Bible Study

Book of Ezra – Bible Lesson 12
Solomon’s Temple and the Rebuilt Temple — A Brief Comparison
During his reign, Solomon built a magnificent temple for God. In that era of great prosperity, the temple was constructed with enormous expense and stood as a grand and glorious structure.
After the temple was completed, on the day of its dedication the following sacrifices were offered:
Cattle – 22,000
Sheep – 120,000
In total, 142,000 animals were sacrificed. This was a great national dedication ceremony.
(1 Kings 8:63)
This temple stood for about 373 years.
959 BC → 586 BC = about 373 years
Later, during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, this temple was destroyed and reduced to ruins.
After 70 years, King Cyrus allowed the Jewish people to return to their land and permitted them to rebuild the temple.
Accordingly, the temple was rebuilt and completed in 516 BC (Ezra 6:15).
On the day of dedication of the rebuilt temple, the following sacrifices were offered:
Cattle – 100
Rams – 200
Male lambs – 400
Male goats for sin offering – 12
In total, only 712 animals were sacrificed.
When compared with 142,000 animals, the number 712 appears very small.
However, the importance of an event should not be judged merely by the number of sacrifices offered. Faith, devotion, zeal, and courage cannot be considered insignificant.
The Jewish people who returned from Babylon as exiles patiently waited in faith. Even though time passed and many obstacles arose, they waited until God’s appointed time and completed the temple with the strength and ability they had.
There is an important point to notice here.
When King Cyrus permitted the Jews to return to their homeland, many Jews chose to remain in Babylon because of the prosperity and comfortable life there.
But a small group who had deep concern for the house of God, and who had zeal for God, returned to their homeland with the desire to rebuild His temple.
They waited for about 20 years, facing many obstacles, and eventually completed the temple.
The rebuilt temple holds a value equal to the magnificent temple built by Solomon.
Solomon’s temple was an expression of wealth and royal splendor.
But the rebuilt temple was constructed in hardship and distress, with dedication that went beyond the people’s own strength.
Therefore, we should not evaluate the worth of a temple merely by its grandeur.
Even small churches built in villages by poor people, if they are built with devotion and zeal for the Lord, are highly valued in the sight of God.
God does not delight merely in the number of sacrifices.
Rather, faith, devotion, humility, dedication, and sacrifice are what truly matter before God.
The second temple built under Zerubbabel stood for about 586 years.
516 BC → AD 70 = about 586 years
In other words, the temple that began with a vast number of sacrifices lasted only 373 years.
But the second temple, which began with far fewer sacrifices, lasted much longer.
From this we can understand that in God’s sight, grandeur and the number of sacrifices are not what truly matter.