Jeremiah 28

AND it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year Here is a great appearing difficulty, viz. how the fourth year, could be called the beginning of Zedekiahs Reign, who reigned in all but eleven years which if they be divided into three parts, the fourth year can hardly be in any propriety called the beginning of his Reign. Many things are said to untie this knot which by such as are curious may be read both in the English Annotations, and in Mr. Pools Synopsis, I shall only repeat what seemed to both them, and seemeth also to me the best solution. Though it be said in the fourth year, yet it is not said, in the fourth year of Zedekiahs reign; they therefore think, that the fourth year of the sabbatical course is here intended. The Iews had a kind of Jubilee every 7th. year, it was a year when the land was to rest and not be tilled, Lev. 25, 1, 2, 3, 4. and in that year they were to release their Debtors and Servants, Deut. 15.1. which notion of this fourth year is very probable, if the year wherein the City was besieged was a Sabbatical year or year of rest. For if Zedekiahs first year were the fourth of the seven that made the Sabbatical circle, his third year was another sabbatical year, and his tenth ano her, presently after which the City was taken., and in the fifth moneth, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet which was of Gibeon Of this Hananiah we read no more in Scripture, it is probable from the place where he lived, which was one of the Cities of the Priests that he was a Priest, but no more then a pretended Prophet., spake unto me, in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests, and of all the people, saying He comes to Ieremy in the Temple, where he was wont to deliver his Prophesies to confront him in the presence both of the Priests and the people, saying.,

Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon The false Prophet counterfeiteth the stile of the true Prophets, both in the names which he gives unto God, and in speaking of what God would do as if already done..

Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the LORDS house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon It appeareth by what we met with chap. 27.16. that this was the constant Song of the City Prophets at that time, but we read not of any but this Hananiah, who was so confident as to limit a time, nor does he mention any long time, he says within two full years, but he spake falsly, for it appeareth from chap. 52.31. that he was there 37 years..

And I will bring again to this place, Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, says the LORD; for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon Only it is admirable, that being so nigh the Kings Court he should mention the return of Iehoiakim or Ieconiah, which had it been true; must have been to the prejudice of Zedekiah, for Ieconiah was the right Heir to the Crown, being the Son of Iehojakim, Zedekiah his Uncle was put in by the Conquerour, but it is probable, he saw Iehoiakim was more acceptable to the people, and that the faction for the Nephew was greater then for the Uncle. False Teachers are always on the greatest side, either for number, or for power..

Then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the LORD.

Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen The true Prophet Ieremiah, speaks to this false Prophet with as much boldness as he had spake to him with impudence, and in the same presence of the Priests, and of the people, but with a preface of great Charity and Modesty. Am n, (says he) which particle is used in Holy Writ, either as a particle of assertion, as it is most ordinarily used both in this single form, and doubled by our Saviour in the Gospel. Or as a particle of wishing and praying, upon which account it is used in the Lords Prayer, though there it signifieth more then here, viz. a Faith or Belief, that God will grant the Petitions, as well as a desire that he would grant them; here it signifieth no more then the latter, and is expounded by the next words: Nor indeed does it, or can it here signifie so much as an absolute hearty desire, for Ieremiah could not heartily pray for that which God had told him he would not do. Ieremy therefore must be understood here, either to have spoken only as a man, testifying the kindness he had for his Country, then the sense is; If it be the will of God, or may it be the will of God; I wish what thou hast said might come to pass, or else in sensu composito. The Lord give unto this people an heart to reform and amend their ayes, that the words which thou hast spoken may come to pass.: the LORD do so, the LORD perform thy words, which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORDS house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place.

Nevertheless, hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people The word which I am now about to speak concerneth thee, and not thee alone, but all the people, therefore do thou mark it well, and let them mark it also..

The Prophets that have been before me, and before thee of old, prophesied both against many countreys, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence That is, thou and I are not the first Prophets, that have foretold to Countreys and Nations the great Judgments of God coming upon them, War, evil, Pestilence, by evil, some think is to be understood Famine, but it is not much material..

The prophet which prophesieth of peace by Peace is here meant Prosperity, all good, being by the Hebrewes usually understood under the notion of Peace. The Prophets either prophesied evil or good, according as God revealed his will unto them; what way was for them to discover whether the Prophets were truly sent of God yea or no?, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known that the LORD has truly sent him It was known by the Event, this was the Rule God set Deut. 18.22. When a Prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. But this was not true on the contrary part, for a Prophet might speak a thing, which thing might come to pass, and yet he be none of the Lords Prophets, nor to be hearkned to, as appeareth from Deut. 13.1, 2. Some have thought, that Prophecyes concerning good things always were brought to pass if the Prophet were a true Prophet, but it appeareth otherwise from chap. 18.9, 10. Prophecies both concerning good and evil, might not come to pass, and yet the Prophet be a true Prophet, in case the manners of the people altered, for in all promises or threatnings of temporal good or evil, there is a condition to be understood, God neither by his promises bindeth himself to do good to wicked men, nor by his threatnings tyeth up his own hands from showing mercy to such as turn good, but some observe yet this difference, that good things are in Scripture never absolutely promised, but they come certainly to pass, and are fulfilled, but God for terrour often threatneth evil things, without expressing any condition, when notwithstanding a condition is understood, upon the fulfilling of which the threatning cometh not to pass, as it was in the case of Niniveh, upon the prophesie of Ionah. But the greater difficulty is to determine by what rule they could judge one a true or false Prophet, if they might not always judge by the event, the coming, or not coming to pass of what he prophesied. I answer, they were to judge from the word of God, as well as from the Event. Isaiah 8.20. therefore Deut. 13.1, 2. the people were commanded not to hearken to that Prophet, which should confirm what he said by a sign or wonder, if his scope were by it to persuade people to Idolatry. So that if a Prophet prophesied good, and prosperity to any people, the people were to consider what his scope was, and whether what he prophesied was according to the Law of God, which speaketh no good to a wicked impenitent people, and though what he said came to pass, yet he was to be determined no true Prophet, if what he said were contrary to Gods revealed will, or his scope in speaking of it was to harden people in sinful courses, or to seduce them from the right wayes of God. Ieremiah here, as to the tryal of the truth of his, and Hananiahs contrary prophesies appealeth to the Event, telling him, that he as a man, heartily wished that his words might prove true..

Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the Prophet Jeremiahs neck, and brake it The Prophet Ieremyes coming into the Temple, with a yoke upon his neck, as a type of the Yoke of the King of Babylon, under which the Jewes were to come, gave occasion to the affront given him by the false Prophet, in a further degree of impudence, being thus confronted by Ieremiah, he pulls the yoke off Ieremiahs neck, and breaketh it in an high and impudent contempt of God, and his will revealed by this Prophet, and confirmed by this yoke as a sign, adding also the following words..

And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus says the LORD, Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years As God has his Sacraments to confirm the truth of his word, of which his Ministers are the Stewards and Administrators; So the Devil has his Sacraments, of which his Prophets are the Administrators. God by his Prophet Ieremy had revealed his will, as to the King of Babylon's success against many Nations, and bringing them into his servitude, as a Sacrament or sign of this, he had commanded Ieremiah to put on a yoke with bonds. Hananiah the false Prophet, cometh in the name of God, and declares the contrary, that within two years God would break the King of Babylon, and free the Nations in subjection to him; and as a Sacrament or sign to gain credit to this falshood, he plucks off Ieremiahs yoke, and breaks it, and expounds himself, that God should so break the King of Babylons yoke from the neck of all Nations, and pretends he had a commission from God to say this.. And the prophet Jeremiah went his way Ieremiah not able to indure to hear such lyes, goeth away in testimony of his dissent from him, and adherence to what he had said..

Then the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the prophet after that Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah saying Some time after this, God taking notice of the affront put upon his Prophet Ieremiah, for faithfully discharging the message with which he had entrusted him, revealeth his mind unto Ieremiah, that he might declare it unto the people, and particularly to this false Prophet.:

Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus says the LORD, Thou hast broken the yokes of wood, but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron Ieremiah seeing the impudence of Hananiah, and that his further discourse with him would do no good, but it may be have caused more danger to himself, prophesying what was more ingrateful to the people, then what the false Prophet prophesied, and possibly desirous further to know the will of God withdrew himself. Soon after God sends him back to the people, and to Hananiah with this message; That he by his false Prophesie had done the people no good, but much hurt, further incensed God against them, and provoked him to make their judgment heavier, giving them iron yokes, instead of those of wood..

For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they shall serve him, and I have given him the beasts of the field also For notwithstanding all he had said, God was resolved to justifie his word, and to bring them under subjection to Nebuchadnezzar, and to give all they had also into his power..

Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the Prophet, Hear now Hananiah, The Lord has not sent thee, but thou makest this people to trust in a lye Ieremiah being a second time confirmed in the truth of his Revelation, and having likewise a special Revelation relating to this false Prophet, comes now and tells him his doom, viz. that he should dye within a year, because he had taught people to believe, and to hope for, and trust to what was false, and they were never like to see..

Therefore thus says the LORD, Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year shalt thou dye, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD And because by this his Doctrine he had made God a lyar, contradicting his will revealed by Ieremy, and by it taught people to hold out against Nebuchadnezzar, and not quietly to yield to him..

So Hananiah the prophet died the same year, in the seventh moneth That is within the compass of a year after that Ieremiah had spoken these words, within 2 months after that Ieremy had thus prophesied, as appeareth from ver. 1. so dangerous a thing it is for Ministers to teach people contrary to the revealed will of God..