You are viewing lesson 50 in the series “Times of Israel” which provides 61 pages that give you a comprehensive overview of the Biblical history of Israel. The main events of Bible times, the great empires, Bible characters, and the books of the Bible, are all put into a framework that is easily understood and memorised.
Ezra and Nehemiah’s Adventures —and Jerusalem’s continued revival
Time ~ 8. Return of the Remnant Span ~ 140 years Books ~ Ezr, Neh, Est, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi Figures ~ Ezra Nehemiah Begins with ~ The decree to rebuild Jerusalem Ascendant empire ~ Medopersia
Our lessons are now well into the Medo-Persian rule. Artaxerxes is king of Persia. The rebuilding, religious restoration, and resettling of the remnant in Jerusalem, is led by Ezra and Nehemiah.
1 There Must Be Revival
From time to time revival must happen among God's people.
They must...
revisit and restore the original ordinances of God,
repent from sin and reform their lives,
re-dedicate themselves to the covenant they have broken or long neglected,
rebuild what has been destroyed,
rely upon the good providence of God.
2 Ezra and Nehemiah
Ezra and Nehemiah take up the struggle to resettle the remnant of Judah and Israel in Judah. Three things are going on in Jerusalem.
(1) Physical rebuilding of the city. Having rebuilt the temple, the walls and gates are now the focus. Opposition to this rebuilding is strong.
(2) Religious reform where the errors of the past are regretted and the present sins are corrected. A document is prayerfully prepared that dedicates the people to their covenant with God.
(3) The over-riding providence of God fulfilling his promise to preserve a remnant of the people with a view to the coming of Christ.
3 Waiting for Messiah
Much of the story of the returned remnant of Judah is left largely untold in the Bible, since at this point the Old Testament scriptures are completed. The remnant had to go through the Greek era and well into the Roman era before the Christ finally came. Bible prophecy did look forward into these "silent years" between the testaments, as we shall see in the time of Prophecy Unfolding covered in our next two lessons.
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