Darius, 536BC (Darius the Median, i.e. Cyaxares II, son of Ahasuerus(Astyages),
569BC, Dan 5:31, 6:1, refer to [XENOPHON, Cyropædia, 8.5,19])
Cyrus, 536BC (Cyrus, i.e. Koresh, son-in-law/nephew of Darius the Median, refer to
[XENOPHON, Cyropædia, 1.5; 8.7])
(For Cyrus led with ambition, and went about wars in other countries,
and therefore Darius had the title of the kingdom, even though
Cyrus was king in effect)
(Zerubbabel return to Jerusalem)
1: 2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
2:1 Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city;
2:2 Which came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
3:11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.
5:13 But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.
Dan 11:1 Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, [even] I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.
Dan 11:2 And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet (a) three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than [they] all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up (b) all against the realm of Grecia.
(a) Of which Cambyses that now reigned was the first, the second Smerdes, the third Darius the son of Hystaspis, and the fourth Xerxes, who all were enemies to the people of God, and stood against them.
(b) For he raised up all the east countries to fight against the Grecians, and even though he had in his army 900,000 men, yet in four battles he was defeated, and fled away with shame.
Dan 11:3 And a (c) mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.
(c) That is, Alexander the Great.
Dan 11:4 And when he shall stand up, (d) his kingdom shall be broken, (e) and shall be divided toward the (f) four winds of heaven; and not to his (g) posterity, nor according to (h) his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside (i) those.
(d) For when his estate was most flourishing, he overcame himself with drink, and so fell into a disease: or as some write, was poisoned by Cassander.
(e) For his twelve chief princes first divided his kingdom among themselves.
(f) After this his monarchy was divided into four: for Seleucus had Syria, Antigonus had Asia minor, Cassander had the kingdom of Macedonia, and Ptolemeus had Egypt.
(g) Thus God avenged Alexander's ambition and cruelty, in causing his posterity to be murdered, partly by their father's chief friends, and partly by one another.
(h) None of these four will be able to be compared to the power of Alexander.
(i) That is, his posterity having no part of it.
1st king: Cambyses, 530BC (Cyrus’s son)
2nd king: Artaxerxes, 522BC (Gautama “Pseudo-Smerdis” – an usurper, also known as Bardiya)
4:7 And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.
4:23 Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.
4:24 Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
3rd king: Darius I, 522BC (Darius Hystaspes, Darius the Persian, in Ezra 4:6,7,24)
520BC (God’s message came to Haggai within 4 months, Hag 1,2)
(God’s message came to Zechariah 2 months later after Haggai, Zeh)
516BC (Temple finished)
499BC (Ionian Revolt …
494BC and defeated by Sparta and Athens at Marathon)
5:2 Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.
5:8 Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.
5:16 Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished.
6:12 And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed.
6:14 And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
6:15 And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
4th king: Xerxes I, 486BC (Ahasherus of Esther 1:1, Ezra 4:6)
480BC (Fleet was ruined at Battle of Salamis)
479BC (Army routed at Platea)
465BC (Assassinated by Artabanus and Artaxerxes I)
4:6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
B) Persian Kings / The Restoring of the Jerusalem and the Building and Repairing of the Jerusalem’s City Walls and Houses
Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, [that] from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince [shall be] seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
There are but three possible dates for the commencement of the seventy-week calendar.
First, Zerubbabel led a group of Hebrews out of captivity in 536 B.C. This seems to be an unlikely beginning point, however, because 486 years from 536 B.C. would end at 50 B.C., which was eighty years prior to Jesus’ death.
Second, Nehemiah led a band back to Canaan in 444 B.C. Is this the commencement point for computing the prophecy? Probably not, for 486 years after 444 B.C. ends at A.D. 42 — a dozen years after the death of Christ.
However, in 457 B.C., Ezra took a company from Babylon back to Jerusalem. Does this date work mathematically? Indeed. If one starts at 457 B.C., and goes forward for 486½ years, the resulting date is A.D. 30 — the very year of Christ’s crucifixion! This is the common view.
i)Persian Kings / The Restoring of the Jerusalem
All Scriptures used below are taken from the book of Ezra unless otherwise stated.
5th king: Artaxerxes I, 464BC (Longimanus)
457BC (Ezra came to Jerusalem)
Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, [that] from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince [shall be] seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
7:1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
7:6 This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.
7:7 And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
7:8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
7:9 For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.
7:10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
7:12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time.
7:13 I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.
7:16 And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem:
7:17 That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.
7:19 The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.
7:21 And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily,
7:23 Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?
7:25 And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not.
7:26 And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
7:27 Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem:
8:30 So took the priests and the Levites the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God.
ii) Persian Kings / The Building and Repairing of the Jerusalem’s City Walls and Houses
All Scriptures used below are taken from the book of Nehemiah unless otherwise stated.
444BC (Nehemiah came to Jerusalem)
432BC (Nehemiah returns to Shushan)
Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, [that] from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince [shall be] seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
1:3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
2:1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.
2:8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
3:1 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel.
3:3 But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.
3:4~7 And next unto them repaired .......
3:8 Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of the goldsmiths. Next unto him also repaired Hananiah the son of one of the apothecaries, and they fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall.
3:9~32 And next unto them repaired -----
4:1 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
4:6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
6:15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.
7:1 Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed,
7:4 Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.
8:1 And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.
8:2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.
8:5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:
8:6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
8:7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.
8:8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
8:18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.
9:1 Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.
9:2 And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.
9:3 And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.
11:1 And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities.
13:6 But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king:
6th king: Xerxes II, 424BC (reigned but forty-five days and was murdered by his half-brother Sogdianus)
7th king: Sogdianus, 424BC (reigned six months and was murdered by Darius II Nothus)8th king: Darius II, 424BC (also called Darius II Nothus, the Bastard)
408BC (Jerusalem’s city [including walls and houses that were build] stop here as
according to Dan 9:25)
9th king: Artaxerxes II, 405BC (also called Arsaces, his eldest son)
10th king: Artaxerxes III, 359BC (also called Ochus, his son)
11th king: Arses, 338BC (was succeeded by Arses, his youngest son)
12th king: Darius III, 336BC (was succeeded by Codomannus, great-grandson of Darius I, who assumed the name of Darius III)
331BC (Defeated by Alexander the Great, the son of Philip of Macedon at Arbella )
...The End...
