By reading further in the twenty-fifth chapter of Jeremiah, we find that the prophecy was given before the conquest of Syria, Egypt, and Phenecia. Nineveh was taken in 606. The Egyptian king was defeated later. The seventy years began before the conquest of these countries; for Jeremiah sends to them a cup of wine to drink as a token of coming humiliation at the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.
It is therefore plain that the prophecy counts 606-607 as the first year of Nebuchadnezzar. What historical reason is there for this?
By appealing to history we learn that in the year 607 B.C. Nabopolassar associated Nebuchadnezzar with himself as king. Commenting upon this expression, "that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon," Boothroyd says: "That is, according to the Jewish mode of computing his reign from the time of his being associated with his father in the empire, before he set out on his Syrian expedition. But the Babylonians do not reckon his reign to have begun till two years after, upon his father's death."
In 607, this same year, Daniel and his fellows were taken captive, with part of the vessels of the house of God. This is referred to in a prophecy of Jeremiah, Jer. 27: 16:
"Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Harken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the Lord's house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you."
Why there Need Not Have Been Severity
Some had hoped that this was to be the end of their trouble; but the Lord tells them, through Jeremiah, that all the rest of the vessels will be taken by Nebuchadnezzar; but if they submit, he will not take them captive, and the city will not be destroyed. "Serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city become a desolation?" Jer. 27: 17.
For twenty-three years Jeremiah had warned the people, but in vain. Now their troubles had begun; yet even now, if they would repent, the city would not be destroyed. But rebellion had made such headway that they did not listen. They revolted against Babylon, and Jerusalem was left a heap. The flower of the people were taken to Babylon. God suffered long with high-handed rebellion, and the evil could not at last be put off.
In this prophecy of the sovereignty of Nebuchadnezzar, recorded in Jeremiah 27, we read:
"Thus saith the Lord to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck, and send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah; and command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My out-stretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto Me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him. And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. Therefore harken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish. But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the Lord; and they shall till it, and dwell therein."
The seventy years of Babylonian control is therefore a clearly definite period, beginning in 606 B.C., and ending in 536.
In the twenty-fourth chapter of Jeremiah reference is made to the captives who had already been taken to Babylon. The Lord promises that He will set His eyes upon them for good, and will bring them back again. But those in Jerusalem, Zedekiah the king and his princes, were to be given up to become a reproach. Nebuchadnezzar would come again as he had come already once, and the whole land would become a desolation because of their continued obstinacy.
"And these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished,8that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith Jehovah, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it desolate forever. And I will bring upon that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book." Jer. 25: 11-13.
By this we see that there need not have been the destruction of life and property, and the captivity and suffering, that ensued, had God's people obeyed the decree of seventy years of the rule of Babylon. By refusing allegiance to Babylon, by attempting to go on independent of it and of God's providence, they came into trouble. The first captives that went into Babylon at the beginning of the seventy years, were treated like princes. They were given the best in the kingdom. Daniel and his fellows, tho tried severely, came to honor. The people of God need not have suffered under the rule of the Chaldean king, and they would not have so suffered had they believed God's word through His prophet.
The seventy years is therefore the period of time in which God's people were to be subject to a heathen king. If faithful to Him, at the end of that time they might return to Jerusalem and dwell anew in Zion.
The Lesson
Thus we see how God writes the history of the nations in advance of the events; and the prophecy and history accord.
Referring back to this time of apostasy and long continued rebellion, the prophet Zechariah says:
"Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets cried, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of Hosts, Return ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor harken unto Me, saith Jehovah. You fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live forever? But My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? and they turned and said, Like as Jehovah of Hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath He dealt with us." Zech. 1: 4-6.
Yes, the word of God had all come true. Nothing had failed that had been predicted. As God had said ages before:
"All these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou harkenedst not unto the voice of Jehovah thy God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded thee." Deut. 28: 45.
God now calls their memories back to this His word pledged to them so many years before, and He says, Did not My word overtake your fathers? Yes, it pursued and overtook them. They could not make God a liar.
But now the Intercessor, referring to that fulfilled word, importunes:
"O Jehovah of Hosts, how long wilt Thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which Thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?" Zech. 1: 12.
God's pledged word was fulfilled. The seventy years were fully past. God could now say:
"I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies; My house shall be built in it."
