Part Four
When Cyrus conquered Babylon he met the aged Daniel. And through Daniel, this king learned about Isaiah’s prophecies concerning him and his chosen role on behalf of God’s people (Isaiah 44:21 to 45:13). Therefore, the king acted upon this knowledge and arranged for the restoration of the Jews back to their homeland.
Nehemiah was Ezra’s later contemporary, arriving in Jerusalem in 445 BC. He returned with a political commission as governor, which included authorization to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He oversaw this task in the face of fierce opposition (Neh. 1-6) and joined Ezra in a great ceremony of reading the Law and celebrating the Festival of Tabernacles, including a great national confession and a renewing of the covenant (Neh. 8-10).
The last prophet to speak to national Israel was Malachi. It was 400 years from Malachi until Messiah was born. He was born to Jewish parents named Joseph and Mary (Mariam.) They were instructed by the angel Gabriel to name the child Yeshua (Joshua) which in Greek is “Christos” and in English “Jesus.”
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Lk. 1:31–33.
Jesus began His ministry to Israel at the age of 30. At the beginning He chose twelve Jewish men to disciple. For three years He discipled these men and taught the people of Israel and healed them of their sickness and disease. He was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. This also included Samaritans who were the offspring of the Jews and inter-marriages with those that remained behind after the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests. In this conquest the Jewish women were raped and forced into slavery by their captors and to stay alive married into non-Jewish tribes in the region. They were half-Jews but still in the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants.
At the end of Jesus’ ministry to His people He was crucified on a Roman cross, died, was buried, and as promised raised the third day. For forty days after His resurrection Jesus remained with His disciples teaching them further the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Ten days before the Feast of Trumpets (Pentecost) Jesus ascended into heaven but before He rose He commanded His disciples (apostles/Greek apostolos=”sent”) to go into Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, and east towards the Orient and other Gentile lands to herald to the twelve tribes scattered throughout the then-known world a message that Messiah had come and that God had kept His Promise.
When Cyrus conquered Babylon he met the aged Daniel. And through Daniel, this king learned about Isaiah’s prophecies concerning him and his chosen role on behalf of God’s people (Isaiah 44:21 to 45:13). Therefore, the king acted upon this knowledge and arranged for the restoration of the Jews back to their homeland.
Nehemiah was Ezra’s later contemporary, arriving in Jerusalem in 445 BC. He returned with a political commission as governor, which included authorization to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He oversaw this task in the face of fierce opposition (Neh. 1-6) and joined Ezra in a great ceremony of reading the Law and celebrating the Festival of Tabernacles, including a great national confession and a renewing of the covenant (Neh. 8-10).
The last prophet to speak to national Israel was Malachi. It was 400 years from Malachi until Messiah was born. He was born to Jewish parents named Joseph and Mary (Mariam.) They were instructed by the angel Gabriel to name the child Yeshua (Joshua) which in Greek is “Christos” and in English “Jesus.”
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Lk. 1:31–33.
Jesus began His ministry to Israel at the age of 30. At the beginning He chose twelve Jewish men to disciple. For three years He discipled these men and taught the people of Israel and healed them of their sickness and disease. He was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. This also included Samaritans who were the offspring of the Jews and inter-marriages with those that remained behind after the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests. In this conquest the Jewish women were raped and forced into slavery by their captors and to stay alive married into non-Jewish tribes in the region. They were half-Jews but still in the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants.
At the end of Jesus’ ministry to His people He was crucified on a Roman cross, died, was buried, and as promised raised the third day. For forty days after His resurrection Jesus remained with His disciples teaching them further the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Ten days before the Feast of Trumpets (Pentecost) Jesus ascended into heaven but before He rose He commanded His disciples (apostles/Greek apostolos=”sent”) to go into Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, and east towards the Orient and other Gentile lands to herald to the twelve tribes scattered throughout the then-known world a message that Messiah had come and that God had kept His Promise.
