108 - Les Feldick Bible Study Lesson 3 - Part 4 - Book 9 - Israel: From Joshua to Nehemiah

https://lesfeldickbiblestudy.com Through the Bible with Les Feldick LESSON 3 * PART 4 * BOOK 9 ISRAEL: FROM JOSHUA TO NEHEMIAH Now the Archaeology Review had read her book and was reviewing it. Back to Ezra. At the end of our last program we saw the Southern Kingdom of Judah overrun by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and he empties the land of the Jews. Now at the end of the seventy years Cyrus, the King of Persia, made a decree that the Jews could go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. Now in Ezra Chapter 1 verse 1. Ezra 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 (He said it years before it happened), 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 (The God of heaven) hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.'" In Babylon they became tremendous business people. All of the remnants of those previous empires in Daniel 2 - the Babylonians, Medes and Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans, as well as the revived Roman Empire, will all have residues of those previous empires with us today. We pick that up in Chapter 2 verse 64. Cyrus has now made it possible for any Jew to go back to Jerusalem. Ezra 2:64 Now remember I told you a few lessons back that all prophecy is centered on the nation of Israel. Now some years later, almost 100 years after Ezra led those 42,360 Jews back and began to rebuild the temple, there comes another group also from Babylon, under yet another King and his name is Artaxerxes. We pick this up in Chapter 2 verse 1. Nehemiah 2:1,2 Wherefore the king said unto me, `Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? So what does Nehemiah do? Nehemiah 2:3,4 Then the king said unto me, `For what doest thou make request?' (can't you just see old Nehemiah just melt.) So I prayed to the God of heaven." Now he didn't pray audibly in front of that king. So how did he pray? Does God read our thoughts? Like a book in large print. If I remember correctly, Daniel's prophecy from that day, I believe is April 14, 445 B.C. That is when Nehemiah got his permission to rebuild the city walls until Palm Sunday was fulfilled to the exact day. Let's go to Daniel in the short time we have left. Daniel is writing from Babylon, while in captivity. Secondly you need to remember that Daniel is a prophecy that is going to deal with the Gentile empires as they have contact with the nation of Israel. That is why prophecy is always centered on Israel, but it will include those Gentile empires that included Israel in their conquest. That is why you don't read about any great Russian or German Emperor, you don't read about the Kingdom of Great Britain, because they were not centered with the nation of Israel. But these Kingdoms, as we will see them come on the scene in the Book of Daniel, were all intricately involved with the Jew, so they come into prophecy. Now a verse or two in Daniel Chapter l: Daniel 1:1,2a "In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his(Nebuchadnezzar's) hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar (back to Babylon) to the house of his god;..." Before we go any further in the Book of Daniel (this now is into the area of the Gentile empires), I want to take you to Luke Chapter 21. We probably won't get back to Daniel again until our next lesson. Here we have Jesus speaking. (prophecy will always be fulfilled; nothing can stop that) Jesus here is referring to the besieging of Jerusalem by Titus the Roman General in 70 AD. But as He makes this statement concerning Jerusalem, He goes on to say that Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the heavy boot of Gentile armies until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. The times of the Gentiles of course started back here when Nebuchadnezzar first took Jerusalem. Jerusalem, for the most part, has been under Gentile dominion ever since, and will be until Christ returns. The Gentiles aren't overlording her. How much can Israel do without the permission or the financial aid of the Gentiles? The times of the Gentiles is that time when the Gentiles are overlording the Nation of Israel as I said, and I call it the filling of the cup of iniquity of the Gentiles. Romans 11:25 What is the fullness of the Gentiles? The Body of Christ. As Gentiles are being saved, they are being placed into the Body of Christ. #LesFeldick #BibleStudy #Bible