Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

Ezra 1

• Everything has changed! The king of Babylon was partying when he was killed in his palace at the beginning of the third year of his reign (See: Daniel 5). Belshazzar was killed by Cyrus’ army but it was God who took his life.

• The year that Cyrus became king over the Jews in 539 BC fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy written between 137 to 250 years earlier.

• See Ezra Chapter 1 [Shadows, Types and Patterns]
• See Ezra Chapter 1 [Prophetic]

End of the Babylonian Captivity 539 BC

Ezra 1:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,

• Historical notes:
  • Daniel has been a captive for 70 Jewish years. He is ~85 years old.
    
• Timeline notes:
  
  • [oldest event] Isaiah prophesied about Cyrus (687 – 800 BC)
  • Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple 587 BC
  • Daniel was taken captive 605 BC
  • [most recent on timeline of events] Belshazzar was killed and Cyrus became king over the Jews 539 BC
    
• See Timeline BC Scroll to dated years

• What prophecy did Jeremiah make that became fulfilled?
  
  • Jeremiah 27:7 So all nations shall serve him (Nebuchadnezzar) and his son (Evil-Merodach) and his son’s son (Belshazzar), until the time of his land comes (Ceases to Be a Nation ruling over the Jews); and then many nations and great kings shall make him serve them. (Babylon deteriorates)
• 

Jeremiah prophesied the exact end of Babylon

Ezra 1:² Thus says Cyrus king of Persia:

All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God (Yᵊhōvâ ‘ĕlōhîm) of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house (Temple) at Jerusalem which is in Judah (in Isaiah 44:28).

Isaiah prophesied the exact Name: Cyrus

• Isaiah 44:28
  Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” ’

Ezra 1:³ Who is among you of all His people? May his God (‘ĕlōhîm) be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God (Yᵊhōvâ ‘ĕlōhîm) of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem.

Ezra 1:⁴ And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God (‘ĕlōhîm) which is in Jerusalem.

Ezra 1:⁵ Then the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, with all whose spirits God (‘ĕlōhîm) had moved (stirred up), arose to go up and build the house of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ) which is in Jerusalem.

Ezra 1:⁶ And all those who were around them encouraged them (Lit. strengthened their hands) with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.

Ezra 1:⁷ King Cyrus also brought out the articles of the house of the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ), which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem and put in the temple (Lit. house) of his gods;

• This was the reason Belshazzar, King of Babylon was “found wanting”. The articles he used for his feast illustrated the fact that he had no intention of releasing the Jews at the end of their 70 year determined time of captivity or of returning the articles Nebuchadnezzar took from the Jewish temple.

Ezra 1:⁸ and Cyrus king of Persia brought them out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.

Ezra 1:⁹ This is the number of them: thirty gold platters, one thousand silver platters, twenty-nine knives,

Ezra 1:¹⁰ thirty gold basins, four hundred and ten silver basins of a similar kind, and one thousand other articles.

Ezra 1:¹¹ All the articles of gold and silver were five thousand four hundred. All these Sheshbazzar took with the captives who were brought from Babylon to Jerusalem.

30 Gold Platters

1,000 Silver Platters

29 knives

30 gold basins

410 silver basins

1,000 other articles

TOTAL 5,400 articles of gold and silver

• Daniel 5:¹ Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand. ² While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, (PLUS) his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. ³ Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.

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