The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

Day 268: Rebuilding the Temple (2026)

September 25, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Day 268: Rebuilding the Temple — The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

The people returning from exile in Babylon have made it back to Jerusalem, and the first thing they do is rebuild the altar and offer sacrifices. But when the foundation of the new temple is laid, something strange happens: the older priests and Levites who remember Solomon's original temple begin to weep loudly, while the younger generation shouts for joy. The two sounds mix together until no one can tell them apart.

The tension between memory and moving forward

Ezra 3 recounts the moment the foundation stones are set. The priests put on their vestments, the Levites bring out trumpets and cymbals, and the people sing responsively: "For he is good, for his mercy endures forever toward Israel." But the old men who had seen the first temple "wept with a loud voice" because this new foundation was a pale shadow of what once stood. The text says the people could not distinguish "the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people's weeping."

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:00) **Introduction: Faith is Not Like Car Keys** - Father Mike opens with a metaphor about losing faith through neglect rather than misplacement, and briefly introduces his book *Unshakable*.
  • 2 (01:12) **Day 268 Setup: Ezra, Zechariah, Proverbs** - Father Mike outlines today's readings: Ezra 3-4, Zechariah 1-3, and Proverbs 20:4-7.
  • 3 (02:50) **Ezra 3: Worship Restored at Jerusalem** - The returned exiles rebuild the altar and resume daily sacrifices before the temple foundation is laid.
  • 4 (04:38) **The Foundation Laid: Mixed Reactions of Joy and Grief** - When the temple foundation is laid, the people shout for joy, but older priests and Levites weep loudly, remembering the glory of Solomon's temple.
  • 5 (05:30) **Ezra 4: Resistance from the Samaritans** - Adversaries, identified as Samaritans, offer to help build the temple, but the Jewish leaders refuse because the Samaritans worship false gods.
  • 6 (07:11) **Bureaucratic Sabotage: The Letter to Artaxerxes** - The Samaritans accuse the Jews of rebellion and disloyalty, leading King Artaxerxes to order a halt to the rebuilding.
  • 7 (09:25) **Zechariah 1: A Call to Return and First Vision** - Zechariah begins with a call to repentance: "Return to me, and I will return to you," followed by the vision of the horsemen patrolling the earth.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Fr. Mike continues to take us through the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, and the importance of moving on from the past to see what God is doing in our lives right now. He also gives some context on the Samaritans and what was happening across Jerusalem, post return. Today's readings are Ezra 3-4, Zechariah 1-3, and Proverbs 20:4-7.

For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear.

Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Support The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

More from this podcast

The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) →