Why does the Chapter use the words of Haggai and Zechariah?

Haggai and Zechariah provided key prophetic inspiration for the rebuilding of the Second Temple, making their historical figures and scripture central to the narrative backdrop. As reported by The Square Magazine, Haggai and Zechariah brought messages of encouragement that inspired Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the people to resume and finish the work after opposition from neighbouring tribes had brought construction to a halt.

Their prophecies framed both the leadership and spiritual purpose of the reconstruction effort. The Square Magazine notes that Haggai described Zerubbabel as God's servant and signet ring, while Zechariah envisioned Zerubbabel laying the foundation and carrying the construction of the Temple through to its completion. Furthermore, The Square Magazine explains that the coronation described in Zechariah 6:9-14 emphasized the joint rule of Joshua and Zerubbabel, highlighting the dual authority of the priest and the prince.

The words and themes of these prophets provide the historical rationale for completing a sacred enterprise despite hardship, illustrating the shared leadership of civic and sacerdotal figures in re-establishing the sanctuary.

Zerubbabel led the first group of forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty Israelites back from the Babylonian exile, arriving at Jerusalem in 535 BCE 1. Records held by the British Library trace this movement of the Jewish Diaspora following the destruction of the First Temple in the sixth century BCE. Early references in Masonic Constitutions to the building of the Second Temple date back to the Spencer family manuscripts from 1725 or 1726.

Upon their arrival, the returning exiles erected a temporary tabernacle and established a Council presided over by Zerubbabel as King, Jeshua as High Priest, and Haggai as Scribe 1. Laborers began clearing rubbish from the site of the ancient Temple to lay the foundations for the new structure, during which operation three Sojourners made an important discovery 1.

Progress was interrupted when hostile neighbors persuaded King Cambyses to issue a decree halting all construction, leaving the Temple unfinished until the second year of Darius 1. Zerubbabel subsequently travelled to the Persian court, secured the king's protection after demonstrating in debate that truth is the strongest power, and returned to resume the work 1.

Quatuor Coronati Lodge notes that the Royal Arch legend specifically relates to this historical context of rebuilding Solomon's Temple under Zerubbabel. Construction resumed and reached completion twenty years after its initial commencement, on the third day of the month Adar in the sixth year of the reign of Darius, 515 BCE 1. Although the Second Temple exceeded the First Temple in overall dimensions, it lacked several sacred items and the former magnificence of its ornaments 1.

Scriptural accounts of the Second Temple are intertwined with legendary tradition to form the symbolic framework of the degree 1. The narrative encompasses the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon and the establishment of a Grand Council presided over by Zerubbabel as King, Jeshua as High Priest, and Haggai as Scribe 1. Ceremonially, a deliberate interregnum marks the historical period of Babylonian captivity that separates the destruction of the first Temple from the commencement of the second 1.

Work on the new structure begins with the clearance of rubbish from the ancient site to lay the foundation 1. According to the narrative, three Sojourners arriving from Babylon present themselves to the Grand Council to assist in the physical labor 1. A supplementary tradition tentatively associates these sojourners with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah 1. During their excavations, their diligent labor leads directly to the central discovery commemorated in the Royal Arch 1.

The ritual adaptation of scripture also includes specific historical variations. The English system assigns Ezra and Nehemiah to the role of scribes at the initial laying of the foundation, creating a historical anachronism because Ezra did not arrive in Jerusalem until decades after the completion of the building 1.

Symbolically, the ritual distinguishes the two edifices: while the First Temple of Solomon represents the present life and the search for truth, the Second Temple of Zerubbabel signifies the future life and the discovery of truth 1.