All right, let's jump in. Verse one. And when the seventh month had come and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem.

I want to take just the first verse before we go any further because it has to do with this seventh month on the Jewish calendar where we're told that the children of Israel gathered together in Jerusalem.

Now keep in mind that they have just returned to Jerusalem after this decree by Jerusalem. Now keep in mind that they have just returned to Jerusalem after this decree by Cyrus,

King of Persia. And God moved on by way of a fulfillment of prophecy in Isaiah concerning this man,

some 150 years before he was born. And so the prophecy was that

he would in fact do this very thing and allow the Jews to return. And a remnant did, not all.

Some stayed, but the ones who did took a great step of faith,

that great risk and even great peril, made the trip back to Jerusalem. And upon their arrival,

it was a little bit overwhelming to see the state of disrepair that the temple, the house of the Lord was in, having

been destroyed and of course leading to the first captivity. So now we're told that as they

arrive there in Jerusalem, they gather together in Jerusalem as one man. Very interesting. They are,

I suppose you could say, of one mind and one accord. They are so unified. They are so in unity.

It reminds me of what Paul writing the Philippian says about how beautiful and wonderful it is

when the brethren dwell together in unity. When there's unity, when there's harmony, when God's

people are of one mind and of one accord, they in effect become unstoppable and in terms of what they can do for the

Lord. And we're actually going to see that a little bit tonight. It's important to understand that

this particular month was, and actually still is modern day, a very significant month for Israel and for the Jews.

They celebrate during this month three of the seven feasts of the Lord.

It's the month that we know to be September.

Sometimes it spills into October, but again, this is on the Jewish calendar.

But there are seven feasts of the Lord.

We did a very in-depth study over a period of about seven weeks.

...