Jeremiah 30
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by David B. Curtis
Chapter 30 of Jeremiah is one of four chapters which has comforting words that look forward to blessings beyond the immediate judgements that are coming. Chapters 30 and 31, we find were written at the same time because it says in chapter 31 verse 1, "At the same time", so obviously this means to say they were written at the same time.
Chapters 32 and 33 have a different setting and even a different style. Nontheless, those 4 chapters, 30-33 tend to speak about positives things beyond the immediate captivity and judgement that has been predicted and would be further predicted afterwards.
Now, just like the prophecies of Isaiah, this little book of comfort has some things that are a little hard to interpret because there seem to be to periods of comfort in mind. On the one hand there is very obvious and clear reference to the return of the exiles from Babylon which happened 70 years after they went in. In other words there is sort of a short range fulfillment in the natural of the people who were in captivity returning to their homeland. But there are also interspersed very clear prophecies of the Messiah and His kingdom who obviously did not come at that time. The captives did not begin to return from Babylon until 536 BC and Jesus didn't come for another 500 years. But still there are indisputeable references to the Messiah and to His Kingdom and to the great glorious times He was bringing including the new covenant in chapter 31. So just like Isaiah chapters 40-66, these chapters have an intermixing of two themes. Both of them are comforting but I think we can legitimately say that the first of the two is a type of the second. That is to say, that the return of the exiles is a type and shadow of salvation just as, what is abundently clear in Scripture, the Exodus was. This is all established very well by New Testament statements. In fact we see earlier in Jeremiah that this second type of exodus will eclipse the first one:
Jer. 23:7 “Therefore, behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “that they shall no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ 8 but, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ And they shall dwell in their own land.”
So it quite clear that the concept of the exodus and that of the return of the exiles from Babylon have similarity in meaning. And its quite fair to suggest the return of the exiles is a type of New Testament salvation just like the exodus is. There are a few places in the New Testament that hint at this but it is nowhere as clearly pressed as the point about the exodus from Egypt being a type of salvation. Yet there are a few places where the New Testament writers quote from Old Testament passages that seem to be about the return of the exiles from Babylon and they apply these passages to the new covenant and therefore we are compelled to see it that way.
What makes this confusing is even as it is in Isaiah, so here in Jeremiah, the two periods are intermixed. Sometimes there is a statement about the return from Babylon followed immediately about the Messianic age. In some cases it is hard to make out about which of the two is being referred. In other words this is a general comforting word that has maybe one sense to its fulfillment. A natural sense and a spiritual sense of what the Messiah will bring to His people. A number of passages in our Jeremiah look talk about a restoration that is permanent and that will never be undone. These references must certainly be talking about the Church age rather than the return from Babylon because when the Jews did return from Babylon they did not have an eternal security forever from enemies. In fact they were overrun a great deal by the Greeks and all the way up to being under subjection by the Romans and eventually they were destroyed by the Romans in 70AD. So we know that the return from Babylon was not the last or permanent deliverance of which he speaks. For this reason some people suggest that we have to think in terms of a return to the land in the last days of time. And then it will be at that time, the end of the church age, that God will draw the Jews from all nations and they will have a perpetual peace in the new found land and never be driven out.
There is little or nothing in these passages or any other to suggest the return of Jews to their land towards the end of time. The return to the Jews to the land was fulfilled in about 70 years from the time that Jeremiah predicted this. And there is no suggestion that they would be drawn back a second time after that. Rather, I think we should understand that those prophecies about a permanent salvation, a permanent security, a permanent peace - that these apply to the spiritual peace and security that comes through the Messiah. Not some secondary return to the land from some secondary dispersion. Of course there are people who take another view and this does not bother me as I am fairly convinced of my own views but some of you may take the view that these prophecies cannot really be done justice to unless we postulate another despersion - that being 70AD - followed by another return to the land which some would say is happening today. You are welcome to see it that way but in my opinion you would be mistaken.
What we are about to read in chapter 30 of Jeremiah up through chapter 31:26, came to Jeremiah in a dream. He doesn't tell us so in the beginning but he tells so in the end.
So lets take a look at Jer. chapter 30.
The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 “Thus speaks the LORD God of Israel, saying: ‘Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you. 3 For behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘that I will bring back from captivity 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.’”
4 Now these are the words that the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah.
5 “For thus says the LORD:
Now, I consulted the NIV Study Bible on this verse. The NIV tries to be objective and tries not to give away its biases very often but here they gave away their dispensational bias a little bit. They said "This prophecy has a short range fulfillment in view, but ultimately it looks for a time far off". So why did they say this? Its because that's what dispensationalists say. But where does it say that in the passage? Now, what it does say is:
For that day is great,
So that none is like it.
This is very much like what Jeremiah has been saying all along. Its a time of Jacob's trouble, and that's fair enough. When the Babylonians came in and wiped them out that was trouble for the Jews. But they will be delivered out of it and this is also what Jeremiah has been saying. There is nothing in here that forces us to the view that this time of Jacob's trouble is meant for a far future event.
But he shall be saved out of it.
8 ‘ For it shall come to pass in that day,’
Says the LORD of hosts,
‘ That I will break his yoke from your neck,
And will burst your bonds;
Foreigners shall no more enslave them.
Side note:
This was brought out earlier and referred to as the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar (Jer. 27:8). This was talking about the Babylonian captivity. But then in verse 9 he begins talking about the Messianic age and we know this because he says...
9 But they shall serve the LORD their God,
And David their king,
Whom I will raise up for them.
Side note:
Now its interesting that the leader of the Jews that brought back the first wave of the exiles was of David's household, Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was of the kingly lineage of David but he never was king; he was governor only. The Jews never really had a legitimate king from the house of David after the Babylonian captivity, until Jesus. The reference to David here is the reference to the Messiah. Looking over at Acts chapter 2:30 Peter is preaching and referring to David he says:
Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne
Now Peter said that David knew that God was going to raise up the Christ upon his throne. And not just raised up to the throne but raised Him up from the dead. However, here is how the Dispensationalist Pre-mil person views this passage:
As I said they tend to see the time of Jacob's trouble as the tribulation period and verse 9 concerns the serving of King David and that happens during the future millinnium reign. They say at the end of the great tribulation, Jesus returns and sets up a thousand year reign on the earth and during this time when the Jewish faithful serve God and David. Being highly committed to literalism the Dispensationalist say this is literally the historical David raised up from the dead.
We need to understand that the name David became the name of a dynasty and every king who sat on that throne after David was in a sense a continuation of that family name and dynasty. And Jesus was of David's seed and the prophets sometimes called Him David. The same is said in Hosea 3:4,5 saying:
4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim.5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days.
I believe that many years without a king was in a time prior to the coming of Christ during the inter-testamental period.
All this is in reference to the remnant of Israel serving Jesus and they did and we call them the disciples made up of many believing Jews who followed Christ. They were the believing remnant in their day and they served Jesus and soon thereafter the Gentiles came in also.
Other References are:
Ezek. 34:23
Ezek.37:24
and again Hosea 3:4,5
All these references speak of Messiah as David.
10 ‘ Therefore do not fear, O My servant Jacob,’ says the LORD,
‘ Nor be dismayed, O Israel;
The context is the return from exile and Jeremiah 30 is using this point to further the context.
Yet I will not make a complete end of you.
‘ Your affliction is incurable,
14 All your lovers have forgotten you;
17 For I will restore health to you
18 “Thus says the LORD:
‘ Behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents,
In the latter days you will consider it.
Jeremiah maybe saying that the things within this chapter may have what could be an obvious fulfillment for their time but there is another fulfillment that is not so obvious until a later time. Thus we read Luke 24:45.
10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.
See also Daniel 12:9
9 And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. 10 Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.
The kings of this world did not understand the secret wisdom of God therefore they crucified Christ. Paul said if they had understood they would not have done so. But the wise, the apostles, did understand. The people you really did have the wisdom of God did understand finally in the last days, but was not permitted to understand and so was it with all the prophets. It was sealed up to the end of the Jewish age at 70AD, the time of the end. Remember Peter said he was living at the time of the end. All the Apostles claimed to be living at that time.
The book of Hebrews claims it, the book of 1 Peter claims it, Paul claimed it, that they were living in the end. So when Jeremiah says at the end of chapter 30
Apparently means that there is something about these prophecies that you are not understanding and cannot understand and will not be understood until the latter times. Those latter times are when the new covenant era came and Jesus poured out His spirit on His disciples and when He opened up their understanding as noted above. And then its interesting that they tended to apply these things to the Church age. Remember Peter's words?
Those were the things the prophets did not understand. Today, the natural man cannot recieve the things of God. Elsewhere in Eph 2 and Colosians Paul said that the mystery was something that had not been previously revealed to the sons of men but was now revealed to the apostles through the Spirit.
For behold, I will save you from afar,
And your seed from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet,
And no one shall make him afraid.
11 For I am with you,’ says the LORD, ‘to save you;
Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you,
See chapter 29:14
14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; 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 to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.
But I will correct you in justice,
And will not let you go altogether unpunished.’
12 “For thus says the LORD:
Your wound is severe.
13 There is no one to plead your cause,
That you may be bound up;
You have no healing medicines.
Side Note:
This always refers to the spiritual condition of the nation
They do not seek you;
For I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy,
With the chastisement of a cruel one,
For the multitude of your iniquities,
Becauseyour sins have increased.
15 Why do you cry about your affliction?
Your sorrow is incurable.
Because of the multitude of your iniquities,
Because your sins have increased,
I have done these things to you.
16 ‘ Therefore all those who devour you shall be devoured;
And all your adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity;
Those who plunder you shall become plunder,
And all who prey upon you I will make a prey.
Side Note:
The Babylonians became a prey, they were plundered and they went into captivity when the Medes and the Persians defeated them
And heal you of your wounds,’ says the LORD,
‘ Because they called you an outcast saying:
“ This is Zion;
No one seeks her.”’
Side Note:
That's the way it seemed when zion was desolate for those 70 years but He says I will heal your wound now. It was once incurable and no one could heal you but Me and I will heal you.
And have mercy on his dwelling places;
The city shall be built upon its own mound,
And the palace shall remain according to its own plan.
19 Then out of them shall proceed thanksgiving
And the voice of those who make merry;
I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish;
I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.
20 Their children also shall be as before,
And their congregation shall be established before Me;
And I will punish all who oppress them.
21 Their nobles shall be from among them,
And their governor shall come from their midst;
Then I will cause him to draw near,
And he shall approach Me;
For who is this who pledged his heart to approach Me?’ says the LORD.
22 ‘ You shall be My people,
And I will be your God.’”
23 Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD
Goes forth with fury,
A continuing whirlwind;
It will fall violently on the head of the wicked.
24 The fierce anger of the LORD will not return until He has done it,
And until He has performed the intents of His heart.
Side Note:
These 2 verses from 23 and 24 are quoted exactly from Jer. 23:19 and 20. The interesting thing about them is that last line:
"In the latter days you will consider it."
As if to say that right now its not an easy thing to understand. Maybe there is something more than what meets the eye. Maybe it is a spiritual thing for the latter days. The Apostles said they were living in the latter days and they did understand things differently because Jesus opened their understanding so that they could see what the Scriptures were saying.
In Luke 24:45
45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
Remember what Peter said about the prophets not understanding their own words that applied to the Church age? 1 Peter 1:10-12
In the latter days you will consider it.
He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.