{"id":3606,"date":"2016-06-18T13:32:34","date_gmt":"2016-06-18T13:32:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/christian-gospel.info\/?p=3606"},"modified":"2016-06-18T13:32:34","modified_gmt":"2016-06-18T13:32:34","slug":"kings-is-ezra-nehemiah-and-esther","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/?p=3606","title":{"rendered":"Kings in Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We should remember that the BC dates that are used by historians are dependent upon the length of the Persian empire being known.\u00a0 This is not the case, however.\u00a0 The dates currently accepted are based upon the writings of Ptolemy, an Egyptian astrologer and astronomer who lived AD, and therefore hundreds of years after the events he was dating.\u00a0 The reason why his numbers are accepted is because he based them on the dates of eclipses.\u00a0 However, a particular eclipse is repeated roughly every 7 years, and more nearly every 54 years.\u00a0 There is reason to believe that Ptolemy had an agenda, and deliberately ignored eclipses that did not fit in with his scheme.<\/span><\/p>\n

Much help on these matters has been obtained from “The Romance of Bible Chronology”, by Martin Anstey, available online.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cyrus, King of Persia, allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem if they so wished.\u00a0 This was in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy many years before, as found in Isaiah chapters 44 and 45.\u00a0 Ezra records what happened when they returned.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ezra 1:1\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 = 2 Chronicles 36:22.\u00a0 First year of Cyrus king of Persia.\u00a0 He declared “the Lord God of heaven\u2026hath charged me to build Him a house at Jerusalem”.\u00a0 Isaiah had stated that God said of Cyrus,\u00a0 “He is My shepherd, and shall perform all My pleasure:\u00a0 Even saying to Jerusalem ‘Thou shalt be built:’\u00a0 And to the temple, ‘Thy foundation shall be laid’, Isaiah 44:28, see also verse 26.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nEzra 1:11\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 Shezbazzar brings vessels to Jerusalem.\u00a0 Other nations allowed to bring their idols back, but having no idols, the Jews were allowed to bring the vessels from the temple.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nEzra 2:2<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Those who came with Zerubabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah (Ezra’s father, 7:1), Mordecai.<\/span>
\nEzra 3:2<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jeshua and Zerubabel build the altar in 7th month, and keep feast of Tabernacles.<\/span>
\nEzra 3:8<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Second year of coming from Babylon.\u00a0 Set forward the workmen.\u00a0 Second year of Cyrus- but foundation was laid on 2nd year of Darius, Haggai 2:11-20.\u00a0 So 3:10-13 in parenthesis.\u00a0 Laid foundation in 3:10 = finished laying foundation.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nEzra 4:1<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “Builded the temple of the Lord” = start to build.\u00a0 Work frustrated all the days of Cyrus, (i.e. all that was left of his reign from that point on), even until the reign of Darius, King of Persia.\u00a0 Not to be confused with Darius the Mede, who was co-rex with Cyrus at time of capture of Babylon.\u00a0 Persian has now come to the fore.
\n<\/span>
\nDaniel 11:2- “Behold there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all”.\u00a0 This is in 3rd year of Cyrus, (the reference to the first year of Darius the Mede in Daniel 11:1 is to the previous activity of Gabriel at the change of empire when Gabriel assisted Michael who was angel-guardian of Israel).<\/span>
\nSo after Cyrus:<\/span>
\nFirst:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cambyses = Ahasuerus of Ezra 4:6.<\/span>
\nSecond:\u00a0 \u00a0 Pseudo-Smernis = Artaxerxes of Ezra 4:7-23.<\/span>
\nThird:\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 Darius Hystaspes = Darius of Ezra 4:24, also known as Artaxerxes in Ezra 6:14, 7:1-26, Nehemiah 2:1, 5:14, 13:6.\u00a0 Also known as Ahasuerus in Book of Esther.\u00a0 Like Artaxerxes, Ahasuerus is not a personal name but a title, meaning Great King or Shah.\u00a0 Shah, Caesar, Tsar and Czar are all the same, and are official titles, (like Pharoah), not personal names..<\/span>
\nFourth:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Xerxes, not mentioned by name in Scripture.\u00a0 The “fourth” of Daniel 11:2, defeated by Alexander the Great of Greece, bringing the Persian Empire to an end.
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\nEzra 4:6\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 Accusation written to Ahasuerus = Cambyses.<\/span>
\nEzra 4:7<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bishlan etc. write to Artaxerxes = Pseudo-Smerdis who only reigned 9 months.<\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Work of house of God ceases until the 2nd year of Darius. Haggai and Zechariah prophesy.<\/span>
\nZechariah 4:9<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 11th month of 2nd year of Darius- “the hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation, his hands shall also finish it”.<\/span>
\nHaggai 1:14,15<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Zerubabel came and did work in the house.<\/span>
\nHaggai 2:4<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “Be strong”.\u00a0 God is able to shake heaven and earth, so is able to control nations.<\/span>
\nEzra 5:2<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Began to build the house of God.\u00a0 Does this show that the account of rejoicing at the laying of the foundation in Ezra 3:10 is anticipative of what happened years later, with 3:11-4:24 giving reason for delay?\u00a0 Or is it that the first stones are laid and they rejoice then?\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>
\nEzra 5:3<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “Who hath commanded you to build up this house\u2026make up this wall?- Tatnai.<\/span>
\nEzra 5:8<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “Be it known unto the king\u2026the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones\u2026and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands”.<\/span>
\nEzra 6:14,15.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 “tthe Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the command of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.\u00a0 And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king”. Darius defeated the nine contenders for his throne, and subdued revolting territories, and in the 5th year of his reign had the Behistun Inscription carved on a cliff-face to commemorate his achievements.\u00a0 He took the title Arta-xerxes, meaning “Great King”, which is not a personal name.\u00a0 It is the equivalent to “Shah” or Tsar”.\u00a0 Hence in Ezra 6:15 both Darius and Artaxerxces are listed, even though the temple was finished in the days of Darius.\u00a0 By the time the temple was finished Darius had taken the name Artaxerxes; hence the Authorised Version is correct.\u00a0 He was Darius when the temple was restarted, and Darius and Artaxerxes when the temple was finished.<\/span>
\nEzra 7:1<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ezra comes to Jerusalem from Babylon in the 7th year of the king, 7:8.<\/span>
\nEzra 7:15<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Artaxerxes gives money for offerings to the temple, by hand of Ezra.<\/span>
\nEzra 8:1-14<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 List of those who went with Ezra to Jerusalem.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nehemiah 1:2<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 20th year.\u00a0 From 2:1 we learn that this is 20th year of reign of Artaxerxes.\u00a0 The fact that this is not stated in 1:2 shows that we are to think of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah as one book, as they were before Origen divided them.\u00a0 The last year mentioned in Ezra is the 7th year of Artaxerxes, when Ezra journeyed to Jerusalem.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nNehemiah 1:2<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Nehemiah asks “concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem”.\u00a0 He is told, “The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire”.\u00a0 Nehemiah knew the walls were broken down by reading 2 Chronicles 36:19. The remnant that are left of the captivity are those who were left behind in the land because they escaped the invading army.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nNehemiah 3:1ff<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The words “builded”, meaning to build up, and “repaired”, meaning to strengthen, are both used throughout the passsage.\u00a0 Perhaps build refers to more major work, and repair to lesser work.\u00a0 Ezra 5:3 says “make up this wall”, using the word for perfect, finish, complete.\u00a0 So the wall was completed in Ezra’s time, and had subsequently been damaged.\u00a0 The people of the land “weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building\u2026even until the reign of Darius king of Persia”, Ezra 4:4,5, so the opposition was ongoing.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nNehemiah 4:7<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sanballat heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up.\u00a0 This verb is literally “healed, as when new flesh grows in an old wound”.\u00a0 So the old wounds have now been healed.\u00a0 The repairing of the wall was finished in 52 days, 6:15, indicating it was a repair, not a building from the ground up.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nNehemiah 5:14<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Nehemiah is appointed governor, and serves from 20th to 32nd year of Artaxerxes.<\/span>
\nNehemiah 8:1<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ezra is mentioned without any introduction, as if he is the same as in the Book of Ezra.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nNehemiah 13:6<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Nehemiah returned to Babylon, and Tobiah took advantage of his absence.\u00a0 Nehemiah returns from Babylon in 32nd year of Artaxerxes and deals with Tobiah.\u00a0 This is the last event in the Old Testament.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We should remember that the BC dates that are used by historians are dependent upon the length of the Persian empire being known.\u00a0 This is not the case, however.\u00a0 The dates currently accepted are based upon the writings of Ptolemy, an Egyptian astrologer and astronomer who lived AD, and therefore hundreds of years after the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[143],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kings-in-ezra-nehemiah-and-esther"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3606"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3606\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}