After many years of rebellion, in spite of God's warnings, Israel still did not repent and finally the judgment came. It was to come as captivity in two stages. First the northern part of Israel would be taken by Assyria. Later, the southern part, called Judah, would be taken to Babylon where they would remain for 70 years.
First Captivity Prophesied
* "Inasmuch as these people refused the waters of Shiloh that flow softly, and rejoice in Rezin and in Remaliah’s son, now therefore behold, the Lord brings up over them the waters of the river, strong and mighty, the king of ASSYRIA and all his glory…he will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel. Be shattered O you peoples, and be broken in pieces…"
Isaiah 8:6-9
* "Inasmuch as these people refused the waters of Shiloh that flow softly, and rejoice in Rezin and in Remaliah’s son, now therefore behold, the Lord brings up over them the waters of the river, strong and mighty, the king of ASSYRIA and all his glory…he will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel. Be shattered O you peoples, and be broken in pieces…"
Isaiah 8:6-9
* "I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of BABYLON, and he shall carry them captive to Babylon and slay them with the sword. Moreover I will deliver all the wealth of this city, all its produce, and all its precious things; all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give into the hand of their enemies, who will plunder them, seize them, and carry them to Babylon."
Jeremiah 20:4-5
* "Therefore thus says the Lord: 'Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of BABYLON, and he shall take it. And the Chaldeans who fight against this city shall come and set fire to this city and burn it, with the houses on whose roofs they have offered incense to Baal and poured out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke Me to anger; BECAUSE the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only evil before Me from their youth. For the children of Israel have provoked Me only to anger with the work of their hands,'' says the Lord. For this city has been to me a provocation of my anger and my fury from the day that they built it, even to this day; so I will remove it from before My face because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me to anger they, their kings, their princes, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem…'"Jeremiah 32:28-32
* "And the Lord has sent to you all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear. They said, `Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers forever and ever. Do not go after other gods to serve them and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands; and I will not harm you.' "Yet you have not listened to Me,'' says the Lord, "that you might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt. Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: `BECAUSE you have not heard My words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,' says the Lord, `and Nebuchadnezzar the king of BABYLON, my servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, and against these nations all around, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, a hissing, and perpetual desolations...'"
Jeremiah 25:4-9
* "All these curses will come upon you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, BECAUSE you did not obey the Lord your God and observe the commands and decrees He gave you."
Moses -Deuteronomy 28:45
* "But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations. And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, `Why has the Lord done thus to this land and this house?' Then they will answer, `BECAUSE they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this calamity on them.'"
2nd Chronicles 7:19-22
They Were Told How Long This Judgment Would Last
Jeremiah 25:11
* "For thus says the Lord: After SEVENTY YEARS are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place."
Jeremiah 29:10
The First Captivity In Two Stages
The first captivity took place in two stages, first the northern kingdom, then the southern kingdom later.
721 BC –Assyrian invasion.
The northern kingdom of Israel was taken into captivity.
586 BC –Babylonian invasion.
Solomon’s Temple was destroyed, 100,000 Jews killed, the southern kingdom of Judah was taken in captivity to Babylon.
The Temple was destroyed on the 9th day of the month Av.
Someday, far into the future, the second Temple would be destroyed on the same date, the 9th of Av.