Major Concerns of Post-exilic
Prophets

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Question
What were the major concerns of the post-exilic prophets for the restoration of Israel?
Answer
The concerns of the post-exilic prophets for the restoration of Israel were as follows. One of the main concerns was rebuilding the temple. There was a great need to rebuild the temple in order for worship of the Lord to resume according to the law of Moses. This can be seen in the book of Haggai when the people gave up rebuilding the temple, and the prophet Haggai reminded them of the importance of rebuilding the temple, saying that, "The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former." Another concern was the spiritual formation of the people by forsaking sin, cleansing of iniquity, returning to obeying the Lord's laws and commands, establishing justice and mercy, the promise of the coming king out of Zion, and the promise of the destruction of Jerusalem's enemies. This is seen in Zechariah. We can identify another concern. It's clear that the people of Judah didn't commit to obeying the Lord, and they returned to a life of sin. The priests defiled the worship and corrupted the people. So, there was a promise that the Lord would protect the faithful remnant among his people. This can be seen in the book of Malachi. These were the concerns of the post-exilic prophets.

Answer by Rev. Sherif Gendy

Rev. Sherif Gendy is Director of Arabic Production at Third Millennium Ministries.