Links: Print Version | Homepage | Rapture Letter | Verses of the Day | Site Map
“As Moses lifted up the serpent [the serpent made of bronze described in Numbers 21:8–9] in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whosoever believes in Him will have eternal life, for God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten [uniquely born] Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
“…for by grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, lest any man should boast.”
Above is the content of John 3:14–16 and the content of Ephesians 2:8–9, respectively. Itʼs worthwhile to refrain from receiving the mark referenced in Revelation 13:11–18 and to instead receive eternal life for free by believing that Jesus is the Savior. Before doing any Bible studying and before praying to God the Father, it is useful for a person who has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior to try to think of any sins that one might have committed since one last confessed oneʼs known post-salvation sins to God the Father, and if one has indeed committed any, to then silently confess those sins to God the Father—confessing only one time for each sin—in accordance with what is mentioned in 1 John 1:9:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
This webpage could be periodically updated. If there is a mass disappearance of people professing to be Christians, and if the original author of this webpage is amongst those people disappearing en masse, then it is possible that this webpage will no longer be updated. Also, if there is a mass disappearance of people professing to be Christians, it is worthwhile to consider the possibility that those people have exited from the earth on the occasion known as the Rapture instead of assuming that that mass disappearance involves extraterrestrials abducting those people or involves the annihilation of those people or involves anything else other than the Rapture.
Below are links related to archived copies of this webpage.
archive.is/John314-16.com/Jeremiah_29-11_and_the_Other_Verses_of_Jeremiah_29.html
archive.ph/John314-16.com/Jeremiah_29-11_and_the_Other_Verses_of_Jeremiah_29.html
web.archive.org/*/John314-16.com/Jeremiah_29-11_and_the_Other_Verses_of_Jeremiah_29.html
Also, it is possible that it is worthwhile to print this content in case of time periods involving lack of Internet connectivity.
When studying the Word of God, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of Hebrews 4:12:
“Indeed, the Word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit and of the joints and the marrow and is a critic of thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Note: The heart refers to the mind.
It is also beneficial to keep in mind the content of 2 Timothy 3:16–17 when studying the Word of God:
“All Scripture is God breathed and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God might be mature, having been thoroughly furnished unto all good work.”
It is the responsibility of a pastor-teacher to endeavor to correctly understand the Word of God and then to accurately teach the Word of God, as per the content of 2 Timothy 2:15:
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the Word of Truth.”
A pastor-teacher is a communicator rather than a crutch on which to be leaned. In that regard, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should refrain from putting oneʼs trust in and thereby serving as a devoted follower of and thus worshiping a pastor-teacher. Likewise, a believer should refrain from putting oneʼs trust in and thereby serving as a devoted follower of and thus worshiping anyone other than the Trinity [God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit], as per Joshua 24:15, the content of which references Joshua speaking to the Israelites:
If it is disagreeable/bad/evil/wrong/wretchedness/displeasing in your sight to serve/worship Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, choose for yourselves today whom you serve/worship: whether the gods ['elohiym / false gods] which your fathers have served/worshiped which were beyond the river or the gods ['elohiym / false gods] of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we serve/worship Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One.
Note: Joshua, the leader of the Israelites after Joshua had been serving as the assistant of Moses while Moses was the leader of the Israelites, set the example for the Israelites. Joshua chose to put his trust in and thereby serve as a devoted follower of and thus worship God the Father rather than Joshua choosing to put his trust in and thereby serve as a devoted follower of and thus worship the lesser of multiple evils amongst multiple choices of 'elohiym [el-oh-HEEM]. The word 'elohiym with a lowercase e can refer to false gods, to angels, or to human rulers or judges. The word 'Elohiym with a capital E refers to the Trinity. The word 'elohiym can also be used to refer to might as in mightiness. In that regard, the use of the word 'elohiym in reference to false gods, to angels, or to human rulers or judges involves the connotation of mightiness in comparison to an average human. When a person puts oneʼs trust in and thereby serves as a devoted follower of and thus worships an angel or human, that angel or human is that personʼs false god. Regarding the foregoing, the content of Joshua 24:15 involves Joshua calling attention to the choices that the Israelites had, and that content involves Joshua permitting the Israelites to make their choices while Joshua led by example with his choice.
The gift of pastor-teacher is for the purpose of each pastor-teacher functioning as a messenger who communicates the Word of God rather than functioning as a priest between the Trinity and mankind. In that regard, the time period that can be referred to as the Church Age started fifty days after the Lord Jesus Christ was resurrected, and all Church Age believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are priests. The Lord Jesus Christ is the High Priest of Church Age believers, and believers should be willing to acknowledge/confess/profess to people the believersʼ faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as per Hebrews 4:14–15:
Therefore, since we have a great High Priest Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast the acknowledgment/confession/profession. Indeed, we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One Who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
Also, the Lord Jesus Christ is the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek [mel-KIZ-uh-dek], who was the ruler of Salem when Abraham was still named Abram. Melchizedek was both a king and a priest, as per Genesis 14:18, which references Melchizedek greeting Abram:
Then Melchizedek king of Salem has brought out bread and wine, and he is a priest of 'El [AYL] 'Elyown [el-YOHN] / God [focusing on God the Fatherʼs power] Most High.
The Lord Jesus Christ is also both a king and a priest because the Lord is the Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, as per Hebrews 7:14–17:
Indeed, it is evident that our Lord has arisen from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. Also, it is still much more evident: that according to the similarity of Melchizedek, Another of a different type of priest arises, Who has become such not on the basis of a law of fleshly command / physical requirement but according to the power of an indestructible life. Indeed, it is attested: “YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER, ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.”
Note: The Lord Jesus Christ is from the tribe of Judah. Also, the Lord Jesus Christ is qualified to be a priest because He was resurrected and therefore has an indestructible body. The above content in all capital letters is a reference to Psalm 110:4.
Because a king is royalty, a king who is a priest is a royal priest. In that regard, Church Age believers are royalty because they are members of the Lord Jesus Christʼs family. Therefore, all Church Age believers are royal priests, as per 1 Peter 2:9–10:
However, you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR ACQUISITION/PRESERVATION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him Who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are GODʼS PEOPLE. You had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.
Note: Before the Church Age, Gentiles were not Godʼs people. In the Church Age, both Jewish and Gentile believers are Godʼs people. The content of 1 Peter 2:10 references Hosea 2:23. In that regard, Peter uses references involving Israel in the Old Testament to refer to Church Age believers.
Itʼs the message rather than the messenger that should be the focus of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Put succinctly: itʼs the message rather than the messenger. In that regard, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of Revelation 22:8–9, which was written by the apostle John, who, in addition to writing The Revelation to John, wrote The Gospel According to John, The First Epistle of John, The Second Epistle of John, and The Third Epistle of John:
I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things, and when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things, but he says* to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
*Note: The word says is in the Greek historical present tense. By means of the Greek historical present tense, past action or future action can be described from the perspective of someone seeing the action as it occurs.
Regarding messages, believers should use the Word of God to examine what is being communicated. That is what the Bereans who are mentioned in Acts 17:10–12 did:
The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, who, when they arrived, went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, who received the word with all eagerness / readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore, many of them believed, and not a few prominent Greek women and men.
Note: The phrase not a few means “quite a few.”
Today, the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to meet believers in the Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds on the occasion of the Rapture is one day closer than it was yesterday. The Rapture involves both deceased and living believers in the Lord Jesus Christ meeting the Lord in the clouds in the atmosphere of the earth, receiving glorified immortal resurrection bodies similar to the Lord Jesus Christʼs glorified resurrection body, and going to Heaven with those resurrection bodies. Before the Rapture occurs, deceased believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are in Heaven without glorified bodies. It is possible that the Rapture will occur during the time when the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah [yahm tuh-ROO-uh or yohm tuh-ROO-uh] would occur. The Feast of Trumpets was one of the seven feasts that the Israelites were supposed to celebrate each year under the regulations of the Mosaic Law. The term Mosaic Law refers to the laws communicated by Moses to the ancient Israelites. Because Moses communicated those laws, they are known collectively as the Mosaic Law. The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the Mosaic Law by being judged on the cross for the sins of humanity. Now that the Lord Jesus Christ has fulfilled the Mosaic Law, no believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are under the regulations of the Mosaic Law.
While it is possible that the Rapture will occur during the time when the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah [yahm tuh-ROO-uh or yohm tuh-ROO-uh] would occur—which is referenced as a single day in Leviticus 23:24–25 and Numbers 29:1–6 and which is what some people call Rosh Hashanah and which some people celebrate for two days—the next occurrence of which will possibly be during the time period of October 10th, 2026, at 11:13 A.M. – October 14th, 2026, at 12:29 P.M. in the Eastern Daylight Time zone, it is worthwhile for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to get into the habit of being prepared every day for the return of the Lord, just in case the Rapture will occur during a time other than the time of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah. Furthermore, it is worthwhile to be in the habit of being prepared for the Rapture so that if it does occur during the time of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah, one can be prepared for that time because of already being in the habit of being prepared. Examples of being prepared for the Rapture include applying the content of 1 John 1:9 whenever one sins, being unselfish, and whenever circumstances are such that an opportunity arises, sharing the gospel—the good news that believing that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior Who was judged on the cross for the sins of humanity is the means by which a person is able to have eternal life. Regarding sharing the gospel, one could also have a written or printed message containing the gospel with that written or printed message located somewhere where it could be easily noticed so that if a person or people were to read or hear that written or printed message either before or after the Rapture occurs, that person or people would thereby read or hear the gospel by means of that written or printed message.
Whether the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah in 2026 would occur during October depends on whether barley crop in Israel in 2026 was first in a status known as abib [ah-BEEB] (also known as aviv [ah-VEEV]) in April. Also, if barley crop in Israel in 2026 was first in a status known as abib/aviv in February, then the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah would have occurred during the time period of August 12th, 2026, at 12:25 P.M. – August 16th, 2026, at 1:49 P.M. in the Eastern Daylight Time zone, and if barley crop in Israel in 2026 was first in a status known as abib/aviv in March, then the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah would have occurred during the time period of September 10th, 2026, at 11:51 A.M. – September 14th, 2026, at 1:08 P.M. in the Eastern Daylight Time zone. On which day and at what time in August, September, or October the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah would start depends on the time of the last sunset over Jerusalem before the first sliver of a crescent new moon after that sunset. The crescent new moon is the illumination of a sliver of the waxing moon. The moon is waxing when it is becoming more and more illuminated after what some people refer to as the astronomical new moon, the time when there is an absence of illumination of the moon—in other words, when there is an absence of reflection of light from the moon. On which day and at what time in August, September, or October the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah would end depends on whether the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah lasts one day or two days and whether the time of day of the end of the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah is at sunset, at the end of civil twilight, at the end of nautical twilight, or at the end of astronomical twilight.
Regarding information about the Rapture, it is beneficial to keep in mind the content of 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51–52:
1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again—and we do indeed believe that Jesus died and rose again—so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. Indeed, this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive who remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep, for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with a voice of an archangel and with a trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive who remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.
1 Corinthians 15:51–52
Behold, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for a trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.
After the Rapture will be the seven-year Tribulation. The believers who will be alive on the earth when the Rapture occurs will escape the Tribulation. 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 covers that topic. In that regard, in the book 1 Thessalonians, the content of 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 is immediately followed by the content of 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11.
1 Thessalonians 5:1–11
Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you, for you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord is coming just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. However, you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief, for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; therefore, let us not sleep as others, but let us be alert and sober. Indeed, those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. However, since we are of day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and benevolence/goodwill, and as a helmet, the hope / absolute confidence of deliverance, for God has not destined us for wrath but for obtaining deliverance through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. Therefore, comfort one another and edify one another, just as you also are doing.
Note: In this context, the day of the Lord is the time period that consists of the Rapture, the seven years of the Tribulation, and the Second Advent. In that regard, deliverance from the Tribulation is the deliverance in this context. Also, unspecified is who will be saying “Peace and safety!” In this context, sleeping refers to a lack of alertness. The alertness in this context involves being ready for the Rapture. In order to be ready for the Rapture, a believer needs to be filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and to pay attention for historical trends such as people saying “Peace and safety!” and for historical trends that match the pattern of the world being on the brink of tremendous calamities like those that will occur during the Tribulation. Regarding being filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit, once a believer commits a sin after salvation, that believer is no longer filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit and is out of fellowship with the Trinity. After that believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, fellowship with the Trinity and the filling with the power of the Holy Spirit are restored. The procedure for confessing/acknowledging to God the Father all of oneʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins is mentioned in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Fellowship with God the Father and God the Son is mentioned in 1 John 1. Being out of fellowship with God the Holy Spirit is referenced in Ephesians 4:30. In that regard, when a believer sins, that believer grieves the Holy Spirit. Losing the filling of the power of God the Holy Spirit is referenced in 1 Thessalonians 5:19. In that regard, when a believer sins, the power of God the Holy Spirit is quenched in that believer. After a believer has confessed/acknowledged to God the Father all of that believerʼs known unconfessed post-salvation sins, that believer is then filled with the power of God the Holy Spirit again and in fellowship with the Trinity again.
The verse of the day for October 13th is Jeremiah 29:11. Jeremiah was a prophet of the tribe of Levi. For geographical context, below is a link to a map of the locations of tribes of Israel. Absent from the map is any reference to the land of the tribe of Levi. The land of the tribe of Levi consisted of forty-eight cities and nearby land within the lands of other tribes. The topic of the cities and land of the Levites is covered in the content of Joshua 21. The reference to the total of forty-eight cities and associated land is in the content of Joshua 21:41–42.
https://Classic.NET.Bible.org/images/maps/ot4.jpg
If the above link is inaccessible, the below link can be tried instead.
https://NETBible.org/media/images/maps/ot4.jpg
Below is a link to a map of Israel when divided into the Northern Kingdom (also known as Israel) and Southern Kingdom (also known as Judah). During the time periods described in the book Jeremiah, the Israelites were divided into the Northern Kingdom and Southern Kingdom.
https://Classic.NET.Bible.org/images/maps/ot5.jpg
If the above link is inaccessible, the below link can be tried instead.
https://NETBible.org/media/images/maps/ot5.jpg
Many Israelites of the Southern Kingdom, which is also known as Judah, were exiled to Babylon in 586 B.C. Israelites returned to the land in 516 B.C., which was seventy years later. In that regard, the prophets are categorized as pre-exilic, exilic, and post-exilic prophets. Jeremiah is categorized as a pre-exilic prophet.
Below is a link to a map of the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires. The city Carchemish [KAHR-kuh-mish or kahr-KEE-mish], which is mentioned in the notes further below, is located on the map at grid coordinate C2. Jerusalem is located at grid coordinate C4. Babylon is located on the edge of grid coordinates E3 and E4. Also, while Persia is not labeled on that map, Persia is located in grid coordinates F2, F3, and F4, as well as further east than the area marked by those grid coordinates.
https://Classic.NET.Bible.org/images/maps/ot6.jpg
If the above link is inaccessible, the below link can be tried instead.
https://NETBible.org/media/images/maps/ot6.jpg
Zedekiah was king of Judah at the time of the events described in Jeremiah 29. Nebuchadnezzar [neb-oo-kad-NEZ-ahr or neb-uh-kuhd-NEZ-uhr or neb-yuh-kuhd-NEZ-uhr] (also known in English as Nebuchadrezzar [neb-oo-kad-REZ-ahr or neb-uh-kuhd-REZ-uhr or neb-yuh-kuhd-REZ-uhr]) was the ruler of the Babylonian Empire when that empire attacked Judah. In 605 B.C., while Nebuchadnezzar was a prince under the rulership of his father Nabopolassar [nab-uh-puh-LASS-uhr], Nebuchadnezzar led forces of the Babylonian Empire in a battle against Egyptian forces in the Battle of Carchemish. The Babylonians won that battle, and the Babylonian Empire thereby became the dominant power in the region. After the Battle of Carchemish, the Babylonians attacked Judah.
Nebuchadnezzar later became a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior. Because Nebuchadnezzar believed in the Lord as the Savior before the Lord was born as the Human the Lord Jesus Christ, Nebuchadnezzar did not necessarily know what the Lordʼs name would be. The same applies to any believer in the Lord as the Savior before the Lord was born.
Nabonidus [na-buh-NIGH-duhs] was a later ruler of Babylon, and Belshazzar [BEL-shuh-zahr or bel-SHAZ-ahr or bel-SHAZ-uhr] was his son. Belshazzar was a grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. In addition, Belshazzar also became a ruler of Babylon. Belshazzar was the ruler at the time of the handwriting on the wall, which is mentioned in Daniel 5:5. Belshazzar and the Babylonians were conquered by the Persians and Medes [MEEDZ] under the leadership of the Persian king named Cyrus [SIGH-ruhs].
In the below notes related to Jeremiah 29, the Promised Land is referenced. The Promised Land is the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the Israelites. At the time the Israelites entered it, the land was inhabited by Canaanites. In that regard, that land can also be referred to as the land of Canaan.
God the Fatherʼs promise of land to Abraham is part of God the Fatherʼs promises to Abraham. Also, the content of Genesis 12:3 involves some of God the Fatherʼs promises to Abraham. God the Fatherʼs promises to Abraham are called the Abrahamic Covenant. The Abrahamic Covenant is for Abraham, Abrahamʼs son Isaac, Abrahamʼs grandson Jacob, and the people descended from Jacob. Jacob was renamed Israel. In that regard, the people descended from Jacob can be referred to as Israelites. Regarding Genesis 12:3, below is content related to Genesis 12:1–3.
Genesis 12:1
Now Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One says to Abram, “Go away from your country and from your relatives and from your fatherʼs house to the land which I show you,
Note: At the time described in Genesis 12:1, Abraham was still named Abram. In this verse, the uses of a present tense in the phrase says to Abram and the phrase which I show you are references to what has occurred in the past. Such uses of a present tense have a rhetorical effect. In that regard, using a verb in a present tense to refer to the past can help a reader or hearer of the Word of God imagine past events as though the reader or hearer is watching those events as they occur.
Genesis 12:2
and I make you a great nation, and I bless you, and make your name great, and you be a blessing,
Note: The uses of a present tense in the verbs of this verse are references to the future.
Genesis 12:3
and I bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I curse, and in you all the families of the earth have been blessed.”
Note: The use of the perfect tense in the phrase have been blessed is a reference to the future. Such a use of the perfect tense has a rhetorical effect. In that regard, why would verbs in the perfect tense be used to refer to what will happen in the future? Doing so in reference to something being indicated can communicate that what will occur in the future is 100% certain to happen and that because it is 100% certain to happen, it is as though it has happened already. In that regard, the phrase in you all the families of the earth have been blessed indicated that it was 100% certain that the Savior would be descended from Abraham and that people of all racial groups would believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior.
In Genesis 12:3, the phrase I bless those who bless you indicates that those who are kind to Israelites will experience blessing. Being kind to Israelites can be referred to as being pro-Semitic. Unspecified in this verse is in what way or ways the blessing will occur. Also, such blessing can apply to individuals or groups of people. In that regard, if kindness towards Israelites is widespread in a region, then that region will experience blessing.
In Genesis 12:3, the phrase the one who curses you I curse indicates that those who are hostile towards any Israelites will experience cursing. Hostility towards Israelites can be referred to as being anti-Semitic. Unspecified in this verse is how soon the cursing occurs after hostility is directed towards any Israelites. Also, such cursing can apply to individuals or groups of people. In that regard, if hostility directed towards any Israelites is widespread in a region, then that region will experience cursing.
The Abrahamic Covenant also involves promises related to land for Israelites. Those promises will be completely fulfilled when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to the earth on the occasion of the Second Advent. Below is a list of topics and related verses involving the land for Israelites.
The land promise to Abraham when he was still named Abram is in Genesis 13:14–16.
The dimensions of the land promise are referenced in Genesis 15:18–21.
The confirmation of the promise to Isaac is in Genesis 26:3–4.
The confirmation of the promise to Jacob and the Israelites is in Genesis 35:12.
The fact that the promise of land was given to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the Israelites was communicated to Moses, and Moses communicated that fact to the Israelites whom he led in the Exodus out of Egypt. That topic is covered in Exodus 6:2–9.
Because it is useful to study verses in the context of the verses around them, below is content related to Jeremiah 29.
Jeremiah 29:1
These are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet has sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exile, the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Note: Jeremiah was in Jerusalem. From there, he sent a letter to Judahite exiles in Babylon.
Jeremiah 29:2
This was after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths / metal workers / locksmiths / artisans had departed from Jerusalem.
Note: Jeconiah was a king of Judah who had been taken captive to Babylon prior to the sending of Jeremiahʼs letter that is referenced in verse 1. The queen mother is the mother of King Jeconiah.
Jeremiah 29:3
The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah has sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying,
Note: King Zedekiah was a vassal [VASS-uhl] of King Nebuchadnezzar. In other words, King Zedekiah was subordinate to King Nebuchadnezzar. In that regard, King Nebuchadnezzar was the suzerain [SOOZ-uh-ruhn or SOOZ-ruhn or SOOZ-uh-rayn] of King Zedekiah. In other words, King Nebuchadnezzar was the overlord of King Zedekiah. In that regard, Elasah and Gemariah delivered a letter from King Zedekiah to his overlord King Nebuchadnezzar.
Jeremiah 29:4
“Thus has said Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One of hosts / armies / tsaba' [tsah-VAH] / צָבָא, the 'Elohiym [el-oh-HEEM] / Godhead of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:
Note: Hebrew is written and read from right to left.
Jeremiah 29:5
‘Build houses and dwell/remain/abide/inhabit/settle. Plant gardens and eat their fruit/produce.
Jeremiah 29:6
‘Take wives and beget sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they bear sons and daughters. Multiply there, and do not decrease.
Jeremiah 29:7
‘Seek the welfare/peace/prosperity of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One on its behalf because in its welfare/peace/prosperity, you have welfare/peace/prosperity.’
Jeremiah 29:8
“Certainly, thus has said Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One of hosts / armies / tsaba' [tsah-VAH] / צָבָא, the 'Elohiym/Godhead of Israel: ‘Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not hear, listen to, and obey your dreams which you dream.
Note: The prophets referenced in this verse are false prophets. The content of verse 9 provides context in that regard.
Jeremiah 29:9
‘Certainly, they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them,’—a declaration of Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One.
Jeremiah 29:10
“Certainly, thus has said Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One: ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I visit you, and I have fulfilled My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.
Note: The Judahites that had been exiled in Babylon would be able to return to Judah after seventy years, doing so in 516 B.C. In that regard, the use of a present tense in the phrase I visit you is a reference to the future. Such a use of a present tense has a rhetorical effect. In that regard, using a verb in a present tense to refer to the future can help a reader or hearer of the Word of God imagine future events as though the reader or hearer is watching those events as they occur.
Also, the use of the perfect tense in the phrase I have fulfilled in this verse is a reference to the future. Such a use of the perfect tense has a rhetorical effect. In that regard, why would verbs in the perfect tense be used to refer to what will happen in the future? Doing so in reference to something being indicated can communicate that what will occur in the future is 100% certain to happen and that because it is 100% certain to happen, it is as though it has happened already.
Jeremiah 29:11
‘Certainly, I have known the plans that I am planning for you,’—a declaration of Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, ‘plans for welfare/peace/prosperity and not for evil/calamity/harm/trouble, to give you a future and a hope.
Note: Jeremiah quoted God the Father indicating that He has plans for the Judahites who were in exile in Babylon. Those plans involve those Judahites continuing to exist, and that continued existence would involve blessed circumstances. In that regard, those Judahites would experience peace and prosperity in Babylon and would eventually return to the Promised Land. Therefore, those Judahites could have hope regarding their future.
The content of this verse is indicative of the graciousness of God the Father. He provided discipline when Israelites disobeyed the Word of God, and He restored peace and prosperity for them when they started obeying the Word of God again. In the context of the time period referenced in Jeremiah 29, the Judahites were people who were from the the Southern Kingdom, which is known as Judah. Also, the Judahites were a group of Israelites in the sense that the Judahites were descended from Jacob, who was renamed Israel. In that regard, the group of Israelites known as Judahites who were in Babylon experienced peace and prosperity in Babylon and eventually returned to the Promised Land seventy years after the exile had started.
Jeremiah 29:12
‘Then you have called upon Me and have come and have prayed to Me, and I have listened to you.
Note: In this verse, the uses of the perfect tense are references to the future. As mentioned in the notes for verse 10, such uses of the perfect tense in reference to something being indicated can communicate that what will occur in the future is 100% certain to happen and that because it is 100% certain to happen, it is as though it has happened already.
Jeremiah 29:13
‘You have sought Me and have found because you search for Me with all your heart.
Note: The heart refers to the mind. The references to seeking, searching, and finding in this verse involve learning about God the Father by means of learning the Word of God. In that regard, the uses of the perfect tense in the phrases have sought and have found in this verse are references to the future. Also, the use of a present tense in the phrase you search is a reference to the future.
Jeremiah 29:14
‘I have been found by you,’—a declaration of Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, ‘and I have turned back your captivity / have restored you from captivity and have gathered you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’—a declaration of Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, ‘and I have brought you back to the place from where I have sent you into exile.’
Note: In the context of Jeremiah 29:14, the word nations is used to refer to Gentiles. Gentiles are non-Israelite people. The Hebrew word translated as “nations” in this verse is גּוֹיִם [pronounced goh-YEEM and can be transliterated as goyim], which is an inflected form of the root word גּוֹי [pronounced GOH-ee and can be transliterated as gowy].
In this verse, the uses of the perfect tense in the phrases have been found, have turned back, have restored, have gathered, and have brought are references to the future. Turning back captivity / restoring from captivity refers to the restoring of the freedom and prosperity of a nation that had been suffering. This verse refers to the restoration of Israelites in their land, the Promised Land. This verse also references the prosperity that those Israelites will experience. Even though Israelites have returned to the Promised Land and have lived there, the promise in this verse has yet to be completely fulfilled; therefore, the content of this verse involves a prophecy about the Israelites being regathered in the Promised Land during the Millennium, the 1,000-year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ on the earth.
With regard to the Millennium, below is a synopsis of human history as categorized into time periods known as dispensations. In the below synopsis, there is the term hypostatic union [high-PUH-stat-ick YOON-yuhn]. This refers to the Lord Jesus Christ being 100% Deity and 100% humanity. The English word hypostatic is derived from the Koine [KOI-nay] Greek word ὑπόστασις [pronounced hoo-PAH-stah-sees and transliterated as hypostasis]. After the Lord Jesus Christ was judged for the sins of humanity, His body was in the grave for three days and three nights. He was then resurrected, and He was on the earth for forty days after He was resurrected. He then ascended to Heaven, and ten days after that, the Day of Pentecost [PEN-tih-kahst] occurred. The Day of Pentecost was the beginning of the Church Age. The word Pentecost is derived from the Koine Greek word πεντηκοστή [pronounced pen-tay-kah-STAY and transliterated as pentēkostē]. That word is derived from the Koine Greek word πεντήκοντα [pronounced pen-TAY-kahn-tah and transliterated as pentēkonta], which means “fifty.” Therefore, the word Pentecost is derived from the fact that that day occurred fifty days after the Lord was resurrected. In that regard, the Church Age began fifty days after the Lord was resurrected. The Church Age will end with the Rapture. The Rapture involves both deceased and living believers in the Lord Jesus Christ meeting the Lord in the clouds in the atmosphere of the earth, receiving glorified immortal resurrection bodies similar to the Lord Jesus Christʼs glorified resurrection body, and going to Heaven with those resurrection bodies. Before the Rapture occurs, deceased believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are in Heaven without glorified bodies. Absent from the Bible is anything specifically indicating the precise date and time when the Rapture will occur, although it is possible that the Rapture will occur during the time when the Feast of Trumpets / Yom Teruah [yahm tuh-ROO-uh or yohm tuh-ROO-uh] would occur—which is referenced as a single day in Leviticus 23:24–25 and Numbers 29:1–6 and which is what some people call Rosh Hashanah and which some people celebrate for two days—the next occurrence of which will possibly be during the time period of October 10th, 2026, at 11:13 A.M. – October 14th, 2026, at 12:29 P.M. in the Eastern Daylight Time zone.
|
Dispensation |
Start |
Ending or Interruption |
|
|
|
|
|
Age of the Gentiles |
Adam |
The Age of the Gentiles ended with the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. |
|
|
|
|
|
Age of Israel |
Exodus |
The Age of Israel was interrupted on the Day of Pentecost. |
|
|
|
|
|
Age of the Hypostatic Union (part of the Age of Israel) |
First Advent of Christ |
The Age of the Hypostatic Union ended with the Ascension of Christ. |
|
|
|
|
|
Church Age |
Day of Pentecost |
The Church Age will end with the Rapture of the Church. |
|
|
|
|
|
Tribulation (Age of Israel resumed) |
Rapture |
The Tribulation will end with the Second Advent of Christ. |
|
|
|
|
|
Millennium |
Second Advent |
The 1,000-year Millennium will end with the Great White Throne Judgment of unbelievers. |
|
|
|
|
|
Eternal State |
Great White Throne Judgment |
The Eternal State will be never-ending. |
Regarding the word judgment, the proper way to spell that word is without an e between the dg and the m. In that regard, the e of the root word judge is dropped when the suffix ment is added to that root word. The formation of the word judgment is shown below.
judge −e +ment
= judg +ment
= judgment
Another way to categorize human history is by means of civilizations. Civilizations begin only with believers. Regarding the timing of civilizations and dispensations, the first civilization began with Adam and ended on the occasion of the Great Flood (also known as the Flood). That civilization is known as the antediluvian civilization and the predulivian civilization. In that regard, the prefixes ante and pre mean “before.” Also, there are various spellings of the adjectives that refer to the time before the Flood. Those spellings include antediluvian, ante-diluvian, prediluvian, and pre-diluvian.
After the Flood, there were only eight believers on the earth: Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their sonsʼ wives. With the removal of the unbelievers from the earth on the occasion of the Flood, a new civilization was started. That civilization is known as the postdiluvian civilization (also known as the postdiluvial civilization). Regarding the terminology, the prefix post means “after,” and the adjectives diluvian and diluvial mean “having to do with a flood.” Also, there are various spellings of the adjectives that refer to the time after the Flood. Those spellings include postdiluvian, post-diluvian, postdiluvial, and post-diluvial. The postdiluvian civilization will end on the occasion of the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. On the occasion of the Second Advent, the Lord will remove all unbelievers from the earth. Their removal will be by means of physical death just as the removal of all unbelievers was by means of physical death on the occasion of the Flood. This is called the Baptism of Fire, which is either a metaphorical description because fire can be used to represent judgment or a literal reference to the use of fire in the judgment of unbelievers on the occasion of the Second Advent. The Baptism of Fire is referenced in Matthew 3:11–12; Luke 3:15–17; and 2 Thessalonians 1:7–9.
Just as a new civilization started after the Flood, so also a new civilization will start after the Baptism of Fire. That civilization is called the Millennium. The Millennium is both a civilization and a dispensation. The Eternal State is also both a civilization and a dispensation.
Jeremiah 29:15
“Certainly, you have said, ‘Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One has raised up prophets for us in Babylon.’
Note: Judahites in Babylon incorrectly concluded that God the Father had raised up certain people who were not real prophets to be prophets for the Judahites in Babylon. While God the Father had raised up Daniel and Ezekiel, the prophets referenced in Jeremiah 29:15 are people other than Daniel and Ezekiel. In that regard, the prophets referenced in Jeremiah 29:15 are false prophets.
Jeremiah 29:16
“Certainly, thus has said Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One concerning the king who sits on the throne of David and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brothers/kinsmen who have not gone with you into exile—
Note: The king referenced in this verse is King Zedekiah, and the city referenced in this verse is Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 29:17
thus has said Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One of hosts / armies / tsaba' [tsah-VAH] / צָבָא: ‘Behold, I am sending upon them the sword, famine, and pestilence I have made them like split-open figs that are not eaten due to badness.
Note: The use of a present tense in the phrase am sending is a reference to the future. Also, the use of the perfect tense in the phrase have made is a reference to the future.
Jeremiah 29:18
‘I have pursued them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence I have made them an object of terror / an object of trembling to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse and an object of horror / an object of astonishment and a hissing/derision and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them
Note: The uses of the perfect tense in verbs of this verse are references to the future. Also, the phrase I have pursued them is an anthropomorphism [an-thruh-puh-MOR-fiz-uhm]. An anthropomorphism is a term that describes a Member of the Trinity using a human physical characteristic. The anthropomorphisms involving pursuing in Jeremiah 29:18 are metaphors that call attention to the wrath of God the Father. Regarding the wrath of God the Father, those three metaphors refer to different forms of judgment. In that regard, the word sword refers to violence, the word famine refers to starvation, and the word pestilence refers to illness.
Making the Judahites an object of terror refers to other people being terrified about what happens to the Judahites. What happens to the Judahites would be terrifying to the point of causing trembling. What the Judahites would experience would be so terrible that others would utter curses in reference to the Judahites.
Making the Judahites an object of horror refers to other people being horrified about what happens to the Judahites. In that regard, the people aware of what happens to the Judahites would be astonished while being horrified. It would be so horrible that others would have contempt for the Judahites, and those having contempt for the Judahites would express that contempt by means of hissing sounds. In that regard, the hissing referenced in Jeremiah 29:18 involves expressing derision.
Not only would people tremble in terror, curse the Judahites, be astonishingly horrified, and make hissing sounds in reference to the Judahites, but those people would also reproach the Judahites. In other words, those aware of the judgment of the Judahites would express contempt by means of scornful forms of communication that call attention to the shame of the Judahites. In that regard, people would use insulting forms of expression in communicating about the disgrace experienced by the Judahites.
In the context of the content of Jeremiah 29:18—as with the context of the content of Jeremiah 29:14—the word nations is used to refer to Gentiles. Gentiles are non-Israelite people. The Hebrew word translated as “nations” in this verse is גּוֹיִם [pronounced goh-YEEM and can be transliterated as goyim], which is an inflected form of the root word גּוֹי [pronounced GOH-ee and can be transliterated as gowy].
Jeremiah 29:19
because they have not heard, listened to, and obeyed My words,’—a declaration of Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, ‘which I have sent to them again and again by My servants the prophets.’ ‘You have not heard, listened to, and obeyed,’—a declaration of Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One.
Note: The Judahites who had not gone into exile had repeatedly heard the Word of God from prophets who truly served God the Father, yet those Judahites who had not gone into exile still rejected the Word of God.
Jeremiah 29:20
“You, therefore, hear, listen to, and obey the word of Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, all you exiles, whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Note: In Jeremiah 29:20, Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One switches from referring to Himself as Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One to referring to Himself as I. The pronoun I is a first-person pronoun.
Jeremiah 29:21
“Thus has said Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One of hosts / armies / tsaba' [tsah-VAH] / צָבָא, the 'Elohiym/Godhead of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you falsely in My name: ‘Behold, I deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he has slain them before your eyes.
Note: The false prophet Ahab is a different person than the king named Ahab. Also, the false prophet Zedekiah is a different person than the king named Zedekiah. The use of a present tense in the phrase I deliver them into the hand is a reference to the future. Also, the use of the perfect tense in the phrase has slain is a reference to the future.
Jeremiah 29:22
‘Because of them, a curse has been taken by all the exiles from Judah who are in Babylon, saying, “Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One makes you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon has roasted in the fire
Note: The uses of the perfect tense in verbs of this verse are references to the future.
Jeremiah 29:23
because they have done senselessness/foolishness/folly/disgrace/wickedness/villainy in Israel and commit adultery with their neighborsʼ wives and speak a word in My name falsely which I have not commanded them. I am He Who knows and am a Witness,”—a declaration of Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One.’”
Note: The content of Jeremiah 29:23 refers to the false prophets Ahab and Zedekiah.
Jeremiah 29:24
To Shemaiah the Nehelamite you speak, saying,
Note: The use of the present tense in the phrase you speak is for the purpose of giving a command. Such a use of a present tense has a rhetorical effect. In that regard, using a verb in a present tense in order to give a command can help a reader or hearer of the Word of God imagine the obeying of that command as though the reader or hearer is watching the obeying of that command as it occurs.
Jeremiah 29:25
“Thus has said Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One of hosts / armies / tsaba' [tsah-VAH] / צָבָא, the 'Elohiym/Godhead of Israel, saying: ‘Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
Note: The Zephaniah mentioned in Jeremiah 29:25 is different from Zephaniah the prophet who wrote the book Zephaniah (also known as The Book of Zephaniah). The Zephaniah mentioned in Jeremiah 29:25 was a Levitical priest who at some point in time was the second-highest-ranking Levitical priest. This is referenced in Jeremiah 52:24 and 2 Kings 25:18.
Jeremiah 29:26
“Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to be the overseers in the house of Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, over every madman who prophesies, and you have put him in the place of confinement and in the collar”—
Note: Shemaiah instructed the Levitical priest Zephaniah to mistreat the true prophets. Also, Shemaiah falsely accused the true prophets of being madmen.
Jeremiah 29:27
now then, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who prophesies to you?
Note: Shemaiah wanted the Levitical priest Zephaniah to rebuke the true prophet Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 29:28
“Certainly, he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, ‘It is long; build houses and dwell/remain/abide/inhabit/settle and plant gardens and eat their fruit/produce.’”’”
Note: Shemaiah complained to the Levitical priest Zephaniah that the true prophet Jeremiah had indicated that the Israelites who were exiled in Babylon would be there for a long time and that they should build houses there, plant gardens there, and eat the fruit/produce of those gardens.
Jeremiah 29:29
Zephaniah the priest reads this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
Note: In this verse, the use of a present tense is a reference to what has occurred in the past. Such a use of a present tense has a rhetorical effect. In that regard, using a verb in a present tense to refer to the past can help a reader or hearer of the Word of God imagine past events as though the reader or hearer is watching those events as they occur.
Jeremiah 29:30
Then comes the word of Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One to Jeremiah, saying,
Note: In this verse, the use of a present tense is a reference to what has occurred in the past.
Jeremiah 29:31
“Send to all the exiles, saying, ‘Thus has said Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: “Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, although I had not sent him, and he makes you trust in a lie,”
Jeremiah 29:32
thus has said Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One: “Behold, I punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his seed/descendants. He does not have anyone living among this people, and he does not see the good that I do to My people,”—a declaration of Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One, “because he has spoken apostasy/rebellion against Jehovah / Yahweh / I am I am / the existing One.”’”
Note: By attempting to spread falsehood, Shemaiah spoke apostasy/rebellion against God the Father. The uses of a present tense in the phrases I punish, does not have, and does not see are references to the future. Regarding the descendants of Shemaiah being punished, absent from this verse and the preceding verses is anything indicating that the descendants of Shemaiah obeyed the Word of God. Therefore, it is logical to conclude that the descendants of Shemaiah followed the bad example of Shemaiah in rebelling against God the Father.
Sincerely,
John
