Ezra 7:23, commentary and pictures

Artaxerxes ordered that everything commanded by the God of heaven for His house be carried out diligently, so that there would be no divine wrath against his realm and his sons. His words reveal reverent regard for the God of heaven, generosity toward His remnant people, and a desire to avoid that wrath by full obedience in the worship of the temple. The command belongs to his decree for restoring and building Jerusalem, the third and final decree after Cyrus and Darius that together form the commandment to restore Jerusalem, authorizing Ezra's return in 457 B.C. with reorganization of the temple services and religious reform. In its complete form issued in his seventh year and taking effect in autumn of that year, it marks the starting point of the prophetic periods of Daniel, the seventy weeks and the 2300 years of Daniel 8:14. Because it went forth near the end of 457 B.C., the period was reckoned to reach the fall of 1844, while from that same date the seventy weeks were fulfilled to A.D. 34, with the crucifixion in the midst of the last week in A.D. 31.

Decree's Words and Setting

Artaxerxes ordered that whatever was commanded by the God of heaven for the house of the God of heaven should be diligently done, giving as his reason that there should be no wrath against the realm of the king and his sons. His words express reverent regard for the God of heaven, liberality toward the remnant of God's people, and a desire to avoid divine wrath by full obedience in the worship of the temple. The command belongs to the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus for the restoring and building of Jerusalem, the third issued since the close of the seventy years' captivity. Begun under Cyrus, continued under Darius, and completed under Artaxerxes, these decrees together form the commandment to restore Jerusalem. Issued in its complete form in the seventh year of Artaxerxes, in 457 B.C., it authorized Ezra's return, and under that reign the temple services were reorganized and religious reforms were carried out.

Ezra persuaded the king according to the good hand of his God upon him, because he declared his perfect trust in the God of Israel as abundantly able to protect and care for His people. The king was deeply impressed, understood that the Israelites were returning to serve Jehovah, and had such confidence in Ezra's integrity that he showed him marked favor. He granted Ezra's desire to return to revive interest in the study of God's word and to assist his brethren in restoring the holy city, bestowed on him rich gifts for the temple service, made him a special representative of the Medo-Persian kingdom, and conferred on him extensive powers for carrying out the purposes in his heart. He also made abundant provision for the return to Jerusalem of all the people of Israel and of the priests and Levites in the Medo-Persian realm who were minded of their own free will to go up.

That provision gave the children of the dispersion another opportunity to return to the land with whose possession were linked the promises to the house of Israel and to serve God in their own country. It put it in the king's heart to beautify the house of the Lord in Jerusalem and extended mercy to Ezra before the king and his counselors and mighty princes. God thus moved the king's heart and supported Ezra with resources for the temple and the return from captivity. This brought great rejoicing to those uniting with Ezra to revive interest in the study of God's word, assist in restoring the holy city, and study God's purposes concerning His people.

Starting Prophetic Time Periods

The decree recorded in Ezra 7 in its complete form was issued by Artaxerxes in the seventh year of his reign, in 457 B.C., taking effect in autumn near the end of that year. It is the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem that marks the starting point of the prophetic time periods of Daniel, both the seventy weeks and the 2300 years of Daniel 8:14. Counting the 2300 years from 457 by subtracting 457 from 2300 left 1843. That reckoning was so simple and plain that even children could understand it, pointing to the end of 1843 for the coming of the Lord. When that year passed entirely without the Saviour coming it brought sad disappointment.

Because the decree went forth near the end of 457 B.C., the prophetic period was reckoned to reach the fall of 1844 rather than ending at the close of 1843. From that same date the specifications of the prophecy concerning the seventy weeks were fulfilled. Those weeks end in A.D. 34, with the crucifixion in A.D. 31 in the middle of the final week.