2 Esdras (known as 4 Esdras in the Vulgate) is part of the King James Bible's "Apocrypha" section. Scholars generally agree that an early Jewish Christian wrote it, or major sections of it, and that its original language was Hebrew. You can read it here: Bible Gateway passage: 2 Esdras 7 - New Revised Standard Version
I liked reading this fascinating text, and based on its authorship, I would like to please ask you in the Messianic section about one of the most confusing parts of this document for me: Do the 400 years after the Messiah has been revealed refer to (A) 400 years in the period from the 5th century BC up to Christ's crucifixion, (B) a metaphor for Christ's life or ministry, or (C) a futuristic eschatological End Times period following the End Times tribulation comparable to the 1000 years of Christ's reign after His return in the Book of Revelation?
The passage is in 4 Esdras 7, below. An angel gives Ezra the Lord's prediction about signs and about a city full of all good things that has a narrow entrance. Next, the angel says:
(Option A: A 400 year period in c. 440 BC - 333 AD.)
According to this theory, Ezra's writings or the prophecies in the TaNaKh revealed the Messiah in about the 5th century BC, and righteous Israelites rejoiced over the next 400 years. In the Latin manuscript of 4 Esdras 7:27, the Messiah is called "Jesus." ("For My Son Jesus shall be revealed with those that be with him"). While the other remaining manuscripts (Syriac, Ethiopian, Armenian) don't have the name "Jesus" here, it's still a possibility. Thus, the document could be presenting itself as "revealing" the Messiah. In history, the real Ezra lived in about 480-440 BC. The document says that the Messiah would die after the 400 years, but it doesn't say how long afterwards. The Crucifixion was in about 33 AD, which is about 472 years after Ezra's time.
Stephen W. Kraner in his essay "Allusions to 2Esdras in the New Testament" showed that 4 Esdras 8:62- 9:6 apparently lines up with major elements of Matthew 24. If the author of the book's middle portion used Matthew 24, he would have been a Christian who intended his reference to the Messiah's death in verse 29 to agree with the New Testament, not to contradict it. Another reason for Option A could be that there are about 400 years in the Intertestamental period between the events of the TaNaKh and those of the Gospels. Further, Daniel 9 gives a similar period of over four centuries that leads to the cutting off of an Anointed One / Messiah.
On the other hand, one of my biggest problems with Option A is that v. 28 says that "my son the Messiah shall be revealed with those who are with him", and it's hard to see how His companions were revealed in the 5th century BC., since the Jews already knew about figures in heaven like Moses, Enoch, Elijah, Ezra and the angels.
What do you think of Option A? I want to ask you more about Options B and C in later posts, but you can respond about them here too.
I liked reading this fascinating text, and based on its authorship, I would like to please ask you in the Messianic section about one of the most confusing parts of this document for me: Do the 400 years after the Messiah has been revealed refer to (A) 400 years in the period from the 5th century BC up to Christ's crucifixion, (B) a metaphor for Christ's life or ministry, or (C) a futuristic eschatological End Times period following the End Times tribulation comparable to the 1000 years of Christ's reign after His return in the Book of Revelation?
The passage is in 4 Esdras 7, below. An angel gives Ezra the Lord's prediction about signs and about a city full of all good things that has a narrow entrance. Next, the angel says:
Let me briefly explain each of the three interpretations that I came across.
(Option A: A 400 year period in c. 440 BC - 333 AD.)
According to this theory, Ezra's writings or the prophecies in the TaNaKh revealed the Messiah in about the 5th century BC, and righteous Israelites rejoiced over the next 400 years. In the Latin manuscript of 4 Esdras 7:27, the Messiah is called "Jesus." ("For My Son Jesus shall be revealed with those that be with him"). While the other remaining manuscripts (Syriac, Ethiopian, Armenian) don't have the name "Jesus" here, it's still a possibility. Thus, the document could be presenting itself as "revealing" the Messiah. In history, the real Ezra lived in about 480-440 BC. The document says that the Messiah would die after the 400 years, but it doesn't say how long afterwards. The Crucifixion was in about 33 AD, which is about 472 years after Ezra's time.
Stephen W. Kraner in his essay "Allusions to 2Esdras in the New Testament" showed that 4 Esdras 8:62- 9:6 apparently lines up with major elements of Matthew 24. If the author of the book's middle portion used Matthew 24, he would have been a Christian who intended his reference to the Messiah's death in verse 29 to agree with the New Testament, not to contradict it. Another reason for Option A could be that there are about 400 years in the Intertestamental period between the events of the TaNaKh and those of the Gospels. Further, Daniel 9 gives a similar period of over four centuries that leads to the cutting off of an Anointed One / Messiah.
On the other hand, one of my biggest problems with Option A is that v. 28 says that "my son the Messiah shall be revealed with those who are with him", and it's hard to see how His companions were revealed in the 5th century BC., since the Jews already knew about figures in heaven like Moses, Enoch, Elijah, Ezra and the angels.
What do you think of Option A? I want to ask you more about Options B and C in later posts, but you can respond about them here too.
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