One of the clay tablets revealing the presence of the Judean royal house as prisoners in Babylon. Excavated from an arched building near the Ishtar Gate of ancient Babylon. The cuneiform texts, 595 - 570 B.C., contain lists of rations of barley and oil issued to the captive princes and artisans, including "Yaukin, king of the land of Yahud." This is a direct reference to Jehoiachin (or Jeconiah). The other tablets mention his 5 sons accompanying him to Babylon. Staatliche Museum, Berlin
Ezekiel 39:21-40:4
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21 “And I will set my glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them. 22 The house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God, from that day forward. 23 And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt so treacherously with me that I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword. 24 I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their transgressions, and hid my face from them.
25 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my holy name. 26 They shall forget their shame and all the treachery they have practiced against me, when they dwell securely in their land with none to make them afraid, 27 when I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from their enemies' lands, and through them have vindicated my holiness in the sight of many nations. 28 Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them into exile among the nations and then assembled them into their own land. I will leave none of them remaining among the nations anymore. 29 And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord God.”
1 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, the hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me to the city. [brought me there] 2 In visions of God he brought me to the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south. 3 When he brought me there, behold, there was a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand. And he was standing in the gateway. 4 And the man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.”
Ezekiel was in captivity with the King of Judah, Jeconiah, eleven years before Jerusalem was destroyed. Ezekiel never mentions Jeconiah's uncle, the successor Nebuchadnezzar put up as puppet king, Zedekiah. This is the 25th year of captivity for the first group of captives, they will not be released for 34 more years. 57 years from the 2nd Temple being built.
It is utterly astonishing the Babylonian Emperor, Darius, would give directions to free the slaves and build the Temple. Build with his funds and the original Temple tools, held in waiting through 3 different emperors. It defies anything else on earth. And, recently historically, the world saw this happen again - 1947 - Israel was re-established. Imagine a country not only in ruins, but obliterated - the people scattered & yet they return to their homeland. Does Archaeology agree this occurred. Yes. Scholars debate the timing by six months.
If we know Israel came back from being annihilated, several times; these amazing events set a pattern to believe God's Son would rise from the dead.
Blessed be the Lord God, our Redeemer. Amen.
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