Ezra Part 2 (Nasb)

Darius Finds Cyrus’ Decree

6:1 Then King Darius issued a decree, and a search was conducted in the [a]archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon. (IRAQ - I SPENT 2 MONTHS AT ABU GHRAIB, 4 MONTHS AT CROPPER / BUCCA PRISONS.)

2 And in [b]Ecbatana, in the fortress which is in the province of Media, a scroll was found; and the following was written in it: “Memorandum— (SO THAT'S WHERE THEY STARTED:)

3 In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: ‘Concerning the house of God in Jerusalem, let the [c]temple, the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt, and let [d]its foundations be repaired, its height being [e]sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits, 90 FEET

4 with three layers of large stones and [f]one layer of timber. And the cost is to be paid from the [g]royal treasury.

DOES OUR GOVERNMENT PAY FOR THE CHURCH? WHITEHEART: LEAVING ENGLAND "KING GEORGE" SONG

5 Also the gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned and [h]brought to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall put them in the house of God.’ IF THINGS ARE STOLEN FROM THE HOUSE OF GOD, THEY SHOULD BE RETURNED. AS A NEW CHRISTIAN I STOLE CHRISTIAN MUSIC. 😊

6 “Now as for you, Tattenai, governor of the province beyond the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and [i]your colleagues, the officials of the provinces beyond the River, [j]stay away from there. NEAR EDEN IN GENESIS

7 Leave that work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild that house of God on its site.

8 Furthermore, I issue a decree concerning what you are to do for these elders of Judah in the rebuilding of that house of God: the full cost is to be paid to those people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, and that without interruption.

9 And whatever is needed, bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil, as the priests in Jerusalem order, it is to be given to them daily without fail, THEY DID DAILY OFFERINGS. DO WE?

10 so that they may offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the lives of the king and his sons. ARE OUR SACRIFICES ACCEPTABLE? CAIN’S WASN’T (SINCE IT WASN’T MEAT) AND HE KILLED ABEL BECAUSE OF THIS.

11 And I issued a decree that any person who violates this decree, a timber shall be pulled out of his house and he shall be impaled on it; and his house shall be turned into a refuse heap on account of this. THE OLD TESTAMENT JUDGEMENTS WERE HARSH!

12 May the God who has caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who [k]attempts to [l]change it, so as to destroy that house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree; it is to be carried out with all diligence!” I PRAY GOD OVERTHROWS THOSE WHO DON’T FOLLOW HIM.

The Temple Completed and Dedicated

13 Then Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues carried out the decree with all diligence, just as King Darius had [m]ordered.

14 And the elders of the Jews [n]were successful in building through the prophecy of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. THESE ARE OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS. And [o]they finished building following the command of the God of Israel and the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. PROPHECY IS PREDICTING THE FUTURE. THERE ARE MANY PROPHECIES OF JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.

15 Now this [p]temple was completed [q]on the third day of the month Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

16 And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the [r]exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. DO WE CELEBRATE CHURCHES AND WITH JOY?

17 They offered for the dedication of this temple of God a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. 712 ANIMALS WERE OFFERED, WHICH WEREN'T CHEAP. DO WE TITHE (GIVE 10%+) TO THE LORD?

18 Then they appointed the priests to their divisions and the Levites in their sections for the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.

The Passover Held (THIS CELEBRATES THE LORD PROTECTING HIS PEOPLE.)

19 The exiles held the Passover on the fourteenth of the first month. JEWS STILL CELEBRATE THIS TODAY.