1948 was the return to Israel's self-rule, after their completed punishment.
God told Ezekiel to lay on his side 390 days, a day for a year, for the sins of Israel, and 40 days, a day for a year, for the sins of Judah.
This makes for 430 years combined. The Babylonian captivity lasted 70 years, leaving 360 remaining. In Leviticus 26, God told Israel that if they still did not obey, their punishment would be 7 times over. After the 70 years, most of the Jews did not return, and they did not build the temple God told them to build by Ezekiel.
360 years times 7 is 2520 years of 360 days (the length of the year at that time), or 2485.48 years according to our calendar.
If Cyrus' decree to return was in 536 BC, 2485 years later is 1948, the end of the 7 times over punishment, and the time for Israel's return to self rule.
Much love!
1. No, 1948 was
not the "return to Israel's self-rule". Britain, the United States, and even the United Nations, among others, such as the Vatican, were, and still are, all involved in the 'rule' there.
2. The prophecies of Ezekiel, were regarding their (the peoples Israel (Northern) & Judah (Southern)) past (not future) iniquity:
Eze 4:4 Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity.
Eze 4:5 For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.
Eze 4:6 And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.
From the time of the rebellion in Rehoboam's 4th year to the present time of Ezekiel's writing.
John Gill's Commentary on Eze. 4:5 - "... which signify three hundred and ninety years; and so many years there were from the revolt of the ten tribes from Rehoboam, and the setting up the calves at Dan and Bethel, to the destruction of Jerusalem; which may be reckoned thus: the apostasy was in the fourth year of Rehoboam, so that there remained thirteen years of his reign, for he reigned seventeen years; Abijah his successor reigned three years; Asa, forty one; Jehoshaphat, twenty five; Joram, eight; Ahaziah, one; Athaliah, seven; Joash, forty; Amaziah, twenty nine: Uzziah, fifty two; Jotham, sixteen; Ahaz, sixteen; Hezekiah, twenty nine; Manasseh, fifty five; Amos, two; Josiah, thirty one; Jehoahaz, three months; Jehoiakim, eleven years; Jeconiah, three months and ten days; and Zedekiah, eleven years; in all three hundred and ninety years. ..." -
Ezekiel 4:5 - Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary - StudyLight.org
3. The 70 years captivity by Babylon was an entirely differing time prophecy (2 Chr. 36:21; Jer. 25:11-12, 29:10; Dan. 9:2; Zec. 1:12, 7:5 KJB).
4. Leviticus 26 says
nothing about a single 7 times,
nor a multiplication of years, but speaks of
events. It mentions at least 4 "seven times" after a series of punishments before them, all in succession, not in exact 'years', as the number 7 in these instances representing the fullness / completeness of punishment, as the number 7 from Genesis-Revelation, means complete.
Notice. If the peoples Israel disobeyed, God would send judgments / punishments - Lev. 26:14-17
[1] Terror
[2] consumption
[3] burning ague that consumes the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart
[4] sow seed in vain, which enemies will eat
[5] slain before their enemies
[6] enemies reign over them
[7] flee in pursuit by their enemies
- If they refuse to repent still after those things, God would "punish [them] seven times more" (Lev. 26:18 KJB). In other words, it would be in addition to the previous '7', making '14'.
- The "more" punishments are listed in Lev. 26:19-20.
- If they still would not repent after those additional "seven times more", then "seven times more plagues" (Lev. 26:21 KJB) would come after, and are listed in Lev. 26:22-23.
- If they still would not repent after those additional additional "seven times more plagues" (Lev. 26:21 KJB), then God would "punish [them] yet seven times" (Lev. 26:24 KJB), and the "yet" meaning more, or in addition to the previous events, and these new punishments are listed in Lev. 26:25-27 KJB.
- If they still did not repent, then God said, "will chastise you seven times for your sins" (Lev. 26:28 KJB), and as such are listed in Lev. 26:29-39 KJB.
All of that was ultimately fulfilled in the days of Jeremiah-Daniel, in the 70 Years captivity, that the land lay desolate and kept her sabbaths (Lev. 26:43 KJB). They kept rebelling since the time of Rehoboam, and ended up in captivity by Babylon. Later it repeats unto the time with Rome (Deu. 28 KJB).
There is
no '2520' years prophecy in all of scripture, but is a fabrication made up.
The last and longest time prophecy as a test, is the 2,300 day/years in Dan. 8:13-14,26 (beginning in 457 BC; Dan. 9:24-27; Ezr. 6:14, 7:1-28 KJB). It is corrborated by several portions, namely, the 1,260 (Dan. 7:25, 12:7; Luk. 21:24; Rev. 11:1-2, 12:6,14, 13:5 KJB; AD 538 - AD 1798), 1,290 (Dan. 12:11 KJB; AD 508 - AD 1798), 1,335 (Dan. 12:12; Rev. 14:13 KJB; AD 508 - AD 1843/44), and the 50 years Jubile (Lev. 25:8-13 KJB; AD 1793 - AD 1843/44), and the '5 months' (Rev. 9:5,6,10 KJB; from Pentecost to Trumpets, antitype, early rains to present latter rains).
5. Finally Cyrus II's decree was not in 536 BC, but in 538 BC -
538 BC - Wikipedia
This is shown by the Bible in several ways, and confirmed historically.
Cyrus II's decree was only 1 of 3 (Cyrus II (even countermanded by False Smerdis (aka Pseudo Bardiya, false Artaxerxes of Ezr. 4) &c; Darius I Hystaspes the Persian, & Artaxerxes I Longimanus / Machrocheir), as per Ezr. 6:14, in relation to "the commandment" of God (Dan. 9:25):
Ezr 6:14 And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
That finally occured in the 7th year of Artaxerxes I Longimanus / Machrocheir, with full governmental autonomy, even to death, in Ezr. 7:1-28 KJB.