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| Jeremiah |
16 October 2018: I've been led to devote time to reading and studying the Book of Jeremiah, and some of the other books attributed to him. Though not yet fully completed, this study needs to be put forward, as a work in progress if you will, because the urgent truths and critical warnings found in Jeremiah are as relevant to our world today, especially to the modern State of Israel, as they were in his day. This is more proof that the Word of God is truly His living and enduring word.
(Side bar: Eschatology Today strongly encourages all to read the Book of Jeremiah, it's like reading tomorrow's headlines in advance concerning the Middle East!)
As we all know, in those ancient times in the centuries that followed Solomon's united kingdom, Israel was divided into two polities, the kingdom of Israel in the north and the kingdom of Judah in the south. Israel failed to heed the warnings of God regarding its sins and infidelities and was overtaken by the Assyrian Empire. From an early age in his role as a reluctant prophet Jeremiah saw the warnings God was sending to Judah concerning it not following the same path that led to Israel's conquest by Assyria.
What is to be seen in Jeremiah is that the modern State of Israel has placed itself in the same situation as Jeremiah was warning Judah about in his day. Israel today to a great extent is compromising with the current world order instead of seeking what only God can provide.
In the book of Jeremiah you will find the detailed definition of a nation's infidelity to God. Such infidelity is specifically likened to the activities of a harlot, a faithless one; indulging in various types of harlotry and wickedness. Paraphrasing Jeremiah 3, "Can a wife have two husbands? Can a man be divorced from his wife, have her lay with other men and then take her back? What pollution is this?!" And so Jeremiah's urgent and critical call was for Judah's national repentance from this harlotry because judgment surely was coming without it. And, as we also all know, the judgment of Judah came in a similar form as it did for northern Israel. For Judah the judgment came in the form the of Babylonian conquest, the destruction of the 1st Temple and 70 years of exile.
In today's world, and the world which lies in the immediate future, there is the great harlot called Babylon. Many are those who have debated about this mystery revealed in Revelation 17, the "mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth." This subject has been discussed here previously, so this is nothing new. The mystery Babylon are the nations of the world; all of them harlots having joined with the Antichrist during the 70th Week in a geopolitical and false religion worshiping Satan.
Yet, one need not try to peer into the immediate future... the nations of the world are harlots today practicing infidelity towards God, giving only lip service to Him, yet allowing all forms of ungodliness, and murder of the unborn, sexual perversions of every type -- but our media and leaders across the board say its okay because these abominations are cloaked in a rainbow colored flag to make them acceptable. Nonsense! These things are complete and utter national harlotry as defined in the God-breathed Book of Jeremiah!
And the current secular State of Israel is thoroughly involved in this global harlotry and is partaking in its sins on a daily basis; it will only get worse - until God, desiring that a remnant of all Israel be saved - will intervene directly. Make no mistake, the current secular State of Israel will agree to observe a pact with Sheol; it will accept its confirmer as messiah.
Another discernment from the Book of Jeremiah is that the ancient king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, was a type of Antichrist. Yet in the near future of the 70th Week, during the relatively short time of the Antichrist and his false prophet, there will not be a 70-year period of judgment, but one of just 7 years, the last 42 months or 1,260 days of which will be catastrophic like nothing ever experienced by mankind on this earth previously (see here and here).
And to wrap this up, there's this final observation. Just as Jeremiah stood and spoke God-breathed prophecy in the 1st Temple on the mount prior to its destruction, so too will the Lord's Two Witnesses stand in the 3rd Temple speaking prophecy and executing judgments during the first 42 months or 1,260 days of the 70th Week. Not just one prophet prophesying, but two!
I see this as a pattern which is characteristic of all people. The leaders of the institutional, corrupt, predominantly gentile Christian church have made a pact with the god of this world, one need only to consider the teaching that occurs in many of our "main line" churches which embrace the same apostasy that was referred to in this post (and more). I was going to mention the rampant immorality and abuse of children that are endemic in one of those churches, but I understand that that same problem exists within some orthodox Jewish communities (although I believe that to be rogue instances covered up, rather than an established institutional pattern).
ReplyDeleteAnd the churches have less excuse, because Paul told us that God is hiding the truth in part from most of the Jews during this Age of Grace, but gentile Christians have full access to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In fact, at the end of Revelation 3, Jesus writes that the end time institutional church would have become so corrupt that He would be standing completely outside, knocking on the door and trying to get back in. A sorry, sorry state of affairs - this planet would be a different place if the institutional church went all-in for God.
I believe this is part of what Paul was referring to when he wrote that God had consigned both to disobedience, that he might have mercy on them all. I also believe that it is the remnant, and not the institutional church, that will be instrumental in bringing in the great end time harvest of souls before the Harpazo. I expect that God is about to shake the world in ways that we probably cannot envision.
Hey Sean, I have a question related to this, and have had it for many years. Years ago I was reading Jeremiah 8:20, "The harvest is past, the summer has ended and we are not saved". When I read that, this thought immediately jumped out at me very loudly, the thought is that this has application to those who missed the harpazo (harvest). It also came to me that this also has application to the 2/3 of Israel who are cut off. Am I greatly mistaken?
ReplyDeleteNo, I think you're correct. Jeremiah also prophesied about Christ ruling and Israel living in security in the Millennium.
ReplyDeleteAs stated in the opening paragraph of this SITREP, the study of the prophet Jeremiah; the book by his name and others, is not yet complete; yet this first portion needed to be put forward because of the prophetic importance found within it. Read Jeremiah!
ReplyDeleteThe relevancy is to "this world" which includes all people: the unsaved, Christians-in-name-only, backsliders, agnostics, but mostly to the Jews living within the State of Israel as well as within the USA and elsewhere around the world - Messianic and Jesus-as-Messiah-Rejectionists alike.
It should be obvious to all that the overarching message Jeremiah preached to ancient Judah, and available to the entire world since the mass production and distribution of the Holy Bible, can be encapsulated by one phrase - repent before its too late. This is true for Jew and Gentile alike.
Moin,
ReplyDeleteNo, the construction efforts of MbS in Saudi IS NOT the Babylon of Revelation 17/18. The Bible interprets the Bible, read these chapters carefully. And due to the embedded URLs within your comment it will not be published.
Within Jeremiah's prophetic word from God there is very strong evidence that a generation is 70 years. Because of Judah's abominations before God, He said He would forsake the entire generation. Then followed the 70 years of Babylonian captivity, first within the Babylonian Empire, and then within what became the Persian Empire. (Fulfilling Daniel's prophecy while he was in Babylon) At the completion of the 70th year of exile the restoration of Israel commenced with a new generation, a return to the land, the rebuilding of the cities and Jerusalem and the 2nd Temple.
ReplyDeleteIsrael has just completed the 70th year since its modern-day return from exile. The LORD will move swiftly now with His plan for the redemption of all Israel.
Reading wrt to my comment above:
ReplyDeleteJeremiah 7:28-30 ; Jeremiah 20:1-6 and Jeremiah 25:11.
Speaking of Jeremiah... prophetically he spoke the most of all the prophets about Iran (Elam) in these last days prior to the Millennium. Iranian hands are in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and, yes, covertly in Judea and Samaria. They will have to be dealt with very severely and fairly soon.
ReplyDeleteIran has suddenly begun using its ballistic "bows" in offensive combat operations/strikes in Iraq and Syria. The whole world know knows about this at the end of 2018, so a Jeremiah prophecy in this regard should be of nearly universal interest.
According to Jeremiah, this foremost aspect of their offensive military power will suddenly cease to exist. If you have read about or otherwise understand anything about the iranian ballistic missile capabilities, what Jeremiah has prophesied to occur is simply extraordinary.
Sean, just getting through chapter 16. Verse 15 to the end of the chapter is IMHO a last days event that goes right along with the unfolding of events were watching.
ReplyDeleteI love verse 21 "Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The LORD."