00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:10 Listener's Question: Marriage in the Millennial Kingdom

02:05 Pastor's Insights on Marriage and Eternity

02:54 Biblical References and Speculations

07:16 Discussion on Ezra: Return from Exile

07:41 Cyrus's Decree and God's Sovereignty

14:00 Rebuilding the Temple and Worship

19:09 Concluding Thoughts and Prayer

19:56 Outro and Podcast Information

Find out more about Compass Bible Church.

Learn more about our Bible Reading Plan.

Questions or Comments? Email us podcast@compassntx.org

Hey everybody.

2

Welcome back to another edition

of the Daily Bible Podcast.

3

Hello.

4

It is What day is Wednesday?

5

It is Wednesday and it is September 17th.

6

And we have a question

that was written in.

7

So Pastor, I'd love to have us kick

around this question for a second.

8

I think it's one that all of

us who are married have had at

9

one point in time in our lives.

10

But the question comes down to this.

11

The person wrote in and said, if both

myself and my husband, and they're

12

saying, oh, actually, you know what?

13

I take this back.

14

I'm reading this live and so if myself a

believer and my husband a nonbeliever are

15

alive during the millennial kingdom, will

we know each other or still be married?

16

Interesting.

17

I didn't realize that was the wrinkle.

18

I thought this was just a question

about eternity and marriage and

19

what happens to us in eternity.

20

So I guess first there's

a couple layers here.

21

As a believer.

22

In the millennial kingdom,

you'll be in your glorified body.

23

And the separation of believer

and unbeliever will have

24

already taken place by then.

25

If Christ comes back for his bride, the

church, which is the believers before

26

you end up being called home to him and

you just pass away from natural causes or

27

something else, then you're gonna be taken

to be with him and then your husband as

28

an unbeliever if he remains in that state,

will end up when he passes away, he won't.

29

Be present in the millennial kingdom.

30

Those that are unbelievers presently that

die before the return of Christ, they

31

won't be there in the millennial kingdom.

32

In fact, they don't receive their own

eternal bodies, I'll put it that way,

33

not glorified, but eternal bodies.

34

They don't receive those until the

great white throne, which is the final

35

judgment before the establishment of

the new heavens and the new Earth.

36

If you are alive during the millennial

kingdom, if we are gonna take a

37

hypothetical situation and you have two

people during the millennial kingdom

38

that are not part of the church,

but are just living, then one gets

39

saved and the other one is not saved.

40

That, that's a tricky situation.

41

I imagine it would probably

work out similar to how it does

42

in the church currently today.

43

But yeah, if you are currently a believer

and your husband's a not a believer, then.

44

Unfortunately, I think that the

clear testimony of scripture is

45

that the length of your relationship

is only as good as the length of

46

your physical time on this earth.

47

Pastor Roger, your thoughts on that.

48

Yeah, I would agree with you.

49

I think the only thing I would.

50

Add to that is you don't forget

somebody, and I don't think that happens.

51

True.

52

I think you're carrying along all

of your ideas and your memories.

53

So some people have asked rightly

then how will I think about them

54

and not have some kind of sorrow,

sadness, and that kind of thing.

55

Yeah.

56

And I'd have to say that I think

our glorified body and our glorified

57

minds would give us the proper

view of those things, which will

58

fit with what God wants for us.

59

So it's hard, and it still doesn't

make it a whole lot easier except

60

to say that you're not getting some

kind of lobotomy where God is erasing

61

some memories that you've had.

62

Instead, God's helping frame those

according to His glory and his goodness.

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And I think once we see him and

we see what he's doing, I think

64

it'll a lot more will make sense.

65

It won't make it easy necessarily,

but it'll make sense and we'll be

66

able to celebrate God's goodness.

67

In that time.

68

Yeah.

69

While we're on the subject of it,

let's just talk marriage and eternity.

70

You and Kristen are

married and That's correct.

71

You're both believers and

so you, that's also correct.

72

You will end up one day in God's presence.

73

What do you think your relationship

with your wife will be like in eternity?

74

This is all speculation.

75

Let's just say that.

76

Yes.

77

'cause there's nothing in the Bible that

tells us what this is going to be like.

78

But my best guess, and even as I, I'm

already nervous about articulating it.

79

'cause I'm just guessing.

80

I think we'll have some kind

of special relationship.

81

Sure.

82

I don't know.

83

The nature of the specialness, and I

don't know what it would look like,

84

but I would still imagine she'll be my

best friend in heaven, of course, God

85

himself, in, in the body of Christ.

86

I'll be able to interact with him and

that'll be different and unique, and I'm

87

sure I'll get to know lots of new people

that I wish I had known on Earth and

88

that were maybe before me or after me.

89

There's a lots, there's lots of

factors in, in, in consideration, but

90

my guess, and my hope is that Kristen

and I will have some kind of enduring.

91

Special, unique relationship that while

it won't be romantic in the same way

92

that it is now, will still be intimate.

93

And again, I don't mean intimate

in the romantic sense, just

94

intimate as in closeness.

95

There's a knowledge about one another

that will, I believe carry through again,

96

because we're not having lobotomies.

97

God's not erasing information, he's

adding to it and he's giving more color.

98

It's all an eight k, as it were.

99

And I think that's something

of what it'll be like.

100

I can't wait to hear your ideas though.

101

Yeah.

102

The passage that people often refer to

is when Jesus is talking about this,

103

'cause he's asked the question about

the man or the wife who's had multiple

104

husbands because they keep dying.

105

And then the they say the Sadducees,

'cause they're trying to trap Jesus.

106

They say whose husband is

she gonna be in the new.

107

New state and he says in the

resurrection, they neither marry

108

nor are given in marriage, but

are like the angels in heaven.

109

I don't know that says anything

about our existing marriages.

110

It just simply says, there's not

gonna be new marriage in heaven.

111

You're not gonna marry, nor are

you gonna be given in marriage.

112

But contextually, he's answering a

question about somebody who is married.

113

And so you can, extend that.

114

I think I agree with you.

115

I can't argue that.

116

You're gonna have the closest earthly

relationship with a human being here

117

on Earth that then in heaven, it's just

gonna be like every other relationship

118

that you're gonna have in heaven.

119

I think there's gonna be something that

continues on about your relationship

120

with your spouse here on Earth.

121

Now, the Sadis question does

raise an interesting scenario.

122

People have been remarried and

the Bible allows for remarriage

123

and given circumstances.

124

And so then when you get

into eternity, then it's a, a

125

different circumstance there.

126

It's a unique circumstance

because how does that work?

127

And that's.

128

I, the secret things belong to the Lord

in that instance, I guess because I

129

don't know that, that is a tricky one.

130

And that, that one would argue more in

favor of the, more of the equanimity

131

of relationships in eternity when

you consider the multiple spouses.

132

Now that's a rare

situation that takes place.

133

Maybe there's a diff different way

that God works that out in eternity.

134

But you would be able to say though, that.

135

In the new heavens, in the new Earth.

136

When you have your new mind,

you're glorified again.

137

I think you'll be able to frame all of

those situations without the tension

138

and the potential heartache that

you're maybe imagining would happen.

139

'cause of course, you

know your first wife.

140

Oh, she was always my favorite.

141

My second wife was good.

142

My third wife, she was okay.

143

You don't wanna say that in heaven,

but you won't have that, right?

144

I think.

145

Because you'll have perfectly

godly emotions and behaviors.

146

I can imagine there being harmony

and peace in those relationships.

147

Even if there are, heaven forbid,

multiple spouses that you've went through

148

because of situations, circumstances, I

think you would still relate with them.

149

In a proper way, although I would

have to, I'd have to imagine,

150

I can't imagine anything else.

151

There would have to be a uniqueness and a

specialness to that relationship because

152

of its uniqueness in Earth or on Earth.

153

And I think God honors that.

154

I don't think that would, again, I

don't think it's gonna evaporate.

155

There's continuity in the next life, and

I think that's part of it, how it works.

156

I fear because of my

sinful emotions for sure.

157

But if my sinful emotions are dealt

with by my new creation that Christ

158

has given me, and he is made me

perfectly and perfect in my mind

159

and my heart I think we'll be okay.

160

That's just, that's the part that's

so hard for us to wrap our minds

161

around is conceiving of what is gonna

be like not to have sinful emotions.

162

Yeah.

163

Because even then I'm still sinfully

imagining what that's gonna be like.

164

Exactly.

165

Exactly.

166

That's T sin.

167

I'm not thinking sinful thoughts.

168

It's tainted with sin.

169

Noic effects of the fall.

170

Alright, those were some fun

questions to kick around.

171

Let's let's get to our DVR.

172

We're in Ezra.

173

Ezra one through three.

174

So Ezra, you're gonna jump backwards

in your Bible from where we've been.

175

Although chronologically, this is

concurrent with where we've been

176

as far as what we've been reading

recently this is the return from exile.

177

This is the return under Abel and

Ezra here in in the Book of Ezra,

178

and we're reading about this.

179

This has taken PA place as the book

opens in about 5 38 bc 5 38 bc.

180

Cyrus makes this decree.

181

Now, what's interesting is Cyrus is

going to say the Lord, the God of

182

heaven has given me all the kingdoms

of the earth, and he has charged me

183

to build him a house at Jerusalem.

184

That's in verse two.

185

So the question is, when did

God charge Cyrus to do this?

186

And what was the context in which

he charged him to do that or

187

gave him instructions to do that?

188

And this is where some outside

sources have come in helpful.

189

Josephus, who is an ancient Jewish

historian, he records for us that

190

this is traceable back to Isaiah.

191

44, 28.

192

So Isaiah 44 verse 28 says this, the

Lord says of Cyrus, he is my shepherd.

193

He shall fulfill my purpose,

saying of Jerusalem.

194

He, she shall be built.

195

And of the temple, your

foundation shall be laid.

196

So Isaiah's prophesying that Cyrus

is gonna be the one to do this.

197

Josephus came along and his suggestion

was that Cyrus was shown that prophecy.

198

So this is about 150 years before

the time of Cyrus Josephus is

199

saying somebody showed that

prophecy to Cyrus and then Cyrus.

200

Understood that this was his charge,

that God was charging him to commission

201

the rebuilding of the temple.

202

So I think that fits rather than God

speaking directly to this pagan king or

203

God showing up to this pagan king, I think

it fits that, that somebody showed Cyrus,

204

Hey, look, this is what the recorded

scriptures say that you're charged with

205

doing, and Cyrus wanting to fulfill them.

206

And maybe boast in that a little

bit, says, yeah I'm up for that.

207

If I saw my name in God's Word and it

208

our Lord is going to do A, B, C, and

D, I think I'd be pretty motivated.

209

I'd be like, all right, I'm down.

210

Yeah, let's do this.

211

So I think Cyrus a little

bit of his ego being stroked.

212

Yeah.

213

Is seeing himself in God's word, and

not that he necessarily believed in

214

the God of the Israelites, but that he

would say as a man who's, he's pretty.

215

Enlightened I should say, he's sending

people back to their own lands.

216

He's very progressive in terms of his

imperial reign, and so he sees what the

217

God of the Israelites is saying, and he's

saying yeah, of course I'm gonna do that.

218

I'm all for that.

219

And it fits with his character.

220

It fits with his rulership.

221

And at least as much as we know about

him, he leads with this kind of framework.

222

He allows people to do a lot

of what they wanna do, and his

223

rulership be that as it may, was

effective, at least in this regard.

224

Yeah.

225

And God was still behind it.

226

'cause if you go back to verse

one, it says, the Lord stirred

227

up his heart to do this.

228

And so it's, yeah, I think it's a

combination of his seeing these things,

229

his emotions there, and then also

God's sovereignly behind the scenes

230

in enacting this and working this.

231

And that's true for everything.

232

Totally.

233

And that's what's so cool about this,

is that this is God operating through

234

secular rulers, secular, according

to our modern day understanding.

235

It's, he's not secular, truly.

236

He had his own.

237

Pantheon of God's, but yes, absolutely.

238

This is what's, what makes it so cool.

239

God is the God of the Israelites,

of the Persians, of all the people,

240

the Babylonians, and on it goes.

241

Yeah.

242

And so the decree is issued in that

concept of stirring up appears again

243

down in verse five, but this time, not

with Cyrus, but with those that are

244

gonna go back to rebuild the temple.

245

So God is stirring up Cyrus's heart

and to your point, he's also stirring

246

up the heart of his own people.

247

Those that are gonna go back and lead this

charge back to, to do this in obedience

248

to what he had committed them to do.

249

It's interesting that on the way out,

this is a, an exodus part two because

250

in verse six, similar to the Exodus,

the people are given gold and silver

251

and other treasures on their way out.

252

And Cyrus even returns the

vessels of the temple that had

253

been taken by Nebuchadnezzar.

254

The name Shesh Bazaar that shows

up there pr who is Shesh Bazaar?

255

My research on that.

256

There's division in the commentaries

out out there about who this could be.

257

Do you have any thoughts on who that is?

258

Yes.

259

I'll select, I don't know, for 500.

260

Yeah.

261

Yeah.

262

Some of the options though some have

said this is the Persian name of Rebel.

263

Others have said that this is

a Persian official that was.

264

Tasked with overseeing this project.

265

That's what I said last year.

266

Yeah.

267

That he was giving credit for it.

268

Yeah.

269

One of those Yeah.

270

That Cyrus trusted the Jews, but

only so far as he could throw them.

271

He's I'm gonna still send a guy with you.

272

Yeah.

273

Just to make sure.

274

Yeah.

275

And that I think that one makes sense

more than it being Ro Bull's name.

276

'cause bulls called bel later on in the

text, and so it would make sense for

277

them to divide up the names that way.

278

All right.

279

Chapter two is one of those chapters

that just stick with it because you're

280

gonna get into a lot of different names

and a lot of different numbers in this.

281

But this is a reminder to us that this

is a historical event that took place.

282

These are people that left captivity

and came back and the reason why

283

this matters is because this is part

of God's fulfilling his promises

284

to Israel, that he was gonna bring

the people back, that he was gonna

285

regather them from the nations again,

which remember that in and of itself.

286

Is an already not yet promise.

287

That's a short-term fulfillment of the

ultimate long-term fulfillment that's

288

gonna be realized in millennial kingdom.

289

But here, these people are coming back.

290

And the thing of note, probably

the thing most of note here is

291

the total number of people, which

shows up in verse 64 there that.

292

And 65 that there were 42,360,

besides their male and female

293

servants of whom there were 7,337.

294

So that number together

makes up 49,897 people.

295

We're gonna read in Nehemiah

that it was 49,942 people.

296

That's pretty close.

297

That's really close.

298

And so I think that's

affirmative for us in, in.

299

It just confirms again, the veracity,

reliability of the Bible when we're

300

within, what, 50 people there between

Ezra's County and Nehemiah's County.

301

Okay.

302

Someone's gonna be bothered

by that though, as right?

303

As what you're saying is someone's gonna

say why is it not exactly the same?

304

If God himself inspired the

words that are being written

305

here, why are they different?

306

Why are they different pastors?

307

And there's a lot of answers to that.

308

They could be accounting different ways.

309

Yeah.

310

And they're adding people

here, subtracting people there.

311

They could have a different

approach to the calculation.

312

So there's more than one answer.

313

That's the one I favor.

314

I like the idea that, okay, there's

nothing inherently wrong or inaccurate

315

to say I'm counting these leaders,

and you're counting those leaders.

316

I think what's behind it is

that they are pretty close in

317

terms of our modern accuracy.

318

Our precision down to the very

smallest detail is a new thing.

319

It's not saying that God couldn't do

that or that he was powerless to do it.

320

He's operating under the ways

and the customs of the people.

321

At that time.

322

This was totally acceptable.

323

In fact, this kind of degree of accuracy

would've been pretty remarkable.

324

Today we can look at our iPhones

or Android phones, heaven

325

forbid, and we can get, the time.

326

For all of the whole world

down to, the millisecond.

327

Yeah.

328

They didn't have that at this time.

329

So the level of precision that you

330

born in America person would ask for is

not the same that they would ask for?

331

Yeah, for sure.

332

At chapter three the people return

in, the first thing that they do is

333

they rebuild the temp, the altar.

334

And the reason they rebuild

the altar before anything

335

else is because they want to.

336

Get after worshiping God.

337

They want to reinstate

the sacrificial offerings.

338

They want to come back to, to

begin to observe these things.

339

They're concerned with worship before

they are concerned with anything else.

340

And that I think that's commendable.

341

I, some of that I think was out of

self-preservation as they were looking

342

around the territory and the enemies,

they thought to themselves, Hey,

343

it'd be good to have God on our side.

344

So I think it's somewhat self-preservation

minded that they said, let's get the altar

345

up and start doing what he wants us to do.

346

Before they lay the foundation

of the temple, before they put up

347

any of the walls, before anything

else, they're saying, let's get

348

the, let's get the altar going.

349

And I think the heart of worship is

there too, because in verse four it

350

says they kept the feast of booths.

351

And so they're even beginning

to observe the feasts again and

352

make sure that they're doing

that in accordance with the law.

353

The people start strong and that's the.

354

That's the good part of this.

355

They start really strong.

356

'cause a, after this, the rest of chapter

three, they lay the foundation of the

357

temple and the, this is looking good.

358

And yet we're gonna see it.

359

It doesn't keep going all that well.

360

And that's where we're gonna get

to the book of Haggai in a few days

361

here and some other things like that.

362

But they start really strong.

363

They lay the foundation of the temple.

364

And yet, interestingly enough,

those that saw the first

365

temple, so these are the elders.

366

Remember they've been in captivity

for at least 70 years at this point.

367

They look at just the foundation,

just the slab that was.

368

Poured for the temple and they weep

because they realize this isn't

369

gonna be anything like the one

that Solomon had built long ago.

370

Yeah, and I guess that's probably one

of the challenges that living as long as

371

you're able to live is that you can always

look back to the past and the way things

372

used to be and say things were better

when I was this age and when I always.

373

Know, I understand some of that.

374

The danger though is that we are, we can

miss the new thing that God is doing.

375

Yeah.

376

We can suddenly get so lost in what

when I was your age and when this

377

happened and when this president was

running and when we had this kind of

378

guy at the helm, things were different.

379

We lost some pretty major players lately.

380

I think I'm specifically thinking of Dr.

381

MacArthur.

382

Yeah.

383

He's a name that I've been familiar

with for most of my Christian life.

384

Yep.

385

To lose a guy like him and

then cy sprawl not be not too

386

long before him is difficult.

387

And we were losing more and

more people all the time

388

because people don't stop dying.

389

This is part of the problem

that God came to solve.

390

The problem is that if we're

always looking behind us, we

391

can't see what's ahead of us.

392

Yeah.

393

We can't even see what's in front of us.

394

And one of the challenges for us as

Christians is not to look back and

395

say, man, the good old days, the

good old days, the good old days, but

396

to recognize as Christians that the

good old days are really ahead of us.

397

The best old days are always in front of

us until Jesus comes to rule and rain.

398

So even though there's dark times

around us right now, there's lots

399

of reasons to cry and to be hurt

and to be sad, but never forget.

400

We have a hope that endures one, a hope

that endures beyond the grave, beyond

401

our circumstances and points us to

the coming rulership of Jesus Christ.

402

And that's what this points to ultimately.

403

One other quick note here, chapter three.

404

The rebuilding of the temple.

405

This is considered for some

people the end of the 70 years.

406

Yeah.

407

You have the, you have them taken

in the first wave in 6 0 5 bc That's

408

pretty well attested, but one of

the challenges of that is if the

409

building of the temple is in 5 36

or so, that's not exactly 70 years.

410

So what do we do with that?

411

And that's where you get some of the

different approaches to the dating.

412

Some people will say the rebuilding of the

temple, that's when you have the 70 years.

413

Others will say actually

it's later in order to try to

414

make sense of the 70 years.

415

I'm not entirely sure on, on that.

416

I don't think I'd pound the table.

417

Do you have any firm opinion about that?

418

No.

419

In fact, when we get to Zacharias,

who we're gonna see that, yeah.

420

Some argue that it's the completion

of the temple in the city, and that

421

marks the end of the 70 years too.

422

Yeah.

423

It, there's, I.

424

The 70 years fits the

question is where does it fit?

425

Where does it fit?

426

Yeah.

427

What are the precise edges?

428

And we could say the, is the 70

years starting at 5 86, right?

429

Or does it start at 6 0 5, right?

430

Or is it 5 97?

431

And then does it end at 5 30, 8 or five?

432

What's the other one?

433

Five.

434

When's the temple completed?

435

5 30, 15.

436

Five 15, right?

437

Yeah.

438

So you're trying to figure

out where to put the 70 years.

439

Yeah.

440

And ultimately, God knows, but

there are some options in case

441

you're wishing to know that.

442

Yeah.

443

And so when we say it fits where

the edges, for example five 15

444

would go back to 5 86, which is

70 years, give or take a year.

445

Yeah.

446

And that's that final, that's

the destruction of the temple.

447

And that's where I land because I go

from when the temple was destroyed

448

to when the temple was completed.

449

Yeah.

450

I think that's the clean,

the cleanest one for me.

451

But there's other ones

out there, to your point.

452

Yeah.

453

When you were talking about.

454

Looking ahead.

455

I thought about when Jesus, in Mark's

gospel comes on the scene and he's

456

doing these things and John the

Baptist ends up dying and then he's

457

charging forward and he's saying,

Hey, we're here to, let's go preach.

458

We're preaching the gospel.

459

And he's doing that.

460

And then he's confronted by the Pharisees

about this question, about fasting.

461

He's Hey, why aren't you

obeying the things that your

462

disciples should be obeying?

463

Why aren't they fasting?

464

And Jesus tells them.

465

You shouldn't fast when

the bridegroom's with you.

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And then he says, no one takes

a piece of shrunk cloth and

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sows it on an old garment.

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If he does, the patch tears away from it.

469

The new from the old and a worst

hair is made, and no one puts

470

new wine into old wine skins.

471

If he does, the wine will burst.

472

The skins.

473

He thinks something new is here

and I'm doing something new.

474

And you need to be

excited about what's here.

475

What.

476

N don't look back over your shoulder.

477

Wanting to go back to the old things

that I'm here to fulfill, that

478

I'm here to bring to completion.

479

But there's something new that's

happening here and that new is better

480

and that new isn't always better.

481

But when it comes to

this, it certainly is.

482

And then, yeah.

483

Let's probably, and then we'll

be done with this episode.

484

God, we thank you for your word.

485

We thank you for just the accuracy of it.

486

Even the, these numbers that we

were talking about, 70 years of

487

the 49,000 people that went back.

488

Lord, these are our numbers

that we can look at and just

489

be thankful that you give us.

490

Accurate reporting and accurate details,

and we can trust in these things.

491

And so we're grateful that our faith isn't

built on things that are obscure, even as

492

we think outside of that to archeological

discoveries and things that are

493

confirming your word over and over again.

494

Whereas you look at some of the other

false religions and how they are disproven

495

or there's just an absolute silence in

some of these areas, we can have such

496

confidence in what you are doing in.

497

In the veracity and

truthfulness of your word.

498

We know ultimately that comes

through the testimony of your

499

spirit dwelling within us, and so

we were thankful for that as well.

500

But we pray that we'd give ourselves over

and study it well and apply it as well.

501

In Jesus name, amen.

502

Amen.

503

Keep your Bibles tuned again

tomorrow for another edition

504

of the Daily Bible Podcast.

505

See you.

506

Bye.

507

Bernard: Well, thank you for

listening to another episode of

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the Daily Bible Podcast, folks!

509

We're honored to have you join us.

510

This is a ministry of Compass

Bible Church in north Texas.

511

You can find out more information

about our Church at compassntx.org.

512

We would love for you to leave a

review, to rate, or to share this

513

podcast on whatever platform you're

listening on, and we hope to see

514

you again tomorrow for another

episode of the Daily Bible Podcast.

515

Ya'll come back now, ya hear?

516

PJ: Yeah.

517

I would agree with

everything that you said