A perfect fit

Well.  Not an easy assignment this.

I’m going to repeat what the Harper Collins Study Bible has, under the heading Date, Authorship, and Context:

   The book of Zechariah is generally agreed to have been written by more than one hand.  The eight visions and prophetic oracles that make up chs. 1-8 begin with the date October/November 520 B.C.E.  There seems no reason to question this chronological framework, nor for that matter the attribution of the first part of the book to one “Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Iddo.”  According to Zech 7.1, his work continued until 518 B.C.E., which means that he functioned significantly longer than the five months during the year 520 in which Haggai worked.  The two prophets shared the same mission, namely, to advocate the reconstruction of the temple in Jerusalem. 

   The Judean exiles had returned from their Babylonian captivity after 539 B.C.E, armed with the so-called edict of Cyrus (Ezra 6.3-5), which permitted them to rebuild the holy sanctuary in Jerusalem.  Perhaps they were guided as well by the visionary plan of restoration put forth in Ezek. 40-48, certainly they were animated by the stunning promises of the great prophet of the exile, the author of Isa 40-55 (Second Isaiah).  Reconstruction work began rather quickly under Sheshbazzar, the governor of Judah appointed by the Persians; but then for unknown reasons it stopped (see Ezra 5.13-10).  More than a decade later, during the tension stirred up throughout the Persian Empire by the accession of Darius I in 522 B.C.E., first Haggai, then Zechariah sprang into prophetic action.  They stressed the importance of rebuilding the temple so that the elect and restored community of Judah could enjoy the God-given provisions for right relationship and right worship that were to be centred there.  Apparently, their words were heeded, for the temple was completed and rededicated just a few years after the end of their ministries, in 516/5 B.C.E. (see Ezra 6.15). 

I have been interested in the building of the temple and thought about the corner stone, the chief corner stone, and the keystone. 

I found under JSH-Online an article, The Temple by E.A.E. in the July 1904 Christian Science Journal. 

It was amazing, in that the pieces of marble were shaped where they were mined, and, when added to the wall, fitted exactly.  However, there was one piece which just didn’t seem to fit anywhere.  This was The Stone That the Builders Rejected*.  It was rejected right up to the last stone. The keystone at the head of the arch, was needed, and the rejected stone just fitted the bill! 

Thomas Leishman finished his October 1970 Christian Science Journal article (one of a series) on Haggai and Zechariah with this: 

   It is Zechariah who stresses the hopes of his people concerning the coming of the Messiah—termed the "BRANCH" (Zech. 3:8; 6:12) here as in other Biblical passages (Isa. 4:2; 11:1: Jer. 23:5; 33:15). John, in Revelation, apparently attributed great significance to the visions in Zechariah, especially the candlestick and the two olive trees (compare Zech. 4:11-14 and Rev. 11:3, 4).

   Moreover, Zechariah joyously affirmed the coming of the Messianic age, in which promise of prosperity, safety, and the restoration of true religion would be fulfilled: "Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth ; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain" (Zech. 8:3).

Joyce Voysey

Ed. For those who may not yet have a subscription to JSH-online, any Christian Science Reading Room will help you with a copy of the articles mentioned. It's well worth it: they give excellent context to our subject. Thank you to Joyce for her very helpful research. 

* See Matt. 21: 42, Mark 12: 10 and Luke 20:17. Also Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures p. 139: 22.