Faith & Reason Nexus

MEANING: Jeremiah means “Yahweh throws.”

AUTHOR: Jeremiah (except for chapter 52)

TIME WRITTEN: The exact year is unknown.

POSITION IN THE BIBLE:

• 24th Book in the Bible
• 24th Book in the Old Testament
• 2nd of 17 books of Prophecy (Isaiah to Malachi)
• 2nd of the 5 major prophets (Isaiah to Daniel)
• Followed by 42 books

CHAPTERS: 52
VERSES: 1,364
WORDS: 42,659

OBSERVATIONS ABOUT JEREMIAH:

• Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry lasted over 40 years, from 627 to around 580 B.C.
• Known as “The weeping Prophet,” Jeremiah was deeply affected by the message he delivered.
• He hailed from Anathoth, a town located two miles south of Jerusalem, and was the son of Hilkiah, a priest.
• Jeremiah was called to be a prophet before his birth and was instructed not to marry as an object lesson.
• His life was marked by severe persecution:
• Threatened in Anathoth
• Tried by priests and prophets
• Imprisoned and placed in stocks
• Fled from King Jehoiakim
• Humiliated publicly by the false prophet Hananiah
• Thrown into a cistern
• Jeremiah dictated his prophecies to his scribe, Baruch.
• He was a contemporary of Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Daniel, and Ezekiel.
• Jeremiah prophesied the impending judgment of God upon Judah, predicting the Babylonian captivity of the Southern Kingdom, with Babylon mentioned 164 times in the book.
• He specifically foretold a 70-year period of captivity (Jeremiah 25:11-14; 29:10), which is referenced in Daniel 9:2.
• Jeremiah’s ministry can be divided into three stages:
• 627-650 B.C.: Prophesied during the threat of Assyria and Egypt
• 605-586 B.C.: Prophesied judgment while Judah was besieged by Babylon
• 586 to about 680 B.C.: Ministered in Jerusalem and Egypt after Judah’s fall
• In Jeremiah 31:33, he prophesies the establishment of a new covenant for God’s people.
• His message was conveyed through:
• Parables
• Sermons
• Object lessons