Ezekiel, Ezra 1–6, Daniel, Haggai, and Zechariah
After the fall of both the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C. and the Southern Kingdom of Judah in 586 B.C., one would expect God’s people to no longer exist. But God preserved for Himself a faithful remnant; not in Jerusalem, the land of Promise, but in Babylon, the land of captivity. Unlike the Assyrian captivity where the people of Israel were disbursed throughout the land, the Babylonians allowed the people of Judah to remain together.
A young man named Daniel had been taken in the first captivity in 605 B.C., and became God’s man inside the palace of Babylon. Daniel spoke for God to King Nebuchadnezzar. Because of his great wisdom, Daniel became one of the king’s most trusted advisors.
During the second captivity, God brought His priest Ezekiel to deliver His messages to the faithful people of Judah enduring captivity in Babylon, which included what was taking place in Jerusalem.
Prior to the destruction of Jerusalem, God, through His prophet Jeremiah, had given the people a message of hope saying that after 70 years, the exiles would return.
This study begins with the first group of exiles returning to Jerusalem.