Bible Overview
Exodus and Conquest The Patriarchs The Beginnings Israel’s Exile A Divided Kingdom The Monarchy The Early Church The Story of Jesus The ‘Silent’ Years Judges and Ruth Israel’s Return Revelation

Israel’s Return

The temple is rebuilt

[Ezra] In Cyrus’ first year of reign in Babylon, he makes a proclamation to permit the Israelites to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. Among the thousands who return is Ezra, a priest and descendant of Aaron. Th e Samaritans, having been refused their offer to help, make trouble for the Israelites with the result that Artaxerxes commands the Israelites to stop their building work. Encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the Israelites resume building the temple and Darius issues a fresh decree enabling the works to be completed over the next four years. Having returned to Babylon at some point, Ezra, supported by a decree from Artaxerxes, along with the provision of finances, prepares to go to Jerusalem for a second time to teach and re-establish the priestly system of judges and God’s laws. Israel is now able to return to her full way of spiritual life. Many of the Israelites had married foreign wives, expressly forbidden by their law. Ezra is grieved and confesses their sins to God with shame and embarrassment. A proposal is made that those who have married foreign wives should divorce them and separate themselves from them and their children. Those who separate from their foreign wives and children are recorded in the book of Ezra .

The walls and gates are rebuilt

[Nehemiah] About eleven years after Ezra had gone to Jerusalem, its walls and gates are still in the same condition as when Nebuchadnezzer had left them. Artaxerxes gives Nehemiah, his cup bearer, permission to return to Jerusalem to rebuild them. The walls and gates now being completed, Ezra reads the book of the law from a pulpit along with thirteen Levites. Nehemiah governs Jerusalem for about twelve years before returning to the court of Artaxerxes in Babylon. Some time later he comes back to Jerusalem and has to adopt strong measures to deal with abuses that have arisen.

Extermination of the Jews prevented

[Esther] Looking back to the time when the first wave of people returned to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel, and before the second wave with Ezra, Ahasuerus, king of Persia, had held a great feast for all the dignitaries of his kingdom. Queen Vashti refuses his request to appear unveiled and is consequently deposed. A new queen is sought and twelve months later Esther is chosen. From her position as queen, she is able to foil a plot by Haman to exterminate the Israelites, resulting in Haman’s execution. Because their law did not allow a decree to be cancelled, a new decree is made giving the Israelites authority to defend themselves and even to slay those that rise against them, enabling them to survive the plot. This is celebrated today by the Jews as the festival of Purim.