[Faithwalker012]

Quote: (Originally Posted by Sasa)

Merry Christmas, Jason! Hope Santa was good to you this year!

Thank you Sasa. This has actually been a difficult year in many ways and I got a late start on Christmas. But, it went fine.

Now let's see if I can't get through this chapter of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 10:18 "For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so."

This would happen in a sense as a type with the Babylonian captivity that would be coming upon the people of Jeremiah's day. But what it really looks forward to is again as alluded to in the previous verse that time when Antichrist is here and even when Christ Himself returns . Notice it says inhabitants. This includes and really even applies almost more to people who are living there who are not of the tribe of Judah. When Christ returns He is going to clean things up and set them right as only He can. You know what? That's going to be a good time, and a good thing. All that which offends is not necessarily done away with or destroyed at that time, for not even Satan is destroyed when Christ returns. All 7,000 fallen angels actually are. But we will have a thousand years of peace, of God in control, then at the end of that 1,000 years Satan will be released and unfortunately deceive some still into following him. But when that happens,Christ will put a stop to it immediately, and then we see who makes it into the eternity and who does not at the Great White Throne Judgment. But regardless, anything and anyone who would cause problems will not be around when it's all said and done.]
Jeremiah 10:19 "Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it."

One can look at this as the city of Jerusalem speaking or as Jeremiah speaking when he says all of this. Either way, it is a tough thing. It's a tough sentence. But as you can hopefully see, it is brought on by their own acts. The greatest apostasy... the greatest idolatry known to man will take place during this time, when the majority of the world worships Satan himself, most of them convinced he's Jesus. The bad teachings, the traditions, the unwillingness to teach that which is not popular or politically correct, even if it's truth from God's Word, all of that will come home to roost. A lot of what comes down in terms of wrath and correction will come down on these so called teachers. But even so, every single person makes their own way and their own decision. You and you alone decide what you do in your life. When we do stand before God on Judgment Day, we will answer for what we did. And, that might be even a good thing. If you've pleased Him, you'll receive rewards. If you haven't, then you might be headed somewhere not so good. But regardless it will be you and you alone who decides that, good or bad.

Jeremiah 10:20 "My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains."
This will be a temporary thing as when Christ sets everything right, the center of His kingdom is still going to be in Jerusalem. Again, when Christ sets things right and His people, and this being people of all nations and races... Jew, Gentile, it won't matter. When His people who love Him go into the eternity, the heart of everything is going to be in Jerusalem. This is documented in this same book of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 3:16 "And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more."

The ark of the covenant was symbolic of God's mercy seat. There will be no need for or concern so much regarding that artifact, because the mercy seat itself will be present with us, as will the one who sits on that mercy seat, which is to say God or Christ. The symbol of it will very much take a back seat to the real thing.

Jeremiah 3:17 "At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart."

Notice again, that says all the nations will gather to Jerusalem. God loves the city, the location, and the people. He's just going to need to clean it up a bit. But once He does, it will be the beautiful spot that God has always wanted it to be. At that time too the entire seed of Jacob, both the House of Israel, that being the 10 northern tribes who were scattered, many here in the USA, and the House of Judah, being the tribes of Judah and Benjamin will be reunited and again be one stick. God's favorite people again together in one place, but surrounded by those who love Him of all peoples. Heading back to Jeremiah 10

Jeremiah 10:21 "For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered."
Again, we saw this in the last chapter. If you are a pastor and you're not seeking the truth out in God's Word, then you're not much of a pastor. If all you do is teach the doctrine that your church board says you can teach, and it doesn't line up with God's Word, then you're not going to prosper and your flock indeed is going to be scattered and gone. Ministries and pastors that feed hungry souls the truth will always be blessed. Those who do not will be unsuccessful, for God's sheep will always seek to find someplace where they are actually fed. You know something? Even in the famine of the end times, which is for hearing the Word of God, the Word itself will never disappear, and those who honestly seek out truth will always find it. It will be a lot more difficult, but God does take care of His own.

Jason