JEREMIAH 23:5-8

Q: Jeremiah 23 notes “the days are coming” and refers the righteous branch of David; verses 7-8 that follow again state “the days are coming” but refer to the descendants of Israel being brought up “out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.” This latter description would seemingly imply that these “days that are coming” are referring not to the time of Jesus, but to the time when the Israelites would return after exile. If so, why is this considered Messianic?

Good question! Whether verses 7-8 are referring to the Last Days or the Return from the Exile is a matter of opinion. Some commentators go with the strict rule in interpreting prophecy that the closest adequate fulfillment (i.e. Return from the Exile) is always the best one.

Others basically dismiss any fulfillment that has already happened. These scholars generally look for tell-tale signs that the prophecies in question were not literally fulfilled. For example, the phrase “all the countries” is seen to be a tip-off that the Babylonian/Persian Exile is not the one being referred to. This school of commentators concentrates on future events only.

The safest approach splits the difference by recognizing that many Old Testament prophecies have already been fulfilled, but may presage similar events yet to take place. Thus, “the days are coming” of verses 7-8 refers primarily to the return in the Persian period, but also has messianic implications for the future.

The other confusing thing about Jeremiah's prophecies is the way he seems to skip around in a non-chronological manner, as you note. This can be seen in the passage in question, as I found by wading through the Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy by J. Barton Payne. It is a very useful compendium of knowledge from a historical premillennial viewpoint, but not easy to read. Payne divides up the passages in Jeremiah 23:1-8 according to the time of their fulfillment and comes up with the following:

Verses 1-2 Divided Kingdom

Verse 3a Persian Kingdom

Verse 3b Period of the Church

Verse 4 Millennium

Verse 5a Life of Christ

Verses 5b-6 Millennium

Verses 7-8 Persian Kingdom

Payne notes that throughout the Book of Jeremiah, the prophecies are neither given in the order they were received from God nor according to the order of their fulfillment. Some random comments gathered from experts on this book confirms this apparent disarray:

"Why the book was arranged as it was, we do not know. Every outline of Jeremiah is somewhat arbitrary.”

"In fact, it is hard to discern a principle underlying the order of the book.”

"What makes these [prophetic] books particularly, and one might say needlessly, difficult is the very manner of their arrangement--or, to be more accurate, their apparent lack of arrangement......one can scarcely blame [the reader] for concluding that he is reading a hopeless hodgepodge thrown together without any discernible principle of arrangement at all.”

"It must be obvious even from a cursory examination that the contents of the prophecy are not arranged in what, to the western mind, would be called a logical order.”

"Neither of the standard criteria for arranging the prophetic books, chronology and subject matter, works very well in an analysis of this book.”

"When we come to inquire whether any principles of arrangement can be observed in the book of Jeremiah, we have to admit that any consistent principles escape us."

“It lacks the sequence which assists the mind to maintain attention and comprehension.”

“The structure of the book as a whole remains a topic under discussion among interpreters, and no consensus has yet developed to account for it.”

“...the search for coherence in Jeremiah studies can be described as being in 'ferment.'”

Based on my own research into the subject, I believe that the arrangement of this book is according to a symmetrical literary plan rather than a chronological or logical one. This structure is somewhat difficult to discern and I haven't pinned it down yet to my total satisfaction, but it appears to be present nonetheless.

The Daily Bible is especially useful in reading a difficult book like Jeremiah since it re-groups the prophecies according to a more logical order from our modern point of view. But we should not lose sight of the facts that (1) a great deal of personal judgment by the editor goes into the new order of presentation and (2) the Holy Spirit had a reason for the book being written in its originally transmitted form.

 

Verses 1-2 Divided Kingdom

Verse 3a Persian Kingdom

Verse 3b Period of the Church

Verse 4 Millennium

Verse 5a Life of Christ

Verses 5b-6 Millennium

Verses 7-8 Persian Kingdom

Payne notes that throughout the Book of Jeremiah, the prophecies are neither given in the order they were received from God nor according to the order of their fulfillment. Some random comments gathered from experts on this book confirms this apparent disarray:

"Why the book was arranged as it was, we do not know. Every outline of Jeremiah is somewhat arbitrary.”

"In fact, it is hard to discern a principle underlying the order of the book.”

"What makes these [prophetic] books particularly, and one might say needlessly, difficult is the very manner of their arrangement--or, to be more accurate, their apparent lack of arrangement......one can scarcely blame [the reader] for concluding that he is reading a hopeless hodgepodge thrown together without any discernible principle of arrangement at all.”

"It must be obvious even from a cursory examination that the contents of the prophecy are not arranged in what, to the western mind, would be called a logical order.”

"Neither of the standard criteria for arranging the prophetic books, chronology and subject matter, works very well in an analysis of this book.”

"When we come to inquire whether any principles of arrangement can be observed in the book of Jeremiah, we have to admit that any consistent principles escape us."

“It lacks the sequence which assists the mind to maintain attention and comprehension.”

“The structure of the book as a whole remains a topic under discussion among interpreters, and no consensus has yet developed to account for it.”

“...the search for coherence in Jeremiah studies can be described as being in 'ferment.'”

Based on my own research into the subject, I believe that the arrangement of this book is according to a symmetrical literary plan rather than a chronological or logical one. This structure is somewhat difficult to discern and I haven't pinned it down yet to my total satisfaction, but it appears to be present nonetheless.

The Daily Bible is especially useful in reading a difficult book like Jeremiah since it re-groups the prophecies according to a more logical order from our modern point of view. But we should not lose sight of the facts that (1) a great deal of personal judgment by the editor goes into the new order of presentation and (2) the Holy Spirit had a reason for the book being written in its originally transmitted form.