THEOSISBeda Venerabilis
They celebrated the restoration of the Lord's house, which had previously been laid waste, yet they mourned, understanding the stark contrast between their own humble efforts and the unparalleled splendor of Solomon's reign when the temple's foundation was originally established. Their hearts overflowed with joy at being liberated from exile and granted the privilege to reconstruct the temple, but sorrow filled them as they reflected on the destruction of the first temple, whose magnificence and glory they could never replicate, due to their own transgressions.
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The prophet's declaration, “The glory of this last temple shall be greater than the former temple” (Haggai 2:9), does not speak to the pomp or decorations of the original structure, but rather to its very rebuilding: the remarkable fact that the few remaining exiles could undertake such a monumental task in the face of adversities was a clearer miracle of Divine grace than the achievements of a wealthy king, aided by a powerful ally and skilled artisans, who faced no opposition. Thus, the glory of this second temple surpasses that of the first because the ministers of the former proclaimed the teachings of the Old Testament, encompassing the Law and the Prophets, while in the second temple, Christ and His apostles shared the joyful message of the New Covenant and the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven.