This document summarizes the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the exile in Babylon. It describes how Cyrus, king of Persia, was stirred by God to issue a decree allowing the exiles to return and rebuild the temple. Approximately 50,000 people returned, including leaders from Judah and Benjamin and priests and Levites. They traveled for four months and upon arrival in Jerusalem, began rebuilding the altar and celebrating religious festivals according to the Law of Moses as they worked to restore the house of God.

1. Rebuilding:
Getting Started
Ezra 1-3:7

2. Rebuilding Begins in the Supernatural
Daniel’s prayer
Angelic visit
Galatians 3:2b–3…did you receive the Spirit by
the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit,
are you now being perfected by the flesh?

3. Favor
Ezra 1:1…Now in the first year of Cyrus king of
Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by
the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the
spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a
proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and
also put it in writing

4. 100 years prior
It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My
shepherd! And he will perform all My
desire.’ And he declares of Jerusalem,
‘She will be built,’ And of the temple,
‘Your foundation will be laid.’
Isaiah 44:28

5. 100 years priorI have aroused him in
righteousness And I will make all
his ways smooth; He will build
My city and will let My exiles go
free, Without any payment or
reward,” says the LORD of hosts.
Isaiah 45:13

6. The Cyrus Cylinder
Ezra 1:2–4…The LORD, the God of heaven, has
given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has
appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem,
which is in Judah. ‘Whoever there is among you
of all His people, may his God be with him! Let
him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and
rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel;

7. He is the God who is in Jerusalem. ‘Every survivor,
at whatever place he may live, let the men of that
place support him with silver and gold, with
goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering
for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’

8. Sweeping Statement
Everybody who wants to go may
Those who don’t encouraged to pay

9. Notice what happened
Ezra 1:5…Then the heads of fathers’ households
of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the
Levites arose, even everyone whose spirit God
had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the
LORD which is in Jerusalem.

10. God stirs
Cyrus the king
Everybody who went

11. Leadership Leads
The Heads of Fathers’ of Judah
The Heads of Fathers’ of Benjamin
The Priests
The Levites

12. When you get moving
others get excited
Ezra 1:6…All those about
them encouraged them
with articles of silver, with
gold, with goods, with
cattle and with valuables,
aside from all that was
given as a freewill offering.

13. Favor
continues
Ezra 1:7…Also King Cyrus
brought out the articles of the
house of the LORD, which
Nebuchadnezzar had carried
away from Jerusalem and put in
the house of his gods;
5,400 gold and silver articles
Restoration

14. 49,697
Leaders
Priest
Levites
Servants of the Temple
Servants of Solomon
Servants
Registered families
Unregistered families

15. Are we there yet?
Four months
Nearly 900 miles
Men, women, children,
elderly
Rich and poor
All walks of life

16. According to their ability
Ezra 2:68…Some of the heads of fathers’
households, when they arrived at the house of
the LORD which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly
for the house of God to restore it on its
foundation.

17. Priest and Altar
Ezra 3:2…Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his
brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of
Shealtiel and his brothers arose and built the altar
of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it,
as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of
God.

18. Restoration begins at the
House of God
Repentance
Relationship
Worship
Gives favor
Gives them an identity

19. Our Priesthood
1 Peter 2:5…you
also, as living
stones, are being
built up as a
spiritual house for
a holy priesthood,
to offer up spiritual
sacrifices
acceptable to God
through Jesus
Christ.

20. Our Sacrifice
Romans 12:1…Therefore I urge
you, brethren, by the mercies of
God, to present your bodies a
living and holy sacrifice,
acceptable to God, which is your
spiritual service of worship.

21. They Celebrated
Ezra 3:4…They celebrated the Feast of Booths, as
it is written, and offered the fixed number of
burnt offerings daily, according to the ordinance,
as each day required;
Part of the Law
Fellowship

22. They were not playing Church
Quit idolatry
Began following the Law
Listened to encouragement, rebuke and exhortation
Fully practiced and participated in following God

23. The work
begins
Ezra 3:7…Then they gave money to
the masons and carpenters, and
food, drink and oil to the
Sidonians and to the Tyrians, to
bring cedar wood from Lebanon to
the sea at Joppa, according to the
permission they had from Cyrus
king of Persia.

24. Put your
money
where there
mouth is…
You need to worship
Your action need to line up
All in
Stop playing games
Redo the deeds that you did at first

25. Rebuilding:
Getting Started
Ezra 1-3:7