Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
“Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? His God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (He is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”
Ezra 1:1-4

Second Chronicles ends with this same record of Cyrus’s declaration of building the house of the LORD God of Israel. This one has more details to it, however, chapter 36 and verse 21 tells us why the people of God were seventy years in captivity in this foreign land.

To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.  2 Chronicles 36:21

It could be that someone might be reading this and thinking, “I don’t believe in prophecy, so I don’t believe the bible is the truth.” You know what? It matters not at all what you think. It does matter what God says. If He said it; He will do it.

Jeremiah prophesied that Israel would be taken captive to Babylon, would be there seventy years, so that the land of Israel would make up the Sabbath days that were missed. The people of Israel and Judah were guilty of violating the Sabbaths of the LORD; because they had turned their backs to Him, and served other gods; which were no gods at all, but the works of men’s hands.

God’s word is true from Genesis 1 through Revelation 22, not including the apocrypha, which is not reliable, not inspired, and cannot be the word of God. If God said it, it will come to pass, just the way He said it.

It is true of every thing it says about Jesus Christ as well. Jesus is the main character of the Old Testament. In the Revelation it is written, “…For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” Revelation 19:10. That includes the Old Testament. Jesus existed before there was creation. He is seen many times in the Old Testament revealing Himself as the Angel of the LORD. He is the One who walked in the Garden of Eden with Adam. When Adam and Eve had eaten the forbidden fruit of the tree, and they hid themselves when they heard God calling out, “Adam, where are you?” That was Jesus, known as the Word of God (John 1:1-5).

If you deny what God says about His Son, then you also deny God. If you deny God, you deny His Son. If you deny God, and the Son of God you are still in your sins, and still need the cleansing and forgiveness of sin that only the death of Jesus Christ on the cross can give. He died, He was buried, and He rose again, coming out of the grave alive forever more.

Believe God. Trust in the finished work of Jesus, believing that only Jesus can deliver you from sin, death, hell and the grave.