Chapters 30 and 31 are crucial in the restoration of Israel in the book of Jeremiah. Chapter 31 is one of the most important references in all of scripture outlining the Millennial and eternal blessings for the nation. Chapter 33 is another vital chapter.
{{Jeremiah 30:1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Jer 30:2 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book, Jer 30:3 for behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I WILL RESTORE THE FORTUNES OF MY PEOPLE ISRAEL AND JUDAH.’ The LORD says, ‘I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers, and they shall possess it.’”}}
{{Jeremiah 30:4 Now these are the words which the LORD spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah, Jer 30:5 “For thus says the LORD, ‘I have heard a sound of terror, of dread, and there is no peace. Jer 30:6 Ask now, and see, if a male can give birth. Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth, and why have all faces turned pale? Jer 30:7 Alas! for that day is great. There is none like it, and it is the time of Jacob’s distress, but he will be saved from it, Jer 30:8 and it shall come about ON THAT DAY,’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘that I will break his yoke from off their neck, and will tear off their bonds, AND STRANGERS SHALL NO LONGER MAKE THEM THEIR SLAVES.}}
VERSES 1-3. This prophecy is so important that Jeremiah is instructed to write it down in a book (a scroll in those days). Verse 3 states almost the same as the previous section does, the one Jeremiah 29:12-14, a promise of restoration and settlement in their land.
VERSES 4-8. Some say this is a description of the destruction of Jerusalem under Nebuchadnezzar, but the context does not allow that. Of course certain events can be forerunners or hints of a future calamity, and some features in common, and that may be so here as a wisp of “the great one”. That great one is the Great Tribulation that is on the horizon, for the Rapture of the Church looks so close. We examine the passage. We begin with terror and dread and an absence of peace. The men are in turmoil as if in labour pains and all faces are pale. Great calamity is overtaking the nation and that could have been also under Nebuchadnezzar and later under Titus in AD 70, but verse 7 gives the proper context. It is the great day, in fact, THE GREAT DAY OF HIS WRATH over all the earth, but for the Jews, a special phrase is entered for them – “the time of Jacob’s distress” or “THE TIME OF JACOB’S TROUBLE” as it is more commonly termed.
There is some difference of opinion as to what this is, with some saying it is the whole of the Tribulation viewed in respect of Israel based on the whole night of Jacob’s wrestling with God before the victory came. Others, and I think the majority, say this is the intensity of Jacob's trouble that night, the most severe part, and therefore it relates to the second half of the Tribulation beginning with the erection by Antichrist of the abomination in the Temple, the very time when the Lord would tell His (Jewish Tribulation saints) to flee from Jerusalem immediately they saw this event (Matthew 24). That is the last three and a half years, the 1260 days (42 months). In verse 7, the term, “THERE IS NONE LIKE IT,” means it must be like no other time in history and nothing can equal it, so it must be set in the Tribulation.
VERSE 8. Let us look at this term – “I will break HIS yoke from off their neck, and will tear off THEIR bonds,” as it is the turning point and the solution to Israel's great distress. What does “his” and “their” mean? This is how I see it. The description has its fulfillment at Armageddon, but it is not just one single event leading to it. For the last half of the Tribulation, the world leader = Antichrist - will be the satanic enemy of Israel and especially of the Jewish believers who are fleeing Jerusalem. This is where Revelation 12 applies; that chapter being God’s protection for His own from Satan. Additionally, the nations of the world have their armies in Israel and particularly for the assault against Jerusalem. Zechariah describes that this way – {{Zechariah 12:3 “And it will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH WILL BE GATHERED AGAINST IT.” AND Zechariah 14:2 “For I will gather ALL THE NATIONS against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished, and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.”}}
The forces in Israel (all the nations of the earth) are from three groupings. There are those who belong to Antichrist and the False Prophet who will be in the Valley of Jezreel (Har Mediggo) (Armageddon); Gog and Magog in the Kidron Valley and on the mountains, and they will have Jerusalem by the neck (the army of Ezekiel 38 and 39 and Zechariah above); the Kings of the east who have gathered (probably the armies of Asia, especially China, Japan and Korea area and maybe India). Jerusalem will be in dire straits but then, suddenly this happens – {{Zechariah 14:3 “Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle.”}} It is then the Lord of Lords and King of Kings delivers His people and “breaks his yoke” (Antichrist) and “tears off their bonds” (Nations). Messiah delivers His people!
{{Jeremiah 30:9 “But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. Jer 30:10 Fear not, O Jacob My servant,” declares the LORD, “and do not be dismayed, O Israel, for behold, I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their captivity, and Jacob shall return, and shall be quiet and at ease, and NO ONE SHALL MAKE HIM AFRAID.” Jer 30:11 “For I am with you,” declares the LORD, “to save you, for I WILL DESTROY COMPLETELY ALL THE NATIONS WHERE I HAVE SCATTERED YOU, only I will not destroy you completely, but I will chasten you justly, and will by no means leave you unpunished.’}}
VERSE 9. Some have made a problem of this verse where there is none. They say that David will reign again over his people. That is wrong. This is the core of the verse: “shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king.” A king reigns, we know that, and the Zechariah verse states this – {{Zechariah 14:9 “And THE LORD WILL BE KING OVER ALL THE EARTH; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one.”}} There is no doubt that the Lord Jesus Christ will reign as the Millennial King, so when it says, “and will serve David their king” the reference must be to David’s greater Son, the Messiah. “Shall serve the LORD their God” is equally true. They will also serve the LORD (Jehovah) their God. Now is Jesus God? Most definitely He is. They shall serve the LORD (Jehovah) their God. This is one and the same. They will serve their Messiah the King. Remember, “the LORD will be the only ONE and HIS Name the only ONE.”
VERSES 10-11. It is an error to say that verse 10 was fulfilled with the return of the Jews after the Babylonian captivity. In fact it is short-sighted and stupid, because verse 10 says they will be quiet and at ease, and no one will make them afraid. Just think! No sooner had the exiles returned in the time of Jerubabbel (governor), Joshua (high priest), Haggai and Zechariah (prophets) that work on the temple restoration ceased because of their enemies threatening them. Read that in Haggai chapter 1. Consider Nehemiah also. All through that period right up to the birth of Christ, the Jews had trouble from all the nations including the time of the Maccabees. The nation had no rest after they returned from the captivity.
The verse can only have its fulfillment in the restoration of Israel at the start of the Millennium. Then Israel will have everlasting peace, and be at ease with enemies being no more.
VERSE 11. This is an interesting verse stating God will punish all the nations among whom the Jews were scattered bringing about their destruction. This would link in with Armageddon and the often quoted Zechariah verse – {{Zechariah 12:9 “And it will come about in that day that I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.”}} God will not destroy Israel completely (which means some destruction) and will punish the Jews in the Tribulation, to chastise them, and this is necessary to bring them to repentance, that they will come through as pure gold, the redeemed saints of the Lord, refined and unadulterated. Malachi speaks of this refinement to come as of silver. Zechariah mentions two-thirds will be cut off and the one-third is the remnant that is refined. It is very possible that those numbers are generic in terms of a remnant. The Hebrew system of numbering is rather complex.