Christian Churches of God
No. 250z
Summary:
Reading the Law with Ezra and Nehemiah
(Edition 1.0 19980711-19980711)
The Restoration under Ezra and Nehemiah implemented biblical law and the
Jubilee system, and is relevant today.
Christian Churches of God
PO Box 369, WODEN ACT 2606, AUSTRALIA
E-mail:
secretary@ccg.org
(Copyright ã 1998 Wade Cox)
(Summary by Patti Gambier, ed. Wade Cox)
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Reading the Law with Ezra and Nehemiah
Nehemiah began the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem in the 20th year of
Artaxerxes II with the king’s permission (Neh. 2:1-20). The construction was completed in 52 days (Neh. 6:1-16) despite the opposition of their enemies.
This was the year beginning October 386 to October 385 BCE of the Babylonian Civil Calendar, and overlapped the 39th year of the ninth Jubilee before the ministry of Jesus Christ.
By referring to Ezekiel 1:1-3, the calculation of the Jubilee fell in the year 574/3 BCE and thence on 74/3, 24/3 in the centuries BCE and 77/78 in the centuries CE. See the papers The Meaning of Ezekiel’s Vision (No. 108) and The Sign of Jonah and the History of the Reconstruction of the Temple (No. 13) for extensive detail.
The other text to support this conclusion is in Luke 3:1-22. The fifteenth year of Tiberias began October 27 CE, which governs the beginning of John the Baptist’s ministry. John baptised Jesus Christ, who went to the desert for forty days, which covered the trial of Satan.
Christ was the "fit man" of Leviticus 16:21 who confined Satan, and Satan was judged. He will be consigned to the bottomless pit on Christ’s return for 1000 years.
In Luke 4:13-21 Christ proclaims the acceptable year of the Lord, and the
prophecy of Isaiah 61:1,2 was fulfilled. Upon John’s death, Christ’s ministry began, and this was after the Passover in the year 28 CE. This is the first year of the tenth jubilee since the restoration of Ezra and Nehemiah. If his next restoration begins from the jubilee of 2027/28 the millennial restoration of 2028 will commence the fiftieth jubilee period, or
jubilee of jubilees.
This text concerning Messiah stands as second witness to Ezekiel and confirms that the comments and timings in Nehemiah were of the Sabbath and Jubilee system.
The text of Ezra 3:4-6 says that the Feast of Tabernacles and the New Moons were kept, although the foundations of the temple were not laid. The temple was finished and dedicated in 418 BCE in the sixth year of King Darius II.
The thirty-second year of Artaxerxes II began 1st October 374 BCE, the seventh month of the Sacred Calendar, and the time for the blowing of the Jubilee on Atonement.
The conclusion is that the law was read and the restoration occurred in the year of Jubilee from 375/4-374/3 BCE in the seventh month of the Sabbath year and ending in the seventh month of the Jubilee year.
From the records (Neh. 8:1-18) we deduce that Trumpets was on a Friday, and the second day referred to would have been a Sabbath. They made booths, and the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day were celebrated. The Book of the Law was read each day, in accordance with Deuteronomy 31:9-13, and was explained by fourteen priests and Levites (Neh. 8:4-8).
The restoration of the nation was essential to the restoration of the law in its entirety, and Israel had been organised for this event.
Ezra was not the High Priest, but was in the position of priest, teacher and scribe on this occasion. Eliashib, the High Priest was in disfavour because of his profaning of the Temple.
The Babylonian Civil Calendar was not used in the references here in Ezra and Nehemiah. The Biblical timing is from Nisan to Nisan, and these activities took place from March to October 374 BCE. This was a true restoration of God.
The people wept for joy on learning the Law, and also tears were shed because they had not been following the Law. Their repentance was evident from the fast they kept on 24th Tishri (Neh. 9:1,2). Their reaction is like that of Josiah in 2Kings 22:11,19.
The text on Booths is found in Leviticus 23:40 and so it is Torah entire that was read and not just the Book of Deuteronomy.
This Feast of Tabernacles was distinct, in that restorations of property, usury and lands and also of the Israelites themselves made this celebration a Jubilee event.
The National Covenant that was made on the twenty-fourth day of Tishri is extracted from Genesis and other texts.
The Reading of the Law eliminates the intrusion of the traditions and enables the restoration of the Jubilee and the land Sabbath. Reading the Law is also in obedience to the will of God.
This Reading of the Law has been done in our time on the two Sabbath Year Feasts of 1998 and 2005 CE.
The next three Sabbath periods to 2019 will see the final breakdown of the earth’s system, prior to the coming of the Messiah. 2027 is the Fortieth Jubilee since the ministry of Messiah. 2028 is the first year of the
Jubilee of Jubilees, the Fiftieth Jubilee since the order to build the temple and the restoration by Ezra and Nehemiah. In that Jubilee Messiah will establish his millennial system and rulership of the planet under God’s Laws.
The full text of the paper Reading the Law with Ezra and Nehemiah (No. 250) should be read for precise detail and for the Appendix and Time Frame of Events attached thereto.
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