The Seventy-Years-Prophecy concerning Judah becoming a vassal kingdom in the service of Babylon was originally proclaimed by Jeremiah the prophet (Jeremiah 25:11). The Jews’ subjugation to Babylon began during the first year of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah (Jeremiah 27:1-6). As long as Judah and the other nations, which God had given over to Babylon, agreed to serve Nebuchadnezzar, the Lord wouldn’t utterly destroy them and bring them captive to Babylon (Jeremiah 27:7-11). However, Judah rebelled and sought to escape servitude to Nebuchadnezzar, and eventually Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed. The Jews reluctantly served Babylon for 19 years in their own land (8 years of the reign of Jehoiakim, 3 months of the reign of Jehoiachin, and 11 years of the reign of Zedekiah).[1] Then Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed, due to Judah’s persistent rebellion against Babylon and the Lord. Therefore, the remaining 51 years of their service to Babylon were spent in captivity.
The text in chapter 9 begins by saying that Darius “was made” (some texts have “appointed”) king over the Chaldeans (Daniel 9:1). This implies an authority superior to Darius, and that would be Cyrus the Great. It was during the first year of the reign of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus,[2] of the kings of the Medes that Daniel understood that Jeremiah’s prophecy, concerning the Jews’ captivity in Babylon, was fulfilled (Daniel 9:1-2). Jeremiah had not only prophesied that the Jews would serve the king of Babylon, while either remaining in their land or as captives in Babylon (Jeremiah 25:11), but also, after the seventy years were complete, the Lord would then punish Babylon (Jeremiah 25:12), by bringing upon them the kings of the Medes (Jeremiah 51:11; cp. Daniel 5:31).
So, the fall of Babylon to Darius the Mede (cp. Daniel 5:30-31) and the ensuing reign of Darius is placed in the context of the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy (Daniel 9:2). This is what was on Daniel’s mind, and, because of his understanding that the prophecy was fulfilled, he begins to pray to the Lord to act upon his word. In other words, the answer to that prayer is what we find recorded in chapter 9 of the Book of Daniel.
What I find somewhat surprising is, God waited to act; until he was asked to act. While he did judge Babylon, as he had promised to do (Jeremiah 50:9-14, 25-29; 51:11; Daniel 5:31), he didn’t set the captives free, until he was asked to do so! Why? I believe it has to do with what rebellion is all about. A rebel in any kingdom doesn’t want to hear what had been concluded by the legitimate authorities of a land. In America’s Civil War, did the Confederacy wish to hear what Abraham Lincoln had to say before they rebelled? No, they did not! What about Judah and those sent captive to Babylon? They were in Babylon, because they rebelled against God (2Kings 23:31-32; 36-37; 24:8-9; 18-20). What do you say to a rebel? What would he listen to? If a rebel doesn’t want to know what is on the mind of the one in authority over him (Romans 1:28), he must be allowed to see the end of his rebellious heart. In the case of the Jews, the Lord simply moved away and left their enemies perform their will upon them. If a real reunion or reconciliation is to occur, rebels must be permitted to do as they wish, until they discover their need for the one, against whom the rebelled. Repentance is needed, and the faithful need to act, asking the Lord to return to them, and receive them back as his people, and bless them, and protect them once again. Daniel, as we shall see in the next few studies, fulfilled the part of a repentant sinner, asking the Lord to return, making no demands, but pleading for mercy (Daniel 9:3).
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[1] Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, reigned 11 years in Jerusalem (2Kings 23:36) and he died. His son, Jehoiachin, reigned only 3 months in Jerusalem, before he was taken captive to Babylon (2Kings 24:8-9, 12). Finally, Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. All three kings rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, but it was Zedekiah’s rebellion that resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, as well as thousands of Jews being taken captive to Babylon (2Kings 24:18; 25:1-3, 8-9, 21; Jeremiah 52:5, 12-14).
[2] Neither Darius nor Ahasuerus are names of ancient kings. Rather they are titles, like Caesar and Pharoah. See my earlier study, Who Was Darius the Mede?
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