Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of Ezra Chapter 1
Metaphysically Interpreting Ezra 1:1-11
1:1Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 1:2Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me; and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 1:3Whosoever there is among you of all his people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Jehovah, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem. 1:4And whosoever is left, in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, besides the freewill-offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.
1:5Then rose up the heads of fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, even all whose spirit God had stirred to go up to build the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem. 1:6And all they that were round about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered. 1:7Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of Jehovah, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods; 1:8even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. 1:9And this is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, a thousand platters of silver, nine and twenty knives, 1:10thirty bowls of gold, silver bowls of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand. 1:11All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up, when they of the captivity were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.
October 15, 1911: Ezra 1:1-11
There are periods when the thoughts turn to religious subjects as easily as sparks fly upward. The man immured in sense suddenly begins to study matters pertaining to the soul; he joins the church or investigates Christian metaphysics. This is the return of the children of Israel to Jerusalem. Cyrus, who represents the ruling idea in consciousness, was "stirred up" by the Lord, and he made a proclamation to the effect that it had been given him to build a house unto the Lord at Jerusalem. Cyrus was a heathen king, yet the Lord "stirred up" his spirit or inspired him to act in a way quite contrary to his usual custom. He had captured the Israelites and had held them in bondage many years in Babylon (sense confusion). By this we discern that the Lord inspires men who are open to Truth wherever they may be found. It may be that you are in the most material of occupations and your thoughts utterly sensual; yet if you have been "stirred up" by the Lord you can commence right where you are the movement toward Jerusalem (the spiritual center of consciousness).
You some time "came forth from that city," as stated by Paul in Hebrews, and now you are to return and take all the "vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with beasts, and with precious things," which represent the ' fruit of your experience in the sense consciousness. So, we learn that no effort is wholly lost, though it be put forth in a field apparently barren and fruitless. The vessels taken from the temple at Jerusalem at the time of the captivity were used in the worship of false gods in Babylon, but now they are returned to be again used in the worship of the true God. These vessels represent our capacities of appreciation—the ability to comprehend or measure life. The man who is getting pleasure out of the lusts of the flesh is measuring up life—the One Life—before false gods, and is using his God-given capacity (vessels) to do it with. He is getting experience, generating forces that he will have eventually to master and return to the temple at Jerusalem. Nothing is lost in Divine economy, and man will in due season... refine and extract the gold from even thought and act— though he may find it hot work getting rid of the dross.
- UNITY magazine.
March 19, 1916: Ezra 1:1-11
What is first necessary in discerning the eternal body? The understanding that man’s perfect body eternally exists as an idea in Divine Mind. The next step is to continually see this pattern of perfection and by beholding it bring it into manifestation.
How does the body built from an imperfect pattern idea differ from the perfect? “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” While he thinks of his body as material, mortal, perishable, corruptible, it will continue to manifest after the pattern of his thoughts of error. When he discerns the truth that his body is the temple of God, holy, pure, spiritual, he will think thoughts after this pattern and build accordingly. His body will be transformed and will become immortal, imperishable, incorruptible.
What is the true character of man’s body? It is spiritual and eternal.
Why does it appear to be material and mortal? Because of the material, carnal thoughts which has been built into it, making it appear flesh, perishable and corruptible.
July 30, 1922: Ezra 1:1-8, 11
What does King Cyrus represent? King Cyrus represents the will, ruling in sense consciousness, but open to the guidance of Spirit.
What is the significance of King Cyrus making a proclamation throughout all his kingdom to build unto the Lord a house in Jerusalem? When the will, ruling in sense, discerns the Truth, it desires to abide in the consciousness of the Truth, and to establish a place where its true thoughts (Israelites) can worship and commune with the Christ Mind (Jehovah).
What are the silver and the gold and the goods and the beasts with which the builders in Jerusalem are to be helped? In individual consciousness, these things represent the fruits of past experiences which are to be used in the construction of the body temple.
What is represented by the vessels which had been taken from the temple in Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and returned by Cyrus? These vessels represent our capacity to comprehend and our ability to measure or appreciate life, love, and Truth.
Did the children of Israel gain anything by their captivity in Babylon? Yes; from their hard experiences they learned lessons that were necessary to their development. These lessons might have been learned in an easier school of discipline, had they been obedient to the Spirit. There are always two ways to attain knowledge and discipline. One way is by hard knocks and experiences; the other way is the way of wisdom in which the attainment is made easy.
November 17, 1935: Ezra 1:1-6
Why was Cyrus, and not the Children of Israel or Judah, the moving spirit in the return from captivity in Babylon? Through seventy years of subjection to the kinds of Babylon, the Children of Israel had lost their initiative. Cyrus, king of Persia, whose power was unlimited, had a strong consciousness of freedom, and he therefore conceived the idea of returning the captives to their own land.
What does Cyrus represent in this connection? King Cyrus represents the will acting in sense consciousness but moved by spiritual impulses, or aware of the things of Spirit.
Why were the Children of Israel, who represent the religious nature of man, in bondage to Babylon for seventy years? The religious nature is in a state of confusion and uncertainty as long as man remains in sense consciousness. Signs of order and the harmonious adjustment of man’s religious impulses become manifest as soon as he starts to obey the divine law.
Did Cyrus understand the function of the religious nature of man? The policy of Cyrus shows that he knew that spiritual things must be spiritually discerned. In setting the Children of Israel to rebuilding the temple of Jehovah, he acknowledged that true peace (Jerusalem) can be established in man only through the active of the religious nature.
Transcribed by Tracie Louise on 01-24-2014
