Ezra 7:20, commentary and pictures

It authorizes Ezra to pay for whatever more is needful for the house of God and its service out of the king's treasure house. The grant was liberal and generous, with the king joining his counselors in freely giving and placing abundant means in Ezra's hands for the temple service, the restoration of worship, and the return of the people. It belongs to the third and final decree for restoring and building Jerusalem since the close of the seventy years' captivity, issued in completed form in 457 B.C. in the seventh year in autumn by Artaxerxes Longimanus, about seventy years after the return under Zerubbabel and Joshua. Together with the earlier actions of Cyrus and Darius it completed the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem and opened the way for the return under Ezra, the completion of the walls by Nehemiah, the reorganization of the temple services, and the great religious reformations. This decree is the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem that begins the seventy weeks and the 2300-year prophecy of Daniel 8:14, whose first 483 years reached to Christ's anointing in A.D. 27, whose 490 years ended in A.D. 34, and whose remaining 1810 years extended to the fall of 1844.

Decree and Royal Provision

And whatsoever more should be needful for the house of God and its service, Ezra was authorized to bestow it out of the king's treasure house. The order was part of the generous provision for restoring worship in Jerusalem and for helping God's people return. It made provision for meeting many heavy expenses from the royal treasury.

The grants to the remnant people were liberal, with the king uniting with his counselors in freely offering unto the God of Israel whose habitation is in Jerusalem. Abundant means were placed in Ezra's hands for the temple service, for rebuilding, and for the restoration of worship and the return from captivity. Rich gifts were bestowed for that service.

The decree is remarkable for its expressions regarding the God of heaven. It is remarkable also for its recognition of Ezra's attainments as the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the Lord and of His statutes to Israel, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven.

Ezra had spoken to the king from faith that God would do a mighty work for His people and from perfect trust that the God of Israel was abundantly able to protect and care for them. The king was deeply impressed and understood that the Israelites were returning to serve Jehovah. From great confidence in Ezra's integrity he showed him marked favor, making him a special representative of the Medo-Persian kingdom and conferring extensive powers for carrying out the purposes in his heart.

The verse belongs to the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus of Medo-Persia for the restoring and building of Jerusalem, the third issued since the close of the seventy years' captivity. It was issued in its completed form in 457 B.C., in the seventh year, taking effect in the autumn. This was about seventy years after the return of the first company of exiles under Zerubbabel and Joshua.

Together with the earlier actions of Cyrus and Darius, this decree completed the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem and is counted with them as one decree. It authorized the return of a company of Jews under Ezra. It opened the way for the completion of the walls of Jerusalem by Nehemiah and his associates, for the reorganization of the temple services, and for the great religious reformations instituted by Ezra and Nehemiah.

The royal support shows that God moved the king's heart. By giving His wayward people after seventy years of captivity in Babylon another opportunity to serve Him in their own country, He showed them forbearance. The decree connects this king with sacred history by a series of remarkable providences, through favor often shown to God's people during his long rule when Ezra and Nehemiah lived and labored, and through his recognition of Ezra and Nehemiah as men of God's appointment raised up for a special work.

Prophetic Time Starting Point

The decree that contains this provision is the command to restore and build Jerusalem that begins the seventy weeks and the 2300-year prophecy of Daniel 8:14 and marks the starting point of the prophetic time periods. It is the decree of Artaxerxes in its completed form, authorizing payment from the king's treasury for whatever else was needed for the house of God, and together with the earlier actions of Cyrus and Darius it completed the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem and is counted with them as one decree. Issued in the seventh year of Artaxerxes, it took effect in the autumn and is identified as the starting point for the seventy weeks and the 2300 days.

The decree is dated to 457 B.C., given in 457 before Christ as the Persian king's decree in Ezra 7. It was issued near the close of that year and near the end of that year, taking effect in the autumn. Its date is the starting point for reckoning the 2300 years of Daniel 8:14.

Reckoning 2300 years from 457 B.C., as 2300 minus 457, leaves 1843 and was first calculated to terminate in 1843, at the end of 1843, as the time for the coming of the Lord. The calculation was so simple and plain that even children could understand it. Because the decree was given near the close of the year 457 B.C., the 2300 years do not end at the close of 1843 but reach to the fall of 1844. The period first expected to end in 1843 reaches the fall of 1844 after accounting for the decree's late-year timing, and the apparent delay did not mean the prophetic vision had failed.

The first 483 years reached to Christ's anointing in A.D. 27, the 490 years assigned especially to the Jews ended in A.D. 34 when the apostles turned to the Gentiles, and the remaining 1810 years extended to 1844. Reckoning the seventy weeks from 457 B.C. brings the period to A.D. 34, when the apostles turned to the Gentiles. The fulfilled events supported the prophetic reckoning and led believers to investigate what the sanctuary was and what its cleansing meant.