Smoodock's Blog

The Book of Nehemiah covers about twenty-five to twenty-six years of the first section of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks Prophecy (Daniel 9:24-25). The seven weeks (49 days) represent forty-nine years in the count to Messiah, the prince (Daniel 9:25). According to the Book of Daniel, there would be four Persian kings who would affect the return and growth of the Jewish people in their homeland (Daniel 11:2). The first king, of course, was Cyrus the Great, the next was his son, Cambyses. The third king was Darius Hystaspes and the fourth and last would be his son, Xerxes. All four are mentioned in the Book of Ezra, chapter four. They are Cyrus, the king of Persia (Ezra 4:5), Ahasuerus (Ezra 4:6), Artaxerxes (Ezra 4:7) and Darius, king of Persia (Ezra 4:24; cp. verse-5), respectively. The Book of Nehemiah begins with the twentieth year of the reign of Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 1:1, 2:1; Darius Hystaspes in secular history). I realize that this interpretation is emphatically not the understanding of many scholars who have studied this era in Jewish history, but I stand by it, nevertheless, and I will address this issue throughout my study of this book. I believe my understanding is truer to the context of Biblical history, but the reader may judge for him/herself.

1. The Report from Jerusalem                                                   Nehemiah 1
2. Nehemiah’s Prayer
3. Nehemiah’s Request                                                                 Nehemiah 2
4. Nehemiah’s Arrives in Jerusalem
5. Facts Surrounding the Building Process                          Nehemiah 3
6. Rebuilding the Wall Around Jerusalem
7. The Contempt and Ridicule of the Enemy                      Nehemiah 4
8. The Conspiracy and Wrath of the Enemy
9. The Labor and Conflict of Faith
10. The Oppression of the Poor                                                    Nehemiah 5
11. Rebuking the Nobles and the Rulers
12. Nehemiah’s Example of Mercy
13. The Plot to Distract                                                                    Nehemiah 6
14. The Plot to Discredit
15. The Plot to Deceive
16. The Breaches in the Wall Are Closed
17. Fortifying Jerusalem                                                                  Nehemiah 7
18. The Importance of Pedigree
19. Ezra Reads the Law                                                                    Nehemiah 8
20. Interpreting the Law and the Response
21. The Celebration of the Feast
22. The People of Israel Confess Their Sin                              Nehemiah 9
23. The Prayer of Confession and Praise
24. The Covenant Makers                                                               Nehemiah 10
25. The Pledge to Keep the Law
26. The Rulers Dwelt in Jerusalem                                             Nehemiah 11
27. The Chief Priests of Ezra and Nehemiah                          Nehemiah 12
28. Preparing to Dedicate the City Wall
29. The Dedication of the Wall of Jerusalem
30. Nehemiah’s Second Arrival in Jerusalem                         Nehemiah 13
31. The Expulsion of Foreigners
32. The Revival of Tithing
33. The Observance of the Sabbath
34. Condemnation of Mixed Marriages