Ezra

A Man of the Word, A Man of Revival

Kelly P. Gallagher

(Ezr 1:1)  Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 

(Ezr 1:2)  Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

(Ezr 1:3)  Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.

(Ezr 1:4)  And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.

(Ezr 1:5)  Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.

(Ezr 1:6)  And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered.

(Ezr 1:7)  Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;

(Ezr 1:8)  Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.

(Ezr 1:9)  And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives,

(Ezr 1:10)  Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.

(Ezr 1:11)  All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.

Ezra was a man who love God and especially loved his word.  Many think that Ezra wrote Psalm 119, the psalm extolling God’s Word.  Ezra brought a revival to the people of God and was instrumental in rebuilding the temple.  God used Cyrus, King of Persia, to make this happen.  Cyrus was called by name 150 years before he was even born.  When some Jewish scribes showed him the prophecy in Isaiah 45:1,2, it may have made him a believer.  God can turn the hearts of kings anyway He wishes. 

(Isa 45:1)  Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

(Isa 45:2)  I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:

(Isa 45:3)  And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

(Isa 45:4)  For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.

(Isa 45:5)  I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

We see that God chose Cyrus even though he did not know God.  The name Cyrus is Hebrew is Koresh, his name means, “as miserable” and that is what we all are without God, but God anointed him.  Koresh is the name that the cult leader David Koresh named himself after Cyrus, obviously because he thought he was God’s anointed for today to rebuild his temple.  Yet, true revival does not come without the Word of God.  It was Ezra’s father Hilkiah, who found the scriptures in the temple that was ruined.  Godly king Josiah, ripped his clothes when it was read to him because the nation had not kept the law.  Because of his humility, God spared the judgments decreed on Israel until after the death of Josiah.  David Koresh believed he was the sinful Messiah, that he, as Jesus, had to experience sin to be a merciful judge.  Thus, Koresh indulged in multiple marriage with young women, rock and roll music, etc.  One who left the group, rebuked Koresh by the word of God.

(Heb 9:28)  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Even though Koresh could quote the Bible like few men ever did, he did not rightly divide the truth and led many astray. 

True revival will be granted when people love the Word of God and live it.  Why would God expand a group or church that is in disobedience to the Word?  False growth is allowed by deceivers, the parable of the tree growing fast and birds of the air being in her branches prophecies of the fast growing false church filled with devils. 

(Mat 13:31)  Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

(Mat 13:32)  Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

Rev 18:2  And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. (Ezr 3:1)  And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.

(Ezr 3:2)  Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.

(Ezr 3:3)  And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, even burnt offerings morning and evening.

(Ezr 3:4)  They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required;

(Ezr 3:5)  And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the LORD.

(Ezr 3:6)  From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid.

It was Jeshua, (which is Jesus, the savior) and Jerubbabel, (descended of Babylon) who laid the altar.  We, like Jerubbabel, are taken out of Babylon when we meet Jesus the Savior.  Rebuilding the temple is a cooperative work between Jesus and the redeemed out of Babylon.  They kept the feast of Tabernacles.  This was the feast where they built temporary houses to live in, to remind themselves that life is transitory.  It also speaks of the 1000 year reign of Christ.

(Zec 14:16)  And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

There can be no true revival without a great re-awakening to the soon coming of Christ.  That this world becomes less important, thus the living in tents rather than built houses and that Christ ruling in our lives as King now is most important. 

(1Jn 3:2)  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

(1Jn 3:3)  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Some people falsely preach that that feast of tabernacles is a third work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians, that they will be made immortal and manifest great powers in the last days.  Don’t believe it, The church of Philadelphia, the best church, had just a “little strength” but they would have a open door that no man could shut.  The bible prophecies an apostasy in the last days, not a world-wide revival.  However, if you lived in China today, you would think the whole world had come to Christ.  We need not let the prophecies of the Bible stop us from seeking a revival, because there is always a revival among the remnant. 

One of the Hebrew words for remnant is sheriyith, survivor of a slaughter.  When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of God will raise up a standard against him.  

(Isa 59:19)  So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

The Hebrew for “standard” is noos – to put to flight the enemy.  The Word of God is the weapon here.  The Targum is "they that afflict shall be as the overflowing of the river Euphrates; by the word of the Lord shall they be broken;''

H7611

שׁארית  she'êrîyth, sheh-ay-reeth' - From H7604; a remainder or residual (surviving, final) portion: - that had escaped, be left, posterity, remain (-der), remnant, residue, rest.