What is the meaning of Ezra 6:15? And this temple was completed • The work that began under Cyrus (Ezra 1:2–3) finally reaches the finish line. God’s promise through Isaiah that Jerusalem would be rebuilt (Isaiah 44:28) is now a visible reality, underscoring that the Lord always brings His purposes to completion (Philippians 1:6). • The restoration serves as a fresh start for worship, just as Solomon’s temple once symbolized God’s covenant faithfulness (1 Kings 8:13). • The builders “prospered through the prophesying of Haggai and Zechariah” (Ezra 6:14). Their preaching encouraged obedience, reminding us that God’s Word energizes God’s work (Haggai 1:8–14; Zechariah 4:6–9). on the third day • Specific dating shows historical precision. Luke makes a similar point by dating the ministries of Jesus and John (Luke 3:1–2); Scripture anchors faith in verifiable events. • “Third day” language often points to decisive moments—Abraham lifted his eyes on the third day (Genesis 22:4), Hezekiah’s healing was confirmed on the third day (2 Kings 20:5), and Christ rose on the third day (Luke 24:46). Here the phrase crowns the temple’s new life, hinting at God’s pattern of bringing restoration at just the right moment. of the month of Adar • Adar is the twelfth month (Esther 3:7), roughly February–March. Finishing in the last month of the year prepares the people to celebrate Passover the very next month (Ezra 6:19), linking physical restoration to spiritual renewal. • Adar is also the month of Israel’s deliverance in Esther’s day (Esther 9:1). The temple’s completion in the same month highlights the Lord’s repeated acts of rescue and provision. in the sixth year • The sixth year of Darius I corresponds to 515 BC, exactly seventy years after the temple’s destruction in 586 BC, fulfilling Jeremiah’s seventy-year prophecy (Jeremiah 25:11–12; 2 Chronicles 36:21). • God’s timing is meticulous. He began stirring the exiles in the “first year of Cyrus” (Ezra 1:1) and kept the project moving through opposition (Ezra 4:24–5:2). The interval reminds us that delays do not cancel divine intentions (Habakkuk 2:3). of the reign of King Darius • Darius, though a pagan ruler, becomes an instrument in God’s hand (Proverbs 21:1). He not only reaffirms Cyrus’s decree but finances the work from royal revenues (Ezra 6:8–10). • The mention of his reign signals stability; after the upheavals of previous kings (Ezra 4:5–7), God provides a leader who safeguards His people’s mission, much like He later uses Artaxerxes to assist Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:4-8). summary Ezra 6:15 records more than a construction milestone; it showcases God’s faithfulness, precision, and sovereign control. The temple finished exactly when, where, and how the Lord intended—under prophetic encouragement, financed by a foreign king, and timed to the very day. Every detail underscores that the God who begins a good work ensures its completion, inviting His people to trust Him for every unfinished task in their own lives today. |
    |