, previously occupied by Judah and Benjamin. Indeed, most of the returning exiles were progeny of these two tribes, and were seeking their ancient home. Josephus says that at this juncture was “born” to them the name Judean, or Jew, a name, on their part, filled with pride, but one covered with reproach and scorn by other people.
During the captivity every place of worship in all the land, with the exception of the one on Mount Gerizim, had been destroyed. Israel’s temple also had been desolated, but not like Bethel, Shiloh, Samaria, and Jezreel,—forever forsaken. The exiles had constantly nourished the hope, on the strength of prophecy (Isa. 62:4-7), that their altar of worship sometime would be restored. The one thought, therefore, in the minds of the returning exiles, must have been that God had specially influenced the Persian king to hasten the building of a “house of the Lord God of Israel . . . which is in Jerusalem.” Ezra 1:3.
Two men, of all others, were looked to as leaders in carrying out their cherished plan. Zerubbabel, or as his name implies, “Seed of promise sown at Babylon,” was the principal figure. He was of royal birth, being a direct descendant of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and was therefore considered competent to lead back to their country the first band of Babylonian exiles. Ezra 2:1, 2. His assistant was the high priest Joshua (sometimes spelled Jeshua), who always was to be a counsellor by the side of his chief. Zerubbabel had been chosen to lay the foundation of God’s house with his own hands, and also to finish its building. Zech. 4:9, 10.
Although God had bidden Zerubbabel to have courage (Haggai 2:4), his was not an easy task, humanly speaking; for the people, small in number and poverty-stricken, saw no way to provide for the work. Moreover, they did not seem able to realize any surplus of their products. What they hoped to save suddenly disappeared. Chap. 2:16, 17. Then came the command of God to go to the mountain and bring building material. They were informed that the reason they had not been able to prosper in their own behalf was because the Lord’s house was neglected. Haggai 1:2-11. This was to say to them that they never could prosper until they first restored the fallen structure. So Zerubbabel, Joshua, and all the people hastened to obey the heavenly decree, and God strengthened their faith to that degree that within twenty-four days royal consent was secured, and work on the temple had begun in good earnest. Chap. 1:14, 15.
No connected description of this second building is extant. What we know of it is gathered from casual references to it in Ezra, Nehemiah, and the minor prophets. The decree of Cyrus demanded that the dimensions of it should be at least ninety feet on the foundation, and the same number of feet in height. It was commanded also that the original vessels, carried away to Babylon, be restored to their wonted places in the new structure. Ezra 6:3-5. But this decree could not provide the vessels for the most holy apartment. The ark, with its tables of stone, that important part of the whole, was missing. The golden shields were not accounted for. The Urim and Thummim no longer ornamented the breastplate of the high priest. Ezra 2:63; Neh. 7:65.
The absence of the ark was accounted for at that time, on the supposition that Jeremiah had immured it in a cave on the side of Mount Sinai. 2 Macc. 2:5. Probably it was the lack of these things that caused the people to deem this structure so inferior to the first temple. Haggai 2:3; Zech. 4:10. It may be, however, that the absence of those clusters of palm, olive, and cedar, which had beautified the environment of the former temple, but had provided a shield for the idolatrous rites that in the past had corrupted the holy sanctuary worship, was in the minds of the mourners. The new “house,” we are told, had “no tree,” or “grove,” “within its precincts.” See “The Temple,” in Dictionary of the Bible.
Yet the second temple well represented the people and their worship. Guest-chambers were therein, ample to lodge the high priest and his family. Ezra 10:6. Storehouses were provided, in which to deposit the tithes of corn, wine, and oil, for distribution among the Levites. Neh. 13:5. The account given of these chambers shows that a portion of them was later prostituted by Eliashib, the high priest, to the use of Tobiah, an Ammonite, who had become allied to the house of the priest. When Nehemiah returned from a visit to Babylon, and found this enemy of God’s work really domiciled in the sanctuary, he indignantly threw Tobiah and his household stuff out of the place. From all accounts, however, it would seem that, as some of the nations around were anxious to have the recognition of the God of the Jews, and to this end brought offerings to the new temple, provision was made for their convenience by a dividing barrier in the court, so that there might be one apartment known as the “court of the Gentiles.” 1 Macc. 9:54.
The new temple was completed in March, 516 B. C., and its dedication took place at the immediate passover festival, when one hundred oxen, two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs, besides twelve he goats, typical of all the tribes of Israel, were sacrificed. Ezra 6:17-19. During the joyous festival a deputation came to the temple to inquire if a day was not to be set apart for mourning in commemoration of the destruction of the old temple. The prophet’s answer indicated that all such religious mockeries were now at an end. Zech. 7:1-7. He would have no old patch put upon the new garment.
The work of Zerubbabel was one to which God added his sanction. It was, indeed, the pledge and hope of all the future. He was an example of all that is true and noble, because he did not wait for results, but boldly moved forward upon the bare word of God. For that reason he was chosen of God as his “signet” of the faithful to be gathered when the heavens and earth will shake at the voice of God. Haggai 2:23.
Mountain View, Cal.