1-OT 37 Haggai

Lesson #37 - Haggai 2019 Before starting this lesson, read the book of Haggai. You may find it helpful to read the book, go thru the lesson and then read the book once again. Since it is a short book, it will not be difficult to do. We have had numerous lessons about the 344 years of Jewish civil war – when the nation was divided. During this time, God sent 5 prophets to the northern nation of Israel. Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, Amos and Hosea. But God’s people did not listen nor respond to their message and so God allowed Assyria to send them into exile. The northern nation came to an end and was taken off the map. Meanwhile, in the southern nation of Judah, God sent 7 prophets. Joel, Micah, Isaiah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah and Jeremiah. But once again, God’s people did not listen nor respond, so God allowed Babylon to send them into exile. Like the north, the southern nation came to an end and was taken off the map. But God continued to speak. While the Jews were in Babylon, God provided His people with 3 more prophets. Obadiah, Ezekiel and Daniel After 70 years, thru Daniel, God provides opportunity for His people to return and re-establish their nation of Judah. Included in the 50,000 that return are 2 more prophets, Haggai and Zechariah And so our chart expands to the time after the 70 year exile. . BC 1050 1000 950 900 850 800 750 700 650 600 550 500 BC 400 450 L ISRAE Amos Elijah Elisha Israel Saul Jonah Hosea 70 yrs. in Babylonian exile . David Solomon AH JUD Judah . Micah Isaiah Note: Lines reflect only the approximate years of prophetic ministry. Their birthdate would be 20-30 yrs. prior to beginning of line. 950 900 Jeremiah Habakkuk Daniel Nahum 850 800 Nehemiah Zephaniah Ezekiel Obadiah 1000 Ezra Judah Joel BC 1050 Esther 750 700 650 600 550 Haggai Zechariah 500 Malachi 450 BC 400 The last two lessons have mentioned the change from the Babylonian empire to the Medo-Persian empire. Nebuchadnezzar, as king of Babylon, sent the Jews into exile in 3 stages. Daniel and his friends were in the first group in 605 BC. This is the date we use to start counting the 70 years of exile. Nebuchadnezzar 1 2 3 deportations 605 597 586 BC Babylon JUDAH MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE 539 BC It is sixty-seven years later, in 539 BC, that the Medes and Persians conquer the Babylonian empire. The Persian king Cyrus, spends the next 3 years as army general, consolidating this new empire. He makes a leader from Media, Darius Gubáru, governor of Babylon and the surrounding region. Darius then organizes the government. Historically, Darius the Mede was never a king. No one has the title of king during these first 3 years. As this Medo-Persian empire is forming, Daniel is praying. He is asking God to complete the promise made thru Jeremiah - that after 70 years of exile, the Jews can return to their homeland. This lesson explains how God answers Daniel’s prayer. In 536 BC, precisely 70 years after Daniel was taken to Babylon, Cyrus finishes his military campaigns as general and takes over as the 1st king of the empire. To see what happens next, we need to read some chapters in Ezra, starting with 1:1. In the 1st year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation thruout his realm and to put it in writing: This is what Cyrus king of Persia says, The Lord Yahweh, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build a temple for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of His people among you - any Jewish person, may His God be with him and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem. And the people of any place where survivors may now be living, are to provide him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock and with free will offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem. Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and Levites - everyone whose heart God had moved, prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold... 1:1-6 It is God who moves the heart of Cyrus. And He does it thru Daniel, the man He placed in the palace in Babylon. Daniel is still serving in the palace. As Cyrus gets to know and respect Daniel, as he listens to what Daniel says, he has this great desire to help the Jews. He gives them permission to put their nation back on the map. He also says the Persian government will pay for rebuilding the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. He then picks a man who is part of the royal family and a descendent of David to be their leader and governor. His name is Zerubbabel. The name means born in Babylon. Some 50,000 Jews take advantage of this opportunity. They pack up their THE RETURN OF JUDAH TO THE LAND 536 BC things and travel westward to re-establish the nation of Judah. Little by little, it will also be called Israel, the God-given name for the nation. When the Jews arrive, they move into the family farms - properties belonging to their parents and grandparents. Once settled, the people go to the ruins of Jerusalem and the Temple grounds. According to Ezra 3:2, they rebuild the 50,000 altar for animal sacrifices on the foundation of the altar Solomon had built. It Judah is the month to celebrate the Jewish holy days, called the Feast of Tabernacles. After the week long observance, they start collecting all the materials they will need to rebuild the temple, using the funds Cyrus had sent with them. It is 536 BC. Seven months later, they have the supplies and with great enthusiasm they begin construction. Ez. 3:8 In a short time, the foundation of the temple is laid and the people rejoice. Ezra 3:10-11. But then things change. Ezra 4:4 Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They hired counselors to work against them and frustrate their plans...verse 24 Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the 2nd year of the reign of Darius. He was the 4th king of Persia. Because we think chronologically, it is important to understand the Jewish calendar. Their calendar is lunar - i.e. it is based on the moon. Every time there is a new moon, they have a new month of 30 days. They also have 2 different calendars - a religious calendar and a civil calendar. When dealing with secular issues, they use the civil calendar which begins in September. Spiritual issues are dated with the religious calendar which is based on their exodus from Egypt. It begins in March. This will help us follow the time line, both in the background material and the book of Haggai. As we just saw, in 536 BC, 50,000 Jews returned to Jerusalem with the authority and blessing of Cyrus. They arrive in the 7th month of the religious year - September on our calendar, 536 BC. In the 2nd month of the next year, April, they start laying the temple foundation. When it is finished, they celebrate and thank God. But then enemies come and pressure them, so they stop building in 535 BC. They stop, not just for weeks or months, but for years. 2 Every time the Jews think about doing more work on the temple, they decide it’s just not the right time. If you ask why, they give various reasons. Politically, it is not the right time. With so much opposition, it is better to keep a low profile and not do anything to antagonize the enemy. Economically, it is not the right time. There have been so many crop failures, everyone needs to work in the fields, or get a second job in order to make ends meet. Over the years their families have grown and they need bigger houses. The winters are cold and people need time to make warmer clothes. With these excuses, 15 years go by. All they have built is the altar for animal offerings and the foundation of the temple. During these years, they have their Jewish services that only require the altar. God has been patiently waiting. According to Ezra 5:1, He now begins to speak thru the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. With this background, we are now ready for the book of Haggai. OUTLINE 1st Message - Reproof 1 2nd Message - Encouragement 2:1-9 3rd Message - Promise for the Present 2:10-19 4th Message - Promise for the Future 2:20-23 Chapter 1:1 tells us that by now there is a new king over the Persian empire. He is king number four. In Scripture he is called Darius the Great. In secular history he is known as Darius I (Hystaspes). It is now the 2nd year of his reign, 520 BC. This means the Jews have been back in their land for 15 years. On the 1st day of the 6th month - August, the people have come to the Temple grounds to celebrate the beginning of a new month. While everyone is there, Haggai uses the opportunity to give them God’s message. Message 1 God’s reproof Haggai starts by quoting what everyone has been saying. The time has not yet come for the Lord’s house to be built. 1:2 He then asks, Is it time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin? 1:4 At the end of verse 9 he says, speaking for God, My house remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with, or runs, to his OWN house. Le ba The reason it took 7 months was that they had gotten that cedar paneling from Lebanon. But then over the last 15 years, when temple building was delayed, the people began taking what was intended for God’s house and using it in their own houses. So Haggai says, You mean to tell me it has been the right time to keep building luxurious houses for yourselves, but never the right time to build God’s house? You have had unlimited energy and excitement to work on your houses. How is it you never have energy or interest in God’s house? no n Paneled ceilings and walls means panels of cedar wood from Lebanon. That is the wood Solomon had used to build God’s Temple of the past. When the Jews returned to Judah, they spent 7 months getting all the supplies to rebuild the Temple. Cedars from Lebanon . Jerusalem . Judah T R In saying this, let me add - God has never been against buying or D ESE building beautiful, comfortable homes. That is not a problem with God. The reason God is concerned with the Jews in this situation is that they are never satisified. The minute they finish one project, they want something nicer or something more. At this point, their whole life is wrapped up in living and getting, so they have neither time nor energy for God or His Temple. 3 For the Jews in the Old Testament, the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem was where God lived and met with them as a nation. It was the only place where they could formally receive God’s forgiveness and where they could formally worship Him. Their forgiveness was thru the animal sacrifices they offered on that ALTAR in the temple courtyard. In Solomon’s day, their desire to worship was awakened as they looked at the absolute beauty of the TEMPLE itself. It was a symbol of the splendor, beauty and glory of God. When God’s people returned to Jerusalem, the first thing they did was to build an ALTAR for the animal offerings. They understood their need of God’s forgiveness. Over the last 15 years they have brought their animals and received forgiveness. But without the temple, there has been no way to worship God. In fact, by not building the Temple, they have said, it is not really important if God lives among us. They feel forgiveness and ritual is all they need for their spiritual life. They no longer see any value in a relationship with God. To put it another way, they have gotten so busy with things, they have forgotten how to appreciate the wonder of God – His power, mercy and love. They have felt the pressure of getting things – of building up a surplus for the future. But the more they have tried to accumulate, the less they have been able to get. Haggai explains why. You planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a bag with holes in it. 1:6 You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I, God, blew away. 1:9 The people found that instead of an abundant harvest, it was always meager. Even the threshed grain they brought home had never gone as far as expected. It seemed to disappear – to be blown away as the chaff had been when they threshed it. God continues speaking thru Haggai, Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I have called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle and on the labor of your hands . 1:10-11 There is no doubt; these people have problems. The people have been saying, It is because of our problems, we do not have time for God. God replies, it is because you do not have time for Me that you have problems. In verse 9 He said, I blew your grain away. In verse 11, I have called for a drought upon the land. The people do not need more time to solve their problems. They need to bring God into their life and He will deal with their problems. These people - God’s people - love God, but they have gotten careless. In fact, they have become so caught up in living, getting and doing, they have not even missed their relationship with God. So God has brought problems to get their attention. As the people listen to Haggai, the Holy Spirit convicts them and they respond. Then Zerubabel,.... Joshua the high priest and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. 1:12 And the people feared the Lord. This means they literally become afraid to disobey any more, because of God’s consequences. A true fear of God never paralizes - it activates a person. So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubabel and the spirit of Joshua the high priest and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty their God, on the 24th day of the 6th month, in the 2nd year of King Darius. 1:14-15 Just 3 weeks after Haggai starts speaking, the people and leaders recognize their sin of 15 years. They repent and obey. In response to the people’s obedience, God now sends the next message. 4 Message 2 God’s encouragement According to 2:1, it comes on the 21st day of the 7th month - the month of October, 520 BC. This is a message of encouragement, one month after they started obeying. This specific day, the 21st of the 7th month, the people are ending the Jewish holy days of Tabernacles. To celebrate, the people bring samples of their harvest in proportion to how God has blessed them and then together, praise the Lord for the results of their harvest. But the people are discouraged. They just finished their harvest after another crop failure. As a result, the harvest had been terrible. Each person had only a few sample to bring and they looked awful. How can they praise the Lord for this? Why even have a celebration? Some are thinking, we had better harvests when we lived in Babylon. Was it worth it to come back to Jerusalem? Maybe those who stayed behind were wiser after all. Others are asking, Now that we are spending our time building the temple and without a decent harvest, what about next year? Are we going to have enough to eat? The people need encouragement as they consider the dismal harvest they just had. They also need encouragement as they see the temple beginning to take shape. They have been working on the temple for one month. Among them are older Jews who returned when they were in their early 60’s. Now, 15 years later, they are in their mid 70’s. They had been young children when they were taken in the last group of exiles, 66 years earlier. (586 BC) They can still remember the outside splendor of Solomon’s temple. They also knew that the inside had been magnificent and beyond description. As these Jews see the walls go up, they realize the new temple can never compare with the beauty of Solomon’s temple. They do not have gold for any overlay. They do not have a king who can use his wealth to beautify it. With such an ordinary building, should they even continue? The holy days will never be the same. More importantly, will God even consider living in it? In their time of questions and despair, God, speaking thru Haggai, gives them a message of encouragement. But now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong O Joshua, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord and work. For I am with you. This is what I covenanted - the promise I made with you when you came out of Egypt. And My Spirit remains among you. Do not fear. 2:4-5 God tells them to stop worrying if they will have enough food. He will provide They should also stop worrying if He will live in the temple. He is already there with them. In regards to the beauty of the temple and their lack of gold… This is what the Lord Almighty says, In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations and the desired of all nations will come and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord Almighty. The silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the Lord Almighty. The last glory of this house will be greater than the glory of the former house. And in this place I will grant peace, declares the Lord Almighty. 2:6-9 Since all the silver and gold in the world is under God’s control, the Jews do not need to worry about having enough to beautify the Temple. God is going to use Gentile nations to provide it. Typical of Jewish writing, there is more than one meaning. God’s promise is partially fulfilled in the days of Haggai. Cyrus the Great had given the Jews a subsidy at the beginning. In a short time, Darius I, Hystaspes, will send more funds. Another partial fulfillment comes 500 years later, just before the birth of Jesus. King Herod makes huge improvements on the temple and the Roman government pays the bill. However, the final fulfillment is yet future. In the original Hebrew, verse 9 says, the last glory of this house will be greater than the first. When God’s kingdom is established on this earth, His temple will be in Jerusalem. Nations will bring their treasures to Jerusalem as a way of worshipping Him. Jesus, the desire of nations, will be King. The glory of Jesus’ presence, the Shechinah glory will far surpass the symbolic glory of Solomon’s temple. The final glory of God’s house will be greater than the first glory of Solomon’s Temple. 5 Haggai, Ezekiel and Isaiah talk about this in the Old Testament. John the apostle describes it in Revelation in the New Testament. God’s message of encouragement for His people in the 500’s BC is, I am with you and I will provide. I will provide you with food - I will provide My House with glory. I know your problems and I will solve them. Therefore be strong and do not fear. Message 3 God’s promise for the present The 3rd message in 2:10-19 - comes on the 24th of the ninth month, December, 520 BC. It is a promise of blessing. But the people and leaders need to realize these blessings come with conditions. Haggai starts by asking the Jewish priests 2 questions based on Moses’ law. The first question is about the meat that is part of the animal sacrifice. Part of it belonged to God and therefore was considered ceremonially holy. Haggai asks, if the meat that is considered holy, touches other food, does the other food become holy? The priests answer, according to Moses’ law, no. The second question is about the priests regarding themselves. Haggai asks them, If you become ceremonially unholy and you touch other food, does the other food become unholy? The priests answer, according to Moses’ law, yes, that food becomes unholy. Haggai is using these questions to point out their wrong thinking. They believed if they returned to God’s land, the holy land, it would automatically make them holy, no matter what they did or how they lived. God says, the holiness of the land cannot transfer to them and make them holy. But, unholiness in their lives transfers and automatically makes their sacrifices, their offerings and their prayers unholy. To prove it, Haggai tells the Jews to think back over the last 15 years. During that time, even as God’s people, they had pushed God away. They had allowed unholiness to continue in their lives. The result had been chaos and problems. Their disobedience had brought consequences. Now they have repented and obeyed, so God is giving His promise of blessing, From this day on, I will bless you. Putting this promise in context, it refers to the one blessing they need the most - rain for their crops. God is saying this in the 9th month, the month they are plowing and sowing their seed. Success or failure of crops depends on the early rains. For the last 15 years their crops had failed because there had been no early rains. God’s promise for their present situation is - because you have obeyed, this year you will have a good harvest. I will send the rains exactly when you need them and the amount you need. Message 4 God’s promise for the future Haggai’s 4th message is another promise and comes on the same day. It is for the governor, Zerubbabel and is a promise for the future. Zerubbabel is descended from David’s royal line. Altho Cyrus has appointed him governor of Judah, he knows in reality, he is only a figurehead. He is completely under the power and authority of the Persian empire. Now, 15 years later, as the temple is going up, Zerubbabel has questions. In the past, the temple had always been connected with the throne and national independence. So when this temple is finished, will they once again have a king and independence? Or will the Gentiles always rule over them? To answer these question, God gives a promise to Zerubbabel. Tell Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, that I will shake the heavens and the earth. I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother. 2:21-22 Putting it simply, God is telling Zerubbabel that eventually all other empires will be destroyed and God’s kingdom will come. 6 God continues in verse 23, On that day - when I set up My kingdom - I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel and I will make you like My signet ring, for I have chosen you . This does not sound possible. The time God is going to remove all other nations and set up His kingdom is in the future - even future to us. So how can God promise Zerubbabel that he, in the 500’s BC, is chosen and will be like a signet ring? ....... To understand this, we first need to look at the royal line of David at the time of the Babylonian empire. Zedekiah, the last Jewish king died without any surviving Solomon sons or grandsons. 350 yrs. The previous king from David’s line, Jehoiachin, was taken Josiah to Babylon along with several infant children. In total, he Jehoahaz Jehoiakim had 7 sons and one daughter. Because of his disobedience, x Jehoiachin God thru the prophet Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 22:24. Zedekiah x 7 sons As surely as I live, declares the Lord, even if you, Jehoiachin,... king of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still pull you off... verse 30 This is what the Lord says, Record this man as if childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime, for none of his offspring will prosper; none will sit on the throne of David or rule anymore in Judah. The signet ring was a symbol of leadership, power or kingship. God taking the signet ring off is picture language to say that for a time, there will be no more kings in Judah. None of Jehoiachin’s 7 sons or the family line of these sons will ever be king. Now, 78 years after Jehoiachin was taken to Babylon, Zerubabbal watched the temple going up. He wondered if they would have another king. God told him, yes, in the future, I will set up My kingdom with My king. This leads Zerubabbel to question, But Jeremiah said the royal line could not be thru the last surviving king and his sons. So how can the royal line of David continue? God answers, Thru YOU, Zerubbabel. My king for My kingdom will come thru your line . Jehoiachin had 7 sons and one daughter. That daughter married a man descended from David’s son Nathan. Zerubbabel was the great-grandson of the king thru that marriage. While he will never be king, he will continue the family line for Jesus, the final king. Rejecting Jehoiachin’s sons as future kings was expressed by pulling off the signet ring. Choosing Zerubbabel to continue the line is expressed by I will make you like my signet ring. To see the accuracy of this promise, we can follow the family line. It starts with David and Bathsheba. Solomon continued the royal line – the line of kings It continued to Jehoiachin – Because of his disobedience, his sons could not become kings But his daughter married into another branch of David’s line Nathan was another son of David and Bathsheba. A descendent, Neri, married the daughter of king Jehoiachin. Their grandson was Zerubbabel. He had 2 sons. DAVID + Bathsheba s SOLOMON Nathan s 500 years Jehoiachin d 7 sons + Neri Shealtiel ZERUBBABEL Abiud Rhesa In the New Testament we see God’s promise fulfilled in the family line of Jesus. 500 years Joseph was Jesus’ legal father by adoption and Matthew 1 shows that Joseph descended from David and from one son of Zerubbabel JOSEPH MARY . The virgin Mary was the biological mother of Jesus. Luke gives her family tree and shows that she also came from David’s line and from the other son of Zerubbabel. Jesus descended from Zerubbabel and will be the king in God’s future kingdom. This was God’s promise to Zerubbabel and the Jews for the future. 7 The book of Haggai has only 2 chapters. On first reading it can seem vague and even irrelevant to us. But once we understand the context, we discover it has lessons for our lives. The first lesson - priorities. How easy it is for us to say, Once I get my things taken care of, then I will have time for the things of God. God says, Make time for Me and I will take care of your things to make you effective and efficient so you can do things in less time. In saying this, let me clarify - this does not mean that instead of 10 minutes of prayer or reading the Bible, we need to spend 2 hours. Most of our schedules cannot allow that. What it does mean is that after 10 minutes in prayer or reading, we should then put into practice what we have learned and been shown. We should obey. During the day, do we bring God into our decisions, asking Him for His wisdom? Or do we think we only need God for the big crisis in life - the rest we can handle ourselves? Making time for God is never talking about literal minutes or hours. It means involving God in all of our life our decisions, relationships, attitudes, actions - involving Him when we are down and when we are up. Making time for God means enjoying short conversations with Him thruout the day. When something exciting happens or we get a phone call that is special - when we are reminded of a special friendship that God has given us do we spontaneously say - oh thank You Lord for letting that happen in my life. You know how special it was. Thank You for that friendship or phone call. We enjoy God by sharing things with Him during the day. Making time for God means we think about Him. When our mind wanders, what do we think about? Do we ever let it wander to think about God - things He has done for us in the past - what He is like in His qualities? Do we ever ponder about the difference it makes because God is eternal - all powerful - all knowing - He is always with us? Have we considered the importance of His justice, love, mercy, grace and holiness because they are absolute and they are perfect? A 2nd lesson - God’s instruction He tells us to be strong and courageous to do what He puts in front of us to do. Many times that may seem too big, too impossible, fearful, painful, or way too hard. It is why He gives us His presence. I AM with you. Whatever we face, He is at our side, holding our hand. He is in back of us to hold us up and support us. He is in front of us to prepare the way and lead us down the right path. He also gives us His provisions This does not mean He will give us all our wants. But guaranteed, He will provide our legitimate needs. No matter how God chooses to work in our lives, God will never lead us where His grace cannot keep us. 8 EXTRA INFORMATION FOR THE STUDIOUS AND INQUISITIVE Meaning of Zerubbabel as a signet ring – Questions answered about Jeconiah’s rejection and family line ➀ There are 2 Zerubbabels. One is son of Pedaiah David + Bathsheba s Solomon It is the only logical conclusion when you compare the listed generations of each – 1 Chron 3:17-23 with Matt. 1. 7 sons 6+ Pedaiah Zerubbabel Hananiah Shechaniah Neariah Elioenai d + Neri ➁ ke 3 7 . 3:1 Shealtiel Lu ron h C 1 Zerubbabel ➀ Abiud Rhesa 500 years Joseph Luke 3 is son of Jehoiachin in 1 Chron. 3:17 (son can mean grandson). The only logical answer is Jehoiachin’s daughter married a man named Neri. Shealtiel is therefore son of both. Jehoiachin Ma4. 1 ➁ Shealtiel is listed as son of Neri in Luke 3 500 years 1 Chron 3:17-23 This is why Haggai and Ezra mention Zerubbabel’s name stating he is son of Shealtiel. It was to clairify which Zerubbabel, since there were 2 in Jehoiachin’s family line. s Nathan Luke 3 The other is son of Shealtiel. They are cousins. Zerubabbel was a popular name meaning born in Babylon. Mary Jeremiah said none of Jehoiachin’s family would ever be on the throne of David or rule in Judah Jer. 22:24-30 But the end of his book records that Jehoiachin was freed from prison after 36 years and treated as royalty. This was to assure the Jews that God had not forgotten or destroyed David’s line. For the Jews of that day, it was the only name they could relate to as being David’s line. The truth of Jeremiah’s statement is seen that Jehoiachin’s family never ruled as kings. Zerubbabel ruled as governor, but never as king. It was David’s line that would rule again, thru Nathan, Zerubbabel, Mary and Jesus. Jehoiachin is only 18 when made king - was taken captive the following spring along with wives 2 Kings 24:15 No doubt, with all the war and uncertainty, his parents/advisors made sure he had wives and children as soon as possible, to continue the royal line. Whatever number of children he took with him, they would all have been infants. He had 8 children in all - 7 sons and 1 daughter How we can determine the age of older people who returned from Babylon to Judah Persian Kings Gobryas 539-536 Darius the Mede, governor of the capital region to organize the government of the new empire – not a king Cyrus 536-530 BC Cambysis II 530-522 BC Darius II 423-405 Pseudo-Smerdis 522 BC Artaxerxes II 405-358 BC Darius I, the Great 522-486 Artaxerxes III 358-338 BC Xerxes (Ahasuerus) 486-465 BC Arses 338-335 BC Artaxerxes Longimanus I 465-425 Darius III 335-331 BC Xerxes II 424 9