The opposition to the rebuilding mounts. Ezra puts his trust in archives. Can a dusty library save the project?
The vision of four chariots
Zechariah 6:1-8
Symbolic crowning of Joshua
Zechariah 6:9-15
Tattenai & Shethar-Bozenai’s question
Ezra 5:3-4
They appeal to Darius
Ezra 5:5-17
Cyrus’ decree is discovered
Ezra 6:1-2
Darius adds to it
Ezra 6:6-12
Co-operation of Tattenai and Shethar-Bozenai
Ezra 6:13-14
Insincere fasting condemned
Zechariah 7:1-7
The cause of exile
Zechariah 7:8-14
The Lord’s promise
Zechariah 8:1-15
Zechariah has good news for the exiles. God is busy on their behalf. He is sending out his Spirit in all directions, gathering the scattered people and bringing them back to a restored Jerusalem. He blames the exile on their stubborn refusal to obey God’s commands in the past, and calls on them to worship sincerely in future.
Ezra meanwhile is doing things by the book. The local government officials have turned up at the building site of the Temple, probably noting all sorts of health and safety violations, and questioning the Jews’; authority to carry out this work. They agree to write to King Darius ad check whether there’s royal approval. Interestingly, in their letter to the king, they refer to “the Temple of the Great God.” (5:8) even foreigners now are beginning to acknowledge that God is Lord of heaven and earth.
There is royal approval - in spades. Darius digs up the record of Cyrus’ decree, and adds his own orders to it. The delightfully named Tattenai and Shethar-Bozenai are commanded to co-operate, and do so whether through gritted teeth or not is not recorded. So the Temple is finished. Not on the grand scale of Ezekiel’s vision, it’s half the size, and not much more than 10% of the whole sacred area that Ezekiel imagined. But it’s a start.
The vision of four chariots
Zechariah 6:1-8
Symbolic crowning of Joshua
Zechariah 6:9-15
Tattenai & Shethar-Bozenai’s question
Ezra 5:3-4
They appeal to Darius
Ezra 5:5-17
Cyrus’ decree is discovered
Ezra 6:1-2
Darius adds to it
Ezra 6:6-12
Co-operation of Tattenai and Shethar-Bozenai
Ezra 6:13-14
Insincere fasting condemned
Zechariah 7:1-7
The cause of exile
Zechariah 7:8-14
The Lord’s promise
Zechariah 8:1-15
Zechariah has good news for the exiles. God is busy on their behalf. He is sending out his Spirit in all directions, gathering the scattered people and bringing them back to a restored Jerusalem. He blames the exile on their stubborn refusal to obey God’s commands in the past, and calls on them to worship sincerely in future.
Ezra meanwhile is doing things by the book. The local government officials have turned up at the building site of the Temple, probably noting all sorts of health and safety violations, and questioning the Jews’; authority to carry out this work. They agree to write to King Darius ad check whether there’s royal approval. Interestingly, in their letter to the king, they refer to “the Temple of the Great God.” (5:8) even foreigners now are beginning to acknowledge that God is Lord of heaven and earth.
There is royal approval - in spades. Darius digs up the record of Cyrus’ decree, and adds his own orders to it. The delightfully named Tattenai and Shethar-Bozenai are commanded to co-operate, and do so whether through gritted teeth or not is not recorded. So the Temple is finished. Not on the grand scale of Ezekiel’s vision, it’s half the size, and not much more than 10% of the whole sacred area that Ezekiel imagined. But it’s a start.
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