Prophecies That Came True

 Prophecies That Came True


PART 1

The Exile in Babylon




Hezekiah was King in Jerusalem for about 30 years. In 70 B.C.E. he witnessed the destruction of his northern neighbor Isreal at the hands of Assyria.
In 732 B.C.E. he expressed God's saving power, when Assyrian attempt to conquer Jerusalem had failed , with catastrophic results to the invader. Isaiah 37:33-38.

Now , Hezekiah is receiving a delegation from Merodach-baladan, king of Babylon. On the surface, the ambassadors are there to congratulate Hezekiah on his recovery from a severe illness. Likely, though, Merodach-baladan sees Hezekiah as a possible ally against the world power of Assyria. Hezekiah does nothing to dispel such an idea when he shows the visiting Babylonian all the wealth of his house and dominion. Perhaps he, too, wants allies against a possible return of the Assyrians. Isaiah 39:1,2.

Isaiah is the outstanding prophet of that time, and he quickly discerns Hezekiah's indiscretion. He knows that Hezekiah's surest defense is Jehovah, not Babylon, and tells him that his act of showing the Babylonians his wealth will lead to tragedy. "Days are coming", says Isaiah, " and all that is in your own house and that your forefathers have stored up down to this day will actually be carried to Babylon". Jehovah decreed: "Nothing will be left". Isaiah 39:5,6.

Back in the eighth century B.C.E. it may have seemed unlikely for that prophecy to be fulfilled. One hundred years later, however, the situation changed. Babylon replaced Assyria as the dominant World power, while Judah became so degraded , religiously speaking, that God withdraw his blessing.

Now , another prophet, Jeremiah, was inspired to repeat Isaiah's warning. Jeremiah proclaimed: " I will bring the Babylonians against this land and against it's inhabitants and all this land must become a devastated place , an object of astonishment, and these nations will have to serve the king of Babylon seventy years". Jeremiah 25:9,11.

About four years after Jeremiah uttered that prophecy, the Babylonians made Judah part of their empire. Three years after that, they took some Jewish captives, along with some of the wealth of the temple at Jerusalem, to Babylon. Eight years, Judah revolted and was again invanded by the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. 


This time, the city and it's temple were destroyed. All it's wealth , and the jews themselves, were carried off to distant Babylon, Just as Isaiah and Jeremiah had foretold.
2 Chronicles 36:6,7,12,13,17-21.


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