Daniel was serving the Babylonian Empire on October 12, 539 BCE, where a great party was underway. Belshazzar, one thousand of his nobles, and their wives were drinking wine from gold cups plundered from the temple at Jerusalem. Suddenly, the fingers of a hand wrote on the wall, Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians. That very night, the Babylonian Empire fell to Cyrus the Great. The exiled prince, Daniel now served the Persians instead of the Babylonians. Author Sandy Millers Rebuilding Jerusalem examines the biblical, historical, and archaeological record of the Persian Empires relationship with Jewish exiles after they conquered Babylon. Through a series of twelve lectures, it follows 114 years of the Persian Empire, relaying the history of Persian kings who helped various Bible figures preserve the Promised Land for future generations. It includes stories of their unique involvement with the Persian Empire found in the Old Testament books of Daniel, Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. Rebuilding Jerusalem shows that Israel is a vibrant country today, at least in part because of the ancient Persian Empires involvement in the restoration of the country.

Jerusalem--one of the most contested sites in the world. Reconstructing Jerusalem takes readers back to a pivotal moment in its history when it lay ruined and abandoned and the glory of its ancient kings, David and Solomon, had faded. Why did this city not share the same fate as so many other conquered cities, destroyed and forever abandoned, never to be rebuilt? Why did Jerusalem, disgraced and humiliated, not suffer the fate of Babylon, Nineveh, or Persepolis? Reconstructing Jerusalem explores the interrelationship of the physical and intellectual processes leading to Jerusalem's restoration after its destruction in 587 B.C.E., stressing its symbolic importance and the power of the prophetic perspective in the preservation of the Judean nation and the critical transition from Yahwism to Judaism. Through texts and artifacts, including a unique, comprehensive investigation of the archaeological evidence, a startling story emerges: the visions of a small group of prophets not only inspired the rebuilding of a desolate city but also of a dispersed people. Archaeological, historical, and literary analysis converge to reveal the powerful elements of the story, a story of dispersion and destruction but also of re-creation and revitalization, a story about how compelling visions can change the fate of a people and the course of human history, a story of a community reborn to a barren city.

Wherever you work, in whatever capacity, the Scriptures have something to say about it. Theology of work Bible commentary is an in-depth Bible study tool put together by a group of biblical scholars, pastors, and workplace Christians to help you discover what the New Testament says about work. --Provided by publisher.

Darius I, King of Persia, claims to have accomplished many deeds in the early years of his reign, but was one of them the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem? The editor who added the date to the books of Haggai and Zechariah thought so, and the author of Ezra 1-6 then relied on his dates when writing his account of the rebuilding process. The genealogical information contained in the book of Nehemiah, however, suggests otherwise; it indicates that Zerubbabel and Nehemiah were either contemporaries, or a generation apart in age, not some 65 years apart. Thus, either Zerubabbel and the temple rebuilding needs to be moved to the reign of Artaxerxes I, or Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the city walls needs to be moved to the reign of Darius I. In this ground-breaking volume, the argument is made that the temple was built during the reign of Artaxerxes I. The editor of Haggai and Zechariah mistakenly set the event under Darius I because he was influenced by both a desire to show the fulfillment of inherited prophecy and by Darius widely circulated autobiography of his rise to power. In light of the settlement patterns in Yehud during the Persian period, it is proposed that Artaxerxes I instituted a master plan to incorporate Yehud into the Persian road, postal, and military systems. The rebuilding of the temple was a minor part of the larger plan that provided soldiers stationed in the fortress in Jerusalem and civilians living in the new provincial seat with a place to worship their native god while also providing a place to store taxes and monies collected on behalf of the Persian administration.

"There is a way to pray so that you know God hears you and will answeryour prayer. There is a way to pray in faith -- all the time -- a way to get answers"--Amazon.com.

Life crises can throw you into a tail-spin—a lost job, a failed relationship, a struggling business, a financial mess. Where do you start? How do you pull it together? How do you begin again? Tom Holladay experienced a catastrophe first-hand when a sudden flood in California destroyed his home, his church, and the homes of many church members. Tom and his congregation had to rebuild, and they used the principles in the book of Nehemiah to get back on their feet. Now a teaching pastor at Saddleback Church, Tom will help you discover seven principles for putting it together again that will give you the direction you need to get rolling on that fresh start. Holladay will walk you through seeing every problem as an opportunity, facing the obstacles head on and taking your first step, knowing how to expect and reject opposition, build on your success, and dedicating yourself to the One who rebuilds our souls. The task of starting again can seem impossible. And sometimes you just need to rebuild your confidence and regain a sense of purpose. If you’re trying to find the emotional energy, but you just don’t have it in you, let Holladay encourage you. He understands how difficult and rewarding the business of rebuilding is. This book is your encouraging how-to guide to starting again and stepping into a better future.

No other book in the Bible compares with the wonder of the sacred collection of inspired worship songs known as the Psalms. Considered by many to be the most loved portion of Scripture, the Psalms have been a bedrock of comfort and a tower of strength for believers in every experience of life. This is the second of two volumes in the Holman Old Testament Commentary given to the Psalms, that provide commentary on Psalms chapters 76-150. Some of the key Psalms receive an added in-depth treatment that includes exposition, illustrations, and teaching plans. - http://www.christianbook.com

Daniel was serving the Babylonian Empire on October 12, 539 BCE, where a great party was underway. Belshazzar, one thousand of his nobles, and their wives were drinking wine from gold cups plundered from the temple at Jerusalem. Suddenly, the fingers of a hand wrote on the wall, "Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians." That very night, the Babylonian Empire fell to Cyrus the Great. The exiled prince, Daniel now served the Persians instead of the Babylonians. Author Sandy Miller's Rebuilding Jerusalem examines the biblical, historical, and archaeological record of the Persian Empire's relationship with Jewish exiles after they conquered Babylon. Through a series of twelve lectures, it follows 114 years of the Persian Empire, relaying the history of Persian kings who helped various Bible figures preserve the Promised Land for future generations. It includes stories of their unique involvement with the Persian Empire found in the Old Testament books of Daniel, Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. Rebuilding Jerusalem shows that Israel is a vibrant country today, at least in part because of the ancient Persian Empire's involvement in the restoration of the country.

This monograph presents a fresh and detailed treatment of the problems posed by the Nehemiah-Memoir. Starting from the pre-critical interpretations of Ezra-Neh, the study demonstrates that the use of the first-person does not suffice as a criterion for distinguishing between the verba Neemiae and the additions of later authors. The earliest edition of the Memoir isconfined to a building report, which was expanded as early generations of readers developed the implications of Nehemiah's accomplishments for the consolidation and centralization of Judah. The expansions occasioned in turn the composition of the history of the "Restoration" in Ezra-Neh.

Whereas most students of the Bible have long held that some form of humanism or universalist religion would catapult the Antichrist to world power, this book systematically proves the biblical case for an Islamic Antichrist.