08/05/08: Jeremiah 30-31
Ted: Millennial and Messianic prophecy: "'The days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their forefathers to possess,' says the LORD. ... 'In that day,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'I will break the yoke off their necks and will tear off their bonds; no longer will foreigners enslave them. Instead, they will serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. ... Their leader will be one of their own; their ruler will arise from among them. I will bring him near and he will come close to me, for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?' declares the LORD'" (Jeremiah 30:3,8,9,21).
At the end of the age (that is, at the end of the 70th Week), those in Israel and in Judah whom God will have sent into captivity will return to their land. This land, promised millennia ago to their forefathers, will be theirs during the Millennium. They will be free, and no one ever again will persecute them, harass them, nor enslave them.
They will serve the Lord, Jesus, who will sit in Jerusalem as King of the world. They also will serve their King David, whom God will resurrect to be there king again (see David, the king). "I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the LORD [Jesus] will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken" (Ezekiel 34:23,24). David will be "one of their own," since he has been their king before. He will be very close to the Lord, Jesus, and will devote himself only to Him. David will be the "prince" who will be "the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the LORD [Jesus]" (44:3).
Before all of this, though, Israel must endure the "time of Jacob's trouble," which will be during the last half (Great Tribulation period) of the 70th Week. However, Jacob (Israel) will be saved out of it, when their Messiah, Jesus, returns. "Cries of fear are heard—terror, not peace. Ask and see: Can a man bear children? Then why do I see every strong man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor, every face turned deathly pale? How awful that day will be! None will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it" (Jeremiah 30:5-7). The first half of the 70th Week will be like "the beginning of birth pains" (Matthew 24:5-8). The last half, especially near the end, will be like a "woman in labor" (Isaiah 13:8, 21:3), who will endure extreme suffering before bringing forth her children of freedom (66:8)--the Israelites who will enter the glorious Millennium.
Millennial prophecy: "'At that time,' declares the LORD, 'I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they will be my people.' This is what the LORD says: 'The people who survive the sword will find favor in the desert; I will come to give rest to Israel'" (Jeremiah 31:1,2). Only after Jesus comes again will all of Israel turn completely to God, and they will be His chosen people. They finally will rest from millennia of turmoil and persecution.
The remainder of Jeremiah 31 describes how it will be for Israel when Jesus returns. Many believe that death will end when Jesus returns, and that it will not be present during the Millennium. Not so (for instance, Jeremiah 31:30). Not until the end of the 1,000 years will death be tossed into the lake of fire and destroyed (Revelation 20:14). Throughout the Millennium, people will continue to die for their sins, just as the always have (Romans 6:23). The difference is that, after Jesus returns, all sins performed by mortal people will be uncovered, exposed, and dealt with speedily.
At the end of the age (that is, at the end of the 70th Week), those in Israel and in Judah whom God will have sent into captivity will return to their land. This land, promised millennia ago to their forefathers, will be theirs during the Millennium. They will be free, and no one ever again will persecute them, harass them, nor enslave them.
They will serve the Lord, Jesus, who will sit in Jerusalem as King of the world. They also will serve their King David, whom God will resurrect to be there king again (see David, the king). "I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the LORD [Jesus] will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken" (Ezekiel 34:23,24). David will be "one of their own," since he has been their king before. He will be very close to the Lord, Jesus, and will devote himself only to Him. David will be the "prince" who will be "the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the LORD [Jesus]" (44:3).
Before all of this, though, Israel must endure the "time of Jacob's trouble," which will be during the last half (Great Tribulation period) of the 70th Week. However, Jacob (Israel) will be saved out of it, when their Messiah, Jesus, returns. "Cries of fear are heard—terror, not peace. Ask and see: Can a man bear children? Then why do I see every strong man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor, every face turned deathly pale? How awful that day will be! None will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it" (Jeremiah 30:5-7). The first half of the 70th Week will be like "the beginning of birth pains" (Matthew 24:5-8). The last half, especially near the end, will be like a "woman in labor" (Isaiah 13:8, 21:3), who will endure extreme suffering before bringing forth her children of freedom (66:8)--the Israelites who will enter the glorious Millennium.
Millennial prophecy: "'At that time,' declares the LORD, 'I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they will be my people.' This is what the LORD says: 'The people who survive the sword will find favor in the desert; I will come to give rest to Israel'" (Jeremiah 31:1,2). Only after Jesus comes again will all of Israel turn completely to God, and they will be His chosen people. They finally will rest from millennia of turmoil and persecution.
The remainder of Jeremiah 31 describes how it will be for Israel when Jesus returns. Many believe that death will end when Jesus returns, and that it will not be present during the Millennium. Not so (for instance, Jeremiah 31:30). Not until the end of the 1,000 years will death be tossed into the lake of fire and destroyed (Revelation 20:14). Throughout the Millennium, people will continue to die for their sins, just as the always have (Romans 6:23). The difference is that, after Jesus returns, all sins performed by mortal people will be uncovered, exposed, and dealt with speedily.
