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Rebuilding the Temple: Haggai’s Call to Action

Haggai 1:4(NKJV) “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?”
Haggai 1:8(NKJV) Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the LORD.

Author

  • Haggai
  • Haggai means “Festive”

Date

  • 520 B.C.

Theme

  • Rebuilding the temple

Purpose

  • Haggai was among the first prophets to minister to the Israelites returning from Babylonian captivity.
  • In 539 B.C. they begin rebuilding the temple under the leadership of Ezra. They were delayed for eighteen years by opposition from the north.
  • In 521 B.C. after receiving a decree from Darius king of Persia they continued the work and dedicated the temple in 515 B.C.
  • Haggai urged the people to continue the work of the temple. It was believed that Haggai was old enough to remember the former temple before it was destroyed by the Babylonians.
    • Ezra 6:14 And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
  • Haggai had to address the three D’s
    • Disinterested
      • Haggai 1:2(NKJV)Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying: This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built.”
    • Discouraged
      • Haggai 2:3(NKJV) ‘Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing?
    • Dissatisfaction
      • Haggai 2:19(NKJV) Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.”
        • They were seeking an immediate turn around

Content

  • The call to rebuild the temple: Haggai 1:1-15
    • Haggai 1:4(NKJV) “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?”
    • Haggai 1:8(NKJV) Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the LORD.
  • Hopes and expectation for the new temple: Haggai 2:1-9
    • Haggai 2:9(NKJV) The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts.”
  • God’s promised blessings: Haggai 2:10-19
    • Haggai 2:19(NKJV) Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.””
  • God’s final triumph: Haggai 2:21-23
    • Haggai 2:21-23(NKJV)”Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying: ‘I will shake heaven and earth. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms. I will overthrow the chariots And those who ride in them; The horses and their riders shall come down, Every one by the sword of his brother. In that day,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel (She-al-ti-el),’ says the LORD, ‘and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,’ says the LORD of hosts.”

Christ in the Book of Haggai

  • Christ and the work of the cross as the fulfillment of the latter glory filling the temple of God
    •  John 2:19-21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.
    • 1 Corinthians 6:19,20(NKJV) Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

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Understanding Zephaniah’s Prophecies and Themes

Zephaniah (NKJV) Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek
righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the
LORD’S anger.

Author:

  • Zephaniah
  • Zephaniah means that the Lord has Hidden

Date:

  • 630 BC
  • Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of Josiah, the young king of Judah.
  • Other Prophets during this time include Jeremiah and Nahum.
  • Zephaniah was the last prophet before Judah went into captivity.

Theme:

  • The wrath and judgement of a loving God toward the nations and the restoration of a remnant.

Purpose:

  • During this time, Judah had been paying tribute to Assyria, which opened the doors for increasing pagan worship. Zephaniah prophesied against the complacency of the people of Judah.
  • He painted the darkest picture of God’s judgment and the brightest picture of God’s restoration.

Content:

  • God’s judgement announced: Zephaniah 1:1-2:3
    • Zephaniah 1:2-4 I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the Lord. I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling blocks with the wicked: and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the Lord. I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;
  • Judgment against the nations: Zephaniah 2:4-15
    • Here there is a list of judgments against the nations
  • The future of Jerusalem 3:1-20
    • Zephaniah 3:13(NKJV) The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness And speak no lies, Nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; For they shall feed their flocks and lie down, And no one shall make them afraid.”
    • Zephaniah 3:17(NKJV) The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Christ in the Book of Zephaniah

  • Hidden in Christ
    • Zephaniah means “The Lord has Hidden”
    • Colossians 3:1-3(NKJV)If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Old Testament Overview: Key Themes Explained

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Understanding Nahum: God’s Judgment on Nineveh

Nahum 1:7-9(NKJV) The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him. But with an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place, And darkness will pursue His enemies. What do you conspire against the LORD? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time.

Author

  • Nahum
  • Nahum means “Comfort, Full of Comfort, Consolation”

Date

  • 612 B.C.
  • During the reigns of Manasseh, Amon, and Josiah (Kings of Judah)
  • Other prophets at this time: Zephaniah, Habakkuk, and Jeremiah
  • Approximately 120 years after Jonah’s ministry to Nineveh

Theme

  • God’s judgment on the city of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria

Purpose

  • This book reveals God’s judgment on the tyrant city of Nineveh the capital of Assyria.
  • The Assyrians captured the Northern kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C.
  • They threaten Judah, the southern kingdom, but God intervened.
  • The Assyrians were know for their abuse and acts of torture inflicted on their captives. At this time the Assyrians were known as the world’s greatest oppressor.
  • This book was also a message of comfort and hope for God’s people of the southern kingdom of Judah.

Content

  • The vengeance of the Lord Nahum 1:1-15
    • Nahum 1:2,3(NKJV) God is jealous, and the LORD avenges: The LORD avenges and is furious.
      The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His
      enemies; The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked. The LORD has His way In the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of His feet.
  • The fall of Nineveh and Restoration of Jacob: Nahum 2:1-13
    • Nahum 2:8-10(NKJV) Though Nineveh of old was like a pool of water, Now they flee away. “Halt! Halt!” they cry; But no one turns back. Take spoil of silver! Take spoil of gold! There is no end of treasure, Or wealth of every desirable prize. She is empty, desolate, and waste! The heart melts, and the knees shake; Much pain is in every side, And all their faces are drained of color.
    • Nahum 2:2(NKJV) For the LORD will restore the excellence of Jacob Like the excellence of Israel, For the emptiers have emptied them out And ruined their vine branches.
  • The despair of Nineveh: Nahum 3:1-19
    • Nahum 3:7(NKJV)It shall come to pass that all who look upon you Will flee from you, and say, “Nineveh is laid waste! Who will bemoan her? Where shall I seek comforters for you?”
    • This prophecy came to pass about 50 years after it was written.

Christ in the Book of Nahum

  • Type of Christ on the cross
    • God’s vengeance against sin was satisfied through the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, His son Jesus.
      • Romans 12:19(NKJV) Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
Old Testament Overview: Key Themes Explained

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God’s Mercy in Jonah: Lessons from Nineveh

Jonah 4:11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

Author

  • Jonah

Date

  • 760 BC

Theme

  • God’s compassion on an ungodly nation.

Content

  • Jonah flees from the Lord: Jonah 1:1-17
    • Jonah 1:1-3 Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
    • Jonah 1:17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
  • Jonah’s Prayer and Deliverance: Jonah 2:1-10
    • Jonah 2:1-2 Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
  • Jonah goes to Nineveh: Jonah 3:1-10
    • Jonah 3:3-4 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
    • Jonah 3:10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
  • Jonah’s displeasure in the Lord’s mercy: 4:1-11
    • Jonah 4:1-3 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.
    • Jonah 4:11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?

Christ in the Book of Jonah

  • Christ the Savior
    • Luke 19:10(NKJV) for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
    • 1 Timothy 2:4(NKJV) who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
  • The Sign of Jonah
    • Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Old Testament Overview: Key Themes Explained

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Understanding Obadiah’s Prophecy Against Edom

Obadiah 1:15(NKJV) For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near, As you have done, it shall be done to you; Your reprisal shall return upon your own head.


Author

  • The Prophet Obadiah

Date

  • 588-583 B.C.
    “Servant/Worshiper of Yahweh

Theme

  • God’s judgment on Edom

Purpose

  • Obadiah is the shortest book of the Old Testament (21 verses).
  • The prophet Obadiah prophesies against the nation of Edom.
    • The Edomites are descendants of Esau.
  • There has always been hostility between the descendants of Jacob and the descendants of Esau.
  • During the Babylonian invasions and eventual captivity, the Edomites joined in to bring destruction and desecration to the land of Judah and the city of Jerusalem.
  • This book is about God’s promise of judgment on the Edomites for their treatment of the Israelites and His promise of deliverance and prosperity of His people.

Content

  • The judgment of Edom: Obediah1:1-16
    • Obadiah 1:1, 2(NKJV) The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord GOD concerning Edom (We have heard a report from the LORD, And a messenger has been sent among the nations, saying, “Arise, and let us rise up against her for battle”): Behold, I will make you small among the nations; You shall be greatly despised.
  • Victory for God’s people: Obediah 1:17-21
    • Obadiah 1:17-21  But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the Lord hath spoken it. And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south. And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.

Christ in the Book of Obadiah

  • Type of Christ as the deliverer, and final Judge
Old Testament Overview: Key Themes Explained

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Understanding Amos: Judgment and Restoration

Amos 5:24 But let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.


Author

  • Amos
  • Amos means “Burden Bearer”


Date

  • 760-750 B.C.
  • During the reign of Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam II in Israel.


Theme

  • The judgment of God coming to the northern kingdom of Israel.


Purpose

  • Amos was taken from shepherding the herds and tending the crops to be a voice of warning to the northern kingdom of Israel. It was a time of great prosperity for both Judah and Israel. Idolatry was rampant the rich were living in luxury, the poor were being oppressed, and the judicial system was corrupt.
  • Amos prophesied that unless there was a change in heart God’s hand of judgment would
    come upon them. The people of Israel mistook their prosperity for a sign of God’s approval and blessing.


Content

  • Judgment of Israel’s neighbors: Amos 1:1-2:5
    • Amos 1:3 Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron:
      • The neighboring countries are Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom Ammon, Moab, Judah
  • Judgment on Israel: Amos 2:6-16
    • Amos 2:6,7(NKJV) Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they sell the righteous for silver, And the poor for a pair of sandals. They pant after the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor, And pervert the way of the humble. A man and his father go in to the same girl, To defile My holy name.
  • Israel’s guilt 3:1-6:14
    • Amos 3:1-3(NKJV) Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying: You only have I known of all the families of the earth; Therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities.” Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
  • Five visions: Amos 7:1-9:10
    • Vision of Locust
    • Vision of Fire
    • Vision of the Plumb Line
    • Summer Fruit
    • Destruction of Israel
  • Restoration: Amos 9:11-15
    • Amos 9:11-15(NKJV) On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old; That they may possess the remnant of Edom, And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,” Says the LORD who does this thing. Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; The mountains shall drip with sweet wine, And all the hills shall flow with it. I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. I will plant them in their land, And no longer shall they be pulled up From the land I have given them,” Says the LORD your God.

Christ in the Book of Amos

  • In the Book of Amos, there are several connections to Jesus:
    • Similar Backgrounds: Both Amos and Jesus came from humble beginnings and were seen as outsiders with important messages for the people.
      • Shepherd
        • John 10:4,5(NKJV) And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
    • Servant Leadership: Amos lived a life devoted to service, paralleling Jesus’ teachings and lifestyle.
    • Burden Bearers: Amos expressed deep concern for the sins of the people, similar to how Jesus bore the burdens of humanity.
    • Fulfillment of Prophecy: The messages in Amos point towards the coming of Jesus, who fulfills the intentions of God for humanity.
  • These connections illustrate how the themes in Amos resonate with the life and mission of Jesus.
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Understanding Joel’s Prophecy: Judgment and Grace

Joel 2:12,13(NKJV) Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. So, rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.


Author

  • Joel
  • Joel means “Yahweh or the Lord is God”


Date

  • Probably 835-805 B.C.


Theme

  • The Judgment of God (the coming of the day of the Lord)
  • The Grace of God


Purpose

  • Joel prophesied about the judgment of God at a time of great of devastation.
    • A plague of locust has stripped the countryside of vegetation and livestock.
    • Joel describes the present destruction as nothing compared to the coming judgment of
      God.


Content

  • The invasion of locusts: Joel1:1-12
    • Joel 1:4(NKJV) What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; What the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten; And what the crawling locust left, the consuming
      locust has eaten.
  • Judgment Through:
    • Locust: Joel1:4-7
    • Drought and Famine Joel 1:9-12
    • Fire: Joel 1:19-20
  • A call to repentance: Joel 1:13-20
    • Joel 1:13,14 Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.
  • Warnings and God’s promise: Joel 2:1-32
    • Joel 2:1(NKJV) Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD is coming, For it is at hand:
    • Joel 2:25-29 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also, upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
  • God’s final judgment and rule: Joel 3:1-21
    • Joel 3:16(NKJV) The LORD also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the LORD will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.

Christ in the Book of Joel

  • Christ is the Righteous Judge
    • In the book of Joel, it talks about God’s final judgement and rule. Jesus is the one who will be ruling and judging.
      • Revelation 19:11-16(NKJV) Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
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Understand the book of Ezekial

Ezekiel 36:24-26(NKJV) For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.


Author

  • Ezekiel
  • Ezekiel means either “God Strengthens” or “God is Strong”
  • He was married. It is believed that his wife died during captivity.
  • Ministered at the same time as Daniel
  • Highly educated, from a priestly family
  • He was 25 years old when taken into captivity


Date

  • 593-573 B.C.
  • During the Babylonian captivity, Judah was taken captive in three stages:
    • Daniel and companions taken in first invasion
    • 9 years later Ezekiel was taken during the second invasion
    • 11 years after the second invasion Jerusalem fell and those remaining (except for the very poor) were taken into captivity
    • The journey to Babylon took 3-4 months, approximately 1500 miles (many died along the way)


Theme

  • Destruction of Jerusalem because of disobedience and the future restoration because of the covenant promises of God

Purpose

  • Ezekiel addressed the personal responsibility for morality. We find two major doctrines within the book.
    • The Doctrine of Man
      • Ezekiel 18:4(NKJV) “Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die.
    • The Doctrine of Grace, Rebirth, and the Work of the Holy Spirit
      • Ezekiel 37:1-14
        • The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
        • 2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
        • 3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.
        • 4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.
        • 5 Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
        • 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
        • 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
        • 8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.
        • 9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
        • 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
        • 11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
        • 12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
        • 13 And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
        • 14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.


Content

  • Ezekiel’s call Chapters 1-3
    • Ezekiel 2:3-8 And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.
    • 4 For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God.
    • 5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.
    • 6 And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
    • 7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
    • 8 But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.
    • Ezekiel 3:17(NKJV) “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me:
  • Judah’s judgment Chapters 4-24
    • Ezekiel 6:2-8 on of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them,
    • 3 And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.
    • 4 And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols.
    • 5 And I will lay the dead carcases of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars.
    • 6 In all your dwellingplaces the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.
    • 7 And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
    • 8 Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries.
  • Prophecy concerning heathen nations Chapters 25-32
    • Ammon
    • Moab
    • Edom
    • Philistia
    • Tyre (Ezekiel 28 & Isaiah 28 – The Fallen Star (Satan))
    • Egypt
  • Future blessings and restoration Chapters 33-48
    • Ezekiel 36:22-30 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.
    • 23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
    • 24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
    • 25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
    • 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
    • 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
    • 28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
    • 29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.
    • 30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.
  • Restoration of the Temple Chapters 40-46


Christ in the Book of Ezekiel

  • Ezekiel as a type of Christ
    • “Son of Man” (90 times within the book)
  • Jesus as the Chief Shepherd
    • Ezekiel 34:23,24(NKJV) I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them-My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken.
  • Jesus as the river of life flowing from the temple
    • Ezekiel 47:1-12 Then he [my guide] brought me back to the door of the house [the temple of the Lord]; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house (temple) toward the east, for the front of the temple was facing east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar. Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate by the way of the gate that faces east. And behold, water was spurting out from the south side [of the gate]. When the man went out toward the east with a measuring line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he led me through the water, water that was ankle-deep. Again he measured a thousand [cubits] and led me through the water, water that was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand [cubits] and led me through the water, water reaching the hips. Again he measured a thousand [cubits]; and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be crossed [by wading]. And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me back to the bank of the river. Now when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then he said to me, “These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah (the Jordan Valley); then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the Dead Sea shall be healed and become fresh. It will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live. And there will be a very great number of fish, because these waters go there so that the waters of the sea are healed and become fresh; so everything will live wherever the river goes. And it will come about that fishermen will stand beside it [at the banks of the Dead Sea]; from Engedi to Eneglaim there will be dry places to spread nets. Their fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great [Mediterranean] Sea. But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh [and wholesome for animal life]; they will [as the river subsides] be left encrusted with salt. By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They shall bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.”
    • Revelation 22:1-4 Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Christ), in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer exist anything that is cursed [because sin and illness and death are gone]; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve and worship Him [with great awe and joy and loving devotion];  they will [be privileged to] see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.
      • The marks on the foreheads are important because they declare who you belong to. This is a spiritual mark.
        • Ezekiel 9:3-6 Then the [[Shekinah] glory and brilliance of the God of Israel (the cloud) went up from the cherubim on which it had rested, to [stand above] the threshold of the [Lord’s] temple. And the Lord called to the man clothed with linen, who had the scribe’s writing case at his side. The Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, throughout all of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh [in distress] and grieve over all the repulsive acts which are being committed in it.” But to the others I heard Him say, “Follow him [the man with the scribe’s writing case] throughout the city and strike; do not let your eyes have pity and do not spare [anyone]. Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women; but do not touch or go near anyone on whom is the mark. Begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple [who did not have the Lord’s mark on their foreheads].

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Understanding Lamentations: Sorrow and Hope in Jerusalem’s Fall

Lamentations 2:11(NKJV) My eyes fail with tears, My heart is troubled; My bile is poured on the ground Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, Because the children and the infants Faint in the streets of the city.


Author

  • Jeremiah the weeping prophet


Date

  • 587 B.C.


Theme

  • The sorrow and suffering as a result of the consequences of sin.


Purpose

  • A poetic expression of the sorrow and suffering that occurs as a result of disobedience and the promise of God’s salvation and deliverance.
  • Lamentations 3:22-26(NKJV)
    22 Through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail no
    23 They are new every morning Great is Your faithfulness.
    24 The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”
    25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.
    26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD.


Content

  • 5 poems
  • Chapters 1, 2, 4, and 5 each contain 22 verses, each verse corresponds with the 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet
  • Jerusalem’s destruction Lamentations 1:1-22
    • Lamentations 1:1(NKJV) How lonely sits the city That was full of people! How like a widow is she, Who was great among the nations! The princess among the provinces Has become a slave!
  • God’s anger and search for comfort Lamentations 2:1-22
    • Lamentations 2:1(NKJV) How the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion With a cloud in His anger! He cast down from heaven to the earth The beauty of Israel, And did not remember His footstool In the day of His anger.
  • Suffering and hope in God Lamentations 3:1-66
  • Lamentations 3:19-23(NKJV) Remember my affliction and roaming, The wormwood and the gall. My soul still remembers And sinks within me. This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
  • The old glory of Jerusalem Lamentations 4:1-22
  • Lamentations 4:1(NKJV) How the gold has become dim! How changed the fine gold! The stones of the sanctuary are scattered at the head of every street.
  • God’s mercy Lamentations 5:1-22
    • Lamentations 5:1(NKJV) Remember, O LORD, what has come upon us; Look, and behold our reproach!


Christ in the Book of Lamentations

  • Lamentations 3:58(NKJV) O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul; You have redeemed my life.
  • Christ redeems us from the curse of the law

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Jeremiah: The Weeping Prophet and His Message

Jeremiah


Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, Before you were born I sanctified you I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

  • Author
    • Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah
    • Jeremiah was told not to marry or have children
      • Jeremiah 16:1-2 “The word of the LORD also came to me, saying. You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place.”
    • Called the “Weeping Prophet
  • Date
    • 626-586 B.C.
    • Jeremiah’s ministry started during the reign of Josiah, King of Judah. He delivered prophecies throughout the reigns of Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah, continuing his work even after the fall of Jerusalem.
  • Theme
    • Failure to repent will lead to destruction
      • Jeremiah 2:19 Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing that you have forsaken the LORD your God, and the fear of Me is not in you,” Says the Lord GOD of hosts.
      • John 12:48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
      • The book of Jeremiah has more words in it then any other book. It has at total word count of approximately 788,280.
  • Purpose
    • The book of Jeremiah is filled with warning, guidance, and hope. It warns of the coming destruction due to Judah’s refusal to repent, offers instructions to the Jewish people taken into Babylonian exile, and shares a hopeful message about the restoration of Jerusalem and the arrival of the Messiah.
  • Content
    • The call of Jeremiah: Jeremiah 1:1-19
      • Jeremiah 1:5-10 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I sanctified your I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Then said I: “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” But the LORD said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,” For you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the LORD. Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.”
    • The condition of Judah: Jeremiah 2:1-6:30
      • Jeremiah 2:2-5 “Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying. Thus says the LORD: I remember you, the kindness of your youth, The love of your betrothal When you went after Me in the wilderness, In a land not sown Israel was holiness to the LORD, The firstfruits of His increase. All that devour him will offend; Disaster will come upon them,” says the LORD. “Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel “Thus says the LORD: “What injustice have your fathers found in Me That they have gone far from Me, Have followed idols, And have become idolaters?
    • The temple, law, and covenant: Jeremiah 7:1-12:17
      • Jeremiah 7:2-3 Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.
      • Jeremiah 7:28 But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.
    • Jeremiah 11:6-8 Then the Lord said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them. For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice. Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do: but they did them not.
      • “imagination” or “Dictates” is how it is written in the New King James Version.
        • This word comes from שְׁרִירוּת shᵉrîyrûwth, sher-ee-rooth’; from H8324 in the sense of twisted, i.e. firm; obstinacy:—imagination, lust.
          • it means stubbornness, hardness, firmness
        • This word is found ten times in the Bible. Eight of the ten are in the book of Jeremiah referring to Israel’s refusal to respond to God’s warnings.
    • The certainty of captivity: Jeremiah 13:1-18:23
      • Jeremiah 13:19 The cities of the South shall be shut up, And no one shall open them, Judah shall be carried away captive, all of it; It shall be wholly carried away captive.
    • The confrontation of leaders: Jeremiah 19:1-28:17
      • Jeremiah 25:11-12  And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.
    • The promise of restoration: Jeremiah 29:1-33-26
      • Jeremiah 29:10.11(NKJV) For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
    • The kingdom falls: Jeremiah 34:1-29:18
      • Jeremiah 39:1-2 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem, and besieged it. In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the city was penetrated
    • The trip to Egypt: Jeremiah 40:1-45:5
      • Jeremiah 42:10-17 If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you. Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the Lord: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand. And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land. But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the Lord your God, Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell: And now therefore hear the word of the Lord, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there; Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die. So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.
    • The word to foreign nations: Jeremiah 46:1-51:64
      • Judgment on
        • Egypt
        • Philistia
        • Moab
        • Ammon
        • Damascus
        • Babylon
    • The fall of Jerusalem reviewed: Jeremiah 52:1-34
      • Jeremiah 52:4-5  And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about. So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
  • Christ in the Book of Jeremiah
    • The lifestyle of Jeremiah was similar to that of Jesus. Jeremiah is considered a type of Christ in the Old Testament.
      • Jeremiah was accused on political treason, so was Christ
      • Jeremiah was tried, persecuted, and imprisoned for the words he spoke
      • Jeremiah and Jesus both foretold the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and their own people rejected them
      • Jeremiah wept with compassion over the people of Israel
        •  Luke 19:41-44 As He (Jesus) approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it [and the spiritual ignorance of its people], 42 saying, “If [only] you had known on this day [of salvation], even you, the things which make for peace [and on which peace depends]! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. 43 For a time [of siege] is coming when your enemies will put up a barricade [with pointed stakes] against you, and surround you [with armies] and hem you in on every side, 44 and they will level you to the ground, you [Jerusalem] and your children within you. They will not leave in you one stone on another, all because you did not [come progressively to] recognize [from observation and personal experience] the time of your visitation [when God was gracious toward you and offered you salvation].”
      • Jeremiah was mistreated yet chose to forgive
Old Testament Overview: Key Themes Explained

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