The book of Ezra picks up where Chronicles leaves off.
It is written by the scribe/priest Ezra.
Ezra 1
:1-4 Cyrus’ decree
:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia
This is the king known in history as Cyrus the Great.He had reigned over Persia
from 559 BC, and had captured Babylon
in Oct. 538 (Dan. 5:30-31).
This “first year” is the first year of his reign over Babylon,
538 BC.
:1 that the word of the LORD by the mouth of
Jeremiah might be fulfilled
Jeremiah had told the people in Jerusalem
that those taken captive into Babylon
would be there for 70 years (Jer. 25:11-12).
In 597 BC, the year that Jeconiah was taken
captive to Babylon, there were some
prophets in Babylon who were
beginning to say that the captivity was almost over.People in Babylon
were starting to pack their bags.
(Jer 29:1-14 KJV)Now these are the words of the letter that
Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which
were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all
the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to
Babylon; {2} (After that Jeconiah the king, and the
queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters,
and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;) {3} By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah
the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying, {4} Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the
God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to
be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; {5} Build ye houses, and dwell in
them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; {6} Take ye wives, and
beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters
to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased
there, and not diminished. {7} And seek the peace of the city whither I have
caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in
the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
Jeremiah was telling the people to pray for the peace of Babylon
since they were living in it.
{8} For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not
your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you,
neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. {9} For they
prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.
{10} For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at
Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you
to return to this place.
The first captivity took place in 605 BC with Nebuchadnezzar taking the
first group off to Babylon.The seventy years would be finished in 535
BC, only a few years from Ezra 1:1.
{11} For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the
LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. {12}
Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will
hearken unto you. {13} And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search
for me with all your heart. {14} And I will be found of you, saith the LORD:
and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the
nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and
I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away
captive.
Lesson
Tough times may not be over, but God
still loves you
We don’t often think of verse 11 in terms of when it was given.It would still be more than sixty years
before the captivity would be over.
But God wanted to remind the people that He knew what He was doing.
And there would be a time when the difficulty would be finished.
We need to hang in there to the end.
(2 Cor 4:7-18 KJV)But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the excellency of the
power may be of God, and not of us. {8} We are troubled on every side, yet not
distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; {9} Persecuted, but not
forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; {10} Always bearing about in the body
the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest
in our body. {11} For we which live are alway
delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made
manifest in our mortal flesh. {12} So then death worketh
in us, but life in you. {13} We having the same spirit of faith, according as
it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and
therefore speak; {14} Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall
raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. {15} For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace
might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. {16} For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man
perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. {17} For our light
affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us
a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; {18} While we look not at the
things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things
which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
:1 he made a proclamation throughout all his
kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
The Cyrus Cylinder – In 1879 archaeologists found a clay cylinder
with inscriptions on it by Cyrus.
Here’s some of the translated text:“All the kings of the entire world from the Upper to the Lower Sea [i.e.,
from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf], those who are seated in
throne rooms, those who live in other types of buildings as well as all the
kings of the West land living in tents, brought their heavy tributes and kissed
my feet in Babylon. As to the region from [lacuna] as far as Aššur and Susa,
Agade, Eshnunna, the towns
of Zamban, Me-Turnu, Der as well as the region of the Gutians,
I returned to these sanctuaries on the other side of the Tigris, the
sanctuaries of which had been ruins for a long time, the images which used to
live therein and established for them permanent sanctuaries. I also gathered
all their former inhabitants and returned to them their habitations.
Furthermore, I resettled upon the command of Marduk,
the great lord, all the gods of Sumer and Akkad whom Nabonidus
had brought into Babylon to the
anger of the lord of the gods, unharmed, in their former chapels, the places
which make them happy.
“May all the gods whom I have resettled in their sacred cities ask daily Bêl and Nabu for a long life for
me and may they recommend me to him; to Marduk, my
lord, they may say this: 'Cyrus, the king who worships you, and Cambyses, his son [lacuna].' All gods I settled in a
peaceful place, I sacrificed ducks and doves, I
endeavored to repair their dwelling places...”
Note:Cyrus was not a believer.He is a pagan man who is being moved by the
Lord.
:2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia,
The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath
charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem,
which is in Judah.
Josephus records:
for he stirred up the mind of Cyrus,
and made him write this throughout all Asia:—“Thus saith Cyrus the King:—Since
God Almighty hath appointed me to be king of the habitable earth, I believe
that he is that God which the nation of the Israelites worship; (4) for indeed
he foretold my name by the prophets; and that I should build him a house at
Jerusalem, in the country of Judea.”
2. (5) This was known to Cyrus by his reading the book which Isaiah left
behind him of his prophecies; for this prophet said that God had spoken thus to
him in a secret vision:—“My will is, that Cyrus , whom
I have appointed to be king over many and great nations, send back my people to
their own land, and build my temple.” (6) This was foretold by Isaiah one
hundred and forty years before the temple was demolished. Accordingly, when
Cyrus read this, and admired the divine power, an earnest desire and ambition
seized upon him to fulfill what was so written; so he called for the most
eminent Jews that were in Babylon, and said to them, that he gave them leave to
go back to their own country, and to rebuild their city Jerusalem,and the temple of God,[1]
It has been suggested that perhaps the prophet Daniel had a hand in showing
Cyrus the prophecies of Isaiah, which name Cyrus by name (Is. 44:28; 45:1).
(Isa 44:28 KJV)That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and
shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be
built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
(Isa 45:1-4 KJV)Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to
Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations
before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two
leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; {2} I will go before thee, and
make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass,
and cut in sunder the bars of iron: {3} And I will give thee the treasures of
darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the
LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. {4} For Jacob my
servant's sake, and Israel
mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though
thou hast not known me.
These things were written over a hundred years before Cyrus was even born.I would imagine this might have an impact
upon Cyrus.
Lesson
God can move unbelievers
Sometimes we get this notion that God only can work in Christians, yet here
is this extremely pagan man, being used by God to do a great work for Him.
:3 Who is there among you of all his people? his
God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem
Although 49,897 chose to go, most of the Jews remained in Babylon.Many had gone from being farmers to being
merchants.Many had become wealthy in Babylon.
Lesson
Don’t get too comfortable in Babylon
There may be a time when God wants us to make a move closer to Him.I hope I’m not too comfortable in this
present world to follow Him.
(Mat 13:22
KJV)He also that received seed among
the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the
deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh
unfruitful.
:5-6 Leaders who went
:6 And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels
of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things,
beside all that was willingly offered.
When Israel
finally left Egypt,
the Egyptians gave them stuff on their way out.
(Exo 12:35-36 NKJV)Now the children of Israel
had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians
articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. {36} And the LORD had given
the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what
they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.
The same happens here.
:7-11 Temple
treasures returned
:8 numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
Sheshbazzar – Sheshbatstsar– “worshipper of fire”; the prince of Judah
at the first return from exile in Babylon;
usually identified as the Babylonian name for Zerubbabel
(Ezra 5:16 KJV)Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of
God which is in Jerusalem:
and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not
finished.
(Zec 4:9 KJV)The hands of Zerubbabel
have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and
thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
:11 All the vessels of gold and of silver were
five thousand and four hundred.
The vessels totaled 5,400, of which the 2,499 listed in verses 9-10 were probably
just the largest or most important.
Ezra 2
:1-2 Leaders who return
:2 Which came with Zerubbabel:
Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mizpar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the
men of the people of Israel:
These were all leaders of those who returned.
Zerubbabel – Z@rubbabel– “sown in Babylon”.This is the governor, the grandson of king Jehoiachin and leader of the first group of returning
exiles from Babylon.
Jeshua – Yeshuwa‘– “he is saved”; he is also called Joshua in the books of Haggai
and Zechariah.He is the high priest, a
grandson of Seraiah, the priest who was killed by
Nebuchadnezzar (2Ki. 26:18, 21; 1Chr. 6:14;
Hag. 1:1).
Nehemiah – this is not the same man who will later rebuild the walls
of Jerusalem.He won’t be around for another 90 years.
Mordecai – this is not the man who is Esther’s cousin.He will show up in another 60 years in Persia.
Bigvai – he would start a chain of sports equipment
stores (“Big Five”)J
:3-20 Families
These are apparently names of families, some members of which returned with
Zerubbabel in 536 B.C. and others later with Ezra
(cf. Ezra 8, 10; Neh. 10).
A total of 15,604 people.
lots of names …
:21-35 People from various towns.
The next list is not by genealogy but by towns.These people are returning to their family’s
original hometowns. A total of 8,540 people.
:21 The children of Bethlehem,
an hundred twenty and three.
Bethlehem – the city
:23 The men of Anathoth,
an hundred twenty and eight.
Anathoth – a town belonging to the priests.Jeremiah was from Anathoth.
:36-39 Priests
A total of 4,289 priests return.
:36 The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua,
nine hundred seventy and three.
These names seem to be the names of the various priestly families that have
survived.
:38 The children of Pashur,
a thousand two hundred forty and seven.
There is another priest who lived just prior to this time in Jerusalem,
I wonder if it’s the same guy:
(Jer 20:1-6 KJV)Now Pashur the son
of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in
the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things. {2} Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the
stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the
LORD. {3} And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashur
brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The LORD
hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magormissabib. {4} For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will
make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by
the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give all
Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive
into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword. {5} Moreover I will deliver
all the strength of this city, and all the labours
thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the
kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall spoil
them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon. {6} And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into
captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt
die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast
prophesied lies.
This man certainly came to Babylon.But some of his descendants came back to Jerusalem.
Lesson
God restores
This whole account is a reminder that God is not out to destroy us.He wants us to turn from our sin so He can
restore us.
(Gal 6:1 KJV)Brethren, if a
man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest
thou also be tempted.
:40-42 Levites
Only 341 Levites had chosen to return, in contrast to 4,289 priests
:41 The singers: the children of Asaph, an hundred
twenty and eight.
It doesn’t mention those who were descendents of Heman or Jeduthun, the
other worship leaders.It seems only the
family of Asaph may have survived the captivity.
:42 The children of the porters
porters – show‘er– gatekeeper, porter; those who kept
unauthorized people from entering the Temple.
:43-58 Nethinims
:43 The Nethinims: the
children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha,
the children of Tabbaoth,
Nethinims – Nathiyn– Nethinims; temple slaves assigned to
the Levites and priests for service in the sanctuary
Temple servants, descendants of the Gibeonites
(Josh. 9).
Lesson
Servants survive
Rather than be wiped out by Joshua, these are the people that chose to
serve the God of Israel. They became servants of the service of the Tabernacle
and later the Temple.
You might have thought that these people would have disappeared long ago,
but they keep popping up throughout the Old Testament.
And here their families are all mentioned by name.
God doesn’t forget His servants.
:55 The children of Solomon's servants:
Another sub-group mentioned.
:58 All the Nethinims,
and the children of Solomon's servants, were three hundred ninety and two.
They weren’t a huge group, but God considered them important enough to
mention them by name.
:59-63 Unknown genealogy
:62 These sought their register among those that
were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as
polluted, put from the priesthood.
The importance of genealogy to Levitical priests
(Num 3:10
KJV)And thou shalt appoint Aaron and
his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that
cometh nigh shall be put to death.
(Num 16:40
KJV)To be a memorial unto the children
of Israel,
that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense
before the LORD; that he be not as Korah,
and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.
They could not participate in the work of the priesthood.They could not share in the payments made to
the priesthood.
:63 And the Tirshatha
said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there
stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.
Tirshatha – Tirshatha’ – Tirshatha-governor; a title used by
the Persian governor in Judea; Nehemiah used this title
Urim … Thummim
– “lights and perfections”
(Exo 28:30 KJV)And thou shalt put in the breastplate of
judgment the Urim and the Thummim;
and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and
Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel
upon his heart before the LORD continually.
Joseph Smith thought these were magical glasses used to translate his
mysterious golden plates.
Truthfully, we really don’t know what they are.
It is thought that this was used in seeking God’s answer to a particular
question a person might ask.In
conjunction was the Urim and
Thummin, thought to be a black and a white stone,
which were placed in the pouch.The
priest would ask God a “yes or no” question, and then reach into the
pouch.If the white stone was pulled
out, the answer was “yes”, if the black stone was pulled out, the answer was “no”.These are just possibilities though, it’s not
known for sure.
The High Priest stands facing the Ark
of the Testimony, and the questioner stands behind him, facing the priest’s
back. The questioner does not speak out loud, neither does he merely think the
question in his heart; he poses his query quietly, to himself—like someone who
prayers quietly before his Creator. For example, he will ask "Shall I go
out to battle, or shall I not go out?"
The High Priest is immediately enveloped by the spirit of Divine
inspiration. He gazes at the breastplate, and by meditating upon the holy names
of G-d, the priest was able to receive the answer through a prophetic
vision—the letters on the stones of the breastplate, which would shine forth in
his eyes in a special manner, spelling out the answer to the question. The
priest then informs the questioner of the answer.
Lesson
Letting God pick
Whatever the Urim and Thummin
were, there were apparently a means of understanding God’s direction.They were going to wait until God said what
to do about these folks.
Zerubbabel didn’t let these people push their way
into the priesthood simply because they wanted in.He was willing to wait and find out what God
thought.
:64-67 Total numbers of people and
animals
:64-65 Beside their servants and their maids …
When you add up the numbers given so far (prior to verse 64), you come up
with 29,829 (including the 11 prominent men listed in v. 2 ).
Yet when you total verses 64-65, you come up with the number of 49,897[2].This is probably because it includes the
women and children.
:68-70 Gifts for the temple
:69 …threescore and one thousand drams of gold,
and five thousand pound of silver…
drams (lit., darics).
Thick, gold Persian coins, each weighing 46 oz (130 gm). Thus the gifts
amounted to 18,125 oz (1,133 lb, or 514 kg) of gold.
pound. Lit., minas, each equivalent to 1.25
lb, making a total of 100,000 oz (6,250 lb), or about
three tons (2.9 metric tons) of silver.
:70 … dwelt in their cities, and all Israel
in their cities.
The people settle in their ancestors’ towns and villages.
all Israel
– there were no lost tribes.
Ezra 3
:1-6 Sacrifices begin
:1 the people gathered themselves together as one
man to Jerusalem.
The journey of 530 direct mi (852 km) from Babylon to Palestine (about 900
traveling mi, or 1,448 km) would have taken at least four months, as it did
Ezra later (cf. 7:8-9).
:2 ..builded the altar of
the God of Israel,
to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man
of God.
The altar was built and sacrifices were started before the Temple
was built.
This makes me wonder if the Jews today might some time begin sacrifice
again before a Temple is
built.It may be that they feel they
would need to have an altar on the TempleMount.
The altar was erected on the first day of the seventh month (v. 6), which
was the beginning of the Feast of Trumpets (Num. 29:1-6).
:3 And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear
was upon them because of the people of those countries
Lesson
Driven by Fear
Because of their fear of the enemy peoples around them, they were driven to
seek God’s help.
Let your scary times drive you to God.
(Psa 56:3 KJV)What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
:4 They kept also the feast of tabernacles
Lasting from the fifteenth to the twenty-second of the
seventh month (Sept.-Oct.).
:7-13 Temple
foundation laid
:7 …unto them of Zidon,
and to them of Tyre,
to bring cedar trees from Lebanon
to the sea of Joppa,
according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.
Cedar is brought from Lebanon,
just like Solomon’s Temple.
The actual decree of Cyrus is found at:
(Ezra 6:3-5 KJV)In the
first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning
the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded,
the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be
strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof
threescore cubits; {4} With three rows of great stones, and a row of new
timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house: {5} And also let
the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took
forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be
restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to
his place, and place them in the house of God.
:8 Now in the second year of their coming unto the
house of God at Jerusalem, in the
second month …
The foundation was laid in the spring of 535 B.C., bringing to a close the
70 years of captivity, which had begun in 605.The captivity started with the first group of captives being taken to Babylon,
including Daniel.The city wasn’t
destroyed until 586 BC.
The second month was also the
same month that Solomon began (May-June) building his Temple
(1Ki. 6:1).
The prophets Zechariah and Haggai will be prophesying during this time of
the Temple being rebuilt.
:8 …from twenty years old and upward, to set
forward the work of the house of the LORD.
twenty years old and upward – the original age of service for a
Levite was thirty years old (Num. 4:3).David lowered the age to twenty years old, some suggest so that more Levites
could serve (1Chr. 23:24).
:10 …they set the priests in their apparel with
trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD,
after the ordinance of David king of Israel.
They are following the same formula of musical instruments that David
followed when he brought the Ark
into Jerusalem:
(1 Chr 16:5-6 KJV)Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah,
Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and
Benaiah, and Obededom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made
a sound with cymbals; {6} Benaiah also and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets
continually before the ark of the covenant of God.
This is also similar to what happened when Solomon had the Ark
put in the first Temple:
(2 Chr 5:12-14 KJV)Also the Levites which were the singers, all
of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren,
being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at
the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding
with trumpets:) {13} It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were
as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and
when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments
of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For
he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled
with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; {14} So that the priests could not
stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled
the house of God.
:11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the
LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel.
by course – perhaps antiphonally.
(Ezra 3:11 NKJV)And they sang responsively…
The “Great Hallel” is found in Psalm 136 –
(Psa 136:1-4 KJV)O give thanks unto
the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. {2} O give thanks
unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. {3} O give thanks to the
Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. {4} To him who alone doeth
great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
They sing this because they are recognizing that with the rebuilding of the
Temple, God hasn’t forsaken them.His mercy endureth forever.
:12-13 But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who
were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this
house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted
aloud for joy:
ancient men – perhaps seventy years
or older.The Temple
of Solomon was destroyed in 586 BC, it is now 535 BC, fifty-one years later.Some men were still alive who had seen
Solomon’s Temple before it was
destroyed.
To these men, the small foundation that has been built is nothing compared
to the glory of Solomon’s Temple.
The prophet Haggai wrote about this time,
(Hag 2:3 KJV)Who is left
among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is
it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?
Lesson
Be careful about looking back at the
“good ol’ days”
It could be that the best times are ahead.
We’ll talk more about this on Sunday morning.
(Hag 2:1-9 KJV)In the seventh month, in the one and
twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai,
saying, {2} Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the
people, saying, {3} Who is left among you that saw this house in her first
glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as
nothing? {4} Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith
the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech,
the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and
work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts: {5} According to the word
that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not. {6} For thus saith the
LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens,
and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; {7} And I will shake all nations,
and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with
glory, saith the LORD of hosts. {8} The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,
saith the LORD of hosts. {9} The glory of this latter house shall be greater
than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give
peace, saith the LORD of hosts.
[1]Josephus, F., & Whiston, W. (1996,
c1987).The works of Josephus : Complete and
unabridged. Includes index. (Ant XI, i 1-2). Peabody:
Hendrickson.
[2]Walvoord, J. F.,
Zuck, R. B., & Dallas
Theological Seminary.(1983-c1985).The
Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the
scriptures (Ezr 2:64). Wheaton,
IL: Victor Books.
