THEOSISTheodoret of Cyrus
Following the reign of Solomon, the nation split under Rehoboam's leadership, resulting in ten tribes known as Ephraim or Israel, while Judah and Benjamin were referred to as Judah. Nevertheless, these tribes were united as one people, tracing their lineage back to Israel and Abraham. Consequently, God, in reference to this singular nation, consolidated what He had previously articulated in distinct messages. After allotting one hundred and fifty days to Israel and forty days to Judah, He combined these durations into a total of one hundred and ninety days, indicating His view of them as a singular entity and family.
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Yet, upon reuniting them, He once again divides the periods, declaring, "And thou shalt rest upon thy right ribs the second, and thou shalt repay the iniquities of the house of Judah forty days; a day for one summer I will put them to thee; because the iniquity of the so-called Israel is greater." The people, having completely turned away from God, chose to serve young women and idolized various images. Thus, He assigns to Israel one hundred and fifty days and to Judah forty, with each day representing a year. The designated forty days for Judah correspond to the remaining years of their prophesied seventy years in Babylon as foretold by Jeremiah; thirty of those years had already passed. In the thirtieth year of the exile, the prophet Ezekiel began to proclaim God's messages, and the remaining forty years from the fifth year of Jechonias’ captivity until Cyrus the Persian began to reign would fulfill this prophecy. This sequence can be confirmed, not only by the timeline but also through sacred texts, such as the writings of the revered Prophet Jeremiah and the book of Chronicles. They recount that in the thirty-seventh summer following Jehoiakim's captivity, also known as Jechoniah, Ebilmerodach raised his head and freed him from imprisonment during his reign (4 Kings 25:27). Subsequently, Belshazzar governed over the Babylonians for a brief period; he was unrighteous and was soon executed, with his rule extending to nearly three years. In the third year of his reign, Daniel experienced a vision. Following Belshazzar was Darius, the son of Assuir, a Midian; yet he also had a short reign. This is attested by Daniel, who states, "In the first summer of Darius the son of Assuir, in the first summer of his kingdom, I Daniel understood in the books the number of years, of which was the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah the prophet, for the end of the desolation of Jerusalem seventy years" (Dan. 9:1, 2). Therefore, the eighty days assigned to Judah represent the years left in their prophetic forty-year period, while the one hundred and fifty days set for Israel symbolize the one hundred and fifty years after which the city was reconstructed, repopulated, fortified with walls, and the cities of Israel and Judah strengthened anew. This restoration was realized in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, son of Xerxes, during which Nehemiah, serving as cupbearer, sought favor from the king and returned to Judah with zeal to accomplish the work as documented in the writings of Ezra. For those seeking to ascertain the timeline, one should begin counting from the fifth year of Jechoniah's captivity; this marks the start of the forty-year span. It leads to the first year of Cyrus the Persian, followed by the remaining twenty-nine years of Cyrus’ reign, seven years under Cambyses, an additional thirty-five during Darius Hystaspes’ governance, twenty years under Xerxes, and nineteen years during Artaxerxes’ leadership; in the twentieth year, the command was given to reconstruct the city's walls. It is crucial to note that the restoration of Jerusalem brought significant benefits to Israel, which had long been detached from the tribe of Judah. Upon returning from exile, the division dissipated, as those who had the means to return did so with unity, designating Jerusalem as their capital.