One hundred years after the prophecy of Isaiah, Jeremiah was chosen by God to be his prophet to minister to the chosen and yet rebellious people of God. Warning by warning has been given by the prophet of the Lord to the nation of Israel that they might repent from their ways, and come to the way the Lord has given them, but they rebelled against God. They persisted on their way of destruction. Thus the Lord was angry to the people of Israel and God would deliver them to the hand of the heathen nation namely the Babylonians and Assyrians.
However the Lord sent His prophet Jeremiah as the last prophet before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylon. God warned the people of Israel through His prophet to repent and seek the Lord but the people hardened their hearts. Thus the prophet told the people of Israel that there would be exile for 70 years as a judgement from the Lord for their rebellions, disobedience and unbelief. However having mentioned that by the prophet of God, Jeremiah, and the people still did not believe what Jeremiah had said. They rather listened to what the false prophet said concerning their exile that they would be in Babylon only for two years and not seventy years. The people of Israel put the prophet Jeremiah to the dungeon for they did not want to hear anything else from Jeremiah. Thus Jeremiah was weeping to see his prophecy was being fulfilled before his eyes. He saw all the destruction of his beloved city, Jerusalem, its Temple and the exile of God’s people to Babylon. For this reason Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet of God.
However though Israel was so rebellion against the Lord, just before the prophet Jeremiah was exiled to Egypt, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Jeremiah wrote this wonderful truth about the coming Messiah. It is truly that these Messianic prophecies given by Jeremiah was sort of encouragement to those who believed in the Lord in His days that the Messiah the King will restore the nation of Israel, though they must exile to Babylon
This passage tells about the coming of righteous King that will reign, prosper and execute judgement. The background of this was given in the previous chapter that the horrible king was reigning at the end of monarchy in Judah by the name Jehoiachin. Because of this king, the line of Solomon was cursed and there would be no king for Israel come to reign over Israel (Jeremiah 22:30). It was during the reign of this king that the Lord exiled His people to the heathen nations.
In Jeremiah 23:3-4 we are told the prophecy concerning the prosperity of the remnant of Israel. On the other hand, Jeremiah prophesied that the people of God would be gathered back to their land from the Four Corners of the earth, not so much the gathering of Israel from the captivity. As says “And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.” This is the very specific prophecy concerning the people of Israel in the time of Millennium. The Lord Jesus Christ will be the shepherd of Israel. Furthermore the prophet Jeremiah continued to say in verse 5, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.” On this verse we can see that the Lord will not only raise the faithful shepherd for David but He will also raise the righteous BRANCH. He is the King who brings prosperity to this earth. The people of God will not be as in the time of the king of Jehoiachin but they will obey the Lord and worship Him faithfully. As Jeremiah 23:6 says, “In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” He is infinitely righteous and holy. He is the hope of Israel, and apart from this BRANCH, Israel as a nation will have no hope at all. Israel will never see the King until they see the Branch as the Saviour namely the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus Paul said in Romans 11:26 “all Israel will be saved.” What Paul said here is the confirmation of what Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 23:6 because what Jeremiah and Paul have wrote was all from the Holy Spirit as the Author of the Scripture. So Israel will be saved spiritually with the national experience and new covenant as Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah and other prophets tell us about.
2. Jeremiah 30:8-9
In Jeremiah 30:8-9 we can see the contrast of having the perfect King. At the end of verse 8 we read “and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him.” What happened to the nation of Israel while they were having their kings? Were they free from the power of the strangers? Definitely not, because the Jews had suffered for over 2500 years under the foreign rulers such Babylonians, Middle Persians, Macedonians Greek Hellenistic Empire, and the Roman Empire, the Byzantine and other groups etc. It is an unbelievable in AD 1948; they become an independent nation. There is no nation in this world which for almost 2000 years has no nation, no king, no ruler and no land but still exists. There is no human being that can do such miracle but only God because the nation of Israel is the chosen nation of God.
In Jeremiah 23:9 says, “But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king whom I will raise up unto them.” In the Old Testament, David was used not only for David himself but the word “David” used also to describe any descendant of David who sat upon his throne who was the member of Davidic Dynasty. For example, when David’s grandson Rehoboam the son of Salomon inherited the kingdom from Salomon, the ten tribes who followed Jeroboam said that Rehoboam the king of Judah was David because he was sitting on the throne which represented David’s Dynasty. Thus when the Lord Jesus Christ is sitting on the throne of David the people will serve Him for He will represent more than Davidic Dynasty. Thus Jesus Christ will be also called David.
3. Jeremiah 33:14-22
Jeremiah 33:14 is the background of the whole study of this passage as we read “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.” This verse tells us the basis of our expectation of earthly kingdom for Israel because God made a promise with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that He will fulfil. It is not because that the Israel has the right to deserve it but based on what the Lord has promised He will fulfil it. That is way had promised he will fulfil. That is why verse 14 says “that good things which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.”
The question is asked how will it be happen to Israel? It is not because that they are brilliants but the answer is found in this passage. Jeremiah 33:15-16 says “In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.” The new name for Jerusalem in the coming age is called the Lord our righteousness. Though right now the city of Jerusalem which are full of iniquities, in the street of that city truly there is no honour given to the Lord Jesus Christ, but some day that city will take the name of the King which will glorify Him.
Jeremiah 33:17-22 says “For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually. And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season (this is reference to the Sun); Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.” In this verse clearly seen the coming restoration of Israel as a nation. This does not mean that all Jews become Christians and join the local churches. In the sight of the Lord the Jews will be still as Israelites theocracy as in the Promised Land with the temple, order and Levitical priests. However the high priest will not be from the line of Aaron but Melchidekian priest. This is the wonderful truth that the Lord will fulfil to the nation of Israel. Jesus Christ will be the high priest in the temple that will be built during the millennial kingdom.
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