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.

:)

13. The prophet Jeremiah in Jerusalem

Time:  622 - 536 BC
Place:  Jerusalem
Event:  Preaching of Jeremiah

When Jeremiah preached in Jerusalem, his main message was to call the Israelites to repent from their idolatry and sins.  As young boys, Daniel and Ezekiel would have had many opportunities to listen to his sermon messages.

Jeremiah 7:3-7

Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel:  Amend your way and your deeds and I will let you dwell in this place.

He goes on to plead the people who are entering the temple that they should "not trust in deceptive words saying, "This is the Temple of Yahweh, the temple of  Yahweh, the temple of Yahweh."

For if the Israelites truly amend their ways and deeds and turn away from walking after other gods and return to Yahweh true God, then Yahweh God will let them dwell in Jerusalem, the land that Yahweh God gave to their fathers.

For more than 40 years, Jeremiah warned the nation of Israel to repent so that they could continue to dwell in the land of Judah.

Did the Israelites believe in Yahweh's words?

We shall find out in tomorrow's article.


Homework:

Take out your Timeline graph and let's fill in the first orange block - "Jeremiah".

Now you can see these 3 prophets living parallel to one another in their times.

:)

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.

:)

9. 2nd Group of Exile

Place:  Jerusalem
Time:  597 BC 
Event: 2nd Group of Exile

To understand the Book of Daniel, sometimes we need to zero in to study one verse, and sometimes we need to step back and look at the situation in a panoramic view.

The Book of Daniel only tells us about the 1st group of exile in 605 BC.

In Dan 1:1-2, it says, "In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god."

• Only part of the vessels were taken back to Babylon at this time. 
• This was NOT a complete take over of Jerusalem yet. 

This act would have warned the Israelites that they either subject totally to Babylon or everything will eventually be destroyed in Jerusalem and taken away in due time if they do not obey God.

This is why Jeremiah kept warning the Israelites and Judah kings to repent and surrender to Babylon, but they did not take to heed Jeremiah's warnings.

In 597 BC, Nebuchadnezzar came back to Jerusalem again to lay siege in Jerusalem and carried off the second group of exile.

The second group of Exile is recorded in 2 Kings 24:13-16.

This time, Nebuchadnezzar carried off all the treasures of the house of Yahweh and the treasures of the king's house.  They cut in pieces all the vessels of gold in the temple of  Yahweh as Yahweh had foretold.  The King carried away all Jerusalem, and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, all the craftsmen and smiths - a total of 10,000 captives.    King Jehoiachin was also carried away to Babylon.   2 Kings 24:10-16

Nebuchadnezzar ransacked the city for everything of value and carried away 'all' he could. Much of the population of Jerusalem were taken to become slaves in Babylon.  Only the poorest  people were left behind.

This event happened 8 years after the 1st Exile.


Homework:

Take out your Timeline graph and write in "597 2nd Exile" in the second box.

:)