What authority did the Jews claim for rebuilding the temple in Ezra 5:4? Historical Setting and Question Posed Ezra 5 records that in the second year of Darius I (c. 520 BC) the Persian officials Tattenai, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues arrived in Jerusalem and asked the Jewish leaders two questions: “Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?” (Ezra 5:3), and, “What are the names of the men who are constructing this building?” (Ezra 5:4). The text then recounts the reply that the Jews sent back through a formal letter carried by the provincial authorities to King Darius (Ezra 5:5–17). Immediate Scriptural Answer (Ezra 5:11–16) The Jews’ written response, quoted verbatim in Ezra 5:11-16, cites two interconnected authorities: 1. Divine: “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago” (v. 11). 2. Royal: “In the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God” (v. 13), after which “King Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God … and they were delivered to Sheshbazzar … And he laid the foundation of the house of God in Jerusalem” (vv. 14-16). Synthesis of Claimed Authority A. Ultimate authority is Yahweh, “God of heaven and earth,” whose command to rebuild (cf. Isaiah 44:28; Haggai 1:8) stands over every earthly decree. B. Mediate civil authority is the written edict of Cyrus II (539/538 BC), still binding under Darius I according to Persian legal custom (Daniel 6:8, 15). Archaeological and Extra-Biblical Corroboration • Cyrus Cylinder (British Museum 90920) lines 28–35 records Cyrus’s policy of returning exiled peoples and temples’ sacred vessels, perfectly matching Ezra 1:1-4 and 5:13-15. • Persepolis Fortification Tablets show continued respect for earlier royal decrees under Darius I, explaining why Tattenai sends a verification letter instead of ordering a halt (Ezra 5:17; cf. 6:6-12). • The Elephantine Papyri (AP 30) mention a Judean request c. 407 BC to rebuild the temple at Elephantine, again appealing to both God and “Darius the king,” reflecting the same legal-religious dual appeal. • Yigal Shiloh’s excavation of the City of David uncovered Persian-period stamp impressions (yhwd), confirming a thriving Judaean administration under Persian authorization contemporary with Ezra 5. Divine Authority in Prophetic Confirmation Haggai and Zechariah, ministering in 520 BC (Haggai 1:1; Zechariah 1:1), repeatedly assert, “declares the LORD of Hosts,” commanding the rebuilding. Their oracles validate the claim that the Jews were acting primarily under God’s directive. Persian Legal Authority in Detail 1. Irrevocability: Persian law regarded a king’s sealed decree as permanent (Esther 8:8; Daniel 6:12-15). 2. Administrative Precedent: Documents were stored in royal archives at Ecbatana (Ezra 6:2) and reviewed for authenticity. 3. Provincial Jurisdiction: Tattenai as “governor of the province Beyond the River” (Ezra 5:3) had to defer to imperial records, which ultimately vindicated the Jews (Ezra 6:6-12). Theological Significance • Sovereign orchestration: God’s covenant faithfulness uses even pagan monarchs to accomplish redemptive purposes (Isaiah 45:1-13). • Obedience to dual authority: The Jews model Romans 13:1 centuries beforehand—submitting to governing authorities while never subordinating God’s higher command. • Foreshadowing of Christ’s resurrection authority: Just as the temple’s rebuilding rested on an unassailable divine-royal decree, so the resurrection rests on the unassailable decree of the God-Man, validated by historical evidence (1 Corinthians 15:3-8) and more than 500 eyewitnesses (v. 6), as documented in multiple early, independent sources (Creedal formula dated within five years of the event; cf. Habermas & Licona, The Case for the Resurrection). Practical Application Believers today can act with confidence when God’s Word commands, seeking proper civil permissions without compromising divine directive (Acts 4:19). The Ezra 5 paradigm teaches that the highest authority is God, yet He providentially works through legitimate human institutions. Concise Answer The Jews cited two inseparable authorities for rebuilding the temple: (1) Yahweh, “the God of heaven and earth,” whose command obligated them; and (2) the still-valid written decree of King Cyrus, lodged in the Persian archives, which granted official imperial sanction. |
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