Jeremiah, son of
Hilkiah, prophesied during the dark history of Jerusalem and
Judah; he is oftentimes referred to as the "
weeping prophet". His prophetic ministry began as early as 626 B.C., which included
Nebuchadnezzar's 70 year despondency upon Judah. While Jeremiah wrote with authority of the certainty of the judgment of God upon a sinful people, he continually preached about the greatness of God's love. He also foretold the conditions that will herald in the end of an age (aka:
Armageddon). The ancient seer is credited with writing the
Book of Jeremiah,
I Kings, II Kings and the
Book of Lamentations and considered [by Judaism and Christianity to be] the second of the major prophets. In Islam, while not mentioned in the
Qur'an, Jeremiah is revered as a prophet. Muslim literature narrates and parallels many instances from the life of Jeremiah, including the imprisonment and persecution of the prophet found in
Sura 17 and the destruction of Jerusalem (which parallels the account given in the Book of Jeremiah found in the Hebrew/Christian Bible)
Babylon Captivity & 70 Years of Despondency
Jeremiah's prophecies were finally recognized [by the ancient Israelites from the tribe of Judah] with the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon in 605 B.C. and the first deportation to this foreign land included Daniel (who would also become another renowned prophet of the Creator). In the beginning, Jeremiah was somewhat reluctant to accept this prophet status from the Lord, stating "I do not know how to speak; I am too young." (Jer. 1:6). However, God was not concerned about his weary thoughts and promised to guide him every step of the way (Jer. 1:7-9). After two more Judean deportations [in 597 and 587 B.C.] and the complete destruction of Jerusalem, Jeremiah's prophecy was fulfilled when the remaining people of Judah were exiled to Babylon...
"Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words, I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy[a] them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years." Jeremiah 25:8-11
The ancient prophet had been warning the Children of Judah of the Creator's wrath to come for over 23 years, but Jeremiah was not taken seriously during that duration. Due to their disobedience in ignoring Jeremiah's warnings, Judah lived in utter desolation under the reign of Babylonian rule; the Children of Judah lived and died by the sword, as well as disease and famine in their bondage... fulfilling the prophecy made by Jeremiah.
A Promise of Freedom
During captivity Jeremiah was instructed to deliver a letter to the surviving elders, priests and prophets of Judah giving suggestions on how to live during their 70 year bondage...
"This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:“Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:4-7)
Jeremiah also delivered another warning in the letter to those believers [in
false prophets] whose intentions were not righteous...
"Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will send the sword, famine and plague against them and I will make them like figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten. ~ I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse and an object of horror, of scorn and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them. For they have not listened to my words,” declares the Lord, “words that I sent to them again and again by my servants the prophets. And you exiles have not listened either,” declares the Lord." (
Jeremiah 29:8-9 and
Jeremiah 17-19)
Yet, the Creator's promise was steadfast to the Children of Judah, when He pledged to fulfill the covenant...
"This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:10-14)
The ancient prophet, who was eventually confident enough to deliver the promises of the Creator to a sinful nation, let the people of
Judah know that God's great mercy and faithfulness to His people would endure as long they obeyed the "new covenant" that was now being placed upon them... many of these ancient Jews did not comply.
Futuristic "End of the Age" Prophecies
Another "new covenant" was mentioned in Jeremiah 31:31 in which the Creator has promised to restore the land to the descendants of ancient Judah and Israel.
In chapter 30, Jeremiah goes into some detail about the happenstances that will occur before that can happen - enumerating various troubles that will befall the Children of Israel....
- "Cries of fear are heard - terror, not peace" (Jer. 30:5)
- " It will be a time of trouble for Jacob," (Jer. 30:7)
- "All your allies have forgotten you;" (Jer. 30:14)
Yet, even through the hardships of acquiring the promises of restoring the land to its rightful owners (the modern Jews) is expressly detailed in
chapters 30 and 31, God made that "new covenant" with positive authority and finality.
Prophet Jeremiah was also used of the Creator to foretell the resurrection of the dead during the "
End of Days" (aka: the Christian "
End Times"/ the Muslim "
Last Days"). Some theologians interpret this as being released from the captivity of death only to be brought again into captivity of the living. Jeremiah forecast the resurrection of the Moabites, the Elamites and the Ammonites (
Jer. 48:47;
49:6, 39) Another prophecy revolves around "the awakening of children from the sleep of death" (
Jer. 31:15-17) and, the state of death, is poetically described as "the land of the enemy". The "land of the enemy" will be resurrected and the fear of a mother losing her children to death and refusing to be comforted will be as it was during the days of
Herod the Great, who ordered the death of all Jewish male children under two years old. Many ancient Jewish mothers lost numerous children in the "
Slaughter of the Innocents" and Jeremiah predicts [through the symbolic references to Babylon] this will again happen in the future of modern Israel.
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Jeremiah's prophecies were direct and firm. The captivity and subsequent 70 years of desolate bondage, as well as the literal destruction of Jerusalem, came true during the ancient prophet's own time. The "new covenant", which some scholars believe was fulfilled with the
birth of Israel in 1948, has also been achieved. However, the resurrection of symbolic Babylon and the hardships and rewards in store for the Children of Israel have yet to manifest...
“In those days, at that time,” declares the Lord, “the people of Israel and the people of Judah together will go in tears to seek the Lord their God. They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and bind themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten." Jeremiah 50:4-5
Sikhism is relatively a new religion in our modern world. This indigenous religion of India was founded over 500 years ago by Guru Nanak, who was born in 1469 (A.D./C.E.).There is only One God. He is the same God for all people of all religions.
The most significant religious center for the Sikhs is Harmandir Sahib (The Golden Temple) at Amritsar in the state of Puniab in northern India. While all places where the Sri Guru Granth Sahib is installed are considered equally holy for Sikhs, it is not a mandatory place for pilgrimage or worship.