18. The 70 Years

Let's continue with our panoramic view of how God acts out His salvation plan in His time.

Daniel 9:2 "I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of Yahweh to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, 70 years.

Jeremiah prophesied that Judah's captivity in Babylon would last 70 years.

Jeremiah 29 contains the transcript of a letter which Jeremiah wrote to the captives in Babylon.  This letter was written possibly after the second captivity in 597 BC . It is probably from this letter that Daniel learned of the 70 year prophecy.

Jeremiah 29:10 

This is what Yahweh says: "When 70 years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place."

Many people have wondered just exactly how those 70 years were to be counted.

There are many ways to count that "70 years".  For our present study, one of the "70 years" is to count from the time of the 1st Babylonian Exile 605 BC to 536 BC, Cyrus decree to return to Jerusalem. God worked in Cyrus' heart to fulfill His covenant promise to His people.  God is faithful to His covenant.  The question is whether God's people are faithful?  Will God's people respond to Yahweh God?  Will Yahweh's people respond faithfully to God?  Will they obey & return to Jerusalem?

Homework:

Take out your Timeline Graph and put in "70 years".

17. Cyrus Decree - 536 BC

The Babylonian captivity ended in 536 BC when King Cyrus of Persia issued a decree that the exiles from Jerusalem could return to their city.  



2 Chronicles 36:22-23

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:  “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘Yahweh, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may Yahweh his God be with him. Let him go up.’”

Ezra 1:1-4

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:  “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: Yahweh, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.  Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of Yahweh, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem.  And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”

Cyrus The Great, on this cylinder, describes how he conquers the old city of Babylon and how his mighty army in peace marched into the city. 

There were three main premises in the decrees of the Cyrus Cylinder: 

• the political formalization of racial, linguistic, and religious equality, slaves 
• all deported peoples were to be allowed to return to home
• all destroyed temples were to be restored. 

Later on in my articles, I will develop more on the spiritual significance of this event that was prophesied long ago in the book of Isaiah.   Yahweh God had told Isaiah about Cyrus.   157 years later, Cyrus came on the scene to rule and issued this decree as Yahweh God had already revealed to Isaiah.  Even before Cyrus was born, his name was already recorded in God's book of prophecy. God reveals many spiritual truths of great importance in the Bible. Read your Bible carefully with spiritual eyes.

Suffice for today that you keep this important date in your heart. :)


Homework:

Take out your Timeline Graph and Enter "536 - Return to Jerusalem - Cyrus Decree "

:)