Jeremiah 49:34-39, 34:1-22 | Ezekiel 1-3

Please note, this entry was originally scheduled for August 13.

These prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel occur during the years of the 2nd captivity, when Jehoiachin (Jeconiah) was in exile in Babylon, but before the final siege in the days of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah.  Jeremiah remained in Jerusalem, but Ezekiel was called by God to prophesy to the children of Israel in Babylon.  He was a contemporary of Daniel, who also lived in Babylon and Persia his entire life.  Ezekial begins his prophetic ministry after being deported to Babylon, but before Jerusalem is destroyed in the final siege of Nebuchadnezzar.

These first three chapters of Ezekiel mark a very elaborate series of visions, however they are associated with his being called by God to prophesy on His command to the exiles in Babylon.  In chapter 3 God tells him that he will be held accountable for the consequences that fall upon the guilty if he fails to tell them the Word of God beforehand.

In chapter 3 Ezekiel is shown a vision of heaven, and the throne room of God, which can be compared to what Isaiah saw in chapter 6 of his book, and what the apostle John saw in Revelation 4.  The same living beings described by Ezekiel also appear in these other visions.

Jeremiah 50, 51

Please note, this entry was originally scheduled for August 12.

These two chapters in Jeremiah foretell the future destruction of Babylon, which we see in scripture completely fulfilled in Revelation chapters 17-18, and which is also prophesied in two chapters in Isaiah 13-14.

Babylon is first mentioned in Genesis 10:10, which was founded on the plain of Shinar in the days of Nimrod.  With the exception of Jerusalem, there is no other city mentioned more often in the Bible than Babylon, and it is clearly presented throughout as the earthly Capitol of satan’s kingdom.

Throughout world history, the city of Babylon has been conquered and overthrown many times, however it has never been destroyed in the ways that both Jeremiah and Isaiah described, which is compared to the apocalyptic annihilation of Sodom and Gomorrah, where no one will ever live again.  The ruins of Babylon still exist about 50 miles south of Bagdad, in Iraq, and it has the residence of small desert tribes even today.

Whether the destruction of Babylon in Revelation 17-18 is literally speaking of the city in Iraq, or more specifically focused on the spiritual kingdom of satan is a matter of theological debate, however all of these prophecies combined make it clear that God is going to permanently judge it’s ruler, and it will never rise again.

Jeremiah 27, 28, 23

Please note, this entry was originally scheduled for August 11.

The word of the Lord speaks against all of the false prophets in the land, who claim that they declared the words of God, but who are lying to all the people.  Jeremiah sends letters to the kings of all the surrounding nations, telling them willingly submit to Nebuchadnezzar, and ignore the words of their false prophets who say that they will prevail against him.  The Lord promises to bless each of those nations that will submit to Nebuchadnezzar.

There was a false prophet in Jerusalem named Hananiah, who claimed that the Lord told him that Nebuchadnezzar’s authority and rule will be broken after 2 years, however Jeremiah confronted him with the true word of God.  The Lord told Hananiah that he had not be sent from Him, and that because of his lies he would die that same year (which he did 2 months later).

In Jeremiah 23 the Lord speaks against all of the false prophets and shepherds in Judah, but promises that in the last days He will raise up The righteous Branch, Who will be a descendant of David, and reign as king with justice and righteousness.

Jeremiah 22:18-30 | 2 Kings 24:5-20 | 2 Chronicles 36:8-12 | Jeremiah 37:1-2, 52:1-3, 24, 29

Please note, this entry was originally scheduled for August 10.

When Jehoiakim dies, his son Jeconiah reigns for just 3 months and 10 days, until Nebuchadnezzar comes and besieges Jerusalem, takes him captive, and sets up his uncle as his vassal, and renames him as Zedekiah.  Zedekiah would hold that position in Jerusalem for 11 years, but he was an evil king, and ends up rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar.  Ultimately, Nebuchadnezzar comes back (again) and completely destroys Jerusalem and the temple, killing Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes, and then putting out his eyes and taking him back to Babylon in chains.  Only a small number of Jews will remain in Israel, with some also hiding in Egypt.

In Jeremiah 29 the prophet sends a letter to the exiles in Babylon, telling them that the Lord will bless them in their captivity.  He tells them to build houses and raise families in exile, and to actually seek the welfare and good of Babylon during the time God will have them living in Babylonian captivity.  He says “don’t listen to the false prophets among you, who say this is just a short thing”, as the Lord will only visit to restore them to Jerusalem after 70 years have passed in captivity.  Conversely, the Lord promises to utterly destroy the pretenders who did not go into captivity, and stayed back in Israel and Egypt, as well as the false prophets who lead the exiles astray.

Jeremiah 49:1-33 | Daniel 1-2

Please note, this entry was originally scheduled for August 9.

In Jeremiah 49:1-33 the Lord speaks against Ammon, who were the descendants of Lot’s second son, and also promises to restore them in the end.  Then He prophesies destruction on Edom (the descendants of Esau), on Syria, and also Hazor.  All of these nations will be cast down when Nebuchadnezzar invades the region and also destroys Jerusalem, and takes the survivors away as slaves to Babylon.

In Daniel 1 and 2 we are introduced to him and his 3 friends, who were all taken as captives to Babylon during the reign of Jehoiakim, which was about 8-9 years before Nebuchadnezzar goes back and completely destroys Jerusalem.  Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Meshiel (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) were young men, who were probably among the royal families in Judah, who Nebuchadnezzar would have taken hostage to prompt Jehoiakim to behave himself.

Daniel and his friends are chosen to be trained and educated in Babylon, and God gives them good favor with their master, and blesses them for being faithful to Him in all that they do.

God gives king Nebuchadnezzar a dream, and none of the wise men and sorcerers in Babylon could tell him the dream, or the interpretation.  Yet God told Daniel what the dream was, and what the interpretation was, which provided a birds eye view of history.  The Babylonians would be succeeded by the Medes and Persians, who would be conquered by the Greeks (Alexander), who would then be conquered by the Romans.  A remnant of the Roman empire would eventually be completely destroyed by God, and Jesus will reign thereafter on the earth.

Nebuchadnezzar promotes Daniel to very high office in his kingdom, along with the other 3 Hebrew friends of Daniel, and Daniel will have position and influence even until the days of Cyrus, more than 70 years later.

Jeremiah 36, 45, 48

Please note, this entry was originally scheduled for August 8.

Again, around the same time that Pharaoh Necho is defeated by Nebuchadnezzar at Carchemish, the Lord speaks another word to Jeremiah, telling him to write down all He had previously spoken to him on a scroll.  Jeremiah calls his disciples Baruch to do this, and then instructs him to go into the temple and read it aloud when there are many people there for a holy day of fast to God.  The next year such a fast occurs, and Baruch goes and reads the scroll, with many of the kings servants astonished that he would say such things.  They take the scroll to king Jehoiakim, who hears a few lines before cutting it up and throwing it into the fire.  Baruch and Jeremiah go into hiding, as the king issues an order for their arrest.

In chapter 45 the Lord speaks through Jeremiah to Baruch, telling him that God will protect his life in the future, even though he will not realize wealth or position.

In chapter 48 the Lord speaks a prophecy of judgement against the nation of Moab, who were persistent enemies of Israel, and the descendants of Moab, the son of Lot by his eldest daughter (Genesis 19).  Yet, at the end God promises to restore Moab, probably for Abraham’s sake.

Jeremiah 46-47 | 2 Kings 24:1-4, 7 | 2 Chronicles 36:6-7 | Jeremiah 25, 35

Please note, this entry was originally scheduled for August 7.

The Lord speaks through Jeremiah of the destruction of the Egyptian army that is led by Pharaoh Necho, which happened in 605 BC when Nebuchadnezzar defeated them at Carchemish.  He also prophesies of the destruction of the Philistines in Jeremiah 47, which was accomplished by Pharaoah Necho on his march from Egypt to Babylon, along the coasts of Judah.

In Jeremiah 25 the Lord speaks through the prophet around the same time that Nebuchadnezzar defeated Pharaoh Necho, prophesying that Nebuchadnezzar was going to eventually come up against Judah, destroy the city and many people, and take the remainder of the people as slaves back to Babylon.  Jeremiah also wrote that this Babylonian captivity would last for 70 years, and then God would judge Babylon and return His people to Jerusalem and the land of Israel.  It is this prophecy of Jeremiah that Daniel will read at the end of the 70 years of captivity (Daniel 9), and pray that the Lord bring it to pass.  In Jeremiah 25 the Lord shifts His focus in the latter half of this chapter, speaking of His plans to judge all the nations of the world that have come against His people, speaking of the time when Jesus will come to judge the earth at the end of the great tribulation.

In Jeremiah 35 the Lord commands Jeremiah to call the family of the Rechabites, and sets them up as an example of the type of behavior that He was looking for by the rest of His people in Judah.  For generations the Rechabites had obeyed the orders of their forefather Jonadab, yet the majority of people in Judah refused to obey the commands of God.  The Lord blesses the Rechabites, and again calls for Judah and the leaders to turn to Him in repentance, before He brings about their destruction.

Jeremiah 26 | Habakkuk

Please note, this entry was originally scheduled for August 6.

During the reign of Jehoiakim, the Lord sends Jeremiah to the temple in Jerusalem to preach a message of judgement towards Judah, and to plea with the leaders and the people to repent, and return to God.  The priests appeal to the king’s princes, arguing that Jeremiah should be put to death for speaking against the nation.  Jeremiah tells them to do as they please, but they will be guilty of shedding innocent blood before God if they kill him.  Ultimately, Jeremiah is not executed, but Jehoiakim does arrest and kill another prophet of God named Urijah.

The book of Habakkuk is short, and little is known about this prophet.  It is generally accepted that he was a priest, since the 3rd chapter is a prayer of Habakkuk, which is written after the likeness of a psalm of David, and with instructions to be sung with stringed instruments.  Habakkuk probably lived as a contemporary of Jeremiah, as the message of God is one of imminent judgement against Judah, which will be fulfilled when Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem in around 587 BC.

In chapter 1 Habakkuk is complaining to the Lord about the unchecked wickedness among the leaders and people in Judah.  God responds by telling him that He is raising up the Chaldeans (Babylon) to bring judgement upon Judah.  The prophet is dismayed, and asks why God would use an even wickeder nation to judge His people, but the Lord tells him that every proud and evil man will suffer His judgement.  This is called out in chapter 2.

In Habakkuk 2:4 we also have a foundational declaration by God, that “the just shall live by faith”, which is greatly expounded on by the New Testament apostles, including Paul and the writer of Hebrews.

Chapter 3 is a prayer of praise and trust towards God, and Habakkuk says that no matter how bad things get, the Lord will always be trustworthy and faithful.

Nahum | 2 Kings 23:29-37 | 2 Chronicles 35:20-36:5 | Jeremiah 22:10-17

Please note, this entry was originally scheduled for August 5.

The prophet Nahum speaks the word of the Lord against Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, as God plans to bring them down from their position of rulership in the middle east. During the days of king Josiah, the Lord sends Pharaoh Necho to execute war on Assyria, which is when Josiah is killed because of presumptuously challenging Necho to fight.

After Josiah is killed, his son Jehoahaz becomes king in Judah for 3 months, however Pharaoh Necho takes him as captive to Egypt, where he will die. Necho sets up the brother of Jehoahaz, Eliakim to be his vassal king in Judah, and renames him Jehoiakim. Jehoiakim is an evil king, and will reign for 11 years in Jerusalem.

On a side note, king Nebuchadnezzar will conquer Pharaoh Necho at the famous battle of Carchemish in 605 BC, and he laid siege to Jerusalem about 20 years later, when the city and temple were destroyed, and the survivors taken captive to Babylon.

2 Kings 22:1-23:28 | 2 Chronicles 34:8-35:19

Please note, this entry was originally scheduled for August 4.

Josiah was 8 years old when his father Amon died, and he reigned as king in Judah for 31 years. Josiah was the most faithful and godly king in Judah since David. He instituted a program of eliminating all of the places of idol worship in Israel, which even included Bethel, in the (former) northern kingdom. He initiated a temple restoration project, to clean it out, and to bring back the worship of Jahweh in that place.

It’s an amazing thing to consider that during this temple renovation project, the priests stumbled upon the book of the law, which had apparently been lost in the previous 50+ years of the reigns of Manasseh and Amon. There were apparently none who remembered God’s laws until His Word was discovered in the temple, and when Josiah read what was written there, he was devastated. He sought the Lord, and started a revival in Judah that would last until his death, some 12-13 years later, and God promised that He would not bring about His judgement on Judah until after Josiah died.

Josiah died in battle with Pharaoh Necho, and all Israel mourned him, including Jeremiah the prophet.

Jeremiah 17-20

Please note, this entry was originally scheduled for August 3.

The Lord said that the hearts of men are desperately wicked - He knows what is in the heart of every person. He also said “cursed is the man who trusts in man”, and “blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord”. We cannot trust even ourselves, but only Him! It’s interesting that God sends Jeremiah to the gates of Jerusalem to preach against those who violate the Sabbath, and says that He will bless them if they just do this one thing (honor the Sabbath by ceasing from their labors) - yet, no one listens.

In chapter 18 the Lord uses the example of the potter to tell Judah that He is sovereign, and that even though He has designed disasters for His people, He will relent if they would just repent and turn back to Him. Jeremiah tells the priests and leaders in Judah that the Lord is going to bring great destruction and devastation upon them and Jerusalem. Many will die, and many more will be taken as slaves to Babylon. The leaders in Judah arrest and do violence to Jeremiah in response to the word of the Lord that he spoke, and he bemoans the day of his birth.

Jeremiah 14-16

Please note, this entry was originally scheduled for August 2.

For the sins of the people, as well as the horrible sins fostered by the wicked king Manasseh, the Lord tells Jeremiah He is going to first send a great famine in the land of Judah, and then it will be followed up by an invasion of Israel’s enemies with even greater disasters to come. He says “repent now, and you can avoid these things.”

In chapter 16 the Lord tells Jeremiah not to take a wife, and not to have children in Judah, as they will be killed when He brings about these disasters, and they are going to happen in his (Jeremiah’s) lifetime.

Jeremiah 10-13

Please note, this entry was originally scheduled for August 1.

What foolishness is demonstrated by all who form their own gods, and who refuse to serve and obey the One God Who made everything!

In chapter 11 the Lord speaks through Jeremiah to condemn His people for disobeying His covenant with them. In Deuteronomy 28 the Lord spoke through Moses, telling Israel of all the blessings they would enjoy if they simply obeyed God’s laws, and all the curses that would come upon them when they refused to obey them. The Lord is putting His people on notice that they have persisted in disobeying His covenant with them, and He was preparing great disasters upon them for what they were doing.

In chapter 12 Jeremiah complains to the Lord about the treachery and wickedness of the people, and asks how long they will be allowed to persecute him. The Lord responds in verse 5, saying “if you have become worn out in struggling with the footmen, how will you be able to run with horses?” In other words, God told him that there was much worse to come, and that he needed to prepare himself for the long run against them in Judah.

The Lord tells Jeremiah in chapter 13 to take a new wrap and travel to the Euphrates river and bury it there, which was a one-way trip of around 500 miles. After some time the Lord tells him to go back and dig it up, and he finds it almost completely destroyed by the water and dirt. God uses this imagery to speak of His plans for Judah, who will be taken away by the Babylonians (located on the Euphrates river), and they will suffer punishment and slavery for their persistent refusal to obey God.

Jeremiah 7-9

Please note, this entry was originally scheduled for July 31.

God sent Jeremiah to the temple in Jerusalem to declare the Lord’s words against Judah, saying that no one should think that they will escape His judgement for their pervasive idolatries and disobedience. Just like God judged Israel, and Shiloh, the first place in Israel where His presence dwelt, Jerusalem and the temple will become a heap of ruins, and the people will be scattered in the nations.

Even from the beginning, in the days of Moses, the Lord was only looking for obedience and love from His people, and none of their sacrifices are pleasing to Him when they refuse to obey Him.

The Lord continues to call Judah and Jerusalem to repentance, but promises desolations to come when they refuse to hear and obey.

Jeremiah 4-6

It has been more than 350 years since Judah was exalted under the leadership of king David, and they have been in steady decline ever since he died. The Lord speaks against the pride of the false prophets and priests in Jerusalem, who persist in leading the people astray, and calls for all to humble themselves and return to Him. Yet, they will not do that, and the Lord tells them that their enemies from the North will be coming to sack Jerusalem, and no one will be able to declare their power and riches afterwards.

Jeremiah 1-3

Jeremiah was a priest of God, from the Levitical family of Kohath, and He was called by God as a young man to be a prophet to Judah in the 13 th year of Josiah’s reign. He remained a prophet in for a long time, seeing the remainder of the kings in Judah (Josiah’s sons) until Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem, and the people were taken as slaves into Babylon for 70 years (which Jeremiah predicted by the Word of the Lord). He served as prophet of God in the declining days of Judah, and he has been appropriately called the weeping prophet because no one ever responded to his warnings with repentance towards God during his entire ministry.

The book of Jeremiah is not sequential or linear in time. The chapters and passages jump around between different times of the kings of Judah. Through the prophet, the Lord laments the treacheries of Israel and Judah, who have persisted in running after false gods, just like a shameless harlot who runs after her many lovers. The Lord calls for Judah to repent and return to Him, and expresses amazement at her hard heart, which had not changed even after Israel was taken into captivity by the Assyrians for all of their sins against Him. Throughout the prophecies of Jeremiah, we will see many times where the focus of time is shifted from the present day (he started prophesying around 640 BC) to the future. We see this clearly in chapter 3, verses 14-18, when the Lord will restore Israel in the last days, and He will be their God.

2 Kings 21:19-26 | 2 Chronicles 33:21-34:7 | Zephaniah

Amon, the son of Manasseh, reigns for two years in Judah, his father’s place, but he is wicked, and was murdered by his own servants. Amon’s son Josiah becomes king in Judah at the age of 8 years old, and reigns for 31 years. Josiah will be a godly king in Judah.

During the reign of Josiah, both Zephaniah and Jeremiah were prophets of the Lord. Zephaniah foretells the devastation of the land, which will occur when Nebuchadnezzar comes and destroys Jerusalem and the temple, and takes away the people as slaves to Babylon. However, there is a shift in focus in Zephaniah’s prophecy, where he is telling of the future Day of The Lord, when Jesus will come and fight against the enemies of God in the last days, and then restore peace and prosperity in Israel.

Isaiah 63-66

63 - However, before all is restored, Jesus alone will execute the judgement of God upon the earth, against satan and all who hate Him.

64 - This chapter is a prayer of Isaiah for God to rise up and show Himself powerful against the enemies of God, just like He did in the days of Moses, and He will answer this prayer in due time.

65 - The Lord will judge all who persist in rebelling against Him, and then He will change everything. He will create a new heaven and earth, and all of the things that happened before will be forgotten, and the world will live in peace and be blessed of God.

66 - Contrary to what some people teach, God will judge the wicked, and they will not only be killed in God’s wrath, but they will live forever under His judgement, who all the righteous will see and be repulsed by - last verse.

Isaiah 58-62

The people in Israel were trying to find ways of appeasing God, and they thought that fasting and self-denial were ways to please Him. Yet the Lord tells them that He will be far more pleased with their fasts if they show mercy upon those who need help, provide food for the hungry, and share with those who have less. The fast of the Lord is to break oppressions.

59 - The Lord will turn a deaf ear to the prayers of the wicked, and those who persist in harboring sin in their hearts towards other people. The Lord saw that there was no righteousness in the earth, and He therefore put on righteousness for men in Jesus Christ.

60 - This chapter describes the glorious reign of the Messiah in Israel, and how the whole world will bless Him and Israel in that day. We know from Revelation 21 that this prophecy will be fulfilled after the judgement of God upon satan, yet in the days of Jesus everyone was looking for Him to fulfill it in their day.

61 - In Luke 4:18-19 Jesus quotes the first verse, and half of the second verse of this chapter, telling those in the synagogue in Nazareth that they were witnessing the fulfillment of this prophecy. He did not quote the second half and beyond, which tells of the Day of the Lord, when He will judge the earth, and bring restoration to Zion.

62 - There is a future glory coming in Israel, when all things will be restored. God says in verses 6-7 that He has placed His watchmen to pray day and night, who will not be silent before Him until all He has planned is accomplished.

Isaiah 52-57

The Lord will fight for Israel. The Lord will bring Salvation to Jerusalem. At the end of chapter 52 we see the beginning description of Jesus, the Lord’s servant, Who is disfigured more than any other man, and will sprinkle the nations with His blood. Chapter 53 is the most vivid of Messianic prophecies, picturing Jesus as the suffering Messiah, Who was slain like a sheep going to slaughter, and by Whose stripes we are saved.

54 - Even though the Lord has been angry with Israel for a while, He will restore her as His bride, and will never keep His Mercy from her again.

55 - The ways of the Lord are infinitely higher than the ways of man, and everything He does accomplishes His purposes.

56 - Blessed are all who love the Lord and His justice, and who seek to walk uprightly before Him. All people in the world are welcomed by Him, when they come to Him on His terms.

57 - Merciful men and women enter into the Lord’s peace, but the wicked persist in their evil ways in defiance of the Lord.