Dr. Couch, I have heard you speak about the incredible prophecy of wrath coming upon the entire world as spoken by Jeremiah in his book, chapter 25. Would you explain that again?
ANSWER Judgment from Babylon was impending and about to fall on the Southern Kingdom Judah. As God spoke through Jeremiah He moves from discussing the judgment coming upon Israel, to the judgment that will fall on the nations surrounding her, to the far distant judgment that will come someday upon the entire world. There is a progression that leads to and climaxes in the final seven year tribulation and the coming wrath of God—the day of the Lord!
By the way, those churches buying into the Emerging Church philosophy, are almost to a congregation, no longer hearing the doctrines of the rapture of the church and the coming seven year tribulation period. The foolish and ignorant pastors put their people into the KINGDOM NOW and do not know what to do with the rapture and the tribulation issues. But back to Jeremiah 25:
Through the long march of history, beginning in Jeremiah's time, there are prophesied at least three stages of the coming wrath.
This last wrathful judgment in this chapter is given more space than the other two phases. Jeremiah reviews God's plan for sending wrath. He says it will start with the Lord's "work of calamity and punishment on Israel (who will not escape His punishment)," and, "I will summon a sword (Prophetic future) against all the inhabitants of the earth" (v. 29).
God will start with tribulation coming on those of "His fold" (v. 30a) and finally bring forth His wrathful judgment against "all the inhabitants of the earth" (v. 30b). Further, "A clamor will come (prophetic future) to the end of the earth, because the Lord has a controversy with the nations. He will enter into judgment with ALL FLESH …" (v. 31).
Evil will spread across the earth by rapid communications, from nation to nation. As the world will be teeming with a massive population sin and rebellion will spread like a disease from nation to nation. While there has always been sin, it will somehow now in the end times be amplified and dispersed in larger doses than ever before!
After this terrible tribulation that will be world-wide, God will restore the Jewish people both spiritually and geographically. Their re-gathering will be a universal event!
On Jeremiah 25, Unger rightly says:
Thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch
ANSWER Judgment from Babylon was impending and about to fall on the Southern Kingdom Judah. As God spoke through Jeremiah He moves from discussing the judgment coming upon Israel, to the judgment that will fall on the nations surrounding her, to the far distant judgment that will come someday upon the entire world. There is a progression that leads to and climaxes in the final seven year tribulation and the coming wrath of God—the day of the Lord!
By the way, those churches buying into the Emerging Church philosophy, are almost to a congregation, no longer hearing the doctrines of the rapture of the church and the coming seven year tribulation period. The foolish and ignorant pastors put their people into the KINGDOM NOW and do not know what to do with the rapture and the tribulation issues. But back to Jeremiah 25:
Through the long march of history, beginning in Jeremiah's time, there are prophesied at least three stages of the coming wrath.
- Wrath falling upon Jerusalem and Judah (v. 18).
- Wrath falling upon the nations relatively near Israel (vv. 19-26).
- Wrath someday coming upon "all the inhabitants of the earth" (vv. 29-33).
(1) The cup of judgment will be poured out on "Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, and its kings and its princes, to make them a ruin, a horror, a hissing, and a curse" (vv. 17b-18). God is no respecter of persons. If His people sin they will be judged equally as the rest of the world. This wrath began falling on the nation with the Assyrian and followed up with the Babylon invasions.
(2) Then His wrath would move out further to the surrounding nations: Egypt, Uz, the Philistines, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, Ashdod, Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, Sidon, Dedan, Tema, Buz, Arabia, Zimri, Elam, Media (vv. 19-26). These nations brought terror against Israel. They were idolatrous and pagan in their morality. They would suffer a judgment from God.
(3) Then as well, there will be A TRIBULATION judgment that would fall upon "all the kingdoms of the earth which are upon the face of the ground" (v. 26). All the nations someday will "Drink, be drunk, vomit, fall, and rise no more because of the sword which I will send among you" (v. 27).
(2) Then His wrath would move out further to the surrounding nations: Egypt, Uz, the Philistines, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, Ashdod, Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, Sidon, Dedan, Tema, Buz, Arabia, Zimri, Elam, Media (vv. 19-26). These nations brought terror against Israel. They were idolatrous and pagan in their morality. They would suffer a judgment from God.
(3) Then as well, there will be A TRIBULATION judgment that would fall upon "all the kingdoms of the earth which are upon the face of the ground" (v. 26). All the nations someday will "Drink, be drunk, vomit, fall, and rise no more because of the sword which I will send among you" (v. 27).
This last wrathful judgment in this chapter is given more space than the other two phases. Jeremiah reviews God's plan for sending wrath. He says it will start with the Lord's "work of calamity and punishment on Israel (who will not escape His punishment)," and, "I will summon a sword (Prophetic future) against all the inhabitants of the earth" (v. 29).
God will start with tribulation coming on those of "His fold" (v. 30a) and finally bring forth His wrathful judgment against "all the inhabitants of the earth" (v. 30b). Further, "A clamor will come (prophetic future) to the end of the earth, because the Lord has a controversy with the nations. He will enter into judgment with ALL FLESH …" (v. 31).
Evil will spread across the earth by rapid communications, from nation to nation. As the world will be teeming with a massive population sin and rebellion will spread like a disease from nation to nation. While there has always been sin, it will somehow now in the end times be amplified and dispersed in larger doses than ever before!
"Behold, evil will go forth from nation to nation, and a GREAT STORM will be stirred up from the remotest PARTS OF THE EARTH. And those slain by the Lord ON THAT DAY (THE DAY OF THE LORD—The Tribulation) shall be from one end of the earth to the other." (vv. 32-33)
After this terrible tribulation that will be world-wide, God will restore the Jewish people both spiritually and geographically. Their re-gathering will be a universal event!
"'And I will be found by you (Israel),' declares the Lord, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the Lord, 'and I will bring you back to the place (the holy land) from where I sent you into exile.'" (29:14)
On Jeremiah 25, Unger rightly says:
"The predicted fall of Babylon furnishes the basis for the prophecy of the end-time destruction of Babylon (Rev. 17-18), the overthrow of the satanic world system (Zech. 13:2; Rev. 20:1-3) at Christ's second advent (19:11-21), and the establishment of the Kingdom over regathered and restored Israel (Rom. 11:26; Rev. 20:4-6). It will include the judgment of all the nations. The ultimate scope of this prophecy finds fulfillment in the Tribulation, which has its vortex in Jerusalem and is preeminently 'the time of Jacob's trouble' (Jer. 30:5-7)." (Unger, Commentary)
Thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch
