The Restoration Era E-Book

Dr. Brian J. Bailey

• Herausgeber: Zion Christian Publishers
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

As we are seeing End Time events begin to unfold before our eyes, we realize that never has there been such a need for restoration. God desires to restore the Church to the glory that she once knew before and cause her to become exceedingly glorious, without spot or wrinkle. In this book, Dr. Bailey brings to light the significance of the Restoration books of Ezra and Nehemiah, applying the truths contained in the historical restoration of Israel to the situation of the last day Church as well as to our personal lives.

Leseprobe

THE RESTORATION ERA

A Study of Ezra and Nehemiah

Dr. Brian J. Bailey

Version 1.0

“The Restoration Era”

 © 2003 Brian J. Bailey

Front cover design:

 © 2002 Zion Fellowship, Inc.

All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles or reviews.

All Scripture quotations in this book are taken from the

King James Version Bible unless otherwise stated.

Published as an e-book on June 2017

in the United States of America

E-book ISBN 1-59665-685-9

For more information, please contact:

Zion Christian Publishers

A Zion Fellowship ® Ministry

P.O. Box 70

Waverly, New York 14892

Acknowledgements

We wish to extend our thanks to the editorial team for their diligence, creativity, and excellence in the compilation of this book for the glory of God — Joyce Aw, Carla Borges, Sarah Brogan, Sarah Kropf, Mary Humphreys, and Caroline Tham.

PREFACE

The theme of restoration is the universal message of the Holy Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. The purpose—to restore man unto God after the fall of Adam—was accomplished through the death of Jesus, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. God fervently desires that those of His people who have fallen from their redeemed positions after salvation (or have erred from the truths that they have received) may again be placed back upon the path of righteousness and holiness.

Nonetheless, as ever, the Lord needs those who will cry out for the restoration of His people. The hand of God is always moved through the prayers and intercessions of His people, although we must bear in mind that the Lord has His divinely appointed times for restoration. This is true in the destinies of nations as well as individuals.

Daniel understood by the writings of Jeremiah (Jer. 25:11- 12) that 70 years of captivity were determined upon Jerusalem before it would be restored (Dan. 9:2). This truth was quickened to Daniel in the first year of Darius, the king of the Medes who took Babylon. The timing would have been just three years before the 70 years had been fulfilled. Thus, Daniel started to pray at this appointed time. Ecclesiastes 3:3 states that there is a time to break down and a time to build up. There is a time for everything!

Restoration is definitely on the heart of God. It flows through the whole of the Word of God, from generation to generation. In actuality it is the meaning of religion, which is basically the binding together again of that which was once joined. We have to realize that it is the supreme goal of God to bring about restoration. It originated in the heart of God, who knows the end from the beginning. He knew when He created man that man would fall, and restoration would be necessary through His Son.

For that very reason, before the foundation of the world, He revealed this to His beloved Son. We find in Romans 8:29- 30, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” God, in His foreknowledge, knows exactly who will respond to Him and what is going to happen in our lives.

There are four main areas of restoration: the restoration of man, the restoration of the nation of Israel, the restoration of the Church, and the restoration of this creation, meaning this earth in the natural realm (Rom. 8:22).

When we look very carefully into the Word of God, we find that Adam was called “the son of God” (Lk. 3:38). Adam was formed in the image of God and in His likeness. This means that Adam was made like God. Therefore, if we are looking at man we are, in a certain sense, looking at God. God wanted fellowship with Adam, but in order for Him to have fellowship with man, there had to be a test. Adam was created in a state of innocence. The difference between innocence and holiness is that innocence has not been tried. We often speak of the innocence of a child, which is very wonderful indeed. A child is innocent simply because he has not been given opportunities to do evil. However, God does not want innocence; He wants holiness. Holiness is only possible through trials and testings, whereby one chooses the good and refuses the evil. Adam was tested in the very area that reveals the heart of God—love. He was tested to see whether he would love God first, above everything else. Adam failed this test for when Eve took the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and became sin in disobedience to God, Adam chose Eve over God.

As we read through the beginning chapters of Genesis, we usually do not consider God in this matter. We consider Adam making the wrong choice, Eve’s disobedience, and the serpent’s cunning trickery, but we forget that God’s heart was completely broken because Adam chose Eve over Himself. God must come first in our lives, over everything, including other people. In actuality, Adam rejected God, yet God did not reject Adam. This same experience will happen many times in our lives. We will be rejected by loved ones, but we must not reject them.

There are three parables given in the Word of God that specifically deal with restoration: The Parable of the Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and The Lost Son. Each of these parables describes a category of believers who need restoration.

The first is found in Luke 15:4-7: “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”

Let us consider sheep for a moment. We are likened to sheep in the Word of God. Isaiah 53:6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” In this parable, we have the thought of being lost through ignorance. A sheep often turns aside through ignorance, not realizing that it should follow the shepherd. In like manner, a believer also can be lost through ignorance.

The next parable is found in Luke 15:8-10: “Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

A coin cannot wander off and get lost by itself but a sheep can. A coin is lost through neglect. In this case, it must be searched out diligently. We, as pastors and leaders, are responsible to look after and care for some believers because they can be lost through neglect. Thus, some can be lost through ignorance on their part and some can be lost through neglect on our part. Then there is the third category.

Luke 15:11-32 relates the story of the Prodigal Son: “And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living” (Lk. 15:11-13).

The younger son asked for the portion of his inheritance that he might have it and go on his own. Here is a case of self-will. The younger son decided to go. It was neither neglect nor ignorance but self-will. He determined to leave his father’s house. There are so many young people and older people, too, who determine to leave the paths of God. They make up their mind that they are going to leave, and nothing can be said to stop them. As with the first two parables, it is only through God’s mercy that this backslider is restored.

“And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants” (Lk. 15:14 19).

What is interesting is the fact that the father did not go and look for him. He waited until the son had come to himself. Those who leave through self-will often have to go on a very dangerous path. It is said that the path of the backslider is very hard. They often go down into the pits of the deepest, grossest sin, and are afflicted by ill health, sorrow, and hardship. Only when they are right down at the bottom do they come to their senses. Regretfully, not everyone comes to his senses, but I do believe there is far more hope for the backslider than we think.

As we study revival in the Word of God, we see that one of the features of revival is the restoration of the backslider. Therefore, when we look at these three parables, we see that one person backslid through ignorance, and was found by the shepherd; another was lost through neglect and had to be sought; but the third, which was lost through self-will, was not restored until he came to his senses.

“And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found” (Lk. 15:20-32).

The father did not think twice about the welcome he would give his son upon his return. He prepared a wonderful feast and welcomed the prodigal home with open arms. However, the elder brother was furious, as he had been faithful while his younger brother had squandered his entire livelihood. Then when his younger brother came home, he was expected to welcome him back as well. The elder brother did not have a father’s heart. The father knew so very well that if the prodigal had not come back, he was dead, lost in trespasses and sins, and he would go to hell. The father had undoubtedly been praying and crying out to God for restoration. The father had no illusions whatsoever about this younger son being dead to God. In a very real sense, we must realize that unless the backslider is restored, he is already lost.

In the past, I have been amazed at what some people have done, and I would have thought there was no hope for them whatsoever—yet the amazing thing is that they have come back to the church, restored. Therefore, it depends upon our prayers. The Lord desires restoration. God wants us to realize that He is married to the backslider (Jer. 3:14) and longs to restore the backslider to Himself.

It is so important to realize that when God lays someone upon our hearts, we must be faithful in praying for them. If they have been lost through ignorance or neglect, we can do our part in leading them back to the Lord, but if they have willingly gone off the path, the only thing that we can do is pray for them.

Many years ago, I attended a church that was full of well-redeemed drunkards. They used to love to jump up and give testimonies about how God had redeemed them. Oh what joy God has when those that chose to go astray come back! There is such joy in heaven. But there was another person in that same church who stood up to give his testimony after these others saying, “My testimony is greater than all of yours, because He preserved me from drinking.” The greatest miracle is to be preserved. Thus, we should cry out for mercy to be kept. Yet if one has fallen, we can place our hope in the God of restoration. God wants to restore!

The Book of Ezra

THE BOOK OF EZRA

Introduction

Due to the disobedience of King Solomon, the son of David, the united kingdom of Israel was divided after his death. Israel was divided into two parts: the Northern kingdom (comprising ten of the twelve tribes) and the Southern kingdom of Judah.

The Northern ten tribes, under their king, Jeroboam son of Nebat, soon fell into idolatry. After 20 successive kings had ruled – nearly all of whom were evil – the kingdom fell to the Assyrians under Sargon in 722 B.C. Under the kings that succeeded Sargon (Sennacherib, Ezarhaddon and Ashurbanipal), Israel experienced successive deportations into the lands of the heathen.

The Southern kingdom was faithful during much of its early existence, but eventually it too became evil, particularly under King Manasseh. Therefore, God pronounced 70 years of Babylonian captivity upon them. This captivity began in 606 B.C. and ended in 536 B.C. with the decree of Cyrus the Great, King of Persia, to rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem. Those who initiated this task were Zerubbabel the governor (a descendant of David in the lineage of Christ) and Joshua the high priest.

The Restoration Period began 500 years before Christ and served to prepare Israel for His coming. This period in Israel’s history is analogous to the Reformation Period, which began 500 years ago to prepare the Church for the Second Coming of our Lord. It is doubtful if one can over emphasise the importance of this era in the history of mankind. It saw the rebuilding of the physical temple, the restoration of temple worship, the resurrection of the truths of God, and the teaching of the Law under Ezra. Through Ezra, the teaching priest, the Scriptures were assembled, and many psalms, as well as the historical books of Chronicles and Esther were written. So great was this man that the Jews allude to him as the “Second Moses,” because of his devotion to the law.

Satan obviously recognised the danger of this era to his own kingdom of darkness, and therefore, he raised up three main protagonists during this time:

1. Gautama Buddha (560-480 B.C.) was in India birthing the diabolical teaching of Buddhism.

2. Confucius (551-479 B.C.) in China gave birth to Confucianism, the teachings of a man who knew not God.

3. Socrates (470-399 B.C.) was in Greece propagating philosophy, of which Paul warned the Colossians to let no man spoil the believers by these vain deceits (Col. 2:8). Plato (428-347 B.C.) continued the teachings of Socrates. His greatest pupil was Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) who, in turn, was the tutor of Alexander the Great.

The Restoration Period is covered in Scripture by six books: the Historical Books of Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah, and the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. In this volume we will be concerned only with the books of Ezra and Nehemiah as the book of Esther has been published earlier in a separate volume entitled Esther, and the prophets are included together in the book entitled The Minor Prophets Book Three. This volume contains the books of Ezra and Nehemiah and covers the period between 536—425 B.C.

The chronological relationship of these books, together with Esther and the prophets is as follows:

The Historical Background

Chronological Data

In the times when Israel dwelt in her land, the following nations ruled over or afflicted her:

Egypt – During the days of Rehoboam, Shishak, king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem and took away all the treasures of the house of the Lord (1 Ki. 14:25-26).

Assyria – There were progressive Assyrian invasions as follows:

1. Pul, king of Assyria, came against Israel during the reign of Menahem, king of Israel.

2. Tiglath Pileser, king of Assyria, took the region of Galilee and all the land of Naphtali, during the reign of Pekah, king of Israel.

3. Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, besieged Samaria, the capital of Israel in 725 B.C.

4. Sargon, king of Assyria, took Samaria in 722 B. C.

5. Sennacherib, king of Assyria, invaded Judah and took (according to what was written upon his prism) 46 strongholds in Judah before besieging Jerusalem, where his army of 185,000 men was slain by the sword of the angel of the Lord (Isa. 37:35-36).

6. Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, ordered the deportation of the twelve tribes of Israel.

7. Asurbanipal, king of Assyria, ordered further deportations.

8. Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, fell to the Babylonians in 612 B.C.

Babylon – There were three principal sieges and deportations of the Jews to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar:

1. During the third year of Jehoiakim, king of Judah (606 B.C.), the prophet Daniel and others of the nobility were taken into Babylonian captivity.

2. In the third month of the reign of Jehoiachin, king of Judah (597 B.C.), Ezekiel was deported with the captives. These were the “good figs” referred to in Jeremiah chapter 24.

3. In the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah (586 B.C.), Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed.

There were also three returns from Babylon to Jerusalem:

1. Zerubbabel 536 B.C.

2. Ezra 457 B.C.

3. Nehemiah 444 B.C.

The Mede and Persian Empire

Darius the Mede took Babylon 539 B.C.

Cyrus the Persian reigned 536 - 530 B.C.

Cambyses 530 - 522 B.C.

Smerdis 522 B.C.

Darius I 522 - 486 B.C.

Xerxes (Ahasuerus) 486 - 465 B.C.

Artaxerxes I 465 - 423 B.C.

Darius II 423 - 404 B.C.

Artaxerxes II 404 - 359 B.C.

Artaxerxes III 359 - 338 B.C.

Arses 338 - 336 B.C.

Darius III 336 - 331 B.C.

The Greeks

Alexander the Great 331 - 323 B.C.

(He reigned over Persia after having defeated Darius III)

Outline

1. The First Return to Jerusalem under

Zerubbabel; 1:1-2:70

2. The Building of the Temple 3:1- 6:22

a. Foundations Laid 3:1-13

b. Construction Ceased 4:1-24

c. Year of the Prophets 5:1-17

d. Completion of the Temple 6:1-22

3. The Second Return to Jerusalem 7:1-8:36

4. The Restoration of the People 9:1-10:44

PART ONE

The First Return to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel

In the Restoration Period we are introduced to men of extraordinary character and godliness:

• Cyrus, the Persian King and a type of Christ as the great King over all the earth (Isa. 44:26-45:6)

• Zerubbabel, the leader and builder of the Temple, who was promised that he would be as a signet, or ring because the Lord had chosen him (Hag. 2:23)

• Joshua, the high priest, who was given a change of clothing (Zech. 3:1-10)

• Haggai, the prophet

• Zechariah, the prophet

• Ezra, the teaching priest

• Nehemiah, the governor of Jerusalem

These men became a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of their God (Isa. 62:3).

This must also be our desire – to let the Lord work deep within our hearts that we may likewise become crowns of beauty and glory in the hands of our God and His Christ, and bring eternal pleasure to the Godhead. In this book, we will look only at three preeminent men: Cyrus, Ezra, and Nehemiah. The others are mentioned in their respective books; Zerubbabel is included in Haggai, and Joshua is mentioned in Zechariah.

Chapter 1 — The Decree of Cyrus

1:1-2 -“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.” Cyrus, this beautiful man of God, is one of the two kings (the other being Josiah) who are mentioned prophetically in Holy Scripture before their birth. God spoke of Cyrus about 100 years before he was born (Isa. 44:28), and of Josiah nearly 350 years before his birth (1 Ki. 13:2). Ezra 1:1-2 suggests that Cyrus gave glory for his military prowess to the One and True God. This confirms Isaiah 45:1 which says, “Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut…”

Apart from being a brilliant general, Cyrus was called “the Righteous Man” in Isaiah 41:2, “Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.”

Xenophon, the Greek soldier and author, described Cyrus as being a tolerant ideal monarch in one of his works¬, Cyropaedia. Cyrus was called “the father of his people” by the ancient Persians. He certainly treated his foes with magnanimity, and was held in high esteem not only by his own people, but also by other nations, including the Greeks. He was acclaimed as an able administrator, whilst possessing the qualities of bravery and daring. Therefore, he was held up to be the model of a ruler par excellence to the Greeks, both by Heroditus, the historian, and by Xenophon.

God called Cyrus “His shepherd” in Isaiah 44:28, indicating his caring nature for those under his rule. In the first year of his reign (536 B.C.), Cyrus gave the commandment to release the Jewish captives, and ordered that the Temple in Jerusalem should be rebuilt to fulfil both Isaiah 44:28 and Isaiah 45:13, “I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.” This last phrase indicates the magnanimity of Cyrus in that he sought no reward from the Jews for their release.

1:3 -“Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.” Cyrus, in giving this order of release and command to rebuild the Temple, adds his own blessing upon those who will go.

Let us note his declaration of faith in the one and only, true and living God, the God of Israel. This was very unlike the heathen kings before and after him who worshipped idols. Cyrus was willing to give of his own substance. He ensured that all the needs of the Jews would be met by putting at their disposal the unlimited hospitality of all the kingdoms under him through which they might pass.

1:4 -“And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.” Again Cyrus makes it clear that he believes there is only one house worthy to be called the House of God in that dispensation, namely, the place designated by God as His city, Jerusalem.

Gifts from Judah and Cyrus

1:5 -“Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all themwhose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.” In this verse, we see the sovereignty of God. It fills us with awe that it is He who chooses our inheritance, and that His purposes are fulfilled by those whom He elects. At this appointed time of restoration, only those whom God chose could go back to Jerusalem.

This principle is the same today—only those whom God chooses will be restored. Hebrews 6:1-3 confirms this truth, “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God… And this will we do, if God permit.” Therefore, as we approach the time of the great restoration of the Church, we should realise that we must seek to please Him in order to have a part in the move of God in the End Times. As we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God He will raise us up in due time. In particular, it is those who order their conversation aright to whom He will show His salvation and restoration (Ps. 50:23).

1:6 -“And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered.” Here we see the second group of believers who decided to accept a lower calling: those who were not chosen to return to build the Temple, but were of good heart in that they recognized the times and the will of God and helped forward the work of God through their chosen brethren by giving.

1:7 -“Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods.” When God raises up the rulers of the lands, they are at His disposal. Solomon declares in Proverbs 21:1, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” Thus God turned the heart of Cyrus to bring forth the vessels that were in Babylon from the time of the fall of Jerusalem.

Some of these vessels had been blasphemously used by the last king of Babylon, Belshazzar, in his drunken orgy as recorded in Daniel 5:2. As he tasted the wine, Belshazzar commanded the golden and silver vessels (which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem) to be brought out so that he, his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink from them. It is worthy of note that we see the principle of restoration at work even here. Those vessels which had been used by the enemy were now restored to their original purpose for the service of God in the House of the Lord.