We have set forth the overall pattern of history of the Kingdom of God as follows: the Glory of God, disobedience to God, worldly bondages, the rebuilding of God's Temple and the accompanying worship of God and obedience to God, the building of the defenses against the enemy, and finally the entering of God's people into their inheritance.

Another way of expressing the same design would be as follows: one, glory, two, lawlessness, three, bondage, four, restoration, five, the double portion of glory.

Usually it is necessary for God to give us good things twice. When He gives them to us the first time we do not appreciate them and are not able to hold them. But when we lose those good things and God brings us through the laborious work of restoration, then He is able to restore to us and develop in us the good things multiplied many times. Now we appreciate them; now we are able to hold them.

Such is the story of mankind; of the Church; of each believer. It is the story of the prodigal son.

Is it the story of your life?

Then in our discussion we went into the Book of Ezra and examined several concepts of the work of restoration as follows:

God is in control of this world. The work of restoration is not an effort of human beings to build a kingdom that is against the governments of the earth. All the governments of the earth were established by the Lord God of Heaven (Romans 13:1).

When Christ moved in restoration power He spoke to Cyrus, the mightiest emperor of his day. Since Christ is the Ruler of Heaven and earth, when He speaks every person (including the kings of the earth) and every situation is brought into line with the will of God.

As soon as we grasp the concept that it is God Almighty who is creating obedience and worship in the earth for the sake of His own glory and majesty, we shall cease building our little kingdoms. We shall lose ourselves in the eternally worthwhile work of bringing the whole world into the worship of God and obedience to God. We shall work with God in the building of the Kingdom of God.

There must be a personal call of God on each person who is to help with the work of restoration. The elect want to help as soon as God begins to move. Whoever of God's elect desires to do so may come and join the joyous and fervent worshipers as they find their appointed tasks in the Kingdom of God. The desire to forsake all, the hunger for righteousness and for the Word of God, reveals that the call of God is present in an individual.

We might point out that not all the Jews returned from Babylon. It was those "whose spirit God had raised" who left the comfortable homes they had established during the seventy years in captivity, who set forth to endure the rigors and dangers of rebuilding the ruined Temple and wall.

The Jews of the remnant were not enjoying the many comforts of the civilized city of Babylon, its material advantages. They were pioneers, rebuilding their house of worship and their city under difficult, discouraging circumstances.

A similar call is going forth today to the true saints of the Lord.

To be continued.