Okay, we'll try to keep things a bit neater as we go to Chapter 8.
Chapter 8 as it starts is a continuation of the end of Chapter 7. Therefore, we know the "at that time" referred to is the time at the end of this age. The last two verses of Chapter 7 set that stage because it speaks of that time that Christ referred to in Matthew 24 upon His return. Again, this does not mean people are going to die violently. But at that time, everyone will be changed from flesh body to a spiritual one. This is actually one way to almost test if you will whether the entity here first claiming to be Christ is the real deal or a fake. First off, you should know he's a fake because the Word states the false Christ comes first. But if it ever starts to get a little questionable for you, pinch yourself or do something else to determine that you're still in a flesh body. When the true Christ returns, flesh is done away with. Just an aside, and with that on to this chapter.
Jeremiah 8:1 "At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves:"
Jeremiah 8:2 "And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth."
I have seen this mentioned and explained a couple of different ways and really I can go either way on it. I have seen it stated or interpreted that this is saying these deceased people are the ones who went bad. That certainly makes sense in the context of what God has been saying in prior chapters. Remember this is yet future even for us. Then I have also seen it said that it's talking about people who fall away and show a great amount of disrespect toward these ancestors and forefathers from Judah. I don't know if that part of it matters a great deal. The main point here is we have extreme idolatry and apostasy. The Great Apostasy if you will. You have people worshipping the created instead of the Creator. We have people who will make a religion out of astrology today and let that guide their life. "Well I can't do that today because my horoscope told me not to." God did put the stars in the sky and arrange them in a way that they do give signs and seasons as it says in Genesis 1:14. But you certainly don't let it dictate your personal every day life.
But who are these hosts of heaven? Well, you can call it angel worship which would be bad enough. But specifically fallen angel worship, and even Satan worship. Certainly at this time for many if not all, unfortunately done out of ignorance. But Satan and his fallen angels are still in heaven at this time. They are in chains as it says in Jude, but they are in heaven. But as it states in Revelation 12:9 there's going to come a time probably not too far off in which Michael is going to boot Satan out of heaven. When that happens, he's bringing some help with him, that being Satan bringing those fallen angels. They're all supernatural beings. People today go crazy over athletes, rock stars, even over Barack Obama when he was campaigning in 2008. People falling all over themselves trying to see him, touch him... people fainting... OVER A POLITICIAN!! These people aren't going to have a chance when they see something supernatural. They'll go running to it. And did you know that the image most of us have of what Jesus looked like, that's how Satan will appear and what he will look like. Don't get too carried away or thrown by that, but documentation is Revelation 13:11 in which it says he has two horns like a lamb but spake as a dragon. In other words he will look like Jesus but speak as the dragon. Why is that? Because he is the dragon, which is to say Satan. Unfortunately in as much as there will be a spirit of slumber or even stupor placed on most in the world, they won't be able to pick up on that. They'll see something supernatural who looks like Jesus and says, "Oh my child, I've come to take you away. I've come to fly you away." They won't have a chance. They'll go right along with it. It's getting late in the day. But it's still not too late to get into His Word so that you're not deceived.
Jeremiah 8:3 "And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts."
Why would these people choose death over life? Well, in one sense those who would worship Satan are choosing death over life. But why does it say in Revelation 9:6 that men will seek death and it will flee from them? Why does it say in Revelation 6:16 they will be calling for the mountains and rocks to fall on them? Because when you have basically good people... Christians.... who do love the Lord and have maybe sat in a church pew all their life, but never got around to checking things out in the Word themselves, and they are unaware that the first "messiah" that shows up is the fake, when the True one shows up and they realize they've been had and worshipped a fraud, they would rather die than face Jesus at that time. It's going to be a sad time for many. It really is. Make sure you're not one of them.
Jeremiah 8:4 "Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return?"
This is kind of a rhetorical common sense question. Basically it's asking, or stating, that when someone falls, or messes up, don't they get back up, and when they go the wrong way, which is away from God, don't they return back to Him for help? The original text in the Massorah locked it in so that it should lead "shall they return (to Him) and He not return (to them)? So basically to really dumb it down God is simply saying, "Don't they know that if they mess up and return to Me that I will return to them and help them?" Friend, that's been the theme from Day 1. None of us are perfect and we're going to sin. But repent, return to Him and be forgiven and restored. What was that verse from the last Chapter, Jeremiah 7:23? Obey My vocie, and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you... (WHY).... that it may be well unto you. He's not going around looking for someone to pour His wrath out on. So why not be blessed instead? This is a good cut off point.