Jeremiah;- Restoring the tents of Jacob (ch30)

“Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob and have compassion on his dwellings” (ch30 v18)

The Lord continues to promise the restoration of the whole nation, both kingdoms. The city and the king’s palace will be rebuilt as before. Songs pf thanksgiving and joyful voices will come out of them. The people will be multiplied instead of being few in number, and they will, in consequence, be honoured as a people. Their children and the whole congregation will be as before (that is, they will be righteous before the Lord), and all who oppress them will be punished.

“Their prince shall be one of themselves” (v21). Whereas, during the interval, they will have been living under appointed governors from other nations. This new ruler will be permitted and encouraged to approach the Lord, just as Moses did, as nobody could dare to do in their own strength. In recent times, this function had been assumed by the priesthood. At least in their own eyes.

“You shall be my people, and I will be your God” (v22). One of the key promises of restoration prophecy, found in many places, the last occasion being Revelation ch21 v3.

Vv23-24; The wrath of the Lord has gone forth (using the past tense for a future event), and it will burst upon the wicked. The fierce anger of the Lord will not cease until he has accomplished everything that is in his will. We might ask whether this means his wrath against the wicked in Israel, or his wrath against their enemies. I’m tempted to think that both forms of wrath are being merged into one final and decisive event. After all, that is effectively what happens in the events of Revelation, as the Old Testament imagery found in that book implies. And the Lord does say “In the latter days you will understand this”.

“At that time, says the Lord, I will be the God of all the families of Israel and they shall be my people” (ch31 v1). Repeating the promise. This verse may as well be taken as the conclusion of ch30, because ch31, or at least the poetic portion of ch31, is focussed more specifically on the restoration of the northern kingdom, identified by the name of Ephraim, the leading tribe.

Thank you again for a thought provoking read Disraeli.

a reply to: DISRAELI

is that still for today or would think it was when Israel became a nation? ☺️

a reply to: Komodo
These prophecies of return tend to make promises, e.g. about the complete righteousness of the people and the complete absence of enemies to threaten them, which the present state of Israel as a nation doesn't live up to. Although that isn't quite so obvious in this particular example. So even the current state of Israel could only be a partial fulfilment.