Jeremias 30
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
Jeremias 30
Guzik - This is a promise stated many times before and after in Jeremiah. Yet as this prophecy develops it seems clear that this return from captivity is later and greater than the relatively soon return from the Babylonian exile. This is especially indicated by the last words of this chapter, which tell us that in the latter days you will consider it (Jeremiah 30:24). Jeremiah here looked beyond his present day and near future to see the latter days. (Jeremiah 30 Commentary) Fortunes (07622) (shebuth from shabah = to take captive but some think it originates from shub = to return, restore) is a feminine noun which has two main meanings in the OT, (1) captivity, captives (esp Nu 21:29 referring to Moab), implying control and oppression and (2) fortunes, assets (primarily possessions, materials, and property though not exclusively so which will make life easier and more secure). One could see how both senses are meant in some passages because to restore someone from captivity is tantamount to bringing them into a place of good fortune. Baker - This word conveys either a state of exile, such as being taken for a spoil of war, or the subjects of such captivity. The chief use was in declaring the liberating power of the Lord in releasing His people from such banishment (Deut. 30:3; Jer. 33:7; Hos. 6:11). Shebuth - 28 verses (all except Nu 21:29 are listed above under discussion of the Hebrew idiom "restore fortunes") - Nu 21:29; Dt 30:3; Job 42:10; Ps 14:7; 53:6; 85:1; 126:1, 4; Jer 29:14; 30:3, 18; 31:23; 32:44; 33:7, 11, 26; 48:47; 49:6, 39; Lam 2:14; Ezek 16:53; 29:14; 39:25; Hos 6:11; Joel 3:1; Amos 9:14; Zeph 2:7; 3:20 Stephen Miller - Exiled a thousand miles away in what is now Iraq, Jews lament the loss of their nation. They also fear they have become God's "unchosen people." But Jeremiah says they still have reason to hope. Each Bible prophet who predicted doom for the Jewish nation—Jeremiah included—assured the people that God would give them a second chance. God would save a remnant and bring them home to rebuild Israel. (Ed: But this was only a foreshadowing of a greater restoration of fortunes, when Messiah returns and "all Israel will be saved" Ro 11:26!) (Complete Guide to the Bible) ISRAEL AND JUDAH Israel and Judah - When one interprets this literally, clearly God is speaking of the two divisions of His once united nation. If one does not accept a literal reading of the Scripture, phrases such as "Israel and Judah" become a bit difficult to interpret and forces the interpreter to speculate rather than see the text for what it say. As an example of the problem for non-literal interpreters, Temper Longman writes "The fact that both the people of Israel and Judah are mentioned is of interest (Ed: That's an understatement! It is of critical importance in interpreting the text accurately!). It may indicate that the earlier exiles from the northern kingdom preserved some measure of identity at this stage in their captivity. Or it could simply be a way to refer to those who were exiled in 605, 597, and who will be exiled in 586 as now representative of both (and perhaps some northerners had escaped to the south after 722B.C.)." Do you see how Longman is forced to "force" his interpretation? It does not even make good sense. Remember - if the plain sense of a text makes good sense in context, seek to make no other sense out of it or you will likely end up with nonsense! Listen to Challies' fourth best commentator Jack Dearman's comment on Jeremiah 30:4–7. - "This portion of chapter 30 is a bit cryptic with respect to the future turmoil it presupposes. A rhetorical question in verse 6 suggests that the dismay on the part of human beings will not be permanent. The point is that Jacob will be saved from a time of trouble." And that's all Dearman says on this incredible passage. Dear reader, the point I would like to make is that you must be very discerning, especially when studying the Bible books that were prophetic at the time they were written (Jeremiah, Isaiah, etc). And you must be especially careful not to be swayed by lists of the so-called “best commentaries,” since those lists often reflect the critics’ theological bias more than a genuine commitment to the literal interpretation of the text. See similar comments on various commentaries available on the great prophecy of Isaiah. In fairness, it should be noted that Challies' fifth rated commentary on Jeremiah by Bruce MacKay is an exception for on Jer 30:7 he comments "Mention is specifically made of Israel, which had been scattered by the Assyrians (2 Kgs. 17:6), to show that the reintegration of the fractured people of God would be effected in this time of future blessing." Unfortunately, although this is a "good start," MacKay makes absolutely no mention of any association with the coming Great Tribulation as synonymous with the "Time of Jacob's Distress." (cf Jesus' prophecy spoken to Jewish disciples [Mt 24:1-2+] in Mt 24:15-20+, especially Mt 24:21+) My people Israel and Judah - Both divisions of the nation are mentioned 36 times in Jeremiah's prophecy, even though Israel (the northern 10 tribes) had been removed into exile by Assyria over a century earlier. Notice also that Jehovah uses the possessive pronoun "My." Yes they have both been unfaithful but clearly He has not "unchosen" them! Israel and Judah are mentioned 36 times in Jeremiah - Jer 3:8, Jer 3:11, Jer 3:18, Jer 5:11, Jer 9:26, Jer 11:10, Jer 11:17, Jer 12:14, Jer 13:11, Jer 19:3, Jer 23:6, Jer 24:5, Jer 27:21, Jer 30:3, Jer 30:4, Jer 31:23, Jer 31:27, Jer 31:31, Jer 32:30, Jer 32:32, Jer 33:4, Jer 33:7, Jer 33:14, Jer 34:2, Jer 35:13, Jer 35:17, Jer 36:2, Jer 37:7, Jer 42:15, Jer 44:2, Jer 44:7, Jer 44:11, Jer 50:4, Jer 50:20, Jer 50:33, Jer 51:5. Guzik writes that "The mention of both kingdoms is another hint that this written prophecy speaks of something later and greater than the return from Babylonian exile. It is true that the Kingdom of Judah did contain people from all the tribes (2 Chronicles 11:13-16) so these words don't demand a greater fulfillment, but they do suggest it." (Jeremiah 30 Commentary) The LORD says, 'I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they shall possess it. - God speaks another "I will!" At the time Jeremiah wrote this was prophecy this prophecy was entirely future. While some might seek to find fulfillment in the return of the Jews to their homeland after the 70 years of Babylonian captivity, the promise is given not just to Judah but to Israel (who was exiled in 722 BC)! Therefore, the return from Babylonian exile could not be the complete fulfillment of this prophecy. I would posit a partial fulfillment of this prophecy in May, 1948 when the United Nations passed a vote establishing Israel as a nation once again in the the Land (Israeli Declaration of Independence), " that (God) gave to their forefathers!" And yet the context (e.g., Jer 30:8 Israel today does not fulfill this promise) speaks of a yet future day when Messiah , the Stone, returns to crush the Gentile empires, even as predicted by the prophet Daniel (Da 2:34-36+ , Da 2:44-45+). Jehovah says I will bring them back - This promise speaks of divinely empowered restoration and regathering of the reunited nation of Israel back to the Promised Land. If God said it, it will come to pass. As noted above, this prophecy cannot refer to the return of the Jews from exile in Babylon because Israel (the northern 10 tribes) was not exiled to Babylon but to Assyria! To state that this prophecy is fulfilled in Judah's return from the Babylonian exile is to choose to ignore the plain, normal reading of the Biblical text! HCSB Study Bible Note on bring them back to the land...and they shall possess it - (This promise) looks to a time beyond the future return from the exile. The exiles, when they returned, retook only a small portion of the ancestral lands. Thus the restoration God promised here looks beyond this event. (See HCSB Study Bible - Page cclxxviii) The Land...I gave to their forefathers - The land is the land of Palestine promised to their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob which is reiterated again and again in the OT (the following is but a sampling of passages in which the land is promised to Jacob or Israel).... Genesis 12:7 "And the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. Comment - This promise to Abraham was repeated in Ge 13:15. The verb "give" appears >1000x in the OT, with greatest frequency in relation to God's giving the land of Palestine to Israel, a truth here announced for the first time but repeated in approximately 150 OT passages from the days of the patriarchs to the return from the exile (Neh 9:35,36) and even incorporated in the Decalogue (Ex 20:12). Genesis 15:18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates: Comment - "The boundaries of the Promised Land are now given for the first time. This promise has not yet been fulfilled but will be when Christ returns." (Ryrie) Genesis 17:8 (cp Ge 12:7) God promised Abraham "And I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." Ps 105:9 The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac. 10 Then He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant, 11 Saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan As the portion of your inheritance," Ge 28:4 (Isaac passes the land blessing to Jacob) "May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you; that you may possess the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham." Ge 28:13 (Jehovah speaking to Jacob) And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. Ge 35:12 "And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, And I will give the land to your descendants after you." Amos 9:14 "Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them, They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit. 15 "I will also plant them on their land, And they will not again be rooted out from their land Which I have given them," Says the LORD your God. Comment - Notice that this promise applies, not to the return from Babylon, but to the final restoration in the last days (Amos 9:13 = Messianic age, cp Jer 30:3), when they will never again "be pulled up out of their land." The land...they shall possess it - In the end times when Messiah returns to establish His kingdom on earth (not the New Earth of Revelation 21-22), Jacob (representing the reunited nation of Israel now composed only of a believing remnant) will receive the land. The prophet Ezekiel echoes this promise of the gift of the land to Israel... Ezekiel 37:25-note "They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons' sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever. Comment - A normal reading of this prophecy is clearly a promise to Jacob (Israel) that they will live on the land given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Notice that there is no mention of the church in this promise. The land was promised to Israel and Israel will receive the land. John MacArthur on Jeremiah 30:3 - This theme verse gives in capsule form the pledge of chaps. 30–33. God’s restoration of the whole nation to their own land (cf. Jer 29:10; Am 9:14, 15; Ro 11:26) has in view a final regathering never to be removed again and not just a return in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah (Jer 30:8, 9; 31:31-34; 32:39, 40; 33:8, 9, 15, 16). (MacArthur Study Bible) ><>><>><> Note that the remainder of the comments on this verse (below) are all from David Baron's book - The Jewish Problem. Jewish Believer David Baron The first item in that program is Restoration - "when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.' (Jeremiah 30:3). Note the frequent reiteration of the august and glorious name Jehovah in this, as in the other verses of this prophecy; as if to give credibility to the announcements made, and to test our faith in the accomplishment of those things for which the eternal, unchangeable name, Jehovah, stands pledged. Now, what are we to do with this and other prophecies of a Restoration of the people of Israel to the land of their fathers? THREE METHODS OF INTERPRETATION There are several methods of interpretation (Baron briefly refutes three methods) which seem alike unsatisfactory, and are perhaps responsible for a great deal of Jewish and Gentile unbelief. (1). There is, first of all, the old-fashioned way of so-called spiritualizing the prophecies—making Israel and Zion to mean the Church, and The Land to signify heaven ; but I confess this system of interpretation has no consistency about it, and makes the Word of God the most meaningless and unintelligible book in the world. For instance, we read here "I will bring again the captivity of My people Israel and Judah…and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers." (Jer 30:3KJV) If Israel be the Church, who is Judah? If Judah be the Church, who is Israel? What is the "captivity" the Church has endured? And where is "the land" from which the Church has been driven out, and to which it will return? At the end of the prophecy we read: "Behold, days are coming," declares Jehovah, "when the city shall be rebuilt for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. And the measuring line shall go out farther straight ahead to the hill Gareb; then it will turn to Goah. And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse-gate toward the east, shall be holy to Jehovah; it shall not be plucked up, or overthrown anymore forever." (Jeremiah 31:38-40) In what particular locality in heaven are the tower of Hananel and the corner gate? And what will our allegorical Interpretations make of the hill Gareb, and Goah, and the brook Kidron? All these are known to me in the environs of the literal Jerusalem in Canaan; but I confess some difficulty in locating them in heavenly places. If Israel does not mean Israel, and "the land God gave to the fathers" does not mean Palestine, then I do not know what is meant. The announcement is: "He that scatters Israel will gather him." (Jer 31:10) Now, when it comes to scattering—of course, this is allowed to refer to literal Israel, to the Jews, "scattered and peeled"; but when, in the same sentence, a gathering of the same people is mentioned—oh, this is the gathering of the spiritual Israel. What consistency or honesty, I pray, is there in such interpretations! To quote Bishop J C Ryle... To what may we attribute the loose system of interpreting the language of the Psalms and prophets, and the extravagant expectations of the universal conversion of the world by the preaching of the Gospel, which may be observed in many Christian writers? To nothing so much, I believe, as to the habit of inaccurately interpreting the word "Israel," and the consequent application of promises to the Gentile churches, with which they have nothing to do. The least errors in theology always bear fruit. Never does man take up an incorrect principle of interpreting Scripture without that principle entailing awkward consequences, and coloring the whole tone of his religion. I do not deny that Israel was a peculiar typical people, and that God's relations to Israel were meant to be a type of relations to His believing people all over the world. I do not forget that it is written, "As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man." (Proverbs 27:19) and that whatever spiritual truths are taught in prophecy concerning Israelitish hearts, are applicable to the hearts of Gentiles. I would have it most distinctly understood that God's dealings with individual Jews and Gentiles are precisely one and the same. Without repentance, faith in Christ, and holiness of heart, no individual Jew or Gentile shall ever be saved. What I protest against is, the habit of allegorizing plain sayings of the Word of God concerning the future history of the nation Israel, and explaining away the fulness of their contents in order to accommodate them to the Gentile Church. I believe the habit to be unwarranted by anything in Scripture, and to draw after it a long train of evil consequences. (From “Scattered and Gathered" by the late Dr. Ryle, Bishop of Liverpool) (Ed: Click for similar quote from C H Spurgeon in 1864) Like thousands more, the writer has in the infinite grace of God been brought out of the darkness of Rabbinical Judaism (Ed: David Baron is referring to himself) into the marvelous light and liberty of the glorious Gospel of Christ. He accepted Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah of Israel and Saviour of the world, on the ground of a literal interpretation of the prophecies concerning Him; and he cannot consistently, without doing outrage to his convictions, accept one principle of interpretation for one set of prophecies which have already been fulfilled, and another principle of interpretation for another set of prophecies not yet fulfilled. Rather, he honestly believes that the manner of fulfillment of those prophecies which are now history, supplies the only sound basis for the interpretation of those prophecies with regard to Israel and the kingdom which yet await their fulfillment. "Though He tarry, wait for Him" (cp Hab 2:3); and when the fulness of time (Gal 4:4) is come, it will be seen that though man's systems and principles of interpretation be diverse, God's manner of fulfilling His promises is one. (2) Another way of dealing with these prophecies of a Restoration is to make them refer to the gathering of the Jews into the Church. But this position also is untenable. The Jews will not be nationally gathered into the Church; for even in the New Testament we have the Jews, as well as the Gentiles, as nations, running parallel with, and continuing separate from, the Church throughout all the period of its history on earth; (1Corinthians 10:32); and in Ro 11:25-note, the inspired apostle is commissioned to announce to the Gentile believers the fact that all Israel will not be saved; that the "partial hardening" which has befallen that nation will continue until after the "fulness of the Gentiles has come in." "He that scattered Israel": From whence? From the Church or Gospel blessings? No, no; but from Palestine. "Will gather him:" (Jer 31:10KJV) Where to? why, surely, to the land which He gave to their fathers, from which Israel, on account of disobedience, was banished and scattered. (3) But perhaps the most plausible way of explaining such predictions is to represent them as having had their fulfillment at the restoration from Babylon, since they were given before the Babylonish captivity. To this I reply that this and other predictions are in terms of which we vainly seek an adequate fulfillment at that period. It may be as well to give here a few reasons in justification of the position that there is a future Restoration of the literal Israel to the land which by unconditional promise and covenant was given to them as an everlasting possession. (Ge 15:7-21; Ge 18:7, 8, 19, 21) SIX REASONS FOR A LITERAL RESTORATION I. The Restoration promised here is a complete one: "I will bring again the captivity of My people Israel and Judah;" and the number who will return shall be "a great company," (Jeremiah 31:8) so that even the whole of the promised land will not be large enough for them. (Zec 10:10, Isa 44:19-20) The same appears in that remarkable prophecy of Isaiah 11:1-16 (note), which, on whatever system of interpretation we adopt, is admittedly future in its application, where "the outcasts of Israel" and "the dispersed of Judah" are to be gathered together. The same appears again in Ezekiel 37:1-28 (note), where there is a future announced for the whole twelve tribes reunited in one kingdom. Many more passages might be cited which speak of a complete Restoration of the entire nation in terms most unequivocal and minute; which certainly could not be said to have received their fulfillment in the—comparatively speaking—mere handful who returned from Babylon. II. After the Restoration predicted in this and other prophecies, Israel is to enjoy at least national independence, if not supremacy. 'For it shall come to pass in that day, saith Jehovah of Hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him " (Jeremiah 30:8KJV). Backsliding Israel, because he served not Jehovah with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things, was to be taught a lesson by comparison ; and was given over by God to be in servitude for a time to the Gentiles. "Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies, which Jehovah shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in want of all things; and He shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck" (Deut 28:47-48KJV). But this iron yoke of Gentile oppression was not to last forever. This is clear even from the solemn words of the Lord Jesus, when, after announcing the fact that Israel "shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations,' (Lk 21:24a) He suspends in the midst of the darkness of threatened judgment the bright star of hope which ultimately shall banish the darkness, and cause judgment to be forgotten in the abundance of mercy; inasmuch as He announces a limit to the time of Israel's servitude to Gentile oppression : "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles UNTIL (crucial time phrase) the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."' (Luke 21:24). And when they be fulfilled, the yoke will be broken, and Israel will once more not only be free and independent, but nationally supreme among the nations.' But has this ever yet taken place? Let those who point to the restoration from Babylon as an exhaustive fulfilment of these prophecies compare, for instance, such a passage as Isaiah 14:1-3, where we read that "Jehovah will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of Jehovah for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives whose captives they were ; and they shall rule over their oppressors." Let them compare this with Nehemiah 9:36, 37, which describes the actual condition of the people after their restoration : "Behold, we are slaves today, And as to the land which You gave to our fathers to eat of its fruit and its bounty, Behold, we are slaves in it. Its abundant produce is for the kings Whom You have set over us because of our sins; They also rule over our bodies And over our cattle as they please, So we are in great distress.” III. According to the express declaration of the prophet Isaiah, there is to be a "second" Restoration, which is to be universal in its character. "And it shall to come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth" (Isaiah 11:11-12-note). Now, there has been no second Restoration as yet; neither could the return from Babylon be said to be a gathering from the "four corners of the earth"; that captivity having been local in its character, and of short duration. Never before the dispersion inaugurated by Titus, could the scattering of the people be said to have been universal; hence they could never before have been gathered from the four corners of the earth. IV. Israel has never yet in all its fulness possessed the land which God has promised them; and Palestine may still be said to be " the land of promise." Its boundaries are given in Ge 15:18; Ezek 47:13, Ezek 48:1. Dr. Alex. Keith, author of " The Evidence of Prophecy" has given us the results of his personal investigations and measurements in his book called "The Land of Israel," according to which the extent of the promised land is 300,000 square miles. The infidel Voltaire is said to have scoffingly remarked on Ex 3:8, where God says that He has come down to deliver Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land into a "good land and a large," that the God of the Jews must have been a petty God, because He gave them a land not larger in size than Wales, and called it a " large land." But this is only in keeping with the style of infidel scoffers in general, who find it easy to ridicule things about which they know very little. It is only ignorance that could represent the land called in Ex 3:8, a "large land " as being no larger in size than Wales. Why, it is twice and a half as large as Great Britain and Ireland. And yet Christians who do not believe in a future possession by Israel of the whole land which God has promised them, really give occasion to the enemies of God to blaspheme ; for if there be no future occupation of the land by Israel, the solemn word of God, on which His oath is staked, would fail of fulfillment.' (Genesis 15:8-18) What though generations may pass, and instead of the fathers may be the children: "heaven and earth shall pass away," (Mt 24:35) but God's oath and promise cannot fail. It is very remarkable that when we come to the future re-division of the land in the last chapters of Ezekiel, it is no longer merely from Dan to Beersheba with which the prophet deals; but faith and inspiration combine to claim all the promised land contained within the boundaries of the original covenant in Genesis 25. This, by the way, is a sufficient answer to those who ask whether there is room enough in Palestine for the 12,000,000 Jews at present in the world. Note also that according to these same last chapters of Ezekiel, there is to be a different location of the twelve tribes at the re-division of the land. What can we make of this, if there be no future Restoration of Israel to the promised land? V. Leaving out for the moment the brief ordeal and baptism of suffering which awaits Israel immediately on their return to their land, with which we shall deal presently, the Restoration announced in this and other prophecies is to be followed by a National Conversion (Jer 30:8-10). Israel nationally is then to enter into the blessing of the New Covenant announced in this very prophecy; (Jeremiah 31:31-34) (Ed: See also New Covenant in the Old Testament) which the election of individuals from all nations now enjoy, as it were, by anticipation. The same is clearly announced in Ezek. 36:24-28 (note): "For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you ; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers ; and ye shall be My people, and I will be your God." And by the same prophet in the following chapter—Jer 32:21-23; and in many other passages of Scripture. Now, such a national conversion has surely never yet taken place. The restoration from Babylon was followed by the most appalling and universal national apostasy, which culminated in the rejection of the Son of God, and the consequent dispersion of the people into all the four corners of the earth. VI. There is to be a gathering of Israel to the land of their fathers, which is to be final. This is announced in this very prophecy, where, at the end of Jeremiah 31, after describing with the greatest minuteness and geographical exactness the rebuilding of the Holy City, it closes with the declaration "it shall not be plucked up nor thrown down any more forever." (Jer 31:40) The same is again emphatically proclaimed by the prophet Amos : "I will bring again the captivity of My people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof ; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God" (Amos 9:14, 15). Now, supposing that since these inspired announcements by Amos and Jeremiah there had already taken place a hundred dispersions and a hundred restorations, we would still be justified in believing in yet another gathering, after which there should be no more scattering. (From David Baron's book - The Jewish Problem) QUESTION - What is the time of Jacob's trouble? | GotQuestions.org ANSWER - The phrase the time of Jacob’s trouble comes from Jeremiah 30:7, which says, “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it” (KJV). It is our view that the time of Jacob’s trouble corresponds to the seven-year tribulation of the end times. (ED: WHILE I LIKE GOTQUESTIONS.ORG, I THINK THEY ARE NOT COMPLETELY ACCURATE IN THE PRECEDING STATEMENT. THE FACT IS THAT IN THE FIRST 3.5 YEARS THINGS WILL SEEM TO GO WELL WITH ISRAEL/JACOB. IT WILL NOT BE A TIME OF TROUBLE FOR THEM AND THEY ARE ALLOWED TO REBUILD THEIR TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM. WHY DO I SAY THIS? BECAUSE OF DANIEL'S PROPHECY - Daniel 9:27+ says "And he (ANTICHRIST) will make a firm covenant with the many for one week (SEVEN YEARS), but in the middle of the week (AFTER 3.5 YEARS OF RELATIVE PEACE FOR ISRAEL - SEE JESUS' WARNING - Mt 24:15-21+ WHICH MARKS THE BEGINNING OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION, THE TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLE) he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.” In the previous verses of Jeremiah 30, the Lord is speaking to Jeremiah the prophet about Judah and Israel (Jeremiah 30:3–4). In verse 3, the Lord promises that, one day in the future, He will bring both Judah and Israel back to the land He had promised their forefathers. But their return will involve many distresses: “How awful that day will be!” (Jeremiah 30:7). It will be “the time of Jacob’s trouble”—Jacob being a synecdoche for all the nation of Israel. Verse 5 describes Jacob’s trouble as a time of great fear and trembling. Verse 6 describes it in terms of the pains of childbirth, indicating a time of agony. But there is hope for the people of Israel, for the Lord promises He will save them. Even though this is “the time of Jacob’s distress” (NASB), and even though “in all history there has never been such a time of terror” (Jeremiah 30:7, NLT), God will deliver His people. In Jeremiah 30:10–11 the Lord references the blessings that will come after the time of Jacob’s trouble: “‘I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. I am with you and will save you,’ declares the Lord.” As part of the deliverance He provides from the time of Jacob’s trouble, the Lord says He will destroy the nations who held Judah and Israel in captivity, and He will never again allow Jacob to be completely destroyed. The Lord also describes this as a time of discipline for His people. He says of Jacob, “Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.” Jeremiah 30:7 says, “That day is great, so that none is like it.” The only time period that fits this description is the end-times tribulation. This time is unparalleled in history. Like Jeremiah, Jesus described the tribulation as a unique time of suffering, speaking of “great distress (NASB = "TRIBULATION"), unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again” (Matthew 24:21+). The Lord also used some of the same imagery as Jeremiah. In Matthew 24:6–8, He said the appearance of false christs, wars and rumors of wars, famines, and earthquakes are “the beginning of birth pains.” Paul, too, described the tribulation using the simile of birth pains. 1 Thessalonians 5:3 says, “While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” This event follows the rapture and the removal of the church in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18. These “birth pains” are described in detail in Revelation 6-12. One purpose of the tribulation—“the time of Jacob’s trouble”—is to bring Israel back to the Lord (see Jeremiah 30:22; Hosea 6:1–2; Zechariah 12:10+). The time of Jacob’s trouble demonstrates that God keeps His promises, judges sin, and saves those who trust in Christ. In the end times, God will pour His judgment on a wicked world, and this seven-year tribulation, from Israel’s point of view, is the time of Jacob’s trouble (ED: AS NOTED ABOVE ACTUALLY THE LAST 3.5 YEARS!). In this time, God purges His chosen people of the wicked and unbelieving (ED: SEE Da 12:7, 10+ NOTE THE PHRASE "TIME, TIMES AND HALF A TIME" = 3.5 YEARS = THE TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLE = THE GREAT TRIBULATION), but “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls” (Joel 2:32; cf. Romans 10:13). After that time of Jacob’s trouble is a time of peace, as the Lord Himself sets up His kingdom on earth for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1–6; cf. Isaiah 11). Jeremiah 30:4 Now these are the words which the LORD spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah, JEHOVAH ADDRESSES THE ENTIRE NATION Concerning Israel and concerning Judah - A literal reading of this phrase is critical for accurate interpretation of the rest of this chapter! As alluded to above, in approximately 931 BC the nation of Israel was divided into 10 northern tribes (commonly referred to as "Israel") with Samaria as their capital and 2 southern tribes (Judah and Benjamin) with Jerusalem as their capital. Assyria defeated "Israel" and transported the 10 northern tribes into exile in 722 BC. Here in Jeremiah 30:4 Jehovah is addressing both Israel (northern tribes) and Judah (southern tribes), implying there will be a time of reunification (or gathering together) of all 12 tribes prior to the time of Jacob's distress. That time did NOT occur with the return of the remnant of exiles from Babylon. Jeremiah 30:5 "For thus says the LORD, 'I have heard a sound of terror, Of dread, and there is no peace. For - see discussion of importance of observing and interrogating this frequent term of explanation - NET Note says The particle כִּי (ki) is functioning here as loosely causal or epexegetical of the preceding introduction. For thus says the LORD - Jeremiah uses this phrase 26x out of 51 total uses in the OT - Jer 4:3, 27; 6:6; 10:18; 16:3, 5, 9; 20:4; 22:6, 11; 27:19; 28:14; 29:8, 10, 16; 30:5, 12; 31:7; 32:15, 42; 33:4, 17; 42:18; 48:40; 49:12; 51:33 Jeremiah is beginning his description of the Time of Jacob's Distress (Jer 30:7), a time that is dominated by terror...dread...no peace! While this warning could in part refer to the coming devastation of the Holy Temple and Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in 586BC, the fact that it is prefaced in the preceding passage as "concerning Israel and concerning Judah" would make it difficult to ascribe this terror...dread...no peace to 586BC. Why? Simply because Israel had been defeated and transferred to Assyria over 100 years earlier! Hindson and Kroll rightly observe that "Before the promises of blessings there must be the judgment of God upon Israel and the nations (cf. Amos 5:18–20; Isa 2:12–22; 34:1–15; Zeph 1:2–3:8; Zech 14:1–8, 12–15). (See page 1534 in King James Version Bible Commentary) Jeremiah also alludes to a time of purging before the time of permanent peace - “For thus says the LORD, ‘Just as I brought all this great disaster on this people, so I am going to bring on them all the good that I am promising them." (Jer 32:42) I have heard - To whom does this refer? In context it would seem to refer to the people of Judah and Israel. The NET Note agrees that "It is generally agreed that the person of the verb presupposes that this is an unintroduced quote of the people." Terror (02731)(charadah from chared = fearful, trembling) is an adjective means trembling (Ge 27:33), fear, anxiety, quaking. This trembling is often brought on by acts of God. It is the terror of God that overcame the enemy (1Sa 14:15) and startled Daniel’s friends in a vision (Da 10:7). To fear men brings a snare (Pr 29:25). The Lxx translates charadah with the noun phobos - that which arouses fear or terror. Brown-Driver-Briggs Expanded Definition I. חֲרָדָה noun feminine trembling, fear, anxiety — חֲרָדָה Genesis 27:33 5t. + Ezekiel 38:21(read for הָרַי, B Co compare Dr 1 Samuel 14:15); construct חֶרְדַּת 1 Samuel 14:15; Proverbs 29:25(see Lag BN 113); plural חֲרָדוֺת Ezekiel 26:16; — 1 trembling, quaking (of terror ascribed to supernatural cause) 1 Samuel 14:15 (twice in verse) (henceאלהים׳ח see Dr; "" וַתִּרְגַּזהֿארץ) compare Ezekiel 38:21 (see above); Daniel 10:7; ׳קול חJeremiah 30:5 voice of trembling; followed by Genitive object אָדָם׳ח Proverbs 29:25 trembling before man; opposed to pleasure Isaiah 21:4; tremblings (plural) Ezekiel 26:16 under figure of garment (ילבשׁו׳ח), of effect on coast-princes of fall of Tyre. 2 anxious care 2 Kings 4:13, accusative of congnate meaning with verb with חָרַד. Charadah - 9x in 8 verses in the OT - Usage: care(1), dread(1), fear(1), terror(1), trembling(4), violently*(1). Genesis 27:33 Then Isaac trembled violently (Lxx = ekstasis = state of consternation or profound emotional experience to the point of being beside oneself as in Mk 16:8), and said, "Who was he then that hunted game and brought it to me, so that I ate of all of it before you came, and blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed." NET Note - Heb "and Isaac trembled with a great trembling to excess." The verb "trembled" is joined with a cognate accusative, which is modified by an adjective "great," and a prepositional phrase "to excess." All of this is emphatic, showing the violence of Isaac's reaction to the news. 1 Samuel 14:15 And there was a trembling (Lxx = ekstasis) in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. Even the garrison and the raiders trembled, and the earth quaked so that it became a great trembling. NET Note - Heb "and it was by the fear of God." The translation understands this to mean that God was the source or cause of the fear experienced by the Philistines. This seems to be the most straightforward reading of the sentence. It is possible, however, that the word "God" functions here simply to intensify the accompanying word "fear," in which one might translate "a very great fear" (cf. NAB, NRSV). It is clear that on some occasions that the divine name carries such a superlative nuance. For examples see Joüon 2:525 §141.n. 2 Kings 4:13 He said to him, "Say now to her, 'Behold, you have been careful for us with all this care (Lxx = ekstasis); what can I do for you? Would you be spoken for to the king or to the captain of the army?'" And she answered, "I live among my own people." NET Note - "you have turned trembling to us with all this trembling." The exaggerated language is probably idiomatic. The point seems to be that she has taken great pains or gone out of her way to be kind to them. Her concern was a sign of her respect for the prophetic office. Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. NET Note - Heb "the fear of man." This uses an objective genitive to describe a situation where fearing what people might do or think controls one's life. There is no indication in the immediate context that this should be limited only to males, so the translation uses the more generic "people" here. Brings = Heb "gives [or yields, or produces]"; NIV "will prove to be." "Snare" is an implied comparison; fearing people is like being in a trap – there is no freedom of movement or sense of security. Will be exalted - The image of being set on high comes from the military experience of finding a defensible position, a place of safety and security, such as a high wall or a mountain. Trusting in the LORD sets people free and gives them a sense of safety and security (e.g, Pr 10:27, 12:2) Isaiah 21:4 My mind reels, horror overwhelms me; The twilight I longed for has been turned for me into trembling. Jeremiah 30:5 "For thus says the LORD, 'I have heard a sound of terror, Of dread, and there is no peace. Ezekiel 26:16 "Then all the princes of the sea will go down from their thrones, remove their robes and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground, tremble every moment and be appalled at you. NET Note - Heb "and they will be astonished over you." Daniel 10:7 Now I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great dread fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves. There is no peace (shalom) (07965)(Shalom is used 25x in Jeremiah out of total of 210 OT uses = Jer 4:10; 6:14; 8:11, 15; 9:8; 12:5, 12; 13:19; 14:13, 19; 15:5; 16:5; 20:10; 23:17; 25:37; 28:9; 29:7, 11; 30:5; 33:6, 9; 34:5; 38:4, 22; 43:12) Why is there no peace? Because... NO GOD, NO PEACE KNOW GOD, KNOW PEACE! The words of the true prophet (Jeremiah) were the antithesis of the words of the false prophets who were falsely prophesying peace... "And they have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace." (Jer 6:14) "And they heal the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace. (Jer 8:11) As an aside, the "ultimate false peace" will be brokered by the Antichrist who will establish a covenant with Israel for 7 years but will break it in the middle of the seven years. Any "peace" this covenant with the Antichrist brings will be a false peace! (Da 9:27-see note - "“And he [Antichrist] will make a firm covenant with the many [Jews/Israel] for one week [one seven, in context 7 years], but in the middle of the week [3.5 years] he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering;) Jeremiah 30:6 'Ask now, and see if a male can give birth. Why do I see every man With his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth? And why have all faces turned pale? PAIN AND PALLOR NET Bible - Ask yourselves this and consider it carefully: Have you ever seen a man give birth to a baby? Why then do I see all these strong men grabbing their stomachs in pain like a woman giving birth? And why do their faces turn so deathly pale? The striking descriptions of pain and pallor and analogy to a pregnant woman in travail are followed in Jer 30:7 with "Alas! That day..." which is a description of the Time of Jacob's Distress. There was coming a day like none they had ever experienced, nor would there ever be a day like it again! If a male can give birth - Of course not, but the coming distress would make men place their hands on their loins like a woman in childbirth. If you see a man who looks like that you can be sure he is not giving birth to a child but that there is another reason, and in this context he is in grave distress (Jer 30:6). Thompson - The picture of men clutching their thighs in anguish gives rise to the question Can a man bear a child? They behave like women in labor and their faces have turned pale. Hands on his loins - Many of us have seen our wife in labor grasping at her lower abdomen because of the great distress and discomfort. "The word rendered “loins” refers to the area between the ribs and the thighs." (NET Note) As a woman in childbirth - (term of comparison) - In the days before epidural anesthesia, childbirth was uniformly a very painful ordeal and Scripture frequently uses the woman in labor (travail = defined as painful or laborious effort) as a symbol of suffering. In Jeremiah 30:6 we see this suffering during the time of Jacob's distress (suffering) which (as explained below) is synonymous with the Great Tribulation. Other OT passages use the figure of a woman in labor to depict the suffering that will occur during these latter days. For example Daniel's Seventieth Week, which most scholars designate as "The Tribulation" is described by Isaiah 13:8 this way - "And they will be terrified, Pains and anguish will take hold of them; They will writhe like a woman in labor, They will look at one another in astonishment, Their faces aflame." As as aside, it is interesting that God choose the figure of a woman travailing in labor to give birth, for in a very literal sense Israel (God's "wife" in the OT - Isa 54:5-6, Jer 31:32; Hos 2:19) would go through this painful, difficult labor and in a sense "give birth" to a new nation, a nation of Israel for the first time ever composed wholly of a holy remnant, men and women who were spiritually circumcised in preparation for entrance into the new age of the Messiah (the Millennium). Faces turned pale - Whereas anger elicits rubor (flushed face), great fear elicits pallor (pale). Studies show that fear can be associated with a decreased cardiac output and increased total peripheral vascular resistance which would explain pallor. The point is that the people would be seeing and experiencing things that would be so intense that they would cause significant physiological disturbances! The time Jacob's distress will be a day of agonizing panic for the Jews! Jeremiah 30:7 'Alas! for that day is great, There is none like it; And it is the time of Jacob's distress, But he will be saved from it. THE TIME OF JACOB'S DISTRESS/TROUBLE NET Alas, what a terrible time of trouble it is! There has never been any like it. It is a time of trouble for the descendants of Jacob, but some of them will be rescued out of it. ESV Alas! That day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be saved out of it. NIV 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. NLT In all history there has never been such a time of terror. It will be a time of trouble for my people Israel. Yet in the end they will be saved! NOTE: Click here for separate more in depth discussion of Jeremiah 30:7 Alas (woe)(01945) (hoy) is an interjection of distress used primarily by the prophets, 6x in mourning for the dead (1Ki 13:30 Jer 22:18; 34:5), and 40x as negative warnings specifying Divine punishment in the form of disaster, etc, for failing to repent from certain sins. The wicked are under the judgment of God (cp Ro 1:18ff) and therefore face a time of ruin and mourning, so that the only thing left for an unrepentant people is to mourn the destruction of their lives! Woe! Indeed, this dark distressful day will bring about a day against Israel (the Jews) far worse than even the horror of the Holocaust! NET Note - “Alas” to signal a time of terrible trouble, even to sound the death knell for someone Hoy is used >50x in prophets and only once elsewhere. 6x = mourning for the dead (1 Ki13:30), 40x = negative warnings or threats of God's physical chastisement. R. J. Clifford found 53 occurrences of hoy in the Old Testament. Of these he listed three possible uses: (1) to describe funeral laments (eight times), usually translated “alas”; (2) a cry to get attention (four times), usually translated “ho” or “ah”; (3) an announcement of doom (forty-one times and used only by the prophets), usually translated “woe to.” The wicked were under the judgment of God and therefore faced a time of ruin and mourning. The only thing left for an unrepentant people was to mourn the destruction of their lives. Prophetic Passage - Jeremiah 30:7-note is a prophecy which will be fulfilled at the Second Coming of Christ at the end of the last half of Daniel's Seventieth Week, at the end of the 3.5 year period (the Great Tribulation) at which time the Messiah establishes His literal, earthly Millennial Kingdom. That day (See "Last Days") - This picks back up on the mention in Jer 30:3 of the proclamation "behold days are coming," but there the day was only described in positive terms. Now Jeremiah describes the day in negative terms, followed by the positive statement that Jacob "will be saved from it." That day is great - How great? There is nothing to compare to what would be experienced for "there is none like it." None like it - The Septuagint uses the negative particle ou which conveys the idea of absolute negation. There has absolutely never been a day (time) like this time. It is unique in all of history. The prophet Daniel and Jesus both described a unique time of distress (never before seen) that would impact the nation of Israel. Daniel described the terrible time that would befall Israel... "Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time (compare Jer 30:7's"day is great...none like it"); and at that time your people (Jews), everyone who is found written in the book (apparently refers to the Book of Life = those who belong to the believing Jewish remnant), will be rescued (Hebrew = malat = escape, be delivered; Lxx = sozo) Jesus also described the terrible time that would befall Israel explaining "For (term of explanation = explaining why He made the warning statements in Mt 24:16-20-note) then (expression of time = When? "when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" = Mt 24:15-note, cp 2Th 2:3-4-note) there will be a Great Tribulation (thlipsis), such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. (compare Jer 30:7's "day is great...none like it") It is the time of Jacob's distress - The day will be one of distress. It will be great distress. It will be be terrifying to point of causing pallor and will be associated with great pain (Jer 30:6). Jacob stands for the entire (reunited) nation of Israel. Jacob (3290)(see Yaaqob from 'aqab = seize by the heel and figuratively to circumvent) is commonly interpreted to mean heel-catcher, that is supplanter. He acquired his name when he was born "with his hand [symbolically] holding on to Esau's heel" (Ge 25:26 Hos 12:3). When he had later gained the birthright (Ge 25:29-34) and stolen Isaac's blessing (Ge 27:1-29), Esau exclaimed, "Is he not rightly named Jacob (ya'aqob), for he has supplanted me these two times?" (Ge 27:36). See also used his devices against Laban (Ge 30:29-31:12). Despite his devious nature, at Bethel, as Jacob was fleeing from Esau, God assured him that he was with him (Ge 28:12, 15) and renewed the covenant which he had previously revealed to Abraham and Isaac (Ge 28:13-14; cf. Ge 17:7-8; Ge 26:3-4; Lev 26:42). Jacob thereupon vowed that Yahweh would be his God and receive his tithes (Ge 28:20-22). Then at Peniel, enriched by the Lord but dreading to meet Esau, he uttered a model prayer (Ge 32:9-12). God, in the person of the Angel of the LORD presumably Christ pre-incarnate (Ge 32:24, 30; Hos 12:4), next encountered Jacob, with whom the patriarch wrestled, literally, but also in prayer (Hos 12:4). Broken by God (Ge 32:25), Jacob thereby achieved his final spiritual victory and blessing (Ge 32:29), for the Angel said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob (ya'aqob - "supplanter"), but Israel (yisra'el), for you have striven (sara) with God and with men and have prevailed" (Ge 32:28). Jacob is mentioned 8x in 6 verses in the "Book of Consolation" (Jeremiah 30-33) = Jer 30:7 Jer 30:10 Jer 30:18 Jer 31:7 Jer 31:11 Jer 33:26. Related Resource: See related descriptions of time related to events of the "end times" Distress (06869)(tsarah from tsar = literally a narrow, confining space, figuratively dire straits from which escape is difficult) is a noun which depicts tightness (figuratively trouble) and implies great strain or stress psychologically and spiritually (as in Ge 42:21). The root word deals with harassment and torment engendered by an enemy and thus speaks of adversity, affliction, tribulation, trouble. Tsarah is used to describe the cursing to Israel for disobedience (Dt 31:17, 21 = troubles). Tsarah is used 8x in Jeremiah and 5 of these are in the context of labor pains! - Jer 4:31; 6:24; 14:8; 15:11; 16:19; 30:7; 49:24; 50:43. Jer 4:31 and Jer 6:24 use tsarah in reference to the destruction of Jerusalem. The Septuagint (Lxx) translates tsarah with the adjective stenos which literally describes a narrow space, like a narrow strait or a narrow strip of land. Figuratively stenos refers to close, confined circumstances. Think of our English word strait describes a situation characterized by a specified degree of trouble or difficulty. Tsarah is used 8 times in Jeremiah Jeremiah 4:31 For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, The anguish (Lxx = stenagmos = sighing, groaning, involuntary expression of great concern or stress - Ro 8:26) as of one giving birth to her first child, The cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, Stretching out her hands, saying, "Ah, woe is me, for I faint before murderers." Jeremiah 6:24 We have heard the report of it; Our hands are limp. Anguish (Lxx = thlipsis = suffering brought on by external circumstances) has seized us, Pain as of a woman in childbirth. Jeremiah 14:8 "O Hope of Israel, Its Savior in time of distress (Lxx = kakos = evil), Why are You like a stranger in the land Or like a traveler who has pitched his tent for the night? Jeremiah 15:11 The LORD said, "Surely I will set you free for purposes of good; Surely I will cause the enemy to make supplication to you In a time of disaster and a time of distress thlipsis = suffering brought on by external circumstances). Jeremiah 16:19 O LORD, my strength and my stronghold, And my refuge in the day of distress kakos = evil), To You the nations will come From the ends of the earth and say, "Our fathers have inherited nothing but falsehood, Futility and things of no profit." Jeremiah 30:7 'Alas! for that day is great, There is none like it; And it is the time of Jacob's distress, But he will be saved from it. Jeremiah 49:24 "Damascus has become helpless; She has turned away to flee, And panic has gripped her; Distress and pangs have taken hold of her Like a woman in childbirth. Jeremiah 50:43 "The king of Babylon has heard the report about them, And his hands hang limp; Distress (Lxx = thlipsis = suffering brought on by external circumstances) has gripped him, Agony like a woman in childbirth. But - term of contrast - Always pause and review what the author is contrasting, which can occasionally lead to some surprising insights into the meaning of a given text. He will be saved from it - Who is "he?" He refers to "Jacob," this name being representative of the nation of Israel (Jacob's other name). The distress will be horrific but the salvation terrific for those Jews who turn to their Messiah. In the midst of this horrible wrath, God remembers mercy. The time is horrible, but it is finite (cp Mt 24:22, 30). We see a vivid description of Jehovah's "operation rescue" in Revelation 19:15, 16-note, Zechariah 12:1-14:21 (which should be read as a unit) and summarized in Romans 11:26-27-note. Jeremiah 30:8-11 gives more specific details of the characteristics of this end time salvation of Jacob (Israel). NET Note - Jacob here is figurative for the people descended from him. Moreover the figure moves from Jacob = descendants of Jacob to only a part of those descendants. Not all of his descendants who have experienced and are now experiencing trouble will be saved. Only a remnant (i.e., the good figs, cf., e.g., Jer 23:3; 31:7) will see the good things that the LORD has in store for them (Jer 24:5–6). The bad figs will suffer destruction through war, starvation, and disease (cf., e.g., Jer 24:8–10 among many other references).
Jeremias 30
Guzik - In that day God will also raise up for them David to reign as king. Most commentators take this as a reference to the Messiah, the Son of David and not David the Son of Jesse. Yet there are good reasons to believe that this and similar passages speak of David the Son of Jesse. This promise seems impossible, yet is repeated several times in the prophets of the Old Testament (Isaiah 55:3-4, Ezekiel 34:23-24, 37:24-25, Hosea 3:5). This speaks of the reign of the resurrected David the Son of Jesse over Israel in the Millennial earth. We have indications that as Gods people rule with Jesus over the millennial earth (Rev 2:26-27, Rev 20:6), people will be entrusted with geographical regions according to their faithfulness (Luke 19:12-19). It seems that Davids glorious portion will be to rule over Israel. (Jeremiah 30 Commentary) Jeremiah 30:10 'Fear not, O Jacob My servant,' declares the LORD, 'And do not be dismayed, O Israel; For behold, I will save you from afar and your offspring from the land of their captivity. And Jacob will return and will be quiet and at ease, and no one will make him afraid. FEAR NOT! Fear not...do not be dismayed (cf Isa 41:8, 10; 43:1; 44:1-2) - Why? Because Jehovah promises to save (rescue) them! Similar encouraging words were frequent from Yeshua's lips ""Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.....These things I have spoken to you (John 13-16), that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (Jn 14:27, 16:33) So whatever you may be experiencing, fear not and do not be dismayed. NET Note on Jacob...Israel - Here and elsewhere in the verse the terms Jacob and Israel are poetic for the people of Israel descended from the patriarch Jacob. (Ed: And I would add they seem to point to a reunited nation which Israel will be as it enters the Millennial Kingdom). For - term of explanation - Jehovah explains why Jacob has no reason to fear. Behold (02009)(hinneh) directs the reader's mind to the text, imploring him to give it special attention. The Spirit is trying to arrest our attention that something very important follows! In this case what follows is the promise of salvation for Jacob (Israel) accompanied by return to the land where the Jews will experience quiet and be at ease. These conditions have never been fulfilled in Israel after the time they were described by Jeremiah and thus clearly call for a future fulfillment. Even the rebirth of the nation of Israel in May, 1948 does not fulfill this prophecy. This prophecy will be fulfilled when Messiah returns and sets up His Millennial kingdom. Then Israel will experience quiet and have no need to be afraid! But first she must experience the time of Jacob's distress! I will save you - Another prophetic I will. Because this is a promise from the "non-lying" omnipotent God, it is as good as done! Would it be that all believers had such a steadfast trust in the "precious and magnificent promises" (2Pe 1:4) that Jehovah has given to His people to enable them to hold fast to the end (Heb 3:6, Heb 3:14)! Will save (will deliver) (03467)(yasha') means to help, to save, to deliver. The root in Arabic is "make wide" which underscores the main thought of yasha ' as to bring to a place of safety or broad pasture in contrast to a narrow strait which symbolizes distress or danger." First use: Of Moses Ex 2:17 "but Moses stood up and helped them." In Ex 14:30 "the LORD saved Israel." Feinberg - God’s people are to be regathered from all the lands of their dispersion. (See The Expositor's Bible Commentary - Abridged Edition- Page 494) Jacob will return and will be quiet and at ease - Guzik comments that " In a lesser sense this was fulfilled in the return from exile under Ezra and Nehemiah; but only in a lesser sense. It could not be said of the return from Babylonian captivity, no one shall make him afraid, but it shall be said of Israel in the Millennium." (Jeremiah 30 Commentary) HCSB - Their condition will be one of calm and quiet, a pastoral metaphor, like sheep resting with no one to frighten them. (HCSB Study Bible: God's Word for Life) No one will make him afraid - This was God's promise to Israel in Lev 26:6 but it was contingent upon their obedience. In the Millennium the peace is contingent upon God's grace. Jeremiah 30:11 'For I am with you,' declares the LORD, 'to save you; For I will destroy completely all the nations where I have scattered you, Only I will not destroy you completely. But I will chasten you justly and will by no means leave you unpunished.' ISRAEL'S ENEMIES ANNIHILATED! For I am with you - term of explanation - What is Jehovah explaining? How it is possible for Israel to return to the land in quiet and peace with no fear. The phrase I am with you is repeated six times in Jeremiah - Jer 1:8, 19; Jer 15:20; Jer 30:11; Jer 42:11; Jer 46:28. It is often associated with His promise to deliver or save. This truth reminds one of Ro 8:31 " What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?" But - What's he contrasting? Yes, Jehovah will save them but His salvation will clearly be associated with corrective chastisement. For I will destroy - term of explanation - He is explaining how He will save them. When Messiah returns he will crush the Gentile empires (nations in OT normally = Gentiles) and destroy them completely, as predicted by Daniel (Da 2:34-36-note , Da 2:44-45-note). Notice that since there has never been a complete destruction of all the nations to which the Jews have been scattered, this prophecy awaits a future fulfillment. Destroy completely all the nations - In Jeremiah 48 Jehovah gives a similar promise - “O Jacob My servant, do not fear,” (cp Jer 30:10) declares the LORD, “For I am with you (cp Jer 30:22-24). For I shall make a full end of all the nations Where I have driven you (cp Jer 30:16), Yet I shall not make a full end of you; But I shall correct you properly and by no means leave you unpunished (cp "I will chasten you justly...").” (Jer 46:28) Guzik comments that "This is another aspect that was fulfilled in a lesser sense in the return from Babylonian exile, but awaits the latter days (Jeremiah 30:24) for its full fulfillment." (Jeremiah 30 Commentary) I will not destroy you completely - The implication of this statement is that Jehovah will allow a "partial" destruction of Israel as for example in the time of Jacob's distress (Jer 30:7) which would be compatible with the prophecy in Zechariah when predicts a partial destruction. And it will come about in all the land,” Declares the LORD, “That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; But the third will be left in it. (Zech 13:8) Comment: Two parts will be cut off and perish refers to the Jews who do not believe in the Messiah. The third that do receive Jesus as their Messiah (John 1:11-13-note) will be delivered (cp Ro 11:26-27-note). John MacArthur on Zech 13:8 - Only a portion of the people of Israel will remain faithful to Christ and be alive in the end. The spiritual survivors will be the remnant who look upon Christ in repentance at His return (cf. Zech 12:10–13:1), which will include those who make up the 144,000 (cf. Rev 7:4). These will be the sheep of the sheep-goat judgment after Christ’s return who enter the (Millennial) kingdom alive (cf. Isaiah 35:10; Jer 30:11; Mt 25:31-46)