POWERPOINT on the EDICT of NEHEMIAH and 445 B.C.

Gooday and welcome to this little study. We are now at part 6 in a series of videos on Daniel’s Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks.

There are a number of articles related to this subject over at the website, EndTimePilgrim . org.

And also a few videos at the YOUTube channel GavinFinley

YOUTube channel

GavinFinley

In our previous video on “Edicts and Timelines” we established from the chronologies that it was Nehemiah who received the command to restore and to build Jerusalem.

The 69 week 173,880 day timeline of 476 years and 25 days fits neatly between the Edict given to Nehemiah •in the month of Nisan in 445 B.C. and the Palm Sunday appearance of “Messiah the Prince” in the month Nisan in 32 A.D..

The Edict and Chronology of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks Prophecy Candidate #3 The Edict of Nehemiah Edict of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah 445 B.C. (Month of Nisan)

32 A.D. Palm Sunday

69 “Sevens” = 476 years + 25 days Time span = 476 years + 25 days

The chronology based on the earlier edict of Cyrus issued way back in 538 B.C. fell short by a whopping 93 years.

The Edict and Chronology of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks Prophecy Candidate #1 The Edict of Cyrus Edict of Cyrus

62 B.C.

538 B.C.

32 A.D.

69 weeks = 476.07 Yrs.

569 Years

93 yrs.

And the chronology based on the earlier edict of Artaxerxes in th his 7 year given to Ezra in 458 B.C. fell short by 13 years.

The Edict and Chronology of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks Prophecy Candidate #2 The Edict of Ezra Edict of Artaxerxes to Ezra 458 B.C. (- 457 A.D.)

32 A.D. 19 A.D.

69 weeks = 476.07 Years 489 Years

13 yrs.

In this video we shall be considering this question. In which year did Nehemiah receive the edict to restore and build Jerusalem? Was it 444 B.C.? Or was it 445 B.C.?

What year saw the Command or Edict to rebuild Jerusalem? 444 B.C. or 445 B.C.?

Here is a brief historical background. In 586 B.C. the Babylonian armies entered Jerusalem, destroying the city and the Temple and taking the bulk of Judah captive to Babylon.

The Babylonians were a supremely sophisticated civilization. They thought that they had it made. But their hubris soon propelled them to the peak of their iniquity. Here at Belshazzar’s feast the wild party had gone on to defile the holy vessels of the God of Israel. When the king saw the writing on the wall he called for the prophet Daniel. But the words spelled judgment and it was all over.

The armies of Cyrus had diverted the waters of the Euphrates River. And while Belshazzar’s wild and unholy party was in full swing the city of Babylon had been compromised. The Persian Army was entering the city from the river through the breaches at the watergates.

The Persians under Cyrus conquered Babylon in 538 B.C..

Cyrus then continued his campaign going north to conquer Assyria. It seems he left his uncle, Darius the Mede, in charge for a couple of years. Darius was co-regent in Babylon for Cyrus while he was away.

Upon arriving in Babylon Cyrus declared a general amnesty for all captive people and the exiles of Judah were allowed to return home.

Here we see the first part of an answer to prayer that will be 2550+ years in the making.

Cyrus in Babylon declares a general amnesty allowing the captives of Judah to return back home to Jerusalem.

The next significant royal edict in the restoration came 80 years later. The scrolls of the Torah were rediscovered. This led to a great Biblical revival. In 458 B.C, the scribe Ezra was given favor and funding by Artaxerxes in his 7th year to lead another company of exiles back to Jerusalem. This was a religious movement and not a political one. In the edict given to Ezra there was no mention of restoring the gates and walls to restore political sovereignty to the city of Jerusalem. This matter would be dealt with on a later occasion.

The edict given to Ezra here is no mention at all of rebuilding the city of Jerusalem. Nor is there any mention of the gates and walls. At the time of Ezra the city infrastructure was still in ruins and would remain so for another 13 years on up to 445 B.C..

Nehemiah surveys the broken walls and gates of Jerusalem, 445 B.C.

In the month of Nisan Nehemiah the cupbearer took the burden of the ruined state of the city of Jerusalem to the Medo-Persian king. It was th Artaxerxes in his 20 year who issued the edict to rebuild and restore Jerusalem.

Daniel’s prophecy of 538 B.C. calls for a royal command or decree that will ensure the restoration of the integrity and sovereignty of the city of Jerusalem. This will necessitate the rebuilding of its gates and walls. Here is the passage from Daniel 9:25.

“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem …”

The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.

Here are the words of Nehemiah from Nehemiah 2. They directly and specifically answer to and address the Jerusalem restoration and the sovereignty issues involving the street and walls as mentioned in Daniel’s prophecy.

Nehemiah 2 5. . . . . .I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”

Remember that in our search for the correct edict we suspected that Nehemiah’s main issue, the repair of the gates and walls of Jerusalem was going to be the key piece of information and our main clue.

Nehemiah’s burden to rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem to restore the city of Jerusalem to sovereign status as a selfgoverning city-state was what made Nehemiah tremble and led to the highly significant royal decree giving an authorization to “restore and build Jerusalem”.

Take a look at this wonderful Biblically correct image from Nehemiah chapter 2 by the German artist Gustave Dore. It clearly shows us which edict it was that gave the go ahead from the Medo-Persian superpower to “restore and build” Jerusalem.

And why is this image and its scriptural message so significant? Because the person surveying the broken walls and the burned gates of Jerusalem is none other than Nehemiah himself!

Nehemiah surveys the broken walls and gates of Jerusalem, 445 B.C.

There was no civic restoration of the city of Jerusalem before Nehemiah. And even the children in Sunday School know who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. So why are our theologians failing to tag the edict of Nehemiah in 445 B.C. as the starting point for the Seventy Weeks Prophecy?

Before Nehemiah Jerusalem was an encampment of exiles in a rough Medo-Persian territory. Rude houses were clustered around a rebuilt temple inside the broken shell of a former city. The walls and gates were in ruins.

It was Nehemiah who undertook the restoration of the gates and walls of Jerusalem to restore it as a self-governing sovereign city-state. Only Nehemiah had received authority from the Medo-Persian king to do this. As we see in this picture it was a huge task

The decree of Artaxerxes th in his 20 year was given to Nehemiah under the new moon of Nisan in the year 445 B.C. and we are going to prove that further along in this video.

The Decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus given to

Nehemiah

445 B.C.

Our scripture is found in Nehemiah chapter 2.

Nehemiah 2 1……in the

month of Nisan, in the

twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,

It is important to appreciate Nehemiah’s predicament here. He was the kings butler and wine is always presented in a spirit of celebration and cheer. The king was supposed to be the center of this glory and good spirits, and especially when wine was being served.

So for Nehemiah’s countenance to be sad was for it to be bad. In Hebrew and as a matter of custom in ancient times a sad countenance was a bad countenance. For the kings butler, traditionally a man of cheer, to serve wine when he was sad was more than just a matter of bad taste. A gloomy countenance would be perceived as a bad attitude. It would be an insult to the presence of the king, . . Unless, . .

Unless the king understood the burden of the person bringing the appeal and was inclined to do something about it. His royal scepter held great authority for both blessing and for judgment. We saw this in the case of Esther before a later Persian King Ahasuerus.

The king’s butler was under the gun here. The matter he was bringing up involved the sovereignty of the Medo Persian superpower and the ruined and forgotten city of Jerusalem, a city that in former times had not paid its taxes to the superpower of Babylon. If the Persian king did not respond favorably to his appeal then Nehemiah was a dead man.

Alexander Scourby

Nehemiah 2 1. . . . . Now I had never been sad in his presence before. 2. Therefore the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart.” So I became dreadfully afraid.

Nehemiah 2 3 (Nehemiah) said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?”

Nehemiah 2 4 Then the king said to me,

“What do you request?”

Nehemiah 2 So I prayed to the God of 5 heaven. And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight,

Nehemiah 2 5. . . . . .I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”

Here is Daniel’s prophecy

Daniel 9:25 “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem …”

And here again is Nehemiah sadly surveying the broken walls and burned gates of the city of Jerusalem. He is just about to begin the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy

The Edict to Restore and Build Jerusalem In 445 B.C. Nehemiah secretly surveys the broken walls, the rubble, and the burned gates of the city.

The edict Nehemiah receives from Artaxerxes Longimanus dispelled his gloom. And the work began soon afterwards. It was a huge citywide building project to restore and build Jerusalem

So now we cut to the chase. In what year did holy history record the issuing of a royal edict

to restore and build Jerusalem?

What year saw the Command or Edict to rebuild Jerusalem?

Nehemiah 2 1……in the

month of Nisan, in the

twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,

Nehemiah 2 1 And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king.

So it was in the springtime Passover month of Nisan in the th 20 year of Artaxerxes. So when did the king Artaxerxes Longimanus ascend the throne?

Some authorities assign the commencement of the reign of Artaxerxes to the death of Xerxes in July 465 B.C.. These authors say the eldest son of Xerxes, (presumably the heir apparent), was then assassinated by Artaxerxes his younger brother who immediately took the throne in July 465 B.C..

“Of the three sons of Xerxes the eldest was …. put to death by the youngest, Artaxerxes, ……. who at once, B.C. 465 , took the throne.” - Page 365 - Ridpath’s History of the World - Jones Publishing Co. 1910

Sir Robert Anderson held to this July 465 B.C. commencement date as well.

“the death of Xerxes and the epoch (beginning) of the reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus should be assigned to the latter part of July, 465 B.C..” - Sir Robert Anderson “The Coming Prince” page 253

By this reckoning

st The 1

Year

of Artaxerxes Longimanus began in July of 465 B.C.

465 B.C. 464 B.C.

The 1st Year of Artaxerxes July 445 B.C,

465 B.C. 464 B.C.

th 20

His year began 19 years later in July of 446 B.C. to end in July of 445 B.C.

446 B.C. 445 B.C.

The 1st Year of Artaxerxes

465 B.C. 464 B.C.

His 20th year would have begun 19 years later in July

446 B.C. 445 B.C.

of 446 B.C.

NISAN

The 1st Year of Artaxerxes His 20th year would have crossed the springtime Nisan moon

of 445 B.C.

465 B.C. 464 B.C.

446 B.C. 445 B.C. NISAN

446 B.C. 445 B.C. NISAN

By this reckoning the 20th year of Artaxerxes tags the springtime Nisan moon in 445 B.C.

Others present evidence that Arbanus reigned for seven months from July 465 B.C. and was then assassinated by Artaxerxes in February of 464 B.C.

“Xerxes was assassinated by Artabanus …... Consequently the accession of Artabanus can be fixed as July or August B.C. 465.” Ref. SAO/NASA Astrophysics Dating System Title: Aramaic Papyri from Assuan, note on regnal years by E.B. Nobels, 1908 Monthly notices – Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 69, page 8

“Artabanus reigned for seven months, all authorities agree, which brings us to February B.C. 464 when he was killed by Artaxerxes, whose accession can be thus fixed with considerable accuracy” Ref. SAO/NASA Astrophysics Dating System Title: Aramaic Papyri from Assuan, note on regnal years by E.B. Nobels, 1908 Monthly notices – Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 69, page 8

Establishing the ascension of Artaxerxes Longimanus st The 1

Year

of Artaxerxes Longimanus began in February of 464 B.C.

464 B.C. 463 B.C.

The Ascession of Artaxerxes The 1st Year of Artaxerxes

464 B.C. 463 B.C.

His 20th year would have begun 19 years later in Feb.

445 B.C. 444 B.C.

of 445 B.C.

NISAN (March-April)

The Ascession of Artaxerxes The 1st Year of Artaxerxes His 20th year would have still included the springtime Nisan moon

of 445 B.C.

464 B.C. 463 B.C.

445 B.C. 444 B.C. NISAN (March-April)

445 B.C. 444 B.C. NISAN

According to this reckoning the 20th year of Artaxerxes STILL tags the springtime Nisan moon in 445 B.C.

So in which year did the command come to restore and rebuild the city of Jerusalem?

Using BOTH reckonings of the commencement of his reign, the th 20 Year of Artaxerxes still covers the Nisan moon of

445 B.C.

So the Edict issued to Nehemiah during the springtime Nisan moon of 445 B.C. initiated the Seventy Weeks Prophecy.

So the Edict of Artaxerxes Longimanus issued his 20th year as recorded in Nehemiah 2 came in the springtime Nisan moon of 445 B.C.