28:1 The following events occurred in that same year, early in the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah. To be more precise, it was the fifth month of the fourth year of his reign. The prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, spoke to Jeremiah in the Lord’s temple in the presence of the priests and all the people.
King Zedekiah was the last king of Judah before the Babylonian Captivity. The year was 593 B.C. By this time, the first and second deportations had taken place, but the majority of the Jews were still in the Land. Daniel was taken during the first deportation and prophesying to the royal house of Judah and Babylon. Ezekiel was taken during the second deportation and prophesying to the skilled laborers who were captive near the canals of Babylon. Jeremiah was still in Jerusalem, prophesying to the poor people who were left behind. Hananiah was a false prophet who opposed Jeremiah.
28:2 “The Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, ‘I will break the yoke of servitude to the king of Babylon.3 Before two years are over, I will bring back to this place everything that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took from it and carried away to Babylon. 4 I will also bring back to this place Jehoiakim’s son King Jeconiah of Judah and all the exiles who were taken to Babylon.’ Indeed, the Lord affirms, ‘I will break the yoke of servitude to the king of Babylon.’ ”
Verses 2-4 recorded four false prophecies of Hananiah. The first false prophecy was that Jehovah had spoken to Hananiah. The second false prophecy was that Jehovah would break the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar. The third false prophecy was that the temple utensils would be returned within two years. The fourth false prophecy was that King Jeconiah and the exiles would return back to Judah.
It is important to note that modern charismatics prophesy in the same manner as that of Hananiah. They use the Lord's name. Their prophecies do not come true 100% of the time. Yet biblically-ignorant Christians flock to these charismatic churches and support their false prophets.
28:5 Then the prophet Jeremiah responded to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the Lord’s temple. 28:6 The prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do all this! May the Lord make your prophecy come true! May he bring back to this place from Babylon all the valuable articles taken from the Lord’s temple and the people who were carried into exile. 28:7 But listen to what I say to you and to all these people. 28:8 From earliest times, the prophets who preceded you and me invariably prophesied war, disaster, and plagues against many countries and great kingdoms. 28:9 So if a prophet prophesied peace and prosperity, it was only known that the Lord truly sent him when what he prophesied came true.”
In verses 5-9, Jeremiah responded to the false prophet Hananiah with two major points. First, the prophecies of previous prophets agreed with Jeremiah, not with Hananiah. Second, prophecies must be 100% correct. In two years, everyone would know that Hananiah was a false prophet. The Mosaic Law required the death penalty for a false prophet.
28:10 The prophet Hananiah then took the yoke off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck and broke it. 28:11 Then he spoke up in the presence of all the people. “The Lord says, ‘In the same way I will break the yoke of servitude of all the nations to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon before two years are over.’ ” After he heard this, the prophet Jeremiah departed and went on his way.
Hananiah responded by breaking the yoke off of Jeremiah’s neck. Jeremiah had been wearing this yoke for four years. Hananiah repeated his false prophesy again. Jeremiah did not argue with a lying prophet. He simply left him alone. Time would prove God’s word.
28:12 But shortly after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck, the Lord spoke to Jeremiah. 28:13 “Go and tell Hananiah that the Lord says, ‘You have indeed broken the wooden yoke. But you have only succeeded in replacing it with an iron one! 28:14 For the Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, “I have put an irresistible yoke of servitude on all these nations so they will serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. And they will indeed serve him. I have even given him control over the wild animals.” ’ ” 28:15 Then the prophet Jeremiah told the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord did not send you! You are making these people trust in a lie! 28:16 So the Lord says, ‘I will most assuredly remove you from the face of the earth. You will die this very year because you have counseled rebellion against the Lord.’ ” 28:17 In the seventh month of that very same year the prophet Hananiah died.
In verses 12-17, God Himself responded to Hananiah. The wooden yoke would be replaced with an iron yoke. Hananiah was not sent by Jehovah. Hananiah was making people trust in a lie. Hananiah would die within the next year. Hananiah died, showing the people that they were not to trust in the prophecies of Hananiah.
This is a stern warning to modern charismatics. God does not change. He hates liars, especially when they prophesy lies in His name. If a modern charismatic continues to deceive the people by proclaiming false prophecies, then God may bring death to these false leaders. As far the church, they are not to be biblically ignorant. They are to study the written Word of God, not the oral communication of false prophets. Satan will use charismatic prophets to mix truth with error, so those in charismatic churches need to study only the written Word of God through gifted pastor teachers.