When the House Becomes a Haunt: The Second Temple and the Return of the Unclean

When the House Becomes a Haunt: The Second Temple and the Return of the Unclean

Throughout Scripture, there’s a haunting thread—a warning that if a house cleansed of evil is left empty, the return is worse than the beginning. Jesus, Peter, Moses, Zechariah, and John each saw something about the condition of a house, a land, or a city that once experienced cleansing… only to later become infested again. But none of these warnings are more sobering than what they reveal about Second Temple Jerusalem.

“When the unclean spirit goes out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself... So also will it be with this evil generation.” —Matthew 12:43–45

Jesus is not merely speaking about individuals. He’s speaking of a generation—His own. He likens them to a cleansed house (Israel) that had once been purged (likely during the return from exile and Second Temple rebuilding) but was now empty—devoid of God’s living presence. And what was the result? A return of demonic forces sevenfold worse. This was no idle threat—it was prophecy.

2 Peter 2:21: Better to Have Not Known

Peter speaks of apostates who once knew “the way of righteousness” but turned back:

“It would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.”

This is the tragedy of Second Temple Judaism. Israel had returned from Babylon, rebuilt the Temple, and had the Law restored. But with their rejection of the Messiah—the embodiment of the holy command—they became more guilty than before. The second house became not a place of healing, but of hiding for all that is unclean.

Leviticus 14:33–53: Mold in the House

This seemingly obscure Levitical law about mold in a house (tzaraath) holds deep prophetic meaning:

“When you come into the land of Canaan... and I put a case of leprous disease in a house... the priest shall go in to examine it...” —Leviticus 14:34–35

If the house was found unclean even after repeated cleansings, it was to be torn down and its stones cast out of the city. Now think of Jesus inspecting the Temple as a priest (cf. Mark 11:11) and declaring judgment: 

“Not one stone will be left upon another” (Matt. 24:2). 

The Second Temple was the leprous house, superficially cleansed, but still diseased deep in its stones.

Zechariah 5: The Flying Scroll and the Wickedness in the Ephah

Zechariah sees two visions: a flying scroll (judgment) and a woman called “Wickedness” being sealed in a container and transported to Shinar (Babylon).

“This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land...” —Zechariah 5:3

The woman in the ephah symbolizes idolatry and covenant-breaking being removed from the land—but not destroyed. She’s being relocated—reserved for judgment. Though the Second Temple was restored post-exile, the spirit of Babylon (religious corruption, economic idolatry) was still present, and now hidden in plain sight. Jesus would later confront this spirit in the Temple courts—overturning tables that had turned God's house into a den of thieves.

Revelation 9: The Abyss Opens

John sees a terrifying image:

“The fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven... he opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke... and from the smoke came locusts...” —

Revelation 9:1–3

The abyss is opened and demonic forces are unleashed. This is symbolic language, not for some future global plague, but for the release of spiritual judgment upon the land. These are the seven unclean spirits of Matthew 12—now returned with a vengeance. They target those without the seal of God (Rev. 9:4)—those still clinging to the temple system instead of Christ.

The fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD was not just a physical event. It was spiritual. It was the opening of the abyss upon the house that had 

become a “prison of demons.”

Revelation 18: A Haunt of Every Unclean Thing

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!... She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird...” —Revelation 18:2

Though called "Babylon," this passage is about Jerusalem—the city where the prophets were killed (Rev. 18:24; cf. Matt. 23:37). The city that once housed God’s name had become the haunt of every unclean thing. Her house—once swept and put in order after exile—was left empty (cf. Matt. 23:38). And when judgment came, it came not only in fire, but in demonic visitation and covenantal wrath.

Conclusion

The Second Temple was a house that had been ceremonially cleansed, but remained spiritually vacant. Without the indwelling glory of God, it became a spiritual vacuum—drawing in corruption, hypocrisy, and ultimately demonic judgment. What began as hope after exile ended 

as horror in 70 AD.

This is why Paul speaks of believers now as the true Temple (1 Cor. 3:16). God will not dwell in temples made with hands (Acts 7:48). The Spirit has moved into a new house—one that cannot be shaken or abandoned. And so, the lesson is timeless: it is not enough to cleanse the house. It must be filled with the presence of God. For if left empty, the return of judgment will be far worse than the beginning.