Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel
Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel all prophesied during the final turbulent years of the kingdom of Judah. While Jeremiah remained among the poor of the land dwelling at Jerusalem (Jer. 40:6), Ezekiel is found dwelling among the captives (Ezek. 1:1), and Daniel is in the courts of Nebuchadnezzar. How beautiful it is to see each in their appointed place, faithfully proclaiming the message given them of Jehovah. Jeremiah and Ezekiel were priests (Jer. 1:1; Ezek. 1:3); Daniel was of royal descent (Dan. 1:3).
Chronology
The entire period from Josiah to the destruction of Jerusalem is a little over fifty years. There were five kings who reigned during this time. The first was Josiah—slain by Pharaoh-nechoh (2 Kings 23:29).
Next came Jehoahaz (Shallum) the son of Josiah—made king by the people (2 Kings 23:30) and taken captive by the king of Egypt (2 Kings 23:33).
Jehoiakim (Eliakim), another son of Josiah, was third—made king by Pharaoh-nechoh (2 Kings 23:34), and later a vassal of the king of Babylon (2 Kings 24:1). Daniel was captive during this time.
Fourth was Jehoiachin (or Jechoniah or Coniah), a grandson of Josiah, the son of Jehoiakim—taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon (2 Kings 24:15). Ezekiel was taken captive at this time (Ezek. 1:2).
The fifth king was Zedekiah (Mattaniah), a third son of Josiah and the last king of Judah—made king by Nebuchadnezzar and taken captive by him (2 Kings 24:17; 25:7). It was a time of profound change during which God was setting aside Israel and placing His government in the hands of a Gentile nation. Understanding this is key to understanding these books.
Outward Appearances
Outwardly things appeared to be very good in the days of Josiah. However, while the king zealously followed the Lord, the hearts of the people were unchanged, and the recovery to Jehovah was feigned (Jer. 3:6-11).
Jeremiah had the task of prophesying to a nation that refused to hear—to a people that would soon be subdued by a foreign power as ordered by the government of God. False prophets, whose words pleased the people, constantly opposed him.
Jeremiah enters into all this personally. His love for the people and his jealousy for a holy God produced a tremendous conflict in his soul and resulted in physical suffering. He is known as the weeping prophet (Jer. 9:1), standing in the breach, pleading for the people. Jeremiah’s life is woven into the fabric of his prophecies.
Jeremiah
The book consists of a number of distinct prophecies. Since they are not ordered chronologically, a moral order must be understood.
In the first twenty-four chapters Jeremiah pleads with the people, appealing to their heart and conscience, taking us to the siege of Nebuchadrezzar (Jer. 21-24).
In chapter 25 we have a general summary of God’s judgments by the hand Nebuchadrezzar (ch. 25:8-11), the punishment of the king of Babylon after seventy years (ch. 25:12), and the judgment of the nations (ch. 25:31).
The remaining prophecies have much more to do with historic events. In chapters 30-33 we are taken prophetically to the future time of Jacob’s trouble. It looks forward to a coming day when God will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and Judah (ch. 31:31), restore the land to them again, and “cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land” (ch. 33:15).
In chapters 40-44 we have the final history of the remnant in the land and their escape into Egypt contrary to the word of the Lord by Jeremiah (ch. 42:7-22). Chapters 46-51 give the judgment of the nations, beginning with Egypt and ending with Babylon.
Lamentations
The book of Lamentations contains the lament of Jeremiah over Jerusalem—once great among the nations—now solitary and desolate (Lam. 1:1). The Lord had done righteously, but understanding God’s government against that city only deepened Jeremiah’s sorrow (vs. 18).
Jeremiah confessed the sin of the city as his own, and he felt what it was to be rejected by the very ones for whom he wept. In his sorrow we see expressed something of the sorrow so fully felt by the rejected Christ (vs. 12).
Chapters one, two and four each have twenty-two verses commencing with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Similarly, chapter 3 has twenty-two stanzas of three verses each. The fifth chapter, while having twenty-two verses, is not constrained by this arrangement, for it is a prayer. With confession made, Jeremiah can bring that which has afflicted the people before a compassionate (ch. 3:22-36) and unchanging God (ch. 5:19).
Ezekiel
Ezekiel’s prophecy takes in all Israel (Ezek. 2:3). The book does not concern itself with the times of the Gentiles. This period is to be found fully detailed in the book of Daniel. Rather, this interval is skipped over and Ezekiel’s prophecy resumes with the millennium, when Jerusalem will again be the center of God’s government. Ezekiel’s prophecies are full of symbols and imagery.
The book may be divided into four parts. Chapters 1-24—the rebellious house of Israel (ch. 3:9). These are arranged chronologically and tell of the impending Chaldean invasion and the destruction of Jerusalem (ch. 24).
Chapters 25-32—the judgment of the seven Gentile nations—Ammon (ch. 25:1), Moab (ch. 25:8), Edom (ch. 25:12), Philistia (ch. 25:15), Tyre (ch. 26-28:19), Zidon (ch. 28:20), and Egypt (ch. 29-32).
Chapters 33-39—the return of the remnant, which of necessity includes judgment on Israel and those that oppose that restoration.
Chapters 40-48—the future millennial temple.
Daniel
Of all the Old Testament prophets, Daniel is the one with whom we are most familiar. There are numerous practical lessons to be learned from his life. His faithfulness is recorded by Ezekiel (Ezek. 14:14), and as a faithful one amidst a Gentile nation, he is a picture to us of the Jewish remnant of the later day.
As a prophet in the court of Gentile kings, he is occupied with the “times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24). The book may be divided into two. The first six chapters give us the history of the monarchs from Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Cyrus the Persian (Dan. 6:28) and Daniel’s interaction with them. Here are to be found general principles concerning the times of the Gentiles. The details of this period are covered in the remaining six chapters in Daniel’s visions.
There are four Gentile nations beginning with the Babylonian empire (Nebuchadnezzar). That kingdom would be succeeded by the Persian (under Cyrus), which in turn would be overtaken by the Grecian (Alexander the Great). A final empire, the Roman, would conquer the Greeks.
Though the Roman Empire declined and collapsed, no superseding kingdom rose in its place. In a coming day the Roman Empire will reappear in its final form as a ten-nation confederacy—a beast—dreadful and terrible (Dan. 7:7).
In this book we also find that seventy weeks (or periods of seven) are determined upon Daniel’s people (the Jews) and upon the holy city (Jerusalem; ch. 9:24). From the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem (Neh. 2) until Messiah the Prince would be sixty-nine weeks (seven plus sixty-two; Dan. 9:25-26). When each week is taken as seven years, we find that the 69 weeks, or 483 years, has been fulfilled precisely.
Further, a prince will come—of the people that would destroy Jerusalem (the Romans)—and will confirm a covenant with the many for one week. This is the final and seventieth week (Dan. 9:26-27).
The seventy weeks close with the bringing in of everlasting righteousness (Dan. 9:24)—still future. The final terrifying week, a seven-year period, is also future (Dan. 9:27; 7:25). This present day of grace in which we live, from Christ to the Rapture, is omitted in this timeline, for the “seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city” (Dan. 9:24).
N. Simon