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The Temple Was CompletedDear Parents,
Thank you for continuing this journey of The Gospel Project® for Kids. Today’s Bible story takes us back to Jerusalem where the returning exiles were rebuilding the temple. At this time, Darius was king of Persia. The Persian Empire was vast, so Darius appointed governors over the provinces. A man named Tattenai watched over the province that included the land of Judah. Tattenai noticed the work of God’s people, and he was concerned. He sent a letter to King Darius. “Is this allowed?” he asked. “The people say that King Cyrus said they could rebuild the temple and the city. Please investigate this matter.” King Darius did investigate, and Cyrus’s decree was located in the Babylonian records. Darius instructed Tattenai to allow the people to rebuild the temple and the city. “In fact,” Darius wrote, “give them whatever they need from the royal treasury. And if anyone gives them any trouble, he will be punished.” God had turned the heart of the king for His people’s favor. (See Prov. 21:1; Ezra 6:22.) The people completed the temple. They dedicated it joyfully and observed the Passover. God’s people rebuilt the temple so they would have a place to worship God. God declared in Haggai 2:9 that the glory of this second temple would be greater than the first. This prophecy was fulfilled by the presence of the Messiah, the Son of God. Years later, God sent His Son, Jesus, to be with His people. Now God dwells not in the temple, but directly with His people. Because of Jesus, we don’t need a temple anymore. |
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The Temple Was Completed
Ezra 4:24–6:22
When God’s people returned to Jerusalem to rebuild God’s
temple, they built the foundation of the temple. But their enemies didn’t want them to build the temple. God’s people didn’t want any trouble, so they stopped. God sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to encourage the people. So the leaders—Zerubbabel and Jeshua [Joshua]—started working on the temple again.
At this time, a governor named Tattenai (TAT ih nigh) saw the rebuilding had started again. Tattenai worked for King Darius (duh RIGH uhs), the king of Persia. Tattenai had been put in charge of some of the land, including Judah.
Tattenai talked to Zerubbabel and the others working on the temple. “Do you have permission to rebuild this temple?” Tattenai asked. Tattenai sent a report to King Darius. While he waited for an answer, God’s people kept building.
This is what Tattenai’s letter to King Darius said: “To Darius the king—This letter is to tell you that the people in Judah are building the temple of the great God. They are working very hard and will complete the temple soon. I asked them if they had permission to rebuild the temple, and they said King Cyrus gave them permission. Please search the royal records to see if this is true. Then please write us back to let us know what you nd.”
King Darius read the letter and told his of cials to search the royal records for Cyrus’s order. They found it—a scroll with a record from King Cyrus. This is what was written on the scroll: “Let God’s temple be rebuilt. It will be a place to offer sacri ces. Let its foundation be rebuilt.”
King Cyrus had also ordered for the cost of building the temple to be paid for out of the royal treasury. He ordered all the gold and silver things that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the first temple to be returned to Jerusalem.
So King Darius sent a letter back to Tattenai. He gave this order:
“Stay away from the workers in Jerusalem. Don’t bother them, and don’t try to stop them. Give them whatever they need. And if anyone tries to destroy God’s temple, may God destroy that person!”
Tattenai and the other of cials obeyed King Darius’s order. The Jewish leaders kept building, and they finally finished the temple of God. What a happy time that was! The people celebrated and made offerings to God. They chose priests and assistants to serve in the temple.
Then God’s people celebrated the Passover. They killed the Passover lamb and ate the Passover meal. God’s people were so happy because God had changed King Darius’s heart so that he wanted to help them. Now the temple of God was finally complete.
Christ Connection: God’s people rebuilt the temple so they would have a place to worship God. Years later, God sent His Son, Jesus, to be with His people. Now God dwells not in the temple, but directly with His people. Because of Jesus, we don’t need a temple anymore.
Ezra 4:24–6:22
When God’s people returned to Jerusalem to rebuild God’s
temple, they built the foundation of the temple. But their enemies didn’t want them to build the temple. God’s people didn’t want any trouble, so they stopped. God sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to encourage the people. So the leaders—Zerubbabel and Jeshua [Joshua]—started working on the temple again.
At this time, a governor named Tattenai (TAT ih nigh) saw the rebuilding had started again. Tattenai worked for King Darius (duh RIGH uhs), the king of Persia. Tattenai had been put in charge of some of the land, including Judah.
Tattenai talked to Zerubbabel and the others working on the temple. “Do you have permission to rebuild this temple?” Tattenai asked. Tattenai sent a report to King Darius. While he waited for an answer, God’s people kept building.
This is what Tattenai’s letter to King Darius said: “To Darius the king—This letter is to tell you that the people in Judah are building the temple of the great God. They are working very hard and will complete the temple soon. I asked them if they had permission to rebuild the temple, and they said King Cyrus gave them permission. Please search the royal records to see if this is true. Then please write us back to let us know what you nd.”
King Darius read the letter and told his of cials to search the royal records for Cyrus’s order. They found it—a scroll with a record from King Cyrus. This is what was written on the scroll: “Let God’s temple be rebuilt. It will be a place to offer sacri ces. Let its foundation be rebuilt.”
King Cyrus had also ordered for the cost of building the temple to be paid for out of the royal treasury. He ordered all the gold and silver things that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the first temple to be returned to Jerusalem.
So King Darius sent a letter back to Tattenai. He gave this order:
“Stay away from the workers in Jerusalem. Don’t bother them, and don’t try to stop them. Give them whatever they need. And if anyone tries to destroy God’s temple, may God destroy that person!”
Tattenai and the other of cials obeyed King Darius’s order. The Jewish leaders kept building, and they finally finished the temple of God. What a happy time that was! The people celebrated and made offerings to God. They chose priests and assistants to serve in the temple.
Then God’s people celebrated the Passover. They killed the Passover lamb and ate the Passover meal. God’s people were so happy because God had changed King Darius’s heart so that he wanted to help them. Now the temple of God was finally complete.
Christ Connection: God’s people rebuilt the temple so they would have a place to worship God. Years later, God sent His Son, Jesus, to be with His people. Now God dwells not in the temple, but directly with His people. Because of Jesus, we don’t need a temple anymore.