ã 597 BC 2 Kings 24:10-16. KINGS of • 588 Zedikiah attempts to get help from Egypt and revolts (2 Kings 24:20; 2 Chronicles 36:13). (See Ezekiel 30:20-26 ) ISRAEL - Zedekiah holds “international conference”. Jeremiah 27 ISRAEL JUDAH ä 586 BC Final seige and burning of city and temple. (2 Kings 25:8-21) King Zedikiah, Judah Four Fasts Established in Captivity (See Zechariah 8:19) Exile and Return • The Jewish in the Captivity had established four fasts: (See Zechariah 8:19) th (2 Chronicles 36:11-23; 2 Kings 24:17-25:21) - One in the 10 month: mourning the time when the Babylonians began to take siege of the city. (Jeremiah 52:4-7; 39:1-2) th King Zedikiah - One in the 4 month: when the walls were broken down. (Jeremiah 52:6-7; 2 Kings 25:3-4) • Son of Josiah (third son to be king). - One in the 5 th month: when the temples ( both first and last temple ) was • Made king by King Nebuchadnezzar after Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiahchin burned. (2 Kings 25:8-21; Jeremiah 52:12-13) captive to Babylon. - One in the 7 th month: when Gedaliah was assassinated (Jer. 41; 2 Kings • Nebuchadnezzar changed his name from Mattaniah. 25:25). • Became king at the age of 21 and reigned for 11 years. • God had established only one fast: See Leviticus 23:16-32 – the Day of • “he did evil in the sigh of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had Atonement! done.” • (2 Chronicles 36:12) “He did not humble himself before Jeremiah, who spoke the mouth of the LORD.” Gedaliah – Ishmael – Johanan • (2 Chronicles 36:13) He rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar (who was God’s • Nebuczardan made Gediliah governor over the people who remained in Judah. servant) – though Nebuchadnezzar had made him swear to God!! • Ishmael assassinated Gediliah for his “compromise” with the Chaldeans. (2 - He refused to listen to Jeremiah’s counsel to surrender after Zedekiah, Kings 25:24; Jeremiah 411:1-10) himself, asked Jeremiah what he should do. (Jere. 21; 38:1-8, 14-28) • Johanan and the captains that were with him hunt and kill Ishael. (Jer. 41:11- - Zedikiah asked Jeremiah to pray for him but refused to humble himself. 18) (Jeremiah 37:1-3) • These men ask Jeremiah what they should do – Read Jeremiah 42 and 43! (2 • (2 Chronicles 36:14-16) Mockery of God’s Messengers Kings 25:26) - See Jeremiah 25:3-4; 7:13 • (2 Chronicles 36:17-21) THEREFORE ... GOD ... Cyrus’s Proclamation: RETURN (2 Chronicles 36:22-23) - God FULFILLED His Word . . .(2 Chronicles 36:21) • This event was prophesied more than 100 years earlier by Isaiah. (See Isaiah - Seventy years are marked from the first deportation to Zerubbabel’s return. 44:28; 45:1-5; 48:14-15) • Some theologians mark the 70 years from the destruction of the first • The LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to accomplish HIS WORD! (See also temple to the completion of the second temple. Revelation 17:17; Proverbs 19:21; Isaiah 46:10-11) • (2 Kings 25:6-7) Zediakiah taken prisoner, judged and then blinded. • The words of Jeremiah to be fulfilled. (Jer. 25:11-12; 29:10; Daniel 9:1-2) - Interesting prophecy in Ezekiel 12:1-13 – prophecy of Zediakiah’s • Cyrus, an unbeliever, understood that God had given him all the nations of the attempted escape from Jerusalem – see 2 Kings 25:4-5. According to world. (See Daniel 4:17; Jeremiah 27:5-6; Revelation 13:1-9) Ezekiel Zediakiah would be taken to Babylon and die there but he would not see the city!

Three Deportations Under Nebuchadnezzar â 605 BC During the reign of Jehoiahkim. See 2 Chronicles 36:5-7; 2 Kings 24:1-2, 13; Daniel 1:1-2.