Page "Apocalyptic literature" Paragraph 5

Haggai and Zechariah explained the delay by the failure of Judah to rebuild the temple, and so hope of the kingdom persisted, till in the first half of the 2nd century the delay is explained in the Books of Daniel and Enoch as not because of man's shortcomings but to the counsels of God.

Regarding the 70 years of exile predicted in Jeremiah 29: 10, the Jews were first exiled in the year 605 BCE in the reign of king Jehoiakim and were allowed to return to their land in c. 536 BCE when King Cyrus conquered Babylon.

This time period was approximately 70 years, as prophesied by Jeremiah.

But some people believe that the 70 years of Jeremiah were later interpreted by the angel in Daniel 9 as 70 weeks of years, of which 69½ have already expired, while Enoch 85 interprets the 70 years of Jeremiah as the 70 successive reigns of the 70 angelic patrons of the nations, which are to come to a close in his own generation.

The Book of Enoch, however, was not considered as inspired Scripture by the Jews, so that any failed prophecy in it is of no consequence to the Jewish faith.