Who commanded the Jews to rebuild the temple after the Babylonian captivity?
God issued the command through Cyrus, the king of Persia, directing the Jews to return and rebuild the temple after Jerusalem’s destruction and the Babylonian captivity. Ezra then led the rebuilding work, and a remnant of Jews came back from Babylon to prepare the nation for Christ’s coming.
Les explains that after Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem in 606 B.C., the Babylonian captivity lasted about seventy years. During that captivity, God made commandment through Cyrus, the king of Persia, to go back and rebuild the temple. That rebuilding was under Ezra. Ezra rebuilds the temple, and a little remnant of Jews returns from Babylon and begins setting the stage for the nation of Israel at the coming of Christ.