Knowing The Big Picture Helps

Knowing The Big Picture Helps

How do you motivate people to build a temple?

IN 538 B.C. the Jewish people were in Babylon as a result of God’s judgment on them. One of them was a young priest named Zechariah, who was born in Babylon during the seventy years of the Jewish captivity. Then King Cyrus of the Medo-Persian Empire overthrew Babylon and issued a proclamation for Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild their temple (Ezra 1:2-4).

Zechariah was one of the approximately fifty thousand Jews who returned to Judah along with his grandfather Iddo (Zechariah 1:7; Nehemiah 12:4).

Within two years after the Jews returned, they rebuilt the foundation of the temple. But the Samaritans and other neighboring tribes, fearing that this signaled the beginning of a powerful Jewish state, successfully stopped the construction.

In 520 B.C. God spoke to the Jews in Jerusalem four times through the prophet Haggai, encouraging them to complete the temple, and in September the work resumed.

In October and November 520 B.C., God also gave a message to Zechariah, making him now a prophet as well as a priest. The message was this: “I, the Lord, was very angry with your ancestors. Therefore, say to the people, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: Return to me, and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty” (Zechariah 1:2-3).

After ten years of drought because they stopped their work on the temple (Ezra 4:24; Haggai 1:9-10), God desired to reassure the Jews after disciplining them. His reassurance was, “Return to me, and I will return to you” (Zechariah 1:3).

Then on February 15, 520 B.C., the Lord sent another message to Zechariah (1:7). That night Zechariah had eight visions. It was a busy night, for these were not dreams—Zechariah was wide awake when he saw them.

The purpose of these visions was to motivate the Jews to rebuild the temple by revealing God’s future plans for Israel. The visions spanned the ages from Zechariah’s day to the Millennium following the second coming of Christ when, many Christians believe, God will restore the kingdom to Israel.

Zechariah’s eight visions were symbolic, depicting God’s anger and judgment on the nations that afflicted Israel, as well as God’s future blessing on a restored Israel, cleansed from sin, reinstated as a priestly nation, and serving as a light to the nations under the Messiah, who will be a King-Priest (1:7–6:8).

At the end of the eight visions, Zechariah received a final message from God, who instructed him to place a crown of silver and gold on the current high priest, Joshua (in Greek “Jesus”). This was a symbol of the future Messiah, who will rebuild the millennial temple of God and rule over Israel as both Priest and King (6:9-15).

With this encouraging big picture of what God was going to do in the future, the Jews completed the rebuilding of their temple in just three and a half years.

Reflection

Studies in industrial psychology have shown that workers are more efficient and motivated when they understand how their work fits into the overall plan and mission of their employer. Similarly, when we understand how our role in life relates to accomplishing God’s purposes, it not only motivates us but life also makes more sense.

God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath and life to everyone in all the world. And it is he who says, “I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. . . . And you will be a light to guide all nations to me.”

Isaiah 42:5-6