Warning To Yield To Babylon

Jeremiah 27:1-22

“In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,  Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck, And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah; And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.” (Jeremiah 27:1-5)

Jehoiakim would be dethroned by the Babylonians, and the Jews would make his son king, but Nebuchadnezzar would make Zedekiah king instead.   God commanded Jeremiah to make yokes and bands that were to be placed around his neck symbolizing slavery.  Like the slave collars and leg irons of early America.  When Zedekiah became king, the neighboring countries would send representatives to establish relations with him.     The messengers were to be sent back with the symbols of slavery to be sent to the king of Edom, the King of Moab, and the king of Ammon, the king of Tyre, and the king of Zidon with a message from God, that he had created all of them and he has decided who should control the various lands.    

“And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.  And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.” (Jeremiah 27:6-7)

God had chosen to place all the countries in the region under Nebuchadnezzar’s control.  They will be subject to him and his son and grandson until their time is up.  Once their time runs out, Babylon will become subject to other nations.  Neriglissar and Labashi Marduk were his son and grandson,  Later and Assyrian called Nabondius, took control of Babylon, placing his son, Belshazzar as regent to rule Babylon itself.  Belshazzar’s mother appears to have been a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar.  It was during his reign as regent that the Medo-Persian Empire and Darius the Mede ascended the throne.  Upon Darius’ death, Cyrus took control of the entire Medo-Persian Empire and it became known as the Persian Empire.  Although there were brief periods of independence, Babylon was ruled by numerous groups until the present day. 

“And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.  Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:  For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish. ” (Jeremiah 27:8-10)

Most of the prophets, not only in Judah, but in the other countries as well, were seeking to encourage the people in fighting for their freedom.   God warns then not to fall for what those prophets and soothsayers say because they are lying and listening to them will result in the loss of their lands and total destruction of the nations. 

“But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.” (Jeremiah 27:11)

Nations which submit to Nebuchadnezzar would escape with minimal punishment and be allowed to continue as nations under the Babylonian Empire.   When Nebuchadnezzar invaded Egypt, they did not resist, but submitted willingly, and as a result, the prophecy in Ezekiel 29:1-12 was never fulfilled, just as Jonah’s prophecy against Nineveh was not fulfilled.   They paid attention to Jeremiah’s prophecy.

“I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.  Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?  Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.  For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.” (Jeremiah 27:12-15)

Jeremiah made a special effort to warn Zedekiah to yield to Nebuchadnezzar so Judah would not be destroyed.  He advised him not to listen to the prophets that were telling them to fight the Babylonians.  They were not from God, and were prophesying a lie to get the people to make god angry and drive them out and destroy them. 

“Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD'S house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.  Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste?  But if they be prophets, and if the word of the LORD be with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.” (Jeremiah 27:16-18)

Jeremiah gave the same warning to the priests and the people, that the prophets who claimed Babylon would set them free were lying.  If they listened to those prophets and resisted they would be destroyed.  If the prophets were legitimate, they would be praying that God not allow the rest of the Temple furnishings to be taken to Babylon instead of telling them that they didn’t have to worry. 

“For thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city, Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem; Yea, thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem; They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.” (Jeremiah 27:19-22)

When Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah the first time under Jehoiakim, he had carried off the king and a lot of the gold and silver.  Judah then set up his son,  Jehoiachin as their king in an act of defiance.  Three months later, the Babylonians came back and took Jehoiachin captive and carried off a great deal more of the treasure, but left the Temple furnishings so that they could continue to worship god as they should.  Jeremiah warns them that rebellion will result in Nebuchadnezzar coming back and taking everything form the Temple, including the brazen sea and it bases it sat on.  They would  be kept in Babylon until the captivity ended, and would be returned when the Jews returned to rebuild the Temple

It is sad that the Egyptians would heed jeremiahs prophecies and yield to Nebuchadnezzar, thus escaping part of the Judgment, but Judah, who claimed to believe God would not, and were destroyed. 

An Attempt to Silence Jeremiah

Jeremiah 26:1-24

“In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD'S house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD'S house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word: If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.

And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you, To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened; Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.” (Jeremiah 26:1-6)

Jehoiakin was originally made king of Judah by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt.  Eleven years later Judah was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar and he was carried away captive.  Shortly after he became king, God directed Jeremiah to deliver a message to the people of Judah who came to worship at the temple, warning them of the consequences of their disobedience.  He was to give them every detail, and if they would change their behavior, God would still change his plans and have mercy on them.

If they refused to listen to him or to obey the law, and continued to ignore the warnings from the prophets he had sent them, then the temple would be like Shiloh, and Jerusalem would be a curse to the rest of the world.  When Israel first conquered the promised land, under Joshua’s leadership they had set up the Tabernacle at Shiloh.  In Eli’s day in I Samuel, The ark of  the Covenant was take away by the Philistines who conquered the land and controlled Israel for several years.  Though Samuel continued to minister there, the ark was never returned and Shiloh lost most of its influence.  A hundred years later, David moved the Tabernacle to Jerusalem and Shiloh was completely deserted. 

In Psalm 78:56-61, David describes what happened.  “ Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies: But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.  For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.  When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel: So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men; And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.”  God would do the same thing to Jerusalem and the Temple if they continued in their sin.

“So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD. Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.  Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.” (Jeremiah 26:7-9)

Because Jeremiah was speaking publicly in the Temple courtyard to those who came to worship, the religious leaders of the day heard his message.  They didn’t like his message and challenged his statements.  They were sure they were God’s people and pronouncements that Jerusalem would be abandoned like Shiloh were considered treasonous. They wanted to execute him. 

 

“When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king's house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD'S house.  Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.” (Jeremiah 26:10-11)

The civil authorities were contacted and a hearing was called to decide Jeremiah’s fate.  The religious leaders declared he ought to be killed for contradicting what they stood for and accusing them of wrong doing, referring to what the people had heard him say.  

“Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.  Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.  As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.  But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.” (Jeremiah 26:12-15)

Jeremiah was permitted to speak for himself as the Law required and he reminded them that what he had said was that if they would make the changes and do what the Law required they would be spared.  He went on to make it clear that executing him would not change God’s plans, except to add another layer of judgment to them.  He knew it was God who had sent them and killing him would not change that.    

“ Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.  Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying,  Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.  Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.” (Jeremiah 26:16-19)

Jeremiah had not actively tried to destroy the city or hurt anyone and the political and civil leaders concluded he had not committed any crime justifying a death sentence.  They reminded the people that a little over a hundred years before Judah had been threatened by the Assyrians, and a prophet names Micah had delivered a similar message to the people.  Instead of having Micah killed. Hezekiah listened to the message and turned the nation to God, becoming one of Judah’s greatest kings.  As a result, the destruction Micah had prophesied was avoided.  To ignore Jeremiah or kill him might well result in making his prophecy come to pass.  

“And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjathjearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah: And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt; And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt.  And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.  Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.“ (Jeremiah 26:20-24)

About the same time Jeremiah made his prophecy, another man by the name of Urijah made a very similar prophecy.  King Jehoiakim and the civil leaders gave orders to have him killed and he fled to Egypt to escape them.  A unit was dispatched to Egypt to arrest him and return him to Judah where he was executed.   That Jeremiah was not killed was largely due to the influence of a powerful political leader named Ahikam.

Foreshadowing The Lord’s Return

Jeremiah 25:15-38 

“For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.  And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.” (Jeremiah 25:15-16)

God was very angry, not only with Judah, but with the other countries as well for their rejection of Him, and for their treatment of Judah.  While he used them to punish Judah and Israel, they got carried away and would be punished as well.  He gives another illustration of the coming Judgment.  Once one has imbibed a beverage it is nearly impossible to prevent it’s having an effect on one’s body, and God wanted to drive home the fact that once the judgment started it would be very hard to stop it, and like drinking alcohol, they would not be able to control or escape the results. 

“Then took I the cup at the LORD'S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me: To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day; Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people; And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod, Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon, And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea, Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners, And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert, And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes, And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.” (Jeremiah 25:17-26)

The warnings of the prophecy were not limited to Judah and Israel.  Judah and Israel would become objects of contempt, but it would affect the peoples of Egypt, and those who the Assyrians had stirred together to destroy their nationalism, including those later known as Samaritans, as well.  God’s judgment would be felt from the national level all the way down to the local communities.  It would be felt by groups as diverse as the Philistines and the Phoenician Empire from Tyre and Sidon to Spain.   All of the various countries in the Arabian Peninsula will be affected, including the ancient civilizations of Moab, Ammon and Edom that had been protected as relatives of Israel.  It will reach beyond the immediate region to present day Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, finally reaching the kingdoms of the entire Middle East region.   Babylon itself would be instrumental in destroying the others but ultimately, it would be destroyed as well.     

“Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.  And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink.  For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Jeremiah 25:27-29)

While some countries will join without a struggle, others will fight desperately to maintain their independence but ultimately all will be forced to capitulate.  If God will bring such judgment on his chosen people, why should he allow the rest of the world to get by even worse behavior?   I Peter 4:17-18 warns that Judgment just starts with those who believe.  “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?”   God’s judgment will affect everyone.

“ Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.  A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.  And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.” (Jeremiah 25:30-33)

While this prophecy is primarily about Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon and the things that would happen in that day it closely resembles the prophecies in Ezekiel, Daniel and Revelation about the events and judgement of the world at the end of the seven year Tribulation period.  It even uses the same analogy of treading out the grapes that we see in Revelation 19:11-21, and some parts definitely appear to refer to the time of the Second Coming.  “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;  That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.  And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.   And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.  And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” 

So many will die that they won’t even be able to bury them before the scavengers eat the bodies.  Ezekiel 39:12-15 describes the situation at the battle of Armageddon.  “And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.    Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.  And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.  And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog.   The events prophesied here for Babylon give us a hint of what the Tribulation and Second Coming will be like.  Evil will spread from nation to nation until god is left with no choice but to destroy them. 

“Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel.  And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape.  A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and an howling of the principal of the flock, shall be heard: for the LORD hath spoiled their pasture.  And the peaceable habitations are cut down because of the fierce anger of the LORD.  He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion: for their land is desolate because of the fierceness of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.” (Jeremiah 25:34-38)

Usually the leaders of a country are able to isolate themselves from the results of their decisions until the nations collapse completely.  In the day of judgment those leaders and powerful  people will find there is no where for them to run either.  They will be crying out for help just as their people have been.  God will be like a lion driven from his den because they have oppressed people so badly, leaving the land desolate. 

The Growing Babylonian Threat

Jeremiah 25:1-14

“The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.” (Jeremiah 25:1-3)

Josiah had been the last good king of Judah, reigning thirty one years.  Jeremiah began prophesying during Josiah’s thirteenth year as king.  Josiah was killed by the Egyptians and his son Jehoahaz took the throne, but was deposed by the Egyptians and Jehoiakim was made king.  Four years later, Nebuchadnezzar came to power in Babylon.   For twenty three years, Jeremiah had been warning Judah that they were going to be conquered by Babylon if they did not turn wholeheartedly to God.  When he first started, the Assyrians were in power and Babylon was not seen as much of a threat, but in his first year as king, Nebuchadnezzar was able to defeat the Assyrians and seize control of their empire.  Jeremiah’s prophecies assumed a whole new level of importance to the people.    Jeremiah was not the only prophet God had sent to warn them.

“And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.  They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever: And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.   Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.” (Jeremiah 25:4-7)

God had sent his prophets to warn them in plenty of time for Judah to make the necessary changes and turn to the Lord, but they had ignored them.  The prophets had warned them that each one needed to do as God had said, keeping their part of their covenant or contract with god as the condition for God allowing them to keep the land.  God had promised that he would give them the land forever and protect them, if they would obey his laws and not worship other gods.   Judah had deliberately ignored God’s prophets and flagrantly broken the terms of their contract, bringing God’s anger on themselves. 

“Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.” (Jeremiah 25:8-9)

Because they had ignored God’s warnings, God will unite the northern lands of Syria, Assyria, and Turkey under Nebuchadnezzar to attack Judah and the other countries around them, including the Philistines, the Moabites , the  Edomites, the Ammonites, the Zidonians, and Egypt.  Several of those kingdoms would cease to exist and all would be controlled by other groups after the collapse of the Persian Empire.   Egypt would be ruled by the Persians, the Greeks, and later the Ptolemy family until they were conquered by Rome in Cleopatra’s day.   The Edomite’s and Moabite’s land was taken by the Nabateans.  The Zidonians were absorbed by the Phoenician Empire.    

“Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle.  And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.” (Jeremiah 25:10-11)

For seventy years, all those nations would be subjects of the Babylonian Empire.  The cities in Judah would be largely uninhabited and Jerusalem totally destroyed.  The culture they had built would essentially cease to exist for the seventy years.   

“And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.  And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations.  For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.”  (Jeremiah 25:12-14)

While Nebuchadnezzar would turn to God, as described in Daniel 4:37, his descendants and later Babylonian kings did not.  As a result, Jeremiah’s earlier prophecies against Babylon will be fulfilled.  The Babylonians would be ruled by the Persians, and later the Greek, the Seleucids, the Romans, the Parthians, and the Sassanids before being conquered by Arab and Islamic forces after 650 AD.  Clearly the prophecy of their serving many great kings and nations has been fulfilled. 

Unfortunately, even Nebuchadnezzar’s  rise to power and victory over the Assyrians did not get the Jews attention.   Jeremiah would continue to prophesy for another twenty five years or so.  

Two Baskets Of Figs

Jeremiah 24:1-10

“The LORD showed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.   One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.” (Jeremiah 24:1-2)

This prophecy was given about eight or nine years after Nebuchadnezzar became king, shortly after Jehoiachin was carried away to Babylon as described in II Kings 24:10-17.  His uncle, Mattaniah was appointed King by Nebuchadnezzar, and his name was changed to Zedekiah.  In the vision Jeremiah sees two baskets of figs sitting in front of the Temple.  One basket was full of really good figs, while the other one was full of rotten and worm eaten figs that one would not dare try to eat. 

“Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah?

And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,  Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.  For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.  And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.” (Jeremiah 24:3-7)

When Jeremiah described what he saw in the vision, God explained what it meant.   The basket of good figs represented the people who had been carried away to Babylon.  Though it seemed like a terrible thing, they were being relocated for their own good.  One day God would bring them back from Babylon and they would be able to grow freely because God’s intention for them was only for their good.  Ultimately they would turn to the Lord with their whole heart, and would never again be taken out of the land.

An examination of history shows this prophecy has yet to be fulfilled.  Many of the Jews prospered during the Babylonian captivity and chose not to return to Israel when they were set free.    Though they returned to Judah after seventy years of captivity, the Jews who returned were still under Persian domination.  Later they fell to the Greek and eventually to the Romans.  Even during the times of Ezra and Nehemiah, they never fully turned to God, and were destroyed in 70 AD.  Israel did not exist again as a nation until 1948.  Never the less, God’s prophecy is still true, and will be fulfilled as described in Revelation.  Details are given in chapters 7, 11, 19, and 20.   

“And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the LORD, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt: And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.  And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.” (Jeremiah 24:8-10)

The basket of rotten figs portrayed the rebellious Jews who remained in Jerusalem under Zedekiah.  They would rebel against both God and Nebuchadnezzar, eventually fleeing to Egypt to escape.  Those who fled to Egypt were killed as a result.  II Kings 25, II Chronicles 36, Jeremiah 37-43, and Ezekiel 17 describe their rebellions.  Throughout history Jews have been hated and persecuted with millions slaughtered by their enemies.  The hatred and destruction will continue until the rebellious ones are completely destroyed.    

Love Is Not A Burden

Jeremiah 23:23-40

“Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?  Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.  I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.” (Jeremiah 23:23-25)

The world pictures a god as some kind of being with some kind of magical powers who is so caught up in his own affairs that only notices man’s problems when they are brought to his attention, much like most political leaders.  In fact many political leaders throughout history have been cast as gods or demigods, isolating themselves from the people.   Unlike those political leaders, God is not off somewhere else worrying about his own affairs, He is right here, where He sees and is affected by what is happening.   In fact he knows every detail of every person’s life because he is omnipresent.   He knows what the prophets and preachers are saying who say they have dreamed a dream. 

“How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.” (Jeremiah 23:26-27)

How long do these prophets and preachers think they can get by with their lying?  They have been deceived themselves and now hope to cause people to forget who God is and what he expects by telling their dreams and imaginings as revelations from God, just as their ancestors replaced God with Baal.  II Corinthians 11:13-15 says , “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”  Satan deliberately passes himself off as God to deceive people, and it should not surprise anyone that his servants try to pass themselves off as messengers from God in their attempts to serve the devil. 

“The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.  Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:28-29)

Throughout history Satan has gotten men to try to pervert God’s word and it is still true today.  Galatians 1:7 warns, “…there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.”  Jeremiah says these speakers should be honest about what they say.  If they are just telling a dream. They should make sure people know it is just a dream, and may or may not have come from God.  If they are using the word of God, they should be sure they are interpreting it properly.   In Second Corinthians 4:1-2, Paul describes the attitude the preacher or prophet should have.  “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.” 

The Word of God doesn’t need anything added to make it better.  It is powerful enough to accomplish its purpose like a fire or a hammer breaking up a rock.    Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”  Isaiah 55:11 declares, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” 

“Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.  Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.  Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 23:30-32)

God himself opposes every teacher that causes people to be confused or forget what He has commanded, replacing it with man’s teachings or traditions.  He is against every teacher or prophet that make up their own story and claim it came from god and everyone who proclaims his dreams to come from God and cause His people to go against what God has said, claiming to be from God when He did not send them.    Their teaching will not help the people, but will hurt them. 

“And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD.  And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house.  Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What hath the LORD answered? and, What hath the LORD spoken?  And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.  Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the LORD answered thee? and, What hath the LORD spoken? ” (Jeremiah 23:33-37)

Both the Old and New Testaments stress the idea of serving God because we love him rather than because we have too or to get something from him.  When we view service to him it becomes a drudgery rather than a pleasure.  When asked about the burden of serving the Lord they were to ask what burden.  When done out of love it isn’t a burden, but a joy.  God said he will punish those who make serving the Lord a burden.  Instead of talking about what God demanded, they were to focus on what God had said.  They were perverting the Lord’s word by setting their own standards and demands.  Their own teachings were what made it such a burden.  

In Luke 11:46, Jesus accused the Pharisee Law teachers, the lawyers, of that very thing.  “And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.”   Rather than a guideline for how we should treat God and other people they made the law a set of mechanical rules that had to be followed exactly to avoid punishment.   By comparison, Christ’s demands are easy to meet.  Matthew 11:29-30 says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

“But since ye say, The burden of the LORD; therefore thus saith the LORD; Because ye say this word, The burden of the LORD, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the LORD;  Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence: And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.” (Jeremiah 23:38-40)

About three hundred years after Jeremiah gave this prophecy, Malachi said the same thing in Malachi 1:13.  “Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.”  They said it was too much trouble to offer the sacrifices and obey God and were only half-heartedly doing what He asked.  Both times God warned that he was going to turn away from them, allowing them to be shamed for their sin.  He said something very similar to the Church in Ephesus, in Revelation 2:4-5. “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.   Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”  When we are doing things because we have to, rather than because we love Him, we are no longer pleasing God.

Warning To The Prophets

Jeremiah 23:9-22

“Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness.  For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.  For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD.  Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 23:9-12)

Jeremiah was so heartbroken as He looked at what the prophets were teaching in Judah, that he felt almost like a person who had been in a serious car accident, shaking and unsure what had really happened.    He was aware of the consequences of their actions, because he understood God’s power and the consequences of disobeying him. 

As he looked at what was going on, he saw many people involved in sexual sin, totally violating God’s law.  He saw a nation struggling to survive because people had no qualms about breaking their contracts or oaths of office, leaving those who trusted them hanging out to dry.  As a result they have lost the things that made their land such a pleasant place to live, and the national attitude was moving increasingly to evil.    The very people who were supposed to teach the people about God and his word were focused on the things of the world, even bringing the world’s attitudes and practices into the church.  They are walking on very slippery slope, and sooner or later they will surely fall because they insist on going that way.  They cannot escape God’s judgment. 

“And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.  I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.” (Jeremiah 23:13-14)

The prophets and preachers in the northern kingdom were actively embracing false religions, absorbing them into the church, and leading God’s people astray.  Even more troubling was that in Jerusalem and Judah, who had stayed closer to God and his Word, The prophets and preachers were themselves actively involved in sexual sin and preaching lies, actively supporting and encouraging those who were doing wrong so that they had no incentive to turn from their sin.  They are really no different than the people of Sodom or Gomorrah. 

“Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.  They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.” (Jeremiah 23:15-17)

God is going to bring Judgment on those prophets because they have spread a carnal, worldly attitude through the land.  God advises His people not to listen to them because are actually producing a false pride in their spirituality, telling people what they imagine to be true rather than what God has said.  They promise God’s blessings on people who hate God and his standard and promise those who do as they please that they don’t need to be afraid of God’s judgment. 

“For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?  Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked.  The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.” (Jeremiah 23:18-20)

Who has paid attention to God’s Word?  Who has acted on his commands and lived according to what he said?  Those who have ignored it will be grievously punished because of their disobedience, and nothing will stave off His anger.  They will experience fully the consequences of the sin, and at the end of the Tribulation period will understand what God has done.

“I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.  But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.” (Jeremiah 23:21-22)

These prophets and teachers were not called or ordained by god.  They have preached solely of their own volition.  They didn’t get their messages from God.  In spite of that, if they had encouraged the people to do what God said and listen to His Word, people would have turned away from their sin and their evil attitudes.  That people haven’t turned from their sin is a clear indication the prophets haven’t taught people to obey God. 

While this message was given specifically to the prophets and priests in Jeremiah’s day, I believe it is particularly apropos for the pastors and church leaders of today.  I Corinthians 10:11-12 tells us, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”   Christ’s messages to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3 also support that conclusion.