The Advocate of God
by Julie Hogan
The following is a study on the beautiful symmetry between the Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.
In the opening verses of the book of Ezra, the Lord stirs up the spirit of Cyrus (King of Persia) so that he allows some of the Israelites (which Nebuchadnezzar had taken captive to Babylon) to return to their homeland in order to rebuild the House of the Lord, but when Ezra arrives “to instruct the people in the ways of God” (several chapters later), he is appalled to discover that many of the men and priests had married the women of the land which God had commanded them time and time again not to do. Now, we know that these “women” are symbolic of the multi-denominational church system who then give birth to children “which speak not the language of Israel”. . .that is, the language of the Kingdom of God by the Spirit! These returning exiles had laid the foundation for the House of the Lord in name only. . .then, with the work of their hands they defiled it, just like the many “Houses of God” that are raised up in defilement even today - even while our Lord Jesus Christ be in the midst of them. We’ve all been there!
The Grieving of the Spirit
If I could pick just one passage of scritpure in the entire Bible which gives us a glimpse of what it must look like when the Holy Spirit is grieved by mans ever adulterous heart, I believe it would be the following. . .
Chapter 9. . .”After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken some of their daughters (false doctrines of carnally minded Christians) to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.” As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled. Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God, saying:
O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem.
And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness.Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’ And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.”
The People Confess Their Sin
Chapter 10. . .”While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly. And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, addressed Ezra: “We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the Law. Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.” Then Ezra arose and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath that they would do as had been said. So they took the oath.
Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the chamber of Jehohanan (meaning: "Jehovah has graced") the son of Eliashib, where he spent the night, neither eating bread nor drinking water, for he was mourning over the faithlessness of the exiles. And a proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the returned exiles that they should assemble at Jerusalem, and that if anyone did not come WITHIN THREE DAYS, by order of the officials and the elders all his property should be forfeited, and he himself banned from the congregation of the exiles.
Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. And all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain. And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have broken faith and married foreign women, and so increased the guilt of Israel. Now then make confession to the Lord, the God of your fathers and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.” Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, “It is so; we must do as you have said.But the people are many, and it is a time of heavy rain; we cannot stand in the open. Nor is this a task for one day or for two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter. Let our officials stand for the whole assembly. Let all in our cities who have taken foreign wives come at appointed times, and with them the elders and judges of every city, until the fierce wrath of our God over this matter is turned away from us.” Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.
Then the returned exiles did so. Ezra the priest selected men, heads of fathers' houses, according to their fathers' houses, each of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to examine the matter; and by the first day of the first month they had come to the end of all the men who had married foreign women.”
The Advocate of God
Now, the name Hebrew Ezra עֶזְרָה [H5834] means: HELP - which is the same as H5833 (עֶזְרָה) meaning: HELP, HELPER. It is interesting to note that H5833 is derived from H5828 (עֵזֶר,ʻêzer) meaning: HELP, HELP MEET - the same word used to describe the “woman” God separated out from man. The root word of H5828 is ʻâzar (עָזַר)[H5826] meaning: TO SURROUND, PROTECT, AID, HELP, SUCCOR. The Book of Nehemiah carries on the story of the restoration of Israel with the rebuilding of the walls and city of Jerusalem. The Temple and City are both types and shadows of the Bride of Christ and the Temple that we are. Let me show you. . .
The name Nehemiah (נְחֶמְיָה) [H5166] means: YAH COMFORTS, which comes from [H5162] (נָחַם) meaning: COMFORT, REPENT, COMFORTER, EASE. Jesus said, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever”, the word “Comforter” here, is the Greek root word paraklētos (παράκλητος) [G3875] meaning: ADVOCATE, A HELPER, SUCCORER, AIDER, ASSISTANT.
Thus, Ezra and Nehemiah are both a type of the Holy Spirit.
"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities:
for we know not what we should pray for as we ought:
but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us
with groanings which cannot be uttered."
Romans 8:26 & 27
If you decide to read these little books anew, I pray the Spirit will lead you to view them as one complete story of redemption, restoration and REJOICING - with Nehemiah returning to Jerusalem to repair the “breaches” in the walls, and to “re”-populate the actual City (a type of resurrection from the deadness of carnal thinking). . .and, the “one out of every ten” forming the New Jerusalem Bride. Then, on the brink of Israel’s total annihilation, along comes Esther who is that Bride - a most beautiful and steadfast Queen who lays down Her life for Her brethren. . .a sacrifice which ultimately brings PEACE and JOY to ALL the people residing in the Kings 127 provinces! [The number of which, incidentally, is the number of vessels in Ezra 1:11 (5,400) divided by the number of the assembly (42,360) in Ezra 2:64 equal to: 5,400 / 42,360 = .127 x 1,000.]
The Resoration of Israel
“In THAT DAY I will raise up
the tabernacle of David that is fallen
and repair its breaches,
and raise up its ruins
and rebuild it as in the days of old
that they may possess the remnant of Edom
and all the nations who are called by my name,”
declares the Lord who does this.
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord,
when the plowman shall overtake the reaper
and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed;
the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
and all the hills shall flow with it.
I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel,
and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine,
and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.
I will plant them on their land,
and they shall never again be uprooted
out of the land that I have given them,”
says the Lord your God.
Amos 9:11-15
With shouts of joy from Zion! Your sister in Christ,
Julie Hogan, October 2025
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