The Period of the Persian Monarchy, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. An Appendix.
SAint fDe Civit. Dei: lib. 18. cap. 48. Cyril. lib. 5. in Genesin. Ambros. l. 3. cap. 10.Augustine by the later house understands the Church of the Christians, Haggai. 2.9. The glory of the later house shall be greater than the former, saith the Lord of Hosts: and in this place I will give peace, saith the Lord of Hosts.whereof the later house was a Type: but this needs not; sith it holds true in the history and the letter. For the later Temple built by Zerubbabel did come to greater glory, than ever that had which was built by Solomon. As for the opinion of gLib. 15. cap. 14.Iosephus, that Herod did demolish Zerubbabels, and build another in the place of it; it is exploded: And the truth is; That hSanct. in Hag. c. 2.10.Herod did not build a new, but beautifie the old.
In outward glory the former Temple did excell the last beyond comparison. Besides the excessive deale of gold that was in the former,1. King. 6. there were five things in the Temple of Solomon, which were not in that of Zerubbabel.
1 The Cloud, an Embleme of Gods presence.
2 Fire, which consumed the sacrifice.
3 Vrim & Thummim. Though iAntiq. lib. 3. cap. 9.Iosephus say it lasted till 200. yeares before his time: but he is out in this.
4 The Arke.
5 The succession of Prophets, which went on under the former house without any great interruption. Some little pause there was sometimes: but God used to stir up Prophet upon Prophet. In the Captivity, Ezekiel prophecyed till about the 14. yeare of that Captivity when the Citie was smitten:Ezek. 40.1. After wee reade not of any till towards the returne. Then stood forth kThese were but few: and they were rather writing than preaching Prophets.Daniel, Haggai, Zacharie, who were whiles the Temple was in building; Malachie, when it was new built: As we see by his reproving of that sinne in corrupting the holy seed, by marrying stranger…. (*Bibl. sanct. 1.1. Sixt…s Senē …is cannot prove his opinion, who placeth him as low as about 500. yeares afore Christ,) & therefore Malachy doth close up all▪ by referring the Church to the written Law. Signes and miracles did weare out, and prophecies were no more. Now this great eclypse was to tell the Church, that the great Prophet was to be expected,Iohn 3. in whom all prophecies, signes, miracles were to meet.
Besides those that were burnt, many of the things of the Temple were carried away in the first deportation under Io…akim; many in the second under Ieconiah, and the cleane riddance was made in the third under Zedekiah. 2. Chron. 3.18. 2. King. 24.13. Ier. 25.19. & 27.19, 21.The Scripture nameth those of Brasse and the lesser, much more than those of Gold and the greater. For it appeares by Ezekiel 9.3. That the Arke was not carried away with Ieconiah, but under Zedekiah. For in that place wee finde, that the Prophet had revealed unto him, that the time was now at hand, when the Arke and the Cherubius should be destroyed, and the whole Citie made a prey. Now Ezekiel wrote in the 5. yeare of Iehoiakim, and lived untill the twenty fift. And wee finde, that shortly after in the dayes of Zedekiah all was lost and gone.2. King. 24.15. The Tabernacle and Altar of incense were carried away before. For among the Treasures of the Lord… house there spoken of, were the Tabernacle and the golden Altar. Now in that there were so many ornaments of note and use in the former Temple, that were not in the later; wee conclude, That Solomons Temple did farre surpasse Zerubbabels in outward glory. And therefore, whereas the Prophet doth preach here; That the second house shall put downe the first house in glory, and they by experience should finde no such matter in regard of outward pompe: (whether they respected frame and building, or furniture) they were then to looke to the person of the Messiah, who should and did honour the second house with his bodily presence: which made it glorious spiritually; and shed his blood to reconcile all to himselfe, during the state of the later Temple. And therefore it is in our Text; And I will give peace, meaning inward spirituall peace; Peace in heaven,Luc. 19.38. Luc. 2.14. Eph. 2.14. peace on earth: Christ Iesus being our peace. Though this second Temple was built by Zerubbabel; yet it was called commonly Solomons Temple. I am sure that a Porch was usually called Solomons Porch:Ioh. 10.23. Acts. 3.11. & 5.12. whether because Solomon built this Porch long after the finishing of the Temple; and others doing the like, this was for distinction called Solomons Porch: or rather (sith question may be made of the truth of that storie in Iosephus) because it was by Zerubbabel built in the very same place,De bell. Iudaic. c. 6. l. 6. and right after the same forme that Solomons was;Deodat. annot. on Ital. Transl. that therefore it kept the old name. The gate of this Porch was called Beautifull: and the Prince did onelyonly enter in thereat, and not the people;Ezek. 44.3. for the people entred in at the North gate,Ezek. 46.9. and at the South.