Israel and Judah were exiled from the land, so that the land could observe its Sabbaths (2 Chronicles 36:15-21).
King Zedekiah was eventually captured by Nebuchadnezzar. The last sight he had before having his eyes put out was to see his two sons slaughtered (2 Kings 25:7). So came to an end the glorious reign of the sons of David.
Yet, the prophet Isaiah had foretold that out of this seemingly dead stump of Jesse (David's father), a green shoot would spring forth (Isaiah 11:1). This branch from David's chopped-down tree would rule all nations and cause them to submit to the God of Israel (Isaiah 2:1-4; 11:1-9). Then, not only Israel, but all nations, would enjoy the great Sabbath-year Jubilee (Isaiah 61:1-4). The Levitical Jubilee as but a dim foreshadowing of this (Leviticus 25).
The Lord Jesus began proclaiming that great gospel Jubilee in his 30th year in the synagogue of Nazareth (Luke 4:16- 21). At the time of his second coming, he will bring his great work to consummation, and we will live in the new Eden (Isaiah 11), the new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13).
In the book of Daniel, the exile of the Jews in the Babylonian captivity and their return to the land of Judah under the Persians is the backdrop of the drama of a greater captivity and a greater deliverance. Through a series of visions, God proceeds to unfold his plan for his people. The 70 years of exile would come to an end with the fall of Babylon, but the true liberation of Israel and the restoration of the fallen house of David would take, not 70 years, but 70 times seven (Daniel 9).
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After serving Grace Presbyterian Church in Alexandria, Louisiana, Bob was honorably retired on Sunday, September 27, 2015, and given the title "Pastor Emeritus." This was forty years to the day after he became their pastor.
He now works for the Presbytery of the Gulf South as...
