Jeremiah 47

Jeremiah 47
The Philistines, perpetual enemies of Israel, are next singled out for an announcement of overwhelming disaster. Chapter 47 is a fresh example of the divinely chosen order in the book of Jeremiah, for what is here recorded bongs, in time of utterance, to a period early in the prophet’s service for God. It is given thus late in the book that all the judgments may be stated in a single group, beginning with Judah, and in turn including each of her neighbors and finally Babylon itself, the first Gentile empire to which all the others were subjected.
Pharaoh was to strike Gaza (during the campaign which took the Egyptian army to Carchemish on the Euphrates — 2 Chronicles 35:2020After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him. (2 Chronicles 35:20)), but a far worse affliction would follow, coming from the north; this was the conquering host of Babylon headed by Nebuchadnezzar. The figure of an irresistible flood of water is used to portray that invasion which would result in the ruin of Philistia and largely the Mediterranean coast, for Tyre, and Sidon in the north, far outside of the region occupied by the Philistines, were to be cut off from every helper that remained. In this destruction of the Philistines, Nebuchadnezzar would only be a weapon in the hands of God, as the latter part of chapter 47 shows.
Caphtor, the land from which the Philistines came, is believed to have been a part of Egypt (see Genesis 10:13, 1413And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, 14And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim. (Genesis 10:13‑14)). Gaza and Ashkelon were two of the five principal cities of the Philistines. Isaiah 14:29-32,29Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. 30And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant. 31Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times. 32What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it. (Isaiah 14:29‑32) Ezekiel 25:15-17,15Thus saith the Lord God; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred; 16Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethims, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast. 17And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them. (Ezekiel 25:15‑17) Amos 1:6-8,6Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom: 7But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof: 8And I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod, and him that holdeth the sceptre from Ashkelon, and I will turn mine hand against Ekron: and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish, saith the Lord God. (Amos 1:6‑8) Zechariah 2:4-7,4And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: 5For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her. 6Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the Lord: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the Lord. 7Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. (Zechariah 2:4‑7) and Zechariah 9:5-75Ashkelon shall see it, and fear; Gaza also shall see it, and be very sorrowful, and Ekron; for her expectation shall be ashamed; and the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited. 6And a bastard shall dwell in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. 7And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his abominations from between his teeth: but he that remaineth, even he, shall be for our God, and he shall be as a governor in Judah, and Ekron as a Jebusite. (Zechariah 9:5‑7) are other prophecies dealing with the Philistines; all of them have not yet been fully accomplished, although the Philistines as a people have disappeared. They will reappear in the last days when Israel again becomes the center of God’s dealings with the earth.