• Exile, Return and Rebuilding (Daniel, Ezra, Esther, Nehemiah)
  • Lamentations 1:1-3
  • The remnant returns:

1st return

Ezra 2:1-67

538 -535 BC

Large group led by Sheshbazzar/Zerubbabel and others

2nd return

Ezra 7:28-8:20

458 BC

Large group led by Ezra

3rd return

Nehemiah 2:5-11

445 BC

Nehemiah (group unknown)

• When things aren’t right
  • Daniel 1:8
• God is faithful
  • Deportations:

1st

Jeremiah 25:11-12

605 BC

2nd

Jeremiah 29:10

597 BC

3rd

II Chronicles 36:21

586 BC

• Cyrus Cylinder

• Getting motivated to work

  • Rebuilding the temple (Ezra 4-6)
    • 536 BC – Work starts; adversaries discourage
    • 520 BC – Haggai and Zechariah encourage; work resumes
    • 516 BC – Finished
  • Ezra 3:10
  • Nehemiah 4:1-6 – Nehemiah pushes ahead with the work despite adversaries
  • Nehemiah 6:14-16
  • Rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3-6)
    • 445 BC – 1st month (Nisan) – Nehemiah asks permission to go to Jerusalem
    • 445 BC – (month unknown) – Wall to half its height
    • 445 BC – 6th month (Elul) – finished in 52 days