Ezra 2:56-70
EZRA 2:56
The children of Jaalah, the children of Darkon, the
children of Giddel,
The children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the
children of Giddel, (Nehemiah 7:58)
EZRA 2:57
The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the
children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Ami.
The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the
children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Amon. (Nehemiah 7:59)
EZRA 2:58
All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's
servants, were three hundred ninety and two.
All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's
servants, were three hundred ninety and two. (Nehemiah 7:60)
EZRA 2:59
And these were they which went up from Tel-melah,
Tel-harsa, Cherub, Addan, and Immer: but they could not shew their
father's house, and their seed, whether they were of Israel:
And these were they which went up also from
Tel-melah, Tel-haresha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer: but they could not shew their
father's house, nor their seed, whether they were of Israel. (Nehemiah
7:61)
EZRA 2:60
The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the
children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two.
The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the
children of Nekoda, six hundred forty and two. (Nehemiah 7:62)
EZRA 2:61
And of the children of the priests: the children of
Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; which took a wife of
the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name:
And of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children
of Koz, the children of Barzillai, which took one of the daughters of
Barzillai the Gileadite to wife, and was called after their name. (Nehemiah
7:63)
EZRA 2:62
These sought their register among those that were
reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as
polluted, put from the priesthood.
Then there were those who returned and had asserted that
they would be in the official register but since their names or families were
not found, they were considered polluted or defiled and were not allowed to
perform the office of the priests and therefore they were put out.
There must be a pure line to perform the office of the priests.
Now here we have a tremendous picture of the Lamb’s Book of Life.
And whosoever was not found
written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)
The Lamb’s Book of Life is the heavenly register of all the true
believers which God had named before the foundation of the world.
Just like in the time of Ezra, if a person was not found in the register,
they were excluded from performing the function of the priest.
Since the true believer is a priest before God, those who are not written
in the Lamb’s Book of Life are excluded from Heaven because they are not
redeemed but remain polluted or defiled.
He that is unjust, let him be
unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is
righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy
still. (Revelation 22:11)
EZRA 2:63
And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not
eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with
Thummim.
Tirshatha is the Persian Governor of Judah which was
Nehemiah.
And thou shalt put in the breastplate of
judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he
goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of
Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually. (Exodus 28:30) The Urim
and Thummim were used by priests to seek the LORD when a decision of some kind
had to be made. Instead of Nehemiah
risking the fact that he could be in violation of the law if he let an
unqualified person perform the duties of a priest, he instead would rather wait
upon the Lord.
EZRA 2:64
The whole congregation together was forty and two
thousand three hundred and threescore,
The whole
congregation together was forty
and two thousand three hundred and threescore, (Nehemiah 7:66)
42,360
EZRA 2:65
Beside their servants and their maids, of whom there
were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were
among them two hundred singing men and singing women.
Beside their manservants and their maidservants, of whom
there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and they had
two hundred forty and five singing men and singing women. (Nehemiah 7:67)
EZRA 2:66
Their horses were seven hundred thirty and six;
their mules, two hundred forty and five;
Their horses, seven hundred thirty and six: their mules,
two hundred forty and five: (Nehemiah 7:68)
EZRA 2:67
Their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their
asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
Their camels, four hundred thirty and five: six
thousand seven hundred and twenty asses. (Nehemiah 7:69)
EZRA 2:68
And some of the chief of the fathers, when they
came to the house of the LORD which is at Jerusalem, offered freely for
the house of God to set it up in his place:
Some of the family heads had prospered well in Babylon
and brought their wealth back to Jerusalem and were willing to donate much to
the building of the temple where the temple of Solomon had stood seventy years
ago.
EZRA 2:69
They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the
work threescore and one thousand drams of gold, and five thousand pound of
silver, and one hundred priests' garments.
They had given according to their ability unto the
treasure that would support the building of the temple.
I will give the value according to the prices of today (9/9/21) and of
course it will change each day.
They gave 1060 drams of gold. The
dram here was the Persian drachma or daric which would have been the coins that
they were familiar with in Persia.
5000 pounds of silver at today’s prices would be $1,444,200 at $24 per troy
ounce. Then they also donated 100
priest’s garments which they wore in the performing of their duties as priests.
EZRA 2:70
So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the
people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their
cities, and all Israel in their cities.