The biblical books of Ezra and Nehemiah are not often the subject of sermons or studies. However, these books are filled with a rich history and fascinating insights into the lives of these two men of God and the parts they played in reconstructing Jerusalem and the temple after the diaspora.

Diving into these books, Gilbert Vega has undertaken the task of bringing the stories to life. He lays out the historical narrative and draws parallels between rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple to the building up of God's present-day church. In his words:

"The objective of this work is to relive the historical narrative of the brave individuals who took it upon themselves to build up an entire city. For the purpose of the narrative, I will be highlighting the two major events cited above: rebuilding the temple and the walls of the city. Though these events were separated by seventy years, I will treat them as one pivotal event: the restoration of Jerusalem. Secondarily, we will extrapolate applicable lessons for the contemporary church in our task of preparing a people for the kingdom of God."

If you have ever taken the time to acquaint yourself with these two men, you will learn some interesting things about them. Even if you are familiar with this part of Jewish history, you will gain new insights into how the experiences of Ezra and Nehemiah are relevant to us today.

"...the author draws many insightful lessons for the church today as the end of her journey draws near. I highly recommend reading this book."

Atilio R. Dupertuis, ThD, Retired Professor of Theology,

Seventh-day Adventist Seminary, Andrews University, Berriens Springs, MI

"...describes historical events in a way that made me feel like I was a participant with a "big picture perspective" and then prodded me to reflect on implications for me now and for the Christian church today.

Halvard B Thomsen, DMin, Retired pastor/church administrator