Monday, 30 December 2024

Yahudah part exiled


 

 

 

 

 

Was all of Judah exiled to Babylon? Jeremiah Chapter 27 tells us who was exiled to Babylon.

Yahuah told Jeremiah to make bands and yokes for the following nations who will serve Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

Jeremiah 27:2-3 So says Yahuah to me, make bonds and yokes for yourself, and put them on your neck. And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the sons of Ammon, and to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers who came to Jerusalem to Zedekiah, king of Judah.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yahuah says He has made the earth, the man and the animals and He will decide what is to be done in His eyes – Jeremiah 27:5.

Jeremiah 27:6-7 ‘And now, I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the sovereign of Babylon, My servant. And the beasts of the field I have also given him to serve him. ‘And all nations shall serve him and his son and his son’s son, until the time of his land comes. And then many nations and great sovereigns shall make him serve them.

All the nations in verse 3 shall serve Babylon for many years – serve Nebuchadnezzar, his son and his son’s son.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yahuah says in Jeremiah 27:8 that if these nations (verse 3) do not serve Babylon as He instructed, then Yahuah will punish them with the sword, famine and plaques.

Yahuah also says not to listen to your prophets, or to those divining to you, or to your dreams, or to your soothsayers, or to your sorcerers, those who speak to you, saying, you shall not serve the king of Babylon. For they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land, that I should drive you out, and you should perish – Jeremiah 27:9-10.


 

 

Now the next part I find very interesting.

Jeremiah 27:11 But the nation that will bring its neck into the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, says Yahuah, I will leave it on its own land, and it may work it and live in it.

The nations that except to serve Babylon will be allowed to stay on their own land and live in it.

But hear the next verse.

Jeremiah 27:12-13 I also spoke to Zedekiah, king of Judah according to all these words, saying, bring your necks into the king of Babylon's yoke, and serve him and his people, and live. Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the plague, as Yahuah has spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

Yahuah is saying if the King of Judah and his people serve Babylon as He instructed then they will stay in the land of Judah and live.

So according to my understanding part of Judah was exiled to the land of Babylon and another part of the people stayed in the land of Judah and served Babylon. These words were spoken to Jeremiah at the start of King Jehoiakim’s reign (Jeremiah 27:1). Some translation says King Zedekiah.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Jeremiah 27:20 it states who of Judah was exiled to Babylon; which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take (speaking of the temple equipment) when he exiled Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king ofJudah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah andJerusalem.

If I understand correctly, Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah was exiled out of the land of Judah and King Zedekiah or King Jehoiakim stayed in the land of Judah. The question, was these two different periods of Judah or did the remainder of people in Judah later also been exiled to Babylon.

We will get the answer when reading on in the next chapters of Jeremiah.


 

 

Wednesday, 25 December 2024

Jeremiah on death sentence


 

 

Yahuah told Jeremiah to stand in the house of Yahuah (temple) and warn all those in the temple and the area to repent and return away from their sins – Jeremiah 26:1-3.

Yahuah's way is always redemption first, but due to free will, punishment will follow for those who do not listen.


 

 

 

This is what Jeremiah must say to them in Jeremiah 26:4-6 And you shall say to them, so says Yahuah, if you will not listen to Me, to walk in My Torah which I have set before you, to listen to the words of My servants the prophets whom I am sending to you, even rising up early and sending (but you have not listened), then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.

Shiloh, was a place where the ark of the covenant and tabernacle was until it was taken by the Philistines. Yahuah is saying if the people do not repent then Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed like what happened to Shiloh.

Shiloh is also a phrase expressing the characteristic of the Messiah.

After Jeremiah spoke these words the priests and the prophets at the temple seized him and demanded that he be put to death – Jeremiah 26:7-8.

The priests and the prophets asked Jeremiah how can he use the Name of Yahuah when prophesying that the temple will become like Shiloh – Jeremiah 26:9.

The leaders rushed to the temple after hearing about the threat from the priests and prophets against Jeremiah. Jeremiah warns the priest and prophets that they will have innocent blood on their hands if they go ahead with the death threats against him. Again, Jeremiah warns them to obey the words of Yahuah. The leaders then tell the priest and prophets that Jeremiah will not be put to death. Then the elders explain to the priest, prophets and people that they wanted to kill Micah the prophet when he spoke the same words as Jeremiah and the King of Judah at that time (Hezekiah) stop them from killing Micah. Read Jeremiah 26:10-19 for the full story.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Human nature is to always strike the messenger instead of adhering to the message of repentance. When one rejects the messenger that Yahuah sent with His message they are rejecting Yahuah who gave the message.

This is a warning for us as well to ensure we know the words given to the prophets by Yahuah that when someone speak to us regarding these words from the prophet that we do not reject them. The only way to make sure someone is speaking the truth is to know the truth.


 

 

Monday, 16 December 2024

Punish 70 years


 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeremiah the prophet had spoken already for 23 years regarding the Words of Yahuah to the people and leaders of Judah but they still did not listen Jeremiah 25:3.

Jeremiah prophesied about Judah's punishment and captivity for many years before the actual destruction happened. Yahuah sent His prophets to give warning of repentance before the actual destruction is to take place. Jeremiah spoke from early mornings for 23 years to the people to turn away from their sins but they did not hear.


 











Jeremiah 25:4-5 And Yahuah has sent to you all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending, but you have not listened nor bowed your ear to hear ,saying, now turn each one from his evil way and from the evil of your doings, and live on the land which Yahuah has given to you and to your fathers from forever even to forever.

Jeremiah 25:6 And do not go after other gods to serve them and to worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no harm.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three times in Chapter 25 Jeremiah is saying “They have not listened/hear/obey” (verse 4, 7 & 8).

Yahuah says, because you did not obey My words, punishment (judgement) will come upon you.

The punishment

Jeremiah 25:9-10 behold! I will send and take all the families of the north, says Yahuah, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant; and I will bring them against this land, and against those living in it, and against all these nations all around. And I will completely destroy them, and make them a horror, and a hissing, and everlasting ruins. And I will take from them the voice of rejoicing, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the lamp.

The voice of the bride and bridegroom will never be heard in Babylon again; this was the punishment of Judah that was transferred to Babylon who caused Israel's woes - Revelation 18:23.


 











Jeremiah 25:11 And this whole land shall be a waste and a horror; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

Judah (the land) and Jerusalem (the city) shall be destroyed for 70 years and then Babylon will be destroyed forever after these 70 years have passed (Jeremiah 25:12-14).

In Jeremiah 25:15-28, Yahuah instructs Jeremiah via a parable (Wine cup of wrath) of all the nations that will be judged and punished.They will be drunk and vomit.

Jeremiah 25:33 says the whole earth shall be punished.

Now my question is; are these 70 years of punishment completed? If so, then another punishment will happen later according to Jeremiah 25:30-38 (describing this worldwide judgment) or is this still part of the 70 years.

How does Yahuah see time, days or years? Two verses that say something about 1000 years.

Psalm 90:4 For a thousand years in Your eyes are like yesterday that has past, or like a watch in the night.


 








2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved ones, let not this one matter be hidden from you: that with Yahuah one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Will the devil be locked-up for 1000 years or 1 day and will Messiah reign on earth for 1000 years or 1 day?

Throughout scripture it speaks many events happening in “one day.’ Example it states in one verse that destruction shall come in one day. Is this actually 1 day or 1000 years or even something else like 10 days.

Is these 70 years actually 70 days or is it 70 000 years or as written 70 years. I’m only thinking out loud.


 

 

Thursday, 12 December 2024

Two baskets of figs


 

 

 

 

Yahuah showed me, and look, there were two baskets of figs set before the sanctuary of Yahuah (Jeremiah 24:1).

Yahuah showed this parable to Jeremiah after the heads of Judah were exiled to Babylon. 2 Kings 24:15-16 And he exiled Jehoiach into Babylon. And the sovereign’s mother, and the sovereign’s wives, and his eunuchs, and the leading men of the land he exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon. And all the mighty brave men, seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths, one thousand, all who were strong and fit for battle, these the sovereign of Babylon brought to Babylon into exile.


 








Jeremiah 24:2 One basket had very good figs, like first ripe figs. And the other basket had very bad figs which could not be eaten from their badness.

Israel is equated as a fig tree as there were good and bad figs; so was the nation with its inhabitants.


 











The good figs

Jeremiah 24:5-7 So says Yahuah, the Elohim of Israel, like these good figs, so I will acknowledge the exiles of Judah whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for good. For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will bring them again to this land. And I will build them and not tear down; and I will plant them, and will not pluck up. And I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am Yahuah. And they shall be My people, and I will be their Elohim. For they shall return to Me with their whole heart.


 





Isaiah 10:22 and repeated in Romans 9:27 clearly shows that although Israel will grow into mighty numbers in their diaspora that only a remnant (good figs) would return. The good figs are the remnant.

Jeremiah 31:33 “For this is the covenant I shall make with the house of Yisra’el after those days, declares Yahuah: I shall put My Torah (commands/instructions) in their inward parts, and write it on their hearts. And I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people. Read Hebrews 8:10.


 








The bad figs

Jeremiah 24:8-10 And like the bad figs which cannot be eaten from badness, so says Yahuah: So I shall make Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his rulers, and the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt; I will even make them a horror among all the kingdoms of the earth for evil, for a reproach, and a proverb, a gibe, and a curse, there in all places where I will drive them. And I will send the sword, the famine, and the plague among them until they are consumed from being upon the land that I gave to them and to their fathers.


 








Jeremiah 9:16 “And I shall scatter them among the gentiles, whom neither they nor their fathers have known. And I shall send a sword after them until I have consumed them.” Jeremiah 15:2 “And it shall be, when they say to you, ‘Where do we go?’ then you shall say to them, ‘Thus said Yahuah, “Those for death, to death. And those for the sword, to the sword. And those for scarcity of food, to scarcity of food. And those for captivity, to captivity.” ’

Let this be a warning to those who call themselves the chosen people, we cannot do what we want because we are the chosen. The message is: are you from the good figs or are you from the bad figs. It is ONLY the good figs that are the chosen people of Yahuah.

Clearly, not all Israel is Israel and not all who know Yahuah within Israel will be delivered (saved).

Do not let man tell you otherwise.