20150907 Monday, September 7 2015
Jeremiah 15: The LORD's Apostles and Prophets

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"Before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations"

The English-language word "apostle" originated from the Greek word, pronounced ap-os-tol-os, which means messenger, or someone chosen and sent. It's also a definition that applies directly to some of the prophets e.g. John was chosen to be an apostle (see John: Fishers Of Men; see also John's apostolic epistles: 1 John: 'If You Love The World, The Love Of God Is Not In You' and 2 John: The Bride Of Christ and The Great Harlots and 3 John: Follow Not That Which Is Evil, But That Which Is Good), but he was later also chosen to be a prophet who was given to write the Book of Revelation (see Revelation: Thy Kingdom Come). The same man, with the same calling, from the same LORD.

Jeremiah is commonly regarded as a prophet, which he sure was (see A Faithful Winner Among Unrepentant Losers), but considering that the LORD God Who chose Jeremiah to be a prophet was to be born as Jesus Christ (see The Identity Of The LORD God and The LORD God Our Saviour), the principle again is the same - as was the terminology of the Gospel that Jeremiah was given to deliver (see also What Gospel Did Jesus Preach?) to those to whom he was sent e.g. Judgment (Jeremiah 9:24), salvation (Jeremiah 3:23), saviour (Jeremiah 14:8).

Consider Jeremiah's calling. The word "apostle" would be just as accurate and appropriate as "prophet."

"1:4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." (Jeremiah 1:4-5 KJV)

While the Messiah and Jeremiah were both rejected by the religious authorities in Jerusalem, they were actually defied by two different "religions" - both of which strayed from what the LORD originally gave to Israel.

In Jeremiah's case, it was an idol-based corruption - nearly identical to that committed by King Solomon in his later, foolish years (see What Caused Solomon's Idolatry? and Why Did Judah Fall To Babylon?).

In the Messiah's case, it was a nationalistic religion (i.e. "Judaism") - the official religion of the nation of Judah that originated, ironically, after the people of Judah had returned from their Babylonian exile that was caused by their idolatry the first time.

Both situations were identical however in that it was the same LORD that they refused to obey, in Jeremiah's time, or truly obey in the Messiah's time (see Israel In History and Prophecy: Judaism and Israel Never Knew Purim, Hanukkah Or Judaism).

Keep in mind that the LORD sent Jeremiah into the same sort of situation that the Messiah Himself was subjected to when He declared the same words and warnings to them.

"15:1 Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth. 15:2 And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the LORD;

Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity.

15:3 And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the LORD: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy. 15:4 And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.

15:5 For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest? 15:6 Thou hast forsaken me, saith the LORD, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting. 15:7 And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from their ways. 15:8 Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas: I have brought upon them against the mother of the young men a spoiler at noonday: I have caused him to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the city. 15:9 She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the LORD.

15:10 Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.

15:11 The LORD said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.

15:12 Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel? 15:13 Thy substance and thy treasures will I give to the spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders. 15:14 And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not: for a fire is kindled in mine anger, which shall burn upon you.

15:15 O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke. 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. 15:17 I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation. 15:18 Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?

15:19 Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them. 15:20 And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 15:21 And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible." (Jeremiah 15:1-21 KJV)

Fact Finder: Who was the first prophet and apostle of God?
See Who Was The First Apostle?