In the final two episodes of our series on Ezra & Nehemiah, we explore the ways in which this portion of the biblical narrative invites us to look both backward and forward, to the past and also to the future. In this final episode - number 25 in our Midweek series - Trevor and Jon discuss the ‘forward-looking’ dynamic of Ezra-Nehemiah: while these books clearly emphasize themes of return, restoration and rebuilding, in fulfillment of prophetic hopes, there is a consistent sense of that fulfillment being only partially realized, creating a sense of continued expectation. As Christians, we recognize that what is only partially fulfilled in the initial return and restoration will come to its fullest expression in the person of Jesus Christ. Not only do we read the Hebrew Scriptures as looking forward to, and paving the way for, the revelation of Jesus, but we also read the Old Testament ‘backwards’ in a sense, through the lens of who Jesus is and what God has done in and through him.