The 70 years of captivity in Babylon were God's way of enforcing the sabbath rest that Israel's land had been owed for 490 years of neglected seventh-year rests.
God commanded the land to rest every seventh year, but Israel kept farming it. After 490 years of neglect, God declared He would collect His 70 years of sabbaticals, sending Israel to Babylon for 70 years while the land lay desolate and kept its sabbaths — exactly as Jeremiah had prophesied and 2 Chronicles 36:21 records.
2 Chronicles 36:21 — This verse directly connects the 70 years of desolation to the land keeping its sabbath rests — the clearest statement of the captivity's purpose.
Leviticus 25:4 — The command Israel broke: the farmland was to lie still every seventh year as a sabbath of rest unto the land.
Jeremiah 25:11 — The prophecy that the nations would serve the king of Babylon seventy years, which Les cites as Jeremiah's foretelling of the captivity.
God required that the land of promise receive a sabbath of rest every seventh year: "But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard" (Leviticus 25:4). Israel, however, kept farming the land year after year. Through Jeremiah, God declared that "this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years" (Jeremiah 25:11). God had also warned: "Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths" (Leviticus 26:34). The Chronicler then explains the fulfillment: "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). At the end of those 70 years, "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" (Ezra 1:1), permitting the Jews to return and rebuild the temple.
Les Feldick teaches that the primary significance of the 70-year Babylonian captivity is that God recovered the sabbath years that Israel had refused to give His land. Every seventh year the farmland was supposed to lie fallow, but the Jews "kept right on farming it." After 490 years of neglecting that sabbatical year, God said, "I'm going to get my 70 years of sabbaticals," and so Israel was "sent into the captivity out in Babylon for 70 years, and the land laid rest." Les is quick to add that the captivity also stemmed from Israel's idolatry and rejection of Jehovah, but the 70-year figure itself primarily repays the one year out of every seven missed across a 490-year span. Les also stresses the timeline. Nebuchadnezzar came over in 606 B.C. and took Daniel and the Jews captive to Babylon. Jeremiah had prophesied the 70-year captivity, and when it was fulfilled, Cyrus the king of Persia issued the decree that the Jews could return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, which Nebuchadnezzar's forces had destroyed. Ezra led the building work, but only a small remnant — 42,360 — took up the offer to go back, finding the land a barren wilderness. That returning remnant, Les explains, "begin to set the stage for the nation of Israel at the coming of Christ." He also places the 70-year captivity at the front of the longer 490-year prophetic clock: from a decree found by chronologists and dated March 14, 445 B.C. to Palm Sunday was exactly 483 years, so "the 70th week, or that final seven years, is still left unfulfilled" — a period Bible scholars often call the Tribulation.
God commanded that every seventh year the farmland enjoy a sabbath of rest (Leviticus 25:4), but Israel "kept right on farming it" instead of letting it lie fallow. Les shows that after 490 years of neglecting that sabbatical year, God declared, "I'm going to get my 70 years of sabbaticals." The captivity in Babylon lasted exactly 70 years — one year of rest for every seven years Israel had refused — and the land lay desolate and kept its sabbaths, as 2 Chronicles 36:21 records.
Les is careful to say the captivity "wasn't just because of their neglecting the sabbatical." Israel had also gone into idolatry and rejected Jehovah. They mocked God's messengers, despised His words, and misused His prophets until God's wrath had no remedy (2 Chronicles 36:16). But "primarily, the 70 years was to make up for the one out of every seven out of 490 years of time."
At the end of the 70 years, Cyrus king of Persia made a decree — the LORD stirred up his spirit so that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled (Ezra 1:1) — permitting the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. Ezra returned to rebuild, but only 42,360 took up the offer, a small remnant from the hundreds of thousands taken captive. They found Jerusalem a barren wilderness, yet their return and rebuilding "begin to set the stage for the nation of Israel at the coming of Christ."
Les places the 70-year captivity within the larger 490-year prophecy of Daniel. He notes that chronologists have found the decree dated March 14, 445 B.C., and from that date to Palm Sunday was exactly 483 years. Since the prophecy required 490 years, the final seven years — Daniel's 70th week, often called the Tribulation — remain unfulfilled and are pushed out into the future.
Israel Mocked and Killed the Prophets
Les recounts how Israel mocked God's messengers, despised His words, and killed the prophets until God's wrath had no remedy — the spiritual condition that made the captivity necessary.
490 Years of Neglected Sabbaths → 70 Years of Rest
Les gives the core significance: the land was to rest every seventh year, but Israel farmed it anyway; after 490 years of neglect, God required 70 years of sabbaticals, so Israel went to Babylon for 70 years to let the land rest.
Timeline: 606 B.C. to Cyrus and Ezra
Les walks the dates: Nebuchadnezzar took the Jews in 606 B.C., Jeremiah had prophesied the 70-year captivity, and afterward Cyrus's decree sent Ezra back to rebuild the destroyed temple.
Few Returned to a Barren Land
Les observes that of the hundreds of thousands carried to Babylon, only a precious few accepted Cyrus's offer to return — Jerusalem was a barren wilderness.
The Captivity and the Remnant's Return
Les dates the captivity from 606 B.C. to about 536 B.C., then shows that after Cyrus's decree Ezra rebuilt the temple and a small remnant returned to prepare the nation for Christ's coming.
The 490 Years and the Unfulfilled 70th Week
Les connects the post-captivity clock to Daniel's prophecy: 483 years from a decree dated 445 B.C. to Palm Sunday, leaving the final seven-year week (Daniel's 70th week) still future.
Ezra 1:1 — Jeremiah's Word Fulfilled
Les highlights that Cyrus's decree came about 'that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled' — the 70-year captivity ended exactly as prophesied.
The 42,360 Who Returned
Les counts the returning remnant — 42,360 — who went back to Jerusalem about 535–536 B.C. to rebuild the temple, 70 years after Nebuchadnezzar's first invasion.
Leviticus 25:4: But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.
The sabbath-year command that Israel neglected, which Les says built up the 70 years of owed rest.
Leviticus 26:34: Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths.
God's warning that if Israel disobeyed, the land itself would enjoy her sabbaths while they were in their enemies' land.
Jeremiah 25:11: And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
Jeremiah's prophecy of 70 years of servitude, which Les says was declared years before it happened.
2 Chronicles 36:16: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.
The scriptural description of Israel's treatment of God's prophets, which Les retells as background to the judgment of captivity.
2 Chronicles 36:21: 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.
Records the fulfillment: the land kept sabbath for 70 years to fulfil the word of the LORD by Jeremiah.
Ezra 1:1: 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,
The decree of Cyrus that ended the captivity, fulfilling Jeremiah's word.
Daniel 9:24: Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
The 490-year prophecy whose final seven years Les says are still future.
God had commanded that the land rest every seventh year, but Israel farmed it anyway. After 490 years of neglecting that sabbatical year, God said, "I'm going to get my 70 years of sabbaticals." So Israel was sent to Babylon for 70 years while the land lay fallow and kept its sabbaths, exactly as 2 Chronicles 36:21 records.
Les says yes. Israel had also gone into idolatry and rejected Jehovah, and they had mocked and killed God's prophets. But the 70-year period itself was primarily the repayment for the one out of every seven sabbatical years that had been neglected over a span of 490 years.
Cyrus, king of Persia, issued a decree that the Jews could return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, which the LORD had stirred him to do so that the word of Jeremiah might be fulfilled. Under Ezra, a remnant of 42,360 returned to begin rebuilding.
Les places the 70-year captivity at the start of a longer prophetic clock. From a decree dated March 14, 445 B.C. to Palm Sunday was exactly 483 years; the prophecy called for 490 years, so the final seven-year period — Daniel's 70th week — is still left unfulfilled and is often called the Tribulation.
Watch the Teaching: The Lost Ten Tribes of Israel — What the Bible Really Says