The Fifty Thousand Jews who came out of Babylon to rebuild the Temple were not just rebuilding a Temple they were establishing a Nation. The decree given by Cyrus in 457BC gave them the legal right to establish a Nation independent from Babylon. While they were still in Babylonian Captivity they gathered 120 elders together in prepartion for the establishing of this Nation forming a Governmental Body referred to as the Great Assembly.
They did re-establish the Levitical Priesthood at that time and that was God’s intent, however, it was only a temporary fix until the Lamb of God arrived on the scene as the Sacrificial Lamb to establish the Melchizedek Priesthood.
God was not interested in rebuilding the Temple just to restore it back to its former Glory. Those who were being used to re-establish the Nation of Israel at that time were unknowingly preparing the way of the Lord.
When the Prophet Haggai referred to this House he was not referring to the Rebuilt Temple per say he was referring to the Temple in Jerusalem in general. There is only one Temple. The Jews that came out of Babylon did not build a different Temple in a different location they actually used the burnt stones from Solomon’s Temple to rebuild the original Temple.
The 12 Aposltes and the Jerusalem Church met daily in the Temple (Acts 2:46) and if the Jews in Judah would have received the 12 Apostles of the Lamb and the 120 from the Upper Room (Great Assembly) as their Covering then the Glory of that Rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem would have had a greater degree of Glory then Solomon’s Temple.
If they would have made the transition then the Temple would not have been destroyed and a Million Jews would not have been slaughtered. Jesus would have established his Kingdom at that time taking us into the Day of the Lord. However, the Jews refused to come under Jesus Wings (12 Apostles) and that rebuilt Temple was destroyed in the same manner that Solomon’s Temple had been destroyed in the past.
But you can rest assured that Haggai’s Prophecy in relationship to the Glory of the Latter House will be fulfilled. God is watching over that Word to see that it is fulfilled. That Temple will be rebuilt on the very site that Solomon’s Temple was built in Natural Jerusalem. Ezekiel give us a description of the rebuilding of that Temple which I believe will be built during the Millennium. The Natural City of Jerusalem will become the very Center of Spiritual Jerusalem joining Heaven to earth.
Jerusalem will be the Governmental Center in relationship to the 12 Gates or Gateway Cities scattered throughout the earth. Six of those Gates or Major Ports will be San Francisco the Golden Gate, Shanghai China, Cairo Egypt, Cape Town South Africa, Sydney Australia and Jerusalem in Israel.
God has 12 Last Days Apostles of the Lion who have been in God’s caves of preparation who are the Messengers at the entrance to these 12 Gates or Major Ports which will become Cities of Refuge. These 12 Last Days Governmental Apostles and 120 elders who will make up the Great Assemble will be the Covering of this rebuilt Temple and the Church in Jerusalem. Unlike the Jews in Jesus Day there will be a remnant of Jews who will come under this Spiritual Covering. They will come under Jesus Wings.