Temple #2

By Dr. Andy Woods

The second temple of Scripture is referred to as Zerubabbel’s temple. It was rebuilt under the leadership of Zerubbabel (515 B.C.) when the Jews returned from the 70 years of Babylonian captivity (Ezra 6:13-15). The ministries of the post-exilic prophets Haggai and Zechariah were largely dedicated toward motivating the returnees to rebuild this second temple (Ezra 5:1-2). When the older Jews who remembered Solomon’s temple saw Zerubbabel’s temple, they wept because it paled in comparison to the physical magnificence of Solomon’s temple (Ezra 3:8-13; Hag 2:3). This second temple was desecrated by the Selucid Antiochus Epiphanes during the intertestamental period (169‒167 B.C.). The desecration and eventual liberation of the temple from Selucid rule was predicted 400 years in advance by the 6th century exilic prophet Daniel (Dan 8:9-14; 11:31-32). This intertestamental liberation also forms the background for the holiday in Judaism known as the Feast of Lights or Hanukkah, which means dedication (John 10:22).

This second temple was renovated years later by King Herod (John 2:20). This is the temple we read so much about in the New Testament. For example, Jesus entered the temple as a youth and confounded the religious leaders with His wisdom (Luke 2:41-50). As an adult, He drove the money changers out of the temple (John 2:12-22). Satan took Him to the pinnacle of this temple to be tempted (Matt 4:5). The disciples called Christ’s attention to the beauty of the temple (Matthew 24:1). The early church met in the courts of the temple (Acts 2:46). All of these passages are references to this second Jewish temple which was built under the leadership of Zerubbabel and renovated by Herod. This temple was ultimately destroyed by the Romans when they invaded Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Forty years before this invasion, Jesus predicted that this second temple would be destroyed (Matthew 24:2; Luke 19:41-43).

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Second Temple- From Wikipedia