Nehemiah and his followers do what seems to be the impossible because they are doing what God has called them to do. I found the picture on their website under the caption A prophet or Nehemiah west facade, south portal, right side, mid-12th c. Location: St. Lazare, Avallon, France. Only four years later the Temple was completed in the 6th year of Darius. Verse 24 gives the big picture overview of what takes place during the entire 70 weeks. I said, Christian chronologists have preserved this same reckoning of Ezra and Nehemiah because it is the only way to show that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the prophecy of Daniel 9. I meant to say: Christian chronologists have preserved this same reckoning of Ezra and Nehemiah because it is the only way they can show that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the prophecy of Daniel 9.. Nehemiah: Rebuilding the Walls | Nehemiah | RayStedman.org Still, they are incorrect.Dan Bruce, The Prophecy Society. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.' When [Nehemiah] heard these things, [he] sat down and wept" (Nehemiah 1:3). Our God will fight for us.. 7. Restoring the Wall (Nehemiah 2:9-7:73) - JesusWalk Once there, Nehemiah defied the opposition of Judah's enemies on all sidesSamaritans, Ammonites, Arabs and Philistinesand rebuilt the walls within 52 days, from the Sheep Gate in the North, the Hananeel Tower at the North West corner, the Fish Gate in the West, the Furnaces Tower at the Temple Mount's South West. 2. I think he has placed Israel History in proper date chronology. . Very good study. Thats too big a price to pay, and unnecessary. Biblical Events Confirmed: The Jerusalem's Wall That Nehemiah Built So why did chronologist place a gap in chronology between Ezra 6 &7 between Jeshua/Zerubabbel and Ezra/Nehemiah? Dorothy Resig Willette is the former Managing Editor of Biblical Archaeology Review. . Rebuilding the walls showed that God was with His people. Rhema I have received from what Nehemiah did: he had a burden for his people; he went out and did want God wanted him to do; God did not give him a timeframe to do it in; and Nehemiah obeyed. Brenton Septuagint Translation It identified the time of the introduction of the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah that would be offered to Israel by John the Baptist, and it identified the anointed one, Jesus, who would confirm that new covenant during the Passion Week. Children's Bible Lessons: Lesson - Nehemiah Rebuilds The Wall - Blogger American Standard Version So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days. One of the most astonishing facts about Nehemiah is that he finished the walls in just 52 days. Aramaic Bible in Plain English And he finished the wall on the twentyfifth of Elul, in fiftytwo days. Nehemiah served as the kings cupbearer (Nehemiah 1:11), which evidently put him in a position to speak to the king. Another of Nehemiahs accomplishments was to make a record and genealogy of all the nobles, officials and people who were then living in Judah. 1In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was served to him, I carried the wine and gave it to the king. Daniel 9:25 is tied to the 490 weeks of years when Nehemiah restored the walls in Jerusalem. The walls were built between 1535 and 1538, when Jerusalem was part of the Ottoman Empire, by the order of Suleiman I. Notice then what YHWH says in verse 16: I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall built in it, saith YHWH of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.. Equip. Combine a one-year tablet and print subscription to BAR with membership in the BAS Library to start your journey into the ancient past today! So take 492BCE in Jeremiahs prophecy on the 490 years and until messiah the prince, whats that put us at? Are you rebelling against the king? 20Then I replied to them, The God of heaven is the one who will give us success, and we his servants are going to start building; but you have no share or claim or historic right in Jerusalem.. The wall completed: 6:15-19. 23After them Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs opposite their house. Read about Nadav Naamans examination of the Biblical and archaeological evidence for King Davids Palace and the Millo in Bible History Daily. 52 days God instructed Nehemiah to build a wall around Jerusalem to protect its citizens from enemy attack. 2In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. 1Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish kin. They played trumpets, cymbals, and harps and sang to Jehovah. Despite of them we steadily kept on our building, and the result was that soon all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof - the whole continuous line of wall was completed to half the contemplated height. The world of the Bible is knowable. YHWHs house is the heart of Jerusalem, without its completion nothing else matters. 20After him Baruch son of Zabbai repaired another section from the Angle to the door of the house of the high priest Eliashib. . Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem's Walls (Nehemiah 2:11-16) Landmarks in Building the Wall of Jerusalem ( Larger map) Notice carefully Nehemiah's strategy. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me. Darius Hystaspes checks the records and confirms that in fact Cyruss did issue a decree and therefore the contruction could go on. 52 x 6 days], with the next 52 days being a symbolic sabbath of rest following all that work. Though the temple has been rebuilt, the city walls were as they had been for the last 130 years, with the result that the inhabitants of Jerusalem had no way of defending themselves against their enemies (see Nehemiah 4:11). If the Artaxerxes of Nehemiah references Darius son of Hystaspes their minimum age would have been 66 years. The ruins on the Western Hill were not occupied again until the Hellenistic period of Alexander the Great. In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capital, 2one of my brothers, Hanani, came with certain men from Judah; and I asked them about the Jews that survived, those who had escaped the captivity, and about Jerusalem. It will represent the belief that He is alive, listening and able to respond. Have a blessed day one and all. However, week of years is not the meaning of the word weeks used to specify the seven weeks and sixty-two weeks in verse 25. 15So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. But Nehemiah avoids their traps, ignores their threats, and refuses to hide when threatened by assassination. Nehemiah 1:2-4 & 6:15-16. After the wall was built, Nehemiah ensured that the people were read God's Law, and they understood it. They knew that the command given by YHWH was in the same year as the command given by Darius, Artaxerxes, son of Hystaspes in his 2nd year. Our hearts. The Bible doesn't say Nehemiah had wall-building experience or even leadership experience. The wall was completed in 52 days, on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul. As already mentioned, most traditional expositors have interpreted the word weeks in that verse to mean a week of years. In other words, a week in Daniel is interpreted as meaning a period of seven years. 5Do not cover their guilt, and do not let their sin be blotted out from your sight; for they have hurled insults in the face of the builders. 3And I said to them, The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot; while the gatekeepers are still standing guard, let them shut and bar the doors. Enemies of God heard the people were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah's leadership; they were jealous and they were furious. The length of the walls is 4,018 meters (2.4966 mi), their average height is 12 meters (39.37 feet) and the average thickness is 2.5 meters (8.2 feet). Here is Gods version of revising history. I am not a scholar or a biblical archaeologist, just someone who has viewed Nehemiahs role and strategies as a model of best practise in leadership and how to empower a community/ people. Biblical Archaeology Review is the guide on that fascinating journey. Now, I had never been sad in his presence before. At the 70 year time, we go into great tribulation, the final 3 and a half years. Chapter 5 says, he finished the wall in the 32nd year of the king!!! That would put Ezras aliyah around 515 BCE, and Nehemyahs time in Yerushalayim from around 502 BCE to 490 BCE. And they builded, 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. A race of slaves emerge from slavery to become a nation. This verse describes the commands which were instrumental in the rebuilding of the Temple and its eventual completion. 18For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah: and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. We can learn about the society where the ancient Israelites, and later Jesus and the Apostles, lived through the modern discoveries that provide us clues. Sometime during the next 16 years (between 1st year of Cyrus & 2nd year of Darius Hystaspes) construction of the 2nd temple stopped. This was definitely accomplished with God's help. Now the king had sent officers of the army and cavalry with me. Ezra Nehemiah Flashcards | Quizlet Of course, no artist can claim knowledge of what any biblical character looked like. I would also like to address a comment regarding Yeshu, the Roman Fabrication. Yeshua being a Roman fabrication is as reasonable and historically accurate as those who say Israel is a British one. Being a representative of the king to rebuild jerusalem was such a great feat that he would not have time for a family either. YHWHs decree in the 2nd year of Darius Hystaspes (through Haggai & Zechariah) to restart contruction of the temple which had stopped sometime earlier. For the purpose of brevity, the word week in this chapter will hereafter represent the Day of Pentecost, although using the full fifty-day time period of the Feast of Weeks will work equally well in the interpretation offered in this chapter.. In Part 1 prayer was discussed and in this article we have discussed preparation and . They are appropriate here again: Ezra 6:14 14 And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. A wall built for Gods Glory Nehemiah depicts the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah Notice it went backwards in time? This is a powerful teaching It takes me back to when I was wrapping up my pursuit towards my diploma And ministered to me was God needed you left out so he Nehemiahed you left out its not that you did something wrong Terrill T.C a.k.a Relic. The wall was at last completed52 days (a week shy of two months) after the reconstruction under Nehemiah commenced (verse 15). Nehemiah decides that the fortifications have to be rebuilt. He also made the other nobles and officials forgive all outstanding debts and ordered them to return all land and money that had been taken as taxes so the people would be able to feed themselves and their families. seventh] of one year, since work was not to be done on a sabbath. Nehemiah's Wall. Thus Artaxerxes is not another Persian ruler but a title which defines Darius son of Hystaspes. 10Next to them Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house; and next to him Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs. 4When I heard these words I sat down and wept, and mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Trying to apply that prophecy to the Persian period is simply incorrect. By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. 2For there were those who said, With our sons and our daughters, we are many; we must get grain, so that we may eat and stay alive. 3There were also those who said, We are having to pledge our fields, our vineyards, and our houses in order to get grain during the famine. 4And there were those who said, We are having to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay the kings tax. Notice the importance YHWH, not man, places on the construction efforts: Zechariah 1:13-16 And YHWH answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words. ' When I heard these things, I sat down and wept" (Nehemiah 1:3-4). So from the restoring of the wall in 492BCE to messiah the Prince in 2BCE, that equals 490. After them Azariah son of Maaseiah son of Ananiah made repairs beside his own house. Yodie. They went up on the wall by the stairs at the Fountain Gate and then marched in opposite directions around the city. Israel is not serving God as of now and so time is not calculated because of that. The liberal wants to revise history by dithering about dates . Truth of the matter is we will NEVER know all the facts and truths in this life..only the next. (who came up with Zerubabbel) Talmon and Akkub were porters who kept the gates during the time Nehemiah was in Jerusalem. The third edition of the Biblical Archaeology Societys widely-acclaimed Ancient Israel: From Abraham to the Destruction of the Temple serves as an authoritative history of ancient Israel. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.. 17Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiahs letters came to them. Defying the opposition of Judahs enemies on all sidesSamaritans, Ammonites, Arabs and Philistines, the original walls of the City of David were rebuilt by the people in 52 days, working with a trowel in one hand & a sword in the other. After him Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, made repairs. Nothing else would qualify. 1Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he mocked the Jews. Often asked: How Long Did Nehemiah Wait To Build The Wall? No self respecting Jewish zealot would have based it upon a command given by men. I do not see a reference to Yom Kippur in these verses. How Long And Tall Was The Wall Nehemiah Built In 52 Days? How long was the wall that Nehemiah rebuilt? Bible Lesson: God uses Nehemiah to lead His - Ministry-To-Children By this time, exiles who were taken at the time of the Babylonian conquest had already been allowed to return to their homeland, and the ones that did had already rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem. In this way the Persian era was eclipsed. After each failed attempt a new Artaxerxes was chosen in order to make the prophecy work. How about it? It made the city smaller than the original boundaries. If you have a year exactly equal to 364 days (the solar year used by the Book of Jubilees), then 52 days is exactly one-seventh of a year. 52 days to rebuild a wall | wannebechef This cycle is hinted at in 52 days of 52 weeks to complete the 360 degree cycle of the soul. 9Next to them Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs. Ezra insisted upon the dismissal of these wives. sepia. Im very glad to look your post. It happened at a time when the captivity of the Jews had already come to an end. He expounded and enforced the Law of God. The waw would have been more accurately translated as a hendiadys where the 2nd word specifies the first. Just shows to go you that, just because a guy pulls up his sleeves, and is the first one to jump in and work, it sometimes doesnt mean what it appears to mean. Photo: Foto Marburg/Art Resource, NY. Will they restore things? According to a story, Nehemiah, a high official in the Persian court of King Artaxerxes I at the capital city of Susa, was very troubled that there was no wall to protect his beloved city of Jerusalem, its walls and gates. I really like all of the points youve made. 9So we prayed to our God, and set a guard as a protection against them day and night. Nehemiah settled the people in the city and its suburbs. Based on Ezra 6:14 this was none other than Darius son of Hystaspes. [], [] like in Nehemiahs time, we are living within broken down walls. 7We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. Dig into the illuminating world of the Bible with a BAS All-Access membership. We will soon discover that Nehemiah has a position of authority in the empire, being the 'cupbearer . Notice the context. It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the () twentieth year, as I was in () Shushan [] the [] citadel, 2 that () Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. God bless. Families and professional groups take on the responsibility for repairing stretches of the wall, while gates are provided with attics, doors, bolts and bars, and towers are rebuilt. Of the three commands to rebuild the temple as mentioned in Ezra 6, clearly the command by YHWH through Haggai and Zechariah would be the one a Messianic Zealot or their followers would use to base their claim for the fulfillment of Daniel 9. These walls had been down for 100 years. It took Nehemiah 52 days to reinforce the gaps and rebuild the wall. Write "Nehemiah and the people build the wall in 52 days!" in the middle of the yellow paper. Since 1954, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes has been challenging coaches and athletes to use the powerful medium of athletics to impact the world for Jesus Christ, reaching millions worldwide. Respectfully, Nathaniel, you are incorrect in your interpretation. The All-Access membership pass is the way to get to know the Bible through biblical archaeology. Again I ask you to consider. During this time according to Haggai 1 the people were busy working on their own houses. Because Haggai and Zechariah prophesied due to the command of YHWH. It also has nothing to do with feasts of weeks, nor does Daniel say anything at all about seventy weeks.. And next to them Zaccur son of Imri built. I have seen some [arguing for Artaxerxes I] say that his genealogy leaves out some generations, but it doesnt really make sense that there should be a gap of 128 years right between his last ancestor in his genealogy and himself/his first dateable appearance. At the end all glory to God was given. If you will read chapters six and seven in my book (link given above), you will see just how precisely the interpretation I have given fits recorded history and the Scriptures. How did Nehemiah rebuild the walls? They make their money by licensing temporary rights for a specific use to newspapers, magazines and other media. as the provincial governor of Judah/Yehud. According to Haggai 1, YHWH then spoke to Haggai and asked him why the people were building their own houses when the Temple was not completed. 12 gates in that map is still remain today? The word used in Daniyel is shavuim, while the word for weeks is shavuot. Nehemiah | Jewish leader - Encyclopedia Britannica Here is where the problem develops in the chronology. 5In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. I wonder if we know or have a way of knowing if he was married at the time of the story or if he had been married at all at any time? The traditional Bible chronology based on Thieles harmonization of the Hebrew kings and the Rohl chronology that shortens the chronology of Egypt are incorrect. PDF 4. Nehemiah 1-6 Nehemiah Rebuilds the Walls of Jerusalem | Bible Fun For Kids Here is how I understand it. The prince to come is key to understanding these verses. That decree restores Jerusalem to a messiah (anointed one)/political leader (in this case, the high priest and ethnarch Hyrcanus II), and indicates that the seventy weeks will be fulfilled AFTER the broad place and moat has been rebuilt, an event that happened between 44 BCE and 43 BCE, when Antipater, appointed by Rome to assist Hyrcanus govern the city of Jerusalem, is known to have rebuilt the wall and tower gate (with the broad place for assembling troops behind the tower) and restored the moat in front of the wall by clearing out the rubbish that had been used by Pompey in 63 BCE to fill in the moat so his Roman troops could use siege engines against the wall. 14Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the Kings Pool; but there was no place for the animal I was riding to continue. Building the Wall and Dealing With Resistance. "'Jerusalem's wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned down. What was the length of the Jerusalem walls Nehemiah had to - Answers We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it" ( Nehemiah 2:20 ). Since Ezra and Nehemyah were together in Yerushalayim at some point (Ezra 8:9) it is unlikely to have been a different Artakhashast in each story. 14After I looked these things over, I stood up and said to the nobles and the officials and the rest of the people, Do not be afraid of them. In the twelfth chapter, the word days was used to indicate Day(s) of Atonement. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some at their watch-posts, and others before their own houses. 4The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few and no houses had been built. We will do as you say. And I called the priests, and made them take an oath to do as they had promised. Daniel 9 did two things. (B) These are just chronological events which take place after the first 7 sevens. When a mother walks into our care, there is a sense of urgency: a baby is coming and I can only stay so long. Lots of debate here and that is ok as long as we remember that in-fighting amongst believers only makes the unbelievers more of an unbeliever. Write "The people wanted to work!". He also urged them to set up guards to defend against the constant threat of those who opposed their efforts, including the armies of Samaria, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites. i found map of 12 gates of jerusalem according to nehemiah. Should you not walk in the fear of our God, to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? Back to Nehemiah My interpretation fits both Scripture and history. Nehemiah is the account of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah - Plano Bible Chapel So that the Mikdash would have been completed in his 6th year (Ezra 6), and Ezra would have led the return in his 7th year. Nehemiah 2:11-18 MSG - "ComeLet's Build the Wall of - Bible Gateway [Nehemiah records] "Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived from Judah with another group, and I asked them about Jerusalem and about our fellow-Jews who had returned from exile in Babylonia. According to Jewish tradition the Artakhshast of Ezra and Nehemyah is the same as Daryavesh I. It is the bedrock foundation upon which Jerusalems restoration began. Photo: Zev Radovan. 7Next to them repairs were made by Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothitethe men of Gibeon and of Mizpahwho were under the jurisdiction of the governor of the province Beyond the River. Neither can be made to match the biblical record. 14Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. Required fields are marked *. It was now the 25th day of Elul, only five days prior to the Feast of Trumpets. How difficult is it to build a wall? 16Indeed, I devoted myself to the work on this wall, and acquired no land; and all my servants were gathered there for the work. Each issue of Biblical Archaeology Review features lavishly illustrated and easy-to-understand articles such as: Fascinating finds from the Hebrew Bible and New Testament periods, The latest scholarship by the world's greatest archaeologists and distinguished scholars, Stunning color photographs, informative maps, and diagrams, Reviews of the latest books on biblical archaeology, 45+ years of Biblical Archaeology Review, 20+ years of Bible Review online, providing critical interpretations of biblical texts. Looking at the verse in this context brings a little different picture. The command starts the process and the focus of the command is to return and build Jerusalem. Key Notes: The wall was done in 52 days. If you sort through the rather scarce historical references of Messianic expectancy in the 1st century BCE you will find like Newton and Davidson that a huge portion of the Persian era was eclipsed. 15So I went up by way of the valley by night and inspected the wall. 1st century BCE Jewish messianic expectants considered the prophecy so important that today over 2000 years later we have a Rabbinic chronology which leaves out over 120 year of Persian chronology. ALIGN YOURSELF WITH GOD. Nehemiah - The Greatest Story Ever Christian chronologists have preserved this same reckoning of Ezra and Nehemiah because it is the only way to show that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the prophecy of Daniel 9. Photo printing devices nowadays are manufactured in different sizes As noted earlier a variation on this tradition has been carried on by Christians today in their association of Artaxerxes with the Persian Longimanus. Nehemiah 810 is considered part of the so-called Ezra Source (which includes Ezra 710), while Nehemiah 17 and 1113 are from a separate source that scholars call the Nehemiah Memoir. The Nehemiah Memoir is written in the first person and recounts details of Nehemiahs life, his deeds and his administration of the province, probably meant to serve as an official record of his accomplishments to be deposited in the Temple archives (by genaa). 1Now when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah and to Geshem the Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall and that there was no gap left in it (though up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), 2Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come and let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they intended to do me harm. This can only be sadness of the heart. Then I was very much afraid. Next to them Meshullam son of Berechiah son of Meshezabel made repairs. Reversing these often repeated, monstrous trends of history is Gods hand unparalleled among ANY people to demonstrate His glory. Contextually there is no evidence for another Artaxerxes who was instrumental in getting the temple builded and finished by the 6th year as stated in Ezra 6. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we may no longer suffer disgrace. 18I told them that the hand of my God had been gracious upon me, and also the words that the king had spoken to me. Finishing the Wall (Nehemiah 6:1-7:3) December 31 Christ is clearly cut off at the determination of the 69th week. Thanks for the article.