Guided by Prophecy

When God’s people were guided by prophecy, they found the courage to rebuild. Trust His Word and move forward in faith, despite the opposition.

“When the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah … prophesied to the Jews …  [Zerubbabel and Jeshua] rose up and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.”—Ezra 5:1–2 NASB

Determined to stop the Jews from rebuilding the Temple, the governor appealed to Artaxerxes, king of Persia. The work was stopped, and nothing further happened…until God spoke through two prophets.

One prophet, Haggai, said the people were weak and afraid. They weren’t building God’s house because they were focused on their own needs. But he declared it was time to act, to make God’s house their top priority, and to resume the work (Haggai 1:1–15).

The second prophet, Zechariah, reminded them that God was “exceedingly jealous for Zion.” The Lord was with them, but they needed to get to work: “Let your hands be strong…that the temple might be built” (Zechariah 8:2, 9).

Hearing these prophets, the Jews didn’t wait for additional confirmation, but began to rebuild the Temple. At first the authorities reacted with anger, and the governor appealed to the new king, Darius. He not only confirmed that the Jews had approval to rebuild the Temple, but he also ordered that the Persian Empire pay for the entire effort.

This was possible because brave prophets were willing to speak God’s Word and motivate people to fulfill His mission.

Today, there are many attempts to silence the people of God and prevent us from accomplishing His work. It takes courage to step out in faith, resist opposition, and declare that we believe God’s Word. But God rewards this kind of courageous faith.

Reflection Question: How can you rely on God’s Word when facing opposition?