16. The Three Prophets - Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel

When we study Daniel, bear in mind the other 2 prophets: Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

Take a look at the following "Highlighted Pink Box" below so that you can look at the significance of these 3 dates in the lives of the 3 prophets:

These 3 prophets lived in the same time period and they all experienced God's final judgment on Judah with the destruction of Jerusalem.

605 BC 1st Exile - Daniel 1:1-7
597 BC 2nd Exile - 2 Kings 24:10-11, 13; 2 Kings 24:14,16
586 BC 3rd Exile - 2 Chronicles 36:17-21

As you can see from the above graph:

• Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel were prophets living in 'extraordinary times'.
• Ezekiel (25 years ) and Daniel (15 years ) had the privilege of sitting under Jeremiah's prophetic ministry in Jerusalem.

Jeremiah:

• Jeremiah started his ministry quite young and prophesied for 40+ years.

• For 40+ years, he continuously warned the Israelites to repent and not to trust in deceptive words saying "this is the Temple of Yahweh, this is the Temple of Yahweh, this is the Temple of Yahweh." (Jeremiah 7:4)

• He pleaded the Israelites to repent from their rampant idolatry for God's judgment is at hand.

• Jeremiah kept close in touch with the far away exiles in Babylon.  He wrote a letter to the exiles in Jeremiah 29.

•  The Israelites did not heed the warning.  Finally at the end of Jeremiah's ministry when he was about 60,  the words of  Yahweh came true as Jeremiah prophesied:  the temple of Yahweh was finally destroyed in Jerusalem.

Ezekiel:

• Ezekiel was 25 when he arrived Babylon.  11 years later, Jerusalem was finally destroyed.

• When Ezekiel began his ministry in Babylon, he was 30 (Ezekiel 1:1) at 593 BC.  He was a priest (Ezekiel 1:3) and  would be very familiar with the temple layout as priests would normally begin to minister in the Temple at 30.  

• Ezekiel knew about the warning of the destruction of the Temple from Jeremiah's preaching.

• You need to be aware that much of Ezekiel's prophecy is related to the leading up to the Temple destruction.

• The false prophets in Jerusalem gave false hopes to the Israelites, so much so that the exiles believed the "false hope" that everything would be fine and that their exile would be short and soon to return back to Jerusalem.  But that was not so.

• Ezekiel spent a great time of his ministry correcting "false hope" warning the Israelites that the temple and Jerusalem would be destroyed.  

• With this knowledge, this will help you to understand the Book of Ezekiel better.

• Ezekiel was dealing with a hardened and rebellious people who were disillusioned, cynical, bitter and angry at Yahweh God.

• Therefore, Ezekiel used prophetic oracles, symbolic actions, allegories, visions and historical accounts to proclaim Yahweh's message to the Israelites to shock and awaken them of their false hopes and spiritual numbness. Isn't this so true of today's spiritual climate we are in?

• After the destruction of the Temple, Ezekiel continued to prophesy in Babylon to give hope that the temple will be rebuilt and a remnant of God's people would return to Jerusalem.  We see this promise coming true at the end of the Book of Daniel.

Daniel:

• Daniel was the first group exiled to Babylon.  He lived through all 3 groups of exiles arriving Babylon.  This is the first time the Israelites lived in a Gentile pagan world.

• There was a span of 19 years from the 1st exile to the 3rd exile.

• Daniel was already in his mid 30 when Jerusalem was destroyed.

• Look at how his peer, Ezekiel, describe Daniel in Ezekiel 14:14, 20.  Daniel is put in the same class with  Noah and Job for their "righteousness".  In the eyes of Ezekiel, Daniel was a man of holiness, purity and righteousness.

• Though Daniel was exiled to Babylon in his teens and had not seen Jeremiah for years, he held very close to his heart Jeremiah's words.  Daniel 9:22, "I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that according to the word of Yahweh to Jeremiah the prophet..."  Daniel often read the writings of Jeremiah and recognized Jeremiah's words are inspired by God, long before the book of  Jeremiah would become part of the Hebrew canon.

• Daniel lived in a turbulent world politically with the transition to the dominant Babylonian Empire and the Persian Empire.  Daniel directed the heathen kings to recognize the one God of heaven who reigns above all. What a testimony!  The kings listened to Daniel.

:)

14. Jeremiah weeping for Jerusalem - 586 BC

Date:  586 BC
Place:  Jerusalem
People:  Jeremiah


It was a sad day when the Temple of Yahweh was burned.  The Israelites did not heed Jeremiah's warning.

Jeremiah 52:12-14

In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, who served the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem.  And he burned the house of Yahweh, and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down.  And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down all the walls around Jerusalem. 

Jeremiah 52:17-14

And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of Yahweh, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of Yahweh, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried all the bronze to Babylon.  And they took away the pots and the shovels and the snuffers and the basins and the dishes for incense and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service;  also the small bowls and the fire pans and the basins and the pots and the lampstands and the dishes for incense and the bowls for drink offerings. What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver.  As for the two pillars, the one sea, the twelve bronze bulls that were under the sea,  and the stands, which Solomon the king had made for the house of Yahweh, the bronze of all these things was beyond weight. As for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, its circumference was twelve cubits, and its thickness was four fingers, and it was hollow.  On it was a capital of bronze. The height of the one capital was five cubits. A network and pomegranates, all of bronze, were around the capital. And the second pillar had the same, with pomegranates.  There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates were a hundred upon the network all around.

Jeremiah looked at the ruins ... cried and lamented for the desolation of Jerusalem.

It was just as Jeremiah had prophesied "Thus says Yahweh.....I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins,    a lair of jackals, and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation,     without inhabitant."  (Jeremiah 9:11)

• Jerusalem finally fell!  
• David's house was cut off.  
• The temple was razed to the ground
• The nation of Israel was exiled from the Promised Land.
• There was no one to rescue them.

"Yahweh gave full vent to his wrath; he poured out his hot anger and he kindled a fire in Zion that consumed its foundations.  The kings of the earth did not believe,  nor any of the inhabitants of the world, that foe or enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem."  (Lamentations 4:11-12)

This also raised a lot of questions in the minds of the Israelites about Yahweh God (Jeremiah 7:1-15), thus Ezekiel's prophetic messages.  

• Had Yahweh God finally been conquered by a pagan nation more powerful?  
• Could it be that Marduk, the god of the Babylonians had prevailed?  
• In the puny mind of many, "what use is a God who cannot even protect His own land or keep His own Temple from falling?"  
• So therefore the struggling question: "Could it be that God was unfaithful to His promises and abandoned or betrayed His people?"  

This will whet your appetite to dig into the Book of Ezekiel.

 

Jeremiah was already an old man by this time at the destruction of Jerusalem - around 60 years old.  His ministry was coming to an end while Ezekiel takes over to proclaim Yahweh's words in Babylon, "Thus says Yahweh...."

Homework:

Take out your Timeline Graph and fill in the approximate age of Jeremiah at the time of Temple destruction: 

- Enter his age "60".

We must realize that Yahweh God is a cosmic sovereign God of all creation (Ezra 1).  Yahweh God was not Israel's puppet and no need to be held captive in Israel's box.  As we see in Daniel, Yahweh God is the King who is in control of all things including the judgment on Judah.  Our God is not limited to the land or to the 'Temple' made with hands, which the nation of Israel would never have learned without going into exile.  Yahweh God continued continued to be on His throne even in Babylon.

When His people disobey Him, even today in our churches, God's judgment will come upon His churches first.  Do not believe in deceptive words, "This is our church ... This is our church ... This is our church ..."  History warns the danger of apostasy.

:)

12. 586 BC - Destruction of Jerusalem & 3rd Exile

Time:  586 BC
Place:  Jerusalem
Event 1:  House of Yahweh Destroyed by fire
Event 2:  The 3rd Group of Exile


586 BC  is a very important date - The Year Jerusalem Temple was destroyed by fire.

Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem and "burned the house of God. He broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its palaces with fire and destroyed all its precious vessels."  2 Chronicles 36:19

Jerusalem finally fell.
David's house was cut off.
The temple was razed to the ground.

With the destruction of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar "took all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of Yahweh, and the treasures of the king and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon."  2 Chronicles 36:18

Nebuchadnezzar "took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword and they became servants to him and to his sons."  2 Chronicles 36:20


Homework:

Take out your Timeline Graph and fill in the 3rd box:  "586 - 3rd Exile - Jerusalem Destroyed"

Mark the date 586 BC in your heart.  The temple of God was destroyed with fire. This event was recorded in Jeremiah 52.  Meditate on this tonight and tomorrow we will continue on this exposition.

:)