20151018 Sunday, October 18 2015
Jeremiah 52: How The Messianic Line Survived In Babylon

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations"

Zedekiah, from the Hebrew name pronounced tsid-kee-yaw-hoo, was the last king of the Kingdom of Judah (see Israel In History and Prophecy: Kingdom Of Judah and Kings of Israel and Judah) before it fell to Babylon. Born as Mattaniah, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar renamed him, and installed him, as a puppet king (just as the last few kings of Judah had been), in place of his nephew Jehoiachin, as the gradual exile of Judah was in progress (the LORD gave them every possible opportunity to repent and stop their self-destruction). Although it is said that Zedekiah reigned eleven years, all that he really did was to serve the foreign king Nebuchadnezzar for that time.

Zedekiah was no innocent victim: "He did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD" (2 Chronicles 36:12 KJV). If Zedekiah had repented, along with the nation, the LORD (see The Identity Of The LORD God and The LORD God Our Saviour) would not have allowed their national humiliation and defeat. Instead, Zedekiah rebelled against the LORD, Who would have defended him, while, at the end, he was also rebelling against the foreign superpower king that was threatening him: "He also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar" (2 Chronicles 26:13 KJV). Zedekiah was a rebel who brought about the destruction of his nation as well as himself - but not of the indestructible Messianic line in Judah (see also How Did Israel Separate Itself From The Messianic King?).

"52:1 Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 52:2 And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 52:3 For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

52:4 And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about. 52:5 So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.

52:6 And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land. 52:7 Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden; (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain. 52:8 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. 52:9 Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him.

52:10 And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah. 52:11 Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.

52:12 Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem, 52:13 And burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire: 52:14 And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about. 52:15 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, and the residue of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude. 52:16 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen.

52:17 Also the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon. 52:18 The caldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. 52:19 And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away.

52:20 The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brasen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight. 52:21 And concerning the pillars, the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a fillet of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow. 52:22 And a chapiter of brass was upon it; and the height of one chapiter was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the chapiters round about, all of brass. The second pillar also and the pomegranates were like unto these. 52:23 And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were an hundred round about.

52:24 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: 52:25 He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and seven men of them that were near the king's person, which were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city. 52:26 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah. 52:27 And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath.

Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land. 52:28 This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty: 52:29 In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons: 52:30 In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred." (Jeremiah 52:1-30 KJV)

The Messianic bloodline of Judah nevertheless survived the exile, as documented in the verses below and the genealogy of the Messiah: "1:12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; 1:13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; 1:14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; 1:15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; 1:16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations." (Matthew 1:12-17 KJV)

"52:31 And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison, 52:32 And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, 52:33 And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life. 52:34 And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life." (Jeremiah 52:31-34 KJV)

Fact Finder: How did Eden become "Babylon"?
See How Did Eden Become Babylon? and The Prophecy To The Birthplace Of Rebellion