Chapter 28
Continues message 13.
Time fix - that same year, referring back to 27:1. More specifically it is the 5th month of the 4th year of the reign of Zedekiah, King of Judah. MSB says this is about 593 BC.
Hananiah, a priest of Gibeon, is in the Temple, and says that Neb's yoke has been broken and the vessels will be brought back, within two years. Further, he says Jeconiah and the captives previously taken will be brought back.
Jeremiah says "Amen, may your words be true." However....
Jeremiah tells us how to identify false prophets...as if we'd asked that question just last chapter. He says this is how you tell:
8 The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. 9 As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the LORD has truly sent the prophet." [Jer 28:8-9 ESV]
Seems to be saying that any old prophet can prophesy disaster. But if a prophet predicts peace, and it comes, THEN you know the prophet is true. Does this really say that up to this time, God had only sent prophets to warn of sword, pestilence and famine, but never to prophesy of peace? It is a fair point. Why would God need a prophet to tells us good things are coming? That would mean we are doing ok already. God only sends prophets to correct us, to warn us, to shoo us back into line. To tell us we're going the wrong way and so on. We don't need prophets to predict good things in good times. Now there is an interesting "rule" for true prophets, and in inciteful observation from Jeremiah.
Hananiah takes the yoke bars off Jeremiah and breaks them and says that the yoke of Neb of Babylon, in like manner, will be broken within two years. He accepts the challenge of Jeremiah. And Jeremiah went his way.
God gives Jeremiah a message for Hananiah. A very profound message, to a single person, who claimed to be a prophet, but God didn't give him the message directly, he sent it through Jeremiah. Here is the message:
8 The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. 9 As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the LORD has truly sent the prophet." ... 13 "Go, tell Hananiah, 'Thus says the LORD: You have broken wooden bars, but you have made in their place bars of iron. [Jer 28:8-9, 13 ESV]
Hananiah had sealed the ongoing servitude of Judah.
God says he's given Nebuchadnezzar even the beasts of the field. Neb has complete power and control Interesting that Neb later becomes a beast of the field himself...
Then Jeremiah tells Hananiah that because he is not really a prophet, and because he has led the people astray, that he is going to die. And in less than two months, Hananiah is dead and gone.
2023 - This is how you would know which prophet was truly from God. If what they say comes to pass.