Daniel 9d:

Reading #411  The building of the temple

This week we read that Gabriel gave Daniel some details regarding the first advent of Christ. 

He said,

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Daniel 9:

25 “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem to the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two [62] weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times”.

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Here he separated the seventy weeks into three periods, two of which he began to detail to Daniel.  He started with a period of  7 weeks equalling 49 years, then finished with 62 weeks which equals 434 years, leaving 1 week of 7 years to be explained later.  At the same time he gave the clue as to when the whole 490 year period would begin – with the commandment to “restore AND build” Jerusalem.  This information was not for Daniel’s benefit for it would not occur for a long time, but it was given for his people and us.

Before we go on we should notice that Gabriel ended the 490 years (less 7 years = 483 years) with the presence of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and mentioned that the re-building would not go smoothly. What Daniel understood from that was that it would be over 500 years from his time before Christ would come the first time! 

Lateral thought:

Regarding the second advent, Martin Luther is reported to have said, “I persuade myself verily, that the day of Judgment will not be absent full three hundred years. God will not, cannot, suffer this wicked world much longer.” (Sound familiar?) [Quoted by Daniel T. Taylor in The Reign of Christ on Earth: or, The Voice of the Church in All Ages, page 158.    What made him think of 300 years?] 

But right now let’s look at some history.

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Ezra 1:

1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia [537BC], that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and He has charged me to BUILD Him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

3 “Who is there among you of all His people?  His God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (He is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. 4 And whosoever remains in any place where he sojourns [whoever remains behind], let [him and] the men of his place help him [the builders] with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem”.

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Cyrus, having listened to God’s request through Daniel’s testimony (see Isaiah 44:24-28), decided to allow those Jews who so desired, to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple and city, for the seventy years of captivity that Jeremiah had been told about were now over. 

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Ezra 1:5-7 (MSG)

⁵ The heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites—everyone, in fact, God prodded—set out to build The Temple of God in Jerusalem. ⁶ Their neighbors rallied behind them enthusiastically with silver, gold, tools, pack animals, expensive gifts, and, over and above these, Freewill-Offerings. ⁷ Also, King Cyrus turned over to them all the vessels and utensils from The Temple of God that Nebuchadnezzar had hauled from Jerusalem and put in the temple of his gods.

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All told, 50,000 people under a governor (tirshatha) named Zerubbabel (“offspring of Babylon”, aka Sheshbazzar, 1:8), and a high priest named Jeshua (3:2), set out to obey the will of their God.  Ezra 2:64-67.  There were others who wanted to go but could not show their relationships to any Jewish family (2:59), including some who claimed to be priests (2:62), but they were all accepted because of their desire, with the proviso that the would-be priests would not be able to serve until God approved of them each one personally through the “yes or no” jewels on the high priest’s chest pad (2:63).  See Exodus 28:30 and Numbers 27:21.

They arrived in Jerusalem in the seventh month (our September/October) of 536BC and immediately built an altar to the LORD on which to offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, as well as the two daily burnt offerings representing the Son of God’s 24 hour protecting care.  Having done this, the following spring (March/April), Zerubbabel and the others laid the foundation of the replacement temple (3:8). 

Lateral thought:

We should always remember that the history stories in the Bible are given to us for more than just records of the past, but also as guides on how we should live who follow in the footsteps of the ancients.  Often past literal events are shadows of spiritual actions of the future.  That which was written regarding literal Israel in the Old Testament applies to spiritual Israel in the New Testament.  That which was written regarding the whole nation then, also applies to individuals today.

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Ezra 3:

11 And they [the people] sang together by course [in harmony] in praising and giving thanks to the LORD; because He is good, for His mercy endures for ever toward Israel.  And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

12 But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house [it had been destroyed 50 years before], when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: 13 so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.

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There was mingled joy and sadness at this event. 

We know now that the sad ones were in the right, but maybe unknowingly, because the new temple was only a shadow of the former one built by Solomon (and, sadly, always referred to as his – and not God’s).  What they should have built, the plans of which were shown to the prophet Ezekiel, was not even considered.  See Ezekiel chapters 40-48.  Unfortunately, they are not being considered by spiritual Israel today either!

In all that confusing picture we should discern the form of the LORD, and His way of doing things. He says, “You son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the Pattern.  And if they be ashamed of all that they have done [if they repent], show them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances [rules] thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them”. Ezekiel 43:10-11.

In the New Testament this thought is picked up and applied to individuals.  We are told, “Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. Let no man deceive himself.  If any man among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise”. 1 Corinthians 3:16-18.

However, many hostile acts on the part of their neighbours frustrated the Jews’ efforts and eventually halted the work until the second year of another king, Darius the Great, in 520BC.  After much “troublous times” which you can read about in Ezra chapters 4 to 6, they eventually managed to finish the work. Their adversaries, mainly Samaritans, at first asked if they could help, but when refused because many of them were apostates from Israel, became angry and sought all ways in which to stop the work from proceeding.

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Ezra 4:

1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity built the temple to the LORD God of Israel; 2 then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said to them, “Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as you do [we all worship the same God, just in slightly different ways]; and we do sacrifice to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur [Assyria], which brought us up hither”.

3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua [aka Joshua], and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, [rightly] said to them, “You have nothing to do with us to build an house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us”. [These pretenders to the God of Israel were only professors, and were really worshipping the god of force, as their actions then showed.]

4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, 5 and hired counsellors [ambassadors at court] against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

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They claimed that the Jews had no legal right to do what they were doing, and after Cyrus died were successful in their ploy, and caused the men of God to stop their building work.  The Son of God’s answer to that was to raise up two men who week by week and sometimes day by day gave messages of encouragement to the people until they began to build again.  See Ezra 5:1-2. 

But when a new king named Darius I had the history books re-searched there was found a copy of the decree which Cyrus had issued eighteen years previously, and Darius re-approved it.  In fact, he even gave generously of his royal supplies to help in the re-building.  Thus “this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar [Feb/Mar], which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king [which was probably 516BC]”.  Ezra 6:15.   

But that did not “restore” Jerusalem.  For that we need to look at another verse.  “And the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. [You can read their books in the Bible, noting the overlaps between their messages.]  And they built, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia”. Ezra 6:14.

Now we can see that there was God and THREE kings involved in the restoration.  Cyrus started it in 537BC, Darius I continued it around 520BC, and Artaxerxes Longimanus (long arms) finished it with a decree around October of 457BC, a period of about 80 years. 

Artaxerxes was the king for whom Nehemiah worked (Nehemiah 2:1), and one day when he noticed that his cup-bearer was unusually serious, he enquired about the cause of his problem, and then decided that Nehemiah should go to Jerusalem as governor to be with the priest Ezra whom he had already sent (about 12 years before), to fix the new situation.  Why did he do this?  Well, he liked and trusted Nehemiah, but most likely he did it because he was probably the son of Esther, the Jewish lady who is the subject of the Bible book which bears her name.  In that book his father Xerxes, is called Ahasuerus.  See Esther 2:5 onwards.

Let’s look at his decree:

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Ezra 7:

11 Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel.

12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time. 13 I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of His priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with you . . .

17 That you may buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. 18 And whatsoever shall seem good to you, and to your brothers, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God . . .

21 And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily, 22 to a hundred talents of silver, and to a hundred measures of wheat, and to a hundred baths of wine, and to a hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. 23 Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?

24 Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims [special sanctuary workers], or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them.

25 And you, Ezra, after the wisdom of your God, that is in your hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of your God; and teach you them that know them not. 26 And whosoever will not do the law of your God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

27 [And Ezra said] “Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which has put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem    . . .”

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As we can see Artaxerxes had not only supported the services of the temple, but also given Ezra the power of life and death according to the law of God.  This means that he made Judea (the land of Judah) an autonomous state within his kingdom.  He “restored” Jerusalem to its rightful state (nearly, because it was still subject to him).

What was the problem that Nehemiah heard about?  There had been much civil unrest, and rebellions going on “over the river [Euphrates]” in the western states and Jerusalem had been in the middle of some of it – not that they were rebelling, but only feeling the effects of it.

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Nehemiah 1:

1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah.  And it came to pass in the month Chisleu [Nov/Dec], in the twentieth year [around 444BC], as I was in Shushan the palace, 2 that Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

3 And they said to me, “The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire”.

4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven [as Daniel had done] . . .

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This is what Gabriel had referred to – the “troublous times” and the building of the wall – for the answer to Nehemiah’s prayer was that he should go to Jerusalem and build the wall of protection.  Nehemiah 2:12. The first returnees had set up the worship of God and then rebuilt the temple, but now the people needed a safe wall for the times which lay ahead, and the takeover by Greece.  Not seeing how he could do it, Nehemiah had left the problem in the Son of God’s hands, and He had persuaded the king through his love of Esther.

As I said earlier, we should always remember when we are reading Bible history that it also has a spiritual application in the future.  Our spiritual forefathers returned to God’s ways in 1844 and have shown us how to worship, and where and when, but we need to “build the wall” that will enable the church to stand in the time of trouble – first for ourselves, and then for the group.  (I suggest that you read Nehemiah chapter 3 prayerfully.)

What Gabriel has done for us is explain that the 490 years began in 457BC with the final decree, and when we do the maths that places the end of the 483 years in 26AD.  If we take 457 away from 483 we end up with 26, but because there is the changeover from before Christ to after His birth, the final figure is 27AD.  The decree went out around October of 457BC, and that places the advent of the Messiah around October of 27AD, and that’s when the Son of man presented Himself for baptism.  Gabriel finished his lesson with the thought that Christ would die for others some time after the 483 years.

That leaves us with the final one “week” of seven years.

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Daniel 9:

26 “And after threescore and two [62] weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself”.

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We’ll need to leave it at this point, and find out more next week.

Bye for now,

Ron

P. S. The Jewish economy is not yet fully comprehended by men today. Truths vast and profound are contained in Old Testament history. The gospel is its interpreter, the key which unlocks its mysteries. The plan of redemption is unfolding these truths to the understanding.

Some of the comments in these readings are adapted from books in my library.  No recognition is given because they are not intended as authorities, but are used because they express my understanding clearly. All the ideas expressed in these readings, right or wrong, are my own.

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Isaiah 44:

24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and He that formed you from the womb, I am the LORD that makes all things; that stretches forth the heavens alone; that spreads abroad the earth by Myself . . .   

25 that says to Jerusalem, “You shall be inhabited”; and to the cities of Judah, “You shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof”: 27 that says to the deep, “Be dry, and I will dry up your rivers”: 28 that says of Cyrus, “He is My shepherd, and shall perform all My pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be built’; and to the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid’.” [These words were spoken about 150 years before the events.]  Back

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Esth 2:5-23 (MSG)

⁵ Now there was a Jew who lived in the palace complex in Susa. His name was Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish—a Benjaminite. ⁶ His ancestors had been taken from Jerusalem with the exiles and carried off with King Jehoiachin of Judah by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon into exile.

⁷ Mordecai had reared his cousin Hadassah, otherwise known as Esther, since she had no father or mother. The girl had a good figure and a beautiful face. After her parents died, Mordecai had adopted her.

⁸ When the king's order had been publicly posted, many young girls were brought to the palace complex of Susa and given over to Hegai who was overseer of the women. Esther was among them. ⁹ Hegai liked Esther and took a special interest in her. Right off he started her beauty treatments, ordered special food, assigned her seven personal maids from the palace, and put her and her maids in the best rooms in the harem. ¹⁰ Esther didn't say anything about her family and racial background because Mordecai had told her not to.

¹¹ Every day Mordecai strolled beside the court of the harem to find out how Esther was and get news of what she was doing. ¹² Each girl's turn came to go in to King Xerxes after she had completed the twelve months of prescribed beauty treatments—six months' treatment with oil of myrrh followed by six months with perfumes and various cosmetics. ¹³ When it was time for the girl to go to the king, she was given whatever she wanted to take with her when she left the harem for the king's quarters. ¹⁴ She would go there in the evening; in the morning she would return to a second harem overseen by Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch in charge of the concubines.

She never again went back to the king unless the king took a special liking to her and asked for her by name.

¹⁵ When it was Esther's turn to go to the king (Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had adopted her as his daughter), she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king's eunuch in charge of the harem, had recommended.

Esther, just as she was, won the admiration of everyone who saw her. ¹⁶ She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal palace in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of the king's reign. ¹⁷ The king fell in love with Esther far more than with any of his other women or any of the other virgins—he was totally smitten by her. He placed a royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. ¹⁸ Then the king gave a great banquet for all his nobles and officials—"Esther's Banquet." He proclaimed a holiday for all the provinces and handed out gifts with royal generosity.

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