25.12.12 “A Second Temple rises” (Ezra 1-6 & Haggai)

 

In our journey through God’s “Grand Narrative”, today and this weekend we come to a very exciting point in God’s story. In 539bc shocking, hard to believe news was rapidly spreading among Jewish exiles living in Babylon and elsewhere. What news? The world’s most powerful man, Cyrus, emperor of the vast Persian Empire, had declared that all Jewish exiles, anywhere in his kingdom, were free to return home to Israel! Furthermore, King Cyrus urged the exiles to rebuild their city Jerusalem and their Temple for the God of Israel, even though the land of Israel was under Persian rule! That proclamation is recorded in Ezra 1:2-4, and as you see by the map the Persian empire covered a vast area of the Middle East.

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Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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