Why was the captivity in Babylon exactly 70 years? What lessons are there here and what does this tell you about God? 512 - 15 - 6

Daniel 9:2, "In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem."

God is jealous of his creation as awesomely spelled out in Romans Chapter one. God gave man stewardship over the earth and to the Jews specifically. God the Jews to let the land rest one out of every seven years. For 490 years. Israel had rejected this commandment so 490 years divided by 7 equaled 70 years due “to finish the transgression.”

Daniel realized that the seventy years of the desolations of Jerusalem were coming to an end. He fasted and prayed for 21 days and was presented with a vision of the Angel Gabriel. Daniel 9:24, "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy."

Israel was and is and always will be God’s chosen people. Through the centuries the Jews fell out of favor with God numerous times and had some very ungodly Kings. The northern kingdom fell and was dispersed. God had an eternal covenant with King David, so that although the southern kingdom of Judah fell to the Babylonians, it was only for the above stated period of time. It could be said that the Kings in the Davidic line of Judah tried God’s patience on so many occasions. Many kings rejected the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and took the country into idolatry. The southern kingdom had the benefit of the prophets, but ignored them and eventually were conquered. As promised in the very awesome Daniel 9:26, the walls of Jerusalem would be rebuilt.

We have a very patient and righteous God who will forgive our transgressions if we repent. However, there is a caveat, we will suffer for our transgressions. As I’ve said a number of times, it is my belief that God is dropping the hedge of protection that He’s had around the United States. We are imploding economically in our morals are nearly nonexistent. The time of revival is now as we can nearly hear, the cry of the Messiah to come hither.