46:1 The Lord spoke to Jeremiah about the nations. 

Jeremiah was not only a prophet to Judah, but he was also a prophet to the nations. In chapters 1-45, Jeremiah prophesied to Judah. In chapters 46-51, Jeremiah prophesied to the surrounding nations. If God was not going to allow Judah to get away with sin, then He would also not allow the Gentile nations (wh0 were more evil than Judah) to get away with sin either. 

 

46:2 He spoke about Egypt and the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt which was encamped along the Euphrates River at Carchemish. Now this was the army that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated in the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was ruling over Judah. 

 

Egypt was supposed to be Judah’s ally, but she did not do a very good job in keeping her commitments. Pharaoh Necho killed the good King Josiah of Judah in 569 B.C. Carchemish was a city on the Euphrates River. King Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptian city of Carchemish in 605 B.C.

 

46:3 “Fall into ranks with your shields ready! Prepare to march into battle! 

 

Jehovah issued seven commandments to the Egyptian army. First, she was to fall in rank with ready shields. Second, she was to march into battle.

 

46:4 Harness the horses to the chariots! Mount your horses! Put on your helmets and take your positions! Sharpen you spears! Put on your armor! 

 

Third, she was to harness her famous and deadly chariots. Fourth, she was to mount her cavalry. Fifth, she was to put on her helmets and take her positions. Sixth, she was to sharpen her spears. Seventh, she was to put on her armor.

 

46:5 What do I see?” says the Lord. “The soldiers are terrified. They are retreating. They have been defeated. They are overcome with terror; they desert quickly without looking back. 

 

Jehovah asked a question to the Egyptian soldiers. What did Jehovah see in the future? First, He saw that the soldiers were terrified. Second, He saw the soldiers retreating. Third, He saw that the soldiers were overcome with terror. Fourth, He saw the soldiers deserting their military post and running away.

 

46:6 But even the swiftest cannot get away. Even the strongest cannot escape. There in the north by the Euphrates River they stumble and fall in defeat.

 

Fifth, He saw that even the fastest soldiers could not escape. Sixth, He saw that even the strongest soldiers could not escape. Seventh, He saw the soldiers stumbling and falling in defeat at the northern Euphrates River (Carchemish). Notice that Jehovah has not yet revealed which army has fallen. He was keeping His listeners in divine suspense.

 

46:7 “Who is this that rises like the Nile, like its streams turbulent at flood stage? 

 

Jehovah asked a question to the Gentiles. Who is this nation who rises like the Nile River during its annual flood stage?

 

46:8 Egypt rises like the Nile, like its streams turbulent at flood stage. Egypt says, ‘I will arise and cover the earth. I will destroy cities and the people who inhabit them.’ 

 

The answer was Egypt. She thought that she was as powerful as the Nile River during flood stage. She thought that her armies could arise, flood the earth, destroy cities, and kill the people who inhabited them. She placed her faith in her numbers.

 

46:9 Go ahead and charge into battle, you horsemen! Drive furiously, you charioteers! Let the soldiers march out into battle, those from Ethiopia and Libya who carry shields, and those from Lydia who are armed with the bow. 

 

Jehovah issued four commands to the Egyptian army. First, the cavalry was to charge into battle in an attempt to cause confusion among the enemy troops. Second, the chariots were to enter the battle and kill those who were running away. Third, the foot soldiers from Ethiopia and Libya were to charge into battle. Fourth, Lydian archers were to shoot their arrows. Ethiopia, Libya, and Lydia were all allies of Egypt.

 

46:10 But that day belongs to the Lord God who rules over all. It is the day when he will pay back his enemies. His sword will devour them until its appetite is satisfied! It will drink their blood until it is full! For the Lord God who rules over all will offer them up as a sacrifice in the land of the north by the Euphrates River. 

 

The might and power of Egypt could not win this battle. God is sovereign over all wars. He had already decided who would win this battle before the foundations of the world were even created. Jehovah finally revealed the outcome of the battle. The Egyptians would be offered up as a blood sacrifice to Jehovah at the land north of the Euphrates River (Carchemish).

 

It is interesting to note that Egypt was given advance notice of the outcome of this battle. If the Egyptian leaders had believed God, then they could have chosen not to enter into this battle. If they did not believe God, then they would enter the battle and be destroyed. They chose not to believe in God. The price for their unbelief was their physical death.

 

46:11 Go up to Gilead and get medicinal ointment, you dear poor people of Egypt. But it will prove useless no matter how much medicine you use; there will be no healing for you. 

 

Gilead was famous for her hospital and medicinal ointment. Jehovah commanded the Egyptian soldiers to travel to Gilead to receive hospital treatment. However, it would do them no good. Egypt would not be healed of her wounds.

 

46:12 The nations will hear of your devastating defeat. Your cries of distress will echo throughout the earth. In the panic of their flight one soldier will trip over another and both of them will fall down defeated.”

 

All of the Gentiles would know of Jehovah’s prophecy about Egypt. They would hear of her defeat. All of the Gentiles would know that Jehovah is God, because He is the only One who can predict the future with 100% accuracy.

 

46:13 The Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah about Nebuchadnezzar coming to attack the land of Egypt.

 

Egypt was defeated by the Babylonians at Carchemish in 605 B.C. Jeremiah warned Egypt that King Nebuchadnezzar was coming to Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar arrived in Egypt with his army in approximately 571-567 B.C.

 

46:14 “Make an announcement throughout Egypt. Proclaim it in Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes. ‘Take your positions and prepare to do battle. For the enemy army is destroying all the nations around you.’ 

 

Jeremiah warned three Egyptian cities (Migdol, Memphis and Tahpanhes) to prepare for battle. King Nebuchadnezzar would be visiting them first. Nebuchadnezzar had already destroyed all of the Gentile nations around Egypt. Therefore, Egypt would have no allies to assist her. She was left all alone against Babylon.

 

46:15 Why will your soldiers be defeated? They will not stand because I, the Lord, will thrust them down. 

 

Jehovah asked Egypt why her soldiers would be defeated? Jehovah answered His own question. Jehovah would be fighting against the Egyptian soldiers Himself. He would thrust them down to the ground.

 

46:16 I will make many stumble. They will fall over one another in their hurry to flee. They will say, ‘Get up! Let’s go back to our own people. Let’s go back to our homelands because the enemy is coming to destroy us.’ 

 

Many of the mercenary soldiers who were hired by Egypt would abandon the battle and flee back to their countries.

 

46:17 There at home they will say, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is just a big noise! He has let the most opportune moment pass by.’ 

 

Pharaoh bragged that he could defeat Babylon, but this was just a bunch of noise.

 

46:18 I the King, whose name is the Lord who rules over all, swear this: I swear as surely as I live that a conqueror is coming. He will be as imposing as Mount Tabor is among the mountains, as Mount Carmel is against the backdrop of the sea. 

 

The true King of the earth is Jehovah. He is sovereign over all things, especially history. He promised Egypt that a conqueror was coming to attack her. This conqueror would be just as imposing as Mount Tabor or Mount Carmel. These were two extremely large mountain reigns which dwarfed over the land. This conqueror was King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He would be an imposing force who raises high above any other Egyptian commanders.

 

46:19 Pack your bags for exile, you inhabitants of poor dear Egypt. For Memphis will be laid waste. It will lie in ruins and be uninhabited.

 

Egypt needed to pack her bags and leave as soon as possible. Nebuchadnezzar was coming to invade, conquer, and kill them. Memphis was about to be laid waste. No one would live there. The city of Memphis would lie in ruins.

 

46:20 Egypt is like a beautiful young cow. But northern armies will attack her like swarms of stinging flies. 

 

Egypt worshiped Apis the bull. One of Moses plagues brought disease upon all of the Egyptian cows. Egypt ended up worshiping a sick cow. 

 

Egypt was like a young Apis bull. Babylon was like a swarm of bees. The swarming bees would sting the Apis bull. Apis would be slaughtered as a sacrifice to Jehovah.

 

46:21 Even her mercenaries will prove to be like pampered, well-fed calves. For they too will turn and run away. They will not stand their ground when the time for them to be destroyed comes, the time for them to be punished. 

 

The Babylonians would become butchers who would pamper, fatten, and slaughter the well-fed and paid Egyptian mercenaries. The Egyptian mercenaries would also be offered as a sacrifice to Jehovah.

 

46:22 Egypt will run away, hissing like a snake, as the enemy comes marching up in force. They will come against her with axes as if they were woodsmen chopping down trees. 

 

A snake cannot defend itself from a man with an axe. All it can do is run away and hiss.

 

46:23 The population of Egypt is like a vast, impenetrable forest. But I, the Lord, affirm that the enemy will cut them down. For those who chop them down will be more numerous than locusts. They will be too numerous to count. 

 

Egypt was like a large, vast, and impenetrable forest. Jehovah would send His Babylonian axemen to cut down and level the forest. 

 

46:24 Poor dear Egypt will be put to shame. She will be handed over to the people from the north.”

 

Babylon was north of Egypt. Egypt would be put to shame and handed over to the Babylonians.

 

46:25 The Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, “I will punish Amon, the god of Thebes. I will punish Egypt, its gods, and its kings. I will punish Pharaoh and all who trust in him.

 

Jehovah is sovereign over all things, especially history. Amon was one of the false gods of Thebes. God would punish Egypt. He would punish their gods and their kings. God would punish Pharaoh. Pharaoh claimed that he was a god on earth. All who trusted in Pharaoh as a god would be punished as well.

 

Many modern liberals laugh that former men worshiped pharaohs as gods on earth, but the belief system of modern liberals is even more foolish. Modern liberals falsely teach others that there is no God and everything exploded out of nothing. Zero multiplied by zero always equals zero.

 

46:26 I will hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar and his troops, who want to kill them. But later on, people will live in Egypt again as they did in former times. I, the Lord, affirm it!”

 

God would turn Egypt over to Babylon. However, Egypt would rise again. God promised it, so it will happen. This is why Egypt still exists today as one of the oldest nations in the world. Ezekiel would add that Egypt will always exist, but only as a nation of poverty. 

 

The Babylonian Chronicle confirmed this complete destruction and defeat of Egypt. The Egyptian army “withdrew” before the Babylonians, but the Babylonians “overtook and defeated them so that not a single man escaped to his own country” (Donald J. Wiseman, Chronicle of Chaldean Kings (626–556 B.C.) in the British Museum. London: Trustees of the British Museum, 1956, pp. 67–9).

 

46:27 “You descendants of Jacob, my servants, do not be afraid; do not be terrified, people of Israel. For I will rescue you and your descendants from the faraway lands where you are captives. The descendants of Jacob will return to their land and enjoy peace. They will be secure and no one will terrify them. 

 

God promised Israel that He would return her from exile. The faraway lands cannot be Babylon, because “the faraway lands” are plural. The faraway lands are all of the nations of the world. 

 

It is important to note that Israel will not receive peace until the Millennial Kingdom. She will not be secure until the Millennial Kingdom. She will be terrified until the Millennial Kingdom. Therefore, this prophecy cannot be the return of the Jews from Babylon. It looks to the distant future of the Millennial Kingdom. This verse destroys Amillennialism and Postmillennialism, because God still has an eternal purpose for Israel.

 

46:28 I, the Lord, tell you not to be afraid, you descendants of Jacob, my servant, for I am with you. Though I completely destroy all the nations where I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will indeed discipline you but only in due measure. I will not allow you to go entirely unpunished.”

 

Jehovah informed Israel to not be afraid of the Gentile nations. Jehovah is standing over Israel as her personal protector. Jehovah will scatter His chosen people into all of the nations of the world, but He will never completely destroy Israel. He will destroy those nations who enslave and persecute Israel.

 

It is interesting to note that the Canaanites, Ammonites, Moabites, Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes, Persians, Greeks, and Romans attempted to destroy Israel, but they no longer exist. Spain dispelled the Jews and her Spanish Armada was destroyed by a storm when she attempted to invade England. England failed to keep her promise to the Jews of the Balfour Declaration and she was destroyed by the Germans. Hitler killed six million Jews in concentration camps and he was removed from this earth. The Arab nations have combined four times to run Israel into the Mediterranean Sea, but they have lost all four wars. The Antichrist will attempt another Jewish genocide, but he will be killed and thrown into the Lake of Fire forever. If anyone violates the Abrahamic Covenant against Israel, then they will receive a kind-for-kind judgment.

Jehovah will always leave a believing Jewish Remnant somewhere in the world. He will discipline Israel just as a father disciplines his own son. He will discipline Israel in due measure, which means double punishment. Israel possessed more light, so she receives double punishment for her sins. Israel will be spanked by a loving Father, but she will never be completely destroyed.