THEOSISBeda Venerabilis
The Jewish leaders remarked, "This sanctuary has been under construction for forty-six years, and you intend to rebuild it in three days?" (John 2:20). They responded in accordance with their understanding. To prevent misinterpreting our Lord's words literally, the evangelist clarified the type of temple to which He was referring. The mention of the temple being constructed over forty-six years pertains to the second edifice, not the original one. Solomon, who was responsible for the initial structure, completed the temple swiftly—in just seven years—during a time of enduring tranquility in his reign (See 1 Kings 6:38).
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That temple was later destroyed by the Chaldeans (See 2 Kings 25:9), but its reconstruction commenced seventy years later at the decree of Cyrus the Persian, upon the termination of the captivity (See Ezra 1:1-3). However, the descendants of those taken captive faced obstacles and were unable to finish the work initiated under Zerubbabel and Jeshua until forty-six years had passed. This duration aligns well with the perfection of our Lord's physical form. Scholars in natural history note that the human body achieves its fullness in this span of days. In the initial six days post-conception, it resembles milk; in the following nine days, it transforms into blood; after twelve days, it solidifies; over the next eighteen days, it develops the complete characteristics of its members; and it continues to grow until birth. When you add six, nine, twelve, and eighteen, the total is forty-five. By including one more—representing the day on which the body, composed of individual members, starts to grow—we arrive at the same total of days corresponding to the years taken to build the Lord's temple.