Ezra 4-7

"For the Lord had ... turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them" (6:22). Cyrus, King of Persia, under orders from God (1:2), allowed the Jewish exiles to return home and rebuild the Temple. However, they faced opposition from "the peoples of the lands" (4:4) - those who had moved in after the Babylonian invasion, and didn't want their control disturbed. Official letters flew back and forth, and work stopped until the new king Darius re-discovered Cyrus' declarations (6:2).

God had sent His people into exile, and God was bringing them back. No empire or threatening tribe could stop God's plan.