EZRA

[material from: "Willmington’s Guide to the Bible" and Baxter's "Explore the Book"]

organized by Wayne A. Bailey—Northside Bible Church

INTRODUCTION

1. Zedekiah, Judah’s last king, was carried away into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 BC.

The city of Jerusalem was destroyed and the Temple burned in 586 BC.

2. Many citizens of Judah along with Daniel, Ezekiel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were

transported to Babylon. Daniel and Ezekiel ministered there. Jeremiah, the prophet, remained

in Judah to minister to the little remnant left there.

3. In 539BC, Babylon fell to the armies of the Medes and Persians, led by Cyrus the Great.

Belshazzar, the king of Babylon (Daniel Ch. 5), was executed.

4. Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, placed his general, Darius the Mede (also called the Gobryas of history), as king over Babylon. [It was King Darius, the Mede who was tricked into ordering Daniel to be thrown into the lion's den]

5. During King Cyrus’ first year of reigning, he issued the decree which permitted the Jews to return and rebuild their temple at Jerusalem.

a. Jeremiah had predicted the length of the captivity. (70 years , Jer. 25:11, 12; 29:10)

b. Isaiah had actually called Cyrus by name some 170 years before! (Isa. 44:28; 45:1-3)

6. There were three separate returns by the Jewish remnant. These 3 returns cover 91 years.

a. Zerubbabel led the first in 536 BC.

b. Ezra led the second in 455 BC.

c. Nehemiah led the third in 445 BC.

7. In 535 BC. The construction on the Temple began. This construction was halted several times.

8. The Prophets, Haggai and Zechariah ministered to the discouraged remnant.

9. In 516 BC. The Temple was completed and dedicated.

10. The Persian empire lasted from 536 BC (first year of the reign of King Cyrus) until 330 BC When it was over- thrown by Alexander the Great and the Greek empire. Many of these Persian kings played a part in the return of the Jewish remnant to Judah and the rebuilding of the Temple and the wall of Jerusalem. The Persian kings:

11. a. Cyrus the Great (536-530 BC), the victor over Babylon, the king who issued the decree to

return and rebuild the Temple (Ezra 1:1-4).

b. Cambyses (Ahasuerus of Ezra 6:6), the son of Cyrus (529-521 BC).

c. Gaumata (pseudo-Smerdis)(7 months). Artaxerxes of Ezra 4:7. Stopped the work of rebuilding.

d. Darius I (Hystaspis) (521-486 BC). He allowed Temple work to continue (Ezra 5, 6). This

was not same as Darius the Mede (see 4 above).

e. Xerxes I (Ahasuerus) (485-464 BC). He was the son of Darius I. This is the king named in

the book of Esther.

f. Artaxerxes I (Longimanus) (465-424 BC). He was the son of Xerxes (Ahasuerus I), and on

the throne when both Ezra and Nehemiah returned to Judah. (Ezra 7:1; Neh. 2:1; 5:14)

g. Xerxes II (424-424 BC).

h. Darius II (Nothus) (424-404 BC).

i. Artaxerxes II (Mnemon) (404-359 BC).

j. Artaxerxes III (Ochus) (359-338 BC).

k. Darius III (Codomanus) (336-330 BC).

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