Day 271 Reading Schedule: Ezra 5-6 

Ezra 5: Resumption of Temple Reconstruction   

[Overview]

After the return from captivity, the passion to build the temple of God cooled down, and the construction of the temple was halted for 14 years. Two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, arose and called for the construction of the temple to resume quickly. After hearing the prophecies of the prophets, Zerubbabel and Jeshua gathered the people and began the work of rebuilding the temple (verses 1-2). The Samaritans who had seen the construction for two days petitioned King Darius to stop the construction (verses 3-5). The content of the petition was that the Israelites were claiming that the Persian king Cyrus had permitted the construction of the temple in Jerusalem, so they asked King Darius to investigate the royal documents and determine the truth (verses 6-17).

Ezra 6: Permission and Completion of the Temple Rebuilding

[Summary]

After receiving the petition of Governor Tattenai, Shethar-bozenai, and the Aphasachites, King Darius found the decree of Cyrus, which permitted the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem (verses 1-5). King Darius decided not to interfere with the Jewish people’s work of rebuilding the Temple, but rather to use part of the budget for the construction of the Temple (verses 6-12). Thanks to the material support of the governor, the advice of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, and the leadership of Zerubbabel and Jeshua, the Temple was completed quickly (verses 13-15). After the Temple was completed, the people of Judah held a dedication ceremony for the Temple, and from the fourteenth day of the first month, they celebrated Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (verses 16-22).