The following is the results of your search for Temple, The Second.
Temple, The Second: After the return from captivity, under Zerubbabel (q.v.) and the high
priest Jeshua, arrangements were almost immediately made to reorganize
the long-desolated kingdom. The body of pilgrims, forming a band of 42
including children, having completed the long and dreary journey of
some four months, from the banks of the Euphrates to Jerusalem, were
animated in all their proceeding by a strong religious impulse, and
therefore one of their first cares was to restore their ancient
worship by rebuilding the temple. On the invitation of Zerubbabel, the
governor, who showed them a remarkable example of liberality by
contributing personally 1,000 golden darics (probably about besides
other gifts, the people with great enthusiasm poured their gifts into
the sacred treasury
(Ezra 2:1)ff First they erected and dedicated
the altar of Jehovah on the exact spot where it had formerly stood,
and they then cleared away the charred heaps of debris which occupied
the site of the old temple; and in the second month of the second year
(B.C. 535) amid great public excitement and rejoicing Psalms 116, 117, 118
the foundations of the second temple were laid. A wide interest was
felt in this great movement, although it was regarded with mingled
feelings by the spectators
(Haggai 2:3; Zechariah 4:10) The Samaritans made
proposals for a co-operation in the work. Zerubbabel and Jeshua and
the elders, however, declined all such cooperation: Judah must build
the temple without help. Immediately evil reports were spread
regarding the Jews. The Samaritans sought to "frustrate their purpose"
(Ezra 4:5) and sent messengers to Ecbatana and Susa, with the result
that the work was suspended. Seven years after this Cyrus died
ingloriously, having killed himself in Syria when on his way back from
Egypt to the east, and was succeeded by his son Cambyses (B.C. 529) on
whose death the "false Smerdis," an imposter, occupied the throne for
some seven or eight months, and then Darius Hystaspes became king
(B.C. 522) In the second year of this monarch the work of rebuilding
the temple was resumed and carried forward to its completion
(Ezra 5:6-17; 6:1-15) under the stimulus of the earnest counsels and
admonitions of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. It was ready for
consecration in the spring of B.C. 516 twenty years after the return
from captivity. This second temple had not the ark, the Urim and
Thummim, the holy oil, the sacred fire, the tables of stone, the pot
of manna, and Aaron's rod. As in the tabernacle, there was in it only
one golden lamp for the holy place, one table of shewbread, and the
incense altar, with golden censers, and many of the vessels of gold
that had belonged to Solomon's temple that had been carried to Babylon
but restored by Cyrus
(Ezra 1:7-11) This second temple also differed
from the first in that, while in the latter there were numerous "trees
planted in the courts of the Lord," there were none in the former. The
second temple also had for the first time a space, being a part of the
outer court, provided for proselytes who were worshippers of Jehovah,
although not subject to the laws of Judaism. The temple, when
completed, was consecrated amid great rejoicings on the part of all
the people
(Ezra 6:16) although there were not wanting outward
evidences that the Jews were no longer an independent people, but were
subject to a foreign power.
(Haggai 2:9) is rightly rendered in the
Revised Version, "The latter glory of this house shall be greater than
the former," instead of, "The glory of this latter house," etc., in
the Authorized Version. The temple, during the different periods of
its existence, is regarded as but one house, the one only house of God
(comp.)
(Haggai 2:3) The glory here predicted is spiritual glory and
not material splendour. "Christ himself, present bodily in the temple
on Mount Zion during his life on earth, present spiritually in the
Church now, present in the holy city, the heavenly Jerusalem, of which
he is the temple, calling forth spiritual worship and devotion is the
glory here predicted" (Perowne).
