JEREMIAH - Chapters 46-51 -The Judgment of the Nine Nations
Jeremiah 46-51
‘Nine is the number of finality – only God’s Kingdom is going to Stand”
Taught by: Carolyn Sissom
February 17, 2009
Here begins the section of Jeremiah’s prophecies unto the other nations of his day. (Since the Book of Jeremiah is not in chronological order, these prophecies were written prior to Chapter 45 which concluded Jeremiah’s prophetic words.)
Jeremiah is indeed a prophet to the nations (1: 4-10). These chapters contain some of the most magnificent poetry in the book. Jeremiah like Isaiah before him sees God controlling the history of the world and not just one corner of it. God deals with evil everywhere it occurs. (Isa. 13-23 and Ezek. 25-32).
In view of the present condition of our world, we will be able to relate the scriptures to the Lord’s dealings with the nations of the world in the latter days. As we continue through this study, there will be many that we will be able to apply to the nations.
One that will stand out is 48:29:”we have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud), his loftiness and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart.” ”Arrogancy” = “swelling pride”.
In Chapter 46, Egypt is the first of the nations addressed by the prophet Jeremiah:
- 46:- The word to the Gentiles (Egypt) – Bondage of the sin of the World.
- 47: 1-7 – The word to Philistia – act of mourning – rolling about-illegal immigration
- 48: 1-47- The word to Moab – principle of laziness and idleness and reveals
4. 49: 1-6 - The word to Ammon - - reveals the principle of mixture
5. 49: 7-22 - The word to Edom – The principle of the natural man.
- 49: 23-27- The word to Damascus (Syria) –reveals the principle of the waste of human energy of religious trafficking. The principles of riches or mammon. It is related to the principles revealed in the names Tyre and Sidon. - palaces of Ben-Hadad – son of terror.
- 49: 28-33- The word to Kedar and Hazor:
Hazor – The principle of prejudice, hate, and war. The principle
Kedor –to be ashy or dark colored -descended from Ishmael)
- 49: 34-39 – The word to Elam – The principle of immaturity - east of the
Tigris-Euphrates.
- 50-51 – The word to Babylon – confusion – gate of Bel- court of chaos
The same political and religious powers and principalities have been “assigned to block the establishment of the government of the Kingdom of God on the earth by instituting false government and corrupt political practices”. (The Political Spirit by Faisal Malack, Destiny Image Publisher)
EGYPT
Chapter 46: 1-2: “The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles; against Egypt, against the army of Pharoah-necho King of Egypt which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiachim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah.”
There is first a description of the defeat of the Egyptian army at Carchemish (605 B.C.) in the middle period of Jeremiah’s life (46: 1-2). Then there is a later prophecy that Nebuchadnezzar would invade Egypt (46: 13-26), which is an expansion of Jeremiah 43: 8-13 and the judgment of the Remnant of Judah if they went into Egypt. Over 100 years earlier, Isaiah had prophesied the Assyrian invasion of Egypt (Isa. 18-20) (Ezek. 19 & 32).
Here is the first prediction concerning Pharoah-necho. Necho 11 of Egypt was defeated at Carchemish at the great bend of the Euphrates 60 miles east of Haran. Victorious Chaldean crown prince Nebuchadnezzar pursued his defeated foe to Egypt. (2-6). This prophecy was fulfilled.
Apis was an idol bull-god of Egypt. Thebes (46:25) was the great metropolis of upper Egypt, and Amon, the great sun deity adored there. The chapter closes with God’s promise of future blessing and comfort for his people. It would indicate not only the Remnant of Judah that fled to Egypt, but all of his people that he had judged.
The Hebrew word for Egypt is “Miitsrayim” (#4514) and means upper and lower Egypt. This is the principle of bondage to the world. 1 John 2: 15-17: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world”
Satan is the god and prince of this world system, just as Pharaoh was the god and king of Egypt. Sin and the world are cruel taskmasters, and their wages is death. (Rom 6:23, 8: 1-6: Prov. 14:12).
- The sword will devour them.
- The valiant men will be swept away.
- Egypt is like a very fair heifer (the bull was sacred), but destruction comes.
- her hired men are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks – they did not stand. People become what they worship.
- The voice thereof shall go like a serpent.
- They will come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.
- they shall cut down her forest.
- They are more than grasshoppers and were innumerable.
- The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded. (I had a dream this week that a spirit of confusion has been called out on many people who are not delivered from the love of the world.)
- She shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.
- I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods and their kings.
The Lord again remembers Israel and His covenant with them.
46: 27-28: “Fear not, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel, for behold, I will save you from afar of and your 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 not, O Jacob my servant, says the Lord; for I am with you; for I will make a full end of all the nations where I have driven you; but I will not make a full end of you; but correct you in measure; yet will I not leave you wholly unpunished.”
Philistia (Palestine)
Chapter 47 is Jeremiah’s word to Philistia. The Hebrew word for Philistia is #6420 “Pel-ish-tee” which means a Pelishtite. “Rolling; migratory, immigration”. This is a region in Syria. The word Philistine is found in Jeremiah 25:20, but mostly in the book of Judges, 1 & 11 Samuel; and 1 Chronicles. In David’s day, these were Israel’s perpetual enemies. They speak of the earthy, carnal mind those who wallow in the same. Their champion was Goliath, a type of satan.
The spirits of the Philistines are those who will come in and try to take over a work at the time of Harvest. I believe we can also apply to illegal immigration.
This prophecy by Jeremiah, foretells the desolation of Philistia by Babylon, was fulfilled 20-years later when Nebuchadnezzar took Judah. The other prophets who spoke regarding Philistia were Isaiah, Amos, Ezekiel, Zephaniah and Zechariah. Apparently, Tyre and Sidon were in league with the Philistines (47:4). The Philistines were indo-Europeans from Crete (Amos 9:7). The main wave of them settling in southwest Palestine, “the land of the Peleate,” in the 12th century B.C.
Jeremiah 47: 1: “The Word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before that Pharaoh smote Gaza.
God has a special time – a kairos time – appointed by God for His intervention in human history. The enemy has the same spiritual strategy today that he had when Jeremiah prophesied the Lord’s judgments against the nations. It is of interest that the 2009 stimulus bill appropriates 20 million dollars to settle Palestinians in the U.S.A. We must be equipped to deal with this power and principality. Also, we can rejoice that Netanyahu is now Prime Minister of Israel.
It is time for the façade of corrupt governing systems and religious hypocrisy of our day to be exposed. The same evil powers and principalities that were over the nations of the world at the time of this judgment are at work today to stop the coming of God’s glory.
“We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12).
47: 6-7: “O sword of the Lord, how long will it be that you are quiet? Put up your scabbard, rest and be still. How can it be quiet, seeing the Lord has given it a charge against Ashkelon, and against the sea shore? There has he appointed it”
In each of these chapters dealing with the nations, we see that Nebuchadnezzar is coming. Nebuchadnezzar was a chosen vessel of the Lord to bring his judgment on the nations. He came in the power, might and smite of the Lord. One of the Lord’s judgments is His Smite.
MOAB
Chapter 48 is the Lord’s judgment on Moab. Moab was the incestuous son of Lot, seed of the father, water of the water, flowing from the father. They were a kindred nation (half-brothers to Israel). Moab speaks of the principle of laziness and idleness and reveals those who will not change or grow.
48: 11-12: “Moab has been at ease from his youth, and he has settled on his lees, and ha snot been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither has he gone into captivity; therefore his taste remained to him nor his scent has not changed. Behold the days comes says the Lord, that I will send unto him wanderers that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles. And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence.”
Chemosh= Saturn (evil, dark star).” – “subduer, vanquisher, depressor, incubus”. Chemosh was the national deity.
Father Adam is the source of the Moabite nature. We can compare the Philistine nature, which from the Hebrew also means “rolling about, transition, migration, emigration, wandering, deviating from a true course, rejected, and infidel.” (Illegal immigration, going off-course, backsliders, etc.)
Here in chapter 48, the King of Kings and His Princes have come to deal with those who will not change! Moab is mentioned 34 times in chapter 48.
Moab helped Nebuchadnezzar against Judah, but later was devastated and subdued at his hands (582 b.c.). Moab was a rolling plateau of rich pasture lands lying east of the Dead Sea.
Although protected because of her isolation from main trade or invasion routes, Moab would not escape (11-17). Then we have the reason for their overthrow (20-27). She was to reap the harvest that she had sown, and was to be punished for her pride (29-42). After terrible devastation, Moab would be restored (43-47) Jeremiah mourned for Moab.
48: 1-10: “Against Moab thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, woe unto Nebo!”
Nebo was the god of education.
Moab enjoyed the vices and luxuries that result from unbroken prosperity, and proudly looked upon her afflicted neighbors in boastful mockery. Like wine settled on the lees, she was at ease in her seeming security and conceited complacency, trusting in Chemosh and despising God. Moab’s national offensive flavor remained unchanged because she had not been refined or purified by national calamities, which, however, were sure to come by means of the Chaldean “wanderers.” The description here is the purification of wine to become sweeter and clearer! The word “salvation” has been misunderstood: we have been saved, are being saved, and shall be saved (11 Cor. 1:10). Man’s Spirit, Soul and Body is included in Jesus’ redemption. (1 Thess. 5:12) Our spirit has been resurrected and translated from death to life. (Jn. 5:24; Col. 5:23). Our soul is being transformed, changed and renewed progressively. In other words, we are being poured from vessel to vessel.
God has blown us out of our comfort zone by showing us that there is more than Passover and Pentecost. Like a perpetual drink offering, He is commanding us to empty ourselves. (Phil 2: 1-11) and to pour out and lay down our lives. The principle of the Day of Atonement. He is sending His apostolic ministry into the country of idleness. Like their Master, these will cleanse the temple and will tip every table!
To be continued next Tuesday – Judgment of the Nine Nations by: Jeremiah
Taught by: Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture quote from K.J.V. with study notes from Principles of Present Truth by: Kelly Varner and quotes from The Political Spirit by: Faisal Malick. Comments and conclusions are my own.