JEREMIAH - CHAPTER 30 - "IN THE LATTER DAYS YOU SHALL CONSIDER THIS"
“In The Latter Days You Shall Consider This”
Jeremiah 30:24: b
Bible Study Notes
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
In view of Israel’s present plight as well as the plight of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the world today, May this study be an encouragement to all.
We closed our November study with Jeremiah 23. I hope to come back to Jeremiah 24-29 later in this study. Chapter 25 involves the Day of the Lord and His ministry in the earth (25: 30-38). When we get into the judgment of the nations in chapters 46-51, we will be able to go in more depth of the Day of the Lord.
"THIS PASSAGE STANDS WITHOUT RIVAL IN ALL THE WORDS OF THE PROPHETS"
Chapters 30 and 31 are a grand SONG OF RESTORATION. As Christians, we know this applies to the natural Jew, but we also know it finds it complete fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ and His church! The TIME OF JACOB’S TROUBLE corresponds to the Feast Day of Atonement as a part of the Feast of Tabernacles in the Seventh month! There are those who believe this is for the Jews only and some for Christians only. I believe it is for the natural Jew and well as the blood bought Christian. We are all of one "blood". By,D.N.A., Jesus was a Jew. By the blood of Jesus, Christians have the same D.N.A. as Jesus. We are one blood. We are blood bought brothers and sisters in the Blood of Jesus.
30: 7-8: “Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it, it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. For it shall come to pass in that day, says the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and will burst your bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him.”
Leviticus 16: 33-34: “And he shall make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. And this shall be an everlasting statute to you, to make atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year.”
These two chapters bring the promise of a New Covenant. Again, while some project this to some future day, it is obvious to any believer that the New Covenant is the New Testament! This message of hope and restoration comes at the nation’s darkest hour. When it looked like total extinction, Jehovah promises His people a future! They would be saved and restored.
30:10: “Therefore fear you not, O My servant Jacob, says the Lord; neither be dismayed, O Israel for, lo, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.”
30:18: “Thus says the Lord; behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places; and the city shall be built upon her own heap; and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof.”
Like Isaiah before Him, Jeremiah here telescopes future events. He looks away to the New Covenant of Hebrews 8: 7-13: “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, He says, Behold, the days come, says the Lord when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah (Jer. 31:31) Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in My covenant, and I regarded them not, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, say the Lord; I will put My laws into their mind, and write them n their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people. (Jer. 31: 31-34) And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord for all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that He says, a new covenant. He has made the first old. Now that which decays and waxes old is ready to vanish away.”
Following the action of chapter 29, a word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah which he was especially commanded to write in a Book. This would be for the benefit of the returning captives.
30: 1-3: “The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, “Thus speaks the Lord God of Israel, saying, Write you all the words that I have spoken to you in a book. For , lo, the days come, says the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of My people Israel and Judah, says the Lord; and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.”
In chapter 29, Jeremiah instructed them to be peaceful and obedient captives in the land of their captivity and then they would return in 70 years to their homeland (29:10). The Lord had good plans for those whose heart was right toward him. They were to pray for the “welfare” of Babylon. He promises His benevolent purpose for their future welfare, and assures them of a ready response when they return, not only to their land, but also to their God. Their finding of God is contingent upon their seeking Him with all of the hearts; that is, when they have no heart left for anything else, and God takes priority over all other interests.
29:13: “And you shall seek me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, says the Lord; and I will turn away your captivity ,and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places, where I have driven you, says the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place where I caused you to be carried away captive.”
It is noteworthy that the Priest Ezekiel was also deported in 397 B.C. and was called to the prophetic office in 392 B.C. He confirmed the word of Jeremiah to the exiles, and was a second witness to the truth!
The false prophets kept up their fight against Jeremiah even in Babylon (29: 21-32) The people’s prophets and diviners were encouraging false hopes among the people by promise of an early deliverance from the captivity.
Shemaiah, one of the leading false prophets in Babylon, intended that Jeremiah be put “in stocks and in the collar.” (29: 24-28)
Because he “taught rebellion against the Lord”. His life was brought to an end. This is serious business for those who lead others in rebellion. When one is a leader of men, are they leading them in rebellion or in Godliness. Here and in 29:32b and 28:16: two prophets died the same year that Jeremiah prophesied to them.
28:16: “Therefore thus says the Lord; Behold, I will cast you from off the face of the earth; this year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the Lord.
This promise of restoration is to all of us in the New Covenant. Romans 8: 14-23: “For as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God. for you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The spirit Itself bears witness with out Spirit, that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs, heirs of god, and join heirs with Christ; If so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together…”
In a remarkable way, we see that God was determined to accomplish His purpose and restore His people. Secondly, we see the appalling condition of the people so that there was no hope for them except this aforementioned intent of God! In setting forth the Love that will not let His people go, in spite of all their waywardness and folly, this passage stands without a rival in all the words of the prophets.
The whole section speaks of the restoration of the church from the time of Luther to the present, and speaks further that the creation itself shall be delivered!
30; 1-3 – Consolation
4-7 - Tribulation
8-11 Salvation
12-17 Medication
18-24 Restoration
30: 7-8: the underlying truth here is that Babylon will be destroyed and Jacob will be saved! This is very distressing to us as Americans to know that the State Department under the Bush Administration as allocated 7 million dollars to restore the site of ancient Babylon. The Word of God is clear here and in Isaiah that location will never be restored. The Day of the Lord is Day and Night at the same time; but our focus in on the morning! (Isa. 21: 11-12)) The same flood that destroyed the wicked brought the exaltation and deliverance of Noah to inherit the earth. Historically, Jacob had his time of trouble in Gen. 32: 24-32. In that setting his thigh was smitten or bruised and his name was changed from Jacob (old nature –flesh-antichrist) to Israel (new nature – Spirit-Jesus Christ). The old and New Covenants (Gal. 4:21)
This restoration of the time of Jacob’s trouble speaks of the Feast Day of Atonement. This was the most solemn of the feast days. It was the day of national and sanctuary cleansing. This feast was fulfilled historically in Jesus Christ’s finished work and will be fulfilled experientially in His body, the Church. There is no doubt that Jesus Christ made a full and complete Atonement, and there is no doubt that the church has never yet fully appropriated and received all that His Atonement has provided. Many in the church today are like the foolish Galatians they are still trying to go back to the days and weeks of the Old Covenant which has wasted away. We are presently tasting of this Feast and its emphasis on humble prayer. This day of Holy Convocation was also a day of fasting. (Acts. 27:9) This is the afflicting of the flesh and subjugation of the bodily appetites. It was a Day for the Affliction of the Soul. The Day of Atonement was a time of mourning, humiliation, repentance, purification, cleansing, and intercessions. This is the final preparation for the harvest of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Coming of the Lord. Compare our Lord’s experience in the Garden of Gethsemane (“olive press”). In the Day of Atonement, there will ultimately be the experiential putting away of sin and captivity. Where there is no sin, there is no death, as in Romans 8: 1-6 and 1 Cor. 15:56. the Feast took place the tenth day of the seventh month. Ten is the number of testing, trial, law and order, and responsibility. He time between the blowing of the trumpets on the lst. day of the 7th month and Atonement is a time of sifting. Your “bills” are due on the 1st. of the month. You have 10 days to pay them (or God will cut off your light and water)! Note that Jesus cleansed the Temple two times during His earthly ministry. (Jn. 2; Matt. 21) At the beginning and at the end of His ministry. So the believer is cleansed in the Feast of Passover in the 1st. month and the Day of Atonement in the 7th month. There is an outward washing with water and there is an inward urging by fire. God cleansed the temple at the beginning of the age (Acts 5 and 13) through the ministry of Jesus, and will cleanse His church at the end o this age. There were two goats chosen for the Day of Atonement: the goat for Jehovah, the Lord’s goat (Lev. 16: 8-9); and the goat for Azahel, the Scape-goat (Lev. 16:10) In a basic application, Jesus was both goats. The Lord’s goat died to reconcile. The Scape-goat lived to reconcile (Isa. 53:6). Jesus died for our sins and carried them away. The Hebrew word for “Scape Goat” is “Azahel” (#5799) and means “the goat of departure, banish, remove, for entire removal.” The word has also been interpreted as “the evil one” (pointing to satan). The goat for Azahel was thus the goat to subdue the evil one. In a deeper application, the Lord’s goat speaks of those Overcomers who walk beyond the veil and pour out their life (blood) in the Presence of God for the healing of the nation. Those who refuse this dimension of sacrifice will go to the wilderness. The elements will break them. "You pay now or you can pay him later!” So the time of Jacob’s Trouble is the Day of Atonement! The loins of Jacob will be smitten, but he will be delivered completely. (1 Thess. 5:23) The yoke of the bonds of the covenant with death and hell will be broken! The captivity of God’s people will be turned, and the tail will become the head! No longer slaves to alien concepts, the true Israel shall hear the sound of the Jubilee trumpet (Lev. 25) and return to his inheritance. Man returns to Eden and the dominion of the earth. Men are set free and prison doors are opened. The creation shall be delivered into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God. Israel comes forth out of Jacob’s trouble!
This New Covenant is not about certain days and months of the year. It was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Let us not go back to the Old Covenant to look for fulfillment, but receive the finished work of the Cross.
Chapter 31 is the chapter of the New Covenant! I quoted verses 31-34 from Hebrews 8. He took away the first covenant that He might establish the second covenant. Hebrews 10:9: “then said He, Lo, I come to do your will, O God. He takes away the first that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From hereafter expecting till His enemies be made His footstool. For my one offering He has perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that He had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord. I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them. (Jeremiah 31:33) And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.”
The New Covenant replaced the old one made at Sinai which Judah had broken. This time God will remake them from within, giving them the power to do His will. (Rom 8: 1-6; 11 Cor. 5: 17-21)
Throughout this chapter the prophet now continues dealing with the issues of Jehovah’s recovery. He first described the restoration of the city. He then turned to the surrounding nations, and declared to them the fact that Jehovah had ransomed and redeemed Jacob. The next movement tells of the passing of sorrow. He then broke in on the poem with an urgent appeal to the people to turn from backsliding and into the path of God’s restoration. Taking up the song again, he celebrated the new contentment which would take possession of the people in the day of return. Jeremiah then described the new covenant out of which this new peace and security would grow. It would no longer be like the external one made with the fathers, but spiritual and internal; and based upon an intimate knowledge of Jehovah. The last movement of the Song consists of the prophet’s statement of the oath of restoration in which Jehovah appealed to the signs in the heavens and repeated His promise of deliverance.
31: 35-40: Thus says theLord, which gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the mon and of the stars for a light by night, which divides the sea whent he waves thereof roar; the Lord of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before Me, says the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me forever, Thus says the Lord, if heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, says the Lord. Behold, the days comes, says the Lord, that the city shall be guilt to the Lord from the tower of Hananeel (God Grace) as the gate of the corner.
This is the oath of the Lord God upon the heavens and the earth that He will keep this New Covenant. It is confirmed in the Gospels and in the letters. God is not a man that He can lie or break His Word. Let us be wise that we not lead people into rebellion against the Word of the Lord.
Taught by: Carolyn Sissom
Scripture from K.J.V.
And study notes from Principles of Present Truth by: Kelly Varner
Comments and conclusions are my own