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                                                                           “Let Us Rise Up and Build”
                                                                           Ezra 1-8; Nehemiah 1-2; 6; 8
                                                                                 By Lenet Hadley Read
(This lesson can be integrated as overview for the GD Manual material. It helps one see the overall picture of the Lord’s purposes in regard to Israel’s first and Final Return.) 

     One of the most repeated patterns in the Old Testament is that of “exile” and “return.” Not only is this theme repeated, but it builds, layer upon layer.
    An early example is that of Abraham and Isaac whose wives, when in foreign lands, came under subjection to the power of that land. That power then suffered plagues, the wives’ true identity became manifest, the wives returned to their husbands, the husbands returned to their homeland, and each couple was blessed with abundance. (Genesis 12:14-13:2; 20:1-18; 26:6-16). This was a preview of all the Lord’s future works with His people, Israel.
    Israel’s bondage in Egypt and later Exodus out with wealth was a major development of this theme, as a real event. 
Later, just as all the prophets taught repeatedly that Israel would be taken into exile if they were not faithful to their covenants, so they taught repeatedly that they would not be forgotten by the Lord, but would be returned and restored to their blessings by the Lord. 
    Not only did the Lord have his prophets repeatedly teach these things, but then the Lord actually demonstrated this truth. For when the ten tribes were first exiled and Judah was later made captive by Babylon, Judah was allowed to return, as witness of the greater future return.
    For, it was after Christ’s rejection and crucifixion, that complete banishment again occurred. With the identities of the ten tribes already lost among the nations of the world, the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. left the covenanted land desolate. 
     All of Israel was again now in exile.
    But there were promises, as shown by the earlier patterns and by other prophecy that a repentant Israel would again be brought back to a concrete identity and to their God from out of the world. This event was repeatedly stated as being fulfilled in the latter-days.  
I.                    Many signs were given that the inheritance would return to Israel. Such hope was only possible because of Christ. Many scholars see the rebuilding of Jerusalem under Cyrus (King of Persia) as prophetic of Christ. Dr. Victor Ludlow says, “[Cyrus did]… fulfill his foreordained mission to assist the Jews. He served well as a model or type of the Anointed One, the Messiah, who would follow him; just as Cyrus freed the Jews from political bondage and restored them to their homeland, Christ freed men from spiritual prison and prepared the way for them to return to Heavenly Father’s presence.” (Ludlow, Isaiah, Prophet, Seer and Poet, p. 384). 

II. But the redemption of the House of Israel was only partially accomplished through Christ’s atonement, death, and resurrection. In fact, it was after these realities occurred that Israel was totally scattered. Cyrus was indeed a foreshadowing of Christ, but the complete witness points to Christ’s latter-day work of re-gathering Israel as well. 

III. Many religious groups in the modern age who studied the Bible closely recognized the promises of the prophets that there would be a latter-day re-gathered Israel.
    Many groups believed they were this latter-day Israel. Among them were the Pilgrims who as Puritans had tried to purify the apostate Church, then were persecuted. They fled from what they considered the new Egypt/Babylon. They saw in their experience a repetition of all the experiences of ancient Israel.
    They felt they were led by God across a great deep --- the ocean.
    They felt they were led by God to a new Promised Land.
    They even felt they were like Joshua. He had explored the Promised Land and found grapes; they explored the new Promised Land and found corn.
    And in truth, these things had occurred by the hand of God. But they were only a preliminary beginning to the Lord’s Restoration of Latter-day Israel. 

IV. For there were additional and very important steps.
    A.   When ancient Israel (Judah) returned from ancient Babylon, their prime objective was to build a temple (See GD Manual Section 1 and Ezra 1-6).
    B.   Cyrus and they knew this was God’s will. And in truth, no religious body is truly Israel if the Lord’s temple is not in their midst. 
    C.    Now we understand why the Latter-day Saints from the first, in their great poverty were commanded by the Lord to build a temple, for it was one of the major, prophesied manifestations that they were indeed the Lord’s Latter-day Israel.
        1.      In truth, Joseph Smith was also a new Cyrus.

 V. Furthermore, they were blessed with a new understanding of the true meaning of their scriptures. (See GD Manual Section 4 and Nehemiah 8).
    A. When the Lord truly restored His Latter-day Israel, he also gave to them a new book of scripture (The Book of Mormon) whose simplicity  and power helped them to understand in greater clarity, The Bible. 
    B. In fact, this new scripture, the Book of Mormon, came into the hands of Joseph Smith on the very same day that Nehemiah presented the scriptures to Israel, the first day of the Seventh Month, or The Feast of Trumpets. (For more details, see Lenet Hadley Read, “The Golden Plates and the Feast of Trumpets, January, Ensign 2000, and “Joseph Smith’s Receipt of the Plates and the Israelite Feast of Trumpets,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, Vol. 2, Number 2, Fall, 1993, pp. 110-120. 
    C.    It is also likely no coincidence that the prophet most known for encouraging the Saints to be more diligent in studying The Book of Mormon was also named Ezra --- Ezra Taft Benson. 

VI.              In the Latter-days, as in ancient times, there would be two re-gatherings, as there had been two exiles. (See GD Manual Section 1-3).
    A.   The beginning of the re-gathering of Ephraim would be primarily a spiritual re-gathering, though for a time it was a physical gathering too. 
    B.   Judah would then begin their physical return to their homeland. The timing of both was again, in the Latter-days. (Some would also join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).

VII.           The True Latter-day Israel would show by their lives and works that they know what to be “Israel” is.
    A. The term “Israel” has many meanings. 
                                                               i.      Princes of God
                                                             ii.      Man who prevails with God
                                                            iii.      Man who rules with God
                                                           iv.      Man who becomes like God

 VIII.        It is through the temple and only through the temple that this truth can be realized and man can truly reach his potential as is signified by the very name, “Israel.”

IV. Thus the true Latter-day Restored Israel can be determined by these witnesses:
    A.     They would begin immediately to build temples
   B.     They would be blessed with a clearer and true understanding of the meaning of the scriptures
   C.     They would be blessed to understand what it truly means to be “Israel.” And they would work toward achieving that goal for every believing, faithful soul.