The books of Ezra and Nehemiah hold much confusion for Biblical scholars, as far as chronology is concerned. Some conclude Ezra and Nehemiah were contemporaries, while others believe Ezra arrived in Jerusalem over 50 years after Nehemiah’s ministry. Actually, the chronology of the books is very simple, IF, and only if, one decides with Jesus’ conclusion that scripture cannot or must not be read in a manner that forces it to contradict itself (John 10:35). In other words, one must labor to find a way in which two or more passages of scripture will not contradict. If this is done successfully, one would probably hold the truth of the matter in mind. How is this so, or why must this be done? It is because names of places have changed; sometimes people are known by more than one name; indeed, worldviews change from one age to another, so how one looks at something said in the scriptures triggers a different context of understanding than the original. Therefore, if one labors to understand the original meaning of the text, vis-à-vis what it meant to the original audience, one may very well be rewarded with the truth.
Reading genealogies is so boring; isn’t that true? Yet, from time to time, depending on the context of one’s study, they are very revealing. For example, none of the names that we find written in Ezra 8:1-14 are recorded in either the Book of Ezra or the Book of Nehemiah as having assisted in the rebuilding projects of either the Temple of God or the walls surrounding Jerusalem. That should come as a surprise for anyone who believes that the Decree of Artaxerxes had anything to do with either building project, and there are Biblical scholars who believe the decree permitted the building project to continue to its conclusion. Nevertheless, if none of the folks that Artaxerxes released to rebuild the Temple or the city are found to have participated in that labor, how can anyone conclude the Decree of Artaxerxes had anything to do with the Seventy Weeks Prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27?
The labor of building the Temple began with Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and Joshua, the high priest. It was they and those with them who rebuilt the Altar of God on the Feast of Trumpets, immediately following their coming to Jerusalem after being released by Cyrus from their captivity in Babylon (Ezra 3:1-3), and the Seventy Weeks Prophecy begins there. Moreover, the project of rebuilding the Temple continued from the second month of the second year, after being released from Babylon (Ezra 3:8). Additionally, the text claims that, after both the leaders and the rest of the men who came out of the captivity, vis-à-vis the folks listed in the genealogy found in chapter two of the Book of Ezra, laid the foundations of the Temple, they paused to celebrate the fruit of their labor (Ezra 3:8-13). Nevertheless, after about a year or two, and after no little frustration created by the Samaritans, the labor ceased by the order of Cambyses, king of Persia (Ezra 4:1-6).
It didn’t begin again until the coming of Nehemiah, and it is reveled in his account that the building project included the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls (Nehemiah 4:1-7). Moreover, those who took part on this building project included the folks of the generation that was born in Judah after the children of the captivity returned to Jerusalem from Babylon, and they are listed in chapter three of the Book of Nehemiah! In each case, the name mentioned lists his father/grandfather as being one of those who returned to Jerusalem from Babylon with Zerubbabel, the governor, and Joshua, the high priest.[1] Genealogies are boring to read, but they are important to show some very important things, including the timeframe, showing when certain events occurred, and who was involved. So, let me repeat, none of the names listed in Ezra 8:1-14 who returned with Ezra in the seventh year of Artaxerxes, the king of Persia (cp. Ezra 7:7), participated in the building project at Jerusalem. What can we conclude from this point? The conclusion of the matter is that Ezra and company arrived after the building project was over. The Temple was already completed, and its dedication was celebrated a year prior to the release of Ezra (Ezra 6:15-18). Moreover, the city and its walls were also complete, and Ezra and company arrived in Jerusalem just in time (a few weeks prior), to participate in the celebration of dedicating the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 12:27, 35-36).
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[1] For example, Eliashib, the officiating high priest during the days when Nehemiah was in authority over the building project at Jerusalem, helped build the wall beginning at the Sheep Gate (Nehemiah 3:1). He was the grandson of Joshua the high priest, who had come up from the captivity (Nehemiah 12:10; cp. Ezra 2:2). Meremoth built the wall near the Fish Gate (Nehemiah 3:3), and he was the son of Urijah (Nehemiah 3:4), the son of Koz (cp. Ezra 2:61), and so on.
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146 responses to “The Chief Men Who Returned with Ezra”
Greetings Mosckerr, I’m glad you haven’t taken offense in any if my replies.
Concerning my understanding of law v/s love….
You say law and love are two unknowns, yet you tell me that Christianity has a horrible record in both justice and love. As for church history being an abomination, I agree to a point for the movers and shakers, but not the common people. However, this has also been a problem for Jews. The same would be true of the movers and shaker of Judaism. Jews were THE persecuting authority during the 40 years leading up to AD 70. Even for the Nero persecution there is some evidence that it was inspired by Josephus, the grandson of Annas/Ananias the most prominent high priestly family during the Roman occupation of Jerusalem.
As for scholarship, most of the colleges and universities throughout Europe were Christian in origin, as were all but Penn State University in nascent America, and this includes Harvard and Yale and Prinston (if memory serves). Neither of us has a perfect history.
Thank you for this. I’ll try it out. 😊
Obeying the law as service to God is basically unprofitable. I “owe” God obedience. So, my obedience is expected, as my basic service. Rewards are offered to the profitable. A simple rule for this is WWJD (what would Jesus do?). Basically, love fulfills law. If I practice love, I will do no injustice to anyone, and love is profitable in that it does more for the beloved than is ‘required’ by law.
Concerning jumping to the Prophets and the Writings and ignoring the Law, this isn’t true. There are many references and allusions to the Law in the Christian scriptures. In fact, we spoke of one: Deuteronomy 6:5.
You judge Christianity according to your worldview. It is a question you would ask, therefore the church erred in not asking it in 2000 years. Then you go on and tell me why the church didn’t ask. Your argument looks good on paper, but that’s all it is, a paper argument. You have no evidence from a Christian source telling you why they’ve never asked that question. If I may attempt a response, it is because Christianity is based upon love not law. I realize our history is not an example of how love should be practiced, but notable history is always about the “movers and shakers” of our histories. Yours isn’t much better than ours in that department. Were there good Jews while Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem. I’m sure there were, but history isn’t about them; it is about the goats (Zechariah 10:3). The same is true of Christianity. God has always been interested in the remnant in whom the press isn’t interested. The goats/movers and shakers are the real news. So, history is full of their deeds.
In other words, I am dismissed. Fine, but neither is that a proper reply. You have neither shown how an educated Jews would miss the finer details of scripture due to the introduction of chapters and verses in scripture, nor have you offered any evidence showing that the common, uneducated folks would find and understand the details, if there were no chapters and verses.
Concerning not wanting folks to read their Bibles, like all excrement, evil men float to the top positions in matters that define our worldviews. When the Bible was first printed in the vernacular, men responsible were persecuted. When Jesus taught about the coming Kingdom of God, he was persecuted by the authorities. It is what men in power do.
Concerning non-legalistic teaching (e.g. Genesis), how does this answer my original question about the Presence of God being in both the Tabernace and the Temple.
If you said that Christianity was true from day one, that would be unexpected. The fact that you believe it to be false, an abomination and a host of other evils, merely testifies of your fierce embracement of your own worldview. Saying our scriptures are nothing but “shit” is not a good way to influence folks who have nearly always stood as your enemies. This is not to say that you deserved what you got, but if you did really say just as you claim here, and the movers and shakers of Christianity at the time were evil men, as I have suggested, then was it a surprise that you weren’t well received well, vis-à-vis burnt at the stake?
This is true, but why would this be a surprise? Do you accept the “revelation” of Christian commentaries? You believe Oral Torah should be received with the same or greater authority than the scriptures. We don’t, never have. Scripture is from God and Oral Torah is not.
Rape? No! We just don’t believe that is the greatest commandment. You do, because your faith is based upon law. Our worldview is nonsense to you, because it is based not upon law but love. Therefore, the greatest commandment is to Love the Lord our God with all our hearts, minds and strength. There is no commandment greater than this, and if it were obeyed, we wouldn’t have to be concerned about breaking the first Sinai commandment.
Deuteronomy 6:5 says Love God… you say you love the oaths; you own the oaths etc., and you are correct no Christian or Muslim “knows/practices” them. Speaking for Christians, we have our own oath/covenant. It is based upon love. Yours is a bilateral covenant, but ours is a unilateral one
This is true. However, my point was that Josephus called Daniel a prophet prior to the Tanakh being sealed. Why wasn’t it sealed sooner? The books were complete for quite some time. It seems to me that the sealing of the Tanakh had much more to do with the success of the church in spreading Christianity than might be admitted. Our understanding of Daniel seems to have prompted you to deny Daniel was a prophet and place it among the Writings. Nevertheless, the Book of Daniel, itself, refers to its contents as “prophecy” in Daniel 9:24
The Church abominations denies the revelation of the Oral Torah at Horev. The 8th middah of this Oral Torah revelation at Horev, the Church abomination of avoda zarah has never pursued. What does truth mean? What separates Truch from accuracy? The church avoda zarah abomination does not know how to distinguish a Torah Spirit middah from words that on the surface appear to resemble the same thing. The Name of HaShem not a Word that silly corrupt bilbe translations can pervert into words. The same holds true with the Oral Torah 13 spirit middot. Just that simple.
[[[You say law and love are two unknowns, yet you tell me that Christianity has a horrible record in both justice and love.]]] Impossible to employ an undefined Torah term to define a second Torah undefined term. Just that simple. Employing Greek rhetoric in this fashion compares to the Nazi propaganda employed during WWII. Love and Truth sound sweet to the ears but the Church has never defined these critical terms from Torah common law precedents!!!
[[[The same would be true of the movers and shaker of Judaism. Jews were THE persecuting authority during the 40 years leading up to AD 70.]]] Revisionist history. The Romans ruled Judea 110 years after the brothers Hashmonaem invited the Romans to resolve their Dynastic dispute. Judea a Roman controlled and dominated provence of the Roman empire NOT an Independent Jewish State. Just as the Jews under the British empire during the entire period of the British Palestine Mandate.
[[[Obeying the law as service to God is basically unprofitable.]]] A Pauline Roman Civil War propaganda Agent Provocateur non-sense. His half truth, “your not under the law” 100% correct!!! Goyim never accepted the revelation of the Torah at Sinai till this very day! Goyim Church and Universities both unilaterally failed to distinguish between Torah common law from Roman statute law. Not in over 2000+ years of blind leading the blind.
[[[You have no evidence from a Christian source telling you why they’ve never asked that question.]]] Not my turn to watch insane Xtian avoda zarah. Nor Muslim avoda zarah, only to point out their inherent logical flaws and obvious errors.
[[[ notable history is always about the “movers and shakers” of our histories. Yours isn’t much better than ours in that department. ]]] Nothing ‘shared’ in Torah common law Judaism with Xtian avoda zarah. The Torah opens with the central theme of blessing/curse redemption/g’lut.
The Pauline agent provocateur promoted the guilt trip “He died for you, Original Sin” utter bogus propaganda. Rabbi Yechuda taught the two opposing Yatzirot spirits within the heart. The Pauline propaganda “saved by grace” an utter Golden Calf abomination.
[[[like all excrement, evil men float to the top positions in matters that define our worldviews. When the Bible was first printed in the vernacular, men responsible were persecuted.]]] All Xtian bible translations qualify as Golden Calf shit avoda zarah.
[[[When Jesus taught about the coming Kingdom of God, he was persecuted by the authorities.]]] JeZeus a fictional counterfeit imaginary Harry Potter Man.
[[[Concerning non-legalistic teaching (e.g. Genesis), how does this answer my original question about the Presence of God being in both the Tabernace and the Temple.]]] Tohor time oriented commandments all legalistic in nature and essence. The משל of the Mishkan teaches the נמשל that the Spirit Name of HaShem lives within the hearts and middot of the bnai brit chosen Cohen People for all generations. Goyim have no power to uproot the oath brit Torah faith from the hearts and souls of the Jewish people.
[[[ Saying our scriptures are nothing but “shit” is not a good way to influence folks who have nearly always stood as your enemies.]]] Xtian & Muslim bibles and korans utter shit.
[[[This is true, but why would this be a surprise?]]] Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Answer: the chicken.
[[[Speaking for Christians, we have our own oath/covenant. It is based upon love.]]] First hand experience Jews have of Xtian “LOVE”. Post Shoah Jewry views guilty Xtian love as an utter abomination.
Josephus a source that came after the sealing of the T’NaCH. His opinion carries the same weight as your or my opinions which stand independent from Torah Oral Torah precedents.
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Merely saying Oral Torah was revealed at Horeb doesn’t make it so. Give the evidence that what you say is true.
The word Lord and the word HaShem are used to identify יְהוָ֖ה. A word is a word. If you use HaShem, how is that good and Lord is an abomination? Both are words and neither is the sound of יְהוָ֖ה.