It is important to understand that most of the Bible is centered around the nation of Israel.
The Book of Daniel is unique among the chapters of the bible in that it also has a special focus on all of the Gentile Kingdoms of the world described within it’s pages. Daniel is very interested in the prophecies dealing with the days that we live in right now. The Days when Jesus will return to the earth for His Church, and the beginning of the seven year Tribulation Period.
When Daniel is brought to Babylon, he is about 17 years old. At the time of the Writing of Daniel, the greatest kingdom in the world was Babylon, under the king Nebuchadnezzar.
Nebuchadnezzar was just a General when he defeated the kingdom of Egypt and Pharaoh Necho. On his way back from Egypt to Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar stopped and took the city of Jerusalem. While there in Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar gets word that his father the King has died.
Desiring to get back to Babylon as soon as possible, Nebuchadnezzar sets up a Vassal King, a puppet king, that would exchange power and protection for his loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar.
Nebuchadnezzar took back with him to Babylon from Jerusalem, the Gold and Silver articles of the Temple, as well as the best and the brightest of the young men that were in Jerusalem, Daniel was one of these.
Remember that Nebuchadnezzar is a new king, so he inherits all of his fathers advisors. This will become very important for us understanding the Book of Daniel when we get to chapter 2. In Chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar has a dream that scares him tremendously. He calls his advisors to tell him the meaning of the dream. They are not able to tell Nebuchadnezzar what his dream was, nor the interpretation of it. Daniel is found to have been given the ability to both know what the dream was and the interpretation of that dream.
Much of the prophetic sections of the Book of Daniel are centered on the three sieges of Nebuchadnezzar upon Jerusalem.
The First Siege of Nebuchadnezzar: Called The Servitude of the Nation
It begins with the “Battle of Carchemish in 606 B.C.; In this battle is Nebuchadnezzar vs Pharaoh Necho of Egypt.
During this time King Jehoiakim of Israel is fettered (Shackled) (2 Chronicles 36:5-8) but a short time later Jehoiakim is released as a Vassal King, a ruler allowed to continue his rule as long as he does everything the conquering ruler tells him to do, who is Nebuchadnezzar.
At this siege of Jerusalem, the Temple is plundered and its treasures are taken back to Babylon (for Nebuchadnezzar’s museum) Hostages are also taken back to Babylon amongst these are Daniel and other young men of exceptional capacity.
Chapter 1:4 Begins The period of time called the “Servitude of the Nation” that lasts for 70 years to the day.
Second Siege of Nebuchadnezzar:
King Jehoiakim ignores Jeremiah and Ezekiel’s counsel to obey Nebuchadnezzar because he is The Lords servant, Instead he rebels and causes a five year battle, the second siege of Jerusalem. In this battle King Jehoiakim dies as detailed in Jeremiah chapter 22:17-19.
In the Bible Jehoiakin is also called Jeconiah, who is the son of King Jehoiakim. Jehoiakin reigns until the siege of Jerusalem is over. Jehoiakin is such an evil king that the Lord pronounces a Blood curse upon the entire line of descendants of Jeconiah.
This is very important to the story of Jesus genealogy as He is born the Savior of the world because Jesus blood line comes from David, through Nathan, through Heli, Mary’s father.
Jesus step father Joseph came through David, Solomon, and King Jehoiakim, down to Joseph. Remember that Jeconiah’s blood line has been cursed by the Lord. This presents itself as a real problem for the Lord. How can God bring His Son into the world as the Savior of the world when He is coming through a line of descendant’s that He Himself has cursed?
We can just imagine in the courts of satan how he must have rejoiced over this blunder by the Lord to curse the very blood line that Jesus was to be born through. But this is not the end of the story, as often is the case.
Jesus avoided this cursed blood line by His virgin birth. Joseph is only Jesus step father, Jesus right to reign as King comes from his mother Mary who also is descended from David.
Jehoiakin’s uncle is Zedekiah, who is also installed a Vassal King. Again Jeremiah and Ezekiel prophesy to Zedekiah to not rebel against Nebuchadnezzar, but Zedekiah listens instead to the false prophets again.
This rebellion leads to the Third Siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar called The Desolations of Jerusalem
This happens in 587 B.C and also lasts exactly 70 years, but should not be confused with the first 70 years called The Servitude of the Nations.
During this third siege of Jerusalem, the entire City of Jerusalem and the Temple are completely destroyed, as detailed in 2 Kings chapters 24:17-20 and 25:1-21.
This may seem like a lot of boring and unnecessary history, but this information is very important if we are to understand something absolutely amazing.
In the Book of Ezekiel, the Lord tells the Jews that because they have continually disobeyed Him, He is going to judge them 390 days for Israel, and 40 days for Judah.
Ezekiel 4
4 Lie also on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it. According to the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their iniquity.
5 For I have laid on you the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days; so you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.
6 And when you have completed them, lie again on your right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year.
390 Days for Israel, 40 Days for Judah, a total Judgment of 430 years.
If we take these 430 years that the Lord says that He will judge Israel and Judah, and subtract the 70 years that He puts them into captivity in Babylon, we are left with 360 years.
This number 360 years, has puzzled Bible scholars for years because it doesn’t fit with any other numbers in prophecy of the bible. What is interesting is that all Bible prophecy is always centered around 360 days or years, which coincidentally is also the number of in the Babylonian calendar.
Here we have this number: 360 years, what do we do with it?
There is an interesting statement that the Lord makes in Leviticus chapter 26, where He Lord warns Israel that if they continually disobey Him, he will Punish them seven times more for their sins.
Leviticus 26:15-18
15 and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant,
16 I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
17 I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you.
18 And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.
And of course, Israel does not obey the Lord over and over again, as is recorded in history.
After the 70 years that the Lord placed Israel into captivity in Babylon, this leaves 360 years remaining for their judgment to be complete. Of course Israel continues in their disobedience to the Lord over and over throughout their history.
What would happen if we took the 360 years and multiplied it by the 7 times as the Lord said that He would do in Leviticus 26:18, if they continued to disobey Him?
360 years X 7 = 2,520 years.
The first Siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar is called The Servitude of the Nation: It lasts for 70 years. This was Completed by the first siege of Nebuchadnezzar in 606 B. C.
Now take the 360 years of Judgment that God promised Israel and Judah times it by the “seven time” in Leviticus 26:18 and we get 2,520 years.
Take the 2520 years and don’t forget to compensate for the leap years during the 2,520 years of 614 days. Remember that This 2520 days is based on the Babylonian calendar of 360 days per year.
If we convert these days to our present calendar at 365 days per year, we get 2483 years 9 months 21 days
The Servitude of the Nations by Nebuchadnezzar began in 606 B. C. It ends in 537 B. C.
If we use July 23rd 537 B. C. and add the 2,520 days 9 months 21 days, we get the date: May 14th 1948, which is amazingly the day Israel becomes a nation again.
The same thing happens when we use the Third Siege of Nebuchadnezzar of Jerusalem, called:The Desolations of Jerusalem, that also lasted exactly : 70 years
The Desolations of Jerusalem were Completed by the third siege of Nebuchadnezzar in 587 B. C.
587 B. C. Plus the 70 years of Babylonian Captivity = 518 B. C. Then take August 16, 518 B. C. Which is when the Desolations of Jerusalem were completed.
Add 2,483 years 9 months and 21 days and we come to June 7, 1967, which is the day Jerusalem became the Capital city of Israel again.
These facts are just some of the reasons that the study of Bible Prophecy is so enjoyable and fulfilling. God’s Word is amazing and when He promises that He will do something, it is for sure that it will happen. This is important to us today because as the Lord has kept His word in past history, it is for certain that He will also complete all of His promises to us in the future. One of the most important of those promises is that Jesus will be returning soon to the earth to remove all those who love Him at the event described as “The Rapture”, just before the Great and Terrible seven year period of time called “The Tribulation Period”.
I hope that you will be diligent in your own exploration of the Prophetic applications of the Bible as you continue to watch and serve the Lord until He returns for us.
Rob Robinson
