Cyrus King of Persia, had conquered all that was once Babylon. Because of this, he had learned from King Darius the stories of Daniel’s God, and his heart grew toward the exiles from Judah. So, in fulfillment of God’s Word through Jeremiah, he issued a decree that the exiles could return to Judah if they would like. It took over two years to wipe the dust and rubble from the ruined city. However, while Zerubbabel, one of the exiles returning from Babylon, was rebuilding the temple, he sent away his fellow Israelites. Creating enemies instead of unity. All of this showed that it was not just the city that needed to be rebuilt, but the hearts of the people as well.
