Jeremiah’s Prophecy Fulfilled

MEMORY VERSE: “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.” —Jeremiah 21:8

JEREMIAH 38:14-18; 39:1,2,6-10

THE fulfilled prophecy of Jeremiah noted in this lesson is the one pertaining to the people of Judah and their king, Zedekiah, being taken into captivity to Babylon, and their land made desolate. Jeremiah’s prophecy and its fulfillment was a confirmation of a much earlier prophecy recorded in Leviticus 26:14-35. Another reference to the same general prophecy is recorded in II Chronicles 36:17-21.

Leviticus 26:18,24 and 28 speaks of a “seven times more” of punishment which would come upon Israel because of her sins. We believe that this is a reference to the same period of time that Jesus spoke of as “the times of the Gentiles,” during which Jerusalem, or Israel, would be trodden down by Gentile nations. (Luke 21:24) This “seven times” of punishment is a period of 2,520 years. It began with the overthrow of Judah’s last king, Zedekiah, and the taking of the nation into captivity in 606 B.C. The first seventy years of this long period of punishment was the time when Israel was a captive nation in Babylon.

Leviticus 26:32-35 prophesies also that the land would lie desolate. We quote: “I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies’ land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.”

II Chronicles 36:21 calls attention to the beginning of the foretold desolation and rest of the land, showing that it was at the time when Judah’s last king was overthrown: “To fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfill three-score and ten years.”

The overthrow of the kingdom of Judah and the taking of the people into captivity in Babylon was a gradual development. While the kings of Judah were all from the royal line of David, upon the death of a king it was the prerogative of the people to select which of the royal line would be the successor. Jehoahaz, the son of the good king Josiah, was the last king the people were allowed to choose, and he was permitted to reign only three months.

Then the king of Egypt stepped in, overthrew Jehoahaz, and appointed his brother Elikam to reign in his stead, changing his name to Jehoiakim. The king of Egypt also “condemned” the land—Prof. Strong indicates the levying of a fine; today we would use the word “tax.” The amount of the fine or tax on the land was “an hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.” This was just twenty-two years before the overthrow of Israel’s last king, Zedekiah. In the nineteenth year Nebuchadnezzar wrested power from Egypt’s king, and Jehoiakim came under his dorm, nation, and from then until the people were taken captive to Babylon they were vassals to the king of Babylon.—Dan. 1:1,2

The Prophets Ezekiel and Jeremiah were used by the Lord in connection with the overthrow of the nation at that time. He wrote concerning their last king, Zedekiah: “And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, Thus saith the Lord God; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.”—Ezek. 21:25-27

The One “whose right it is” to rule over Israel and the world is the glorified Jesus, and the time is during his second presence. Jesus’ loyal followers during the Gospel Age will in due time share that rulership with him.—Luke 1:30-33; Rev. 20:6

QUESTIONS

Where in the Bible is the first prophecy of Israel’s overthrow, and the desolation of the land?

What do the prophecies say as to the purpose of the desolation of the land?

Who was Israel’s last king, and who will be the future king of Israel and of the world?

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