Why 70 Years In Babylon

Daniel 9 contains ii important prophecies: the first lasted 70 years and the second covers 70 weeks. The second prophecy is addressed in some other commodity titled "70 Weeks of Daniel." This article volition focus on the get-go prophecy.

Daniel'south focus on Jeremiah'southward lxx-twelvemonth prophecy

In reference to the offset prophecy, Daniel wrote: "In the beginning year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus … I, Daniel, understood past the books the number of the years specified by the discussion of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would attain seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem" (Daniel ix:one-2).

Daniel's mention of "the books" is a reference to the prophecies that God gave through Jeremiah. The specific prophecy Daniel was talking about was 1 given in Jerusalem just prior to the Babylonian invasion and then repeated via a letter of the alphabet from Jerusalem to the captives in Babylon (Jeremiah 25:1-11; 29:1-ten).

This prophecy foretold that the "land shall be a desolation" and that the Jews would "serve the male monarch of Babylon seventy years" (Jeremiah 25:xi; compare two Chronicles 36:17-21). After the seventy years were completed in Babylon, God told them, He would cause them "to render to this place [Jerusalem]" (Jeremiah 29:10).

Two overlapping 70-year periods

There were two components to this prophecy: the "desolation" of the state and serving the king of Babylon (Jeremiah 25:11). Each component seems to have been fulfilled over slightly different, yet overlapping, periods of 70 years.

The 70 years of pathos of the land can exist calculated as the time between the devastation of the temple past the Babylonians—which was indeed a desolation for the urban center of Jerusalem—and the rebuilding of the temple.

The captivity of the Jewish people, which began prior to the destruction of the temple with the first deportation of Jews to Babylon and ended with a decree from Cyrus allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem, was also 70 years.

Babylonian exile timeline

The first deportation of Jews to Babylon (which included Daniel and his friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego) began the seventy years of captivity. Bible commentaries place this as occurring betwixt 607 and 605 B.C. Diverse sources say the date of the return of the Jews to Jerusalem occurred betwixt 539 and 536 B.C.

As for the period betwixt the destruction of the temple and its being rebuilt, ordinarily cited dates are 586 or 585 to 516 or 515 B.C. Although it is difficult to place exact years, the years ordinarily cited do fit the prophesied 70 years.

The Expositor'due south Bible Commentary states the following: "Annotation that it is important to keep these stages of the Captivity in mind when calculating the seventy years of exile appear by Jeremiah 29:ten; the interval between the offset deportation in 605 B.C., in which Daniel himself was involved, and 536 B.C., when the first returnees nether Zerubbabel once more ready upwardly an altar in Jerusalem, amounted to 70 years. Also, the interval betwixt the destruction of the beginning temple by Nebuzaradan in 586 and the completion of the second temple by Zerubbabel in 516 was almost seventy years" (comments on Daniel 1:one-ii).

Why 70 years of captivity?

This prophecy of punishment came upon the people of Judah considering of their disobedience to God'south laws. Every bit Jeremiah explained to the people of Judah, "I have spoken to you, rising early on and speaking, only y'all have not listened. And the LORD has sent to you lot all His servants the prophets, … but y'all accept not listened nor inclined your ear to hear" (Jeremiah 25:3-4).

Judah's sins included evil doings and idolatry (verses five-7). Every bit for the 70 years of punishment, God may take chosen this catamenia of time since the number of years coincides with the apparent number of violations by the people of Judah of God's command that the state should residue every seventh twelvemonth (Leviticus 25:ane-7, Lev twenty-22; 26:33-35; 2 Chronicles 36:20-21).

This prophecy of punishment came upon the people of Judah because of their disobedience to God's laws.According to the Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary, the 70 years was "the exact number of years of Sabbaths in four hundred and ninety years, the period from Saul to the Babylonian captivity. …

"The seventy years probably begin from the fourth year of Jehoiakim, when Jerusalem was first captured, and many captives, as well as the treasures of the temple, were carried away; they end with the first year of Cyrus, who, on taking Babylon, issued an edict for the restoration of the Jews (Ezr 1:1)" (comments on Jeremiah 25:xi).

Daniel lives through in the 70-twelvemonth penalty

Daniel i:21 explains that "Daniel connected until the get-go year of Cyrus"—which was the year Cyrus made a proclamation assuasive the Jews to render to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. The year of this declaration marked the end of the seventy-year captivity of the Jews predicted by God through Jeremiah.

This passage tells us that Daniel lived in Babylon throughout the entire 70 years of the Jewish captivity. He lived to see the fall of the Babylonian Empire and the sudden rising of the Medo-Persian Empire with its start ruler, Cyrus.

King Cyrus in the Bible

I of Cyrus' kickoff acts was to issue a prescript allowing the Jews to leave Babylon. Ezra records this joyous consequence for the Jews as follows: "Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the give-and-take of the LORD by the rima oris of Jeremiah might exist fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, then that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, proverb,

"'Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and permit him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem'" (Ezra 1:1-3).

It is interesting to note that over 150 years in advance, God foretold the birth of Cyrus and what this king would exercise. Through the prophet Isaiah, God said, "Thus says the LORD to His all-powerful, to Cyrus, whose correct mitt I have held—to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not exist shut: 'I will become before you and make the crooked places direct; I will suspension in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron.

"'I will give yous the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of clandestine places, that yous may know that I, the LORD, who call you by your proper name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob My servant's sake, and State of israel My elect, I have even called y'all by your name; I take named you lot, though you lot take not known Me'" (Isaiah 45:i-four).

In advance of the penalty He would bring on Jacob's descendants—the people of Judah—God planned for the human who would eventually come to power and release the Jews from captivity.

Daniel 9 and lessons for united states

Daniel's recognition of how God was fulfilling the seventy-year prophecy of Jeremiah had a profound event on him. Daniel 9:3-nineteen records Daniel'southward passionate prayer of confession of national sins and supplication for God'southward forgiveness and aid.

One of the commencement lessons to note from this prophecy against Judah is God's expectation of obedience to His laws. He particularly required obedience from the descendants of Abraham, who were later called Israelites and, later all the same, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah (afterwards the nation divide into these ii kingdoms). The blessings for obedience and penalties for disobedience found in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 continue for these people.

Sadly, the descendants of the ancient Israelites have connected to disobey God's laws. And, as happened to the kingdom of Judah during the 70-years prophecy, these people will once more be punished by God for their refusal to follow God's timeless commands. To learn more than well-nigh the identity of these people and what is prophesied to occur to them, see the manufactures in the sections "12 Tribes of Israel" and "Where Is America in Prophecy?"

Another important lesson for u.s. is found in Daniel's response to the 70-years prophecy of Jeremiah. Just as Daniel, through study of God'south Word, recognized where he was in the timeline of biblical prophecy, Christ admonishes us to discern "the signs of the times" in which nosotros alive (Matthew 16:1-3).

Practise you know where we are in prophecy? Exercise yous know what must notwithstanding occur prior to the return of Jesus Christ to this world? And most importantly, do y'all know what God expects of you? You can find answers to these questions in the articles in this section almost prophecy and in our booklet How to Understand Prophecy.

"I know the thoughts I think toward you"

Finally, there is one more issue highlighted past this business relationship that bears our attention. This is the wonderful future God had in store for His people afterwards their 70-year captivity in Babylon had elapsed.

In one of the most often quoted passages of Bible, God told the people of Judah: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11).

This statement was given to the people of Judah while they were in captivity and was meant to provide them with hope and encouragement. But notice carefully the future God predictable with these people.

"Then you will call upon Me and get and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and discover Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be institute past you, says the LORD, and I will bring you dorsum from your captivity; I volition gather y'all from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I volition bring you lot to the place from which I cause y'all to be carried away captive" (verses 12-xiv).

God's expectation was that these people would diligently seek Him and that He would and so bless them. God's desire is the same for all people, including each of usa today. He desires to take a similar future with each of us, but we each have to respond to God past loving Him and fulfilling His purpose for our lives.

For additional report, be certain to read the accompanying articles covering subjects and events constitute in the book of Daniel.

Virtually the Author

David Treybig

David Treybig is a husband, father and grandfather. He and his wife, Teddi, have 2 grown children and seven grandchildren. He currently pastors the Austin, Texas, congregation of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association. He has served in the pastoral ministry for over 40 years, pastoring congregations across six states.