Introduction to the Book of Jeremiah: Jeremiah was a part of the ‘middle period’ prophets and saw the destruction of Jerusalem, the destruction of King Solomon’s Temple and many of his fellow Jewish countrymen taken away captive to the distant nation of Babylon – As a result of all the grief and hardship that Jeremiah experienced he is known as the ‘Weeping Prophet’ – Jeremiah also wrote the Bible’s book of Lamentations (meaning “How [could this happen – the destruction of Jerusalem]” being the formula for the commencement of a song of wailing [and mourning] – wiki.com)

Jeremiah was a part of the 'middle period' [Babylonian captivity] prophets including fellow Jerusalem prophets Habakkuk and Zephaniah while Daniel and Ezekiel prophesied in Babylon being a part of the captivity. The prophet Obadiah is thought to have prophesied about the same time as Jeremiah and also in Jerusalem however there is also a strong indication that Obadiah prophesied at a slightly earlier period in Jerusalem than Jeremiah. - The earlier prophet Micah is mentioned (Jeremiah 26:18-21) to the leaders of Israel by Jeremiah as an example of a prophet who also foretold the destruction of Jerusalem though the leaders of that time did not seek to put Micah to death for his message as the current leaders were seeking to do to Jeremiah. - It is important to note that the earlier prophets like Micah were prophesying about the fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity about 100 years before the actual events happened later in time during the time of Jeremiah and the other 'middle prophets' and that though the messages of the 'middle prophets' will sound similar to the messages of the 'earlier prophets' often the focus will now shift forward again and will actually be further out in time. During the time of the middle prophets the prophets were not primarily focusing on the Babylonian captivity but were actually prophesying out into the future 2nd destruction of Jerusalem and the destruction of the 2nd Temple by Rome in 70 A.D. and the resulting great Jewish "Diaspora" dispersion among all Gentile Nations not just being taken away into the one Nation of Babylon. - While the Jerusalem prophets prophesied about the future Diaspora of Israel the two prophets [Daniel and Ezekiel] in captivity in Babylon prophesied much further out into the future with Daniel prophesying about the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem and his famous "70 Weeks" Prophecy while Ezekiel is prophesying possibly about a 4th rebuilt Millennial Temple [the 3rd Temple also belonging to God is yet to be rebuilt in Jerusalem but the Antichrist will attempt to use it as his throne and the dimensions of Ezekiel's 4th Temple are much larger than what would currently be physically possible upon the Temple Mount location of today] in Jerusalem and the Millennial reign on earth with the Messiah Jesus Christ reigning from the [4th] Temple in Jerusalem.

The Book of Jeremiah – Jeremiah was a young devout Levitical Priest from the (Levite) City of Refuge in Anathoth (Joshua 21:18) and he also very likely served duties in the Temple at Jerusalem – Jeremiah lived from about 627 to 580 BC, a crucial period in the history of Judah, the Southern Kingdom [of Israel] except for a brief period of independence under Josiah – Judah existed as a vassal under Assyria, Egypt and Babylon {Assyria a major kingdom though not controlling all of the area including Jerusalem it was not a kingdom of the world (Revelation 17:10), Egypt is the second of the seven world kingdoms (after Nimrod the first world ruler), Babylon is the third of the seven world kingdoms, fourth is Persia (Iran), fifth is Greece, the sixth is Rome and the seventh being the Antichrist] – He [Jeremiah] began writing during the thirteenth year of Josiah’s reign (Jeremiah 1:2, 25:3) – On the world scene, Jeremiah’s lifetime was a period of empires jockeying for world domination {Note: the final world domination [of Satan] via Antichrist will be primarily a spiritual domination [false worship] first and physical domination second (Revelation 13:17) where the earlier kingdoms were physical domination first and spiritual domination followed.}

Jeremiah ministered during the reigns of Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah, and the governorship of Gedaliah. When he began his ministry, the Northern Kingdom of Israel had already been in captivity for nearly one hundred years; Josiah was attempting to extend his influence over the territory formerly controlled by the north. Manasseh's evil reign had ended fifteen years before, perhaps when Jeremiah was quite young. After Manasseh, Amon's reign, also evil, lasted barely two years. Jeremiah's ministry began during the early reformation by Josiah, a reformation that was mostly skin deep, affecting few beyond his immediate circle. It would be five more years before the book of the law would be found by Hilkiah, as he was cleaning the temple. On the world scene, Jeremiah's lifetime was a period of empires jockeying for world domination. The Assyrian empire began to disintegrate after the death of Ashurbanipal in 626 BC, with the capital, Nineveh, falling to Nebuchadnezzar in 612 BC. In 605 BC Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egypt at Carchemish, thus gaining control of all of western Asia. In 609 BC Josiah was killed in battle at Megiddo, when he foolishly went out to fight Pharaoh Necho. Judah, at this point, became a vassal to Egypt. In 606/05 BC, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and took many captives (Daniel 1:1). In 603 BC, Jehoiakim rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar; from that time on, Babylon, Moab and Ammon began systematically dismantling the Jewish state. In 597 BC Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem, bound Jehoiakim, and took him to Babylon, along with many of the temple vessels. In 588 BC, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem until 586 when famine swept the city; Nebuchadnezzar sacked the city, and burned it to the ground. The temple was destroyed. Jeremiah was not the only prophet at this time: preaching with him, were Zephaniah, Habakkuk, and Huldah, the prophetess in Judah. Meanwhile, Daniel and Ezekiel were busy in Babylonian captivity.  [link]

The Book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 52:28-30) notes three deportations: The first [Daniel and his friends went to Babylon in this first deportation of Jews from Jerusalem to Babylon] was in the time of [king] Jehoiachin, in 597 BCE, when the Temple of Jerusalem was partially despoiled and a number of the leading [talented and brilliant] citizens were removed (2 Kings 24:10-16) – After eleven years, in 586 BCE, in the reign of Zedekiah, a fresh uprising of the Judaeans occurred – The city and Temple of Jerusalem was razed [destroyed, leveled to the ground] and a further [2nd] deportation ensued (2 Kings 25:1-21) [Ezekiel was a part of this 2nd deportation to Babylon] – Finally, five years thereafter, in 581 BCE, Jeremiah records a third deportation (Jeremiah 52:30)

The book of Daniel records a deportation of Judaean nobility that occurred around 605 BCE, in the reign of Jehoiakim (Daniel 1:1-6; cf. 2 Chronicles 36:6-7). The Book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 52:28-30) notes three deportations: The first was in the time of Jehoiachin, in 597 BCE, when the Temple of Jerusalem was partially despoiled and a number of the leading citizens were removed (2 Kings 24:10-16). After eleven years, in 586 BCE, in the reign of Zedekiah, a fresh uprising of the Judaeans occurred. The city and temple of Jerusalem was razed and a further deportation ensued (2 Kings 25:1-21). Finally, five years thereafter, in 581 BCE, Jeremiah records a third deportation (Jeremiah 52:30). ... Significance in Judaism: The Babylonian Captivity and the subsequent return [back] to Israel [70 years later] were seen as one of the pivotal events in the drama between God and His people: Israel. Just as they had been predestined for, and saved from, slavery in Egypt, the Israelites were predestined to be punished by God through the Babylonians, and then saved once more. The Babylonian Captivity had a number of serious effects on Judaism and the Jewish culture. For example, the current [modern] Hebrew script was adopted during this period, replacing the traditional Israelite script. This period saw the last [Jewish] high-point of Biblical prophecy in the person of Ezekiel, followed by the emergence of the central role of the Torah [Five Books of Moses] in Jewish life; according to many historical-critical scholars, it was edited and redacted during this time, and saw the beginning of the canonization of the Bible [O.T.], which provided a central text for Jews. This process coincided with the emergence of scribes and sages as Jewish leaders (see Ezra and the Pharisees). Prior to exile, the people of Israel had been organized according to tribe; afterwards, they were organized by clans, only the [Levitical] tribe of Levi [and the Tribe of Judah] continuing in its 'special role'. After this time, there were always sizable numbers of Jews living outside Eretz Israel [Promise Land]; thus, it also marks the beginning of the "Jewish diaspora" [Jews dispersed and living among the Gentile Nations], unless this is considered to have begun with the Assyrian Captivity of [Northern] Israel. In Rabbinic literature, Babylon is a metaphor for the current Jewish diaspora. [link]

Jeremiah, the Weeping Prophet (Mp3)

Biblical Truths from West Palm Beach church of Christ - A sermon from Bubba Garner. Jeremiah, the Weeping Prophet [35:04m]: MP3. [link]

Jeremiah 1 – Jeremiah at a young age [probably early twenties] was called by God to be a prophet to the Nation of Israel and to the Nations and the Kingdoms of the Gentiles – The calling and office of God will cover about the next 50 years in the life of Jeremiah – With the long Ministry of Jeremiah and the book (scroll) of Jeremiah having more words than any other Bible book except for the Book of Psalms the Book of Jeremiah has been arranged by scribes from a chronological order into Three main Oracles [Teachings] given from God through Jeremiah — ‘Jeremiah 1:1-3 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the [Levitical] Priests that were in Anathoth [a Levite city of refuge slightly north of the villages of Bethpage and Bethany] in the land of Benjamin: To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.’

Jeremiah 1:4-10 Then the word of the LORD came unto me [Jeremiah], saying, Before I [God] formed thee [Jeremiah] in the belly [womb] I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified [set apart] thee, and I ordained thee *a prophet unto the Nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child [probably early twenties though possibly much younger, a Priest was a 'child' and could only assist the Priesthood until the adult age of thirty]. But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. Then the LORD put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee *over the Nations and over the Kingdoms, to {first} root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down [the breaking of the Old Testament (Jeremiah 19:10) by Israel], {then} to build, and to plant [the New Testament (Jeremiah 31:31) by and through God]. - "Jeremiah 1:5 Before I [God] formed thee [Jeremiah] in the belly I knew thee ..." God is the creator of each individual life! This verse is indicating that God has all knowledge and knows both the beginning and the end of all human history this is not a verse about pre-existence as God with His knowledge foreknew Jeremiah even though Jeremiah did not yet exist spiritually or physically. (James 2:26) mentions that the body without a spirit is dead and therefore it seems that in the womb God creates the human life spirit and then God takes about 9 months to form a body around the human spirit that He has given [remember though we are now created in a fallen sinful world and our human bodies even in the womb and at birth do reflect the fallen imperfect nature of this world]. "John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I (Jesus) say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." With the words of Jesus it would exclude any form of human spirit preexistence as Jesus said humans are born of water then born again by the Holy Spirit while to preexist (i.e. live in heaven as a human spirit without a body as is an LDS Mormon teaching) the [LDS] human would be born a preexistent human spirit then 'born again' in water and then 'born again, again' by the Holy Spirit and it is another LDS teaching that is simply not at all Biblical.

Jeremiah 1 (Part 2) – As a prophet in the middle period move of the Holy Spirit Jeremiah is going to encounter several visions from God – Visions and dreams are going to help characterize the middle prophecy period — ‘Jeremiah 1:11-12 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou [in a vision]? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.’

Jeremiah 1:13-14 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou [in a vision]? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north. Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. - Previously in the Bible God primarily spoke to the prophets in an audible voice (Genesis 12:4), occasionally in a vision (Genesis 15:1) and often through a dream (Genesis 37:5) however as God is preparing mankind to receive the New Covenant (New Testament) gifts and callings of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28) the middle period prophets including Jeremiah begin to prophesy more in accordance with the coming New Testament gifts of visions, dreams and and discernment while still hearing audibly from God.

Jeremiah 2 – Chapter 2 begins with what is considered [and grouped into] the first of three Oracles of Jeremiah to the people – Oracle 1: Chapters 2-25 {remembering Israel’s past with God, reminding the people that to know God is to have fellowship in a personal relationship with God and that the O.T. covenant between God and Israel is broken [by Israel] it is not working and will be removed [at the cross of Jesus Christ when the veil in the Temple it torn from top to bottom]}, Oracle 2: Chapters 30-31 {The New Covenant (New Testament) is to be instituted [in the blood and body, death and resurrection of the Messiah Jesus Christ]}, Oracle 3: Chapters 46-51 {Judgments upon the Gentile Nations (and more so upon the demonic entities that are behind the scenes in manipulating Gentile societies, rituals and pagan practices.)} — ‘Jeremiah 2:1-3 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me (Jeremiah), saying, Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after Me in the wilderness [desert wandering], in a land that was not sown [unplanted]. Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of His increase …’

Jeremiah 2:8-9 The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew Me not: the pastors also transgressed against Me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal [Satan], and walked after things that do not [spiritually] profit. Wherefore I will yet plead [lit. make a legal charge against you] with you, saith the LORD, and with your children's children will I plead [lit. make a legal charge against them]. - Ultimately it is the leadership of Israel both politically and priestly that has caused error to the point of separating the people of Israel from God and as a result have brought the Nation of Israel to ruin, defeat and into captivity.

Jeremiah 3 – Jeremiah is making it evident beyond any doubt that it is the people of Israel [and the entire world] that have strayed from God – While throughout all time, locations and events God remains faithful to both Himself and to the people — ‘Jeremiah 3:11 And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel [Northern Kingdom] hath justified [made right] herself more than treacherous [Southern Kingdom] Judah.’ – Note: God is saying that the disastrous Northern Kingdom led by the tribe of Dan, with the limited knowledge of God that they had have actually been more faithful than the Southern Kingdom Tribe of Judah. The Northern Kingdom was previously judged by God and taken into captivity by the Nation of Assyria yet the Southern Kingdom having had more interaction and knowledge with God and seeing the judgment and captivity of the Northern Kingdom but still the Southern Kingdom of Judah turned from God to an even greater extent than the Northern Kingdom did. – Even today it is an astonishing achievement that the Christian Church that has significantly more knowledge and experience with God than the Jewish brethren yet the Christian Church in its unfaithfulness to God and to His word is backsliding and misrepresenting God far beyond what ancient Israel, Judah or even modern Israel has done during their inconsistent relationship with God.

Jeremiah 3:20-25 ... O house of Israel, saith the LORD. A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God. Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto Thee; for Thou art the LORD our God. Truly in vain [emptiness] is salvation hoped for from the hills [other people], and from the multitude of mountains [other Nations i.e. Egypt, Edom ...]: *truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel. For shame hath devoured the labour [our inheritance] of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God. - By not following the words of God they have brought on themselves the confusion that comes from following the [news] stories and misrepresented events of the day. - In our own day practically every public teaching [evolution, ethics, etc.], every cultural event [TV, movies, plays, etc.] and every news item [CNN, Fox News, etc.] that has the pretext of teaching, enlightening and informing the people is by design a system of confusion. Once people are confused they are more easily deceived, led astray, corrupted and taken advantage of.

Jeremiah 4 – Jeremiah is insisting that the people return to God but only through following the ways of God — ‘Jeremiah 4:1-4 If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto Me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of My sight, then shalt thou not remove {go into captiviy}. And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; *and the Nations shall bless themselves [though the obedience of Israel] in Him, and in Him shall they [Gentiles] glory. For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow [unproductive] ground, and sow [plant] not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins [hardness, covering] of your heart [soul], ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest My fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.’

Jeremiah 4:22-28 For My people is foolish, they have not [personally] known Me; they are sottish [drunken, intoxicated from another influence (spiritual)] [immature] children, and they have none understanding: *they are wise to do evil, *but to do good they have no knowledge. I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly [easily]. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by His fierce anger. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it. - God is consistently creating His order from out of the void, emptiness and failings of humanity. Along with His establishing of His order God is also routinely rearranging the structure of all of creation and all of society in order to continue to accurately reflect who He is as God in reflecting His nature and His personality through His society, His word [Holy Bible], His accomplishments [past prophecies], His future prophecies and also through all of His physical creation revealing unto to all of mankind just who He is as God our creator.

Jeremiah 5 – Israel has been trusting in many false securities – Trusting mainly in their own capabilities to achieve in life and to achieve over or to negotiate with their fellow Nations but now the false securities, the securities apart from God, are going to come crashing down — ‘Jeremiah 5:10 Go ye [strangers] up upon her [Jerusalem] walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements [false securities]; for they are not the LORD’S. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously [lit. secretly and deceitfully] against Me, saith the LORD.’

Jeremiah 5:29-31 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not **My soul be avenged on such a Nation as this? A wonderful [lit. large scale desolation] and horrible thing is committed in the land; *The prophets prophesy falsely, *and the priests bear rule by their means [wealth and power]; *and My people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof? - In the "end thereof" the people will no longer have the option of residing in the false securities. The false prophets will be revealed as false, the priests [pastors] will have lost their authority and ultimately the people will have to either look directly to God or look directly away from God as all of the middle pretenses and distractions in the rulers, false prophets, and priests will be removed from the decision making process of the ordinary person. Note: the ideal situation is for people to first go directly to God in a personal relationship with God in prayer, reading the Bible, fellowship and service to God and avoiding the necessity of having to have life's circumstances become a 'large scale desolation' in order to have enough of the false securities fail and removed before finally turning to God as a last resort but keep in mind that turning to God even as a last resort [or especially as a last resort] is still the much better [and much more common] option than not turning to God at all.

Jeremiah 6 – While the Children of God are unable or unwilling to be an example to the rest of the world regarding God’s wonderful plan of Salvation to the world – Then the Children of God can become an example to the rest of the world regarding God’s ability to judge [beginning first in the household of God] between good and evil and to reward good while correcting evil — ‘Jeremiah 6:18-19 Therefore hear, ye [Gentile] Nations, and know, O [remnant] congregation, what is among them. Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this [backslidden] people, even *the fruit [outcome] of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto My Words, nor to My Law, but rejected it.’

Jeremiah 6:24-30 We [the Children of God] have heard the fame thereof {now the fame is in the correction of God and in the captivity instead of as in the past fame regarding the deliverance from Egypt and the amazing victories both inside and outside of the Promise Land}: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail. Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way [road]; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side. O daughter of My people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes [repentance]: ***make thee mourning, as for an only Son [Jesus and the cross of Jesus is always where every plan of God is intending to bring mankind], most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us. I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among My people, that thou mayest know and try their way. They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass [sin, brass is man's cheap imitation of gold - cheap glory and sin] and iron [strong unrepentant sin]; *they are all corrupters. The bellows are burned, the lead [lead the cheapest and dullest metal] is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away. Reprobate [no longer shining] silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them [from man's worldly casual view God had rejected Israel but according to the Word, plans and purposes of God the Jews and the Nation of Israel have never once been rejected by God].

Jeremiah 7 – Jeremiah is told by God to go stand in the [main] gate into the Temple in Jerusalem and to give a message from God to all the Worshipers of Israel – ‘Jeremiah 7:1-3 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Stand in the gate of the LORD’S [Temple] House, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the Word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, *Amend [lit. be cheerful] your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. …’

Jeremiah 7:1-34 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Stand in the [main] gate of the LORD'S [Temple] House, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the Word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these [Temple] gates to worship the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these {buildings that make us great, while it is the Word and presence of God that makes a Nation great}. For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, forever and ever. Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal [Satan], and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before Me in this [Temple] House, which is called by My Name, and say, We are delivered [from Egypt] to do all these abominations? Is this [Temple] House, which is called by My Name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD. But go ye now unto My [original Tabernacle] place which was in Shiloh [Northern Israel], where I set My Name at the first, and see what I did to it [Northern Israel] for the wickedness of My people Israel. And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; *Therefore will I do [destroy the Temple] unto this [Temple] House [in Jerusalem], which is called by My Name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of My sight [into captivity in Babylon], as I have cast out all your brethren [into Assyria (now Northern Babylon)], even the whole seed [Tribe] of Ephraim. Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to Me: for I will not hear thee. Seest thou not what they do [group false worship] in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven [Ishtar], and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger. Do they provoke Me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces? Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, Mine anger and My fury shall be poured out [like a drink offering] upon this place [Jerusalem], upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them: Yet they hearkened not unto Me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: *they did worse than their fathers. Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee. But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth. Cut off thine hair [glory], O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath. For the children of Judah have done evil in My sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by My name, to pollute it. And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn [sacrifice, abortion] their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into My heart. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but [in truth] the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place. And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away. Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth [joyous laughter], and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate. -- The Temple Sermon [Jeremiah 7:1-8:3] of Jeremiah continues ...

Jeremiah vs. Politically Correct Theology – Jeremiah’s “Temple Sermon” stands as one of the great texts that define for us the prophet’s theology – It was preached early in the reign of [king] Jehoiakim [aka. Eliakim] (609-598 BC) – It seems to be the sermon that initially created animosity on all levels of society for the prophet

INTRODUCTION: Jeremiah's "Temple Sermon" stands as one of the great texts that define for us the prophet's theology. It was preached early in the reign of Jehoiakim (609-598 BC). It seems to be the sermon that initially created animosity on all levels of society for the prophet. It was not the harshness of the message that alienated these new found enemies, which were numerous, but it was the content--the subtle and not so subtle comments and implications--that drove them to try and lynch the prophet. ... THE SECOND LIST OF SINS--MORE EXPLICIT! In the second list of sins (7:8-11) begins by again, a second time, calling the "official theology" a sheker, but adds "that cannot profit." This list is not a list that would evoke images of what the king had done, but reached into the lives of the people. It, like the first list, begins with crimes against man. It sounds like the second half of the 10 commandments with only coveting left out. "Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely" What is more explicit is the crimes against God. In addition to following other gods the name of the main deity they have substituted for Yahweh is given--Baal! In their religious devotion they have done two things for these other gods: burned incense to them and walked after them. The first act is probably pars pro toto (the part for the whole). Why choose incense burning when the associated acts are so awful? Things like child sacrifice, sacred prostitution, bestiality, incest, and self-mutilation seem to make incense burning a gross understatement. Jeremiah is not adverse to using strong language if it fits the situation. Earlier he had called the nation "a wild ass in heat." He had asked them to show him a place where they had not been "violated/defiled." (3:1-4) The word 'shugal' was the gutter term for sexual intercourse. It was not pronounced aloud in public reading, but had a euphemistic term substituted for it. Why did Mr. "I will say anything" [Jeremiah] not unleash his tongue? Several suggestions could be made 1. He was standing in the temple at the time of worship and discretion was called for. ... What is particularly heinous is that they would then "come and stand before me (Yahweh) in this house, which is called by my name, and say [by their actions], 'We are delivered; that ye may do all these abominations?'" It is doubtful that the quotation was an actual saying of theirs. It is either just the implication from their acts and their actual words or a modification of an unknown ritual formula they used. The former [their acts] is probably the case. [link]

Jeremiah 8 – Jeremiah has concluded his Temple Sermon [Jeremiah 7:1-8:3] given publically to the worshipers coming in and out of the main gate on the Temple grounds [in Jerusalem] and Jeremiah continues with more messages to the people — ‘Jeremiah 8:11 For they [prophets, priests and leaders] have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, saying, Peace [with sin], peace [with sin]; when there is no peace [with sin].’

Jeremiah 8:20-21 The Harvest [of God] is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. For the hurt of the daughter of My people Am I hurt [on the cross]; I am black [lit. cloathed in darkness, mourning]; astonishment hath taken hold on Me. Is there no balm [medicine] in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of My people recovered? - The health of the people has not recovered because the illness of all people is spiritual and will require more than medicine, salve and balm it will require the eternal, spiritual sacrifice of the Messiah (Jesus Christ) on the cross in order to heal mankind from the sickness of sin.

Jeremiah 8:20 “The Harvest Is Past” by Pastor David Legge (Mp3)

We're turning in our Bibles to the book of Jeremiah the prophet, and his prophecy - chapter 8 of that book, and only one verse that we will read together this evening. Jeremiah chapter 8, verse 20 is our text - and let me say before I read this, I feel it's important to say this: last week, last Sunday evening was our watch-night service, and this is the message that I felt God was giving me for that. It's the exact same message, so if you've come tonight don't think that anybody has tipped me off that I know where you are and I know all about you - this is the message I hoped to preach last week, but God led me to preach something else. So I bring it to you this week, and that - I believe - is for a reason. It must be for a reason, there's no coincidences with God - and I believe that reason is you! No matter who you are, or where you are in this gathering tonight: this is God's message for you tonight, and I am 100% certain of that - you may not be, but I am, so I want you to listen to it this evening. Verse 20 of chapter 8: "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved"..."The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved". Let's bow our heads in a word of prayer, and perhaps as we bow our heads together we could sing quietly and prayerfully that first verse of the hymn we've just sung: 'Pass me not, O gentle Savior, Hear my humble cry, While on others Thou art calling Do not pass me by'. Can you sing that? Let's sing it together ... [link]

Jeremiah 9 – We are to glory in the true gold of God, a knowledge of God in the lovingkindness of God and in the mercy of God – Not in the false compassions of brass and iron from mankind — ‘Jeremiah 9:24 24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I Am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.’

Jeremiah 9:25-26 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them [Jews and Gentiles] which are circumcised with the uncircumcised; Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these Nations are uncircumcised, and all the House of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart. - The judgment day of God is going to encompass all of mankind. The Jews [Hebrews] and all Gentiles come under the judgment and authority of the Almighty God and all will be judged by God.

Jeremiah 10 – Jeremiah 10:1-10 Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O House of Israel [those Governed by God]: Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen [unsaved], and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the [unsaved] people are vain [empty] … But the LORD is the True God, He is the living God, and an everlasting King: at His wrath the earth shall tremble, and the Nations shall not be able to abide His indignation.

Jeremiah 10:11-16 *Thus shall ye [Jeremiah] say unto them [Gentiles], The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. He hath made the earth by His power, He hath established the world by His wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by His discretion. When He uttereth His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and He causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of His treasures. Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder {metal worker} is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood [not a god], and there is no [life] breath in them [metal statues]. They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation [testing by fire - 1 Corinthians 3:13] they [false gods, metal statues] shall perish. The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former [beginning] of all things [Israel]; and Israel is the rod [lit. walking stick, companion] of His [Jesus'] inheritance: The LORD of Hosts [Jesus] is His Name. - Note: verse 11 is directed from God through Jeremiah to the Gentiles and being addressed to the Gentiles verse 11 is one of the few verses in the O.T. Bible that is not written in Hebrew but is written in the Aramaic language [ancient Canaanite language - Wiki.com].

An Introduction to Aramaic “…Today few people study Aramaic because they are interested in the Arameans – Most are motivated by the fact that [a few] parts of the Bible [concerning Gentiles] are written in Aramaic, specifically major[?] sections of the books of Ezra (4:6-6:18 and 7:12-26) and Daniel (2:4-7:28), as well as one sentence in Jeremiah (10:11) and two words in Genesis (31:47) – In order to read the entire “Hebrew” Bible in the original, then, one must know Aramaic (Book)

What is Aramaic and Why Should You Learn It? (Excerpted from An Introduction to Aramaic chapter 1) "...Today few people study Aramaic because they are interested in the Arameans. Most are motivated by the fact that parts of the Bible are written in Aramaic, specifically major sections of the books of Ezra (4:6-6:18 and 7:12-26) and Daniel (2:4-7:28), as well as one sentence in Jeremiah (10:11) and two words in Genesis (31:47). In order to read the entire "Hebrew" Bible in the original, then, one must know Aramaic. "With only some 200 verses of the Bible in Aramaic, there would be little reason to learn the dialect for that reason alone. However, mastering this limited body of material can open the door to a wide range of possibilities. "Because Aramaic was a dominant language among the Jews of first century Palestine [not substantiated], a wealth of important [questionable, forged] texts are written in it. Although Jesus' teachings survive only in the Greek New Testament, the [modern] Gospels provide ample [tampered] evidence of Aramaic traditions surrounding him, and the language's influence can be felt in several other passages as well. - Note: There is no Biblical or archeological evidence that Aramaic was the main language in use at the time of Jesus. The overwhelming evidence is that Hebrew continued to be the language spoken and written in Israel and in Jerusalem during the time of Jesus and until the Diaspora in 70 A.D. - Also Note: there is some evidence that what were originally some New Testament words written in Hebrew have been replaced at a later date with Aramaic words in an attempt by somebody possibly Christian Gentiles to separate the New Testament from its original Jerusalem, Jewish origins. In fact all of the emphasis on the miniscule use of Aramaic in the Bible is a direct attempt by Gentiles to lessen the Jewish-Hebrew foundations and influences of the Bible. [link]

Introduction to The Book of Daniel – The Aramaic langue was the common language or lingua franca, used in Assyrian, Babylonian and Persian communication

Languages: Aramaic and Hebrew are the two languages used in Daniel. Hebrew is used in Daniel 1:1 to Daniel 2:4a and Chapters 8 through 12, Aramaic is used from Daniel 2:4a to 7:28. The Aramaic langue was the common language or lingua franca, used in Assyrian, Babylonian and Persian communication. Aramaic is found also in the Ezra 4:8-6:18, 7:12-26 and Jeremiah 10:11. Why did Daniel compose a portion of his revelation in a foreign language? Some have used this to argue a late date for the book of Daniel. Aramaic in fact was the common language in the 6th century B.C., not the Maccabean period (166 B.C) where Greek [Greece the 5th Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10] became the common language. Daniel message was not only to the Jewish people, but to the nations. Aramaic in Daniel's day is equivalent to English in our day. Daniel 2:4 to 7:28 would be accessible to any literate, Greek, Babylonian or Jew in Daniel's day and later. [link]

In what language was the Bible first written? – Some Aramaic words were even used by the Gospel writers in the New Testament {It’s extremely doubtful even impossible that Aramaic was originally used in the original and early New Testament [N.T.] manuscripts [because the current written Aramaic words [i.e. Matthew 27:46] do not fit within the context and meaning of what was spoken but a written Hebrew word would fit exactly the spoken context]. It’s most probable that at a later date several of the Hebrew words in the (Greek) New Testament were replaced with Aramaic and that today we now have a few Aramaic words in the New Testament where originally there were none.}

Hebrew is one of a group of languages known as the Semitic languages which were spoken throughout that part of the world, then called Mesopotamia, located today mainly in Iraq. Their alphabet consisted of 22 letters, all consonants. (Imagine having an alphabet with no vowels! Much later they did add vowels.) Almost the entire Old Testament was written in Hebrew during the thousand years of its composition. But a few chapters in the prophecies of Ezra and Daniel and one verse in Jeremiah were written in a language called Aramaic. This language became very popular in the ancient world and actually displaced many other languages. Aramaic even became the common language spoken in Israel in Jesus' time, and it was likely the language He spoke day by day. Some Aramaic words were even used by the Gospel writers in the New Testament. The New Testament, however, was written in Greek. This seems strange, since you might think it would be either Hebrew or Aramaic. However, Greek was the language of scholarship during the years of the composition of the New Testament from 50 to 100 AD. The fact is that many Jews could not even read Hebrew anymore, and this disturbed the Jewish leaders a lot! So, around 300 BC a translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek was undertaken, and it was completed around 200 BC. Gradually this Greek translation of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint, was widely accepted and was even used in many synagogues. It also became a wonderful missionary tool for the early Christians, for now the Greeks could read God's Word in their own tongue. So the New Testament authors wrote in Greek. They did not, however, use really high-class or classical Greek, but a very common and everyday type of Greek. For many years some scholars ridiculed the Greek of the New Testament because many of its words were strange to those who read the writings of the great Greek classical authors such as Plato and Aristotle. But later many records were uncovered of ordinary people, and amazingly there were the same common terms used in everyday speech! The ridicule dried up accordingly. [link]

Jeremiah 11-12 – Israel is given a final opportunity to follow the [Old] Covenant — ‘Jeremiah 11:1-5 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Hear ye the words of this Covenant [O.T.], and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this Covenant, Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be My people, and I will be your God: That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then answered I [Jeremiah], and said, So be it, O LORD.’ – Note: Israel will again be unable to follow the Old Covenant because any Covenant [agreement] between God and man that requires human effort will always fall short, way short, on man’s side. One way to look at the broken Old Covent is that if Israel the Jews were unable to keep a Covenant with God then no one else ever had any possibility of keeping a Covenant with God. The Covenant broke with the people most capable of keeping a Covenant with God therefore with the Jews or any people unable to keep the Old Covenant the coming New Covenant will strictly be enforced and fulfilled in God alone. God in the person of Jesus Christ will fulfill on behalf of all mankind the New Covenant between God and mankind.

Jeremiah 12:10-17 Many pastors have destroyed My Vineyard, they have trodden My portion under foot, they have made My pleasant portion [Israel] a desolate wilderness. They [inadequate pastors] have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth [grieves] unto Me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart. The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace. They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain [hard labor], but shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD. Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil [Gentile] neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused My people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them [Gentiles] out of their [Jewish] land, and pluck out the House of Judah from among them [Gentile Nations]. *And it shall come to pass, after [starting May 14, 1948] that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again [from the 70 A.D. Diaspora], every man to his heritage, and every man to his land. And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of My people, to swear by My Name, The LORD liveth; as they [pastors] taught My people to swear by Baal [Satan]; then shall they be built in the midst of My people. But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that Nation, saith the LORD. - The consequences of inadequate Bible teaching affect the people, the land and the surrounding Nations in fact all of humanity and all of creation are affected in one way or another by false and inadequate Bible teachings. When the truth of God's Word is faithfully being taught, spoken forth and encouraged by faithful pastors then it is the opposite of desolation as humanity and even creation benefit from the healing (Salvation) truth of God's Word.

Jeremiah 13 – As God is expanding Jeremiah’s Ministry from primarily a Jewish audience to including the Gentile Nations – God will now add several ‘object lessons’ to the prophetic ministry of Jeremiah – Object lessons involve actual objects like clothing, food and animals enabling the objects to easily transcend language barriers as a rock in any language is still a rock and a sheep is a sheep while a goat is a goat – An object lesson is almost a polar opposite of a Parable – In a parable practically every detail is yet future or heavenly and can be debated as to its exact meaning – An object lesson has a much more clear, concise, present and universal message — ‘Jeremiah 13:1 Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle [belt, waistband], and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water. …’

Jeremiah 13:12-17 Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say unto thee, [of course] Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine? Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness [lit. intoxication]. And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them. Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud [humble yourself]: for the LORD hath spoken. Give glory to the LORD your God, before He cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, He turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. But if ye will not hear it, my soul [Jeremiah the Weeping Prophet] shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD'S flock is carried away captive. - The tendency among people is to think that those who are serving God in an official capacity as a pastor, a city official or by living in a 'promise land' location that those positions and locations are impervious to the judgments of God when in actuality it is those very positions and locations that are scrutinized the most by God. It is also often though that those in the favored positions and locations somehow cannot offend God as though being favored and seemingly doing the work of the Lord the leaders have a free pass in life and can do no wrong against God but as Jeremiah is revealing it is the very people in trusted ministry [servant] positions who have actually routinely offended God the most. Having been routinely offended and misrepresented by His own servants God is then placed in the unenviable position of actually having to hinder and even combat the people who have assumed their lofty positions over other people. If God did not send intoxication and darkness upon the people in leadership they would continue to use their vast abilities and talents to further spread false teachings and deceptive examples putting God in the position of having to hinder the abilities and talents of His own servants and of His own people in order to help slow the spread of sin that is increasing at an ever alarming rate by the very hands of His own servants and ministers.

Jeremiah 14-15 – There is now a Divine Judgment drought upon the land of Israel – ‘Jeremiah 14:1-3 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth [drought]. Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up. And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.’

Jeremiah 14:7-14 {A prayer of Jeremiah for the people} O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do Thou it for Thy Name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against Thee. O the hope of Israel, the Savior thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest Thou be as a stranger [unacquainted] in the land, and as a wayfaring [passing through] man that turneth aside to tarry [only] for a night? Why shouldest Thou be as a man astonied [unable to take action], as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, and we are called by Thy Name; leave us not. {God answers Jeremiah and the people} Thus saith the LORD unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore the LORD doth not accept them; He will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins. {God directs Jeremiah} Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good [it will be an unanswered prayer]. When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence. Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in My Name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of naught, and the deceit of their heart. - Creation suffering in a drought is bearing a burden for Israel's disobedience to God and now Israel will also bear of their disobedience as God has set a course of correction for His children. A course that will involve the loss of opportunity, the loss of life, hardship and captivity all because Israel has chosen the ways of man over the ways of God and man's ways though seemingly just and seemingly reliable will ultimately always lead to hardship and destruction.

Jeremiah 16-17 – Jeremiah is told by God not to take a wife because of the severity of the coming judgment — ‘Jeremiah 16:1-2 The word of the LORD came also unto me, saying, Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.’

Jeremiah 17:13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and *they that depart from me shall be written in the earth [John 8:6,8], because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters. Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now. As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee. Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil. Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction. *Thus said the LORD unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem; And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the LORD, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates: Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath [Rest] Day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath Day, neither do ye any work, but hallow [Sanctify] ye the Sabbath Day (Genesis 2:2), as I commanded your fathers. - Jeremiah is now told by God to go stand in the gate of the city of Jerusalem and give a message to the people much like Jeremiah did earlier by standing in a gate at the entrance to the Temple. With Jeremiah now away from the Temple and at the edge of the city in a gate of the city God is signifying that His presence has departing from the Temple and His presence is also about to depart from the city. The Prophet Ezekiel [Ezekiel 10:18] will actually see a vision of the Spirit of God departing from the Temple the Holy Spirit having indwelt the Temple since the dedication ceremony [2 Chronicles 5:14] of King Solomon.

Jeremiah 18-19 – Jeremiah is instructed by God to “go down to the potters house” – God instructs Jeremiah that people and Nations are but clay in the hands of God – Next Jeremiah is to take a clay vessel [pot] and take the elders of Israel out to the city dump where Jeremiah is cast down to the ground the clay pot breaking it into unusable pieces as Jeremiah is to proclaim that God will break like a clay pot the people and the city of Jerusalem — ‘Jeremiah 18:1-2 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.’

Jeremiah 19:10-15 Then shalt thou break the bottle [clay pot] in the sight of the men that go with thee, And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of Hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury. Thus will I do unto this place, saith the LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet [the city dump]: And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods. *Then came Jeremiah from Tophet, whither the LORD had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the [Temple] court of the LORD'S House; and said to all the people, Thus saith the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear My Words. - What began As a Nation of people delivered out of Egypt and slavery, freed to worship and serve God, has now ended in a city dump outside of Jerusalem. God will continue His plan that He enacted through Abraham and He will continue His calling upon the Nation of Israel though now the intentions of God will be more focused on a faithful remnant of Israel than on the Nation as a whole.

Jeremiah 20-21 – Jeremiah becomes overwhelmed in his ministry by the enormity of the events happening in Jerusalem and around him – Jeremiah 20:7-18 O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. Then I said, I will not make mention of Him (God), nor speak any more in His Name. But His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing [stalling], and I could not stay. For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars [enemies] watched for my halting [lack of forward progress], saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him. But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. But, O LORD of Hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause. Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for He hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers. Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed. Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad. And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide; Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me. Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

Jeremiah 21:2-14 Enquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the LORD will deal with us according to all His wondrous works, that he [Nebuchadnezzar] may go up from us. Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah: Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; *Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city. *And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath. And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence. And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy. And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; **Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death. He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey. For I have set My face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon [Babylon the 3rd Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10], and he shall burn it with fire. And touching the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear ye the word of the LORD; O house of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the LORD; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations? 14 But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it. - The nation of Babylon now comes on the scene as an instrument of judgment in the hands of God. The Northern Kingdom of Israel admired strength and courage so God sent them into captivity by the strong and courageous nation of Assyria [i.e. Texas, military, industry, alcohol]. The Southern Kingdom of Israel [Judah] admires enchantments, mysticism and divination so Judah is going to be taken captive by the mystical, enchanting nation of Babylon [i.e. California, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Disneyland, entertainment, sex, marijuana]. - Note: Egypt in a modern sense would be represented as [i.e. New York, Manhattan, Broadway, culture, education, the insurance and finance markets, money, drugs].

Jeremiah 22 – Jeremiah is to go to the House of the king of Israel and inform the king that he is no longer eligible to be the king and that neither he or any of his descendants are entitled to sit on the throne of King David – Cutting off that segment of the Davidic line from delivering the Messiah into Israel and to the world — ‘Jeremiah 22:1-2 Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word, And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates …’

Jeremiah 22:28-29 Is this man Coniah [aka King Jeconiah] a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed [descendants], and are cast into a land which they know not? *O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah. - Jeconiah is removed by God from being a king over Israel. "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD" Jeremiah like Isaiah and all the Prophets before him prophesies in the 'mystery' [1 Corinthians 2:7, Ephesians 3:4, Colossians 1:27] Triune (Trinity) nature of God. Note: There are not three 'earths' there is one earth and one LORD. The one LORD is speaking to the one earth as Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit. -- Jeremiah 23:14-24 I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. ... But if they [prophets, pastors] had stood in My counsel, and had caused My people to hear My Words, then they should have turned [repented] them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings. Am I a God [close] at hand [and accessible to mankind], saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I [Divine Omnipresence] fill Heaven and earth? saith the LORD. - After rejecting the king and his descendants God through Jeremiah again turns His attention to the false, misleading and inadequate prophets [pastors, teachers and ministers] of Israel.

Jeremiah 23 – The human kings of Israel unable to faithfully represent God are to be replaced by the Divine Righteous Messiah (Jesus Christ) – The Messiah is to be the King in Israel and for all Nations exercising “judgment and justice in the earth” — ‘Jeremiah 23:5-6 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, *and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He [Jesus] shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS [during the Millennial Reign].’

Jeremiah 23:7-8 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; **But [now, in our day], The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the House of Israel out of the North Country [Babylon, by way of walking], **and [the 70 A.D. Diaspora] from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land [starting May 14, 1948 - modern Israel independence day (and as a Nation State of the U.N.)]. - Jeremiah is prophesying about several events ranging from the fall of Jerusalem and the Temple (586 B.C.) and the Babylonian captivity to the coming of the Righteous Branch the Messiah Jesus Christ (approx. 32-33 A.D.) to the 70 A.D. Diaspora [dispersion among the Gentiles] to the [May 14, 1948] re-gathering and on into the still future 1,000 Millennial Kingdom reign of Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah 24-25 – Chapter 25 concludes what is considered the 1st Oracle group of Messages from Jeremiah the prophet regarding the fate of the people and Nation of Israel, Jerusalem and the Temple — ‘Jeremiah 24:11-13 And this whole [Middle-East] land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these Nations [Gentiles and Jews] shall serve the king of Babylon [3rd Kingdom of the world – Revelation 17:10] seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished [Persia (Iran) will be the 4th Kingdom of the world – Revelation 17:10], that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that Nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations. And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the Nations.

Jeremiah 24:1-10 The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the Temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive [1st deportation] Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah [including Daniel], with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon. *One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad. Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; *the good figs, very good; *and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the LORD, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt: And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them. And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers. - As God interacts with and deals with the Nation of Israel and His people the people begin to polarize into two distinct groups. The good figs becoming very good, those attempting to do the will of God even though they do not understand the times, the predicament or the captivity they just know they are trusting God with and through all things in their life. The bad figs becoming very bad, those who are attempting to escape and flee the plans of God in desiring to carryout their own life in their own way regardless of the consequences to themselves, their families, their nation and even the Salvation plans of God in bringing in His Salvation through Himself the Righteous Branch. Salvation of God for the Jews at that time was in captivity in Babylon not in fleeing for a false security in Egypt as many attempted at that time. Note: Figs and the fig tree is a reference to the original Fig Tree (Genesis 3:7). The fig tree represents individual human religion, it was how Adam and Eve attempted to cover themselves in religion after their fall into sin but God required a death for their sin an blood to give them life so God substitutionally sacrificed an animal for Adam and Eve until the final sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross could be made. Here God is using the fig tree and figs again because God is now dealing with individuals in Israel the individuals in the remnant and the individuals fleeing for the false safety of Egypt. In Matthew 24:32 and the parable of the Fig Tree Jesus is talking again about individual religion and in a sense stating that after His cross (death for sin) and resurrection (life giving Spiritual blood) that the rebuilt 3rd Temple [unlike the Tabernacle and the first two Temples] will not be the religion of God but of the fig tree religion of man (Adam and Eve). Jesus tells us to look for the budding of the fig tree the gathering of implements and resources to rebuild the [3rd] Temple (something that has been happening since [June 8, 1967] and the recapturing of Jerusalem back into Israel). Also Note: The fig tree in the Bible is not directly a reference to the Nation of Israel but to the individuals in Israel the faithful remnant those seeking to rebuild the Temple and the bad figs those still attempting to find security in Egypt.

Seventy years of Babylonian rule: A detailed look at Jeremiah 25:9-12 – Using the 609 BC date for the demise of the Assyrian Empire and for the rise of the new Babylonian Empire, and using the 539 BC date for the end of the Babylonian Empire, we end up with a 70-year span of Babylonian rule – That, for the reasons described above, is what I believe is the 70-year period referred to in Jeremiah 25:9-12 and Jeremiah 29:10

Many people have questioned the accuracy of Jeremiah's prophecy about a 70-year period during which Babylon would dominate Judah and hold Jews as captives in Babylon. These questions, in my opinion, are based on *a mistaken belief that the captivity was supposed to last 70 years. ... The people who have questioned the accuracy of this prophecy are, as far as I have been able to determine, are correct in that the captivity Jews in Babylon did not last 70 years, if the commonly assigned dates for the captivity are taken seriously. Most historical sources that I have seen state that 539 BC was the year that Babylon was conquered by the Medo-Persians. And that would seem to be a reasonable ending date for the captivity. But when did the captivity begin? Some say it began in 597 BC, when Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem. If this date is accepted, then the captivity spanned no more than 59 years. So how does or 59 years equal 70 years? It can't and it doesn't. ... Part 3. My theory on when the 70 years began: When did Babylon begin its domination of Judah? We know that there are historical records that claim that the Assyrian Empire dominated Judah, and many other nations. And we know that the Assyrian Empire was conquered by the Babylonian Empire. In 612 B.C. the Babylonians and the Medes conquered Nineveh, which at that time was the capital of the Assyrian Empire. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica: "...Nineveh suffered a defeat from which it never recovered. Extensive traces of ash, representing the sack of the city by Babylonians, Scythians, and Medes in 612 BC, have been found in many parts of the Acropolis. After 612 BC the city ceased to be important..." After the defeat of Nineveh, the last of the Assyrian kings, Ashur-uballit II, fled to the west with members of his army. Most online historical references that I have been able to find state that the reign of Ashur-uballit II ended in 609 BC. My sources for this are the two Web site addresses below, the first of which is a page from the Missouri Western State College web site: http://crain.english.mwsc.edu/Jonah/assyrians.htm - The conquest of the Assyrian Empire allowed Babylon and the Medes to divide the empire amongst themselves. The Babylonians chose a vast area of the Assyrian-controlled territories, including Judah and the surrounding countries. Using the 609 BC date for the demise of the Assyrian Empire and for the rise of the new Babylonian Empire, and using the 539 BC date for the end of the Babylonian Empire, we end up with a 70-year span of Babylonian rule. That, for the reasons described above, is what I believe is the 70-year period referred to in Jeremiah 25:9-12 and Jeremiah 29:10.  [link] 

Jeremiah 26 – Having concluded the 1st Oracle of messages by Jeremiah – Chapters 26-29 cover some of the daily life of Jeremiah and some events of that time – Jeremiah is sent by God to stand in the Temple court and give a message to the new king Jehoiakim and to all the people — ‘Jeremiah 26:8 Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.’

Jeremiah 26:1-16 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD'S house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD'S house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word: If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings. And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you, To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened; Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth. So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD. Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die. Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD. When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king's house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD'S house. Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears. Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard. Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you. As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you. But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears. Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God. - Jeremiah obeys God and goes into the very power structure of the city and Nation and faithfully delivers God's message to the people. Jeremiah was challenged and threatened by the people but God still had enough faithful servants left who were able to recognize the voice of God and were willing to hear and obey the voice of God. The faithful remnant of only a few people was still bold enough to publically stand up for Jeremiah and Jeremiah's life was saved that day.

Jeremiah 27-28 – Jeremiah is daily having to contend with the false teachers and false prophets that are throughout the land and in the positions of power, authority and counsel in Israel — ‘Jeremiah 27:4-10 4 And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters; I [God] have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm [redemption on the cross], **and have given it [kingdoms] unto whom it seemed meet [appropriate] unto Me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. *And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall [defeat and] serve themselves of him [the Nation of Babylon (modern Iraq)]. And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. *Therefore hearken not ye to your [false] prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon [Iraq]: For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.’

Jeremiah 28:5-9 Then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the [false] prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the LORD, Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels [Temple implements] of the LORD'S house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place. *Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people; **The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence. The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him. - Jeremiah explains some of the differences between a true prophecy of God and a false prophecy of man and deceiving spirits. A true prophecy from God is going to have broad implications [meaning it is equally relevant and valuable to everyone] it will include along with the future info and insight a depth, height, scope and authority that the flat, uninspired, self-serving, false prophecies just do not have.

Jeremiah 29 – Jeremiah writes a letter of encouragement to the Jews in captivity in Babylon – There was consistent contact [by messenger and letters] between the Jews exiled in Babylon, the Jews that sought refuge in the area of Tahpanhes Egypt and the Jews that were able to remain for a while in Jerusalem – It is considered that while in Jerusalem the prophet Jeremiah alone had about 18 points of contact with the prophet Ezekiel who was in captivity in Babylon — ‘Jeremiah 29:1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon …’

Jeremiah 29:10-15 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform My good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. *For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, *thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. *Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive. **Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon; - Jeremiah writes an amazing letter of encouragement to the Jews in Babylon and including those scattered thought the world in the later Diaspora as this is a True prophecy from God the message is universal, the scope is global and the effects are eternal.

Bible History Timeline – 612 BC Babylon conquers Nineveh – {seven years later} 605 BC Babylon exerts influence over Judah [first captives are taken from Jerusalem to Babylon] – 586 BC Babylon destroys Jerusalem and the Temple – 539 BC Cyrus the Great [Persia] conquers Babylon – [1 year later] 538 BC Cyrus releases Jews from Babylonian Captivity – [2 years later] 536 BC Work begins to rebuild Temple – [20 years later] 516 BC Second Temple is dedicated [Ezra 6:16] – Note: There seems to be multiple 70 year periods taking place. For 70 years Babylon reigned as the power of the region – For 70 years there were Jewish captives exiled into Babylon – It was exactly 70 years [586-516] from the destruction of the 1st Temple [Solomon’s Temple] in Jerusalem to the dedication of the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem

Below is a list of some historical events that are important to the study of the Bible and its prophecies. The research for this Biblical history timeline was done by George Konig and Ray Konig, authors of the book, 100 Prophecies. Scholars vary in the dates that they assign to ancient events. The dates shown below are approximations. ... 612 BC Babylon conquers Nineveh (Assyrian Empire) The Assyrian Empire's capital city - Nineveh - is attacked by coalition of Babylonians and others. As explained by the prophet Nahum in the Bible, Nineveh was to be destroyed because of the Assyrian Empire's treatment of Israelites and other people. -- 605 BC Babylon exerts influence over Judah: The neo-Babylonian Empire, under the reign of king Nebuchadnezzar, begins forcing Judah into submission. Nebuchadnezzar takes many Jews as captives to Babylon to ensure Judah's obedience. -- 597 BC Babylon attacks Judah: Babylonian army attacks Judah and takes more Jews as captives to Babylon. Ezekiel, one of the captives, becomes a prophet of God. Ezekiel explains that God is allowing Babylon to punish Judah because the people have been unfaithful to God. -- 586 BC Babylon destroys Jerusalem and the Temple: Babylon attacks Judah again. This time, the Babylonians [3rd Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10] destroy Jerusalem and *the [1st] Temple that Solomon had built. More Jews are taken as captives to Babylon. -- 586 BC to 573 BC King Nebuchadnezzar attacks Tyre mainland: Babylon begins a 13-year siege of the mainland of the Phoenician city of Tyre. -- Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon: After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, the neo-Babylonian Empire begins to lose power. Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon in 539 BC, establishing the Medo-Persian Empire [4th Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10]. -- 538 BC Cyrus releases Jews from Babylonian Captivity: After conquering Babylon, Cyrus offers the Jews their freedom to leave Babylon and to return to Judah. Cyrus' kingdom rules over Judah and many other parts of the Middle East, but Cyrus allows people more cultural and religious freedom than did the neo-Babylonian Empire. -- 536 BC *Work begins to rebuild Temple [via an edict from Persia/Iran]: Some of the Jews in Babylon return to Judah and begin work in about 536 BC to rebuild the Temple, which had been destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. -- 516 BC Second Temple is dedicated: The Temple is consecrated for worship, 70 years after the Babylonians had destroyed it in 586 BC. -- 333 BC Greeks [5th Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10] begin rule over land of Israel: The Greeks, under the leadership of Alexander the Great, defeat Persian armies in Macedonia in 333 BC. This marks the fall of the Medo-Persian Empire and the rise of the Grecian Empire. ... 164 BC to 63 BC [time period between (Malachi) O.T. and (Matthew) N.T.] Jews have independence: The Maccabees, a group that fought for Jewish independence, stage a revolt against the Greeks and establish the Hasmonean royal dynasty, as well as sovereignty over all or part of the land of Israel for about 100 years, from about 164 BC to 63 BC. -- 63 BC The Romans [6th Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10] take over land of Israel: After the death of Alexander the Great, the empire of the Greeks is divided up and becomes weaker. During this time, the Roman Empire becomes increasingly powerful. The Roman general named Pompey seizes control over the land of Israel. -- About 5 BC Jesus is born in Bethlehem: Jesus is born in the town of Bethlehem. The Apostle Matthew later points out that Jesus' birth in Bethlehem fulfilled a prophecy delivered by the prophet Micah, about 700 years beforehand. (See Micah 5:2). -- About 25 AD Jesus begins His ministry: Jesus is about 30 years old when he begins his ministry. He preaches salvation, delivers prophecies and performs miracles. He announces that he is the Messiah (the Christ) who was promised by the prophets of the Old Testament. Jesus promises salvation and eternal life to those who believe in him (See John 3:16, as an example). -- About 28 AD [or about 32-33 AD] Jesus is crucified and resurrected: Jesus is falsely accused and is sent to Pontius Pilate, the Roman ruler of the land of the Jews, to be crucified. Jesus is later resurrected, meaning he is brought back to life, and his followers began evangelizing him to others, allowing Christianity to spread very quickly throughout the Roman world and to eventually become the first religion to spread throughout the world. - 70 AD Romans destroy Jerusalem and [2nd] Temple: In 70 AD, the Roman Army, under Titus, destroys Jerusalem and the Temple, to suppress an uprising of the Jews. According to the historian Josephus, about 1.1 million Jews were killed. Others were taken as slaves. -- First century AD [about 95 AD - Book of Revelation] The Bible is completed: During the first century of this era, the New Testament, which describes the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, is completed. The writing of the Bible (the Old Testament and the New Testament) comes to an end. It began during the time of Moses, about 3400 years ago. ***Jesus becomes, and remains, the final subject of the Bible. [link]

Jeremiah 30-31 – The 2nd Oracle by Jeremiah is given – The Old Covenant [Old Testament] between God and mankind having been un-maintainable by man it is to be replaced by a New Covenant [New Testament] – God Himself in Jesus Christ will fulfill all of the requirements for mankind in the New Covenant [Gospel/Good News] with God except for the one universal requirement of faith/choice – Mankind will still individually have to choose [by the human spirit over the human soul] and exercise individual faith to enter into and to remain in the New Covent [New Testament – Gospel] relationship with God — ‘Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD [YHWH], that I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel [Northern Kingdom], and with the House of Judah [Southern Kingdom] …’

Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD [YHWH], that I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel [Northern Kingdom], and with the House of Judah [Southern Kingdom]: Not according to the [Old] 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 [mankind] brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the [New] Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel; After those [Old Covenant] days, saith the LORD, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and 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 [by Spiritual experience and through personal encounters] know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD; for [on the cross of Jesus Christ] *I will forgive their iniquity, *and I will remember their sin no more. - The New Covenant is to come to the House of Israel, all of Israel and because it is a Covenant resulting from physical death [finality] the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and in the newness of the resurrection Spiritual life of Jesus Christ the New Covenant is universally applicable to everyone in the entire world. Because of the Spiritual nature of the New Covenant vs. the physical nature [circumcision] of the Old Covenant everyone universally is eligible through choice to be able to Spiritually enter into the New Covent of God in Jesus Christ but entering in only through the provided works of God in Jesus Christ. The New Covenant is only accessible to mankind through the Covenant [Matthew 26:26-28], death, blood and new life Spiritual resurrection of Jesus Christ. - The death of Jesus Christ on the cross put an end to the power of the physical realm and the sin that encompassed it while the resurrection life of Jesus then begins the power of a new eternal Spiritual life to what had previously [since the fall of Adam and Eve] become only a temporary physical life. - 2 Timothy 1:8-12 [Christian] Be not thou therefore ashamed of the Testimony [that resulted in the death on the cross] of our Lord, nor of me [Apostle Paul] His prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel [Good News - New Covenant] according to the [resurrection] power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an Holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest [physically and] by the [resurrection] appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought [eternal] life and immortality to light through the Gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a Preacher, and an Apostle, and a Teacher of the [whole world] Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these [persecution] things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know [Jesus Christ] whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that [spirit and soul of mine] which I have committed unto Him against that [individual eternal judgment] day. - Note: A Gentile could enter the Old Covenant of God through physical circumcision and through observing the O.T. Jewish observances. Likewise a Gentile can enter into the New Covenant with God however with the physical death on the cross of Jesus Christ and the Spiritual new life resurrection now in effect a person in the New Covenant passes over the physical Jewish aspects of the first Covenant and enters into the resurrection life of Jesus as a Spiritual 'born again' Christian. Also Note: All of the events of the temporary 1st Covenant the ordinances, regulations and teachings foreshadowed, highlighted and illustrate the coming of the permanent, eternal 2nd Covenant between God and mankind.

Apostolic (Witnesses of the Resurrected Savior Jesus Christ) [Holy Spirit directed] Church – Speaker: Art Katz/Bob Gladstone (Mp3)

My brother and sister have listened to these Christian Compilations off and on for a few years and it's really encouraged and convicted us to draw closer to the Lord. Messages are much shorter than sermons which are particularly great for listening to in the car, or for giving to someone who will not listen to a 30 minute message. I only want to share messages that line up with the Bible in the right Spirit. [link]

Jeremiah 32 – What is considered the 2nd Oracle of Jeremiah has been completed in the prophesying and announcing of the New Covenant – Chapters 32-45 now begin another section in the daily life and events of the Prophet Jeremiah – Jeremiah has prophesied both the destruction and the rebuilding of Israel and Jerusalem and to illustrate that the Jews will indeed return to their homeland in Israel God instructs Jeremiah to purchase a plot of his families land from a cousin in Anathoth — ‘Jeremiah 32:14-15 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Take these evidences [purchased land agreement], this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel [clay jar], that they may continue many days. *For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this [Israel] land.’

Jeremiah 32:36-44 And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city [Jerusalem], whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in Mine [instructing-correcting] anger, and in My fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto 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 one heart, and one way, that they may fear [know] Me forever, for the good of them, and of 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 [of evil] in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me. *Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this [Holy] Land [Israel] assuredly with My whole heart and with My whole soul. For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil [distress] upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good [blessings] that I have promised them. And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans [Babylonians]. Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, 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, saith the LORD. - Though Jerusalem, the Temple and all of Israel is about to be destroyed by the invading Babylonians God has already declared that He will not forsake His children and that He will re-gather the dispersed Jews and (eventually) permanently rebuild their homeland of Israel. - Note: Jerusalem at that time gets wiped out to the point that very few Jewish people were even able to remain in the Jerusalem area. The prophet Jeremiah himself caught up in the events and the intrigues of the day had to depart Jerusalem and eventually Israel and in the ensuing chaos and destruction of Israel the last known and recorded whereabouts of Jeremiah the Prophet are in Tahpanhes Egypt [Jeremiah 43:8].

Jeremiah 33-34 – With the Babylonian army having conquered much of Israel and now poised at the gates of Jerusalem the people in Jerusalem undergo a temporary return to godliness [observing the seventh year of release for servants] – The Babylonian army temporarily departed from the Jerusalem area and the people in Jerusalem quickly returned to their previous backslidden ways — ‘Jeremiah 34:10-11 Now when all the princes, and all the people [in Jerusalem], which had entered into the covenant, heard that everyone should let his manservant, and everyone his maidservant, go free [to observe the seventh year of release (Leviticus 25:6)], that none should serve themselves of them anymore, then they obeyed, and let them go. But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.’

[1] Jeremiah 34:1-7 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; *Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city [Jerusalem] into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire: *And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; *and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, **and thou shalt go to Babylon. Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword: But thou shalt die in peace [not in a battle]: and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings which were before thee, so shall they burn odours for thee; and they will lament thee, saying, Ah lord! for I have pronounced the word, saith the LORD. Then Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem, When the king of Babylon's army fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against Azekah: for these defenced cities remained of the cities of Judah. - The famous Jeremiah and Ezekiel double Prophecy fulfillment about King Zedekiah: Jeremiah prophesying from Jerusalem prophecies that king Zedekiah "and thou shalt go to Babylon" while about the same time the Prophet Ezekiel prophesying in captivity in Babylon prophecies that King Zedekiah would go to Babylon but would not see it. When the actual prophesied events occurred and king Zedekiah was taken prisoner and brought into the presence of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar he then had Zedekiah blinded [unable to see his captivity] just as Zedekiah was taken away captive to live the rest of his life in Babylon. - [2] 'Ezekiel 12:9-13 Son of man [Ezekiel], hath not the House of Israel [in captivity in Babylon], the rebellious house, said unto thee, What [are you doing] doest thou [Ezekiel was physically acting out (in a skit) part of this prophecy to the Jews in Babylon]? Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; This burden concerneth the prince [King Zedekiah] in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them. Say, I am your sign: like as I have [acted out] done, so shall it be done unto them [for real]: they shall remove and go into captivity. And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall [palace wall and possibly also the city wall of Jerusalem] to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face [disguise, hide himself], that he see not the ground with his eyes. My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare [by king Nebuchadnezzar]: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; *yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.' - [3] 'Jeremiah 52:8-11 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him. And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah. Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.'

[The famous Jeremiah and Ezekiel double Prophecy fulfillment about King Zedekiah] Ezekiel 12-14 Supplemental notes for the Daily Bible Study Bible Reading Plan by Wayne Blank

Ezekiel Chapter 12 - Zedekiah was the last king of Judah (see Kings of Israel and Judah) before the fall to the Babylonians. Ezekiel had been taken into exile to Babylon in the earlier deportation (the prophet Jeremiah remained in Jerusalem). Nevertheless, Ezekiel was given a very detailed prophecy of Zedekiah's downfall: "Ezekiel 12:12 And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes. 12:13 My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there." (Ezekiel 12:12-13 KJV). -- That prophecy was fulfilled, as recorded by "Jeremiah: 52:7 Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden; (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain. 52:8 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. 52:9 Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him. 52:10 And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah. 52:11 Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death" (Jeremiah 52:7-11 KJV). [link]

Jeremiah 35-36 – The Rechabite family is commended by God for diligently following the instructions of their earthly forefather Jonadab while the House of Israel is unwilling to follow the instructions of their Father God in Heaven — ‘Jeremiah 35:12-14 12 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? saith the LORD. The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father’s commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you [Nation of Israel], rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto Me.’

Jeremiah 36:1-25 And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Take thee a roll of a book (scroll), and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, *and against all the Nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even into this day. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin. ... So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll: and he took it out of Elishama the scribe's chamber. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes which stood beside the king. Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him. And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words. Nevertheless Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll: but he would not hear them. - While some of the advisers to the king were able to grasp the seriousness of the situation and the authenticity of Jeremiah's messages from God the highest leadership, probably being the most comfortable and the most alienated from the actual day to day events occurring in the land, were completely unwilling to even consider any alternatives to their already preconceived desires and notions.

Jeremiah 37-38 – Even with new kings in Jerusalem Jeremiah’s messages continues to go unheeded – Jeremiah and his ministry of restoration are unwelcome in his own homeland — ‘Jeremiah 37:1-2 And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah [king Jeconiah] the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah. But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken unto the words of the LORD, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah.’

Jeremiah 37:12-16 Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to separate himself thence in the midst of the people. And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans. Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes. Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison. When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days; - Jeremiah is falsely accused of being a collaborator with Babylon and is imprisoned based on the false accusations. King Zedekiah seeks the counsel of Jeremiah and thought the words of Jeremiah weren't what the king wanted to hear he gave Jeremiah a little more freedom with access from the prison out to the courtyard. In the courtyard Jeremiah again preached to the people that to remain in Jerusalem was to die and officials of the king hearing the message threw Jeremiah down and abandoned water well. Ebed-melec a Ethiopian eunuch visiting or serving in the kings house heard that Jeremiah was cast down a well and went and rescued him. - Jeremiah 38:13 So they drew up Jeremiah with cords [rags], and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained [under house arrest] in the court of the prison.

Jeremiah 39-41 – 586 B.C. The great Jewish capital city of Jerusalem falls to the invading Babylonian army – The city of Jerusalem, the Temple of God and the Palace of the Davidic Kings of Israel are all destroyed on about the 9th day of the Jewish month of Av [Tisha B’Av] about the end of July early August on our Roman calendar — ‘Jeremiah 39:1-2 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it. And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month [Tisha B’Av], the city was broken up.’

Jeremiah 39:8-18 And the Chaldeans burned the king's house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem. Then Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to him, with the rest of the people that remained. But Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time. Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard, saying, Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee. So Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rab-saris, and Nergal-sharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon's princes; Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the people. Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying, Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring My words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee. But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid. For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in Me, saith the LORD. - Jerusalem was destroyed and burned to the ground by the Babylonian forces. The king of Babylon [Nebuchadnezzar] removed the throne of Israel and placed a Jewish man living in Mizpah named Gedaliah as Governor of Israel. In the events of the day the Ammonites hired a Jewish man named Ishmael to assassinate Gedaliah attempting to further spiral Israel into an unrecoverable destruction. Johanan a faithful Jewish servant tried to warn Gedaliah of his impending assignation at the hands of Ishmael but Gedaliah thinking he was secure because he had the backing of Babylon refused to believe that he was in any physical danger. After the assignation of the Babylonian appointed Governor Gedaliah by Ishmael then Johanan and a small remnant of Jews fearing Babylonian reprisals decided to seek refuge in Egypt.

Jeremiah 42 – With all the intrigues and the resulting Babylonian reprisals the destruction and devastation of Israel, Jerusalem and the surrounding area is so complete that the small remaining Jewish remnant begins to doubt whether or not they can even hold on let alone ever recover — ‘Jeremiah 42:1-3 Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near, And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us: That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.’

Jeremiah 42:4-15 Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you. Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us. Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God. And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah. Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest, And said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before Him; If ye will still abide in this land [Israel], then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you. Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand. And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land. But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your God, Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell: And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there; Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die. - Even after this clear persistent and dire warning coming in the reply that they requested and agreed to follow in a short time they still departed and left the promised safety of Israel for Egypt even taking Jeremiah with them as a captive.

Jeremiah 43 – Jeremiah his assistant Baruch and much of the remnant that had returned to Israel from hiding in nearby areas were all taken captive by a rogue Jewish group and forced to go to Egypt against the directions of God and against the advice of Jeremiah — ‘Jeremiah 43:7 So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to [the area of] Tahpanhes.’

Jeremiah 43:1-7 And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent Him to them, even all these words, Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the LORD our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there: But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon. So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the LORD, to dwell in the land of Judah. But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah; Even men, and women, and children, and the king's daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah. So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes. - The children of God in their inability to discern the voice of God and in their complete failure to cooperate among themselves were actually prolonging their trials and making their tribulations harder than they were ever intended to be by God.

Jeremiah 44-45 – The word of the Lord still came to Jeremiah even while he was a captive in Egypt — ‘Jeremiah 44:1-5 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein, Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke Me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers. Howbeit I sent unto you all My servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense [adoration] unto other gods.’

Jeremiah 45:1-5 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch; Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest. Thus shalt thou say unto him, The LORD saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land. And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest. - Baruch the assistant, servant and faithful scribe of Jeremiah the prophet is to escape the dangers of being in exile however he is not to seek to prosper from his Divine protection from God but is to live out his life in a discrete and humble fashion knowing that his country had been destroyed and many of his fellow countrymen had suffered their fates with their lives.

The Seal of Baruch, Jeremiah’s Scribe – In 1975 the first few pieces of 200 clay bullae were discovered in the shop of an antiquities dealer in East Jerusalem – From the shape of its Hebrew characters which vary throughout history [especially before and after the Babylonian captivity] scholars date the collection to the 6th century BC, the time of Jeremiah – The bulla is now displayed in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem – The March/April 1996 issue of Biblical Archeology Review featured an article on another bulla belonging to a private collector from the same seal – What is unique about this is the clear impression of a fingerprint on the upper left of the bulla – The article suggested this was the “fingerprint of Jeremiah’s scribe” Baruch (Photo)

In 1975 the first few pieces of 200 clay bullae were discovered in the shop of an antiquities dealer in East Jerusalem.1 Bullae are lumps of clay which were attached to documents and impressed with a seal. From the shape of its Hebrew characters (which vary throughout history) scholars date the collection to the 6th century BC, the time of Jeremiah. Within this collection are two bullae believed to have belonged to Baruch, and Jerahmeel. The three lines on the Baruch bulla read: "(Belonging) to Berekhyahu, the son of Neriyahu, the scribe.: The suffix -yahu was a common epithet attached to names in Judah, meaning, "blessed of Jehovah." While translations sometimes render it "-iah" (cf. Baruch's father Ner-iah), some texts drop it altogether. - The bulla is now displayed in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. -- The March/April 1996 issue of Biblical Archeology Review featured an article on another bulla belonging to a private collector from the same seal. What is unique about this is the clear impression of a fingerprint on the upper left of the bulla. The article suggested this was the "fingerprint of Jeremiah's scribe." - While it is presumptuous to assume this is Baruch's fingerprint, at the very least discoveries such as this remind us that the people of the Bible were not imaginary figures from fairy tales, but real souls who served our God in the past. - Note: Jeremiah and Baruch were some of the last people in the original Jerusalem before it was destroyed, burned and covered over with dirt so any excavations in Jerusalem to the depth of the first Jerusalem would first reveal items from the last people there. Jerusalem and Israel were again destroyed in 70 A.D. so any excavations and archeology to the 2nd Jerusalem period go back to the times of the Apostles and the early Church just after the 32 A.D. ministry, cross and resurrection of Jesus. - To excavate the first Jerusalem is to enter into the time of the Davidic Kings of Jerusalem while to excavate at the level of the 2nd Jerusalem is to inter into the time of the Messiah Jesus Christ. [link]

Jeremiah 46-47 – Chapters 46-51 contain the 3rd and final Oracle grouping of messages, prophesies and teachings from the Prophet Jeremiah – The third Oracle is directed primarily at the Gentile Nations – The Gentile Nations are to know that though God has judged Israel He has not abandoned, rejected or forsaken Israel and that in actuality every Gentile Nation would be made to come to an end before the possibility that the Nation of Israel would be made to cease to exist [both Israel and the Gentile nations will continue to exist – but the Gentile Nation’s existence and even the Gentile population is based on the existence of Israel (Acts 17:26-27)] — ‘Jeremiah 46:27-28 But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid. Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.’

Jeremiah 46:1-12 The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles; Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah. Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle. Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines. Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the LORD. Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates. Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers? Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof. Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow. For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates. Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured. The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together. - Jeremiah prophecies the great battle of Carchemish between Egypt and Babylon where Egypt [2rd Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10] is defeated and Babylon is the undisputed [3rd Kingdom of the world - Revelation 17:10].

Carchemish, Turkey – Carchemish [modern – Karkamis, Turkey] was an important ancient city of the northern Hittite empire, located on the border between Turkey and Syria – It was also the location of one of the decisive battles in world history – It was here that the armies of Babylon and Egypt met in battle

Carchemish (now Karkamis) was an important ancient city of the northern Hittite empire, located on the border between Turkey and Syria. It was also the location of one of the decisive battles in world history. It was here that the armies of Babylon and Egypt met in battle (Jer. 46:2; 2 Chr. 35:20-24). The prophet Isaiah lists Carchemish as one of the kingdoms overthrown by Sargon II of Assyria in 717 BC (Isa. 10:9). Carchemish is also mentioned in Egyptian and Assyrian texts. The ruins of Carchemish are located on the West bank of Euphrates River, about 35 miles southeast of Gaziantep, Turkey. The site lies in Turkish territory on the border of Syria. A large Turkish military now stands on the Carchemish acropolis, and access to the site is now heavily restricted and is out of bounds to archaeological exploration. The site was excavated three different times before World War One by the British Museum, led by David George Hogarth, Reginald C. Thompson, Leonard Woolley, and T. E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia"). These expeditions uncovered substantial remains of the Assyrian and Neo-Hittite periods, including forts, palaces, temples, market places, and a great wall sculptured with a procession of warriors, with the king and crown prince celebrating a great victory. ... The Battle Of Carchemish: The Battle of Carchemish was fought in May/June of 605 BC between an allied army of Egyptians and Assyrians against the Babylonian army. When the Assyrian capital of Ninevah was overrun by the Babylonians in 612 BC, the Assyrians moved their capital to Harran (now in Turkey). When the Babylonians captured Harran in 608 BC, the Assyrian capital was moved to Carchemish. Egypt was allied with the Assyrians, and marched to their aid against the Babylonians. In 609 BC, the Egyptian army of Pharaoh Necho II was delayed at Megiddo (in Israel) by the forces of King Josiah of Judah. Josiah was killed and his army was defeated. ... The Egyptians were further delayed at Riblah, and Necho arrived at Carchemish too late. Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar had surprised the Assyrians and had captured Carchemish. He then turned on the Egyptians and thoroughly defeated them in a bloody battle and the combined Egyptian and Assyrian forces were devastated. The Babylonian Chronicles, now housed in the British Museum, claim that Nebuchadnezzar "crossed the river to go against the Egyptian army which lay in Carchemish. The armies fought with each other and the Egyptian army withdrew before him. He accomplished their defeat and beat them to nonexistence. As for the rest of the Egyptian army which had escaped from the defeat so quickly that no weapon had reached them, the Babylonians overtook and defeated them in the district of Hamath so that not a single man escaped to his own country. At that time Nebuchadnezzar conquered the whole of Hatti-land." Before the battle of Carchemish, Egypt had one of the greatest armies in northern Africa and was a threat to the Middle East, but the battle of Carchemish changed all of that when the Babylonians destroyed the power of Egypt and the independent existence of Assyria. The Battle of Carchemish was the end of the Assyrian Empire, and Egypt was reduced to a second-rate power. Babylon became master of the Middle East. [link]

Wikipedia.org: Battle of Carchemish – The Battle of Carchemish was fought about 605 BC between the allied armies of Egypt and Assyria against Babylonia

Background: When the Assyrian capital Nineveh was overrun by the Babylonians in 612 BC, the Assyrians moved their capital to Harran. When Harran was captured by the Babylonians in 610 BC, the capital was once again moved, this time to Carchemish. Egypt was allied with the Assyrian king Ashur-uballit II, and marched in 609 BC to their aid against the Babylonians. The Egyptian army of Pharaoh Necho II was delayed at Megiddo by the forces of King Josiah of Judah. Josiah was killed and his army was defeated. The Egyptians and Assyrians together crossed the Euphrates and laid siege to Harran, which they failed to re-take and retreated back to northern Syria. - The Battle: The Egyptians met the full might of the Babylonian army led by Nebuchadnezzar II at Carchemish where the combined Egyptian and Assyrian forces were soundly destroyed by the Babylonians and the Assyrian Empire collapsed. - The Results: Assyria ceased to exist as an independent power. Egypt retreated and was no longer a significant force in the Ancient Near East. Babylon controlled the territory up to the Wadi of Egypt and the Pharoah no longer left Egypt to exert any influence in the affairs of the region. Babylonia reached its economic peak after 605 BC and became the dominant military power in the region from the Battle of Carchemish until the defeat of Nabonidus at the hands of Cyrus at the Battle of Opis some sixty-five years later. - Records of the battle: The Jerusalem Chronicle, part of the Babylonian Chronicles, now housed in the British Museum, claim that Nebuchadnezzar "crossed the river to go against the Egyptian army which lay in Karchemiš. They fought with each other and the Egyptian army withdrew before him. He accomplished their defeat and beat them to non-existence. As for the rest of the Egyptian army. which had escaped from the defeat so quickly that no weapon had reached them, in the district of Hamath the Babylonian troops overtook and defeated them so that not a single man escaped to his own country. At that time Nebuchadnezzar conquered the whole area of Hamath." The battle is also mentioned and described in the Bible. [link]

EndTimeProphecy.org: Pharaohs Of The Bible Study Tool – Paraoh Necho [King of Egypt]

Easton's Bible Dictionary additionally states concerning Necho, or Necho II: An Egyptian king, the son and successor of Psammetichus, (B.C. 610), the contemporary of Josiah, king of Judah. For some reason he proclaimed war against the king of Assyria. He led forth a powerful army and marched northward, but was met by the king of Judah [Josiah] at Megiddo, who refused him a passage through his territory. Here a fierce battle was fought and [King] Josiah was slain -- 2 Chronicles 35:20-24. Possibly, as some suppose, Necho may have brought his army by sea to some port to the north of Dor (comp.) -- Joshua 11:2, 12:23 -- a Phoenician town at no great distance from Megiddo. After this battle, Necho marched on to Carchemish (q.v.), where he met and conquered the Assyrian army; and thus all the Syrian provinces, including Palestine, came under his dominion. - On his return march, he deposed Jehoahaz, who had succeeded his father Josiah, and made Eliakim, Josiah's eldest son, whose name he changed into Jehoiakim, king. Jehoahaz he carried down into Egypt, where he died -- 2 Kings 23:31, 2 Chronicles 36:1-4. Four years after this conquest, Necho again marched to the Euphrates; but here he was met and his army routed by the Chaldeans, (B.C. 606), under Nebuchadnezzar, who drove the Egyptians back, and took from them all the territory they had conquered, from the Euphrates unto the "river of Egypt" -- Jeremiah 46:2, 2 Kings 24:7,8. Soon after this, Necho died, and was succeeded by his son, Psammetichus II. [link]

Jeremiah 48 – A prophecy of Jeremiah from God to the Nation and area of Moab — ‘Jeremiah 48:1-2 Against Moab thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed. *There shall be no more praise of Moab [modern Mormonism?] …’ [Has the ancient spirit of Moab become manifested today in the false religion of the modern LDS Mormon cult?]

Jeremiah 48:42-43 And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the LORD. Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD. He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the LORD. ... Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives. *Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab *in the latter days [LDS?], saith the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab. - The modern spirit of Moab is very possibly being manifested today in the modern LDS [Latter Day Saints] Mormon cult. Though a modern and ever so slightly revised version of ancient Moab the pride, deceit and false religion of LDS Mormonism if it is the ancient spirit of Moab the LDS is going to meet and deserve the same destruction.

Jeremiah 49 – A prophecy of Jeremiah from God to the Nation and area of the Ammonites — ‘Jeremiah 49:1-2 Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the LORD; Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities? Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the LORD.’ [Is the ancient Ammonite spirit manifested today in the modern day Palestinians?]

Jeremiah 49:12-18 For thus saith the LORD; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup [of afliction, wrath] have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it. For I have sworn by Myself, saith the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes. I have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent unto the heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle. For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men. Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD. Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof. As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it. - All of the Gentile Nations are to drink from the cup of the wrath and indignation of God, there will be no exceptions. Since God's chosen Nation of Israel has had to drink from the cup of the wrath of God in part because the Gentile Nations helped to lead Israel astray from God now all of the Gentile Nations will also drink from that same cup of wrath that judged and destroyed Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 50 – A prophecy of Jeremiah [in conjunction with all the other prophecies particularly the future prophesies of Revelation about Babylon] from God to the Nation and area of Babylon — ‘Jeremiah 50:1-2 The word that the LORD spake against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet. *Declare ye among the Nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel [Satan] is confounded, Merodach [statue] is broken in pieces; *her [Mystery Babylon] idols are confounded, *her [Mystery Babylon] images are broken in pieces.’

Jeremiah 50:6-7 My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place. All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers. - The pain and suffering of the Children of God extends from a threefold injustice. 1. We are all lost sheep who ourselves will go astray from god. 2. The shepherds [pastors and leaders] who were supposed to help direct the paths of the lost sheep failed themselves to do so. 3. The Gentiles and people who do not know God add insult to injury as they wrongly believe that they are doing the will of God in seeking opportunity to inflict additional judgment and injury upon the people of God. - Note: All three of these unjust actions are overcome and corrected in Jesus Christ the True Shepherd for the lost sheep of humanity.

Jeremiah 51 – The multiple destructions of Babylon continue out into the future and eventually the destruction of Mystery Babylon will be complete — ‘Jeremiah 51:1-2 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind [lit. spirit]; And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.’ – Note: The Prophet Jeremiah concludes his Scroll with a prophecy and an object lesson regarding the eventual complete destruction of Mystery Babylon.

Jeremiah 51:60 So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil thatshould come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon. And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When thou comest to Babylon, and shalt see, and shalt read all these words; Then shalt thou say, O LORD, thou hast spoken against this place, to cut it off, that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate forever. *And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, *that thou shalt bind a stone [7th and final vial (bowl) judgmant of Revelation] to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates: And thou shalt say, *Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. *Thus far are the words of Jeremiah. - The ancient Prophet Jeremiah is prophesying in conjunction with the future prophesies to be written by the Disciple John in the Book of Revelation. - Revelation 16:17-17:6 And the seventh angel poured out his vial (final bowl judgment mixture) into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: *and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto *her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. *And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every *stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. -- And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me (Disciple John), saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters [peoples, nations]: With whom the kings [leaders] of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine [deceitful spirit] of her fornication [unfaithfulness]. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness [empty place]: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet [red] coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman [false religion] drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration [astonishment].

Jeremiah 52 – Chapter 51 concluded the 3rd Oracle of Jeremiah and the Scroll writings of the Prophet Jeremiah – Chapter 52 is an additional source [like the Books of Chronicles are additional Source material for the books of Samuel and Kings] primarily regarding the destruction of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Temple and the captivity of the people – Jeremiah 52:12 Now in the fifth month [Av], in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzar-adan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem, And burned the House of the LORD, and the king’s house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire: – Note: The second source of the Jeremiah Scroll records the tenth day of the month of Av as the day the Temple was burned, the 9th day of AV [Tisha B’Av] is historically mourned as the day of the destruction of the Temple, the 9th day being the first day the Temple was unable to fulfill the Temple sacrifices and ordinances to God.

The Prophet Jeremiah who was imprisoned in the king's courtyard during the 586 B.C. fall of Jerusalem was clearly overwhelmed with grief and despair as a result from the destruction of Jerusalem and later wrote the Book of Lamentations about the event. The Prophet Jeremiah can barely bring himself to record in a few vague sentences the painful destruction of Jerusalem and those few sentences only show up later in Chapter 39 of his scroll as if he never intended to write about it until the last possible moment. Comparing Jeremiah to the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus who was an eyewitness to the 70 A.D. destruction of Jerusalem and the burning of the second Temple of Jerusalem where Josephus wrote broadly about the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. - Jeremiah 52:31-34 And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin [Coniah] king of Judah [the last independant Jewish king was deported then Zedekiah his uncle was made king in Israel by Babylon and Zedekiah the very last King of Israel was later captured and blinded by Nebuchadnezzar], in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon [after king Nebuchadnezzar] in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison, And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life. And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

Wikipedia.org: Siege of Jerusalem 70 A.D. – The Siege of Jerusalem in the year 70 AD was a decisive event in the First Jewish-Roman War – It was followed by the fall of Masada in 73 AD – The Roman army, led by the future Emperor Titus, with Tiberius Julius Alexander as his second-in-command, besieged and conquered the city of Jerusalem, which had been occupied by its Jewish defenders in 66 AD – The city and its famous Temple were destroyed [70 A.D.] – The destruction of the Temple [both 1st Solomon’s Temple and the 2nd Herod’s Temple] is still mourned annually as the Jewish fast Tisha B’Av, and the Arch of Titus, depicting and celebrating the sack of Jerusalem and the Temple, still stands in Rome (Photo)

Josephus had acted as a mediator for the Romans and, when negotiations failed, witnessed the siege and aftermath. He wrote: "Now as soon as the army had no more people to slay or to plunder, because there remained none to be the objects of their fury (for they would not have spared any, had there remained any other work to be done), [Titus] Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and Temple, but should leave as many of the towers standing as they were of the greatest eminence; that is, Phasaelus, and Hippicus, and Mariamne; and so much of the wall enclosed the city on the west side. This wall was spared, in order to afford a camp for such as were to lie in garrison [in the Upper City], as were the towers [the three forts] also spared, in order to demonstrate to posterity what kind of city it was, and how well fortified, which the Roman valor had subdued; but for all the rest of the wall [surrounding Jerusalem], it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it [Jerusalem] had ever been inhabited. This was the end which Jerusalem came to by the madness of those that were for innovations; a city otherwise of great magnificence, and of mighty fame among all mankind. And truly, the very view itself was a melancholy thing; for those places which were adorned with trees and pleasant gardens, were now become desolate country every way, and its trees were all cut down. Nor could any foreigner that had formerly seen Judaea and the most beautiful suburbs of the city, and now saw it as a desert, but lament and mourn sadly at so great a change. For the war had laid all signs of beauty quite waste. Nor had anyone who had known the place before, had come on a sudden to it now, would he have known it again. But though he [a foreigner] were at the city itself, yet would he have inquired for it." -- Josephus claims that 1,100,000 people were killed during the siege, of which a majority were Jewish. 97,000 were captured and enslaved, including Simon Bar Giora and John of Gischala. Many fled to areas around the Mediterranean. Titus reportedly refused to accept a wreath of victory, as there is "no merit in vanquishing people {seemingly} forsaken by their own God." {If actually spoken, then spoken from an uniformed, unspiritual Gentile perspective}. [link]