When the Jewish exiles arrived in Babylon their hope was for an immediate return to Jerusalem. But the prophet Jeremiah told them the exile would last for 70 years. So the Jews went about the business of learning how to live as exiles in Babylon. After 65 years of exile, Daniel began to pray and remind God that the 70 year sentence of exile was nearly served. That's when the angel Gabriel came and explained to Daniel that the exile was going to be more like seventy times seven years! This calls for patience with God.