Heavenly Father, we ask for true peace for Jerusalem.
There's a strange thing about reading the Bible. For years I'd not really enjoyed reading the prophesies of Jeremiah. I'd always thought them dreary and oppressive, a sort of winge and 'told-you-so' rolled into one. But this year I did enjoy reading it. It may have been because the book is not all doom and gloom, but towards the end of the book covers some very promising chapters about the restoration of Israel.
We read in the Book of Daniel that Daniel himself refers to Jeremiah's prophesies in order to find out when the State of Israel was to be re-established. It says quite clearly in Daniel 9:2 that 70 years must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem. This prophesy given by Jeremiah is recorded in the 25th chapter.
But in some ways this verse is the turning point in the book as the next few chapters are full of details about how the state of Israel will be restored. Chapters 29-33 was to give hope to the people.
In some ways things are still waiting for that restoration. Part of the country is there under Jewish control, but they don't have a king and they certainly don't live in peace. In quite a lot of ways they are still waiting for that restoration.
And so are we.
Chapter 33, verse 15 talks directly about Jesus, the Branch of righteousness that will spring out of David. It records a time of peace and prosperity such as not seen since the time of Eden.
As we covered last week, the people needed to learn a hard lesson. It looks like humanity has still failed to learn that lesson, hence being left to its own devises. The Middle East is still a battleground. The armies of Babylon might as well still be there, but we are waiting for a new restoration, when the temple will be rebuilt, but not as it was at the time of Nehemiah and Ezra, but a new Jerusalem will descend and God himself will be the Temple.
Why did God allow Jerusalem to be destroyed for 70 years. (hint: think about the Old Testament Laws – what does the number 7 signify?)
What does it mean when the Bible says “Jerusalem shall descend out of heaven”?