JESUS CHRIST IN THE BOOK OF EZRA
JESUS CHRIST IN THE BOOK OF EZRA
Tuesday Morning Bible Study
June 24, 2025
October 13, 2015, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Donald J. Trump made history again this week.
Our purpose in this study is as manifold as the Word of God. Yes, to reveal Jesus Christ in all the books of the Holy Bible. Yes, to reveal God’s work and His active Word in the present. Yes, to study ancient prophecies of the Old Testament to discover the mysteries of the present.
The will of God is discovered in the Word of God. This is that hidden manna and hidden wisdom that is now being made manifest. Rev. 2:1
The principles of God are revealed in three dimensions or spheres. The Old Testament unfolds its truth in three dimensions. Everything that took place in the O.T. happened in the:
1. Land
2. City - The City is within the Land
3. Temple - The Temple is within the City within the Land.
The Book of Revelation unfolds in three dimensions or spheres:
1. Sea
2. Earth
3. Heaven
536 B.C. is the first return under Zerubbabel from Babylon to Jerusalem following the Decree of Cyrus.
The Book of Ezra shows the fulfillment of the Word of the Lord prophesied through Jeremiah and Isaiah concerning the fall of Babylon and the restoration of Judah to Jerusalem. (Jer. 25: 8-14; Isa. 44: 26-45). The Book of Ezra fasts forward 200 years from the time of Isaiah.
The exact fulfillment of these prophecies emphasizes to the church of the 21st century the absolute authority of the Holy Scriptures and accuracy concerning nations and the Lord’s sovereign authority over all nations and their leaders.
Not only were the prophecies of Jeremiah and Isaiah fulfilled but are being fulfilled in our day. That this message was shouted by heralds in the empire of Cyrus reveals the principle of the ministry of the prophets (Amos 3: 6-7), and the principle of the Feast of Trumpets.
The restoration of Judah to the land and the rebuilding of the Temple was not only a fulfillment of the prophetic Word but was designed to hold the Jews in the land until the birth of the Messiah according to the prophecy of Daniel 9: 24-27.
The message of Ezra declares that God stirs up heathen nations for His Sovereign purposes.
Ezekiel 38:23: I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord.
The book of Ezra reveals the sovereign might of God, as He presses men who do not know Him into service for Him. He reveals the eventual achievement of His purpose against all opposition. In 2015, when I last taught this book, the remnant church was being called to press in. In June 2025, we are seeing the victory of the prayers of the faithful as they have pressed in and held onto the presence, might, power and glory of God over the nations.
The whole scenario reveals the present dealings of the Lord in His preparation of the REMNANT. There is not only a “call” but a spiritual action for the “Elect” to arise from the confusion of worldly economies, governments, tradition, and apostasy. The Lord is building a corporate Body (Temple---in the Most Holy Place) for His habitation. In His habitation, He is equipping this REMNANT with the authority of His Voice. The Lord is building His Temple (in the saints), equipping His Church and the gates of hell are powerless. All is underwritten by the government of the Kingdom of God!
Those who are being seated will be given the authority of Daniel 7: 18 and 22: The saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even for ever and ever…the horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
The fourth beast is making war with the Saints. This is why the battle is so intense.
Dan. 7:25: The fourth beast “shall speak great words against the Most High and shall wear out the saints of the Most High and think to change times and laws…but the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it to the end. The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.
Nothing shall prevent the completion of God’s Kingdom work, for even the King’s heart is in His hand (Prov. 21:1). I am persuaded the LORD GOD chose Donald J. Trump as a deliverer, peacemaker and with the Cyrus anointing which we decreed last Tuesday. It is my persuasion that because he was chosen by the LORD, it is an absolute the LORD will speak to him and give him direction for God’s will not only for our nation, but for the nations he is to affect. What we must pray is that he will listen and not fail.
The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one manuscript. Ezra confines himself mainly to the events connected with the Temple, while Nehemiah confines himself mainly to the events connected with the wall and the city.
There are two Greek words for “TEMPLE” in the New Testament:
1. #2411 – “Hieron” – A sacred or holy place. This word is used in the Gospel and consistently in the Book of Acts to refer to the literal, natural, man-made building built by Herod the Great.
2. #3485 - “Naos” - This word is used in the gospels to describe Jesus (Mt. 26:61; 27: 40; Mk. 14:58; 15:29; Jn. 2: 19-21). In the Book of Acts the reference is to God’s dwelling-place (7:48; 17:24). Except for 1 Cor. 9:13, “Naos” is used in the remainder of the N.T. It is obvious “Naos” speaks of the spiritual Temple, the Inner sanctuary, the Real House of God which we are.
We may conclude that the ‘TEMPLE” principle is that of the third dimension of the Most Holy Place and reveals a Temple Company of People. This is the overcomer, the man-child company of Rev. 12. These are the abode and mansion of God (Jn. 14: 1-23) filled with His fullness.
The greater part of the Book of Ezra, though it bears the name of Ezra, tells of the pioneers who came back from exile to Jerusalem a whole lifetime before him. We will not meet Ezra until chapter 7. By then, some 80 years of his predecessors settling into the land will have gone by, and Ezra will come as a consolidator and a reformer; not a Temple Builder like his forerunner Zerubbabel, nor a rebuilder of walls like his younger contemporary, Nehemiah.
Cyrus, King of Persia, and conqueror of Babylon, the “anointed of the Lord” (Isa. 45: 1-5), made proclamation and thus:
1. Released the Jews from Captivity. The POWER
2. Ordered the Temple to be rebuilt. The PURPOSE
3. Encouraged material assistance. The PROVISION
This was a miracle of God that this proclamation was made by a heathen king who recognized the Sovereignty of God, claimed Divine commission, and who recognized a single supreme God. This activity of the HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD reveals the fact of the GOVERNMENT (KINGDOM) of God over the affairs of the nations!
“Return to Jerusalem and rebuild” is not the original idea of Cyrus, for this decree began in the Mind of God and was spoken through the mouths of His prophets. (Isa. 44:28; Jer. 25: 11-12; Dan. 9:2)
This proclamation was issued shortly after Daniel had read the handwriting on the wall, in which it was declared that Babylon would fall to Persia, and which came to pass the same night. (Dan. 5: 25-31). Perhaps Daniel showed to Cyrus the prophecies of Jeremiah and Isaiah that were thus fulfilled.
Cyrus was given “all the kingdoms of the earth” and was charged to build Jehovah a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
There is here an echo of the Exodus and the Passover of Israel in Egypt with the giving of silver, gold, goods, beasts, and other voluntary gifts. There were also to be payments and releases from the royal treasury, specified in a separate written document to be placed in the royal archives.
Ezra 1:5-6: 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. 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.
This is the principle of Haggai 2:7. Those who returned were strengthened with silver (redemption), gold (Divine nature), Goods (natural provisions), Beasts (the principle of burden-bearing or intercession), and also precious things (“costly and delicious productions of the earth such as fruits, metals, gems, etc.)’ These five things (principle of grace) were brought back from Babylonian captivity and restored to the people of God! This verse also shows that the phrase “beside all that was willingly offered” refers to offerings and gifts for the Temple.
In chapters 1-6, we read of what awaited the earliest company of home-comers (the principle of first-fruits – (Rev. 14: 1-5).
(1) They attempted to carry out the commission to build a New Temple.
(2) They ran into local opposition and gave up the attempt for nearly 20 years.
(3) They rallied at last and complete it against a background of threats and political maneuvers. The threats were defied. The maneuvers were self-defeating, and chapter 6 ends on a high note of rejoicing.
In chapter 2, The returning Zerubbabel Company is a monument to God’s care and destiny for Israel and for God’s care and purpose for His Church. In the Lord’s promise to restore Israel, these remnants were living portions of Israel, roots and all. Every priest and member must have his credentials, and be able to prove the incorruptible seed that was in him. Nearly 100 years later Nehemiah made this catalog his checklist for the regrouped community (Neh. 7: 5-73).
The importance of the family records was two-fold: for settling claims to property and for ensuring that the restored community had an unbroken descent from the original Israel. But it was not pressed beyond this point: the unsuccessful claimants were not sent back, but evidently given provisionally the same standing as the circumcised foreigners (2: 43-54).
Zerubbabel was a Babylonian Jew who returned to Palestine (Ezra 2:2) after the exile and functioned as the governor of Jerusalem. He was the active political leader in Jerusalem with Joshua the high priest who served as the principle religious figure. Thus, a King-priest ministry builds the house. The governor and priest were handpicked and chosen by the Lord God.
Chapter 3, is the principle of restoring the brazen altar of the temple.
There was an order in which the Temple was rebuilt.
1. They began with the building of the altar because they had to establish a right relationship to God as a matter of first priority. (death and blood of Jesus)
2. Next, they established the worship in the Feast of Tabernacles.
3. After this, they began with the Temple --- which is the presence of the altar of God within each one of us.
4. The city is the glorified community of God in Heaven and earth.
Ezra 3: 3: They set the altar upon its bases. They removed the rubble and discovered the old foundation! This is not a new foundation. for fear (terror) was upon them because of the people of those countries and they offered burned offerings thereon to the Lord, even burned offerings morning and evening.
The spirit of terror has always been upon the people of the countries of the Middle East. On June 23, 2025, it would seem that President Donald J. Trump ended the threat of terror for not only the Middle East, but the world.
This is the principle that as we the people return to the foundation of God’s altar, the Cross of Jesus Christ, we will continue to stay the hand of terror. Just as terror was a threat to Zerubbabel’s temple, so terror continues to threaten Christians and Jews today.
The location of the foundation of Solomon’s Temple is identified with the threshing floor of Ornan, known as Mount Moriah, the location of the sacrifice of Isaac, and where David founded the altar of the Temple. Today this site lies within the enclosure of the Muslim temple.
The new foundations were small and insignificant by comparison with Solomon’s Temple which the older people once knew. To them, this was good, but not good enough.
We are part of the root system of the Glory of God covering the whole earth through the saints’ movement. Let us not be weary in well doing, or faint in building the foundation. If we have done our assigned task, we will have our place in the foundations of the City. It is well to remember that the Kingdom comes not with observation. God’s day begins in the evening and ends in the morning.
Zerubbabel’s Temple may not look like much to some, but its glory is greater than that of Solomon’s.
In Chapter 4, the battle is now from within with the Samaritans who despise the building of the temple and the city.
The Samaritans worshiped Yahweh but were characterized by beliefs and practices which were inconsistent with the Jews. They asked the Jewish leaders if they might cooperate with them in rebuilding the Jerusalem temple, claiming there was no essential difference between their respective religious practices.
The Jewish leaders refused their requests. Their reason, no doubt, being they considered these neighbors to be grossly in error as to their religious practices and to permit such co-operation would cause the faith of the Jews to become contaminated.
From this point right to the end of Nehemiah there is conflict. That which is attempted for God will be challenged, and every tactic of the devil will be released. For those who fear conflict and spiritual warfare, they will never accomplish Kingdom exploits. This principle has never changed:
The northern neighbors were affronted by this refusal and conducted a campaign of opposition to the Jews which forced them to abandon the work of rebuilding the temple.
After the defeat of Iran in 2025, we may also see political opposition within the United States as well as Israel.
God raised up the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to stir up the spirits of the Jews that they might continue the rebuilding of the temple.
Their words were immediately tested and threatened. But the right of the Jews to build, which was challenged by their enemies, was to no avail because “the eye of their God” was upon them!
At this stage, only fear could have halted the work, for “the eye (watchful care) of their God (Eloah) was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, until the matter came to Darius.
This was the 2nd year of Darius (520 B.C.) – 16 years after the Jews had been home.
Ezra 6:22: The children of Israel “kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy; for the Lord had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.”
The foundation was laid, but the Temple was not finished. Tattenai concluded, “Now let there be search made in the King’s treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it is so that a decree was made by Cyrus the King to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the King send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.
Zech 4:9: The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. For who has despised the day of small things? For they shall rejoice and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
Everything hinges upon the decree. It was the VOICE of God who spoke through Cyrus. Dairius effected the decrees of Cyrus. He confirmed the decree and issued another decree ordering the building to be completed. The letter of the Syrian adversaries came to nothing.
6:1: Dairius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.
With his order to complete the temple came a decree to draw on the royal treasury for the needed money.
Shortly after the decree from Dairus for the temple to be rebuilt, the temple was completed within 4 years (520-516 B.C.), and dedicated with great rejoicing.
Within the first six chapters of Ezra there are many truths of the TEMPLE COMPANY, those forerunners of the Most Holy Place, the first fruits unto God and the Lamb, the 42nd generation of Matthew 1, the seed of the Woman that bruises the Serpent’s head!
More than a half a century was to separate that first climax from the events of chapter 7. The Jews continued to be bitterly resented by their neighbors.
The second return was under Ezra in 458 B.C. Ezra took with him 1754 males, 100 talents of gold, and 750 talents of silver.
It has been about 60 years since the Temple was completed under Zerubbabel and Jeshua. It has been about 80 years since the first return to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel. It is probable that the prophecies of Malachi were delivered at this time.
The people were back in their land. The altar and the Temple have been rebuilt. Their religion had been re-established. Zerubbabel had been the man of the building, but Ezra would be the “man of the Book!” This ready scribe had asked and been granted request by Artaxerxes to return to Jerusalem.
Ezra 7:1: Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia…
The Artaxerxes of Ezra 7:1 is the Persian King of Ezra chapters 7-10 and the book of Nehemiah. He was the son and the successor of Xersus I of Ezra 4: 7-23 and the Book of Esther. He was the stepson of Esther. He was generous to the Jews and to Ezra and Nehemiah in particular. Nehemiah was his royal cupbearer.
It was Artaxerxes’ decree in 445 B.C. that permitted Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem as Governor of civil affairs and to rebuild the walls and fortifications that marked the beginning of the 70 weeks of Daniel’s prophecy (9: 24-27).
Ezra went to Jerusalem to teach the Law of God. The royal decree was made on Ezra’s behalf, who gave thanks unto God.
The people of God had largely failed in the realization of the purposes of Zerubbabel and Jeshua.
The ministry of Ezra is a type of the Melchizedek priesthood, that more excellent ministry, which flows out of the Most Holy Place (Heb. 7-8).
Ezra was a revivalist and brought national repentance to Israel. National repentance and revival will come as each individual deals with his own individual sin, just as if he were the only sinner. Ezra took the burden of sin to himself; then revival and reformation followed.
The ministry of Ezra (priest) and Nehemiah (King) are a type and shadow of the King-Priest ministry. God has always wanted in His people a Kingdom of Priests. The “king” denotes authority and the “priest” denotes ministry. Jesus is the High Priest and King with a company of kings and priests in His image. We are kings and priests now, but we are also being “made” kings and priests. This formation of the new creation man will continue until the fullness of a king-priest ministry will be seen in the overcomers as we press beyond the veil into the Holy of Holies (the realm of no limitations), and then roar out of this Zion of God to deliver the creation.
By chapter 10, The future of the whole nation was in jeopardy. If the nation did not repent, the wrath of God would bring a far greater judgment than the Babylonian captivity. As well as they were being observed by other nations.
10:1: When Ezra had prayed and confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled to him out of Israel a very great congregation of men, women and children; for the people wept bitterly.
The Holy Spirit moved on the whole nation in conviction of their sins. The people trembled because of this matter and agreed to separate themselves.
Here Ezra is a picture of our High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ in His “chamber” which is the Most Holy Place. From this dimension (Zion) the Word is going forth to assemble the congregation. The more excellent ministry of the Man-child Company (the Corporate Man in the Throne with a ministry) is also seen here. On the Third Day – come to Jerusalem!
This was the fourth month after Ezra’s arrival.
Ezra has been called the “Second Founder of the Jewish State.” He accomplished many important works. He was a scribe, priest, overseer, teacher, student, judge, statesman, reformer, antiquary, historian, preacher, governor and saint. Few have possessed and employed so many qualities. It is little wonder that he made so profound an impression upon the Jews of his time, and one still greater beyond his time. I am sure the Spirit of the Lord was so powerful on him that people trembled in the fear of God.
Nehemiah is a sequel to the book of Ezra. Ezra and Nehemiah were contemporaries. Ezra was a priest; Nehemiah was a layman. Ezra was God’s man to lead the people back to a spiritual renewal. Nehemiah’s expertise in the King’s court equipped him for the political and physical reconstruction necessary for the remnant to survive. Nehemiah the cupbearer will become Nehemiah the construction boss to finish building the walls.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church, 10115 West Hidden Lakes Lane, Richmond, TX
Scripture from K.J.V. – I entered into the labors of Principles of Present Truth of Ezra by Kelly Varner. Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of Rev. Varner.