Preparing to Read Mark · Unit 13 of 16
Back in Jerusalem—is true restoration complete?
Bible readings: Ezra 1, 3, 6–7; Nehemiah 1–2, 8; Haggai 1–2 (selected passages)
In the previous stage, we saw Babylon capture Jerusalem, destroy the First Temple, and take many people of Judah to Babylon. Land, kingdom, and temple were all lost. Yet another empire later replaced Babylon, bringing the biblical story into a new stage.
1. Persia Conquers Babylon
In 539 BC, the Persian Empire conquered Babylon. Its approach to government differed from Babylon’s: Persia was more willing to let displaced peoples return home and resume their traditional religious life.
For the exiles from Judah, this brought an unexpected turning point: they had a chance to return to Jerusalem.
2. Cyrus of Persia Allows the People to Return
“Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the world and instructed me to build him a house in Jerusalem in Judah. Whoever among you belongs to his people may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem.… May God be with that person.’” — Ezra 1:2–3
Ezra records Cyrus’s decree allowing the exiles to return and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. A story that seemed to have ended decades earlier was beginning again.
The “return” first meant God’s people coming back to the promised land and restoring worship in Jerusalem.
3. Not Everyone Returned Together
Those taken to Babylon had lived there for decades, and some family members had even been born abroad. The return was therefore not a single mass move to Jerusalem on one day, but a gradual process involving different groups at different times.
Some Jews chose to remain in various parts of the Persian Empire, while others returned to Judah. From then on, Jewish life in the homeland and in communities abroad would coexist for a long time.
4. Zerubbabel Leads the Rebuilding of the Temple
Zerubbabel became a key leader among an early group of returnees. He was a descendant of David’s royal house, but he did not become an independent king of Judah. He led the people under Persian imperial rule.
The returnees first resumed sacrifices and later began rebuilding the temple. Opposition and discouragement interrupted the work, while the prophets Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the people to keep building.
“While this house remains desolate, are you yourselves still living in paneled houses?”
— Haggai 1:4
The prophets reminded the people that after returning to the land, they could not simply busy themselves with their own lives. They also needed to put God back at the center of the community’s life.
5. The Second Temple Is Completed
“The house was completed on the third day of the month of Adar in the sixth year of King Darius. The people of Israel—the priests, the Levites, and the rest of those who had returned from exile—joyfully celebrated the dedication of God’s house.” — Ezra 6:15–16
This rebuilt temple is usually called the “Second Temple,” distinguishing it from the First Temple built by Solomon and later destroyed by Babylon.
From this point, Jerusalem’s temple again became a vital center of Jewish religious life. The temple seen in Jesus’ time stood within this Second Temple tradition, following major expansion.
First Temple: built by Solomon and later destroyed by Babylon. Second Temple: rebuilt after the return from exile and continuing into Jesus’ time.
6. They Returned, but David’s Kingdom Was Not Restored
This distinction matters greatly. The people returned to the land and rebuilt the temple, but Judah did not again become an independent kingdom ruled by a descendant of David.
They remained subjects of the Persian Empire. The earlier hopes for David’s dynasty, God’s kingdom, and complete restoration were therefore not all fulfilled by the return.
7. Ezra: Teaching God’s Law Again
Ezra came to Jerusalem in a later return. He was a priest and an expert in the law. His central task was not to build an army or kingdom, but to teach the people to understand God’s law again.
“Ezra resolved to study and practice the law of the LORD, and to teach its statutes and judgments to the people of Israel.”
— Ezra 7:10
National collapse and exile prompted deep Jewish reflection: why had the previous generation lost the land? The returning community therefore placed greater emphasis on the law, worship, and its identity as a people.
8. Nehemiah: Rebuilding Jerusalem’s Walls
Later, Nehemiah was deeply distressed to hear that Jerusalem’s walls still lay in ruins. With the Persian king’s permission, he returned to Jerusalem to oversee their rebuilding.
“Then I said to them, ‘You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies desolate, and its gates have been burned. Come, let us rebuild Jerusalem’s walls so that we will no longer suffer disgrace!’”
— Nehemiah 2:17
Repairing the walls made Jerusalem a more fully functioning city again and symbolized the returning community’s work of rebuilding its life.
9. The People Listen to the Law Again
“They read clearly from the book of God’s law and explained its meaning, so the people could understand what was read.” — Nehemiah 8:8
This scene is important: people gather, listen to Scripture, and hear its contents explained so that everyone can understand. Reading, teaching, and interpreting Scripture would become increasingly central to Jewish faith.
After exile, Jewish religious life no longer centered only on “we have land and a king.” It also placed increasing emphasis on law, community, and worship.
10. Why Does the Name “Jews” Now Appear So Often?
The name “Jews” is related to “Judah.” The northern kingdom of Israel had long since fallen, and the biblical story of exile and return focuses mainly on the people of southern Judah. As history unfolded, “Jews” gradually became a common name for this people.
By New Testament times, therefore, we usually read about “Jews,” rather than an existing southern kingdom of Judah.
11. Was True Restoration Complete?
Judged only by external circumstances, the return seems to have accomplished much: the people came back to the land, the temple was rebuilt, Jerusalem’s walls were repaired, and the law received renewed attention.
Yet several things remained unrestored: David’s dynasty did not return to power, the Jews were still ruled by a foreign empire, and the complete renewal described by the prophets had not fully arrived.
The exile had ended, but hope for God to restore his people completely had not.
12. Key Points from This Stage
- After Persia conquered Babylon, Cyrus allowed exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem.
- The return took place in groups, and many Jews continued living abroad.
- Zerubbabel and others led the temple’s rebuilding, producing what came to be called the “Second Temple.”
- Ezra emphasized studying and teaching the law; Nehemiah led the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls.
- Although the people returned to the land, they remained under Persian rule, and David’s kingdom was not truly restored.
- Jews therefore continued to hope for God’s fuller future salvation and rule.
13. Where Does the Biblical Story Go Next?
At this point in Old Testament history, Jews were living in Jerusalem and Judah once again. Yet over the following centuries, the empires ruling this land would change repeatedly.
After Persia, Greek culture entered the Jewish world. The Maccabean revolt and Hasmonean dynasty followed, and Rome eventually became the new ruler. During these centuries, the Jewish society of Jesus’ time gradually took shape.