The 70-Year Babylonian Captivity (606BC – 538BC)

Sabbaths of Years
Leviticus 25:1-4. And Jehovah spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto Jehovah. 3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruits thereof; 4 but in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath unto Jehovah: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

Jubilee After Every 7 Sabbaths of Years (50yrs)
Leviticus 25:8-54. And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; ... even forty and nine years. 9 Then shalt thou send abroad the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month; in the day of atonement shall ye send abroad the trumpet throughout all your land. 10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession ... 11 ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it. 15 According to the number of years after the jubilee thou shalt buy of thy neighbor, and according unto the number of years of the crops he shall sell unto thee. 20 ... I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for the three years. ... 23 And the land shall not be sold in perpetuity ... 24 And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land. ... 39 And if thy brother be waxed poor with thee, and sell himself unto thee ... 54 if he be not redeemed ... then he shall go out in the year of jubilee.

Land Sabbath Judgment
Leviticus 26:14-34. But if ye will not hearken unto me ... 33 you will I scatter among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you: and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste. 34 Then shall the land enjoy its sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye are in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy its sabbaths.

Jeremiah’s Prophecy of 70 Year Captivity
Jeremiah 25:11. And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

Fulfillment Via Cyrus’s Decree
2 Chronicles 36:20-Ezra 1:3. And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: 21 to fulfil the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths: for as long as it lay desolate it kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years. 22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 23 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me; and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whosoever there is among you of all his people, Jehovah his God be with him, and let him go up. 3 Whosoever there is among you of all his people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Jehovah, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem.

606BC – First captives, +Daniel, to Babylon
586BC – First temple destroyed
538BC – Cyrus conquers Babylon and Issues the Decree

Isaiah’s Prophecy of Cyrus by Name 740BC
Isaiah 44 ²⁴ Thus saith Jehovah … of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built; and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. 45:1 Thus saith Jehovah to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, ... to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut: ^... that thou mayest know that it is I, Jehovah, who call thee by thy name, even the God of Israel. ⁴ For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. ⁵ I am Jehovah, and there is none else; besides me there is no God.


Daniel 5 – The Fall of Babylon to Cyrus
(aka Darius the Persian)

Daniel 5:4 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. … 5 In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace... 13 Then was Daniel brought in … and said before the king, 25 … this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and brought it to an end; 27 TEKEL; thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 28 PERES; thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. … 30 In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

Ishtar Gate and Processional Street

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon
The famed walls of Babylon were indeed impenetrable, with the only way into the city through one of its many gates or through the Euphrates, which ebbed beneath its thick walls. Metal gates at the river's in-flow and out-flow prevented underwater intruders, if one could hold one's breath to reach them. Cyrus ... diverted the Euphrates river upstream [into a basin created by Queen Nitocris], causing the Euphrates to drop ... The Persian army conquered the outlying areas of the city's interior while a majority of Babylonians at the city center were oblivious to the breach.

Daniel 9 – The Seventy Sevens

Daniel Understands Jeremiah’s 70 Years
Dan9:1-2. In the first year of Darius ... of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans, ... ² I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years whereof the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah the prophet, for the accomplishing of the desolations of Jerusalem, even seventy years.

Daniel Prophecies 70 Sevens of Years
Dan9:3-20. And while I was ... confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, ... the man Gabriel ... being caused to fly swiftly ... ²² said, … ²⁴ Seventy sevens are decreed upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.

The First 69 Sevens To the Messiah
Dan9:25. Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the anointed one, the prince, shall be seven sevens, and threescore and two sevens: it shall be built again, with street and moat, even in troublous times.

Seven Sevens of Years = 49 Years
Threescore (60) and 2 Sevens = 434 Years

Five Possible Starting Points for the "Commandment to Restore and Build Jerusalem"
Isaiah's Prophecy - Isaiah 44:24
Cyrus Decree – Ezra 1:2-5
Darius1 Decree – Ezra 6:1-8
Artaxerxes1 > Ezra - Ezra7:12-27
Artaxerxes1 > Nehemiah - Neh 2:3-8

First Seven: 49 Years to Finish Jerusalem
538 BC Cyrus Decree
536 BC Temple Foundation Laid
520 BC Darius1 Decree
515 BC Temple Completed
458 BC Artaxerxes1 > Ezra
445 BC Artaxerxes1 > Nehemiah
444 BC Wall Completed
444 BC People Settle in Jerusalem

The Persian Chronology - Ptolomy
1. Cyrus 9 years 538
2. Cambyses 8 years 529
3. Darius I. Hystaspes 36 years 521
4. Xerxes 21 years 486
5. Artaxerxes I. Longimanus 41 years 465
6. Darius II. Nothus 19 years 424
7. Artaxerxes II. Mnemon 46 years 405
8. Artaxerxes III. Ochus 21 years from 359
9. Arogus or Arses 2 years 338
10. Darius III. Codomannus 4 years 336
Alexander the Great
= Total 207 years

The Persian Chronology - Josephus
1. Cyrus.
2. Cambyses (of Ezra 4:7-23)
3. Darius Hystaspes (Temple built)
4. Xerxes (of Ezra 7-8 Walls built)
5. Cyrus.
6. Darius the last King

The Persian Chronology - Sedar Olams
1. Darius the Mede 1 year
2. Cyrus 3 years
3. Cambyses 16 years
4. Darius 32 years
= Total 52 years

Cyrus Decree To Messiah
Ptolomy: 538BC – 483 = 55BC
Sedar Olam: 383BC – 483 = 100AD

Events After the First 69 Sevens
Daniel 9:²⁶ And after the threescore and two sevens shall the anointed one be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and even unto the end shall be war; desolations are determined.

The Treaty
Daniel 9:²⁷ And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one seven: and in the midst of the seven he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one that maketh desolate; and even unto the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolate.


Daniel 10-12 – The Mighty King

Prophecy Re Darius the Great

Daniel 11:2 Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and when he is waxed strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.

(The first four kings of Persia were Cyrus the Great, aka Darius the Mede, Cambyses, Bardiya, and Darius I, aka Darius the Great.) “The first Persian invasion of Greece, during the Persian Wars, began in 492 BC, and ended with the decisive Athenian victory at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. The invasion, consisting of two distinct campaigns, was ordered by the Persian king Darius1.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Persian_invasion_of_Greece.

Prophecy Re Alexander the Great
Daniel 10:³ And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. ⁴ And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion wherewith he ruled; for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others besides these.

[Skipping verses 5-29 to get to the man of sin]

The Abomination of Desolation
Daniel 10:³⁰ He shall … have indignation against the holy covenant, and shall do his pleasure: … and have regard unto them that forsake the holy covenant. ³¹ And forces shall stand on his part, and they shall profane the sanctuary, even the fortress, and shall take away the continual burnt-offering, and they shall set up the abomination that maketh desolate.

Two Groups In Israel
³² And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he pervert by flatteries; but the people that know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. ³³ And they that are wise among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by spoil, many days. ³⁴ Now when they shall fall, they shall be helped with a little help; but many shall join themselves unto them with flatteries. ³⁵ And some of them that are wise shall fall, to refine them, and to purify, and to make them white, even to the time of the end; because it is yet for the time appointed.

How The King Will Behave
³⁶ And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods; and he shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished; for that which is determined shall be done. ³⁷ Neither shall he regard the gods of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall magnify himself above all. ^{… 41} He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. ... ⁴⁵ And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

The Resurrection
12 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. ² And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. ³ And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.^…

3 ½ Years, 1335-1290=45, 1335-1260=75
⁶ How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? ⁷ ... it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. ^{... 11} And from the time that the continual burnt-offering shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand and two hundred and ninety days.¹² Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. ¹³ But go thou thy way till the end be; for thou shalt rest, and shalt stand in thy lot, at the end of the days.

The Covenant with Death
Isaiah 28:14-22. Wherefore hear the word of Jehovah, ye scoffers, that rule this people that is in Jerusalem: ¹⁵ Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: ¹⁶ therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner -stone of sure foundation: he that believeth shall not be in haste. ... ¹⁸ And your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. ^{… 21} For Jehovah will rise up ... that he may do his work, his strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange act. ²² Now therefore be ye not scoffers ... for a decree of destruction have I heard from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, upon the whole earth.

Satan in Isaiah 14
12 “How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’
15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
To the lowest depths of the Pit.”

Satan in Ezekiel 28
[Note: The “prince of Tyre” in the first section of Ezekiel 28 refers to the human King of Tyre. The “king of Tyre” in the second section of Ezekiel 28 refers to the real king of Tyre, Satan himself, and both the prince and king share the sin of pride.]
“The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, 2 Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord God: Because your heart is lifted up,
And you say, I am a god,
I sit in the seat of gods,
In the midst of the seas,
Yet you are a man, and not a god,
Though you set your heart as the heart of a god
3 (Behold, you are wiser than Daniel!
There is no secret that can be hidden from you! ...
5 By your great wisdom in trade you have increased your riches,
And your heart is lifted up because of your riches), ...
9 Will you still say before him who slays you,
‘I am a god’?
11 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 12 Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: You were the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; ...
14 You were the anointed cherub who covers; ...
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.
15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,
Till iniquity was found in you.
16 By the abundance of your trading
You became filled with violence within,
And you sinned; ...
17 Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.

Satan’s Champion in Daniel 7
Daniel 7:7-8, “And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.”

Satan’s Champion in Daniel 8
Daniel 8:5, “A male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. ... The large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven. 9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. 10 And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. 11 He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. 12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered. ...

23 And in the latter time of their kingdom,
When the transgressors have reached their fullness,
A king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power;
He shall destroy fearfully,
And shall prosper and thrive;
He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.
25 Through his cunning
He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule;
And he shall exalt himself in his heart.
He shall destroy many in their prosperity.
He shall even rise against the Prince of princes;
But he shall be broken without human means.”