Topical Bible: Jeremiah: The Prophet: Time of his Prophecies

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Jeremiah, often referred to as the "weeping prophet," is a central figure in the Old Testament, known for his profound and poignant prophecies. His ministry spanned a significant and tumultuous period in the history of Judah, from approximately 627 BC to 586 BC. This era was marked by political upheaval, spiritual decline, and the eventual destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.

Historical Context

Jeremiah's prophetic career began in the thirteenth year of King Josiah's reign (Jeremiah 1:2), a time when Judah was experiencing a brief period of religious reform. Josiah, known for his efforts to restore the worship of Yahweh and eliminate idolatry, provided a backdrop of hope for spiritual renewal. However, despite Josiah's reforms, the hearts of the people largely remained unchanged, and idolatry persisted.

Following Josiah's death in 609 BC, Judah's political situation deteriorated rapidly. The nation became a pawn in the power struggles between Egypt, Assyria, and the rising Babylonian Empire. Jeremiah's prophecies during this time reflect the increasing threat posed by Babylon, as well as the moral and spiritual decay of Judah.

Key Periods of Prophecy

1. Reign of Josiah (640-609 BC): Jeremiah's early prophecies during Josiah's reign were characterized by calls for genuine repentance and warnings against superficial religious practices. Despite the king's reforms, Jeremiah foresaw the impending judgment due to the people's unfaithfulness (Jeremiah 3:6-10).

2. Reign of Jehoiakim (609-598 BC): After Josiah's death, Jehoiakim ascended to the throne, and Jeremiah's messages took on a more urgent tone. Jehoiakim's reign was marked by a return to idolatry and oppression. Jeremiah warned of Babylonian invasion and urged submission to Babylon as a means of survival (Jeremiah 25:1-11). His prophecies during this time were met with hostility, and he faced persecution for his unwavering message.

3. Reign of Zedekiah (597-586 BC): Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, ruled during the final years leading to Jerusalem's fall. Jeremiah's prophecies during this period were filled with lament and sorrow, as he witnessed the nation's stubborn refusal to heed God's warnings. He continued to counsel submission to Babylon, predicting the city's destruction if the people persisted in their rebellion (Jeremiah 38:17-18).

4. The Fall of Jerusalem (586 BC): Jeremiah lived to see the fulfillment of his prophecies with the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. His laments over the city's devastation are captured in the Book of Lamentations, traditionally attributed to him. Despite the catastrophic events, Jeremiah also spoke of hope and restoration, prophesying a future new covenant between God and His people (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Significance of Jeremiah's Prophecies

Jeremiah's prophecies are significant not only for their immediate historical context but also for their theological depth. He emphasized the importance of a personal relationship with God, genuine repentance, and the internalization of God's law. His messages of judgment were always coupled with promises of restoration and hope, pointing to a future where God's people would be renewed and His covenant would be written on their hearts.

Jeremiah's ministry, though fraught with personal suffering and rejection, remains a powerful testament to the faithfulness of God amidst human unfaithfulness. His prophecies continue to resonate as a call to repentance and a reminder of God's enduring promise of redemption.

Nave's Topical Index

Jeremiah 3:6
The LORD said also to me in the days of Josiah the king, Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? she is gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the harlot.
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Jeremiah 21:1
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent to him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,
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Jeremiah 24:1
The LORD showed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.
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Jeremiah 25:1-3
The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;
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Jeremiah 26:1
In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying,
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Jeremiah 28:1
And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,
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Jeremiah 32:1
The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar.
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Jeremiah 34:1
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying,
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Jeremiah 45:1
The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,
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Jeremiah 49:34
The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,
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Library

The Prophet --His Youth and his Call.
... at least of a task so vast as that of prophet to the nations were anything but
impossible to the moment of Jeremiah's call; for the time surged, as we ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/lecture iii the prophethis youth.htm

The World's Wages to a Prophet
... the ward,' who laid hands on the prophet at the ... It was a colourable accusation, for
Jeremiah's constant exhortation ... for the moment gone, and the time was the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the worlds wages to a.htm

How Nebuchadnezzar, when He had Conquered the King of Egypt Made ...
... for the Egyptians durst not fight at this time. ... multitude with these words, and
delivered Jeremiah from the ... Now when this prophet had written all his prophecies ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 6 how nebuchadnezzar when.htm

The Last King of Judah
... earnestly entreated them to submit to the king of Babylon for the time the Lord
had ... "The prophet which prophesieth of peace," Jeremiah proposed in ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 36 the last king.htm

The Prophet Micah.
... this portion of a prophecy which, in Jeremiah, is assigned ... also must have existed
at that time, and must ... of Hezekiah, it follows that the prophet delivered anew ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet micah.htm

Sacrifice.
... The Prophet is very sure that his God is Love, and ... not only the terms but the essence
of Jeremiah's longing to ... O Hope of Israel, His Saviour In time of trouble ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/3 sacrifice.htm

The Man and the Book.
... in what remains of the Book, what belongs to Jeremiah himself or to his time, we
have ... Some Oracles are introduced by the Prophet himself, and he utters them ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/lecture i the man and.htm

The Twelve Minor Prophets.
... of the nations, however unpropitious they may seem at the time, are parts of ... of
Zechariah 11:13, but they are ascribed to "Jeremiah the prophet." Of this ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxiii the twelve minor.htm

Jeremiah
... He foresaw the time when the Lord would renew His ... Yet the prophet was to accompany
these messages with ... As a wise master builder, Jeremiah at the very beginning ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 34 jeremiah.htm

The Prophet Hosea.
... In Jeremiah and Ezekiel, too, the prophecies, previous to ... as compared with those
of the time of David ... two principal periods of the prophet's ministry,"under ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet hosea.htm