There was great rejoicing when the foundations were finished for the new temple
Ezra Chapter 3
Verse 3 says that on their return to Judah the Jews built an altar to God and burnt offerings to God every day. The Jews also offered sacrifices on the new moons and on feast days (Verse 4).
The workers were paid out of a grant that they had been given from the King of Persia (Verse 7).
It took over a year to lay the foundations to the temple in Jerusalem, and when the foundations were laid they celebrated.
The priests played their trumpets and the Levites played the cymbals. They sang and gave praise unto the LORD, for he is good, and his mercy endureth for ever, unto Israel.
And the people gave a great shout when they praised the LORD, because the foundations of the temple were laid.
Some of the very old men had seen the first temple, and when they saw the foundations of the new temple were laid they wept, and shouted aloud with joy.
Verse 3 says that the Jews feared the local people now living in the land of Judah. This was because the Jews had been away for 70 years in captivity in Babylon, and while they were away people of other nations had occupied their land, and made it their home.
The fact that fear was mentioned in Verse 3 suggests that not all the local people welcomed the return of the Jews.
Verse 13 says that the local people were mystified by the celebrations regarding the laying of the temple foundations, and did not understand what all the weeping and shouting was all about.
To sum up the situation then, the Jew was now a stranger on the shore, even in his very own homeland of Israel, he was not welcome.
