EZRA - Chapter 4 - THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY
EZRA – Chapter 4 –THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY
Tuesday Morning Bible Study
November 3, 2015, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
The mystery of iniquity (lawlessness) is revealed in this chapter. The carnal mind (the mind of mixture) that operated in the Samaritans despises the building of the temple and the city. In this chapter we have a picture of the present warfare in the Middle East, around Israel and against the Remnant.
In verses 7-16, a letter was made by three men, Bishlam, Mithredath and Tabeel. It was taken by certain higher officials Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary.
- Bishlam ---- The Antichrist spirit of religion and false peace --- Note “ishlam” --- Bishlam means peace, but it is the false peace of the Aramaic word “shelam”. Also false prosperity.
- Mithredath – "Given by Mithra" The antichrist spirit of a false christ–Mithra a pagan Iranian God (Wikipedia)
- Tabeel --- The antichrist spirit of ruling Jerusalem. (Isa. 7:5-6: “Syria, Ephraim, and the sons of Remaliah have taken evil counsel against you saying, Let us go up against Judah, and vex it; and let us make a breech therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal.”
4:7b: “…the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue (Aramaic), and interpreted in the Syrian tongue
The Spirit of antichrist in three dimensions.
2 Thess. 2” 7-8: “The mystery of iniquity does already work only He who now lets and will let, until He be taken out of the way. Then shall that wicked one be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming.”
Until Jesus redeemed the woman at Samaria, and ultimately the whole city, all Samaritans were hated. The Lord brought restoration to a people who opposed the restoration of the Temple –ultimate redemption of the Samaritans.
From this point right to the end of Nehemiah there is conflict. That which is attempted for God will be challenged, and every tactic of the devil will be released. For those who fear conflict and spiritual warfare, they will never accomplish Kingdom exploits. This principle has never changed:
Matt. 11:12: “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”
This, of course, does not mean that we are aggressively violent, but it does mean that we are strong in spiritual warfare against the spirit of anti-Christ.
This chapter describes the opening hostilities and the 16 year set-back to the work.
The Samaritans endeavored to hinder the work of the Temple. They were the result of foreigners from Assyria being settled in the territory of the former northern kingdom of Israel.
The Samaritans worshiped Yahweh, but were characterized by beliefs and practices which were inconsistent with the Jews. They asked the Jewish leaders if they might cooperate with them in rebuilding the Jerusalem temple, claiming there was no essential difference between their respective religious practices.
The Jewish leaders refused their requests. Their reason, no doubt, being they considered these neighbors to be grossly in error as to their religious practices and to permit such co-operation would cause the faith of the Jews to become contaminated.
The Messiah must be born in Israel from incorruptible seed.
The northern neighbors were affronted by this refusal, and conducted a campaign of opposition to the Jews which forced them to abandon the work of rebuilding the temple.
Ezra 4: 1-5: The adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard of the building of the temple, and approached Zerubbabel and the chief of the fathers, “Let us build with you; for we seek your God (Elohim) and we do sacrifice to him… (Vs.3) Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel said to them, You have nothing to do with us to build a house to our God; but we will build to the Lord God of Israel, (Jehovah – Elohim) as king Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us. Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building. They hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia even until the reign of Darius, king of Persia.”
Verses 6-23 present chronological difficulties of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. If we were following only a theme, we could go straight from Ezra 4:23 to Nehemiah 1; but great things had happened in the meantime. Ezra 4:24 recalls us to the point of the narrative of Ezra 4:5.
By the time Xerxes became king of Persia, the temple in Jerusalem had been completed for thirty years. At the beginning of his reign, the Jews’ enemies tried to influence him against the Jews. It is not recorded here that he heeded this slanderous accusation. The relationship with King Xerxes with the Jews is provided in the book of Esther.
Esther pictures the conditions of God’s people during their exile in Persia. The time of Esther was between the period of the restoration of the Temple under the hand of Zerubbabel, and the return of the second group under Ezra.
- Ezra ---- restoration of the temple Religious
- Nehemiah --- Reconstruction of the city walls Political
- Esther – Preservation of the House of Judah. National
If we were to make a movie of the building of Zerubbabel’s Temple, it would include the stories of many Old Testament greats including Haggai, Zechariah, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Jeshua, Cyrus, Esther and the list goes on.
During the period of Ezra’s authority in Jerusalem, prior to the arrival there of Nehemiah, another letter of complaint against the Jews was written to the Assyrian king by their northern neighbors. Verse 7 is believed to be a separate letter written in detail in verses 8-16. It appears the second letter was made by Bishlam, Mithredath and Tabeel. It was taken by certain higher officials Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary.
- Bishlam ---- The Antichrist spirit of religion --- Note “ishlam” --- Bishlam means peace, but it is the false peace of the Aramaic word “shelam” peace, peace and there is no peace. Also false prosperity.
- Mithredath – The antichrist spirit of intellectualism –(Liberal – lawlessness)
- Tabeel --- The antichrist spirit of ruling Jerusalem. (Isa. 7:5-6: “Syria, Ephraim, and the sons of Remaliah have taken evil counsel against you saying, Let us go up against Judah, and vex it; and let us make a breech therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal.”
4:7b: “…the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue (Aramaic), and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.
Verse 8 indicates a third letter was written by Rehum (false brotherhood) and Shimshai (man-worship). Those who signed the letter are the spirits behind the accusation. Their names mean: condemnation, discord (duality), defeat, pernicious words, ignorance, legalistic holiness, covenant with death and Elamites – Sectarianism. Add to this the rest of the nations whom the great and noble “Asnapper” brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria and we have a picture of the present warfare in the Middle East, around Israel and against the church.
“Asnapper” means horned bull and was a king of Assyria who transported other people into Samaria.
The letter to Artaxerxes from Satan accusing the brethren:
4: 12-15: “Be it known to the king that the Jews which came up from you to us have come to Jerusalem, building the rebellious and bad city. They have set up the walls and joined the foundations. Be it known now to the king, that if this city is built, and the walls set up again, then they will not pay toll, tribute and custom. So you shall damage the revenue of the kings. Because we have maintenance from the king’s palace, and it was not right for us to see the king’s dishonor, therefore have we sent and certified the king; that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers; so shall you find the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition inside the same of old time; for which cause this city was destroyed. We certify the king that, if this city be built again, and the walls set up, by this means you shall have no portion on this side of the river.”
In the 21st Century the spirit behind this letter is being charged against Israel and Christianity in the United Nations, our nation and the nations of the world.
The reply of Artaxerxes was “an order or decree.” Satan sends words of “peace” (Aramaic Syrian tongue shelam). (Vs. 17). Their letter had been “plainly read” and the “insurrection” of Jerusalem had been found in the books. “There have been mighty kings over Jerusalem, David, Solomon, etc. Artaxerxes decreed to cause these men to “cease” building until another commandment in another day could be issued.
When the letter was received in Samaria, they hastened to Jerusalem--- demolished and burned the wall and gates.
Neh. 1:3-4: “They said to me, the remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and the gates are burned with fire. It came to pass, when I heard these words, I sat down, wept, and mourned certain days, fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.”
4:24 – The narrative from verse 5 now continues. “Then ceased the work of the House of God (“Eloah- God of Israel) which is at Jerusalem.” So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius, King of Persia (16 years until 520 B.C.).
Next week we see the completion of the rebuilding of the Temple. God raised up the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to stir up the spirits of the Jews that they might continue the rebuilding of the temple. The prophets rose up Zerubbabel and Jeshua and began the house of God which is at Jerusalem. The ministry of the prophet has been restored to the church of the 21st century. The prophet ministry is crucial to the prophetic destiny of the remnant.
Once the foundation is laid (Ezra 3), we need the Word of the Lord through His prophets to encourage us to allow the Lord to finish the work, for we are His Temple!
Post Script: History suggests at least four Persian Kings Ahaseurus (Xterxes); Artaxerxes, Gaumata, or Artaxerxes Longimanus, (who we will meet in chapter 7) could have been the recipients of the letters and subsequent decree during this period. Regardless of who they were, they were either instruments for good or evil for Kingdom purposes.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church
Scripture from K.J.V.
I entered into the labors of The International Bible Commentary and Principles of Present Truth from Ezra by: Kelley Varner. Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those who I entered into their labors.