Titles are not given to chapters in the Bible, but this writer is going to give to this chapter, written by the prophet Jeremiah under the inspiration of Almighty God, the title of “The Israel of God” based on a sermon by Pastor David Meyer of Last Trumpet Ministries.
Verses 1-3 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying, 2 Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name; 3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Jeremiah was in prison for preaching the Word of God. The government and the religious leaders did not like what he had to say, so they thought that by arresting him and putting him in prison, they could silence him. But God, who knows everything, knew where he was and visited him in the prison and gave him this prophetic message as recorded in this chapter.
Application: When God makes His presence known, it matters little where the Christian believer is or what problems the believer has in life, all is well when God is with His children. The prophet Jeremiah was detained in less than desirable conditions as the prisons of ancient times were dark, dirty, dank, and lonely places. But like all God’s children, the prophet Jeremiah was never alone as the God of Creation was with him day and night.
The Hebrew word translated as “court” is “chatser” and it means an enclosure. No building or enclosure of man can keep out the LORD as He is Spirit and is everywhere at the same time (omnipresent). The Hebrew word translated as “LORD” is “Yahovah” which means the existing One. So this Word of prophecy was directly given to the prophet, not through signs, but in words that Jeremiah faithfully recorded in this chapter. When God states, “thus saith the LORD”, people need to pay attention as what is spoken will come to pass and will not be changed.
What does the Maker and He who formed and established mean by the word “it”? Since God is identifying Himself by the name, JEHOVAH, it may refer to all that He brought into existence such as the sun, moon, stars, Earth and all living things. Or “it” may be referring to the nation Israel/Judah. Or “it” may refer to His Word and His prophecy. This writer believes “it” is a reference to the Word of God. Why? Because He told the prophet Jeremiah to “Call unto me, and I will answer thee. . .”. When God answers His children, they have heard the Word of God.
Application: Too often Christian believers fail to “call” upon the LORD. The Hebrew word translated as “call” is “qara” and it means to call out, cry out, proclaim, cry for help, read aloud, or utter a loud sound. Except for Pentecostal churches, most evangelical, organized, establishment churches frown on their congregations praying out loud and prefer the pastor or just one individual pray an audible prayer. But the Scripture is full of verses, especially in the Psalms, that indicate that Christian believers should pray out loud and cry to the LORD when they are burdened or when they are offering the sacrifice of praise. Why? One reason is that Satan and his fallen angels cannot read the minds of living men and women. Therefore prayers uttered silently have no effect on them. But crying out to,or calling on the name of Jesus upsets them. Verbal prayers invoke a reaction from these devils. They hear and know that the One they hate is being asked to intercede in a situation that, most likely, they have created and this creates fear for them. This is all part of spiritual warfare. Want to win a spiritual battle? Cry out loud to the LORD. Want a passage of Scripture to be understandable? Cry out loud to the LORD. Want to understand current events in light of Bible prophecy? Cry out loud to the LORD. Want loved ones to be saved from sin, death and Hell? Cry out loud to the LORD. The promise is, “I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.”
Verses 4-5 For thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword; 5 They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city.
So this Word of God concerns the houses of Jerusalem (this city), specifically Judah and Levi. When King Nebuchadnezzar of the Chaldeans fought with the remnant of the nation Israel, Judah fell and their towns and villages were destroyed and the people either killed or taken to Babylon as captives. Only a remnant was left by the victors to tend the land and keep the wild animal population down to a minimum. Not only were the physical buildings or houses destroyed, but the physical house of Judah was destroyed and the physical house of Levi was destroyed at the same time. Why is this important? Because God set up a system for His Hebrew people when they were in the wilderness with Moses that would minister to them. The Temple system with its priests was to provide righteous guidance to the people and the priests had to be from the lineage of Aaron. Later, when the people demanded a king, the tribe of Judah became the house of the kings, which was narrowed down to the house of King David. Every king had to be a descendant of David and every priest had to be a descendant of Aaron. Now because of the Chaldeans, there was no king and there was no priesthood. And God, as stated in the verses above, had had enough of the Jewish people and so gave them over to a foreign nation. The Jewish people had rejected God over and over again, they were steeped in idolatry and devil worship, and they were sacrificing their children alive to Baal and Moloch and other heathen gods. They would not repent and so God destroyed them as a nation. When a remnant returned to the land as recorded in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, that remnant was under the rule and remained under the rule of a one world government up to the time of Jesus Christ’s ministry, and then they were scattered throughout the nations after the destruction of the Temple and of Jerusalem in 70 AD never to be a nation again of physical descendants from Abraham, Issac and Jacob.
Application: The Christian churches today erroneously teach that God will restore the physical nation Israel because of His promises to them to give them a land, the geographical dimensions and boarders of which can be found in the Old Testament books of the Kings and the Chronicles. But all God’s promises to the children of Israel in the Old Covenant were conditional. If you do this, I will do that. And the children of Israel did not and apparently could not keep their part of the Old Covenant agreement. But God’s part of the agreement or covenant was kept. “And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed, and dwelt therein. And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.” Joshua 21:43-45 So God kept the Covenants, but Israel and Judah did not. Therefore, God does not have to restore and will not restore physical Israel as He clearly told the prophet Jeremiah in the verses above that the houses of Judah were thrown down by the Chaldeans because of His anger and fury at their wickedness and that He was hiding His face from them. Other passages of Scripture clearly state that God is not going to pass by them again. And Jesus pronounced the Jews’ house to be desolate. Bible passage after Bible passage proclaim the physical destruction of the nation Israel/Judah and clearly teach that these nations are no more. Yet sinful Jews at the behest of Satan formed the plot to reinvent the nation Israel and succeeded in doing so in 1948. But it is not the Israel of God. How can it be when it is full of sin and hatred towards Christians, Muslims, and anyone who is not identifying as a Jew? How can it be when the Jews spit at the name of Jesus and persecute His Church? How can it be when their rabbis teach a doctrine of man that elevates the Serpent as their God? How can it be when their holy books include the Kabbalah which is witchcraft, and when they teach that Mary had sex with an evil spirit and produced Jesus? If the Church really knew what the Jews of today believe and what they practice, this writer wonders if they would have such unconditional support for the nation who stole the name of Israel and is claiming the land of Palestine, and exterminating the rightful owners of that land?
Verse 6 Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.
So for the nation Israel to exist, they needed a priest from the tribe of Levi to minister before the LORD in the Temple and to intercede for the sins of the people. They needed a prophet to bring forth the Word of God. And they needed a king from the tribe of Judah, specifically a descendant of King David because God promised that there would always be a son of David on the throne. But after King Nebuchadnezzar conquered and took over the land of Palestine, the people left from the nations Israel and Judah had no priest, no prophet, and no king. So how was God going to cure this mess and show an abundance of peace and truth?
Verse 7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.
And how was God going to end the captivity of these two rebellious nations and set them up as at the first. Remember that when they were led out of Egypt, they were given everything they needed to succeed as a righteous nation and to have the full blessings of God. They were given the 10 commandments, the rest of the law (Mosaic law) specifically defining how to treat each other and how to live righteously, and a land that they neither paid for or had seen before that was productive and located in the middle of all the major trade routes of that day which would guarantee financial prosperity. They had divine protection and they had the promises of God, all of which were fullfilled.
Verses 8-9 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me. 9 And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.
In the verses above God uses the word “all”. All means 100%. Were the Jews or any people group for that matter “all” cleansed from their immoral or unfair behavior (iniquity)? Of course not. So how was this to be accomplished? And looking back at history and looking at the state of the Earth today, has their been a time when mankind has brought joy to the LORD? Or has their been a nation that would be so righteous by God’s standards that all the other nations of the Earth would notice and be fearful? So this prophecy written by the prophet Jeremiah by the inspiration of the Spirit of God cannot be referring to physical Israel or Judah or to any other physical nation or people group. Again, how would God accomplish these Words of prophecy?
Application: If a Christian believer is truly living for the LORD and is truly following His commandments and walking in His Spirit, others will notice and they will be afraid of that believer. Why? Because they will see the blessings and the good things the LORD brings into the life of the believer supernaturally and they will not understand how the believer can be at peace in a war ravaged, socially sick, financially and morally bankrupt society where the spirit of fear rules supreme.
Verses 10-11 Thus saith the LORD; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast, 11 The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.
Here God promises that once again there will be joy amongst His people. King Nebuchadnezzar and his army had just ravaged the city of Jerusalem and the rest of the land, so from the remaining Jewish people’s perspective, the place was “desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem. . .”. Notice that God said through the prophet Jeremiah, “which ye say shall be desolate . . .”. Spiritually, the whole place was desolate, but the people were looking at their war-torn land and declaring it desolate. And from a physical perspective, it was desolate or wasted. But God was concerned about the spiritual aspect of what were once His people.
The “voice of joy” and the analogy to a wedding means joy, gladness and happiness. Most weddings are joyous affairs where two people join their lives and a new family is formed. It is a time of love and hope and of looking to the future with eager anticipation. But how could a defeated people find joy and look forward to a future when being killed in battle and being taken to another land as captive slaves? How was God going to restore and free the land and the people and make it like the first when the children of Israel were supernaturally led out of Egypt and when their focus and worship was on Him? Do these verses point to the same type of deliverance that happened under the leadership of Moses? Well, history proves that this is not the case. The Jews never had a victorious release from captivity by another one-world nation once they went into Babylonian captivity. There was a small returning from Babylon but the Jews never had control over their land again. When they were scattered in 70 AD, they were dispersed throughout Europe and the middle East, and because the Temple was destroyed, they never again could or can prove their pedigree to Abraham, Issac or Jacob.
Application: The Temple in Jerusalem was a place where records were kept. God, knowing the greed and avarice of mankind set up a system called the Jubilee in which land or property returned to the original owners every 50 years. An owner could sell his land at any time during the 50 years knowing that full ownership would be returned in the year of Jubilee. If land was sold in the 5th year, it would bring a higher price than land sold in the 45th year. So the Jews kept scrupulous records regarding births, deaths, marriages and inheritances so that land ownership could be verified, and they kept scrupulous records regarding the selling and purchasing of all the land. These records were the result of greed. They wanted to be sure they got their price for the land and that it would be returned every year of Jubilee so that it could be sold again for more money. As a result, all the people had their family tree recorded and could prove who they were descended from. This created a problem for the religious leaders when Jesus was born because they knew He was a descendant or a son of King David. They were jealous and they hated Him because He would not endorse their religious system and preached against it. So they plotted to kill Him, even though He was literally the King of Israel. Mary was a direct descendant of King David, and Jesus’ custodial father, Joseph, was also a direct descendant of King David. After Jesus pronounced the nation and the Temple desolate, they were destroyed in 70 AD and all the records that had been so carefully kept were destroyed, which is why no one today can say they are of Jewish descent. They may be Jewish by religion which is the Babylonian Talmud and the Kabbalah and not the law given to Moses on Mount Sinai, but they cannot prove being Jewish by being a physical descendant of Abraham.
But God promised that He would return the captivity of the land. Again, how could that be done? The answer is in sending Jesus, His only Son (prophet, priest and King), to free the spiritual captives. Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem and of other cities in Judah. He came to Earth and was living and ministering in a mess as far as the spiritual condition of the people was concerned. The religious leaders, the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees, were teaching and preaching witchcraft via the Babylonian Talmud, also called by Jesus “the tradition of the elders”. Their God was and still is the “holy serpent” or Satan, and Jesus called them serpents and whited sepulchers. They had a dead religion and they were leading the people to Hell. They were religious captives and in bondage. But when Jesus passed by, there was joy in the streets. “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: But the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” Isaiah 60:1-3 People were healed, raised form the dead, and most importantly had their sins forgiven. “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.” Isaiah 61:1-3 Therefore the people could say, “Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.” In doing so, the people were bringing “the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. The people were becoming righteous and not religious. They were being freed from the captivity of sin, death, and Hell, and from the control of a Satanic religious system that had them in bondage to over 600 rules and regulations and which had them living in fear. The coming of Jesus changed everything forever. The old system was replaced by a new system where any individual anywhere on Earth could have joy, could have the voice of gladness, could know “the LORD is good and his mercy endureth forever”, could be led in this wilderness of life in a sinful and lost world by the Good Shepard, and could inherit eternal life in the spiritual kingdom that is “not of this world” but which is established in Heaven, in the New Jerusalem, in Heavenly Zion. Amen,
Application: The Old Covenant was not kept by the people. The LORD Jesus Christ came and established a New Covenant in which His law would be on the hearts of His children through the indwelling of the Holy Ghost/Spirit. As such, the sacrificial system was abolished. No longer did men and women have to bring a lamb to the Temple and have it killed and its blood shed for their sins. That system had failed also. Instead of the hearts of the people being broken by the sight of an innocent baby animal being slaughtered in a violent and cruel manner (kosher killings where the animal is hung by a back leg and its throat cut just enough for it to bleed out in its agony and struggle for life) because of their sin and debauchery, a sight that should make them decide to not sin again, they simply went to the market and purchased enough lambs to cover whatever sins they were planning to commit in the near future. When Jesus was murdered via the cruelty of a death on a wooden cross where the full weight of the body was hung by huge spikes being driven into the bones of the feet and wrists, a death that actually resulted from suffocation, the final blood sacrifice was offered for the remittance of sin. So the people could offer a sacrifice of praise instead of a sacrifice of flesh and blood. When people congregate and sing hymns to the LORD, that is a sacrifice of praise. A praise is a complement. God loves to hear His children praise Him for He is worthy. “Saying with a loud voice worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.” Revelation 9:12 When a Christian believer shares his/her testimony and recounts the many blessings of God in his/her life, that action is a sacrifice of praise. When a Christian believer offers a prayer of thanksgiving, a sacrifice of praise goes forth. When a Christian believer turns away from the temptation of the world, the Devil and the flesh, their action is a sacrifice of praise through obedience to their LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Verses 12-13 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down. 13 In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth them, saith the LORD.
Again, as the prophet Jeremiah was penning these words, the land had been invaded by the Chaldeans under King Nebuchadnezzar and so it was viewed as defiled by the Jews and therefore desolate. But God, who looks at the heart, saw the land as spiritually desolate. But when Jesus came and established the New Covenant and the Church, the apostles became spiritual shepherds, establishing churches wherever they went and preached the Gospel message starting in Jerusalem and spreading to the known world. “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8 So the cities became “an habitation of shepherds (apostles, pastors) causing their flocks (congregations of believers in Jesus) to lie down (rest in the promises of the LORD and have His peace that passeth all understanding). So this prophecy was fulfilled by the LORD Jesus Christ and has nothing whatsoever to do with a physical restoration of the nation, Israel.
Application: When the Hebrew people were given the land of Palestine, as stated above, their location was between three major continents and on the trade routes of these continents. Merchants from Africa, Europe, and Asia had to pass through Palestine to trade with each other. The Hebrews were to be witnesses for God to these pagan people. But instead, they adopted the ways of the heathen. But God restored this witness for Him when He established the New Covenant and the Church. Merchants traveling between these continents could not avoid the Gospel message as churches were established everywhere and the people proclaimed the wonders of God. The beginning of this witnessing was on the day of Pentecost when the apostle Peter witnessed to the crowd as recorded in Acts chapter 2.
Verses 14-16 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. 15 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. 16 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.
What was this good thing which God had promised to both the house of Israel and to the house of Judah? The coming of a Savior and King, the establishment of a kingdom that would never pass away, the throne of David always being occupied by a son of David, and the presence of a High Priest and a prophet. The things that had been necessary for the physical nation of Israel to exist were to be restored. And again, how was this to be accomplished? Not by restoring physical Israel with descendants of the same people who for centuries had rejected God, who worshipped idols, who engaged in human sacrifice, who rebelled against the God who chose and established them and their nation, and who killed the prophets. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” Matthew 23:37 “Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God and are contrary to all men:” 1 Thessalonians 2:15 No, this was to be accomplished by the LORD Jesus Christ, the Branch of righteousness who came to save sinners but who will return to judge sin and the unrighteous people of the world and establish a righteous kingdom that will never end.
Verses 17-18 For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; 18 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.
Remember that the people hearing from the prophet Jeremiah have been defeated in war with the Chaldeans and their entire system of governance destroyed: no king, no priest or religious system to save them. How could these words come to pass? Because again, Jesus was the son of God, but his custodial father Joseph was a son of David and Mary was a daughter of David. In ancient days, descendants of an individual were called sons or daughters regardless of the number of generations that had passed between them. Also, because of the accurate Temple records, this fact could be proven. So the body of flesh called Jesus that God inhabited during His earthly ministry claimed that of being a son of David. So who is occupying David’s throne today? The LORD Jesus Christ, the King of Kings. “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” Luke 1:30-33
Verses 19-21 And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, saying, 20 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; 21 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.
God has a covenant with light and the absence of light. When He created, as recorded in Genesis chapter 1, He created light on the first day. Light is not dependent upon the sun or the moon or the stars. It would be there if the sun and the moon and the stars failed to function because God is light. The sun, moon and stars were placed in the heavens to divide the day from the night, for signs, for seasons and for times or days and years, and they were created after the plants and grasses were established so forget all you were taught about photosynthesis. So day and night has been happening since Creation, and therefore God’s promise to King David that he would always have a son reigning upon his throne and the promise to always have a priest was sure to be accomplished just as the day and the night never stops and will not stop until time is no more and day and night is no longer needed. And today the throne of King David is occupied by the rightful heir, the LORD Jesus Christ, God manifested in the flesh and Who is called repeatedly in New Testament Scripture starting with the first Gospel book, the son of David. “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Matthew 1:1 “And all the people were amazed, and said, is not this the son of David?” Matthew 12:23 “And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David” Matthew 20:30 Notice that the two men were blind, but they knew Who was passing by because it was revealed to them spiritually. “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:“ Luke 1:32 Jesus is also the Christian believer’s High Priest. “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold fast our profession.” Hebrews 4:14 “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such a high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” Hebrews 8:1-2 Furthermore, since Jesus Christ is God, very God, then every Word recorded in the pages of the Bible makes Him a prophet as He is “the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10
Verse 22 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.
This statement from God is not mathematical. It is an analogy showing that it is impossible to know or to count the seed of David or the priests. Since the nations Israel and Judah have been destroyed, the Israel of God today is made up of those people who are descendants of Abraham by faith, the Church. It is by faith in Jesus that people are saved from sin, death and Hell. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” Ephesians 2:8 Therefore, since there are no longer any genealogical records kept in a physical temple, the number of Christian believers that have lived and gone on to be with the LORD since the day of Pentecost and the establishment of the Church is not anything that can be calculated. Likewise, every Christian believer is a priest in the spiritual kingdom of God, and that cannot be calculated. “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” 1 Peter 2:9 So even though the Old Testament system died with the destruction of the Israelite nation, under the New Testament system there still remains a King, a Priest, and a Prophet, Jesus Christ, and ministering kings and priests in the form of every Christian believer regardless of nationality or language or gender or age. “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:6 “And they sung a new song, saying, thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings, and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:9-10
Verses 23-24 Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 24 Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the LORD hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.
The conquered people of Israel/Judah were only looking at the physical situation in which their king and their priests were gone. The two families were the house of David from Judah and the house of Levi from Israel. The kings were from the house of David and the priests were from the house of Levi, direct descendants of Aaron, Moses’ brother, as established by God after the Hebrew exodus from Egypt. Without this system of government and religion, the nation of Israel/Judah could no longer exist. And the remnant of people like Jeremiah knew this. So God, because He cared about the prophet Jeremiah and about the remnant who rebelled against Him over and over again, bothered to give this prophecy to the prophet that Israel/Judah would be restored as at the first when they were led out of Egypt by the LORD. But the difference would be that the new Israel/Judah would be a spiritual kingdom and not a physical one. So the LORD Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and therefore is the son and heir promised to King David who is on the throne of David right now. Starting with Moses, Jesus as Prophet was predicted in the Old Testament Scripture. “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken:” “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.” Deuteronomy 18:15 and 18 Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of this prophecy written by Moses. And the LORD Jesus Christ is the Spirit of Prophecy so He is the Prophet as well as the King. But how could He be a priest as He was not born of the house of Levi?
The answer to this question that the remnant Jews were asking is found in Genesis chapter 14. Abraham’s nephew, Lot, and all his possessions were taken captive by some warring kings and Abraham rescued Lot and all of his family and possessions with 318 armed servants. On his way back home, Abraham met a priest named Melchizedek. “and Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.” Deuteronomy 14:18 To this priest Abraham “gave tithes of all” that he and his army had recovered from the enemy kings and their armies. This Melchizedek was/is a type of Christ. The Apostle Paul explained how the LORD Jesus Christ was the High Priest even though He was born of the tribe of Judah in Hebrews chapter 7 which is included here in its entirety.
“For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; 3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. 4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. 5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: 6 But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. 7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. 8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. 9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. 10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him. 11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. 13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. 15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, 16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. 17 For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. 18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. 19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. 20 And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: 21 (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) 22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. 23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: 24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. 28 For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.” (Hebrews 7)
So before the nation Israel/Judah ever came into existence, God had His Priest who was King (capital denoting deity in the KJV) of Salem (the word meaning “peace”), and whose name means “King of righteousness”, who had neither earthly mother or father, who had no descent or record of genealogy, who had no beginning or ending, and who was “like unto the Son of God”, and who abideth (remains) a Priest continually (forever). Therefore, even though the house of Levi was destroyed when taken into Babylonian captivity, a High Priest has always been and will always be in the LORD Jesus Christ who interceded for the sins of mankind by offering up Himself as the final sacrificial lamb.
Verses 25-26 Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; 26 Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them. (Jeremiah 33)
In these final verses God once again makes the point the if day and night ceased then His promises would cease, and since God cannot lie, His promises are good and day and night will continue as long as there is time on Earth and the captivity of Israel/Judah would be and was ended at the coming of the Messiah, the King of kings, the High Priest, the Prophet and the Savior through the establishment of the spiritual kingdom of God. No longer are people in bondage to Satan, the world, or the flesh when they enter into this spiritual kingdom through faith (like Abraham, Issac and Jacob) and look for eternal life in Heaven. This spiritual kingdom is now the Israel of God.