Israel was meant to suffer 490 years of subjugation to the four kingdoms of Babylon:
1. Babylon (ruled Israel for seventy years)
2. Mede and Persia
3. Greece: Greece was later divided into four and then later merged into two kingdoms: Ptolemy and Seleucid.
4. Seleucid Greece: Israel suffered fierce persecution from the little horn, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the 8th king of the Seleucid Grecian empire. Antiochus IV Epiphanes persecuted and killed the Jews for observing the law of God for three and a half years and desecrated God’s temple for 1290days. His reign marked the end of the 490 years of punishment. The persecution of the faithful Jews was a refining fire to them. Antiochus IV Epiphanes is the little horn (Daniel 7 & 8), the prince who will desolate the temple (Daniel 9), the proud faced one (Daniel 11):
--He shall desecrate the temple (Daniel 8.9-14,23; Daniel 9.27; 11.30-31; 12.11; 1 Maccabees 2.54-61; 2 Maccabees 6.1-6)
--He shall change the laws (Daniel 7.25; 2 Maccabees 6.6)
--He shall crush the saints (Daniel 7.21, 25; 8.9-13, 23-25; 11.33, 35).
--He shall be proud and blasphemous (Daniel 7.8, 20, 24-25; 8.10-11, 25; 8.23; 11.36-39; 1 Maccabees 1.24; 2 Maccabees 5.21; 9.7-21)
--He persecuted the saints for three and a half years and attempt to Hellenize the Jews for one week (Daniel 7.21,25; 8.9-14, 23-25; 9.27; 11.33,35)
--The revolt/War (Daniel 11.32-33; 7.21; 9.26)
At the end of the 490 years of Babylon dominion, God’s holy people will rule the kingdom of Israel. The Hasmoneans dynasty ruled Israel till the coming of the Roman Empire
The Romans cunningly took over Judea from the Hasmoneans prior to the coming of the Son of Man. Augustus Caesar, the first Roman Emperor, set the foundations for Rome to become an Empire.
The kingdom of God came to the earth through His son, Christ Jesus. When the crushing of the saints in the other Seleucid territories was accomplished (Daniel 11.35), the Lord Jesus came to the earth.
The kingdom of God was established with the death of Jesus Christ. On the day of the Lord’s death, God’s holy people of the old covenant came to life. The time between the start of his ministry and his resurrection of the dead was three and a half years.