Jeremiah prophesied during the seventh century BC and into the sixth century BC.   His direct call from God came in the thirteenth year of the reign of King Josiah of Judah in 626 BC (Jeremiah 25:3).  The prophets Zephaniah, Habakkuk, and Daniel were contemporaries.  For Israel and Judah, Jeremiah largely prophesied a message of impending judgement and exile. 

Horace Vernet, Jeremiah on the ruins of Jerusalem (1844)

The northern kingdom of Israel had long been soundly defeated and thousands carried into captivity by the Assyrians (740-722 BC).  Much of Jeremiah’s early prophesies were primarily warnings to the people of Judah that, unless they repented of their sins, their sacred city of Jerusalem would be destroyed and they, too, would be forced into captivity.  Unfortunately the people of Judah persisted in their sinful ways and Jerusalem fell to king Nebuchadnezzar in 587 BC resulting in Judah’s  Babylonian Captivity.

Given a choice by the Babylonian king, Jeremiah remained in Jerusalem to minister to the poor remnant of the Judeans that were left behind.  Ultimately, against the advice of Jeremiah, the remnant left Jerusalem for Egypt, taking Jeremiah and his scribe and dear friend Baruch with them (Jeremiah 43:6-7).   In Egypt Jeremiah continued to plead with the remnant to return to the Lord (Jeremiah 44).

It seemed to most that there was no hope for Israel’s future.  However, in spite of all of the warnings of doom and despair, Jeremiah also prophesied that there would be a future time where God’s chosen children would no longer suffer persecution, defeat nor captivity.   In the near term, Jeremiah predicted the return of Israel from exile.  In the long term, he predicted the indestructibility of Israel as a nation, the coming of the Messianic King, the ultimate conversion of Israel, and the realization of the New Covenant. ¹  Both Old and New Testament writers refer to this future time as “the Day of the Lord.” ²

Jeremiah 30:19 (ESV) – “Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob and have compassion on his dwellings; the city shall be rebuilt on its mound, and the palace shall stand where it used to be.  ¹⁹ Out of them shall come songs of thanksgiving, and the voices of those who celebrate.  I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will make them honored, and they shall not be small.”

The Bible teaches us the future Day of the Lord is coincident with the second coming of Jesus (Revelation 19:1-21), the Jews promised Messianic King  (Jeremiah 33:15-16).  With the second coming of Jesus, Biblical prophecy will be fulfilled!  The final deliverance and indestructibility of Israel is assured!  Israel will be protected, never again to be held captive, and there will be glorious rejoicing and praising filled with songs of thanksgiving!

As Christians we look forward with great anticipation to the coming Day of the Lord.  But until that day, we have every reason to continuously fill our personal and corporate worship with songs of thanksgiving!!

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Holy Father,  You are always faithful and just and keep ALL of Your promises.  We praise You for giving Your Son as the perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins.  We offer our praise and songs of thanksgiving to You and we look forward to spending our eternity with you in Heaven.  In the matchless name of Jesus we pray.  Amen and Amen.

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^Notes:

¹  The New Schofield Reference Bible (KJV), 1967 –  see footnotes to Jeremiah 30:1, 30:7, 30:11.  – “no Old Testament prophet is more positive of the destruction of Israel’s political economy and the consequent exile of the nation than is Jeremiah, but he is also insistent that the disaster of the hour does not mean the nation’s dissolution. Repeatedly the prophet assures the nation that God will not make a “full end” of Israel. … The perpetuity of Israel as a nation is thus assured.

² See https://www.gotquestions.org/day-of-the-Lord.html – The phrase “the day of the Lord” is used nineteen times in the Old Testament (Isaiah 2:12; 13:6, 9; Ezekiel 13:5, 30:3; Joel 1:15, 2:1,11,31; 3:14; Amos 5:18,20; Obadiah 15; Zephaniah 1:7,14; Zechariah 14:1; Malachi. 4:5) and five times in the New Testament (Acts 2:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10). It is also alluded to in other passages (Revelation 6:17; 16:14).