Not only was history made in Cyrus’ proclamation, but precedence as well. Never before had a people been permitted to return to their original homeland in mass, once their country had been conquered and its people removed to live in the land of the conqueror. Not only so, but once this is put in context with the prophecy of Jeremiah, one is able to clearly see that it was the Lord who inspired Cyrus to do what he did (Jeremiah 29:10-12; cp. 2Chronicles 36:21-23). In other words, the Jews returned to their homeland by the hand of the Lord, who promised he would bring them back to the land of Judah, once they fulfilled the time of their punishment for breaking their covenant with him.
Just as the Lord moved the spirit of Cyrus to do as he did, the Lord also moved some Jews among their brethren at Babylon to return to the land of Judah (Ezra 1:5). Moreover, a celebration was held in their honor, whereby all the chief men of the Jews with the priests and the Levites and many others stood with them and encouraged them with gifts. The men and their families, who had decided to return to Judah, were encouraged with gifts of gold, silver, food supplies and other precious things, as well as beasts of burden and beasts for their living (Ezra 1:5-6).
Then we are told in the text:
“And Cyrus the king brought out the vessels of the house of Jehovah, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out of Jerusalem and had put them in the house of his gods. Even those Cyrus king of Persia brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. And this is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, a thousand platters of silver, twenty-nine knives, thirty basins of gold, four hundred and ten silver basins of a second kind, and a thousand other vessels. All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these Sheshbazzar brought up, when the exiles were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:7-11).
Interestingly, nothing is mentioned of the golden lampstand or the table of shewbread, or the golden altar of incense that stood before the curtain of the Holy of Holies. Moreover, nothing is mentioned of the Mercy Seat that was the only piece of furniture that was placed in the Holy of Holies. Certainly, if they were among the “five thousand and four hundred” other vessels of gold and silver, these precious items would have been given particular attention. Why do I take note this? We know that the furniture of the Holy Place, the first room of the Temple, were reproduced (cp. Luke 1:11). Nevertheless, the Mercy Seat or the Ark of the Covenant was never reproduced. The fact is that Jeremiah, the prophet, foretold that after the Jews returned to the land of promise and multiplied, they “will no longer discuss the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD. It will never come to mind, and no one will remember it or miss it, nor will another one be made!” (Jeremiah 3:16). In other words, the gold was melted down and the ark was destroyed, and another would never be made again. This means that the Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of the Lord’s Presence in the Temple was never in the Second Temple! In fact, Josephus, the Jewish priest and historian of the first century AD, claimed there was “nothing at all” in the Holy of Holies. [1]
So, what am I saying, that the Lord’s Presence was never with the Jews after the first Temple was destroyed? Not at all! How could I say that and agree that it was the Lord who brought them back to the land? What I believe this means is, technically speaking, the Jews’ exile never ended. Even today some Jews believe that this is true, and it also seems to be what Paul believed (Galatians 4:21-26)! …….
___________________________________________________
[1] See Josephus; Wars of the Jews; 5.5.5 (219): “But the inmost part of the temple of all was of twenty cubits. This was also separated from the outer part by a veil. In this there was nothing at all. It was inaccessible and inviolable, and not to be seen by any; and was called the Holy of Holies.”
Smoodock's Blog 