“, I bring to your attention condensed information on the life and time when Jeremiah prophesied.
This passage will be useful in that it will be possible to briefly familiarize yourself with one of the sad passages in the history of the Israeli people.

God's Last Attempt to Save Jerusalem

• Jeremiah lived a hundred years after Isaiah.
• Isaiah saved Jerusalem from Assyria.
• Jeremiah tried to save Jerusalem from Babylon, but failed.
• Jeremiah was called to be a prophet in 626 BC.
• Jerusalem was partially destroyed in 606 BC, further destroyed in 597 and finally burned in 586 BC.

Jeremiah lived during these terrible forty years of the decline of the monarchy and the mortal agony of the people. He was heartbroken as he watched God make last-ditch efforts to save the holy city, which was fanatically
tied to idols. If the people had repented of their sins, the Lord would have saved them from Babylon.
And just as Assyria threatened Jerusalem during Isaiah’s ministry, so during Jeremiah’s ministry Babylon was a threat.

Internal position

The northern kingdom and much of Judea had already fallen. They suffered defeat after defeat and only Jerusalem remained. Despite the constant warnings of the prophets, they sank deeper and deeper into idolatry and iniquity. The hour of the final fall was approaching.

International situation

The struggle for world supremacy began on three sides: from Assyria, Babylon and Egypt. Assyria, located in the North Euphrates Valley, with its capital Nineveh, ruled the world for 300 years, and now began to lose its power. Babylon, in the South Euphrates Valley, began to strengthen strongly. Egypt, located in the Nile Valley, had been a world power 1000 years before, then weakened, and now became strong again. Halfway through Jeremiah's ministry, Babylon defeated its opponents in this struggle. He conquered Assyria in 607 BC. and two years later he defeated Egypt in the Battle of Karchemis (605 BC) and ruled the world for 70 years, during those 70 years of Israel's captivity.

Jeremiah's Sermon

Twenty years before the outcome of this struggle, from the very beginning, Jeremiah insisted that Babylon would be victorious. In his constant and sorrowful warnings about the sins of Judah, the prophet says the following:

1. Judah will be defeated by Babylon.
2. If Judah would turn from his iniquity, God would find ways to save Judah from destruction by Babylon.
3. Later, when all hope of Judah's repentance had disappeared, even if for political reasons Judah submitted to Babylon, God would preserve him.
4. Judas will rise after his defeat and rule the world.
5. Babylon, the conqueror of Judah, will itself be defeated and will never rise again.

Jeremiah's Courage

Jeremiah persistently advised Jerusalem to submit to the Babylonian king, for this reason Jeremiah's enemies accused him of treason. Nebuchadnezzar rewarded Jeremiah for his advice to his people by sparing his life and gave him a place of honor in the Babylonian palace (Jer. 39:12). But Jeremiah did not stop talking strenuously about the fact that the king of Babylon
committed a heinous crime, destroying God's people and for this Babylon, in due time, will be devastated and will remain so forever (see chapters 50,51).

Kings of Judah, contemporaries of Jeremiah

• Manasseh (697-642 BC). Reigned for 55 years. Very wicked (see 2 Chron. 33). Jeremiah was born during the reign of Manasseh.
• Amon (641-640 BC). Reigned for 2 years. The long and wicked reign of his father Manasseh sealed the downfall of Judah.
• Josiah (639-608 BC). Reigned for 31 years. Pious king. Made great reforms. Jeremiah began his prophetic ministry in the 13th year of Josiah's reign. Pospi's reforms were external, but in their hearts the people remained devoted to idols.
• Jehoahaz (608 BC). He was on the throne for only 3 months. Taken to Egypt.
• Joachim (608-597 BC). Reigned for years. An open idolater. He clearly opposed God and was a great enemy of Jeremiah.
• Nechonia (597 BC). Reigned for 3 months. Captured by Nebuchadnezzar.
• Zedekiah (597-586 BC). Reigned for 11 years. He was on friendly terms with Jeremiah, weak in governing the state, being under the strong influence of crafty people.

List of events during Jeremiah

• 629 BC Josiah began his reforms. (See 2 Chron. 34.)
• 626 BC Jeremiah's Call to Ministry.
• 626 BC Scythian raid. (See Jeremiah 4.)
• 621 BC Finding the Book of the Law. Great Reformation of Josiah. (2 Kings 22,23.).
• 608 BC Death of Josiah at Megiddo at the hands of the Egyptians.
• 607 BC Nineveh is destroyed by Babylon. (Possibly in 612 BC).
• 606 BC Babylon conquered Judah. First captivity.
• 605 BC Battle of Carchemish. Babylon defeated Egypt.
• 597 BC Captivity of Jeconiah.
• 593 BC Zedekiah visits Babylon.
• 586 BC Jerusalem is burned with fire. Temporary end of David's kingdom.

Prophets contemporaries of Jeremiah

Jeremiah was the leading prophet among other prophets during the destruction of Jerusalem.
His colleague, the priest Ezekiel, younger than him in years, preached in Babylon among the captives the same sermon that Jeremiah preached in Jerusalem.
The prophet Daniel was of royal origin. He prophesied in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar.
Habakkuk and Zephaniah helped Jeremiah in Jerusalem. At the same time, Nahum predicted the fall of Nineveh. Obadiah at the same time predicted the destruction of Edom.

Chronology of the Book of Jeremiah

Some of Jeremiah's prophecies refer to a specific time, while some are not time specific. The times indicated are as follows: During the time of Josiah: 1:2; 3:6; during Joachim's time: 22:7; 25:1; 26:1; 35:1; 45:1; during Zedekiah: 21:1; 24:1.8; 27:3,12; 28:1; 29:3; 32:1; 34:2; 37:1; 38:5; 39:1; 49:34; 51:9; in Egypt: 43:7,8; 44:1.

From this it is clear that the book is not compiled in chronological order. Some later prophecies are recorded at the beginning of the book, and earlier ones later. These prophecies were passed down orally and may have been repeated years later before Jeremiah wrote them down. Compiling a prophetic book was a large and cumbersome undertaking. At that time they wrote on parchment made of sheep or goatskin and long scrolls were rolled on wooden rollers. It is possible that this was one of the reasons for the disorganization of the book of Jeremiah. By recording an event or conversation, the prophet could recall more early events, which he wrote down again, without indicating the time of their occurrence, just to fill the space in the scroll.

Son of the priest Hilkiah from the city of Anathoth, near Jerusalem. Lived 600 years before the birth of Christ at Israeli king Josiah and his four successors.

He was called to prophetic service in the 15th year of his life, when the Lord revealed to him that before birth He would determine him to be a prophet. Jeremiah refused, pointing out his youth and inability to speak, but the Lord promised to always be with him and protect him. He touched the lips of the chosen one and said: “Behold, I put My words in your mouth, I entrust to you from this day the fate of nations and kingdoms. According to your prophetic word they will fall and rise.”(Jer. 1, 9 - 10). From that time on, Jeremiah prophesied for twenty-three years, denouncing the Jews for their apostasy from the True God and worshiping idols, predicting disasters and a devastating war for them. He stopped at the gates of the city, at the entrance to the temple, wherever people gathered, and admonished with threats and often with tears. But people responded to him with ridicule, curses, and even attempted to kill him.

The memory of Jeremiah was highly revered: he was considered one of the forerunners of the Messiah (Matthew 16:14). The history of his life and work is set out in his book, entitled “The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah”. Jeremiah also owns a book called "Lamentations of Jeremiah", and is also credited with a special "Message to the Babylonian Captives"; but this message is not in the Hebrew Bible, and in the Russian edition of the Bible it is translated from Greek.

The times when he lived and prophesied are spoken of in the 2nd Book of Kings (, ,), and in the 2nd Book of Chronicles (

Historical situation in which Jeremiah lived

Already in his early youth, Jeremiah felt himself called by God to prophecy. Jeremiah's prophetic activity occurred during the most turbulent period in the history of the Kingdom of Judah.

In modern biblical scholarship, Jeremiah is often regarded as the most important prophet of ancient Israel, overshadowing all other prophets. This view is largely the result of the influence of Protestant scholars, who were especially sympathetic to two motives of Jeremiah's prophecies: the criticism of sacrifices and the prediction of the fall of Judah and the destruction of the Temple.

Jeremiah, emphasizing the primacy of morality and persecuted by the ruling circles, appears as the forerunner of Jesus. This interpretation has led some Christian critics to unjustifiably deny that Jeremiah was the prophecy of comfort. These scholars turn a blind eye to the fact that prophecies of consolation are repeated repeatedly in his sermons and, in fact, are an integral part of his worldview, for the messianic vision of a morally improved world in Jeremiah is inextricably linked with the return of the Jewish people, the revival of Judah and Israel and the restoration of the kingdom of David.

Jeremiah in art

Jeremiah consoles his foremother Rachel. Engraving by I. Budko.

The personality of Jeremiah has been the theme of many works of art and literature from the Renaissance to the present day. Frescoes and sculptures in many European cathedrals are dedicated to Jeremiah (Donatello’s sculptures in the Florentine bell tower, Michelangelo’s fresco in Sistine Chapel and others).

In Jewish art special attention L. Ury’s painting “Jeremiah” deserves it. In literature, the drama of S. Zweig, the novels of F. Werfel and J. Dobrachinsky (in Polish), and in Russian - the poems of D. Merezhkovsky and S. Frug are dedicated to Jeremiah. In Hebrew literature, Jeremiah is main character the novel by M. Z. Volfovsky “Bet Ha-Rechavim” (“House of the Rechavites”, 1962).

Source

• KEE, volume 2, col. 676–681

Prophet Jeremiah

Prophet Jeremiah and his book.

“Jeremiah” in Hebrew means “Great is God,” or “Jehovah rejects,” or “The Lord establishes.”

Origin of the prophet Jeremiah.

The prophet Jeremiah was born around 650 BC. in the city of Anathoth (translated as “obedience”, according to some researchers - an image of the prophet’s obedience to God). This was the city of the Levites. Jeremiah's family lived there because his father, Hilkiah, was a priest, a descendant of the high priest Abiathar (1 Kings 2:26), whom Solomon had deprived of his ministry.

The family of the future prophet was distinguished by its piety, “which can be judged already from the choice of name for the son - Jeremiah - “the height of the Lord” (Blessed Jerome).

Call to prophetic ministry.

When Jeremiah was 15 years old (this age is given by St. Demetrius of Rostov) or about 20 years old (according to the Biblical Encyclopedia of Archimandrite Nikephoros), God called him to a special ministry:

“And the word of the Lord came to me: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you came out of the womb I sanctified you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations...” (1:4-5). Jeremiah tried to object to God that he was still young for this (1:6), but, as St. put it. Basil the Great, the prophet was young in age, but “old in his way of thinking.”

The call to prophetic ministry meant the end of free youth, the requirement of complete selflessness (1:7). “The Prophet Jeremiah thought that he would not say anything against the Jews, so at first he readily accepted the call of the Lord... But the opposite happened that he would have to predict troubles and sorrows, the destruction and captivity of Jerusalem and would have to endure persecution and disasters” (St. Abba Nestorius). When Jeremiah realized this, he cried out, “Woe is me, my mother, because you gave birth to me as a man who argues and quarrels” (15:10). But the Lord strengthened His chosen one (1:8), and the prophet humbled himself under the mighty hand of God.

The purpose and objectives of the ministry.

Jeremiah had a great mission ahead of him, which God outlined in His word to him on the day of his calling:
“...to uproot and destroy, to destroy and destroy, to create and to plant” (1:10).

Those. to eradicate, ruin, destroy and destroy harmful things; but to create and instill truth and virtue.
The main theme of Jeremiah's prophetic speeches is the judgment of the house of Judah in the form of punishment from the army from the north (i.e. Babylon) in the very near future, because the people deserved it by apostasy from the true God. In addition, the prophet often directs diatribes towards the enemies of the theocracy.

Tasks are also derived from calling:

1) The prophet must be independent of the influence of his contemporaries and their authorities (1:18)

2) Must be strong and courageous, faithful to the will of God, give all of himself (1:8,1:17)

Time and activity.

The prophet Jeremiah most likely lived in his hometown of Anathoth (3 miles, 1.5 hours walk from Jerusalem, now the city of Anata). Since it was very close to the capital, Jeremiah preached part of it there: in the Temple (7:2), and in the streets, and in houses, at the city gates (17:19), in the valley of Hinnom, in the courtyard of the guard (32:2) . His preaching lasted about 45-50 years.

The ministry of the prophet Jeremiah took place during a turbulent period in the history of the kingdom of Judah under the following kings of Judah:

Called in the 13th year of his reign Josiah (640-609), i.e. around 627 BC. (1:2,25:3). During the reign of Josiah, a scroll was found during the renovation of the temple. Old Testament with the promise of punishment for those who do not live according to the commandments of God. These words prompted Josiah to begin a religious and moral reform, which was fully supported by the prophet Jeremiah. When the king was killed in battle, “Jeremiah mourned Josiah with a lamentable song…” (2 Chronicles 35:25).

Next to reign Jehoahaz (609), son of Josiah, “...and reigned in Jerusalem for three months. And the king of Egypt deposed him in Jerusalem...” (2 Chron.36:2-3)

- “...and Jehoiakim became king of Egypt over Judea and Jerusalem...” (2 Chron. 36:4). The reign of Joachim is around 609-597. He reversed Josiah's reforms and "did evil in the sight of the Lord" (2 Chron. 36:5).

“At the beginning of the reign of Joachim” (26:1), according to the word of God, the prophet Jeremiah appeared in the Jerusalem Temple, which was crowded on the occasion of the holiday, and in the midst of the general celebration began to preach about the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (26:6). “Then the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him and said, “You must die…” (26:8). But “the hand of Ahikam (one of the elders of the land) was for Jeremiah, so as not to deliver him into the hands of the people to be killed” (26:24).

This moment is considered the beginning of the open struggle of the prophet Jeremiah with the priests and false prophets, the essence of which is well illustrated by the clash of Jeremiah with one of the false prophets Ananias, whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem revered and listened to:

“...at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, Hananiah spoke to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and all the people: Thus says the Lord...: I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon, after two years I will return to this place all the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar... carried to Babylon... and I will bring back the captives...and Hananiah took the yoke from Jeremiah's neck and broke it. And Hananiah said these words before the eyes of all the people: Thus saith the Lord: Thus will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar...by lifting him from the neck of all nations. And Jeremiah went his way." (28:1-4, 10-11).

That is, as Jeremiah himself said, from time immemorial only those prophets “who foretold the world” were recognized (28:9). And he spoke about impending destruction, so outwardly he suffered defeat in front of the entire people. In subsequent years, the conflict between Jeremiah as a true prophet and false prophets will deepen.

Under King Jehoiakim, “in the 4th year of Jehoiakim’s reign... the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: Take a book scroll and write in it all the words that I spoke to you... from the day that I began to speak to you, from the days of Josiah to this day ..."(36:2).

With the help of his faithful friend and assistant Jeremiah, his prophecies were collected into one book, Baruch copied them (36:4) and read them in the house of the Lord (36:10). Then he was called by “all the princes” (36:12) and read it aloud to them (36:15). “Then the princes said...go and hide, you and Jeremiah, so that no one knows where you are. And they went to the king... and Jehudi read the scroll aloud to the king... When Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king cut them off with a scribe's knife and threw them into the fire of the brazier until the whole scroll was destroyed..." (36:19-23). The Lord hid Jeremiah and Baruch (36:26).

“And Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch” (36:32), and they wrote down again all the words of Jeremiah that were in the first, and “many words like those were added to them” (36:32).

But we have, perhaps, a slightly different text than was in the scroll; we have many prophecies pronounced by Jeremiah after the 5th year of the reign of Joachim. Perhaps Baruch later wrote down, and in Egypt (43:6) collected and edited all the prophecies.

During the time of Joachim, the prophet Jeremiah predicted a 70-year Babylonian captivity (25:1-14).

Joachim was taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, where he died (events of the Battle of Carchemish - the 4th year of the reign of Joachim - Dan.1:1).

-King Jehoiachin (about 597) (ch. 20). Perhaps during his reign, Jeremiah uttered a prophecy about the Babylonian captivity. King Jeconiah, along with his house and inhabitants (except the poor) was taken to Babylon.

-King Zedekiah or Matthania (about 597-587) entered into an alliance of the kings of Moab, Idumea and others, incl. Egypt, against Babylon. Jeremiah calls to come to your senses and submit to Babylon (27:12-22), walks in “chains and a yoke” (27:2) through the streets of Jerusalem and sent the same yokes to the five kings of this union.

This period dates back to the conflict with Ananias, a false prophet who was one of many like him who predicted a quick liberation from Babylonian captivity and tribulation. Jeremiah fought with them (chapter 28).
Under Zedekiah, the most terrible prophecies of Jeremiah came true. Jerusalem was first subjected to a brutal siege, which led to famine in the city. Jeremiah's voice did not stop, for which he was persecuted, arrested, beaten, and mocked. Meanwhile, King Zedekiah constantly sent people secretly to the prophet, either “to pray for them to the Lord our God” (37:3), or to find out “if there is a word from the Lord” (37:17). But what Jeremiah predicted from the Lord (“You will be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon” - 37:17), Zedekiah did not like..."and the king gave orders that Jeremiah should be imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard and given him a piece of bread per day..." (37:21).

But even in the courtyard of the guard, Jeremiah continued to call for surrender to Babylon (38:2), for which he was thrown into a dirty pit (38:6). A certain Ethiopian Ebedmelech, a eunuch from the royal house, interceded for the prophet (38:9-10), pulled him out of the pit and returned him to the courtyard of the guard.

Zedekiah again calls the prophet Jeremiah to himself to to find out the will of God, swearing that he will not punish the prophet, no matter what he prophesies (38:16). Jeremiah again repeated the admonition that Jerusalem and its inhabitants could only be saved by surrendering to Babylon without resistance, otherwise they would face captivity and destruction of the city (38:17-23). Zedekiah was afraid of “the Jews who went over to the Chaldeans, lest the Chaldeans deliver him into their hands...” (v. 19) and did not follow the advice of the prophet. “And Jerusalem was taken” (v. 28). Zedekiah and his family were taken to the Syrian city of Rivla, where all his sons were slaughtered before his eyes, and he was blinded and taken in chains to Babylon, where he died.
In 587, the Jews were driven to Babylon. Jeremiah was given the right to choose the area for his residence. He decided to stay in the destroyed capital with Gedaliah. Baruch was with him. But as a result of the coup, Gedaliah was killed (41:1-2), and the remaining inhabitants of Jerusalem fled to Egypt. Jeremiah and Baruch were forced to follow them, although it was not their will. Further in Scripture there is no information about the prophet Jeremiah.

Tradition says that the prophet Jeremiah spent the rest of his life in the city of Tafnis, where he continued to preach (chap. 43-44). There he was stoned by the Jews for denouncing their prophets and for prophesying their death.
According to the Alexandrian legend, Alexander the Great took the body of the prophet to Alexandria, now his grave is located near Cairo and is still respected by the Egyptians.

Chronological structure of the book.

Although the book of Jeremiah is not actually arranged in chronological order, it is interesting to see Edward Young's attempt to group the chapters of the book according to the timing of the speeches they contain:

1) Reign of Josiah:

1:1-19 – 13th year of his reign, Jeremiah’s call to ministry;

2:1-3:5 – the first prophetic message;

3:6-6:30 – second prophetic speech about the punishment of Judah from the north;

7:1-10:25 – speech at the Temple gates, possibly in support of Josiah's reforms;

11:1-13:27 – possibly spoken after Josiah;

14:1-15:21 – drought and death;

16:1-17:27 - general character, about the devastation of Judah (possibly under Josiah, and maybe under Joachim);

18:1-20:18 – a symbolic image of the future captivity.

2) Reign of Jehoahaz: there are no prophecies dating from his time, even himself (22:11-13) is reported in the era of Zedekiah.

3) Reign of Joachim:

Chapter 26 – the beginning of the reign of Joachim, speech in the Temple courtyard. Uriah, who prophesied with Jeremiah, is killed (26:20-24);

Ch.27:1 - as if about the beginning of the reign of Joachim, but the content of the chapter shows that it was written under Zedekiah;

Ch.25 – 4th year of the reign of Jehoiakim, siege of Jerusalem (Dan.1:1);

Chapter 35 – about the Rechabites as an example of behavior for the Jews;

Chapter 36 - 4th year of reign - about the collection of all the prophecies on the book scroll and its destruction by Joachim, as well as about the new scroll;

Ch.45 – 4th year of reign; ch.46-49 – after the battle of Carchemish (46:2).

4) Reign of Jehoiachin: There are no clearly dated prophecies from this period, but Jehoiachin is mentioned in 22:24-30, in a word spoken under Zedekiah.

5) Reign of Zedekiah:

21:1-22:30 - speeches were made when the king sent Pashor and Zephaniah to Jeremiah to find out about the outcome of the siege of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans;

From verse 11 the prophet calls for a just government;

From chapter 22, the prophet gives an assessment of the three previous kings (Jehoahaz - 22:11-12, Joachim - 22:18-23, Jehoiachin - 22:24-30);

Chapter 23 - continuation of chapters 21 and 22 - denunciation of false prophets who falsely prophesy about peace and security;

Chapter 24 – symbolic message to the prophet after the captivity of Jehoiachin;

Chapter 27 - under Zedekiah, a speech was made about how Jeremiah interfered with the plans of five neighboring nations (Edom, Moab, Amon, Tire and Sidon - 27:3), who sought to persuade the king of Judah to ally with them against Babylon;

27:12-22 – admonition to Zedekiah about the folly of this enterprise;

Chapter 28 – the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah (4th year and 5th month of reign) – about the confrontation between Jeremiah and the false prophet Hananiah;

Chapter 29 – Jeremiah’s letter to those exiled to Babylon after the capture of Jehoiachin: Jeremiah advises building houses in Babylon, because the captivity will last 70 years (v. 10);

Ch.30-31 - there is no unambiguous dating, but the content shows that the migration has already taken place, therefore, these are the times of Zedekiah. Here the prophet says that the people are suffering now, but they have a glorious future ahead of them. The Lord will deliver from troubles and conclude “With the house of Israel and the house of Judah a new covenant... I will put My law within them and write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”(31:31,33);

Chapter 32 – 10th year of Zedekiah’s reign – the prophet buys a field in Anathoth from cousin Hanameel (v.9) and reports this to Baruch. The purpose of this symbolic action is to show that the land will again be inhabited and cultivated;

Chapter 33 – the period of arrest under Zedekiah: messianic prophecy and the promise of the eternity of the throne of David;

Chapter 34 - the time of the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, the prophecy about the captivity of Zedekiah, the destruction of Jerusalem (vv. 1-7), the denunciation of the people for not freeing the slaves according to the decree of Zedekiah;

Chapter 37 – historical information about the accession of Zedekiah, as well as Jeremiah’s admonition about the futility of an alliance with Egypt. For this, the prophet is put in prison, and then transferred to the courtyard of the guard;

Chapter 38 – the period of Jeremiah’s arrest under Zedekiah;

Chapter 39 – historical character chapters about the captivity of the king, the destruction of Jerusalem (9th year of the reign of Zedekiah).

6) Gedaliah: There are no chapters clearly dating from this period, but presumably these could be:

Chapter 40 – after Jeremiah was released, Nebuzaradan gave him a choice of place to live, and the prophet chose to join Gedaliah (vv. 6-7);

Chapter 41 – the murder of Gedaliah by Ishmael, the fear of the Jews of the revenge of the Chaldeans;

Chapter 42 – continuation – Jeremiah, on behalf of God, calls not to go to Egypt, not to be afraid of Chaldean revenge, “for I am with you to save you and to deliver you from the hand of Babylon...” (v. 11).

7)41:1-44:30: a historical story about how the people did not listen to the prophet and went to Egypt, taking Jeremiah with them. At Tafnis the prophet performed a symbolic action with stones (43:9-13);

-ch.44: why Jerusalem was destroyed, why the Jews were captured and the punishment of those who went to Egypt. And also about the salvation of the remnant (v. 28).

8) chapter 50-51: It is believed that these chapters contain the word with which Jeremiah sent Seraiah to Babylon to the captive Jews. After reading, Seraiah had to throw them with a stone into the Euphrates as a sign of the future fall of Babylon.

Either Jeremiah was talking about the future here,

Or Jeremiah is preparing this message in Egypt after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.

9)chapter 52: historical materials repeat the events described in 2 Kings 24-25.

The personality of the prophet Jeremiah.

Everyone knows Jeremiah as the weeping prophet. There is even a term “jeremiad” to designate sorrowful complaints and lamentations.

“Jeremiah weeps over their former misfortunes and laments the captivity of Babylon. How could one not shed bitter tears when the walls were excavated, the city was razed to the ground, the sanctuary was destroyed, the offerings were plundered... The prophets fell silent, the priesthood was taken into captivity, there was no mercy for the elders, virgins were given over to reproach... songs were replaced by crying. Every time I read… tears flow naturally… and I cry with the weeping prophet.”(St. Gregory the Theologian).

As a man, as a person, the prophet Jeremiah experienced enormous internal drama [diac. Roman Staudinger]:

He was born into the family of a pious priest, he was also destined for the path of the priesthood, service in the Temple, he probably would have gotten married, rejoiced with his wife in the successes of his children, etc. But God calls him to a special service, which required him to renounce himself completely, all plans, comfort, and satisfaction of some of his personal needs. And God calls not the mature, experienced Jeremiah, but just a boy, he was about 15-20 years old. And God does not accept objections, but says that “before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you came out of the womb, I sanctified you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (1:5).

The next sacrifice God required of Jeremiah was his love for his own people. Of course, the Lord did not forbid loving the people, on the contrary, because for their good Jeremiah made sacrifices. But it was not easy for a loving heart (Blessed Theodoret even calls him “the mother of Jerusalem” for his truly mother's love) instead of prosperity and happiness, predict death and destruction for the people, rejection by God. And in contrition of heart Jeremiah cries again: “Woe is me, my mother, that you gave birth to me as a man who argues and quarrels” (15:10).

And what was it like for the Old Testament Jew, who knew the Law and built his life according to it, to hear from his God: “Do not take yourself a wife, and you shall have neither sons nor daughters...” (16:2). The path of celibacy was unknown to the Old Testament Jews. Marriage was considered a divine commandment, children were evidence of God's presence in the family and His blessing.

But the prophet Jeremiah was able to endure and finally exclaimed: “The Lord is my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of trouble!” (16:19).

The inner drama of the prophet was accompanied by external drama conditioned by his relationship with the people of God:

The condition of the Jews at that time wounded the heart of the prophet: “they abandoned the fountain of living waters, they left and hewed out for themselves broken cisterns that could not hold water” (2:13). Hence, a moral decline of such depth was observed among the people that even the Lord commands Jeremiah: “drive them out of my presence, let them go away” (15:1).

“The prophet is pained by them...his belly and the feelings of his heart are pained, he is likened to a mother who is tormented over the death of her children” (Blessed Theodoret).

“Jeremiah tried to find some kind of justification for sinners...” (St. John Chrysostom).

Failures of preaching both among the poor (5:4-5) and among the nobles, and as a result - acute feeling loneliness.
-God rejects the prophet’s prayers for the people:

“You do not ask for this people, and do not offer prayers and petitions for them, and do not intercede with Me, for I will not hear you.” (7:16).

But for what? “Is there a sage who would understand this? And to whom does the mouth of the Lord speak - would he explain why the country perished and was scorched like a desert, so that no one passes through it? And the Lord said, Because they forsook My law, which I decreed for them, and did not hearken to My voice, nor walk in it; but they walked...after the Baals..." (9:12-14).

St. Cyril of Alexandria called those mourned by the prophet “deicides” for their conscious renunciation of the blessing of God.

Blzh. Jerome: “Because they forsook His law, ... and walked according to the wickedness of their hearts.”

Blzh. Theodoret: “Repentance could extinguish the fire of anger, but since it does not exist, no one is able to deliver from punishment.”

In addition to a loving motherly heart, Jeremiah also had a righteous zeal for God: “Therefore, I am filled with the wrath of the Lord, I cannot keep it within myself; I will pour it out on the children in the street and on the congregation of the young men…” (6:11). This jealousy does not give the prophet peace: “But, Lord of hosts, righteous Judge, ... let me see Your vengeance on them, for I have entrusted my cause to You” (11:20). There is no room for compromise with sin in his thoughts and actions.

All outsiders denied him: his fellow countrymen (11:21), because he inspired them with horror with his threats and envy with his superiority over other priests; the ruling circles of Jerusalem (20:1-2); the entire Jewish community (18:18), kings (for example, Joachim put him in prison - 36:5).

But with God nothing is in vain. It would seem that such excessive undeserved torment was given to such a righteous man, why? Not for anything, but so that, through all the suffering, a revolution would occur in the consciousness of the prophet Jeremiah: he saw God in a new way.

“It was not in vain that God allowed the prophet to experience sorrow; but, since he was ready to pray for the lawless, then with the intention of convincing him, so that he would not recognize himself as a lover of mankind, but the Treasure of grace was unmerciful, God allowed this uprising of the Jews against him.”(Blessed Theodoret).

Through all this, Jeremiah saw the love of God for the people, for the human race. God ceased to be for him punishing children for the guilt of their fathers (31:29-30). God appeared before Jeremiah the Most Merciful and gave the teaching about the new covenant:

“The days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah... I will put My law within them and write it on their hearts... they will all know Me... I will forgive their iniquities... and the whole valley of ashes and corpses, and the whole field to the brook Kidron, to the corner of the horse gate on the east, it shall be holy to the Lord; will not be destroyed and will not disintegrate forever"(31:31-40).

Proclamation of God's judgment as a consequence of idolatry (1:16, 2:5,7:9-10, etc.). On this basis, the prophet had a conflict with the priests, who believed that Jehovah could not give up His Temple to desecration (2:8,5:31,8:1,26:7).

Jeremiah sees the future fall of Judah, the Babylonian captivity, the fall of Babylon (chap. 50-51), the return of the people to their country (3:14-12:14; 30-33).

Form of prophecies.

Visions (1:11-13; ch. 24);

Symbolic and educational actions (13:1-11; 19; 27:2; 28:10, etc.);

Living examples and figurative expressions (chap. 18; 19:1, etc.).

Some researchers believe that Jeremiah recorded speeches because he was not allowed to speak. For the same reason, when his mouth was stopped, he performed symbolic actions. For example, chapter 13:

The Lord tells the prophet to buy a good belt. At that time, the belt not only served a practical purpose, but was also an important part of the attire and decoration. By the belt one could judge a person’s financial situation: simple or with precious stones, embroidered or simple rope. Next, God tells the prophet to go to the Euphrates and hide the belt in a cleft in the rock, which meant that Jeremiah had to walk about 500 km. At that time, people often traveled to distant countries by joining some trade caravan. On the way, the caravans met, exchanged news and carried what they learned further. That's how the news spread. And Jeremiah probably met someone along the way and they, of course, asked where he was going. And he said that God told him to hide the belt there, but why, he doesn’t know yet.
“And after many days the Lord said... go and take the belt from there...” (13:6). And again Jeremiah goes, and again meets, maybe even his old acquaintances, and shares the purpose of his journey. And “he took the belt from that place... and behold, the belt was ruined and was good for nothing” (13:7). “And the word of the Lord came: Thus...I will destroy the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem...this worthless people...will be like this belt, which is good for nothing. For as a belt lies close to the loins of a man, so I drew close to Me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah... but they did not listen” (13:9-11).

Book of the prophet Jeremiah.

1) With t.z. Pfeiffer's book of the prophet Jeremiah consists of the text of Jeremiah himself (written by him or dictated), from the biography of the prophet (compiled by Baruch) and from later additions. Pfeiffer believes that Baruch, without Jeremiah's knowledge, combined everything that the prophet wrote with his texts.

But from the book of the prophet Jeremiah we see the piety of Baruch, who would hardly interfere with the text of Jeremiah. There is no other evidence for this point of view.

2) Osterley and Robinson argued that a certain compiler of the book in the 4th century BC. collected it from poetic and prophetic statements, as well as from the biography of Jeremiah (compiled, most likely, by Baruch) and the autobiographical data of the prophet himself. Later, allegedly, the book was supplemented with many poetic inserts (at the end of the 5th - beginning of the 4th centuries).

3) The most radical point of view belonged to Duma: two-thirds of the book were made up of later authors (up to the 1st century BC).

For the authenticity of the book of Jeremiah:

As an authentic book of prophecies, Jeremiah is known to Old Testament writers: 2 Chr.36:22, 1 Ezra 1:1, Dan.9:2;

Refers to the prophecies of Jeremiah New Testament: Matt.2:17 (Jer.31:15); Matt.27:9 (Jer.18-19,32);

Jewish tradition confirms the authenticity of the book;

Christian tradition too (in the person of, for example, St. Athanasius, John Chrysostom, Theodoret, Jerome).

Origin of the book[based on materials from A.P. Yungerov].

In the 4th year of the reign of Jehoiakim, at the behest of God, Jeremiah called Baruch, who, under the dictation of the prophet, wrote down a scroll of all the speeches of Jeremiah (36:1-4). The scroll is read in the house of the Lord “in the hearing of the people” (36:6), then to the princes of the Jews, and then reaches the king, who destroys the scroll in the fire of the brazier (36:5-25).

- “And Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch... and he wrote in it from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of that scroll... and many more similar words were added to them” (36:32).

At the end of his prophetic ministry in Judah, under Zedekiah and the final siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (32:1-2), Jeremiah received a second command from the Lord: “write all the words that I have spoken to you in a book” (30:2). This record was supposed to contain not only threatening, but also comforting prophecies (30:3,8,10,16-24; 36:3). And not only about Judah, but also about foreign nations (25:13).

Language and style.

According to the blessed Jerome, the book of the prophet Jeremiah in literary merits is lower than the books of Isaiah Hosea, although equal to them in thoughts.

Modern researchers note monotony and frequent repetition. Regarding the latter, it can be argued that this is not a drawback, but a deliberate device in order to emphasize and convey the insistence of the call (5:9 – 5:29 – 9:9; 6:12-15 – 8:10-12).

And if somewhere the text lacks something in literary respect, then we need to remember the grief and tears of the prophet (9:1, 13:17, 14:2, 17, Lamentations 1:3). In such a state of mind, a person has no time for the beauty of language.
-often quotes the Pentateuch, comparing through this the requirements of the law, the formidable prophecies of the legislator, modern violations of the Law and the imminent death of the people. From all this the prophet concludes: “with the Lord there is truth, with the Jews there is disgrace.”

The Prophet does not comply chronological order, but the integrity of the meaning does not suffer from this.

The book of the prophet Jeremiah differs from, say, the book of Isaiah in that it is no longer a warning, but the “last attempt” of God to lead the people and save them from destruction. Hence the gradual change of mood: from persuasion and promises of forgiveness (subject to compliance with the Covenant) - through threats - to a firm promise to punish, to a ban on praying for the people (7:16, 11:14, 14:11). And after the threats there is a promise of deliverance, but only a remnant that will be separated and purified after going through these temptations, after returning from captivity.

Interpretations.

Origen wrote 45 homilies on the book of Jeremiah, of which 14 survive Latin translation, 7 – in Greek;

Eusebius of Caesarea “Prophetic Eclogues” about some of the prophecies of Jeremiah;

St. John Chrysostom “Discourse on Jer.10:23”;

St. Cyril of Alexandria – fragments of catenas;

Blzh. Jerome – interpretation on Jeremiah ch.1-32.

Modern research:

Yakimov I. The relationship of the Greek translation of the Seventy to the Hebrew Masoretic text in the book of Jeremiah;

Yakimov I. Intactness of the book of the prophet Jeremiah.

Yakimov I. The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (a strictly scientific explanation of the entire book based on Slavic and Russian translations).

Troitsky K. Book of the Prophet Jeremiah.

Frank-Kamenetsky I. Prophet Jeremiah and the struggle of parties in Judea.

Kazansky N. The Holy Prophet Jeremiah as a prototype of Christ.

Ways to divide a book by content.

1) two parts: first – chapters 2-45 – prophecies about Judea; the second - chapters 46-51 - about foreigners.

2)five parts:

Chapters 1-10 – about the fall of Judah and judgment through Babylon. The only way to avoid this is repentance and true internal renewal. But external rituals will not change anything (4:1, 7:4, 9:10-15);

Chapters 11-20 - reasons for the punishment of the people;

Chapters 21-33 - exhortation of shepherds and prophets, speeches about the mercy of the Messiah, the salvation of the remnant and the new covenant with it (31:31-33), the return from captivity (25:11-12);

Chapters 34-45 and 52 – general review the destruction of Judea;

Chapters 46-51 are about other nations and Egypt. Especially about Babylon (chapters 50-51).

3) Yungerov P.A. divides the book into five parts:

Introduction - Jeremiah's Calling (Chapter 1)

God's judgment for the people's crimes against God (chapters 2-24)

About modern historical events, which basically proved the incorrigibility of the Jews (chapters 25-43)

Prophecies for foreign nations (chapters 44-51)

Chapter 52 – epilogue – fulfillment of menacing and comforting prophecies.

Jeremiah's victories.

1) the malice and anger of the Jews were destroyed by the judgment of God: the Babylonian captivity sobered them up and forced them to believe the speeches of Jeremiah. Posthumous veneration of the prophet began. This is evidenced, for example, by 2 Mac.15:12-17: Maccabee’s vision of 2 intercessor men, among them Jeremiah, “adorned with gray hair, and glory, greatness... This is a brotherly lover, he prays a lot for the people and the holy city.”
The Lord consoled the mother of the Maccabees with the help of two husbands (2 Ezra 2:17-19).

The Gospel honors the prophet Jeremiah (Matthew 16:14).
2) “The people who escaped the sword have found mercy in the wilderness; I come to give peace to Israel.”

St. Cyprian of Carthage: “God does not easily forgive idolaters.”

St. Ambrose of Milan: “Although it was said to Jeremiah from the Lord (7:16), he prayed and asked for forgiveness.

The Lord bowed down through the request of such a great prophet to have mercy on Jerusalem...”

“I have loved you with everlasting love, therefore I have shown you favor” (Jer. 31:3).

3) Yahweh was found as a Savior: as a result of all this, Jeremiah drove away from himself mortal horror (17:17), the horror of someone else’s sin (8:20-22). The image of Yahweh bringing destruction was replaced in Jeremiah’s soul by the image of Yahweh the Savior (17:17, 15:20).

Messianic prophecies.

St. Hippolytus, denouncing the heretic Noetus, confessed faith in the incarnate Word, relying on Jeremiah: “Jeremiah says, who was in the essence of the Lord and saw His Word? The Word of God is only visible, while the word of man is only audible.”

Liturgical tradition honors Jeremiah as a divine contemplator:

1) canon to the prophet at Matins:

Theotokos 6th canto: “The Word from the Father before the ages was born incorporeally, from You, O Pure One, is born fleshly in the summer and in the shadow of Him we will all live, as Jeremiah prophesied of old” (based on 31:22);

The 1st Troparion of the 5th Song shows Jeremiah as a preacher of Christ;

The 3rd troparion of the 6th canto depicts Jeremiah as a seer of the suffering of Christ: “Thou didst secretly predict the death of the Redeemer, O God, like a Lamb, on the Tree of Christ erected... a lawless cathedral of the Jews...”.

2) 1st parimia at the 1st hour in Maundy Thursday (11:19)

3) 1st parimia at the 9th hour on Good Friday

4) 14th parimia at Vespers Holy Saturday (22:20).

Jeremiah as a type of Christ.

Sanctified by God before he was born (1:5). In this St. Cyril of Jerusalem sees a prototype of the Incarnation, the mystery of the creation of His human nature by the Logos.

Serving the people with sincere love for them, tears of compassion did not dry up in the eyes of the prophet (4:19). So the Savior grieved over the death of Lazarus and wept for Jerusalem.

Prophecy through a way of life: Saint Jeremiah also prophesied about the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ, revealing in himself a mysterious prototype of Him, the meek Lamb led to the slaughter (11:19).

They wanted to kill Jeremiah (26:7-9), and Christ too.

Ancient legends(according to Saint Demetrius of Rostov).

Tradition says that the prophet Jeremiah hid the sacred fire, taking advantage of Nebuzaradan’s favor towards it. He hid the fire in a waterless well, believing that if the fire were to go out temporarily (changing into thick water), it would in due time return to its former properties. The Fire was found under Nehemiah (2 Mac. 1:19-32).

It is also believed that Jeremiah hid the Ark of the Covenant, taking it with him. He hid it on Mount Moab beyond the Jordan River, near Jericho, from where Moses contemplated the promised land, where this patriarch died and was buried. Jeremiah hid the ark in a cave and blocked the entrance with a stone, on which he inscribed the name of God with his finger. “This place will not be known to anyone until the Lord gathers councils of people...” The Ark has not yet been found.

Lamentations.

The Septuagint attributes this book to the prophet Jeremiah, which is fully confirmed by its content and the nature of the prophet’s views.

Written immediately after the destruction of Jerusalem, which the author witnessed.

The book tells about the unfortunate fate of Jerusalem, and also contains a confession of the sins of the Jews and prayers to God for help.

1st song: sorrow for the captive Jews, for the destruction of Jerusalem.

2nd song: sorrow for the rejection of the holy altar and Zion as punishment for crime.

3rd song: the prophet's grief over his situation.

4th and 5th cantos: mitigation of Jeremiah’s experiences and hope for God’s mercy.

Book of the prophet Baruch.

Baruch is the son of Neriah, his brother Seraiah was in charge of collecting taxes under Zedekiah and participated in the embassy to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar (51:59).

Baruch was Jeremiah's disciple and helper (36:19-26; 43:3; 45:2-3). He stayed with the prophet Jeremiah until the latter’s death in Egypt, then went to Babylon, where, according to legend, he died in the 12th year after the destruction of Jerusalem.
Reason for writing the book: a letter of encouragement to those remaining in devastated Judea on behalf of those Jews who were in Babylonian captivity.

Baruch promises in the text that the punishment is temporary, so we should not grieve over our fate, but repent and the Lord will save (3:36-4:4).

The prophet Jeremiah is the son of Helkin, a Levitical priest. Jeremiah was probably born between 650 and 645 BC. e. in the small town of Anathoth, about three miles northeast of Jerusalem in the land of Benjamin. Jeremiah is often called “the weeping prophet" He is revered as one of the great prophets.

From the very childhood of the prophet, God had plans for his future.

...before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you came out of the womb, I sanctified you: I made you a prophet to the nations. (Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, chapter 1).

In the 13th year of the reign of King Josiah of Judah (c. 627 BC), God called Jeremiah when he was still a youth:

I have set you this day over nations and kingdoms, to uproot and destroy, to destroy and destroy, to build and to plant. (Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, chapter 1).

God forbade Jeremiah to take a wife. Jeremiah had to devote himself entirely to serving God:

...do not take yourself a wife, and let you have neither sons nor daughters in this place.

The Life and Times of Jeremiah

Jeremiah was one of God's prophets during the reigns of the five kings of Judah (Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah). Jeremiah witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BC. e.

His prophetic ministry lasted more than 40 years, during which he created and which were included in the Bible. Contemporaries of Jeremiah were the prophets Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Daniel and Ezekiel.

Jeremiah was a member of a generation that lived surrounded by both pagan and Old Testament relics. At the beginning of Jeremiah's prophetic ministry, King Josiah of Judah was about 21 years old. Josiah carried out serious reforms in order to return Judah to God and to the purity of religious rituals:

... while still a youth, he began to resort to the God of David, his father, and in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judea and Jerusalem from high places and sacred trees and from carved and cast images (Second Book of Chronicles, chapter 34).

God called Jeremiah to prophetic ministry about a year after King Josiah's religious reforms. It is worth saying that before Josiah reigned the wicked king Manasseh, who resumed the practice of child sacrifice, which was still going on in the time of Jeremiah. (Mentions of this can be found in Book of the prophet Jeremiah- chapters 7, 19 and 32).

The purpose of Jeremiah's ministry was to expose sinfulness and teach about the dire consequences of ignoring it. Jeremiah hoped for a complete spiritual revival of Judah, but tragedy soon occurred - the righteous King Josiah suddenly died at the age of 39. The whole people mourned his death, and the prophet Jeremiah was no exception.

Josiah and Jeremiah mourned in a lamentable song; and all the singers and singers spoke about Josiah in their lamentable songs. (2 Chronicles, chapter 35)

Ultimately, it turned out that Josiah's reforms were not enough to cleanse Judah of the pagan rites introduced by the wicked Manasseh. God's people broke their covenant with God. They abandoned God and worshiped false gods everywhere.

Through the prophet Jeremiah, God warned His people about the impending destruction of Jerusalem from invaders from the north.

And the Lord said to me: From the north will disaster come upon all the inhabitants of this land. (Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, chapter 1)

Jeremiah exposed the sins of the people, including pride and ingratitude towards God's mercy. He also spoke out against idolatry, adultery, oppression of foreigners, widows and orphans, lies and slander, breaking the Sabbath, etc.

Jeremiah warned that the consequences of sin would be dire: the people would face famine, then invaders would come and the people would be taken captive.

Jeremiah witnessed the fulfillment of God's warning. He saw natural disasters and the destruction of Jerusalem. The Babylonian king Jehoiakim repeatedly attacked the cities of Judea. Soon Jerusalem was destroyed. Jeremiah lived in Jerusalem during these terrible years. He witnessed the blockade and destruction of the city by the Babylonians under the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar.

Persecution of Jeremiah.

When King Josiah died, Jeremiah experienced difficulties as a prophet of God. His preaching led to him receiving threats. His life in his hometown was dangerous. In his hometown of Anathoth, the priests of the pagan temple, dissatisfied with the prophetic activity of Jeremiah, conspired to kill him. Even Jeremiah's relatives participated in this conspiracy. However, the Lord revealed a plot to keep Jeremiah alive and continue his activities. Jeremiah had to leave hometown and leave for Jerusalem.

I left My house; I have left My inheritance; He gave the most dear thing to My soul into the hands of his enemies. (Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, chapter 12)

He was also persecuted in Jerusalem. A priest named Pashor pursued the prophet and put him in stocks at the upper Benjamin Gate. Jeremiah became a universal laughing stock and the subject of universal mockery.

Soon, by order of the king, Jeremiah was again punished for his prophecies about the disasters that would face the people of Israel. Jeremiah was caught and lowered by ropes into a pit of mud. Jeremiah was saved from death by Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuch slaves, who persuaded the king to let Jeremiah go.

After this incident, the prophet Jeremiah did not stop spreading the word of God, although he tried to stop. However, the words of God burned like fire in his heart, and he could not contain them.

God told Jeremiah that He would give him strength to endure all the persecution.

And I will make you a strong wall of brass for this people; They will fight against you, but they will not prevail against you, for I am with you to save and deliver you, says the Lord. (Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, chapter 15)

Jeremiah and the false prophets.

While Jeremiah prophesied about coming catastrophes and God's judgment, other prophets spoke of peace and prosperity. Jeremiah spoke out against such false prophets.

According to the book of Jeremiah, during the reign of King Zedekiah, the Lord commanded Jeremiah to tell the people about the coming conquests of the Babylonians. The prophet Hananiah most harshly criticized the decadent messages of Jeremiah.

God's Message through Jeremiah

Through his prophet, God was telling people that they should return to God. God also spoke about the impending judgment of Judah and the future messianic kingdom.

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up a righteous Branch for David, and a King will reign, and will act wisely, and will execute judgment and righteousness on earth. ((Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, chapter 23)

Also, through the prophecies of Jeremiah, the Lord says that he will protect the Jews during their stay in Babylon, and also promises a return to Judea after 70 years of captivity.

I will restore the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel and will build them up as at the beginning (Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, chapter 33)

Jeremiah gives hope to all of God's people. He promises that

• God will bring the remnant back to Judah to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple,
• A descendant of David will serve God and guide his people - a reference to the coming of Jesus Christ,
• There will be a reunification of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms and a single people will live in the Kingdom of God,
• God will heal the spiritual wounds of his people and restore his covenant with them.

The life and prophecies of Jeremiah tell us that God is merciful and long-suffering in dealing with the sins and ignorance of people, but He will not tolerate their sins forever. The Lord spoke through the prophets to the people of Israel, calling people to turn their hearts to God.

Jeremiah was sympathetic to the Northern Kingdom, and also expressed great respect for the prophet Hosea.

It should be said that during the Babylonian captivity, the Babylonians showed great respect to the prophet and allowed him to choose his own place of residence.

The Prophet Jeremiah is revered in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

In Jewish rabbinic literature, Jeremiah is often mentioned in comparison with Moses. Their destinies have a lot in common. For example:

• Moses and Jeremiah prophesied for 40 years,
• The relatives of both prophets turned away from them,
• Moses was thrown into the water, and Jeremiah into a pit of mud;
• Both Moses and Jeremiah were saved by slaves.

Jeremiah is also revered as a prophet in Islam. Although he is not mentioned in the Koran, many references to him, as well as to the destruction of Jerusalem, can be found in Islamic religious literature.