What happened to the southern kingdom of Judah under Nebuchadnezzar?
The southern kingdom of Judah was overrun by Nebuchadnezzar, who came out from Babylon. He emptied the land of the Jews, and they were taken into captivity for seventy years. At the end of that period, Cyrus, king of Persia, decreed that the Jews could return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.
Les explains that at the end of the previous program, the southern kingdom of Judah was overrun by Nebuchadnezzar coming out from Babylon. He emptied the land of the Jews, and they ended up in captivity for 70 years. At the end of the 70 years, as mentioned then out of Chronicles, Cyrus, the king of Persia, made a decree that the Jews could go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, reestablish temple worship, and reestablish their national entity under his sovereignty. In Ezra chapter 1, verse 1, in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah was fulfilled, showing God had said it years before it happened.