TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY IN BIBLE PROPHECY
Lesson 8: The prophetic significance of the break-up of the Soviet Union.
I SETTING:
A Jeremiah wrote a series of prophecies describing the
destruction of Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah, in
the first twenty-two chapters of his book.
B His basic position, Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah
would be destroyed, went against the prevailing
prophetic opinions of his time.
C In chapter 23, Jeremiah inserted a prophecy of hope
describing the future reestablish of the Davidic kingdom.
1 Jeremiah wrote this prophecy down in B.C. 599, some
twelve years before the Babylonians invaded Judah and
destroyed Jerusalem (B.C. 587).
2 The prophecy lists four major events to look for in the
days leading up to the restoration of the Davidic kingdom.
II The prophesied restoration of the Davidic kingdom.
5 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I
will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall
reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice
and righteousness in the land (Jer. 23:5, RSV).
- The prophecy speaks of the "coming" days when a descendant
of David will reign as king over the restored nation of
Israel.
6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell
securely. And this is the name by which he will be
called: 'The LORD is our righteousness' (Jer. 23:6, RSV).
A In the days of this future king, the people will not live
in fear of an invasion by the Babylonians or anyone else,
but "will dwell securely."
B "The name by which he will be called: 'The Lord is our
righteousness,'" identifies Him as Jehovah, the promised
Messiah, who alone can justify the ungodly by His merits.
C A question comes to mind here: "When should we look for the
one spoken of here (whom the Jews call the Messiah and the
Christians, Christ), to set up His earthly reign?"
- Where would you expect to find the answer to this
Question?
- In what is written immediately following this text.
III Four successive events to look for in the days leading up to
the arrival of this King.
7 "Therefore, behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,
when men shall no longer say, 'As the LORD lives who brought
up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,'
8 but 'As the LORD lives who brought up and led the
descendants of the house of Israel out of the north
country and out of all the countries where he'" had
driven them.' Then they shall dwell in their own land"
(Jer. 23:7-8, RSV).
A Preceding the opening statement-"behold, the days are
coming"-with the word "therefore" here, declares that
you will know this King will arrive during those "coming"
days because the following [4] events will begin to
happen in sequence before His arrival.
B What facts demonstrate that the first event to look for in
the prophecy's fulfillment-a massive exodus of
"the descendants of the house of Israel out of the
north country"-began in 1989 when Soviet Jews were
allowed to return to Israel in large numbers?
1 Note first that the 1491 B.C. exodus of the people of
Israel out of Egypt is remembered in twentieth
century song-"Way down yonder in Egypt land, Tell O'
Pharaoh, let My people go."
2 Note second that the Soviets, like the Egyptians who
held the Hebrews against their will in the days of
Moses, would not let the Jews leave the Soviet
Union without special permission, for 72 years.
3 Keep in mind that even though the Soviets allowed
some 150,000 Jews to go to Israel during the 1970s,
the majority could not leave, and then the Soviets
slammed the gates shut for a decade.
4 But Soviet emigration policies suddenly changed in
1989 under President Mikhail Gorbachev's glasnost.
a Between mid-1989 and mid-1993, 500,000 Soviet Jews
immigrated to Israel "out of the north country."
b National Geographic (Feb. 1992) called it one of the
great peacetime migrations of this century.
c By the fall of 1997 the number had reached 700,000.
Another 100,000 have applied to leave and 500,000 to
750,000 want to leave but lack the funds to do so.
5 The "north country," therefore, refers to the Soviet Union
since the large number of Jews that suddenly began exiting
the Soviet Union in 1989, was on the scale of the 1491
B.C. exodus of "the people of Israel out of the land of
Egypt," which took place 3,480 years earlier.
a Since the Hebrews had been in Egypt 400 years, it
is estimated that Pharaoh let 2 to 3 million go.
b The Soviet's also would not let some 2 to 3 million
Jews leave for decades, without special permission.
C What facts demonstrate that the second event to look for in
the prophecy's fulfillment-a massive exodus of "the
descendants of the house of Israel out of all the
countries where he had driven them"-came to pass in
1991 when the Soviet Union broke up into fifteen
independent nations?
1 The exodus of the Jews "out of the north country"
that began under the auspices of the Soviet Union
in 1989, continued unabated, "out of all the
countries," after the Soviet Union broke up into
fifteen independent nations in 1991.
2 Remarkably, upon becoming independent nations, not
even one of the former Soviet republics reverted to
the former Soviet Union's policy of not allowing
the Jewish people to return to Israel.
3 Consider also that large numbers of Jews are not
held in any other nations against their will.
4 Therefore, "all the countries" must refer to the
fifteen nations formed out of the break-up of the
Soviet Union.
D In summary, the prophecy states that the first "north
country" that would let precedent-setting numbers of
Jews return to Israel, and then break up into several
independent nations that would continue to let the
Jews return to Israel, would meet the requirements of
the fulfillment of the prophecy.
* (Jer. 23:9-15 speaks against the prophets "who caused
the people to err.")
16 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the
words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make
you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and
not out of the mouth of the LORD.
17 They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD
hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every
one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart,
No evil shall come upon you.
18 For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and
hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his
word, and heard it? (Jer. 23:16-18).
A According to this passage, what is the third event to
look for in the days leading up to Messiah's arrival?
1 A very visible and prominent movement for world
peace in the days of the massive exodus of Jews
"out of the north country" and the break-up of the
Soviet Union.
2 This occurred when President Bush in concert with
European and Russian leaders, began pushing the
idea of a "new world order" in the early '90s.
B "They speak a vision of their own heart" declares that God
did not commission today's world leaders to champion their
vision of peace through the formation of a world government.
C Note the warning here that the appealing promise of
peace through the withering away of sovereign nations
in favor of a new world order, will not bring peace.
19 Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in
fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall
grievously upon the head of the wicked.
20 The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have
executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his
heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly
(Jer. 23:19-20).
A How do we know the "whirlwind" Jeremiah saw was not a
naturally occurring whirlwind?
1 Verse 20 declares that the prophecy could not be
understood until "the latter days."
2 Therefore, Jeremiah was not describing a naturally
occurring whirlwind.
B Why would a nuclear blast be a possible candidate for
what Jeremiah described here?
1 Atomic bombs are a latter day invention that are similar
in appearance to whirlwinds.
2 Atomic bombs, like whirlwinds, destroy on a large scale.
C Where would you expect to find further supporting
evidence for this interpretation?
- In the rest of Jeremiah's book.
D What rule is taught here?
1 Always check the converse of prophetic statements
to ensure a full understanding of the prophecy.
2 The converse of this text declares that naturally
occurring whirlwinds could not be what Jeremiah was
describing in 599 B.C. since it was not the latter days.
E What definition is spelled out here?
- "The latter days" are defined here as the days
when atomic weapons would appear on the earth.
F In view of Jeremiah's description of four latter day
events in the middle of his message to the people of his
time, where should we expect to find an explanation for
this perplexing prophetic interruption?
- In the continuing prophecy directly following this
interruption.
21 I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I
have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
22 But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused
my people to hear my words, then they should have
turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of
their doings (Jer. 23:21-22).
A In view of this text, why was a description of an
atomic blast inserted at the end of this passage?
1 The nuclear whirlwind insertion warns that an atomic
war will be the fourth event to look for in the days
leading up to the coming of the Messiah.
2 The text also warns those living during the "latter
days" that the prevailing views of Jeremiah's time
would not only be in fashion at "the time of the
end," but equally in error-there will be no peace
in our time.
B Again, what is one of the prevailing views of the
"latter days?"
- A new world order will bring peace and prosperity.
C What does Jeremiah's prophecy warn about today's
popular views?
- Man's efforts to establish peace in our time will
fail completely.
D According to Jeremiah's text, what is God's
assignment for the Christians of the '90s?
- To use the unlocked "end-times" prophecies to lead
unbelievers to Christ.
E According to Jeremiah's text, will unbelievers listen
to the "latter day" prophecies and turn to Christ?
- Yes, verse 22 states: "if they had stood in my
counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words,
then they should have turned them from their evil
way, and from the evil of their doings."
F Jeremiah then continues his warnings against false prophets
who will be leading people astray at the time-of-the-end.
25 I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies
in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
26 How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets
that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit
of their own heart; (Jer. 23:25-26).
A Here God states that false prophets know full well that
the dreams they say are from God, are actually
conceived from "the deceit of their own heart."
B By definition the word deceit is used to describe a
person who employs the deliberate concealment or
misrepresentation of truth with intent to lead another
into error or to disadvantage.
C Note that God does not leave any possibility that the
false prophet has simply made a mistake in interpreting
the dream he is presenting.
D Jer. 23:27 exposes a false prophet's true objectives.
27 Which think to cause my people to forget my name by
their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour,
as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal
(Jer. 23:27).
A The false prophet tells his false dreams for the
express purpose of persuading people to forget God
and follow the false prophet's program.
B God compares the false prophet's objective to those of
the false prophets of Baal, whose program consisted of
taking the money of their followers for their own
personal gain.
C According to God's Word, this is the same objective of
the false prophets of our time.
D God states further that false prophets tell their
dreams "every man to his neighbour," who in turn are
eager to repeat whatever they hear without examining
the validity of a dream's contents with Scripture.
28 The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream;
and he that hath my word, let him speak my word
faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat: saith the
LORD.
29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like
a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
(Jer. 23:28-29).
A The false prophet's dreams that contradict Scripture
are worthless, the chaff to be discarded.
B The wheat, God's word, has value and sustains life.
C God's word is also compared to a fire, up against which
the worthless dream can not survive.
D Even as a hammer breaks a rock so will God's word
destroy false dreams.
32 Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams,
saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to
err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them
not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit
this people at all, saith the LORD (Jer. 23:32).
A God declares He is "against them that prophesy false
dreams and cause people to err by their lies, and by
their lightness"--that is, by their reckless calculated
misinterpretations crafted to mislead people.
B God states further that He does not send these false
prophets and their lies shall not profit those that
follow them, at all.
C Jer. 23:34 warns of God's certain punishment of a false
prophet.
34 And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people,
that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish
that man and his house (Jer. 23:34).
A The word "burden" was used to describe a weighty
prophetic message from God.
B God will not excuse the false prophet who leads people
astray, but "will even punish that man and his house."
C When king Jeroboam's false prophet, Amaziah, told Amos
the prophet not to prophesy the destruction of
Jeroboam's kingdom, God gave Amos the following
prophecy concerning the death and destruction of
Amaziah and his family:
16 Now therefore hear thou the word of the LORD: Thou
sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word
against the house of Isaac.
17 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Thy wife shall be an
harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall
fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line;
and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall
surely go into captivity forth of his land (Amos 7 16-17).
1 These passages clearly teach that it is not a light
thing to oppose God's work by presenting false
prophecies.
2 Those who think God is unable to defend the prophetic
message He wants delivered, will not only be stopped by
God, but severely punished for their crimes.
D In summary, Jeremiah's prophecy teaches that the
generation that sees a massive migration of Jews "out
of the north country and out of all the countries" of
their dispersion to their "own land," will also witness
large numbers of people turning to Christ during the
final days leading up to His Second Coming.