25:1 In the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah, the Lord spoke to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah. (That was the same as the first year that Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon.)
Jeremiah began to date some of his prophecies. The Holy Spirit often gave dates through his prophets so that he could silence the arguments of modern skeptics and liberals who attempt to late-date these books in order to avoid the supernatural prophetic element of Scripture. Jeremiah wrote this prophecy in 606-605 B.C. This was the time of the first deportation (with Daniel and his three friends). This was the beginning of the Babylonian Captivity. This was the beginning of the Time of the Gentiles. The Time of the Gentiles will continue until the last day of the Great Tribulation. On the last day of the Great Tribulation, the last Gentile ruler (the Antichrist) will be removed and the Messianic King from the line of David will take the throne.
King Jehoiakim was an evil king. He was the one who burned Jeremiah’s book of prophecy. This act of blasphemy cost him his monarchy and his life. He was killed by the Babylonians and thrown over the wall.
25:2 So the prophet Jeremiah spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the people who were living in Jerusalem.
Jeremiah gave another prophetic message to the people of Judah.
25:3 “For the last twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amon was ruling in Judah until now, the Lord has been speaking to me. I told you over and over again what he said. But you would not listen.
Jeremiah prophesied for 19 years under the good King Josiah. He prophesied for 3 months under the evil King Jehoahaz (who was captured by Pharaoh Neco and and exiled to Egypt). He prophesied for 4 years under the evil King Jehoiakim. For 23 years, Jeremiah woke up early every morning and told the people about the coming Babylonian invasion. However, the people would not listen to him. Instead, they listened to the lying false prophets who tickled their ears.
This response of the people of Israel was very similar to modern Christians who avoid expository churches, but flock to charismatic, prosperity, emergent, and seeker churches. Those who possess weak Bible doctrine do not want to hear the written Word of God. They would rather be entertained. They would rather have their ears tickled. However, people who have never studied the entire counsel of the Word of God through a gifted pastor-teacher will not even recognize that they have weak Bible doctrine. They will think that their Bible doctrine is good and that they are in the right church.
25:4 Over and over again the Lord has sent his servants the prophets to you. But you have not listened or paid attention.
Jehovah also sent other prophets to Judah with the same message, but these prophets were rejected as well.
25:5 He said through them, ‘Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and stop doing the evil things you are doing. If you do, I will allow you to continue to live here in the land that I gave to you and your ancestors as a lasting possession.
Judah must turn from her wicked ways, or she will be removed from her land. The Abrahamic Covenant promised Israel that possession of the land was eternal. The Mosaic Covenant promised that Israel’s ability to stay in the land was conditional. She must obey the Law to remain in the land. Since both covenants were promises made by God, then He must keep both of them. Since Israel was disobedient to the Mosaic Law, then God must remove her from the land. However, He must also bring her back and plant her in the land permanently to keep the Abrahamic, Land, Davidic, and New covenants. The keeping of these four covenants is the main theme of the rest of the Bible. The Book of Revelation shows the end result of God keeping these four covenants.
25:6 Do not pay allegiance to other gods and worship and serve them. Do not make me angry by the things that you do. Then I will not cause you any harm.’
If Judah would quit serving other demonic gods, then Jehovah would not send the Babylonians upon them.
25:7 So, now the Lord says, ‘You have not listened to me. But you have made me angry by the things that you have done. Thus you have brought harm on yourselves.’
Judah has disobeyed God and provoked Him into a righteous anger. Israel was raised up to become priests to the nations, but she had become the adulterous whore of the nations.
25:8 “Therefore, the Lord who rules over all says, ‘You have not listened to what I said.
Jehovah is sovereign over all things. Israel has not listened to the God who knows and planned all things.
25:9 So I, the Lord, affirm that I will send for all the peoples of the north and my servant, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and all the nations that surround it. I will utterly destroy this land, its inhabitants, and all the nations that surround it and make them everlasting ruins. I will make them objects of horror and hissing scorn.
For the first time, Jeremiah identified the name of the Babylonian King who would invade Judah. Babylon was north of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar was God’s servant not as a believer, but as an instrument of justice. He was the paddle who would spank Judah for her disobedience. Since Judah loved demonic idols and hated God, then God would given her all of the demonic idolatry that she wanted.
Nebuchadnezzar would also destroy the surrounding nations who lived around Israel. As next door neighbors to Judah, they also rejected the light which was given to them. Like Israel, they would also be despised by the other Gentile nations.
25:10 I will put an end to the sounds of joy and gladness, to the glad celebration of brides and grooms in these lands. I will put an end to the sound of people grinding meal. I will put an end to lamps shining in their houses.
After King Nebuchadnezzar attacks Judah and the other nations, then there would be no more festivals, weddings, or parties in their homes.
25:11 This whole area will become a desolate wasteland. These nations will be subject to the king of Babylon for seventy years.’
This was the first time that the length of captivity was given to Judah. The Babylonian Captivity began at the first deportation in 606 B.C. and ended exactly seventy years later. The temple was destroyed in 586 B.C. and rebuilt seventy years later.
25:12 “ ‘But when the seventy years are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation for their sins. I will make the land of Babylon an everlasting ruin. I, the Lord, affirm it!
God would use pagan and idolatrous Gentiles to punish Israel, but the Abrahamic Covenant would bring curses upon these same Gentiles when they would take the punishment of Israel too far. Jehovah will make Babylon an everlasting burning ruin of demons at the end of the Great Tribulation.
25:13 I will bring on that land everything that I said I would. I will bring on it everything that is written in this book. I will bring on it everything that Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations.
Babylon was not completely destroyed and desolate after the Medes and Persians defeated them seventy years later. The Antichrist will rebuild Babylon and make Babylon his capital city. Jeremiah 50-51 recorded specific prophetic details of the destruction of this future city.
25:14 For many nations and great kings will make slaves of the king of Babylon and his nation too. I will repay them for all they have done!’ ”
Just as the Babylonians made slaves of other nations, then the other nations would make the Babylonians their slaves.
25:15 So the Lord, the God of Israel, spoke to me in a vision. “Take this cup from my hand. It is filled with the wine of my wrath. Take it and make the nations to whom I send you drink it.
Jehovah gave Jeremiah a cup of wrath. Jeremiah was to force the other Gentile nations to drink this cup of wrath. He would force them to drink the cup by proclaiming prophetically their individual names and their future judgments.
25:16 When they have drunk it, they will stagger to and fro and act insane. For I will send wars sweeping through them.”
When these Gentile nations drink this cup of wrath, then they would become intoxicated and begin killing each other.
25:17 So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand. I made all the nations to whom he sent me drink the wine of his wrath.
Jeremiah took his prophecies to these surrounding nations.
25:18 I made Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and its officials drink it. I did it so Judah would become a ruin. I did it so Judah, its kings, and its officials would become an object of horror and of hissing scorn, an example used in curses. Such is already becoming the case!
In verses 18-26, Jeremiah listed the nations whom he would force to drink the cup of God’s wrath. God judges his own first. Jerusalem and the cities of Judah were the first to drink from Jehovah’s cup of wrath. Israel was given the Shechinah Glory, the prophets, the covenants, the written Word of God, the rituals, the priesthood, the miracles, and the promises of the Messiah, yet they rejected all of these spiritual insights and worshiped demonic idols.
25:19 I made all of these other people drink it: Pharaoh, king of Egypt; his attendants, his officials, his people,
Egypt would drink from the cup of wrath. They saw the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea, but they rejected Jehovah and worshiped demonic idols.
25:20 the foreigners living in Egypt; all the kings of the land of Uz; all the kings of the land of the Philistines, the people of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, the people who had been left alive from Ashdod;
Uz was the land of Job, yet they rejected Job's message of Jehovah and worshiped demonic idols.
Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and Ashdod were Philistine cities. At the time of Jeremiah's writing, Ashdod was suffering under a 39-year siege by the Egyptian Pharaoh. The cities of the Philistines saw the power of God through the witness of Samson, David and Goliath, and the miracles of the captured Tabernacle, yet they rejected Jehovah and worshiped demonic idols.
25:21 all the people of Edom, Moab, Ammon;
Edom was the brother of Jacob (Israel), Moab and Ammon were cousins of Israel through Lot, the nephew of Abraham Yet, all three of these nations rejected the light given to them and they all worshiped demonic idols.
25:22 all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon; all the kings of the coastlands along the sea;
Tyre and Sidon were the two major cities of the Phoenicians. The coastlands were their Mediterranean colonies. The Phoenicians were the next door neighbors of Israel. God blessed them with a shipping industry to take the message of Jehovah to all of the world. However, they rejected the light which was given to them and worshiped demonic idols.
25:23 the people of Dedan, Tema, Buz, all the desert people who cut their hair short at the temples; 24 all the kings of Arabia who live in the desert;
The Arabians living in the desert came from the sons of Abraham through Keturah and the sons of Ishmael. The "desert people" were a mixed multitude of different races who dwelt as strangers among the desert Arabian tribes. The Arabians who descended from Ishmael rejected the light of Jehovah and worshiped demonic idols.
25:25 all the kings of Zimri; all the kings of Elam; all the kings of Media;
No one knows the location of Zimri. The Kings of Elam were the Mesopotamian kings of Babylon who were located on the Tigris-Euphrates River. The kings of Media are the Medes and Persians. Daniel was the ambassador to all three of these nations. They all rejected the light which was given to them by Daniel and worshiped demonic idols.
25:26 all the kings of the north, whether near or far from one another; and all the other kingdoms which are on the face of the earth. After all of them have drunk the wine of the Lord’s wrath, the king of Babylon must drink it.
Jeremiah looked into the future of the Great Tribulation. All of the nations of the world will be forced to drink God’s cup of wrath. Notice that all of the kings in verses 16-26 are plural, except for “the king” of Babylon. The last king mentioned is the Antichrist. His capital will be the rebuilt Babylon. He will also be forced to drink God’s cup of wrath. He will be the last Gentile ruler to rule during “the Time of the Gentiles.” After he drinks the cup of wrath, the Messianic King will arrive and rule over Jerusalem for 1,000 literal years. What this verse implies is that the city Babylon must be rebuilt. Just as Jerusalem will be the future city of the Messianic King, then Babylon will become the city of the last Gentile king. The last Gentile King is the Antichrist. Satan often counterfeits the things of God.
25:27 Then the Lord said to me, “Tell them that the Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, ‘Drink this cup until you get drunk and vomit. Drink until you fall down and can’t get up. For I will send wars sweeping through you.’
God’s cup of wrath will cause all of the nations of the world to get drunk, vomit, and began killing each other in World War III.
25:28 If they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink it, tell them that the Lord who rules over all says ‘You most certainly must drink it!
Some future nations will refuse to drink the cup, but Jehovah Himself will force them to drink it.
25:29 For take note, I am already beginning to bring disaster on the city that I call my own. So how can you possibly avoid being punished? You will not go unpunished! For I am proclaiming war against all who live on the earth. I, the Lord who rules over all, affirm it!’
Jehovah had already started His judgment upon Judah. If His chosen people cannot escape judgment, then how can all of the other Gentile nations escape judgment?
25:30 “Then, Jeremiah, make the following prophecy against them: ‘Like a lion about to attack, the Lord will roar from the heights of heaven; from his holy dwelling on high he will roar loudly. He will roar mightily against his land. He will shout in triumph like those stomping juice from the grapes against all those who live on the earth.
Jehovah will attack the nations just as a lion attacks and devours its prey. Jehovah will tread upon the nations just as a vinedresser stomps on grapes in His own wine vat. When Jehovah stomps on the nations like grapes, then he will shout out His vengeance. This stomping of the nations like grapes is often called “the grapes of wrath.”
25:31 The sounds of battle will resound to the ends of the earth. For the Lord will bring charges against the nations. He will pass judgment on all humankind and will hand the wicked over to be killed in war.’ The Lord so affirms it!
During the Great Tribulation, Jehovah will make battle sounds against all of the Gentile nations of the earth. The one sin of Adam and Eve will eventually digress into an entire world who hates God and worships the Antichrist. The Gentile nations will join together and attempt to commit genocide on the Jews and overthrow God off of His throne (Psalm 2), but Jehovah will defeat the rebellious Gentile nations, remove the Antichrist from power, and place the Messianic King as ruler over the earth.
25:32 The Lord who rules over all says, ‘Disaster will soon come on one nation after another. A mighty storm of military destruction is rising up from the distant parts of the earth.’
Jehovah is sovereign over all of history. Not only does He control history, but He planned every circumstance of history. Mankind is a living novel of God’s sovereign plan of history. God reveals Himself through history. He has planned disaster on all of the nations who will rejected Him and worship the devil himself. A mighty storm of military destruction will come upon the Gentile nations. Mankind will began to use her weapons of mass destruction against each other.
25:33 Those who have been killed by the Lord at that time will be scattered from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned over, gathered up, or buried. Their dead bodies will lie scattered over the ground like manure.
Just as the Jews were left dead, unmourned, and unburied at the Babylonian invasion, so will a similar future event happen to the Gentiles who come against “the Lord and His anointed” (Psalm 2) during the Great Tribulation. These gentile nations will receive the kind-for-kind curses of the Abrahamic Covenant.
25:34 Wail and cry out in anguish, you rulers! Roll in the dust, you who shepherd flocks of people! The time for you to be slaughtered has come. You will lie scattered and fallen like broken pieces of fine pottery.
During the Great Tribulation, the rulers of the world will wail and cry about their predicament. Instead of being kings of the world, they will roll in the dust. They will use their leadership position to fleece their flocks. Jehovah will slaughter them until they are nothing but shattered pottery.
25:35 The leaders will not be able to run away and hide. The shepherds of the flocks will not be able to escape.
These evil leaders will not be able to escape the omnipresence of God.
25:36 Listen to the cries of anguish of the leaders. Listen to the wails of the shepherds of the flocks. They are wailing because the Lord is about to destroy their lands.
All of these evil leaders who shepherded their flocks to follow demonic idols will cry in anguish when God begins His judgment program upon them.
25:37 Their peaceful dwelling places will be laid waste by the fierce anger of the Lord.
The palaces of these evil rulers will be destroyed by the judgments of Jehovah.
25:38 The Lord is like a lion who has left his lair. So their lands will certainly be laid waste by the warfare of the oppressive nation and by the fierce anger of the Lord.”
Jehovah will leave His lair like an angry lion and tear the Gentile nations to pieces.