DANIEL'S END TIME PROPHECIES, PERSIAN EMPIRE, SECOND TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM, GREEK-ROMAN EMPIRE, HEROD'S TEMPLE: -- Bible
70PROPHET DANIEL SAW VISIONS OF THE TIME OF THE END (END TIMES PROPHECY)
seal the book until the end times
Dan 12:4 "But you, Daniel, keep these words
secret, and seal the book until the end times. Many will travel
everywhere, and knowledge will grow."
Daniel's
vision about the end times
Dan 8:15 Now as I,
Daniel, watched the vision and tried to understand it, I saw someone who
looked like a man standing in front of me.
Dan 8:16 I heard a man
in Ulai Gate call loudly, "Gabriel, explain the vision to this man."
Dan
8:17 Gabriel came up beside me, and when he came, I was terrified and
immediately knelt down. He said to me, "Son of man, understand that the
vision is about the end times."
Dan 8:18 As he
spoke to me, I fainted facedown on the ground, but he touched me and
made me stand up.
Dan 8:19 He said, "I will tell you what will
happen in the last days, the time of God's anger,
because the end time has been determined.
kingdoms of Media and Persia
Dan 8:20 "The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kingdoms of Media and Persia.
kingdom of Greece
Dan 8:21 The hairy male goat is the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is its first king.
Four
kingdoms
Dan 8:22 The horn broke off, and four horns replaced it. Four kingdoms will come out of that nation, but they won't be as strong as the first king was.
Last days
Dan
8:23 "In the last days of those kingdoms, when
rebellions are finished, a stern-looking king who understands mysterious
things will rise to power.
Dan 8:24 He will become very strong,
but not by his own strength. He will cause astounding destruction and
will be successful in everything he does. He will destroy those who are
powerful along with some holy people.
Dan 8:25 He will cleverly use
his power to deceive others successfully. He will consider himself to
be great and destroy many people when they don't expect it. He will
oppose the Commander of Commanders, but he will be defeated, though not
by any human power.
Dan 8:26 The vision about the 2,300
evenings and mornings that was explained to you is true. Seal
the vision, because it is about things that will happen in the distant future."
2300 days until the Holy Place be acceptable to
God
Dan 8:8 The male goat became very important.
But when the goat became powerful, his large horn broke off. In its
place grew four horns. They corresponded to the four
winds of heaven.
Dan 8:9 Out of one of the horns came a small
horn. It gained power over the south, the east, and the
beautiful land.
Dan 8:10 It continued to gain power until it
reached the army of heaven. It threw some of the army of heaven, the
stars, down on the ground and trampled them.
Dan 8:11 Then it
attacked the commander of the army so that it took the daily burnt
offering from him and wrecked his holy place.
Dan 8:12 In its
rebelliousness it was given an army to put a stop to the daily
burnt offering. It threw truth on the ground. The horn was
successful in everything it did.
Dan 8:13 Then I heard a holy one
speaking. Another holy one said to the one who was speaking, "How long
will the things in this vision-the daily burnt offering, the destructive
rebellion, the surrender of the holy place, and the trampling of the
army-take place?"
Dan 8:14 He told me, "For 2,300 evenings
and mornings. Then the holy place will be made acceptable to God."
70
weeks (490 years) of Daniel (to end sin until the anointing of the Most
Holy Place)
Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are decreed as to your people and as to your holy city, to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins, and to make atonement for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.
69 weeks (from the
command to restore Jerusalem to the Messiah)
Dan
9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going out of the
command to restore and to build Jerusalem, to Messiah the Prince, shall
be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks. The street shall be built again,
and the wall, even in times of affliction.
Dan 9:26 And at the end
of the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself.
And the people of the ruler who shall come shall destroy the city and
the sanctuary. And the end of it shall be with the flood, and ruins are
determined, until the end shall be war.
Middle of
Daniel's 70th week (STOP of sacrifices and offerings)
Dan
9:27
(CEV) For one week this foreigner will make a firm agreement with many
people, and halfway through this week, he will end all
sacrifices and
offerings. Then the "Horrible Thing" that causes destruction
will be put
there. And it will stay there until the time God has decided to destroy
this one who destroys.
(ESV) And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and
for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and
offering. And
on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the
decreed end is poured out on the desolator."
(GNB) That ruler will have a firm agreement with many people for seven
years, and when half this time is past, he will put an end to
sacrifices
and offerings. The Awful Horror will be placed on the highest
point of
the Temple and will remain there until the one who put it there meets
the end which God has prepared for him."
(GW) He will confirm his promise with many for one set of seven time
periods. In the middle of the seven time periods, he will stop
the
sacrifices and food offerings. This will happen along with
disgusting
things that cause destruction until those time periods come to an end.
It has been determined that this will happen to those who destroy the
city."
1260 days = 42 months = 3 1/2
years (Rule of the AntiChrist)
Dan 7:24 The ten
horns are ten kings that will rise to power from that kingdom. Another
king will rise to power after them. He will be different from the kings
who came before him, and he will humble three kings.
Dan 7:25 He
will speak against the Most High God, oppress the holy people of the
Most High, and plan to change the appointed times and laws. The holy
people will be handed over to him for a time, times, and half of
a time.
Dan 7:26 But judgment will be handed down, his
power will be taken away, and he will be completely and permanently
destroyed.
Dan 12:7 The angel then raised both hands toward
heaven and said, "In the name of the God who lives forever, I solemnly
promise that it will be a time, two times, and half a time.
Everything will be over, when the suffering of God's holy people comes
to an end."
1290 days (from the STOP of sacrifices and offerings to the Abomination of Desolation)
Dan
12:11
(CEV) There will be one thousand two hundred ninety days from
the time that the daily sacrifices are stopped, until someone sets up
the "Horrible Thing" that causes destruction.
(ESV) And from
the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the
abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days.
(GNB)
"From the time the daily sacrifices are stopped, that is, from the time
of The Awful Horror, 1,290 days will pass.
(GW) From the time
the daily burnt offering is taken away and the disgusting thing that
causes destruction is set up, there will be 1,290 days.
Dan 11:31 Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate.
Dan 9:27
(CEV) For one
week this foreigner will make a firm agreement with many people, and
halfway through this week, he will end all sacrifices and offerings.
Then the "Horrible Thing" that causes destruction will be put there. And
it will stay there until the time God has decided to destroy this one
who destroys.
(ESV) And he shall make a strong covenant with
many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to
sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one
who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the
desolator."
(GNB) That ruler will have a firm agreement with
many people for seven years, and when half this time is past, he will
put an end to sacrifices and offerings. The Awful Horror will be placed
on the highest point of the Temple and will remain there until the one
who put it there meets the end which God has prepared for him."
(GW)
He will confirm his promise with many for one set of seven time
periods. In the middle of the seven time periods, he will stop the
sacrifices and food offerings. This will happen along with disgusting
things that cause destruction until those time periods come to an end.
It has been determined that this will happen to those who destroy the
city."
1335 days (from the STOP
of sacrifices and offerings to the Rapture/First Resurrection)
(CEV)
Dan
12:12 God will bless everyone who patiently waits until one thousand
three hundred thirty-five days have gone by.
Dan 12:13 So, Daniel,
be faithful until the end! You will rest, and at the end of time, you
will rise from death to receive your reward.
(ESV)
Dan 12:12
Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days.
Dan 12:13
But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your
allotted place at the end of the days."
(GNB)
Dan 12:12
Happy are those who remain faithful until 1,335 days are over!
Dan
12:13 "And you, Daniel, be faithful to the end. Then you will die, but
you will rise to receive your reward at the end of time."
(GW)
Dan
12:12 Blessed are those who wait until they reach 1,335 days.
Dan
12:13 But go on until the end. You will rest, and you will rise for
your inheritance at the end of time."
everlasting
Kingdom to come
Dan 7:18 But the holy people of the Most High will take possession of the kingdom and keep it forever and ever."
Dan 7:27 The kingdom, along with the power and greatness
of all the kingdoms under heaven, will be given to the holy people of
the Most High. Their kingdom is eternal. All other powers will serve and
obey them."
Dan 2:43 As you saw, iron was mixed with clay.
So the two parts of the kingdom will mix by intermarrying, but they will
not hold together any more than iron can mix with clay.
Dan 2:44
"At the time of those kings, the God of heaven will establish a kingdom
that will never be destroyed. No other people will be permitted to rule
it. It will smash all the other kingdoms and put an end to them. But it
will be established forever.
Dan 2:45 This is the stone
that you saw cut out from a mountain, but not by humans. It smashed the
iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God has told you what
will happen in the future, Your Majesty. The dream is true, and you can
trust that this is its meaning."
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PERSIAN EMPIRE
KING CYRUS THE GREAT (EMPEROR OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE) DECREED RETURN OF THE JEWS TO REBUILD THE SECOND TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM
Cyrus the
Great, Emperor of the Persian Empire announces return of the exiles
2Ch
36:22 The promise the LORD had spoken through Jeremiah was about to
come true in Cyrus' first year as king of Persia. The LORD inspired the
king to make this announcement throughout his whole kingdom and then to
put it in writing.
2Ch 36:23 This is what Emperor Cyrus King of
Persia says: The LORD God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the
world. Then he ordered me to build a temple for him in Jerusalem (which
is in Judah). May the LORD God be with all of you who are his people.
You may go.
Ezr 1:1 The promise the LORD had spoken through
Jeremiah was about to come true in Cyrus' first year as king of Persia.
The LORD inspired the king to make this announcement throughout his
whole kingdom and then to put it in writing.
Ezr 1:2 This is what
Emperor Cyrus King of Persia says: The LORD God of heaven has given me
all the kingdoms of the world.
Then he ordered me to build a
temple for him in Jerusalem (which is in Judah).
Ezr 1:3 May God be
with all of you who are his people. You may go to Jerusalem (which is
in Judah) and build a temple for the LORD God of Israel. He is the God
who is in Jerusalem.
Ezr 1:4 All who choose to remain behind,
wherever they may be living, should provide the people who are leaving
with silver, gold, supplies, livestock, and freewill offerings to be
used in God's temple in Jerusalem.
Ezr 1:5 Then the heads of the
families of Judah and Benjamin, the priests, and the Levites-everyone
God had inspired-came forward to rebuild the LORD'S temple in Jerusalem.
Ezr 1:6 All their neighbors who were remaining behind provided
them with articles made from silver and gold, supplies, livestock, and
valuable gifts besides everything that was freely offered.
Ezr 1:7
Emperor Cyrus King of Persia brought out the utensils belonging to the
LORD'S temple. Nebuchadnezzar had taken these utensils from Jerusalem
and put them in the temple of his own god.
Ezr 1:8 Emperor Cyrus
King of Persia put the treasurer Mithredath in charge of bringing them
out. So Mithredath made a list of them for Prince Sheshbazzar of Judah.
Ezr
1:9 This is the inventory: gold dishes- 30 silver dishes- 1,000
knives- 29
Ezr 1:10 gold bowls- 30 other silver bowls- 410 other
utensils- 1,000
Ezr 1:11 The gold and silver utensils totaled
5,400. Sheshbazzar took all these utensils with him when the exiles left
Babylon to go to Jerusalem.
List of the Exiles who
returned
Ezr 2:1 These were the people in the province.
They were the ones who left the place where the exiles had been taken
captive. (King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had taken them to Babylon.)
These exiles returned to Jerusalem and Judah. All of them went to their
own cities.
Ezr 2:2 They went with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah,
Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.
This is the number of Israelite men from the people in exile:
people
of Israel
Ezr 2:3 the descendants of Parosh- 2,172
Ezr
2:4 of Shephatiah- 372
Ezr 2:5 of Arah- 775
Ezr 2:6 of
Pahath Moab, that is, of Jeshua and Joab- 2,812
Ezr 2:7 of Elam-
1,254
Ezr 2:8 of Zattu- 945
Ezr 2:9 of Zaccai- 760
Ezr
2:10 of Bani- 642
Ezr 2:11 of Bebai- 623
Ezr 2:12 of Azgad-
1,222
Ezr 2:13 of Adonikam- 666
Ezr 2:14 of Bigvai- 2,056
Ezr
2:15 of Adin- 454
Ezr 2:16 of Ater, that is, Hezekiah- 98
Ezr
2:17 of Bezai- 323
Ezr 2:18 of Jorah- 112
Ezr 2:19 of
Hashum- 223
Ezr 2:20 of Gibbar- 95
people of
Bethlehem
Ezr 2:21 The people of Bethlehem- 123
Ezr
2:22 of Netophah- 56
Ezr 2:23 of Anathoth- 128
Ezr 2:24 of
Azmaveth- 42
Ezr 2:25 of Kiriath Jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth-
743
Ezr 2:26 of Ramah and Geba- 621
Ezr 2:27 of Michmas- 122
Ezr
2:28 of Bethel and Ai- 223
Ezr 2:29 of Nebo- 52
Ezr 2:30 of
Magbish- 156
Ezr 2:31 of the other Elam- 1,254
Ezr 2:32 of
Harim- 320
Ezr 2:33 of Lod, Hadid, and Ono- 725
Ezr 2:34 of
Jericho- 345
Ezr 2:35 of Senaah- 3,630
priests
Ezr
2:36 These priests returned from exile: the descendants of Jedaiah
(through the family of Jeshua)- 973
Ezr 2:37 of Immer- 1,052
Ezr
2:38 of Pashhur- 1,247
Ezr 2:39 of Harim- 1,017
Levites
Ezr
2:40 These Levites returned from exile: the descendants of Jeshua and
Kadmiel, that is, of Hodaviah- 74
singers
Ezr
2:41 These singers returned from exile: the descendants of Asaph- 128
gatekeepers
Ezr
2:42 These gatekeepers returned from exile: the descendants of
Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai- 139
temple
servants
Ezr 2:43 These temple servants returned from
exile: the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,
Ezr 2:44 Keros,
Siaha, Padon,
Ezr 2:45 Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub,
Ezr 2:46
Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan,
Ezr 2:47 Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah,
Ezr 2:48
Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam,
Ezr 2:49 Uzza, Paseah, Besai,
Ezr 2:50
Asnah, Meunim, Nephusim,
Ezr 2:51 Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,
Ezr
2:52 Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,
Ezr 2:53 Barkos, Sisera, Temah,
Ezr
2:54 Neziah, and Hatipha.
descendants of King
Solomon's servants
Ezr 2:55 These descendants of
Solomon's servants returned from exile: the descendants of Sotai,
Hassophereth, Peruda,
Ezr 2:56 Jaalah, Darkon, Giddel,
Ezr 2:57
Shephatiah, Hattil, Pochereth Hazzebaim, and Ami.
temple
servants and the descendants of King Solomon's servants
Ezr
2:58 The temple servants and the descendants of Solomon's servants
totaled 392.
from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha,
Cherub, Addan, and Immer
Ezr 2:59 The following people
came from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, but they
couldn't prove they were Israelites on the basis of their father's
family or their genealogy:
Ezr 2:60 the descendants of Delaiah,
Tobiah, and Nekoda. These people totaled 652.
priests
without family records
Ezr 2:61 These descendants of
the priests couldn't prove their families were Israelites: the
descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai (who had married one of
the daughters of Barzillai from Gilead and took that family name).
Ezr
2:62 These people searched for their family names in the genealogical
records, but their names couldn't be found there. For this reason they
were considered contaminated and couldn't be priests.
Ezr 2:63 The
governor told them not to eat any of the most holy food until a priest
could use the Urim and Thummim to settle the problem.
The
whole congregation together
Ezr 2:64 The whole
assembly totaled 42,360.
Ezr 2:65 In addition to the male and
female servants who numbered 7,337, they also had 200 male and female
singers.
Ezr 2:66 They had 736 horses, 245 mules,
Ezr 2:67 435
camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
Ezr 2:68 When some of the heads of the
families came to the LORD'S temple in Jerusalem, they contributed
freewill offerings to help rebuild God's temple on its former site.
Ezr
2:69 They contributed as much as they could to the treasury for this
work: 1,030 pounds of gold, 5,740 pounds of silver, and 100 robes for
the priests.
Ezr 2:70 The priests, the Levites, some of the people,
the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants settled in their
own cities. All the other Israelites settled in their own cities.
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SECOND TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM
Rebuilding the Altar of
burnt offerings
Ezr 3:1 When the seventh month came,
the people gathered together in Jerusalem. (The Israelites had already
settled in their cities.)
Ezr 3:2 Then Jozadak's son Jeshua and his
relatives who were priests and Shealtiel's son Zerubbabel and his
relatives built an altar for the God of Israel. They built it in order
to sacrifice burnt offerings. They followed the directions written in
Moses' Teachings. (Moses was a man of God.)
Ezr 3:3 So they rebuilt
the altar on its original site, though they were afraid of the people
in the neighboring regions. They sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the
LORD every morning and evening.
Ezr 3:4 Following the written
directions, they celebrated the Festival of Booths. Each day they
sacrificed the required number of burnt offerings.
Ezr 3:5 After
that, they sacrificed the daily burnt offerings, the offerings for the
New Moon Festival and all the other holy festivals of the LORD, and all
the freewill offerings brought to the LORD.
Ezr 3:6 They started to
bring these burnt offerings to the LORD on the first day of the seventh
month, even though the foundation of the LORD'S temple had not yet been
laid.
Cedar trees from Lebanon
Ezr
3:7 So they gave money to the stonecutters and carpenters. Then they
gave food, drink, and olive oil to the men from Sidon and Tyre in
exchange for cedar, which the men would bring by sea from Lebanon to
Joppa as Emperor Cyrus King of Persia had authorized them to do.
Zerubbabel
and his men begins to rebuild the Second Temple of the LORD
Ezr
3:8 Zerubbabel (who was Shealtiel's son), Jeshua (who was Jozadak's
son), and the rest of the Jews, (the priests, Levites, and all the
others who had come back from exile to Jerusalem) began to rebuild the
temple. This happened in the second month of the second year following
their return to the site of God's house in Jerusalem. They began by
appointing the Levites who were at least 20 years old to direct the work
on the LORD'S house.
Ezr 3:9 Then Jeshua with his sons and
relatives and Kadmiel with his sons who were Judah's descendants joined
Henadad's family and their sons and relatives, the Levites, in directing
those working on God's house.
Ezr 3:10 The builders laid the
foundation of the LORD'S temple. Then the priests who were dressed in
their robes took their places with trumpets, and the Levites who were
Asaph's descendants took their places with cymbals to praise the LORD
according to the instructions of King David of Israel.
Ezr 3:11 As
they praised and gave thanks to the LORD, they sang antiphonally: "He is
good; his mercy toward Israel endures forever." Then all the people
shouted, "Praise the LORD," because the foundation for the house of the
LORD had been laid.
Ezr 3:12 But many of the priests, Levites, and
the heads of the families who were old enough to have seen the first
temple with their own eyes began to sob when they saw the foundation of
this temple. Many others shouted for joy.
Ezr 3:13 No one could
distinguish between the joyful shouts and the loud sobbing because the
people were shouting so loudly. The noise was heard from far away.
Opposition
to the Rebuilding of the Second Temple in Jerusalem
Ezr
4:1 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people who
returned from exile were building a temple for the LORD God of Israel,
Ezr
4:2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families. They
told them, "We want to help you build because we worship the same God
you worship. We have been sacrificing to him since the time of King
Esarhaddon of Assyria, who brought us here."
Ezr 4:3 But
Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of Israel's families told
them, "It isn't right for your people and our people to build a temple
for our God together. We must build it alone for the LORD God of Israel,
as King Cyrus of Persia ordered us to do."
Ezr 4:4 Then the people
of that region discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to
continue building.
Ezr 4:5 They bribed officials to keep the people
of Judah from carrying out their plans throughout the reign of King
Cyrus of Persia until the reign of King Darius (Darius the Great)
Emperor of Persia.
Opposition under the rule of
Xerxes & Artaxerxes
Ezr 4:6 When Xerxes began to
rule, the enemies of Judah and Jerusalem wrote a letter in which they
made an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Ezr
4:7 Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their group wrote to
him when Artaxerxes was king of Persia. The letter was written with the
Aramaic script and translated into the Aramaic language.
Ezr 4:8
Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote another letter against
the people of Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes.
Ezr 4:9 At that time,
Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe were with the others of
their group-the people from Denya, Partakka, Tarpel, Persia, Erech,
Babylon, Susa, (that is, those of Elam),
Ezr 4:10 and the rest of
the people whom the great and noble Assurbanipal deported. (Assurbanipal
settled them in the cities of Samaria and the rest of the lands west of
the Euphrates River.)
opposition letter sent to
King Artaxerxes
Ezr 4:11 This is the copy of the letter
they sent to him: To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the people
west of the Euphrates:
Ezr 4:12 Your Majesty, you should know that
the Jews who came to us from you are now in Jerusalem. They are
rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are close to finishing
the walls. The foundations are already in place.
Ezr 4:13 You
should also know that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are
finished, the Jews will no longer pay taxes, fees, and tolls.
Ultimately, this will hurt the king's income.
Ezr 4:14 Now, because
we are paid by your palace, it isn't right for us to watch something
happen that will dishonor the king. So we are sending this letter to
inform you
Ezr 4:15 that you should search the official records of
your predecessors. You will find in those official records that this
city has been rebellious and has been a threat to kings and provinces.
This city has a history of rebelliousness. That's why this city was
destroyed.
Ezr 4:16 We want the king to know that if this city is
rebuilt and its walls are finished, you will have nothing left of your
province west of the Euphrates River.
reply of King
Artaxerxes
Ezr 4:17 Then the king sent this reply: To
Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their group
living in Samaria, and to others west of the Euphrates River: I wish you
peace and prosperity!
Ezr 4:18 The letter you sent me has been
read word for word in my presence.
Ezr 4:19 I gave the order, and a
search was made. I discovered that this city has a long history of
uprisings against kings. Its inhabitants are guilty of treason and
rebellion.
Ezr 4:20 Jerusalem has had powerful kings who have ruled
the whole province west of the Euphrates. Taxes, fees, and tolls were
paid to them.
Rebuilding of the Second Temple in
Jerusalem stopped
Ezr 4:21 So order these men to stop
rebuilding. Keep this city from being rebuilt until I give the order.
Ezr
4:22 Be careful not to neglect your duty in this matter. Why should I,
the king, suffer any more harm?
Ezr 4:23 Rehum the commander,
Shimshai the scribe, and their group hurried to Jerusalem after hearing a
copy of King Artaxerxes' letter. They forced the Jews to stop
rebuilding.
Ezr 4:24 Then the work on God's temple in Jerusalem was
stopped. Nothing more was done until the second year of King Darius
(Darius the Great) Emperor of Persia.
Governor
Tattenai's letter to King Darius (Darius the Great) Emperor of Persia
Ezr
5:1 The prophet Haggai and Zechariah the prophet, grandson of Iddo,
prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of Israel's
God, who was over them.
Ezr 5:2 Then Zerubbabel, who was
Shealtiel's son, and Jeshua, who was Jozadak's son, began to rebuild
God's temple in Jerusalem. God's prophets were with them and supported
them.
Ezr 5:3 At the same time, Governor Tattenai from the province
west of the Euphrates River, Shethar Bozenai, and their group went to
the Jews and asked them, "Who gave you permission to rebuild this temple
and finish its walls?"
Ezr 5:4 They also asked the Jews for the
names of the men who were working on this building.
Ezr 5:5 But the
leaders of the Jews were under God's watchful eye. They couldn't be
stopped until Darius received a report and sent a reply to it.
copy
of the letter of Governor Tattenai
Ezr 5:6 Here is a
copy of the letter Governor Tattenai from the province west of the
Euphrates River, Shethar Bozenai and his group (the Persians west of
that river) sent to King Darius.
Ezr 5:7 They sent him the
following report: To King Darius, We wish you peace and prosperity in
everything you do.
Ezr 5:8 Your Majesty should know that we went to
the province of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The temple is
being built with large stones and with wooden beams laid in its walls.
The builders are doing an excellent job and making rapid progress.
Ezr
5:9 We asked their leaders the following question: "Who gave you
permission to rebuild this temple and finish its walls?"
Ezr 5:10
For your information, we also asked them for their names so that we
would have a record of the men who were their leaders.
Ezr 5:11
This was their reply to us: "We are the servants of the God of heaven
and earth. We are rebuilding the temple that was originally built many
years ago by a great king of Israel.
Ezr 5:12 But because our
ancestors made the God of heaven angry, he handed them over to King
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (a Chaldean). So Nebuchadnezzar destroyed this
temple and deported its people to Babylon.
Ezr 5:13 "However, in
the first year of the reign of King Cyrus of Babylon, Cyrus gave
permission for God's temple to be rebuilt.
Ezr 5:14 In addition,
Cyrus took out of a temple in Babylon the gold and silver utensils that
belonged to God's temple. (Nebuchadnezzar had taken them out of God's
temple in Jerusalem and brought them into a temple in Babylon.) Cyrus
gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor.
Ezr
5:15 Cyrus told him, 'Take these utensils. Place them in the temple in
Jerusalem. Rebuild God's temple on its original site.'
Ezr 5:16
Then Sheshbazzar laid the foundation of God's temple in Jerusalem. The
temple has been under construction from that time until now, but it
still isn't finished."
Ezr 5:17 If it pleases Your Majesty, allow
someone to search the king's archives in Babylon to determine whether
King Cyrus gave permission for the temple of God to be rebuilt in
Jerusalem. Then please send us Your Majesty's decision on this matter.
The
Decree of King Darius (Darius the Great) Emperor of Persia to finish
rebuilding the Second Temple in Jerusalem
Ezr 6:1 Then
King Darius gave the order to search the library where the archives were
stored in Babylon.
Ezr 6:2 A scroll was found in the palace of
Ecbatana, which is in the province of Media. This was written on it:
MEMORANDUM
Ezr 6:3 Date: Cyrus' first year as king From: King Cyrus
Subject: God's temple in Jerusalem. The temple should be rebuilt as a
place to offer sacrifices. Its foundation should be laid. It should be
90 feet high and 90 feet wide
Ezr 6:4 with three rows of large
stones and a row of wood. The king's palace will pay for it.
Ezr 6:5
In addition, Cyrus took out of a temple in Babylon the gold and silver
utensils that belonged to God's temple. (Nebuchadnezzar had taken them
out of God's temple in Jerusalem and brought them into a temple in
Babylon.) They should be returned to their proper place in the temple in
Jerusalem. You should put each one in God's temple.
Ezr 6:6
Governor Tattenai from the province west of the Euphrates, Shethar
Bozenai, and those of your group (the Persians west of the river): You
must stay away from there.
Ezr 6:7 Don't interfere with the work on
God's temple. Let the governor of the Jews and the leaders of Judah
rebuild God's temple on its original foundation.
Ezr 6:8 I am
issuing this decree about how you must help the Jewish leaders rebuild
God's temple: The cost for this should be paid out of the king's own
money from the taxes on the province west of the Euphrates. Full payment
should be made to these men so that the work is not interrupted.
Ezr
6:9 Also, whatever the priests in Jerusalem need for burnt offerings
to the God of heaven-young bulls, rams, lambs, wheat, salt, wine, and
olive oil-should be provided for them each day. Make sure that nothing
is omitted.
Ezr 6:10 Then they can offer sacrifices that please the
God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.
Ezr
6:11 I am also issuing a decree that if anyone tampers with my orders,
that person should be impaled on a beam torn from his own house and his
house should be turned into a pile of rubble.
Ezr 6:12 May the God
whose name is worshiped there cause the downfall of each king and nation
who tries to tamper with my orders or tries to destroy the temple of
the God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued a decree. It's to be
carried out exactly as ordered.
Completion of the
Second Temple in Jerusalem
Ezr 6:13 Then Governor
Tattenai from the province west of the Euphrates River, Shethar Bozenai,
and their group did exactly what King Darius had ordered.
Ezr 6:14
So the Jewish leaders continued to make progress because of the message
from the prophet Haggai and Zechariah, the grandson of Iddo. They
finished building as the God of Israel had ordered and as Cyrus, Darius,
and Artaxerxes (the kings of Persia) had ordered.
Ezr 6:15 This
temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar in the sixth
year of King Darius' reign.
Dedication of Second Temple
of GOD in Jerusalem
Ezr 6:16 Then the people of Israel,
the priests, the Levites, and the others who had returned from exile
celebrated at the dedication of God's temple.
Ezr 6:17 At the
dedication of God's temple, they sacrificed 100 bulls, 200 rams, and 400
lambs. They sacrificed 12 male goats as an offering for sin, one goat
for each of the tribes of Israel.
Ezr 6:18 The priests were
assigned to their divisions and the Levites to their groups to lead the
worship of God in Jerusalem by following the directions written in the
Book of Moses.
Passover celebration
Ezr
6:19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, those who had returned
from exile celebrated the Passover.
Ezr 6:20 Since the priests and
Levites had cleansed themselves, all of them were now clean. They killed
the Passover lambs for all the people who had returned from exile, for
the rest of the priests, and for themselves.
Ezr 6:21 The lambs
were eaten by the Israelites who had returned from exile and by all who
had separated themselves from the unclean practices of the non-Jews in
the land to worship the LORD God of Israel.
Ezr 6:22 So for seven
days they celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread because the LORD
had made them joyful. The LORD had made the king of Assyria change his
mind so that he supported the people in their work on the temple of God,
the God of Israel.
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GREEK EMPIRE
ROMAN EMPIRE
KING HEROD THE GREAT RENOVATED THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM (HEROD's TEMPLE)
King
Herod, ruler of Galilee
Luk 3:1 In the fifteenth
year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of
Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip
tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch
of Abilene,
Luk 3:2 during the high priesthood of Annas and
Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the
wilderness.
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