The story of 1-2 Chronicles ends with warfare and ruin. From the death of Josiah to the sacking of Jerusalem, 2 Chronicles 36 records twenty-three years of history, covering the reigns of Judah’s last four kings. The people decide to crown Josiah’s son, but the reign of Jehoahaz lasts only three months, before King Neco of Egypt deposes him and places his older brother on the throne instead, changing his name to Jehoiakim (v 1-4). It was 605 BC when Neco is defeated by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, so at this point, Jehoiakim has to start making his tribute checks payable to the young king of Babylon instead of to Egypt. When the checks stop coming (2 Kings 24:1), Nebuchadnezzar sends his army to Jerusalem to collect a sizable portion of the temple treasury, along with King Jehoiakim himself, and a group of promising young men including Daniel (Daniel 1:1). Jehoiakim dies in Babylon, and his son Jehoiachin succeeds him on Judah’s throne (v 5-8). Jehoiachin’s reign lasts only ten days longer than that of his uncle Jehoahaz. Again, Nebuchadnezzar shows up at the gates of Jerusalem, helping himself to more temple treasures before taking another king and his family back to Babylon as captives. Another relative, Zedekiah, is installed as king (v 9-10). Zedekiah is visited by Jeremiah and other prophets, but he has no interest in humbling himself before the word of the LORD. He continues his evil ways, even desecrating the temple with his idolatry. Zedekiah also rebels against Nebuchadnezzar, breaking his promise to be a loyal subject. So in 587 BC, the king of Babylon shows up a third time with his troops to utterly destroy the city. Temple and palace, altar and throne, priesthood and monarchy—everything falls. Anyone surviving the invasion is marched back to Babylon. But none of this happens outside of God’s plan. Through Jeremiah, He had decreed that the land should rest for seventy years to make up for all the mandatory sabbaths of the land that His people had not kept (v 17-21). Seventy years pass. Persia has conquered Babylon, and Cyrus is the new Persian king. To fulfill Jeremiah’s prophecy, the LORD moves the heart of Cyrus to issue a proclamation that all the Jews are now free to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple. The exile may have seemed to put an end to the promise that God would reign over His people through the house of David, but this hopeful ending reminds us that the LORD is always at work and His purposes can never fail. Despite human sin and failure, the promised seed of David will surely come, and He will rule the nations forever (v 22-23). For further meditation: