chapter 1 – Cyrus (king of Persia) gives a decree (decree #1), 539-8B.C.

• this was when Cyrus conquered Babylon, and thus was able to release the Jews captive there

  • [ the other option was 559B.C. (the first year of Cyrus’ rule over Persia, 1:1) but he hadn’t conquered Babylon yet, so how could he release the Jews? ]

 

chapter 3 – the Jews, back in Jerusalem, started to build the temple

 

chapter 4 – local enemies interfered w/ the building around Jerusalem

• this interference lasted from Cyrus even until Darius (4:5)

• they wrote a letters against Jerusalem during King Ahasuerus (4:6) and during Artaxerxes (4:7-8, 11, 23)

  • these are enemies saying the city (Jerusalem) and/or its walls are being built

  • note: this letter is OUT OF CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER (Ahasuerus’s letter is not in Bible but Artaxerxes is).  We were in the reign of Darius at this point in the Bible, but this letter is interjected into the narrative.

• but the city is/was being rebuilt (4:12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 21)

  • so this building of the city would apply during the time of Artaxerxes, not Cyrus or Darius, as chapter 4 is out of order and Artaxerxes is specifically mentioned here.

• Artaxerxes actually tells them to STOP the building until he gives the command to proceed (4:21), and the work on the temple was discontinued until 2nd year of Darius (4:24)

• again, all this chapter 4 stuff with Artaxerxes is happening in a future time (from beyond chapter 4 and in the reign of Artaxerxes).

 

chapter 5 – back to Darius

• the Jews were building the temple (5:2)

• Now a letter was sent to Darius (5:5-7)

• the enemies ask for a search in the Babylonian records for Cyrus’ decree (5:17)

 

chapter 6 – more Darius

• Darius responded (6:1) & found Cyrus’ decree (v.2-3)

• Darius tells the enemies of the Jews--the interferers--to ‘back off’ and let them work (decree #2, 6:6-8,11)

  • he commands the enemies and obstructors of God’s work in Jerusalem to actually help pay the Jews’ expenses (6:8-9)!

• Jews continue rebuilding (6:14) and the temple was finished (6:15)

 

chapter 7 – Artaxerxes!

• Artaxerxes (decree #3, 7:12-13) was for funding (chapter 7), but not a decree specifically saying “go and build”

  • but with the evidence in chapter 4, they were already building the city (meanwhile the details of the other 2 decrees were related to building the temple only, not the city: “from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem”, Daniel 9:25).

 

chapter 9 – later…

• Ezra prays saying that God has given “repair the house of our God, to rebuild its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem” (9:9)

  • so the command to rebuild must have already been given by now

 

Nehemiah chapter 2 – later in Nehemiah

• Nehemiah seeks approval from Artaxerxes (another decree)