Jeremiah Chapter 28 "Time, Two Years." This Bible
Study is written by Roger Christopherson, and it's
transcription/ location is provided by http://www.theseason.org Jeremiah 28:1 "And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying," This chapter is a continuation of Jeremiah 27. So this is at the same time that the last chapter ended (make a mental note of the fact it was in the fifth month). They all have nice names, and they speak with authority within the house of the Lord. That is the time to watch it, for these are false prophets. They speak not with the authority of God, but from out of their own mouths and imaginations. Whenever a so-called prophet of God tells you something that goes against God's Word, then that person is a fake. If they tell you you don't need to know the things written in the Old Testament, or the Book of Revelation, they are blowing smoke in your face. Jeremiah 28:2 "Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon." This is the false prophet Hananiah speaking here, and what he is saying is not what God has said, through the prophet Jeremiah. If you are sitting under a one verse minister, and this verse is all you get, then you have been told a lie. This is why you must study God's Word chapter by chapter and verse by verse, rightly dividing the Word of God. Jeremiah 28:3 "Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the LORD's house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon:" Hananiah is prophesying that all the vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken in the first two sieges, would be returned to the House of the Lord within two full years. This is not what God told us through Jeremiah, for we know that on the third siege, Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the entire city of Jerusalem, and hauled away everything. Remember from the last chapter? God told Jeremiah to let this prophet go ahead and make his full prophecy. Jeremiah 28:4 "And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the LORD: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon." This old boy must have been smoking something strong, because this prophesy that Hananiah is giving is not from God, but from his own imaginations. Friend, be careful when some one tells you God spoke to them, and then gives you something that goes against God's will, and His Word. Jeremiah 28:5 "Then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the LORD," Jeremiah isn't sneaking around to say anything behind someone's back, but right in front of Hananiah, and all the people. Jeremiah 28:6 "Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD's house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place." Jeremiah is having a little fun with Hananiah, and the words that he just spoke. Jeremiah is saying, isn't that wonderful if that was true; even though Jeremiah knew that it was false. Jeremiah 28:7 "Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people;" Jeremiah is going to speak what the Lord has given him to say, and he is saying, if you have ears to hear then you will understand. Friend, do you have ears to hear and understand the words written in His Holy Word concerning the end times? Jeremiah 28:8 "The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence." Jeremiah is telling them that when they hear that they are going into captivity, they think that it's a dooms day report. When the prophets of old spoke of the wars and evil, the famines and pestilence that would come against many nations, and then, when it came to pass, it didn't bother those that put their trust in God. Jeremiah 28:9 "The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him." Hananiah has prophesied that the rich vessels that were taken will be brought back, and all the people that were removed would be brought back also. The soothsayer doesn't want to disturb anyone, but will only give good reports. He wants the peoples ears just as much as the people like to listen to good reports. The majority is always looking for the easy way out, like their fly away doctrine security blanket. Jeremiah 28:10 "Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah's neck, and brake it." Remember back a few chapters when God told Jeremiah to make a yoke and walk around with the yoke around his neck, to show the people that God would yoke them to Babylon? Hananiah took that wooden yoke, and busted it, to show the people that under his prophesy, God has removed that yoke. God put the yoke on Jeremiah, and this false prophet thinks he can remove that yoke just by his words. Now Hananiah has taken another step beyond telling a lie, but He has blasphemed against God. A good team always pulls together, and makes the work easier for the two of them. A servant of the living God know what God expects of him or her, and will pull in the same direction. Hananiah is doing just the opposite from what has said, and he has reached the point of fighting against God, and not just acting in ignorance. Jeremiah 28:11 "And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years. And the prophet Jeremiah went his way." Hananiah didn't just make a statement, but he has set a date for God to do what he wishes God to do. Jeremiah 28:12 "Then the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the prophet, after that Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying," God is now going to speak to Jeremiah as to what He thinks of Hananiah the fake prophet. Jeremiah 28:13 "Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron." The yokes of wood were light weight, and easy to handle, however the yokes of iron were heavy and crude. Iron is not used for yokes to get the work done and ease the load, but for slavery and punishment. You just don't break iron yokes. There is good times and there are bad and hard times, but God has just changed the work load of the captivity of those who wish to listen to Hananiah and other false teachers, to a heavy load which they will be under. Jeremiah 28:14 "For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also." This is speaking of the control that Nebuchadnezzar will have over all the peoples and nations of the earth. It is speaking also of even the control over your own cattle and possessions. Babylon will control the religion, the politics, the buying and the selling. Babylon will take complete control, and it shall happen. What shall happen is for their own good. Why is this possible of our generation? Because it is then that the Holy Spirit will speak through those delivered up, that is the whole purpose of the testing of the great deception. It is through this that the people will see and finally understand and many will return to the Father in the Millennium age. That is what Mark 13 is all about. Jeremiah 28:15 "Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie." Jeremiah is calling Hananiah a liar to his face. The people will trust in the lie because they were ignorant to what the prophets before them had warned. They were to busy listening to traditions and fairy tales and doing busy work, rather then studying God's Word. The people just didn't have the wisdom to know the truth from the false, and went along with whatever was dished out to them. People of today are just as Biblically illiterate as the people standing here trusting in the words of Hananiah. Jesus and all of the Disciples continually quoted from the Old Testament prophets, and Paul told us that what happened in the Old Testament was an ensample to what we can expect in the new. It requires an understanding of the Old Testament to have a full understanding of what we will witness in this final generation. When anyone tells you that the Old Testament is past and does not apply today, then he is doing just as Hananiah did to the people then. You are brought to believe in a lie. Jeremiah 28:16 "Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD." It is one thing to start a rebellion against man, but to rebel against God is causing your own death. Death not only physically but also spiritually, the death of your own soul. Here Hananiah is telling the people that restoration is coming within two years, and God is telling Hananiah that he himself will not even be around to the end of this year! The expression "cast thee from off the face of the earth", is an Hebrew expression from Solomon and the Book of Ecclesiastes. Only flesh man walks under the sun on the face of the earth, and God is saying Hananiah will be absent from his flesh body very shortly for the blasphemy that he has committed. Jeremiah 28:17 "So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month." Remember what month it was when Jeremiah and Hananiah were in the Temple talking to the people? It was the fifth month, so we see it was just over a month later that Hananiah died. The captivity never came to Hananiah, this great false prophet of God wasn't around to witness anything in the flesh. He blasphemed against God, and God killed him in his rebellion. Hananiah took something that was symbolic by God, and he made a joke out of it. God uses symbolic things to give us a better understanding of the things and events that are going to take place.
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