The Return From Captivity

By

Prophet Hananiah,

Prophet Mishael

And

Prophet Azariah

Why Return From Captivity Was Hard

1. Marks On The Body

Hananiah: You people were not told that we were given marks on our bodies. The Babylonians were giving marks to all the people selected by King Nebuchadnezzar, so that once people saw the person, they knew that the person was working for King Nebuchadnezzar. They made holes, openings, in our ears and noses, because that was the custom and tradition of the Babylonians. The marks were permanent on our bodies. That was why God did not allow us to return to Jerusalem. The marks were for eternity, till death. The marks can only be removed at death, when the spirit leaves the body.

2. Tattoos

Hananiah: Son of man, many of us were advanced in age. Some of us had obtained freedom. Same became citizens of Babylon. It was not easily possible for them to go back to Israel. That was why Ezra said he made many people go back to Jerusalem. The Israelites had lived for many years, thousands of years in Babylon. They had connections. They had families. They had lands.

Why The Return Was Delayed

Hananiah: God gave all the powers and authority to King Nebuchadnezzar, but Nebuchadnezzar did not do what God said. His son did the much he could and stopped. And the grandson, King Cyrus, took over. Even so his children and children's children later repented and started doing what God said. It was when King Nebuchadnezzar’s children and children's children became kings that they told the Israelites to go back to their land, Israel.

Son of man, this was the message which God gave to King Nebuchadnezzar, that the Israelites should return to their land, home country, but Nebuchadnezzar did not do it. God gave the same message to his son and to his grandson that a Temple should be built for God in Jerusalem. Later, God told King Cyrus to return all the vessels to the Israelite owners, because the time was due to build God’s Temple in Jerusalem, where people shall keep the Sabbath and Seven Annual Festivals Of God. God did not want the Israelites to stay and keep the Sabbath in Babylon. God was not receiving sacrifice in Babylon, because Jerusalem was a holy land, which God chose.

Why Some Did Not Return To Israel

Hananiah: Son of man, ourselves – Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah – were there present in Babylon, when King Cyrus gave the order. But ourselves did not join in going to Jerusalem, because we were already advanced in age and because of the marks which the Babylonians made on our bodies.

Why Some Returned

Hananiah: Look at the various companies and workplaces. The required workers are those people who have had experiences. It is not the educated people. It is people who are experienced, and skilled, who are ready and willing to do work.

That was why the Israelites were ordered in sequence. Some of them returned to Jerusalem, while some did not return.

Many people who no longer knew their tribes.

Some were from the tribe of Simeon.

Some were from the tribe of Dan.

And many did not return to Israel,

 because they were not able to detect their tribes.

Head: And some people, after they returned, could not recognize their homes or the homes of their parents and fore fore fathers.

Hananiah: That was why the Israelites would not assign any work to such people. They would not participate in any work, because nobody knew their tribes.

A person from the tribe of Levi should not be assigned the work of the Judah.

The Israelites from the tribe of Judah should not be assigned the work of offering sacrifices to God.

The Levites should not be assigned the work of governments and leaderships. They should not be among the elders and judges, because their works are the works of the priests.

That was why some Israelites refused to go back to Jerusalem, when many others returned. Truly, truly, truly, it would not have been like that. But God came in on time, to help the Israelites, by using the experienced Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah, who were prophets, priests and judges.

Selection Of The Leaders Over The Return

Hananiah: When the Israelites were returning to Jerusalem, some people no longer knew their tribes. That was why the old people were made the leaders, who were present when God was coming down to Jerusalem, so that they could comport themselves very well, and also organize other Israelites, to ensure that all the things were rightly done in sequence, as God wanted.