Chapter 5

Then the prophet Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophets, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 So Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, helping them. (Ezra 5:1-2)

For any work of God to prosper, there has to be the prophetic word. We need prophets who are connected to the Lord. 

At the same time Tattenai the governor of the region beyond the River and Shethar-Boznai and their companions came to them and spoke thus to them: “Who has commanded you to build this temple and finish this wall?” (Ezra 5:3)

When compared to the Samaritans, who opposed the work approximately 15 years prior to this, Tattenai appears to have a far more logical perspective. This demonstrates to us that not everyone who opposes the work of God does it out of malice or ill will; rather, some do it out of custom or a sense of duty.

Let it be known to the king that we went into the province of Judea, to the temple of the great God, which is being built with heavy stones, and timber is being laid in the walls; and this work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands. (Ezra 5:8)

Tattenai the governor may have become suspicious as a result of the heavy stones; they caused him to speculate as to whether the Jews were constructing a temple or a fortress.

Buildings in the ancient Near East often had layers of timber interspersed between layers of stone or brick. This design element, which was relatively widespread for a significant portion of the region's history, may have had its origins in an effort to make structures more earthquake-resistant.