Lord Of Heaven And Earth

EZRA 1 | ARCHIE WINNINGTON-INGRAM

What comes to mind when I say the word home?

Imagine what it would be like to be in a place without any of those things you’ve just imagined. And not just on holiday, but in exile, with no knowing when you might get to go home.

This is sort of where the Israelites found themselves. Having been carted off to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. But there was hope because, as Ezra 1:1 alludes to, Jeremiah had prophesied that this exile would last 70 years.

Even more specifically than that, Isaiah 44:28-45:4 mentions Cyrus by name. So when Cyrus the King of Persia overthrows Babylon, in verse 1, “the Lord moved [his] heart,” and he issues a decree to send God’s people home and even provides for them to rebuild the temple.

They do that - and in the first few chapters of this book they do rebuild the temple. But in chapter 3 we read that those who had known the pre-exile temple were bitterly disappointed by this distinctly unimpressive new temple. What of the prophetic hope?

The prophetic hope of a return home and to a new temple is truly fulfilled in Jesus. The true and better temple, where God and human meet eternally. His in-dwelling presence meaning we are the temple of the living God today. And we have the promise of the future perfect land - a real eternal home.