Jeremiah 25: 11-12
This whole land [Judah and the surrounding nations] will be ruined and become a wasteland. These nations will serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.
When the 70 years are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation for their crimes, declares the Lord.
Here is where Daniel was reading, where he found that they would be in exile for 70 years, and realized that 70 years had gone by already, it was time. (See Daniel 9:2.)
29: 4-7, 10-14
This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all those who were taken captive from Jerusalem to Babylon:
Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat what they produce.
Get married and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and let your daughters get married so they can have sons and daughters. Grow in number there, don't decrease.
Work for the good of the city where I've taken you as captives, and pray to the Lord for that city. When it prospers you will also prosper.
... This is what the Lord says: When Babylon's 70 years are over, I will come to you. I will keep my promise to you and bring you back to this place.
I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.
Then you will call to Me. You will come and pray to Me, and I will hear you.
When you look for me, you will find Me. When you wholeheartedly seek Me,
I will let you find Me, declares the Lord. I will bring you up from captivity. I will gather you from all the Nations and all the places where I've scattered you, declares the Lord. I will bring you back from the place where you are being held captive.
There is so much in this chapter! Promises to His people of Judah who are in Babylon, and also for us as His people in Christ who are in the World.
The Jews will be in Babylon for a long time, 70 years, so they are to settle down and prosper in this Land of Exile, and grow their families.
And God will see to it that the politics will change and a new king will arise who will send Judah home. After that 70 years.
History tells us that this is exactly what happened back then. God was faithful to His promises, and everything worked out just as He said it would.
And these precious promises also are for us: To pray for the city where we live, for God to prosper it, and we will prosper with it; and God will also let us find Him when we wholeheartedly seek Him; and He will give to us a hopeful future also, according to His plans for us.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
