” …in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah… “ (Ezra 1:1b)
OPEN UP:
God gave prophecies to warn people to turn back to Him. When they didn’t, and disaster came, He gave more prophecies to encourage them through the disaster.
The prophecies point to events of that time as well as to events far into the future, even into eternity.
The LORD — “The LORD” (all capital) is the substitute that most Bible translations use for God’s personal name in Hebrew. Hebrew writing leaves out the vowels, so God’s name is written “YHWH” (probably pronounced Yihweh or Yahweh). The name comes from a word that means “to be” or “to exist”. In Exodus 3:14, God tells Moses what His name is: “I am who I am.” He exists.
The Voice version of the Bible translates YHWH as “Eternal One” instead of “the LORD.” This seems to convey the meaning of God’s name more accurately: infinite existence.
Jeremiah — a prophet who lived in the Southern Kingdom after the time of the prophet Isaiah. (Isaiah foretold about Cyrus; see yesterday’s post.)
Jeremiah warned his people that they would be conquered and taken captive by the Babylonians. Jeremiah was also captured, but the Babylonians let him go because of his prophecies against Jerusalem.
Jeremiah continued to send letters of more encouraging prophecy to those in captivity.
– The events that are about to happen in the book of Ezra will fulfill Jeremiah’s prophecy.
What was Jeremiah’s prophecy?
Jeremiah left a long book of prophecies. Some are easily recognized as being fulfilled in the immediate sense of his time:
“I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land… This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. ‘Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon…”
(Jeremiah 25:9, 11-12)
“I am going to arouse and bring up against Babylon
A horde of great nations from the land of the north [Persian empire],
And they will draw up their battle lines against her;
From there she [Babylon] will be taken captive…”
(Jeremiah 50:9)
“I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria. And I will bring Israel back… I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.'”
(Jeremiah 50:17-20)
“The fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple in 587 B.C. was a dangerous time for the faith of Old Testament saints. Jeremiah… helped to put this tragedy in proper perspective as part of the long-range plan of God. The promise of return from distant lands of exile was for them the prelude to the glorious age of Messiah.”
(Smith, 10)
Did the prophets know the future?
“Those to whom prophetic visions were granted often did not know what they meant.”
(Smith, 23)
“…When there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams. …in riddles…”
(Numbers 12:6, 8 NIV)
“The prophets sometimes said more than they intended to say or thought they were saying… Scripture affirms that the writers themselves did not always fully comprehend their own utterances.”
(Smith, 21)
“Predictive prophecy is not intended to be history written in advance. ‘God does not propose to gratify idle curiosity by writing history beforehand… God has been able to write prophecy so it can be read after it is fulfilled, but not generally before.'”
(Smith, 9-10)
Do the prophecies still have any meaning for people today?
Prophecies often had more than one fulfillment, or they were fulfilled in more than one phase. Many Old Testament prophecies are still only partially fulfilled.
“Prophecy is a lock. It needs the Master Key. The first advent [fulfillment] unlocks a number of chambers. The key to the entire system is not given until the second advent.”
(Smith, 22-23)
“The prophets often saw future events as one sees stars in the night sky. The stars are millions of miles apart, but they appear to the observer to be contiguous…
Briggs describes this facet of prediction when he writes:
The prophet stands as it were upon a lofty mountain. Far in the distance, beyond the range that bound the horizon of his generation, he sees the goal of the journey. But he cannot see all the hills and valleys, the rocks and streams and the lesser mountain ranges which intervene between him and the predicted goal.”
(Smith, 23-24)
Do we get to see prophecies fulfilled?
“The prophets who told us [that Jesus] was coming asked a lot of questions… They clamored to know who and when. All they were told was that they were serving you… [who] have now heard for yourselves — through the Holy Spirit — the Message of those prophecies fulfilled.
Do you realize how fortunate you are?
Angels would have given anything to be in on this!
(1 Peter 1:10-12 MSG)
Every time I open my Bible and read about Jesus, I get to see the miracle of prophecy fulfilled.
No matter what happens, I know that God has everything planned in advance. He exists eternally and is not limited by time. Nothing that happens in my life is a surprise to Him.
There are many more prophecies that haven’t been fulfilled yet. If I become familiar with them, I can be comforted about future events and recognize God’s work when it happens.
If today were my last day on earth, I would:
…simply trust that God already knows and has things under control.
God,
Thank You for fulfilled prophecy, which saved my faith when I was doubting. Help me not to miss what You are doing. In everything that happens, help me remember that You’ve seen it all in advance and have it all planned.
For Jesus, who existed from eternity and who was promised from the beginning of time,
Amen.
References:
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (1980)
Smith, James E. What the Bible Teaches About the Promised Messiah. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993.
www.blueletterbible.org
All verses are NASB unless otherwise noted.