Ezra 8:35
Also the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity, offered burnt offerings unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he goats for a sin offering: all this was a burnt offering unto the LORD.
After the Temple was rebuilt by Zerubbabel and the almost fifty thousand Jews that he brought back from Babylon to raise up the Second Temple in Jerusalem, God called Ezra, the Scribe, to return from where he was living in Babylon back to Jerusalem, Ezra 7:6. God had chosen Ezra to restart the Temple practices in this rebuilt Temple. By the way, it's interesting to note that Ezra was living in Babylon, the City, almost seventy-five years after the fall of the Babylonian Empire.
Now back to our devotional reading for today. Ezra was commissioned to return the implements of the Temple to this new Temple, for the sacrificial and worship activities, verses 24-30. This that Ezra, and the priest did for the services at the Temple was a very important task. Each of the implements of the Temple was used to comply with the Lord's instructions for the Temple worship and sacrificial system.
In addition to all of these implements being used in the activities of the operation of the Temple, each of these vessels had a "prophetic significance" as it related to the coming Messiah. Jesus Christ, of course was the fulfillment of all of these prophecies.
The "Table of Show Bread" was a prototype of Jesus, the "Bread of Life". The "Menorah", the seven branch candelabra, was the precursor of Jesus, the "Light of the World". The "Ark of the Covenant" was a "type" of Jesus, the Jewish "Messiah" to come.
This is why the act of Ezra and the priest bringing these vessels back to the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem was so important.
Our key verse for today, verse 35, reveals to us that "all twelve tribes" had returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian Captivity, during this time period as well. There are no "ten lost tribes". All twelve tribes are now, and have been in the land of Israel for over 2,500 years. This fact is essential for additional Bible prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled, in the future Isaiah had prophesied that a man named Cyrus would allow the Jews to return to the land and rebuild their Temple. Our devotional reading for today is the concluding chapter of these Jewish people returning to the land and rebuilding the Temple, which was facilitated by Cyrus, the King of the Medo-Persian Empire.
Indeed, Bible Prophecy that remains to be fulfilled will be fulfilled, as Isaiah's prophecy relating to Cyrus and the return of the Jews to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem was fulfilled some 2,500 years ago.
PRAYER THOT: Thank you Lord for prophecy that has been fulfilled, which is evidence that prophecy yet to be fulfilled, will be fulfilled.
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