by Lynn Austin
She brushed away his praise with a wave of her hand. “I’ve done nothing at all compared to you and Iddo.”
Zechariah was grateful for the simple meal she prepared, and by the time they finished eating, it was light enough to make their way up to the temple mount. When they reached the top of the stairs and saw the enormous structure in front of them, Saba paused. “Look at that,” he breathed. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“It truly is.” Tears sprang to Zechariah’s eyes. The dawning sun had turned the temple’s creamy-beige stones into gold and filled its courtyards with light.
“God’s house could never be built anywhere else but Jerusalem, on this mountain where Abraham offered his son,” Saba said.
Compared to the temples Zechariah had seen in Babylon, this one wasn’t lavish. They had built it in half the time it took to build Solomon’s temple and with a fraction of the laborers. But it stood in the same place and was the same size as his, constructed from the same local limestone and Lebanese cedar. “But no gold,” Zechariah said aloud. “King Solomon used thousands of shekels of gold to adorn his temple.”
“Never mind,” Saba said. “Don’t even try to compare the two. Besides, the Holy One wants our devotion, not our gold.”
As they walked across the courtyard together to the priests’ robing room, Zechariah heard the distant bleating and lowing of the sacrificial animals as they stirred in their pens outside the Sheep Gate. Today the priests would offer up one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs, and then twelve male goats for a sin offering, one animal for each of the tribes of Israel. The number of sacrifices was small compared with the thousands of animals offered at the dedication of Solomon’s temple. But the remnant of God’s people would gather here today in the newly cleared courtyards and feast on the fellowship offerings after the service. They would celebrate their restored communion with God.
God with us.
The thought continued to astound Zechariah.
“I see we aren’t the only early risers,” Saba said as they crowded into the robing room. Dozens of priests were already preparing for the day’s work as the Levite choir and musicians warmed up on their instruments.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime event, Iddo,” the high priest said. “How can anyone remain asleep?” He looked resplendent in his ephod, breastplate, and embroidered robe, the white turban and golden headband on his head.
With so much to do, the two hours it took for Zechariah and the other priests to prepare passed quickly. He was grateful that he’d gotten an early start. Outside, he and Saba washed in the bronze lavers filled with living water. People were already assembling in the courtyards, and Zechariah could feel the excitement building, his heartbeat accelerating. He hoped that Safta, Yael, and the children arrived early enough to find a good place to stand. He searched for them in the crowd as he made his way to the musicians’ platform but didn’t see them.
He quickly reviewed the order of service for the celebration with the other musicians. It was nearly time for Prince Zerubbabel’s procession to arrive, announced by a fanfare of shofars. As Zechariah crowded onto the platform and prepared to play, he overheard one of the Levite musicans say, “It isn’t right that our prince can’t be properly acknowledged as royalty. He’s our king, from the royal line of King David.”
“You’re right,” another man said. “He should be escorted here in splendor the way the Babylonian kings always were. Remember their processions?”
Zechariah remembered. He had once climbed to the top of Babylon’s walls with his father to watch a royal procession. The king had traveled in a golden chariot pulled by white horses, and his entourage included soldiers on horseback, noblemen in chariots, and Babylon’s glittering idols pulled on golden carts. The people lining the street had bowed down in homage, but Abba said he would never bow to pagan kings or gods, only to the Almighty One.
A few minutes later, Zechariah saw Prince Zerubbabel and his noblemen entering the temple courtyard. He drew a breath and sounded a fanfare on the shofar as the assembled people cheered. Someday, a descendant of David would reign on his throne and the whole world would bow before him. Zechariah closed his eyes as the future peeled open before him and God’s word resounded in his heart like a trumpet blast:
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. He will proclaim peace to the nations, and His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. . . . On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. . . . The Lord will be king over the whole earth. There will be one Lord, and his name the only name.
When Zechariah lowered the ram’s horn and opened his eyes he was in Jerusalem again. This celebration was a mere foretaste of that day when the whole earth would proclaim the Messiah as its king—a descendant of King David and of Prince Zerubbabel. Now the prince stood with lifted hands before the waiting crowd.
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,” Zerubbabel shouted, “who with His hands has fulfilled what He promised! As we gather here today to worship Him, He is with us! He is with us! And our ancient enemies are no more. The might of the Assyrians and Babylonians and Egyptians is broken. And yet we have survived. We, the sons of Abraham, are still a people blessed by Him as He has promised. We will continue to live and to serve Him as long as day and night endure, as numerous as the stars in the heavens. Praise His holy name!”
Zechariah sounded the shofar again and the people gave a great shout that echoed off the surrounding hills and resounded in the valley below. When the praise finally died away, the high priest began to pray. Zechariah recognized his words as King Solomon’s prayer for the first temple’s dedication.
“‘O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. . . . But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple we have built! Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, O Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence. May your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name. . . . Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.’”
The priests began offering the sacrifices, sprinkling the blood around the altar and laying the portions on the altar grate. Smoke and fire ascended into the sky. All the while, antiphonal choirs of Levites sang the psalms of David accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, harps, and lyres. The people knelt on the ground, bowing in reverent worship as the deep voices of the Levites praised the Holy One.
When the sacrifices ended, another great shout of joy went up. Then all of the assembled people joined the choir in anthems of praise: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever!” The glorious sound surrounded Zechariah, enveloping him, until it seemed as though the heavens had opened and the angelic hosts had joined them in worship. The Almighty One, Creator of the universe, was worthy to be praised! His mercy and grace would never end! And that was the true source of Zechariah’s joy, and of all true joy—knowing the love of God.
The sun gleamed from the high priest’s headband and golden ephod as he stood before the people and lifted his hands to give the priestly blessing. “‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.’”
Zechariah closed his eyes as the Holy One’s face shone on him, filling him, consuming him. The temple courtyards fell silent as a sweet breeze rustled about them along with God’s overwhelming presence and peace. Then the word of the Lord began swelling inside Zechariah, and he stepped forward to speak it with joy: “‘Sh
out and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,’ declares the Lord. ‘Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you, and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. . . . ’ Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because He has roused himself from His holy dwelling.”
The dedication ceremony had ended. The great feast of celebration would begin. But Zechariah knew that this wasn’t the end.
It was only the beginning.
Glossary
Abba—Father, Daddy.
Aron Ha Kodesh—The sacred ark in the Jewish house of worship where the Torah and other sacred scrolls are kept.
Bar Mitzvah—Son of the commandments—The ceremony at age twelve or thirteen at which a Jewish boy is considered a man and can read Scripture in the synagogue.
Beit Knesset—House of Assembly, later called a synagogue in Greek.
Bimah—The raised platform in a Jewish house of worship where Scripture is read.
Gan Eden—the Garden of Eden.
Haroset—A mixture of chopped apples, nuts, etc., eaten at Passover to remember the mortar used by slaves when building in Egypt.
Kippah—A small headcovering worn by Jewish men.
Levite—A descendant of the tribe of Levi, one of Jacob’s twelve sons, who later became temple assistants.
Mikveh / Mikvoth (pl)—A bath used for ritual cleansing and purity.
Mishneh—The “second quarter” of Jerusalem, built during King Hezekiah’s time.
Negev—The South, referring to the southern region of Israel.
Phylacteries—Small boxes containing Scripture that Jewish men attach to their foreheads and arms while praying. (See Deuteronomy 6:8).
Rebbe—Rabbi, teacher.
Saba—Grandfather.
Safta—Grandmother.
Seder—The Passover meal and celebration.
Shabbat—The Sabbath, a Jewish day of rest. It begins at sundown on Friday and lasts until sundown on Saturday.
Shalom—Peace. A greeting that can mean hello or good-bye.
Shalom bayit—Peace in the home.
Shofar—A musical instrument made from a ram’s horn.
Simchat Torah—A holiday celebrating God’s gift of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
Sotah—An adulteress.
Teshuvah—Repentance, turning from evil, changing directions in life.
Torah—The first five books of the Bible, which contain God’s Law.
Yeshiva—A Jewish school where Scripture is studied.
Ziggurat—A stepped pyramid used for worshiping pagan gods, like the Tower of Babel.
A Note to the Reader
Careful study of Scripture and commentaries support the fictionalization of this story. To create authentic speech, the author has paraphrased the words of biblical figures such as Zechariah and Haggai. However, the New International Version has been directly quoted when characters are reading, singing, or reciting Scripture passages.
Interested readers are encouraged to research the full accounts of these events in the Bible as they enjoy the RESTORATION CHRONICLES.
Scripture references for Return to Me:
2 Kings 17:24–40
2 Kings 25:1–21
Ezra 1–6
Haggai 1–2
Zechariah 1–14
Daniel 5, 9
Books by Lynn Austin
* * *
All She Ever Wanted
All Things New
Eve’s Daughters
Hidden Places
Pilgrimage
A Proper Pursuit
Though Waters Roar
Until We Reach Home
While We’re Far Apart
Wings of Refuge
A Woman’s Place
Wonderland Creek
REFINERS FIRE
Candle in the Darkness
Fire by Night
A Light to My Path
CHRONICLES OF THE KINGS
Gods & Kings
Song of Redemption
The Strength of His Hand
Faith of My Fathers
Among the Gods
THE RESTORATION CHRONICLES
Return to Me
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