The prophets Haggai and Zechariah prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, prompting Zerubbabel and Jeshua to resume building the temple with prophetic support. Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and his associates came to inquire who had authorized the construction and requested the names of the builders, but the eye of their God was upon the Jewish elders, and the work was not stopped pending a report to Darius. The letter to Darius described the impressive construction using great stones and timber, and reported the Jews' explanation that their ancestors' sins had led to the Babylonian exile under Nebuchadnezzar who destroyed the temple, but Cyrus had decreed its reconstruction and returned the sacred vessels to Sheshbazzar, who laid the foundation though the work remained unfinished; the officials requested a search of the royal archives to verify whether Cyrus had indeed issued such a decree.
Read Ezra Chapter 5 Summary
Characters in This Chapter
Priest and scribe who led the second return and addressed intermarriage
Leader of the first return who oversaw temple rebuilding
Persian king who decreed the Jews could return and rebuild the temple
Prophet of Temple Rebuilding
Prophet of Messianic Visions
Son of Jacob, Ancestor of David and Christ
King who Cast Daniel into the Lions' Den
King of Babylon
Places in This Chapter
Judea was the southern region of Israel, centered on Jerusalem. It was the heart of the ancient kingdom of Judah. Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, was crucified in Jerusalem, and the early church spread from Judea to the ends of the earth.
The Temple in Jerusalem was the permanent house of worship built by Solomon on Mount Moriah. Destroyed by Babylon, it was rebuilt by Zerubbabel and later greatly expanded by Herod. Jesus taught in the Temple courts, cleared it of merchants, and predicted its destruction, which occurred in 70 AD.
Position in Book
Altar rebuilt, temple foundation laid, opposition faced, work completed under Darius.