GREAT STATS FOR AUGUST

 THE MONTH OF AUGUST----

126, 100  USED MY BLOG!

I THANK OUR HEAVENLY FATHER FOR BRINGING SUCH NUMBERS, TO SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH OF YOUR WORD; THE WAY OF SALVATION AND THE AGE YET TO COME.

Keith Hunt

JEREMIAH FOR TOMORROW CHAPT. 50 - 52----END

 

Jeremiah For Tomorrow!

Chapters 50 to 52

CHAPTER 50 Prophecy concerning Babylon Here and in Isaiah we have, outside the book of Revelation, the longest denouncing and fall of Babylon. The destruction she faces will come from the NORTH! North of the modern Europe Babylon is RUSSIA! Truly the Russian empire with China, will be an important factor in end time events. It is Russia that will come against the last days resurrected Holy Roman Empire of Babylon the Whore, as mentioned in the book of Revelation (verses 1-3). THE TIME FRAME is clearly given in verses 4-5. It is the time when the children of Israel will COME, together with the children of Judah; going and weeping, and seeking the Lord. They shall ask the way to Zion, saying "Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord, in a PERPETUAL COVENANT that shall NOT BE FORGOTTEN! Never in history, since the days of the DIVIDING of the 13 tribes of Israel into the House of Israel and the House of Judah, have they COME TOGETHER, seeking Zion, and making a PERPETUAL COVENANT that has never been forgotten. There is no way this prophecy has EVER BEEN FULFILLED! IT IS A PROPHECY FOR THE LAST DAYS - THE END TIME - THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH IN GLORY TO RULE ALL ISRAEL AND ALL THE WORLD! It is the time when Israel and Judah have lost their way, have been scattered into the lands of their enemies, when they have been devoured by their adversaries; when their enemies think they have not sinned by destroying them, for they have destroyed a people that no longer served their God. Israel and Judah are told to move out of Babylon (Revelation 18:4) for God will bring a GREAT NATION from the NORTH, and they shall set themselves in array against her; her warfare is conducted with a mighty expertise - Babylon shall be spoiled. Because Babylon was glad in destroying God's heritage people, and because they had grown fat as a heifer at grass, their destruction is near. All who see it will hiss and be astonished at all her plagues, for her destruction will come quickly and indeed many will shake their head in wonderment that so mighty an Empire could fall so suddenly (verses 9-16; see Revelation 18:7- 19). Assyria and Babylon, the TWO mighty enemies of all the 13 tribes of Israel, the two enemies that have come together in the last days, to destroy both Israel and Judah, it is the last days indeed. For it is the time when the INIQUITY of Israel shall be sort for but there shall be NONE! And the sins of Judah shall not be FOUND! It is the time when Israel and Judah are FORGIVEN their sins and iniquities (verses 17-20). THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A TIME WHEN BOTH HOUSES OF ISRAEL HAVE BOTH BEEN FORGIVEN AT THE SAME TIME AND RESTORED TO ZION WITH AN EVERLASTING COVENANT THAT SHALL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN! The Coming Slaughter of Babylon Babylon will receive her judgement as she has striven against the Lord. It is God's time to pay her for her sins. Those who manage to flee Babylon and go to Zion shall say it is the time of God's vengeance. She shall be recompensed according to her works. She has drunk the blood of the saints and so blood she will have. Her young men shall fall in the streets, and her men of war cut off. Her proud shall stumble and fall, there shall be fire in her cities. Read Revelation 18 and see that there is an end time Babylon that is spoken about not only in Isaiah and Jeremiah, but also in the end time book of the New Testament. Israel's and Judah's Redeemer is Strong It is the time when Israel and Judah are oppressed TOGETHER! When they who took them captive refused to let them go. But the Lord God of Israel is stronger than all, and it is now Babylon that shall be punished (verses 33-34). War and Desolation to come on Babylon A sword is coming upon Babylon. Her mighty men shall be dismayed. The sword is upon her MINGLED people - Babylon - Europe - is today a mixture of many different races of people. A drought is upon her waters: for she is a people of graven images, her religion is full of images of this supposed saint and that saint. The very city - the capital city of this empire - Babylon Rome - will be laid bare and no man nor beast will inhabit it (verses 35-39). When you think of the evil that has come from Rome throughout the centuries, what she as a city and religion have perpetrated on this earth, it is no wonder God will make an example of this city for generations into the millennium age (verses 39-40). A people from the NORTH, with many kings from the coasts of the earth - China - India - Japan - a CRUEL people who will show no mercy. They will come in battle against the DAUGHTER (descendant of) Babylon (verses 41-42). At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth is MOVED, and a cry is heard among the nations (verse 46). Truly this will be an event that will shake the earth and effect all nations. It is the time of the TWO WOES of Revelation 9, the 5th and 6th TRUMPETS! CHAPTER 51 Judgment of Guilty Babylon The sword is ready to come. The shout goes out to FLEE from Babylon, as the Lord's vengeance is about to come on her (Revelation 18:4). Babylon has been a golden cup in the Lord's hand (all things are allowed of God); she has made the earth DRUNKEN; the nations have drunk of her wine; therefore the nations are MAD! (see Revelation 17:4). Babylon is SUDDENLY fallen and destroyed: howl for her (see Revelation 14:8; 18:2,9,11,19). Babylon is not healed. Go out of her. Her judgment reaches to heaven, and is lifted up to the skies (see Revelation 18:5). The Medes to Execute Judgment It is the time of the Lord's vengeance and He will use the Medes - the men of the East - the men of the North - the army of the Medes - the Russia/China Empire. As it has been in the recent past, Europe thinking it can destroy the Eastern Empire and so rule the entire world, so it will once more do the same, come against the East, the 5th Trumpet of the book of Revelation. But the men of the East will counter-attack and will destroy the cities of Babylon Europe - that will be the 6th Trumpet of the book of Revelation. She will be destroyed in God's time. Yet she will for a while dwell among many waters (nations - see Revelation 17:15) and her abundant treasures. Before that event of her destruction it is true that God will use this Babylon of Europe as His battle axe, to break in pieces many nations - many people - old and young, the war rider, the men and women, the young man and the maiden, the spiritual shepherd and the flock, the working farmer, the captains and the rulers. She will be rendered the evil that she has done on Zion. Though she has been a destroying kingdom (mountain) in the hands of the Lord, she will have the Lord's hand stretched out on her, and she will become a burning fire of a kingdom - desolate forever in many ways (verses 20-26). BLOW THE TRUMPET! Call for the nations of the Medes, the Lord will make the land of Babylon a desolation, without an inhabitant. One messenger will meet another messenger as they run to tell the king of Babylon the doom cast over her. As Europe is destroyed by the powers of the East, messengers will carry the news to the beast man and the false prophet dwelling in Jerusalem and the Holy Land. It will be that the DAUGHTER of Babylon is to be THRESHED and the time of the harvest come (verses 27-33). This all fits in with the many prophecies in the book of Revelation. The fall of the end time Babylon; the threshing of the harvest of the world. The modern Babylon of Rome will be destroyed and will be desolate with no inhabitants; it will be an astonishment; it will be a hissing. This last daughter Empire of Babylon will be as lambs to the slaughter. It will be a surprise and an ASTONISHMENT AMONG THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH! It is as if the sea had come up and covered her Empire. Her cities are desolated. The wall of her might shall fall! Once more God cries out to His people to GET OUT of her, certainly in the spiritual side of her, that a man may save his soul from the anger of the Lord (verses 34-45). The day is coming when God will render judgment on Babylon and her false images of physical hope and spiritual vanity. It will be the time when the heaven and the earth will figuratively SING FOR JOY when the spoiler from the North is sent to destroy her. As Babylon caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth. Though this modern daughter of Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she can fortify her height of strength, from the Lord will come the ones who shall spoil her and cause her destruction (verses 46-53). The Noise of Her Destruction It is the Lord's will that Babylon is to be destroyed, that as they made the world drunk on her spiritual fornications (Revelation 17:1-6), so her mighty men shall be drunk with blood and destruction. Her beauty, her high walls, her seeming splendor of the physical and the spiritual shall come crashing down in the fires of destruction (verses 54-58). So ends the prophecies of Jeremiah as that which pertains to today and beyond, as we proceed to the end of this age. The last verses of chapter 51 are verses that tell us the SURE WORD of this prophecy that Babylon the Great, the mother of Harlots and Abominations of the earth, the daughter Babylon of the end time book of Revelation, will be DESTROYED, and will rise no more. CHAPTER 52 Historical events The Capture of Jerusalem (verses 1-11) Jerusalem Destroyed (verses 12-30) Pardon of Jehoiachin (verses 31-34) SO IT IS WRITTEN AND SO IT WILL COME TO PASS, if the nations of the earth will not REPENT! ..................................................

JEREMIAH FOR TOMORROW CHAPT. 46 - 49

 

Jeremiah For Tomorrow!

Chapters 46 to 49

CHAPTER 46 Prophecy concerning Egypt Now we come to a series of prophecies against Gentile nations. The battle horses, buckler, and shield, with spears. The Ethiopians are with them. She is the "daughter" of Egypt (verses 1-11). It is the king of Babylon who is to come against Egypt (verse 13). The descendant daughter of Egypt is to prepare herself to go into captivity. Destruction comes out of the NORTH. The daughter of Egypt is to be confounded, delivered into the hands of the people from the North. She is to be punished by the Babylon of the North (verses 14-26). Isaiah, and Ezekiel, had prophecies against the empire of Egypt. Daniel chapter 11:40-45 speaks of the king of the North coming against Egypt/Ethiopia the king of the south, in the last days, just before the Great Tribulation comes on the earth, a time of trouble like no other in recorded history of mankind (see Daniel 12). There is yet to form a "king of the south" - it will be spear-headed by Egypt. Yes, Egypt is yet to rise up on the world scene and head a united Arab confederation of nations. Egypt was on the main stage of the world scene back in the late 1960s and 1970s. For a while it did look like this king of the south was being formed in those decades, but it was not to be. For 20 or more years now, Egypt has not played a major role on the world scene. God is able, at His will, to SLOW DOWN the prophecies. It seems right now, that it is His will. Europe has made headway in UNITING, but it is going relatively SLOW! Only in the last year (2007/2008) has all pass-ports been done away with for people in the Europe Common Market nations to travel freely. The king of the North is still some years away from forming into the political, economical, and military MIGHT that she is prophesied to become at the time of the end. Then that should not be a surprise as such, for she is said to RISE QUICKLY and fall just as quickly. She is only to REIGN over the Western world, in full control of the West, for a few years. Egypt is yet to come on the scene once more as a leading nation of the Middle-East. She is to lead an Arab unity of nations. She and her allies will form the"king of the South" of the last verses of Daniel 11. We are not told why or how she will "push at" the "king of the North" - but she will. The king of the North will come against her and win the battle over her. The king of the North then proceeds to enter the Holy Land and to set her armies around the city of Jerusalem. The city will fall, the Jews will be defeated in whatever battle they can muster up against the might of the Europe Beast/Babylon. And so the arm of this Beast Europe will flex against the rest of the Western world. The Israel nations of the West (most importantly the British Commonwealth nations and the United States of America) will be defeated, and so Israel and Judah will go into captivity to our enemy "lovers" (as the book of Ezekiel calls them). The Great Tribulation will then be on the earth, and we shall be into the last 42 months of this age, before Jesus RETURNS to destroy those who are destroying the earth, and to set up the Kingdom of God over all nations for His reign of ONE THOUSAND YEARS! As we look at the MIGHTY POWER of arms that the Jews have today in the Holy Land, as we look at the MIGHTY POWER of arms the British and Americans have today, we wonder how on earth they could be conquered and taken into captivity to the lands of their lover enemies. It would seem an impossibility for such a thing to happen. Well the Almighty God can certainly bring down a nation or nations if that is His will. He has no doubt MANY WAYS to do it, with the force of nature as just one of them. The Beast/Babylon power of Europe is to have a MIRACLE working FALSE prophet as one of the TWO men who will lead this end time Empire, according to the book of Revelation. Will this miracle working prophet use various MIRACLES of destruction on the peoples of Judah/Jerusalem and Israel? It is certainly quite possible that he will. However it will play out, the fact is God has prophesied it WILL HAPPEN as His word states it will. There is NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE for God to accomplish! Within the end time frame, God calls out to Jacob Israel: "But fear not, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will SAVE YOU from afar off, and your seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall RETURN, and be in rest and ease, and none shall make him afraid" (verse 27). Has it ever been said that Jacob Israel has been in rest and ease, where none has made him afraid? If you think Jacob Israel are only the Jews, you have even less of an argument that they have ever been in rest and ease and where none has made them afraid. This is a prophecy for the very end time, when the Messiah shall come and rescue Israel Jacob and truly give them rest and ease and indeed none shall ever make them afraid again. "Fear you not, O Jacob my servant, says the Lord: for I am with you; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven you: but I will not make a full end of you, but correct you in measure; yet will I not leave you wholly unpunished" (verse 28). Obviously from all that is written in the prophets, the full end of other nations is in contrast to not making a full of Israel Jacob. We know from another prophecy that only about ONE IN TEN will be left alive in Israel and Judah at the end time, hence a full end of other nations will be that they will have EVEN LESS than one in ten left alive by the end of this age. CHAPTER 47 Prophecy concerning Philistia This is a prophecy concerning the peoples of the Palestinians, the ancient Philistines that fought Israel and Judah so much in their history, and which still fight Judah to this very day. It is from the NORTH that waters of armies will fill up and overflow as a flood. It is the time of the noise of war horses and chariots of armies, coming, coming, where people will flee in such a manner that the fathers will not look back to see if their children are following, there will be feebleness of hands. The time of the Lord to spoil the Philistines has come. Jeremiah calls out as to how long the sword will be out of its scabbard to kill and plunder, how long before it is put to rest and will be still. The Lord answers, "How can it be quiet, seeing the Lord has given it a charge against Ashkelton, and against the sea shore (the West bank). There has He appointed it" (verses 1-7). When the king of the North comes into the Holy Land, not only will the people of Judah be punished and driven out but many of the people of the sea shore, the west bank, the people of Palestinia, also will come under the sword of war. CHAPTER 48 Prophecy concerning Moab The people of Moab today are the people of Jordan, the Jordanians. This prophecy is also found in Ezekiel 25. Moab is destroyed, her little ones have caused a cry to be heard. They are to FLEE, save their lives. Because of trusting in their own works, their own power and strength, they are to be taken and go forth into captivity. The destroyer is come. Moab is to be given wings, or they are to act as if they have wings, to get out, flee! For the cities will be desolate. Because they have been at ease, not seen captivity, settled on their lees, so God will send those that will make them wander and flee (verses 1- 12). They may say they are mighty and strong men of war, but her youth shall be dashed and go to the slaughter. The Jordanians will find calamity and affliction. The spoiler will come upon her. They magnified themselves AGAINST the Lord in their way of life, and so they shall wallow in their vomit, and be a derision to others. For Israel was held in derision by her, and they skipped for joy over her troubles and destruction (verses 13-27). Those that dwell in Jordan are told to leave the cities and dwell in the rocks, and be like the dove that makes its home in the hole here and there. Jordan is full of PRIDE, LOFTINESS, ARROGANCE, AND HAUGHTINESS OF HEART (verses 28-29). The Lord says He has determined to take gladness from Moab/Jordan. There will be lamentation on the housetops of Moab, and in the streets, for the Lord has BROKEN Jordan like a vessel wherein is no pleasure. The mighty men's hearts in Jordan at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her birth pangs. And Jordan shall be destroyed from being a people, because in her ways she magnified herself against the Lord. Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon the Jordanians. He that flees from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that gets up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare. It will be the time to punish the peoples of Moab Jordan. Her sons and daughters are to be taken captive. Yet the Lord will bring them out of their captivity in the LATTER DAYS!! (verses 30-47). Yes, this is a prophecy for THE LATTER DAYS!! The END TIME of this age!! Who is to punish the peoples of the Jordan area of the Holy Land? The answer is found in Ezekiel 25. IT IS THE MEN OF THE EAST who are to possess the Jordan area in the last days (the peoples of Moab and Ammon). The Europe Babylon will not have all of the Middle East under her control in the last days. The powers of the EAST - Russia, China, India etc. shall have a vital role to play in the Middle East. The power of the East shall be present in the Holy Land also in those last 42 months of the end of this age. The focal point of prophecy is centered around Jerusalem. The men of the East will not be left out of the events of the last years of this age. CHAPTER 49 Prophecy concerning Ammon This is also the area of Jordan. This prophecy is also found in Ezekiel 25. Ammon came from a son of Lot by his daughter (Gen.19:38). The same for Moab, a son of Lot by his eldest daughter (Gen.19:30-38). Most Bible encyclopedia works give this as the area of the Trans-Jordanian state with its inhabitants, lying E of the Dead Sea. God will give the whole Jordan area to the men of the East. They shall wander, they will be driven out. But afterwards, when their punishment is complete, they shall be BROUGHT BACK from captivity (verses 1-6), and come under the rule of the Messiah and the Kingdom of God on earth. Prophecy concerning Edom Edom today is Turkey. We find this prophecy also in Ezekiel 25 and 35. Turkey is to be made bare. His seed will be spoiled. The land of Turkey is to be a desolation, an astonishment, people will hiss for all her plagues. It will become like that of Sodom and Gomorah, no man shall abide there. The earth is moved at her fall, even the noise is heard in the Red sea. The prophet OBADIAH has the most details on the fall of Edom or Turkey. Because they took vengeance on the Jews as they fled north at the coming of the Europe Beast power into the Holy Land, so God will avenge His people by making Turkey a desolation, and it is the people of Israel who, coming back from the captivity in the lands of Europe, will, as they come across Turkey back to the Holy Land, as the Messiah delivers them on His coming to earth, shall lay their hand on the people of Turkey (Edom) and carry out the punishment God has decreed (see also Isaiah 11:1-16). We shall cover in detail the prophecy against Edom Turkey when I expound the book of Obadiah. Prophecy concerning Damascus Damascus is the area she has always been. The well known city NE of Mt.Hermon. It is the capital of Syria today. (we see a prophecy against Syria in Isaiah 17:3 and in Ezekiel 27:16 where she is one of the many trading powers of the end-time Europe Tyrus; also the prophecy of Amos 1:3-5 where Syria Damascus is to go into captivity). The Middle East will be the center of end time prophecy and many areas will be destroyed and taken captive by the might of the Europe Beast power and the might of the power of the East, to the men of east and north of the Euphrates river (see Revelation 16:12). The East power shall have a presence in the Holy Land which will be given even more strength as they come across the Euphrates to take part in the battle of Armageddon against Christ's armies, upon His coming again to rule the world (Revelation 16). Prophecies concerning Kedar and Hazor Kedar (a son of Ishmael: Gen.25:13) and Hazor (an area somewhere in the Arabian desert east of Palestine). They are part of the Arab world today. If this prophecy applies today, it will be a part of the king of the South that is conquered by the king of the North, as in Daniel 11:40-45. Or to become a part of the power of the East, taken by the East power before Christ comes again. Prophecy concerning Elam Elam was a son of Shem, and the progenitor of the Elamites (Gen.10:22; 1 Chron. 1:17). Elam is the Biblical designation of a people and country in the southern area of the Iranian plateau in the Zagros mountains E and NE of the valley of the present Iranian province of Khuzistan). The bow of Elam (the strength of arms) is to be broken. God will bring the four winds from the four quarters of the heaven, and will scatter them towards the winds; and there shall be no nation wither the outcasts of Elam shall not come. Elam will be dismayed before their enemies, evil will come on them, even the fierce anger of the Lord; a sword shall go after them till they are destroyed. Elam will come under the throne of the Lord, and in the LATTER DAYS, they shall be delivered from their captivity (verses 43-39). Is this a prophecy about Iran in the last days? Yes, it could well be. It may be that the king of the North in coming against the king of the South and winning the battle will be defeating also the Iran power, as they may well be part of the king of the South of Daniel 11:40-45. Then on the other hand, it may well be the power to the EAST, the North and East of the Euphrates river, the Russia and China and India and Japan etc. world power, in the last days that will punish and desolate the Iran Elam power. Either way, Elam is to be punished and destroyed, then those scattered and remaining to the coming of the Messiah shall be re-gathered and restored and brought under the rulership of the Kingdom of God. We see in these prophecies of Jeremiah and as contained in Ezekiel, and somewhat in Isaiah, the dividing up of the EAST FROM THE WEST in the LATTER DAYS, the end of this age. We see THREE MIGHTY POWERS on earth - the Europe Babylon Beast power, the king of the North; the Arab confederation, the king of the South; the Eastern block of power, the kings East of Euphrates. The West power of Britain and the USA will be there but at that time they will not be as predominant as the other THREE great powers. Something will transpire between the king of the South and the king of the North; the king of the North will come against the king of the South and win the battle. The king of the North will march into Jerusalem and the Holy Land. The East power will also march into the Holy Land. Both powers will claim certain land areas, conquering certain nations to do so. The Europe Beast Babylon power will destroy Judah and Jerusalem and also the rest of Jacob Israel; the Great Tribulation on Jacob (British Commonwealth, USA, nations of North-West Europe, Judah in the Holy Land) shall come to be - a tribulation the like of which the world has never seen before nor will ever see again. The Beast of Europe with the woman Babylon church will reign supreme over the Western world. The mark of the Beast will be imposed. The political "beast man" and the false prophet will set their headquarters in Jerusalem. There will now be only TWO WORLD POWERS - The Babylon Beast and the kings of the East. They will face each other. The Beast power will try to conquer the East; the East power will counter-attack (Revelation 9) and a war will come that IF NOT STOPPED, would indeed OBLITERATE EVERY HUMAN LIFE from off this planet earth. Jesus will COME, with the armies of angels from heaven. The RESURRECTION of the SAINTS will take place. The angels will go forth and gather the saints from all corners of the earth; they will come together with Christ in the air, in the CLOUDS of this earth; they will receive their rewards on the sea of glass; they will proceed with Jesus to the Mount of Olives at Jerusalem. The Europe Beast power with the armies from the East of Euphrates will gather at Armageddon to FIGHT against the Christ and His armies, whom the false prophet will have the world believing is the anti-christ or/and an invasion from outer-space as the power of the Devil. Christ and His armies will defeat the armies of the world and will establish the Kingdom of God on earth. All this I have given to you in much detail in many other studies on this Website. THERE IS MUCH TO YET BE SHAPED AND COME TO PASS ON THE WORLD SCENE TO PREPARE FOR THESE PROPHECIES TO BE FULFILLED. IT MAY WELL BE ANOTHER DECADE OR MORE FOR THE FULL RISE OF THE EUROPE BEAST POWER AND THE COMING EGYPT LED ARAB KING OF THE SOUTH, TO FORM AND SHAPE THE DESTINY OF THE LAST DAYS. THE POWER OF THE KINGS OF THE EAST IS CLOSE TO HAPPENING, AS CAN BE SEEN FROM THE RISE OF CHINA IN THE LAST FEW DECADES. RUSSIA HAS BEEN A POWER FOR SOME TIME; PAKISTAN AND INDIA HAVE THE ATOMIC BOMB. THE EAST IS ALREADY A MIGHTY POWER IN ITS OWN RIGHT. THE ARABS NEED TO FORMULATE AND GLUE TOGETHER AS A MIGHTY POWER. EUROPE MARCHES ON TO ECONOMIC MIGHT AND RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE, THEN TO FINAL MILITARY POWER EQUAL TO ANY OTHER EMPIRE ON THE EARTH. GOD IS THE ONE IN CHARGE. HE SETS THE TIME FRAME. REMEMBER THAT TO HIM 40, OR 50 YEARS, IS AS NOTHING, COUNTED AS A GRAIN OF SAND ON THE VASTNESS OF THE SEA SHORE. BUT WHAT IS WRITTEN IS SURE. WHAT IS WRITTEN WILL ONE DAY COME TO PASS!! .................................................. To be continued

GOD'S FALL FESTIVALS-- THE DATES

 GOD'S  FALL  FESTIVALS  2026

FEAST OF TRUMPETS---- SEPTEMBER 12

[AND CHRIST'S RETURN]

FEAST OF ATONEMENT---- SEPTEMBER 21

[A COMPLETE FAST]

FEAST OF TABERNACLES---- SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 2 

[THE MOST JOYOUS 7 DAY CELEBRATION]   

LAST GREAT FEAST---- OCTOBER 3

[WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT - REV. 20]

JEREMIAH FOR TOMORROW CHAPT. 34 - 45

 

Jeremiah For Tomorrow!

Chapters 34 to 45

These chapters have no relation to the modern world and what is yet to take place in Bible prophecy. They are chapters and history of Jeremiah, relative to his time and dealings with the king/s of Judah. You may like to read them in a modern translation. Certainly lessons can be taken from these chapters. CHAPTER 34 Jeremiah warns Zedekiah (verses 1-7) Proclamation of Liberty Broken (verses 8-22) CHAPTER 35 The Faithful Rechabites (verses 1-11) Unfaithful Judah (verses 12-19) CHAPTER 36 Baruch Transcribes Jeremiah's Prophecy (verses 1-8) Baruch Reads the Roll (verses 9-19) The King Burns the Roll (verses 20-31) CHAPTER 37 Retreat of the Chaldeans (verses 1-10) Jeremiah Imprisoned (verses 11-21) CHAPTER 38 Jeremiah Rescued from Starvation (verses 1-13) The King's Audience with Jeremiah (verses 14-28) CHAPTER 39 Jerusalem's Fall and Zedekiah's Fate (verses 1-10) Nebuchadrezzar's Treatment of Jeremiah (verses 11-18) CHAPTER 40 Jeremiah Stays in Judah (verses 1-6) Gedaliah Made Governor (verses 7-12) Plot against Gedaliah's Life (verses 13-16) CHAPTER 41 Gedaliah is Killed (verses 1-3) Johanan Rescues the People of Mizpah (verses 4-18) CHAPTER 42 Jeremiah Counsels against Flight (verses 1-22) CHAPTER 43 The Remnant Flees to Egypt (verses 1-13) CHAPTER 44 The Remnant Rebuked by Jeremiah (verses 1-14) Defiance of the People (verses 15-19) Jeremiah Prophesies Punishment (verses 20-30) CHAPTER 45 Consolation for Baruch (verses 1-5) We note in these chapters that the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah. The king had left only DAUGHTERS. Jeremiah, Baruch, and the king's daughters came into the land of Egypt (chapter 39:6 and 43:6,7). We see that the words of God as He spoke against, note ... Israel and Judah (two separate kingdoms) are to be written in a roll of a book (chapter 36:2); perhaps the two kingdoms will hear and REPENT! We can see here the lesson of REJECTION OF THE PROPHETIC WORD of the Lord as given by one of His servants. So today, although the prophetic word is SHOUTED OUT to Israel and Judah, by the servants of the Most High, the LEADERS of Israel and Judah will REJECT IT. History does and WILL REPEAT itself! (chapter 36). ............................................. To be continued

GOSPELS STORY CHAPT. 46-- ALL DISCIPLES BELIEVE JESUS IS ALIVE

 

 

Chapter Forty-six:

The Disciples finally Believe Jesus is Immortally Alive!

THOMAS GETS TO SEE JESUS The Gospel of John says it was "eight days later." Now the Bible uses "inclusive" counting and it uses "exclusive" counting. If John was using "inclusive" counting then that first day, when Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, the other women, to Peter, and then the other nine disciples, was day number one.....eight days later was then a another Sunday. If John was using "exclusive" counting, then day number one was a Monday and day number eight was a Monday. So either a Sunday or Monday, ALL eleven disciples, including Thomas, were together in the same room as before, with the doors (the Jews were still in an angry mood towards them) shut tight. But the doors shut, made no difference for Jesus. He was now glorified, and doors being shut.....well He had no need of doors. He could appear anywhere He desired. Those born of God, made immortal, have the power to be themselves wherever they will, shall we say, molecule their atoms as invisible and put those atoms back together as physical, wherever and whenever they desire. The eleven disciples were together behind closed door, and in the blink of an eye, Jesus stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you." The apostles were STARTLED and even frightened (remember only Peter of the eleven had already seen Jesus, and that was eight days ago), they thought they were seeing a spirit or a ghost. Here we need to understand a few things that the Bible in an overall way teaches. We can see in the Bible that God has the power to make Himself flesh and bone (it was God that came to Abraham and had a meal with him, in Genesis 18), and God can show His glorified form, His back parts (because no man can live if they saw His glorified face and front parts (see Exodus 33: 11-23), to a human, if He so chooses. Angels, the good righteous ones, who obey and serve God, can also appear to humans as flesh and bone. We have many examples of this throughout the Bible. And Paul told us to entertain strangers, for in so doing some have entertained angels and did not know it (Hebrews 13:2). The other two person that came with the Lord to Abraham (Genesis 18) were angels. They went on to Sodom and Gomorrah. They actually took hold of Lot at one point and pulled him back into the house (see Genesis 19: 10). Angels can then transform themselves into flesh and bone if they need to. But the fallen angels, or those known as "demons" in the Bible, are NEVER ever said to be able to do such a transformation, as to become flesh and bone. They can only appear to mankind as a "spirit" or "ghost" type. And they have and still do, appear to people as a "spirit." If you were able, or if they allowed you to walk up to them and reach out to touch them, you would touch nothing, your hand or arm would just pass right through them, come out the other side, and you would feel nothing. God has NOT given the RIGHT or the POWER for fallen angels or demons to appear as flesh and bone, and we can be mighty thankful He had not, for they do enough evil damage on this earth as it is, without having the power to transform themselves into flesh and bone. Just think what a mess, much bigger and faster than we could ever imagine, we would be in, if demon spirits could appear as flesh and bone people. We would never know which human was really a demon spirit. That is a frightening thought just to imagine, but praise the Lord He has never allowed demon spirits to appear as flesh and bone humans, only as "ghost" type phantoms. When Jesus now appeared, HE just stood in the midst of the apostles (in a split second not there, and the next spilt second there among them), they were frightened, thinking they were seeing an evil spirit, looking like a Jewish man, looking in fact a lot like Jesus. Christ said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do you have questions in your heart about what you are seeing? See, look, my hands and my feet, that it is myself; come handle me and see; for a spirit ghost has not flesh and bones as you see that I have." And while they still were in a disbelief for joy and wonderment, He said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and He took it and ate it before them. A spirit ghost it would seem cannot do such a thing. Another impossibility God has proclaimed on demon spirits. Yes evil spirits can only do certain things, God has not allowed them to do other things that could deceived the human race even more than they are deceived already by their own human nature and Satan's influence. Good righteous spirit angels as we can see from Genesis 18 and other places, can appear as flesh and bone, and eat a meal with humans. They, being righteous and faithful to God, would NEVER with those miraculous attributes use them to harm or deceive the people of this earth. Jesus now looked over at Thomas, and said to him, Put your finger here, and see my hands; put out your hand and place it in my side; do NOT be FAITHLESS, but BELIEVING!" And Thomas answered, "O my LORD, and my GOD!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seem me? BLESSED are THOSE who have NOT SEEN and yet BELIEVE" (Luke 24: 36-43; John 20: 26-29). Thomas got his chance to see Jesus and believe. We who have come AFTER all this, after Jesus returned to the Father in heaven, have not seen Jesus in this manner, but Jesus said those who have not seen Him but BELIEVE anyway, are truly BLESSED. One day, when Christ returns, we with millions of others, will see Jesus, we will be able to see Him as flesh and bone, and also as spiritually glorified, in His GLORIOUS POWER form, that is portrayed to us in Revelation 1: 11-15. We will be able to see Him from a frontal view, not just the back parts as Moses was only allowed to see, but we shall see His face, and we shall live, because we then shall also be in our glorified spiritual bodies, we also shall be able to appear to humans as flesh and bone, as being a part of the very family of God. Jesus departed from them. A few days went by and they were reminded by the women who had gone to the tomb that very early morning, on the Sunday during the feast of Unleavened Bread, that Jesus had said He would go before them to the Galilee area, and so meaning they, the apostles should go there also. In fact Jesus had unstructed the women to tell the apostles to go to Galilee. So they all set off for the land of Galilee. Some of them at least, maybe all of them, were at or very near the shore of Tiberias. Sometimes the Sea of Galilee is called Sea of Tiberias, after the name of the Roman emperor Tiberias Caesar. There was also a town situated on the south west shore of the Sea, called Tiberias. On one particular day Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee (James and John), and two others of Jesus' disciples were together, seven of them. Simon Peter said to the others, "I am going fishing." The others said to him in reply, "We will also go with you." Perhaps all seven of them were or had been fishermen before they were called by Jesus to be His apostles. They proverbialy hung a sign on the door "gone fishing" and went. But though they toiled through the night, they caught not one fish. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach, maybe because of the morning mist, or the dimmed morning light, or because they were about one hundred yards off shore, they did not know that it was Jesus standing there. He shouted to them, "Fellows, have you any fish?" They shouted back, "No, not a one." Jesus replied with, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." So they did, and within a minute they were not able to haul the net in because of the number of fish in it. Then John said to Peter, "It is the Lord you know!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his top clothes, for he was stripped down to his under garments, for the hard work they had been doing all night long. He jumped into the sea and headed for the shore. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not that far from land, about a hundred yard's away. When they got onto the land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, being cooked, and bread to one side. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have caught." So Simon Peter went aboard the boat and hauled the net of fish ashore, full of large fish, in fact there was exactly a hundred and fifty-three fish, and though so many, the net was not torn. Peter no doubt was either given strength from God to haul this net of fish from off the boat to near where the fire was, or the inspiration of the moment shot his natural adrenaline up sky high. Jesus said to them, "Come, and have some breakfast." None dared ask Him who He was, because they knew it was indeed the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so also with the fish. It is recorded that this was the THIRD time Jesus appeared to the apostles, after He was raised from the dead. The first was to them, when Thomas was absent, then 8 days later, when Thomas was present, as we have seen. The third time then was this time here, at the shore of the Sea of Galilee. WORDS FROM JESUS TO PETER After they finished eating breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you LOVE me more than these others here?" Peter said to Jesus, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you."   "Then feed my little lambs," Jesus answered. A second time He said to Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you LOVE me?" Peter replied, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."  Christ then told him, "Tend to my sheep." Jesus said to Peter the THIRD time, "Simon, son of John, do you LOVE me?" Now Peter was grieved because He said to him the THIRD time, "Do you LOVE me?" And Peter answered saying, "Lord, you KNOW EVERYTHING, you KNOW that I LOVE you."   Jesus said to him, "Then FEED my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young you clothed yourself and walked wherever you wanted to; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you but not with clothes, and carry you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to show in parable language that Peter would, when older, be taken by the authorities and led to execution. And history tells us that is exactly what happened to Peter. He was finally put to death by crucifixion. Peter is it claimed asked to be crucified up-side-down, saying he was not worthy be to crucified like his Lord was. After Jesus said this to Peter, He ended by saying, "FOLLOW me." Maybe it was deliberate on Jesus' part to ask Peter THREE times if he LOVED Him, for Peter had DENIED Jesus THREE times, you will remember. Peter was to be a LEADING apostle, not head apostle as some claim, but certainly a leading one, and so it was fitting that Jesus told him three times to take good care of the sheep of Jesus' fold, the ones who would come to believe IN and ON Jesus the Christ, as their Master and Savior. Peter turned around and saw following Jesus and himself, John, to whom Jesus had a special kindness towards. John was the one who leaned across Jesus' chest at the Passover supper meal on the evening of the 14th of Nisan, and had asked, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?" When Peter saw John, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man, what is going to happen to him when he gets older?" Jesus replied, "Look, if it is my will that this man remains until I come again, what is that to you? It is really none of your business. You follow me and do the work I've given YOU to do." After these words from Jesus, the story went around and was pread among the followers of Jesus that John was NOT to DIE! But, Jesus did NOT say to him that he was not to die, but only, "IF it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?" Jesus was just pointing out to Peter that it should be of no concern what other apostles and disciples were doing per se, or how they would end their lives in death, the kind of death they would die. Peter was told what HIS would be like, from Jesus Himself, and that was ALL that he was told. Jesus never told any other of the ten apostles how they would die, and so He never did say that John would remain alive until He would come again to earth from heaven. I guess not, for if that was the case, then John would still be alive today, and be over 2,000 years old (John 21: 1-23). JESUS APPEARS TO THE ELEVEN ON A MOUNTAIN IN THE GALILEE AREA Jesus told the eleven to go to a certain mountain and stay there until He would appear to them. They did, and in due time Jesus did exactly as He said He would. He appeared to them, and when they saw Him they worshipped Him. But it is recorded that some of them doubted. They were still in "shock" mode so to speak, for it had never be known that any human person ever rose from the dead INTO IMMORTAL GLORIFIED LIFE! Jesus came close to them and said, "ALL authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. I want you to go therefore and make disciples from all nations of the earth, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. I want you to TEACH them to OBSERVE ALL that I have COMMANDED YOU; and I will be with you always, even to the END of the age." It is fitting that people be baptized INTO the Father, He is the Supreme one, the one who is the HEAD of all, even of Christ (see 1 Cor. 11: 3). It is fitting that people be baptized INTO the Son, for He is our SAVIOR. It is fitting that people be baptized INTO the Holy Spirit, for it is with the Holy Spirit that God leads, guides, directs, inspires, and gives power and a sound mind to all His children. The Holy Spirit is the very divine nature of God that imparts the germ of ETERNAL LIFE to all who come to the Father through Jesus. We baptize by the name of, by the AUTHORITY of Jesus, but we should baptize people INTO the Father, then Son, and the Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ. We also notice Jesus was here making it very clear that OBEYING the commandments, all that Jesus commanded, which was also the commandments of the Father, for Jesus had said He spoke nothing that was not given to Him from the Father, and Jesus made it clear that man was not to live by physical bread alone, but by EVERY WORD that came from the mouth of God, which is the WHOLE Bible - see again Matthew 4: 4 (Mat.28: 16-20). It was time for the disciples to return to Jerusalem. For Jesus told them He would ascend back to heaven from that area and that they needed to be in Jerusalem to wait for the promise of the Father, for the Holy Spirit to be poured out on them in a mighty and in a great POWERFUL way. John the apostle, says in his Gospel that Jesus throughout His ministry did MANY OTHER signs in the presence of the disciples, which have never been recorded by anyone. So many other thing Jesus did and said that, John says, if they had all been written down he supposes that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written (John 20: 30, 31; 21: 24, 25).   It was a figure of speech to say many many more books could    be written on what Jesus did. Now of course John uses a figure of speech here, and means that the amount of books needed to contain all that Jesus did and said, would be larger than any Library on earth, maybe as large as all the large famous Libraries of the earth put together. But God has given us enough of the life and ministry of Jesus the Christ for our knowledge and for our salvation at this time. Who knows maybe in the age to come the New Testament Gospels may be increased in size and contents to contain much more of what Jesus did and said while on earth as a human being. BACK IN JERUSALEM After the disciples were in Galilee and Jesus appeared twice to them (at least two times that is recorded for us), it was time to return to Jerusalem, for Jesus would say His final goodbye to them, as He went back to heaven to sit at the Father's right hand. He also instructed them for the last time in a personal way. By the time 40 days had passed from Jesus' resurrection to His ascension back to heaven, the disciples were fully and finally convinced that Jesus was indeed raised from the dead to glorious immortality. All of this and Jesus' ascension into the clouds and then back to be with the Father, we shall cover in the next chapter. In the book of Acts. THE APPEARANCES OF JESUS AFTER HIS RESURRECTION THAT ARE RECORDED In or around Jerusalem To Mary Magdalene (Mark 16: 9; John 20: 11-18) To the other women (Mat. 28: 8-10) To Peter (Luke 24: 34) To ten disciples (Luke 24: 36-43; John 20; 19-25) To the eleven including Thomas ((Mark 16: 14; John 26-29) At His ascension (Mark 16: 19, 20; Luke 24: 50-53; Acts 1: 4-12) To the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Mark 16: 12, 13; Luke 24: 13-25) Twice in Galilee (Mat.28: 16-20; John 21: 1-24) To five hundred all at once (1 Cor. 15: 6) To James and the apostles (1 Cor. 15: 7) To Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9: 1-6; 18: 9, 10; 22: 1-8; 23: 11; 26: 12-18; 1 Cor. 15: 8) .................................................. Written Feb. 2003

JEREMIAH FOR TOMORROW CHAPT. 30 - 33

 

Jeremiah For Tomorrow!

Chapters 30 to 33

CHAPTER 30 In the middle of a number of chapters on the deportation of Judah to Babylon and their eventual return to Jerusalem, God gives us the prophecy of the deportation of Israel and Judah to the lands of their enemies at the end of this age, and the eventual delivery back to the Holy Land, at the coming of the Messiah in glory and power and the new age to come. These chapters are BREATHTAKING in scope and there can be no misunderstanding as to WHEN they are to be fulfilled. The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. He was to WRITE DOWN ALL THE WORDS THAT GOD HAD SPOKEN! This is one of the two main purposes for the books of the prophets to be WRITTEN DOWN (the other is for our admonition and examples, for lessons we can learn from, to help guide our way in the correct light - see 1 Corinthians 10:1-12). Notice what God says, "For, lo, the days COME, says the Lord, that I will BRING AGAIN the captivity of my people ISRAEL and JUDAH, and I will cause them to RETURN to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall posses it. And these are the words that the Lord spoke concerning ISRAEL and JUDAH (verses 1-4). You will notice Israel and Judah as still SEPARATE! All prophecy shows clearly that Israel (the ten tribes) and Judah (the three tribes) are NOT UNITED TOGETHER UNTIL the coming of the Messiah is power and glory. That is a fundamental truth to understand Bible prophecy. Without knowing (shall I say admitting this truth, which many false prophets will not admit) this clear fact you cannot understand Bible prophecy. There is to come a VOICE OF TREMBLING, of FEAR, and not of peace! It is as mighty a fear as the strange happening of a man giving child-bear. All faces are turned to paleness! Alas! For that day is GREAT! SO THAT NONE IS LIKE IT! It is the same time Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24:21 and the same time Daniel tells us about in Daniel 12:1-3. Jeremiah says it is JACOB'S TROUBLE - it is ISRAEL'S TROUBLE (Jacob had his name changed to Israel you mighty remember) - it is the time of the GREAT TRIBULATION for the whole 13 tribes of Israel. But they will be saved, some of them, out of it (verses 5-7). It is the time when Jesus will come and break the yoke of captivity from off the neck of Israel and Judah. The time when Gentile strangers will no more serve themselves with Israelite slaves in the lands of their captivity. But they will serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom God will RAISE UP for them! (verses 8-9). This is not talking about Christ as being David. It means what it says, it is David in the RESURRECTION at the coming of Christ. It is the time of the resurrection of the saints of God from all ages, to be gathered together by the angels and taken through the air to meet Christ in the clouds (see Matthew 24:15- 31; 1 Thes.4:13-18; Zechariah 14). THE CONTEXT OF THIS PROPHECY IS THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST!!! God says fear not Jacob/Israel: for God will come and save them from the lands of their captivity; and Jacob shall return and be at REST! There is no way this prophecy can apply but to the days and time of the Messiah's coming in glory to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. If, as the false idea is, that we are here talking about the Jews only, then it is still a prophecy for the future. The Jews have never been at REST, where none shall make them afraid (verse 10). Many of the nations who will carry away Israel into captivity shall be destroyed in no uncertain way, but Israel will not be. They will be corrected but not fully destroyed. Other prophecies show it is about ONE in TEN that will remain alive to the coming of Christ. The friends and lovers of Israel and Judah will not come to the rescue and save them. The punishment is from God because of the multitude of their sins (verses 12-15). The adversaries of Israel and Judah will go into captivity, they that spoil them shall be soiled, all that prey on them will be given to the prey. God will RESTORE HEALTH to Jacob, He will heal the wound, and they shall no longer be a laughing stock to their enemies (verses 16-17). It is the time when Jacob Israel shall be built up again, a time when they will sing and praise and give thanksgiving to their God. They shall be multiplied and not a few. It is the time that God will punish all that oppress them. That is not happening today, the enemies of Israel and Judah are NOT being punished today, in fact many of them prosper and are winning the battles (verses 18-20). It is the time when Jacob Israel will be able to approach God and they will be His people and the Lord will be their God (verses 21-22). God will go forth with ANGER and FURY and perform that which He has said will come on the earth. IT IS IN THE LATTER DAYS - THE TIME OF THE END - THAT WE SHALL CONSIDER IT!! (verses 23-24). YES, THE WHOLE CONTEXT OF THIS CHAPTER IS FRO THE END TIME, THE LAST 42 MONTHS OF THIS AGE, AS BROUGHT OUT IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION. CHAPTER 31 It is at the SAME TIME (verse 1) that the Lord will be the God of all the families of Israel. Some of Israel will find grace even in the wilderness. God will still love them. They will come and be built, they shall once more sing and dance, they will plant vines on the mountains of Samaria. Those watchmen on mount Ephraim shall cry, "arise you, and let us go to Zion unto the Lord our God" (verses 2-6). Jacob Israel shall be brought from the NORTH, and from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child, a GREAT COMPANY shall return. They will come with WEEPING AND WITH SUPPLICATION GOD WILL LEAD THEM. He that SCATTERED Jacob will GATHER them, as a shepherd does his flock. The Lord has redeemed Jacob, and delivered them from the hand of the enemy. There will be singing and prosperity as a watered garden; there will be no more SORROW AT ALL, ANY MORE! (verses 7- 14). This prophecy has NEVER be fulfilled! There is no way anyone can say Jacob Israel has "not sorrow any more at all" (verse 12). God will hear the cries of the people of Ephraim (the British Commonwealth) in their captivity. Those people will REPENT, they will be INSTRUCTED, they will be ASHAMED. God loves the people of Ephraim. The Lord will be troubled for their captivity and He will once more show MERCY upon them. The Eternal will cry out for them to SEE and to RETURN to Him. It is the time when there will be more women than men, when a woman will court a suitor (verses 15-22). It is the time when Judah will be inhabiting the land and the cities once more, when there will be shepherds with their flocks, and all sorrowful souls will be replenished. Jeremiah woke from his sleep and it was sweet unto him (verses 23-26). It is the time when God will sow the House of Israel and the House of Judah with the seed of men and beast. All will be ONE and all will be well, peace will come on the earth, for all peoples and even the nature of animals will be changed as we saw in the wonderful prophecy of Isaiah 11. As God had thrown down and plucked up and destroyed Jacob Israel, so He will watch over, to build, to plant, and restore them. It will be the days of all dying for their own sins, the ones who eat sour grapes, their teeth will pucker. It is the days of true and equal justice for all people (27-30). Those days have never yet come on this earth. This is a prophecy for the new age to come. "Behold, the days come, says the Lord, that I will make a NEW covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they broke, although I was an husband unto them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the House of Israel; After those days, says the Lord, I WILL PUT MY LAWS IN THEIR INWARD PARTS, AND WRITE IT IN THEIR HEARTS; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. AND THEY SHALL TEACH NO MORE EVERY MAN HIS NEIGHBOR, AND EVERY MAN HIS BROTHER, SAYING, 'KNOW THE LORD' FOR THEY SHALL ALL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST OF THEM TO THE GREATEST OF THEM, SAYS THE LORD, FOR I WILL FORGIVE THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE" (verses 31-34). Read those words again friends. There is no way this prophecy has ever been fulfilled, to any people, whoever you think Jacob Israel is today. It will only come to pass when Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, comes back to earth to re-establish the people of Israel and Judah in the Holy Land, when He will pour out the Holy Spirit upon them and forgive their sins. When they will all have a personal relationship with their God. You will notice that this personal relationship (no more having some having to tell others about Christ and God) means THE LAWS OF GOD ARE WRITTEN IN THE HEART! There is no "doing away with" the laws of God (as many false teachers tell you today), BUT IT IS HAVING GOD'S LAW IN THE INWARD PARTS. Jesus came to AMPLIFY the law not "abolish" it, as can be seen from the famous "sermon on the mount" in Matthew 5,6,7. God as creator of the heavenly bodies and all physical things on earth, says that if those ordinances depart from Him then, and only then, shall Israel cease from being a nation before Him forever. If you can measure the universe, or find the foundations of the earth, then He will cast off the seed of Israel (verses 35-37). The time will come, after the GREAT TRIBULATION, the DAY OF THE LORD, as we have seen in many other prophecies, that Jerusalem will again be re-built (verses 38-40). WHAT A WONDERFUL TWO CHAPTERS WE HAVE JUST STUDIED, BUT THAT IS NOT ALL, THERE ARE TWO MORE TO BACK UP THE FIRST TWO. CHAPTER 32 Jeremiah is shut up in the court of the prison, in the king of Judah's house, as the Babylon army besieges Jerusalem. The king Zedekiah had shut him up because of the things he was preaching against him and Judah and Jerusalem. Often people just do not want to hear the truth of God. They want to continue in their own ways, they want to be sweetly relaxed to sleep, just do not desire to be corrected and shown their sins and errors. The next verses go into detail about Jeremiah buying a field, for it was in the plan of God that "houses and fields and vineyards, shall be possessed again in this land" (verses 7-15). Jeremiah prays to the Lord in verses 16 to 25. God gives His answer in verses 26 to 44. The children of Israel and Judah have done evil, as is their long term nature. All, their kings, their princes, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah and Jerusalem. Yes, it is all in Israel and Judah that have sinned. Our leaders have sinned, our religious leaders have sinned, our prophetic teachers have sinned (and we sure have a glut of prophetic books on the book-shelves today) - all have sinned. There is no true righteous people but a very few in our lands today. We have turned our back to God, though the Lord has His true servants teaching the truth of His word. But we have set even the abominations of evil in the very house of God, the temple of God, the Christian church. We have sacrificed our children to false ideas and the way of life that is towards false gods. Yes, even the Jews in Judah, are sinners and follow false abominations. So our nations will be driven out and our peoples scattered in captivity one day by the end time Babylon spoken about in the book of Revelation. This is the message for us in verses 30-36. Then comes the GOOD NEWS! "Behold I will gather them out of all countries, where I have driven them in my anger, and in my fury, and in my great wrath; and I will bring them again to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them a new heart, and ONE WAY, that they shall fear me for ever, for their good, and for their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land as surely with my whole heart and with my whole soul. For thus says the Lord; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them. And fields shall be bought in this land, whereby you say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hands of the Babylonians. Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidence, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south; for I will cause their captivity to return, says the Lord" (verses 37-44). As you read those previous verses slowly you will see that NO SUCH IN-DEPTH happening has EVER come on Israel and/or Judah. They have never had ONE HEART, ONE WAY, to FEAR the Lord forever. There has never been a time when it could be said of any of the tribes of Israel that they had the fear of the Lord in their hearts "that they shall not depart from me." ALL THIS PROPHECY IN ITS FULL FORM IS YET TO TAKE PLACE. IT IS FOR THE TIME OF THE END WHEN GOD IN THE PERSON OF THE MESSIAH CHRIST, WILL COME TO REGATHER ISRAEL AND JUDAH, AND POUR OUT HIS SPIRIT ON THEM AND GIVE THEM THE HEART THAT WILL NEVER GO ASTRAY FROM THEIR GOD AGAIN - EVER!! CHAPTER 33 Jeremiah is given again the word of the Lord, the promise of the Lord. "And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first" (verses 1-7). Note it is BOTH Israel and Judah, they both at the end time, go into captivity together, at the same time, and so they will both be delivered from their captivity at the same time. God will cleanse them from their iniquity. They shall be a joy to Him. They shall be an HONOR before all nations of the earth (verses 8-9). It can never be said that any tribe/s of Israel have EVER been HONORED before all the nations of the earth. Many nations of the earth have ALWAYS hated or had hostility towards some of the peoples of Israel and Judah. When this prophecy is fulfilled in its fullest form, at the coming of the Messiah and the new age, then indeed ALL nations will HONOR the peoples of Israel and Judah. After the captivity at the end of this age, once more joy and praise will fill the land of Judah (verses 10-13). God has promised GOOD to come to Israel and Judah. It will be: "In those days, and at that time, will I cause the BRANCH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS to grow up unto David; and HE shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land" (verse 15). All students of the Bible know that this is talking about the Messiah, who is to come and rule the world in judgment and righteousness. "In THOSE DAYS shall Judah BE SAVED, and Jerusalem shall DWELL SAFELY: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, 'The Lord our Righteousness'" (verse 16). Judah, the Jews are NOT SAVED today! They are not saved spiritually, nor even in any physical way. Many people still hate them and fight against them. Jerusalem is still not a safe city. The city and the Jews are NOT today called "The Lord Our Righteousness." This prophecy is yet to come to pass. It is for a future time, when the Messiah shall come and reign in glory from the city of Jerusalem, for a THOUSAND YEARS! It is the time when Jesus will sit on the throne of David, which is now within the peoples of the House of Israel. Now occupied by the British kings and queens, but will at the end time, go to the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is the time when the Ezekiel Temple is built, when the Levite priesthood will be re-established, when sacrifices will again be instituted in that Temple at Jerusalem. All of this is fully expounded upon in various studies on this Website (verses 17-18). It will be an unbroken time when for 1,000 years this will remain the state of Judah and Jerusalem (verses 19-22). The prophecy ends with the fact that during the days of Jeremiah people were saying that God could not be faithful to his promises because BOTH Israel and Judah were now CAST OFF. And no doubt it will be said again at the end time when Israel and Judah will go into captivity and be to the world, "cast off." God answers by saying that if the covenant with night and day can be cast off, if the ordinances of the heaven and earth can be cast off, then God will cast away the seed of Jacob, and David His servant, so that He will not take someone of David's seed to rule over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God says He will cause the captivity of Israel and Judah to return, they will be delivered from their enemies; God will have MERCY on them! (verses 23-26). The whole three chapters we have just studied from Jeremiah is a great and wonderful prophecy to yet come to pass in its full detail. It is written because as God told Jeremiah, there is to be an END TIME captivity of Israel and Judah and a restoration of all things, to take place when the Messiah Christ comes to deliver the people of Jacob from their captivity, to restore them to the Holy Land, and when the Messiah will sit upon the throne of David, ruling all nations from Jerusalem for 1,000 years. ............................................ To be continued

JEREMIAH FOR TOMORROW CHAPT.M 24 - 29

 

Jeremiah For Tomorrow!

Chapters 24 to 29

The following chapters are some of the events in the life of Jeremiah as he warned the people of his day about the coming punishment from the Lord. You can take the lessons to learn as you meditate on the events that look place. We shall see from the start of chapter 30, there are indeed lessons and events with Israel and Judah that will yet take place at the end of this age, and into the age to come. I will present it from the New-Living Translation: CHAPTER 24 Good and Bad Figs 1 After King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon exiled Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, to Babylon along with the princes of Judah and all the skilled craftsmen, the LORD gave me this vision. I saw two baskets of figs placed in front of the LORD's Temple in Jerusalem. 2 One basket was filled with fresh, ripe figs, while the other was filled with figs that were spoiled and could not be eaten. 3 Then the LORD said to me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" I replied, "Figs, some very good and some very bad." 4 Then the LORD gave me this message: 5 "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: The good figs represent the exiles I sent from Judah to the land of the Babylonians. 6 I have sent them into captivity for their own good. I will see that they are well treated, and I will bring them back here again. I will build them up and not tear them down. I will plant them and not uproot them. 7 I will give them hearts that will recognize me as the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly. 8 "But the rotten figs," the LORD said, "represent King Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, all the people left in Jerusalem, and those who live in Egypt. I will treat them like spoiled figs, too rotten to eat. 9 I will make them an object of horror and evil to every nation on earth. They will be disgraced and mocked, taunted and cursed, wherever I send them. 10 I will send war, famine, and disease until they have vanished from the land of Israel, which I gave to them and their ancestors." Seventy Years of Captivity CHAPTER 25 1 This message for all the people of Judah came to Jeremiah from the LORD during the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign (605 B.C.) over Judah. This was the year when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon began his reign. 2 Jeremiah the prophet said to the people in Judah and Jerusalem, 3 "For the past twenty-three years - from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, until now - the LORD has been giving me his messages. I have faithfully passed them on to you, but you have not listened. 4 Again and again, the LORD has sent you his prophets, but you have not listened or even tried to hear. 5 Each time the message was this: 'Turn from the evil road you are travelling and from the evil things you are doing. Only then will I let you live in this land that the LORD gave to you and your ancestors forever. 6 Do not make me angry by worshipping the idols you have made. Then I will not harm you.' 7 "But you would not listen to me," says the LORD. "You made me furious by worshipping your idols, bringing on yourselves all the disasters you now suffer." 8 And now the LORD Almighty says: "Because you have not listened to me, 9 I will gather together all the armies of the north under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whom I have appointed as my deputy. I will bring them all against this land and its people and against the other nations near you. I will completely destroy you and make you an object of horror and contempt and a ruin forever." Obviously "forever" here has a context of until the time appointed. 10 "I will take away your happy singing and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard. Your businesses will fail, and all your homes will stand silent and dark. 11 This entire land will become a desolate wasteland. Israel and her neighboring lands will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years." Again in context "Israel" is here the people of Judah, who are Israelites, as Californians are Americans. 12 "Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins, says the LORD. I will make the country of the Babylonians an everlasting wasteland. 13 I will bring upon them all the terrors I have promised in this book - all the penalties announced by Jeremiah against the nations. 14 Many nations and great kings will enslave the Babylonians, just as they enslaved my people. I will punish them in proportion to the suffering they cause my people." The Cup of the LORD'S Anger 15 Then the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me, "Take from my hand this cup filled to the brim with my anger, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink from it. 16 When they drink from it, they will stagger, crazed by the warfare I will send against them." The book of Revelation tells all that is to come on the nations of this earth in the last 42 months of this age. 17 So I took the cup of anger from the LORD and made all the nations drink from it - every nation the LORD sent me to. 18 I went to Jerusalem and the other towns of Judah, and their kings and officials drank from the cup. From that day until this, they have been a desolate ruin, an object of horror, contempt, and cursing. 19 I went to Egypt and spoke to Pharaoh, his officials, his princes, and his people. They, too, drank from that terrible cup, 20 along with all the foreigners living in that land. So did all the kings of the land of Uz and the kings of the Philistine cities of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and what remains of Ashdod. 21 Then I went to the nations of Edom, Moab, and Ammon, 22 and the kings of Tyre and Sidon, and the kings of the regions across the sea. 23 I went to Dedan, Tema, and Buz, and to the people who live in distant places. 24 I went to the kings of Arabia, the kings of the nomadic tribes of the desert, 25 and to the kings of Zimri, Elam, and Media. 26 And I went to the kings of the northern countries, far and near, one after the other - all the kingdoms of the world. And finally, the king of Babylon himself drank from the cup of the LORD's anger. Probably Jeremiah went in "spirit" or "vision" to all the nations. A way of telling us that God will deal with the nations of the earth in His time plan and as we know from the book of Revelation. 27 Then the LORD said to me, "Now tell them, 'The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Drink from this cup of my anger. Get drunk and vomit, and you will fall to rise no more, for I am sending terrible wars against you.' 28 And if they refuse to accept the cup, tell them, 'The LORD Almighty says: You must drink from it. You cannot escape! 29 I have begun to punish Jerusalem, the city where my own name is honored. Now should I let you go unpunished? No, you will not escape disaster. I will call for war against all the nations of the earth. I, the LORD Almighty, have spoken!'" It is indeed true that the Lord will start to shake the nations of the world by first (after the fall of the king of the South) allowing Judah, Jerusalem and the nations of modern Israel (the majority of the Western world) to fall to destruction, then it will be the end time Babylon of Europe and finally the kings of the East (Russia, China, India, Japan etc.) 30 "Now prophesy all these things, and say to them, 'The LORD will roar loudly against his own land from his holy dwelling in heaven. He will shout against everyone on the earth, like the harvesters do as they crush juice from the grapes. 31 His cry of judgment will reach the ends of the earth, for the LORD will bring his case against all the nations. He will judge all the people of the earth, slaughtering the wicked with his sword. The LORD has spoken!'" 32 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Look! Disaster will fall upon nation after nation! A great whirlwind of fury is rising from the most distant corners of the earth!" 33 In that day those the LORD has slaughtered will fill the earth from one end to the other. No one will mourn for them or gather up their bodies to bury them. They will be scattered like dung on the ground. No such destruction like this has come on the earth, but when the events of the book of Revelation take place, the FULL depth of these prophecies will take place. The destruction of Judah in captivity to Babylon was a TYPE of what will come on the whole planet earth in the last days. 34 Weep and moan, you evil shepherds! Roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock! The time of your slaughter has arrived; you will fall and shatter like fragile pottery. 35 You will find no place to hide; there will be no way to escape. 36 Listen to the frantic cries of the shepherds, to the leaders of the flock shouting in despair, for the LORD is spoiling their pastures. 37 Peaceful meadows will be turned into a wasteland by the LORD's fierce anger. 38 He has left his den like a lion seeking its prey, and their land will be made desolate by the sword of the enemy and the LORD's fierce anger. Again, what was to befall Judah and her spiritual and secular leaders was a type of what is yet to come on Judah, Israel, and all nations, at the end of this age. Jeremiah's Escape from Death CHAPTER 26 1 This message came to Jeremiah from the LORD early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah. 2 The LORD said, "Stand out in front of the Temple of the LORD, and make an announcement to the people who have come there to worship from all over Judah. Give them my entire message; include every word. 3 Perhaps they will listen and turn from their evil ways. Then I will be able to withhold the disaster I am ready to pour out on them because of their sins. 4 Say to them, 'This is what the LORD says: If you will not listen to me and obey the law I have given you, 5 if you will not listen to my servants, the prophets for I sent them again and again to warn you, but you would not listen to them 6 then I will destroy this Temple as I destroyed Shiloh, the place where the Tabernacle was located. And I will make Jerusalem an object of cursing in every nation on earth.'" 7 The priests, the prophets, and all the people listened to Jeremiah as he spoke in front of the LORD's Temple. 8 But when Jeremiah had finished his message, saying everything the LORD had told him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people at the Temple mobbed him. "Kill him!" they shouted. 9 "What right do you have to prophesy in the LORD'S name that this Temple will be destroyed like Shiloh? What do you mean, saying that Jerusalem will be destroyed?" And all the people threatened him as he stood in front of the Temple. 10 When the officials of Judah heard what was happening, they rushed over from the palace and sat down at the New Gate of the Temple to hold court. 11 The priests and prophets presented their accusations to the officials and the people. "This man should die!" they said. "You have heard with your own ears what a traitor he is, for he has prophesied against this city." 12 Then Jeremiah spoke in his own defense. "The LORD sent me to prophesy against this Temple and this city," he said. "The LORD gave me every word that I have spoken. 13 But if you stop your sinning and begin to obey the LORD your God, he will cancel this disaster that he has announced against you. 14 As for me, I am helpless and in your power - do with me as you think best. 15 But if you kill me, rest assured that you will be killing an innocent man! The responsibility for such a deed will lie on you, on this city, and on every person living in it. For it is absolutely true that the LORD sent me to speak every word you have heard." 16 Then the officials and the people said to the priests and prophets, "This man does not deserve the death sentence, for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God." 17 Then some of the wise old men stood and spoke to the people there. 18 They said, "Think back to the days when Micah of Moresheth prophesied during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah. He told the people of Judah, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: Mount Zion will be plowed like an open field; Jerusalem will be reduced to rubble! A great forest will grow on the hilltop, where the Temple now stands.' 19 But did King Hezekiah and the people kill him for saying this? No, they turned from their sins and worshipped the LORD. They begged him to have mercy on them. Then the LORD held back the terrible disaster he had pronounced against them. If we kill Jeremiah, who knows what will happen to us?" 20 (At this time, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-Jearim was also prophesying for the LORD. And he predicted the same terrible disaster against the city and nation as Jeremiah did. 21 When King Jehoiakim and the army officers and officials heard what he was saying, the king sent someone to kill him. But Uriah heard about the plot and escaped to Egypt. 22 Then King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan son of Acbor to Egypt along with several other men to capture Uriah. 23 They took him prisoner and brought him back to King Jehoiakim. The king then killed Uriah with a sword and had him buried in an unmarked grave.) 24 Ahikam son of Shaphan also stood with Jeremiah and persuaded the court not to turn him over to the mob to be killed. Jeremiah Wears an Ox Yoke CHAPTER 27 1 This message came to Jeremiah from the LORD early in the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah. 2 The LORD said to me, "Make a yoke, and fasten it on your neck with leather thongs. 3 Then send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon through their ambassadors to King Zedekiah in Jerusalem. 4 Give them this message for their masters: 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 5 By my great power I have made the earth and all its people and every animal. I can give these things of mine to anyone I choose. 6 Now I will give your countries to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control. 7 All the nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until his time is up. But then many nations and great kings will conquer and rule over Babylon. 8 So you must submit to Babylon's king and serve him; put your neck under Babylon's yoke! I will punish any nation that refuses to be his slave, says the LORD. I will send war, famine, and disease upon that nation until Babylon has conquered it.'" 9 "Do not listen to your false prophets, fortune-tellers, interpreters of dreams, mediums, and sorcerers who say, 'The king of Babylon will not conquer you.' 10 They are all liars, and I will drive you from your land and send you far away to die. 11 But the people of any nation that submits to the king of Babylon will be allowed to stay in their own country to farm the land as usual. I, the LORD, have spoken!" 12 Then I repeated this same message to King Zedekiah of Judah. "If you want to live, submit to the king of Babylon and his people," I said. 13 "Why do you insist on dying - you and your people? Why should you choose war, famine, and disease, which the LORD will bring against every nation that refuses to submit to Babylon's king? 14 Do not listen to the false prophets who keep telling you, 'The king of Babylon will not conquer you.' They are liars. 15 This is what the LORD says: I have not sent these prophets! They are telling you lies in my name, so I will drive you from this land. You will all die - you and all these prophets, too." 16 Then I spoke to the priests and the people and said, "This is what the LORD says: 'Do not listen to your prophets who claim that soon the gold utensils taken from my Temple will be returned from Babylon. It is all a lie! 17 Do not listen to them. Surrender to the king of Babylon, and you will live. Why should this whole city be destroyed? 18 If they really are the LORD's prophets, let them pray to the LORD Almighty about the gold utensils that are still left in the LORD'S Temple and in the king's palace and in the palaces of Jerusalem. Let them pray that these remaining articles will not be carried away with you to Babylon! 19 For this is what the LORD Almighty says about the bronze pillars in front of the Temple, the bronze Sea in the Temple courtyard, the bronze water carts, and all the other ceremonial articles. 20 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon left them here when he exiled Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, to Babylon, along with all the other important people of Judah and Jerusalem. 21 Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says about the precious things kept in the Temple and in the palace of Judah's king: 22 They will all be carried away to Babylon and will stay there until I send for them, says the LORD. But someday I will bring them back to Jerusalem again. Jeremiah Condemns Hananiah CHAPTER 28 1 One day in late summer of that same year - the fourth year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah - Hananiah son of Azzur, a prophet from Gibeon, addressed me publicly in the Temple while all the priests and people listened. He said, 2 "The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will remove the yoke of the king of Babylon from your necks. 3 Within two years, I will bring back all the Temple treasures that King Nebuchadnezzar carried off to Babylon. 4 And I will bring back jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the other captives that were taken to Babylon. I will surely break the yoke that the king of Babylon has put on your necks. I, the LORD, have spoken!" 5 Jeremiah responded to Hananiah as they stood in front of all the priests and people at the Temple. 6 He said, "Amen! May your prophecies come true! I hope the LORD does everything you say. I hope he does bring back from Babylon the treasures of this Temple and all our loved ones. 7 But listen now to the solemn words I speak to you in the presence of all these people. 8 The ancient prophets who preceded you and me spoke against many nations, always warning of war, famine, and disease. 9 So a prophet who predicts peace must carry the burden of proof. Only when his predictions come true can it be known that he is really from the LORD." So it is today, the burden of proof as to the true prophet of the Lord is indeed that what he says WILL COME TO PASS! 10 Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke off Jeremiah's neck and broke it. 11 And Hananiah said again to the crowd that had gathered, "The LORD has promised that within two years he will break the yoke of oppression from all the nations now subject to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon." At that, Jeremiah left the Temple area. 12 Soon afterward the LORD gave this message to Jeremiah: 13 "Go and tell Hananiah, 'This is what the LORD says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but you have replaced it with a yoke of iron. 14 The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I have put a yoke of iron on the necks of all these nations, forcing them into slavery under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.'" 15 Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah, "Listen, Hananiah! The LORD has not sent you, but the people believe your lies. 16 Therefore, the LORD says you must die. Your life will end this very year because you have rebelled against the LORD." 17 Two months later, Hananiah died. So it has been with many would be prophets, some said about 1975 would be the end of this age. Many of them came in the 1980s predicting the end of the age and the return of Christ by 1988 (40 years after the Jews had formed a nation in the Holy Land). Books were published, I saw and read a lot of them. Some prophets gave the early or middle 1990s for the start of the Great Tribulation. Some prophets claimed the year 2,000 would be the end of the age. I told my readers that ALL these prophets were WRONG! And they were indeed. They were FALSE prophets. Some prophets have come in this decade and said the end would be in 2008. But I've told you Jesus will NOT come in this decade. Truly MANY false prophets have come, many will yet come, just as they have always come in every century, just as they came in the time of Jeremiah. A Letter to the Exiles CHAPTER 29 1 Jeremiah wrote a letter from Jerusalem to the elders, priests, prophets, and all the people who had been exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. 2 This was after King Jehoiachin, the queen mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah, and all the craftsmen had been deported from Jerusalem. 3 He sent the letter with Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, when they went to Babylon as King Zedekiah's ambassadors to Nebuchadnezzar. This is what Jeremiah's letter said: 4 The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, sends this message to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: 5 "Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food you produce. 6 Marry, and have children. Then find spouses for them, and have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! 7 And work for the peace and prosperity of Babylon. Pray to the LORD for that city where you are held captive, for if Babylon has peace, so will you." 8 The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says, "Do not let the prophets and mediums who are there in Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams 9 because they prophesy lies in my name. I have not sent them," says the LORD. 10 "The truth is that you will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. 11 For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. 14 I will be found by you," says the LORD. "I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and bring you home again to your own land." 15 You may claim that the LORD has raised up prophets for you in Babylon. 16 But this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David's throne and all those still living here in Jerusalem - your relatives who were not exiled to Babylon. 17 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "I will send war, famine, and disease upon them and make them like rotting figs - too bad to eat. 18 Yes, I will pursue them with war, famine, and disease, and I will scatter them around the world. In every nation where I send them, I will make them an object of damnation, horror, contempt, and mockery 19 For they refuse to listen to me, though I have spoken to them repeatedly through my prophets. And you who are in exile have not listened either," says the LORD. 20 Therefore, listen to this message from the LORD, all you captives there in Babylon. 21 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says about your prophets - Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah - who are telling you lies in my name: "I will turn them over to Nebuchadnezzar for a public execution. 22 Their terrible fate will become proverbial, so that whenever the Judean exiles want to curse someone they will say, 'May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon burned alive!' 23 For these men have done terrible things among my people. They have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives and have lied in my name. I am a witness to this," says the LORD. A Message for Shemaiah 24 The LORD sent this message to Shemaiah the Nehelamite in Babylon: 25 "This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You wrote a letter on your own authority to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, and you sent copies to the other priests and people in Jerusalem. You said to Zephaniah, 26 'The LORD has appointed you to replace Jehoiada as the priest in charge of the house of the LORD. You are responsible to put anyone who claims to be a prophet in the stocks and neck irons. 27 So why have you done nothing to stop Jeremiah from Anathoth, who pretends to be a prophet among you? 28 Jeremiah sent a letter here to Babylon, predicting that our captivity will be a long one. He said we should build homes and plan to stay for many years. He said we should plant fruit trees, because we will be here to eat the fruit for many years to come.'" 29 But when Zephaniah the priest received Shemaiah's letter, he took it to Jeremiah and read it to him. 30 Then the LORD gave this message to Jeremiah: 31 "Send an open letter to all the exiles in Babylon. Tell them, 'This is what the LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Since he has prophesied to you when I did not send him and has tricked you into believing his lies, 32 I will punish him and his family. None of his descendants will see the good things I will do for my people, for he has taught you to rebel against me. I the LORD, have spoken!'" And so it was as the Lord had spoken through the mouth of Jeremiah His true prophet. Promises of Deliverance: A prophecy for the end time and the age to come: CHAPTER 30 30 The LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2 "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Write down for the record everything I have said to you, Jeremiah. 3 For the time is coming when I will restore the fortunes of my people of Israel and Judah. I will bring them home to this land that I gave to their ancestors, and they will possess it and live here again. I, the LORD, have spoken!" 4 This is the message the LORD gave concerning Israel and Judah: 5 "This is what the LORD says: I have heard the people crying; there is only fear and trembling. 6 Now let me ask you a question: Do men give birth to babies? Then why do they stand there, ashen-faced, hands pressed against their sides like women about to give birth? 7 ***In all history there has never been such a time of terror.*** It will be a time of trouble for my people Israel. Yet in the end, they will be saved! Ah, it is the prophetic time of trouble that HAS NEVER BEEN THE LIKE IN ALL HISTORY OF MANKIND. ......................................... To be continued