The Decree To Rebuild Resumes
Greetings in the Lord~ Today's word comes from Ezra 3 and it is a mixed prophetic word, as a couple of themes are presented that paint a somewhat bittersweet picture. First, the Israelites had been exiles in Babylon and elsewhere for quite some time up to this point, and finally saw the defeat of Babylon. A large group of them headed back to Jerusalem to reclaim their homeland and were given permission by King Cyrus to rebuild the Temple of God. So, a couple of very big victories at long last! Ezra 3 begins with the rebuilding and consecrating of the altar, and worship of God according to His commands and festivals resumed, so the people rejoiced. Then, came the rebuilding of the Temple itself. King Cyrus had given the decree for it to be rebuilt and even permission for great cedar logs and other materials and craftsmen from Lebanon to assist, so the Temple would be a grand structure once again. However, as the construction went on, the older generation that remembered th