The Building Begun: “The Foundation of the Temple Was Laid”
3When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled into their towns, the people assembled together in Jerusalem.H7637H2320H5060H1121H3478H5892H5971H622H259H376H33892Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brother priests, along with Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and his relatives, went to work and built the Altar of the God of Israel to offer Whole-Burnt-Offerings on it as written in The Revelation of Moses the man of God.H6965H3442H1121H3136H251H3548H2216H1121H7597H251H1129H4196H430H3478H5927H5930H3789H8451H4872H376H4303Even though they were afraid of what their non-Israelite neighbors might do, they went ahead anyway and set up the Altar on its foundations and offered Whole-Burnt-Offerings on it morning and evening.H3559H4196H4350H367H5971H776H5927H5930H3068H5930H1242H61534They also celebrated the Festival of Booths as prescribed and the daily Whole-Burnt-Offerings set for each day.H6213H2282H5521H3789H3117H3117H5930H4557H4941H1697H3117H31175And they presented the regular Whole-Burnt-Offerings for Sabbaths, New Moons, and GOD's Holy Festivals, as well as Freewill-Offerings for GOD.H310H8548H5930H2320H4150H3068H6942H5068H5071H30686They began offering Whole-Burnt-Offerings to GOD from the very first day of the seventh month, even though The Temple of GOD's foundation had not yet been laid.H259H3117H7637H2320H2490H5927H5930H3068H3245H1964H3068H32457They gave money to hire masons and carpenters. They gave food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and Tyrians in exchange for the cedar lumber they had brought by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, a shipment authorized by Cyrus the king of Persia.H5414H3701H2672H2796H3978H4960H8081H6722H6876H935H730H6086H3844H3220H3305H7558H3566H4428H65398In the second month of the second year after their arrival at The Temple of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jozadak, in company with their brother priests and Levites and everyone else who had come back to Jerusalem from captivity, got started. They appointed the Levites twenty years of age and older to direct the rebuilding of The Temple of GOD.H8145H8141H935H1004H430H3389H8145H2320H2490H2216H1121H7597H3442H1121H3136H7605H251H3548H3881H935H7628H3389H5975H3881H6242H8141H1121H4605H5329H4399H1004H30689Jeshua and his family joined Kadmiel, Binnui, and Hodaviah, along with the extended family of Henadad—all Levites—to direct the work crew on The Temple of God.H5975H3442H1121H251H6934H1121H1121H3063H259H5329H6213H4399H1004H430H1121H2582H1121H251H388110When the workers laid the foundation of The Temple of GOD, the priests in their robes stood up with trumpets, and the Levites, sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise GOD in the tradition of David king of Israel.H1129H3245H1964H3068H5975H3548H3847H2689H3881H1121H623H4700H1984H3068H3027H1732H4428H347811They sang antiphonally praise and thanksgiving to GOD: Yes! GOD is good! Oh yes—he'll never quit loving Israel! All the people boomed out hurrahs, praising GOD as the foundation of The Temple of GOD was laid.H6030H1984H3034H3068H2896H2617H5769H3478H5971H7321H1419H8643H1984H3068H3245H1004H3068H324512As many were noisily shouting with joy, many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads who had seen the first Temple, when they saw the foundations of this Temple laid, wept loudly for joy.H7227H3548H3881H7218H1H2205H7200H7223H1004H3245H1004H3245H5869H1058H1419H6963H7227H8643H7311H805713People couldn't distinguish the shouting from the weeping. The sound of their voices reverberated for miles around.H5971H5234H6963H8643H8057H6963H1065H5971H5971H7321H1419H8643H6963H8085H7350