Biblical Characters - Jeremiah 2(Church of God＊Christ Ahnsahnghong-wmscog)

Persecution

The prophets who preach the truth are always to be persecuted. Jeremiah was also persecuted by the king, priests, people and the false prophets who were admitted at that time.

Jer 37:15-21 『They were angry with Jeremiah and had him beaten and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary … 』

Jer 20:1-2 『When the priest Pashhur son of Immer, the chief officer in the temple of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin at the LORD's temple.』

The false prophets always proclaimed peace but Jeremiah proclaimed the destruction and judgment toward the people who had left God's commands and law. So it is not strange that the religious leaders and the people didn't like Jeremiah.
Jeremiah was distressed because he was persecuted unfairly. He sometimes decided, 'I will not speak any more in the name of LORD,' but whenever he thought like that, his heart became like a fire and proclaimed the people's sins and persuaded them to return to God (Jer 20:7-13).


Jerusalem's Destruction

In eleventh year of King Zedekiah, the people of Judah were destroyed, who neglected the decrees and laws of God and persecuted the prophet who prophesied a disaster which would come upon them (Jer 39:2).

King Zedekiah tried to flee but was caught. He couldn't save his son who was being slaughtered before his eyes and couldn't stop the Babylonian soldiers who put out his eyes (Jer 39:7).

All the nobles were killed; the royal palace and the houses were burnt and the walls were all broken down.

Those who had gone over to Babylon as Jeremiah had suggested were not killed, but they were carried into exile to Babylon. Only the poor people were left behind in Israel and were given the vineyards and fields (Jer 39:8-10).


Moving to Egypt
Nebuzaradan the commander released Jeremiah among the captives, following the command of King Nebuchadnezzar. However the corrupt Jews ignored God's command to stay in the land of Judah. They assassinated Gedaliah whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor and they fled to Egypt, being afraid of the revenge (Jer 41:16-18).

The Jews who moved to Egypt followed the false gods in Egypt and stirred up God's anger again (Jer 44:12).


God Promised to Establish the New Covenant

One day, God gave words of grace about the Israelites to Jeremiah who was prophesying a terrible disaster and judgment to the Israelites and the Jews who had left God's law.

Jer 31:31-34 『"The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. … "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.』

About 600 years after this prophecy was proclaimed, the new covenant was established by Jesus Christ. However the truth of the new covenant couldn't last.

After Jesus and His disciples left the world, the Church began to accept the false religions of the pagans and abolished the new covenant of the Passover in A.D. 325.

Jeremiah warned the people who had violated the law of Moses; and we are warning the people of this age who have violated the new covenant, the everlasting covenant established by the Christ.

Heb 10:28-29 『Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?』


Teachings for Us

What happened just before Judah was destroyed was a shadow of what is happening now just before the judgment which will be brought upon the whole earth.

The people at the time of Jeremiah left God's commands and followed the pagan customs. It was a copy of this age when people follow the polytheism of Rome and oppose God by keeping Sunday service, Christmas and so on.

The priests, prophets and the people of Judah left God. They wanted peace with their lips but destroyed peace and stirred up God's anger. Today's people are in the same situation.

God said, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecc 1:9). The destruction of Jerusalem represents that of the earth in the last day.

Jeremiah warned the coming disaster, saying, "Let us flee to the fortified cities [Zion]!" (Jer 4:5). This warning is speaking for ours, "Gather to Zion where God's feasts are celebrated before the last disaster comes upon the earth!"

In conclusion, the mission of Jeremiah is a model of that of the 144,000, the last living saints.

Just as Jeremiah obeyed God's will, not being afraid of people, we should enlighten those who do lawlessness and preach the true love of God to them.

Let us preach the commandments of God to the whole world!

♡ Christ Ahnsahnghong & Jerusalem Mother ♡

World Mission Society Church of God(WMS COG)

Christ Ahnsahnghong came to Korea, at the ends of the earth in the east, and restored the new covenant.

The truth of the new covenant has been spreading rapidly throughout the country. As a result, over 400 branch Churches have been established nationwide in the past half century.
All the Churches celebrate the feasts of God including the Passover of the new covenant, and speedily carry out the gospel work according to the prophecy of the Bible.