Zerubbabel

When Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BC, the Persian king Cyrus released the captive Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild Jerusalem. According to Zechariah, Haggai and Ezra, Zerubbabel and Jeshua, the high priest, led the first wave of Jewish captives (Neh. 12:1), numbering 42,360, (Ezr 2:1-67) from the Babylonian captivity back to Jerusalem in the first year of Cyrus the Great, the king of the First Persian Empire some time between 538 and 520 BC. He began rebuilding the Temple in the second year of king Darius (Ezra 3:2, 3:8; Hagggai 1:1; 2:23). They first constructed the altar of burnt offerings, then Temple¹usually called the Second Temple much inferior in beauty to Solomon’s Temple. While the prophets Haggai (Hag. 1:1-2:23) and Zechariah (Zech. 4:6-14) gave the moral and spiritual encouragement to resume work on the Temple (Ezra 5:2), Zerubbabel saw that the task was carried out. While the work was being completed, the Haggai and Zechariah encouraged Zerubbabel by telling him of a time when spiritual apathy and foreign oppression would forever be abolished. Messianic expectations are often associated with Zerubbabel. The term, “my servant” (Haggai 2:23), describes Zerubbabel as God’s servant. This term is often associated with King David. King Darius I of Persia appointed Zerubbabel governor of the Province of Judah. Nehemiah was appointed governor by Artaxerxes (Neh. 5:14). Zerubbabel is mentioned thre times in the book of Nehemiah. He is identified as being the one to lead the first wave of Jews out of captivity in Neh. 7:7 and 12:1. In Nehemiah 12:47, we are told that in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all the Israelites gave every day to support the singers and gatekeepers. The people also set aside the money for the other Levites. And the Levites set aside the money for the descendants of Aaron.

ZERUBBABEL

Rebuilding the temple
The year after they arrived in Jerusalem, the Jews began rebuilding the temple. Within a short time they met opposition from the local non-Jewish people, with the result that they became discouraged and the work stopped (Ezra 4:24). For about sixteen years no work was done, though the people still had time and money to build costly houses for themselves. It seems that Zerubbabel was as much at fault as the common people in this. Only when Haggai and Zechariah began their stirring preaching in 520 BC did Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the people get to work again (Ezra 5:1-2; Haggai 1:1-6; 1:14-15). Much of Haggai and Zechariah’s preaching was designed to challenge and encourage Zerubbabel and Joshua (Haggai 2:4). Zerubbabel, having control of the work, was told that through God’s power he would overcome the mountain of obstacles he faced. As his hands had begun the work on the temple, so his hands would finish it (Zech. 4:6-10). The promise was fulfilled four and a half years after the prophets began their preaching (Ezra 6:15).

Ancestor of the Messiah
Zerubbabel was a direct descendant of David in the line of kings that had reigned in Jerusalem before its destruction by Babylon (Matt. 1:6-12). He was entitled to the throne of Israel, but since Israel was still under Persian rule, he could be no more than governor. When the Israelites held a symbolic coronation ceremony during the rebuilding of the temple, they were careful to avoid any suggestion of treason. They therefore placed the crown on Joshua instead of on Zerubbabel; but the words used in the ceremony referred to Zerubbabel. As a descendant of David, Zerubbabel was like a new ‘branch’ springing from the ‘tree’ of David’s dynasty, a ‘tree’ that Babylon had earlier ‘cut down’ (Zech. 6:11-13; cf. Isa. 11:1). ‘The Branch’ was a name that Israelites used of the great descendant of David who would come as their Messiah (Isa. 4:2; Isa. 11:1; Jer. 23:5; Jer. 33:15). The name was freely applied to Zerubbabel because, as leader of the rebuilt nation, he was part of the fulfilment of the promise given to David. Through him the Messiah would come (Haggai 2:21-23; Zech. 3:8-10; Matt. 1:6; Matt. 1:12; Matt. 1:16; cf. 2Sam. 7:16).