His indignation heated up to such a degree that he finally let Jerusalem and its temple be destroyed and the whole land of Judah become desolated without man or domestic animal for seventy years. At the root of the trouble was the Jews’ abandoning of the pure, undefiled worship of Jehovah of armies. This serious fact was something of which to remind the Jews who had been released from exile in Babylon to go home to Jerusalem to rebuild Jehovah’s temple there.

8. What was Zechariah then told to tell the Jews to do toward God?

⁸ To these Jews, already back in their homeland for seventeen years, the message to Zechariah went on to say: “And you must say to them, ‘This is what Jehovah of armies has said: “‘Return to me,’ is the utterance of Jehovah of armies, ‘and I shall return to you,’ Jehovah of armies has said.”’”​—Zechariah 1:3.

11. For returning to him, how would Jehovah “return” to them?

¹¹ And if they did thus “return” in whole-souled worship, what? “‘I shall return to you,’ Jehovah of armies has said.” His return to them would signify the full restoration of his favor to them. He would bring to nothing the opposition of the enemy to their rebuilding of their central house of divine worship. He would take away from them the setbacks that they had been suffering in their material prosperity ever since they left off working at the restoration of the temple. He would bless them with material good things as well as unspeakable spiritual blessings.​—Zechariah 8:9-15.

12. So what was the work that the whole nation should unite for, in order to gain the divine favor?

¹² Total mobilization of the nation! The time had come for just such a thing as that​—under Jehovah’s direction, and with the encouragement of his prophets. All the restored Jews should get behind their most important work and bring Jehovah’s house of worship to its completion in all parts.