8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. ( Not really a reasonable assumption considering the events that took place in Jerusalem but it’s the earliest he could have been born so let’s go with it) The 19 th year of Nebuchadnezzar by many accounts was 584 BC.Įzra 7:1-8 Now after these things……… This Ezra went up from Babylon ……. Let’s further assume, for the sake of argument, that Ezra was born the year his father was killed. I think most everyone would agree, it is reasonable to assume that Ezra could not have been conceived after the death of his father, Seraiah. So Judah was carried away out of their land. 20 And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah: 21 And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. 18 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door…………. 11 Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away………. 10 And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about. 2 Kings 25:8-21 tells us that Seraiah was taken by Nebuzaradan to Riblah in the 19 th year of Nebuchadnezzar and there he was killed.Ģ Kings 25:1-21 8 And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem: 9 And he burnt the house of YHWH, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man’s house burnt he with fire. What’s fascinating about this statement is Seraiah, son of Azariah, was the last high priest of Solomon’s temple. In the verse above, it says that Ezra was the son of Seraiah. Probably the best place to start is in the beginning.Įzra 7:1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, It may surprise you to learn there is substantial Biblical evidence to determine Ezra’s place in 2 nd temple era chronology. To be sure you will find their “Artaxerxes Assumption” but what you will not find is any reasonable Biblical evidence to support it. Choose any of today’s most respected teachers on the prophecy of Seventy Weeks and see what reasonable Biblical evidence they provide to show Ezra was a contemporary of “Artaxerxes” Longimanus. For those who have taken the time to look, you will find instead it is one of the best kept secrets of Old Testament chronology.ĭo you find that hard to believe? I encourage you to see for yourself.
Without the chronology of Ezra, there would be no way to determine the starting point for “the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem.” ( For more on the subject see my articles The Fifth Command and The “Artaxerxes Assumption”.) Considering the importance of Ezra’s writings to our understanding of the Seventy Weeks prophecy you might assume this Old Testament chronology would be well established upon a reasonable Biblical basis. Daniel 9:25 states the following:ĭaniel 9:25 25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, Daniel 9, also known as the prophecy of “seventy weeks,” is the only prophecy in the Bible that specifically links a dateable secular event with the coming of the Messiah. Today, the chronology of Ezra is an important cornerstone for most of today’s teachings on Daniel 9, the greatest Messianic prophecy in the Bible. After the completion of the temple in the 6 th year of Darius, Ezra, who still resided in Persia, saw the need to return to Jerusalem and teach the people the law of YHWH. Both of these accounts provide a vivid record of the triumphs and tragedies of the Judean captives’ efforts in rebuilding the 2 nd temple and Jerusalem. It is believed that he was the author of both the book of Ezra as well as Chronicles. The Bible identifies him as a Priest and Scribe. During the 2 nd temple period, few Old Testament characters hold a more prominent position than Ezra.
0 kommentar(er)
