We are in a series called “Sword Sharpening,” looking at how to make the most of our time with the Bible. We are currently breaking the Bible’s storyline (His Story) into eight sections. This week we will look at the fifth section, 1 Chronicles – Malachai, and call it the ‘Kingdom Coming.’
Last week in ‘Kingdom Foreshadowed,’ we saw Israel reach its temporal peak under Kings David and Solomon, but we also saw that mess and brokenness were still rampant. After Solomon died, his son caused the splitting of the nation into two kingdoms-the Northern (Israel) and Southern (Judah).
The leaders of Israel run the nation into the ground even though God warns them repeatedly to turn back to Him. Gentile enemies take over both kingdoms. The northern kingdom is taken into captivity by the Assyrians around 721 BC. The Southern Kingdom is forced into 70 years of exile in Babylon around 590 BC.
During the Babylonian exile, God raised prophets to announce the coming Kingdom, where God would again restore His Son David (fulfilled in Christ) to the throne.
We saw last week that Solomon built the temple and prayed, and the presence of God came and filled the temple. Unfortunately, the people go their own way again, and just before the Southern Kingdom is exiled, the Bible records the presence of God leaving the temple.
Ezekiel 10:3-4 (NIV)
3 Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. 4 Then the glory of the LORD rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the LORD.
Ezekiel 10:18-19 (NIV)
18 Then the glory of the LORD departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim. 19 While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them. They stopped at the entrance to the east gate of the LORD’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.
Ezekiel 11:23 (NIV)
23 The glory of the LORD went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it.
Then the Babylonians arrive on the scene. Not only do they destroy Jerusalem, but they destroy the temple, which means there is no place on Earth where heaven and earth still meet. The people of the Southern Kingdom were deported to Babylon and were there for 70 years.
And that’s when many of the prophets start talking about returning to Jerusalem and building a new temple.
Jeremiah 29:10-14 (NIV)
10 This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
After 70 years in Babylonian captivity, Cyrus tells the people in exile they can return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.
Ezra 1:1-3 (NIV)
1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: 2 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 Anyone of his people among you–may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.
The people return from exile, and the temple is rebuilt, but God’s presence, the shekinah glory of God, doesn’t return to the temple. The last prophet in the Old Testament, Malachi, says, “He’s coming back, but it’s going to be a lot different than we thought.”
Malachi 3:1 (NIV)
1 “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty.
The messenger who prepares the way is John the Baptist. And he prepares the way for Jesus. We will get to that next week in ‘Kingdom Incarnate.’ We will also be looking at a fascinating story this week about one of the prophets in exile, so make sure to attend in person or watch online.
Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.
