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APPENDIX I

FURTHER MATERIAL ON ESCHATOLOGICAL

IMPLICATIONS FROM THE JEREMIAH CONTEXT

Introduction

In the preceding chapter the two passages in Jeremiah under consideration in this paper were examined to for their contribution to the biblical understanding of the four great covenants between the LORD and His people.

In this chapter the same two texts of Jeremiah will be examined for their contribution to the eschatological thought. There will be some overlap with material covered in the previous chapter.

Jerusalem's Future

Both chapter 31 and chapter 33 contain some reference to the future of the city of Jerusalem.

31:38-40

(38) "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the city shall be rebuilt for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. (39) "And the measuring line shall go out farther straight ahead to the hill Gareb; then it will turn to Goah. (40) "And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to the LORD; it shall not be plucked up, or overthrown anymore forever."

33:16b

and Jerusalem shall dwell in safety; and this is the name by which she shall be called: the LORD is our righteousness."

The passage in chapter 31 begins with the eschatological introduction, "`Behold, days are coming,' declares the LORD." As was mentioned earlier, Jeremiah's use of this introduction is eschatological in nature, and may refer to the times surrounding the Day of the LORD.

The detailed description of the extent of the restoration of Jerusalem had a particularly strong message to Jeremiah's hearers. It could be argued that the restoration of Jerusalem described here was that restoration accomplished after the Babylonian Captivity was terminated. However, the passage in chapter 31 ends with the statement that all the area within the detailed description will be restored and never destroyed again. The restoration of the returning captives from Babylon could not be in view here. This restoration here must refer to a final restoration after which there will be no further destruction.

In the Jeremiah 33 passage above the city of Jerusalem will be called, "The Righteousness of the LORD." That same phrase is used in Jeremiah 23:5-6. In that passage the title is given to the "Righteous Branch of the David", the Messiah. Here the same title is given to the city of Jerusalem. The Messiah and His city will be known by the same name. This is fitting.

Thus, there is a strong implication that Jerusalem will have a future role in history, and that this future role, once begun will be eternal. In addition, the future role of city would seem to be connected to the future reign of the Messiah in that city.

The Davidic Covenant Fulfilled

The presentation of the Davidic Covenant in Jeremiah 31 and 33 was seen in chapter one. The Davidic Covenant, whose eternal nature was so strongly reaffirmed, has eschatological implications for the nation of Israel. The eternal nature of the Davidic Covenant presupposes both descendants of David to exercise rule, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to rule over, and the land on which the nation was to be established.

The previous section demonstrated a connection between the future title of the city of Jerusalem, which will not be destroyed once finally established, and the title of the future righteous Davidic ruler. The eternality of the Davidic dynasty then also adds biblical witness to a eschatological role for the people of Israel as a nation.

We see, then that the Davidic Covenant is of vital importance for understanding future events, as well as the future form of the [sic] God's kingdom. The covenant God made with David became the foundation of Israel's hope. It was the basis for Israel's expectation that a king would arise from the house of David who would be Israel's deliverer from bondage to the Gentiles, and who would bring them into the blessings of the covenants God made with their fathers.²⁹

The Restoration of the Nation

Again both chapter 31 and chapter 33 of Jeremiah contain a reference to the regathering of the Israelite people as a nation.

31:27-29

(27) "Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast. (28) "And it will come about that as I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to overthrow, to destroy, to bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant," declares the LORD. (29) "In those days they will not say again,

`The fathers have eaten sour grapes,

And the children's teeth are set on edge.'

33:26b

But I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them."

Clearly a restoration of Israelite people is in view in both these passages. Some could argue that the this restoration was the restoration that was to take place after the end of the Babylonian Captivity. There is nothing in either of these two references to indicate that once restored that people would not be removed again. However, when the entire context is taken into consideration the better interpretation would be to see the regathering of the people as a nation in connection with the final restoration of Jerusalem and with the eternal expression of the Davidic dynasty.

Future Role for the Levites

In the same context where the Davidic Covenant was discussed in chapter 33 there was also mention of a future role for the Levitical priests. An examination of that role was not presented in connection with the Davidic Covenant because this is not a part of the Davidic Covenant proper as it was given to David (cf. 2 Sam 7).

In the quotation of the Jeremiah 33 in the above discussion of the Davidic Covenant references to the Levites were omitted to not distract from the flow of thought. Below the full quotation of 33:17-22 appears.

(17) For thus says the LORD, "David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; (18) and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man before Me to offer burnt offering, to burn grain offerings and to prepare sacrifices continually."

(19) And the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah saying, (20) Thus says the LORD, "If you can break My covenant for the day and MY covenant for the night, so that day and night will not be at their appointed time, (21) then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levitical priests, My ministers. (22) "As the host of heaven cannot be counted, and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of David MY servant and the Levites who minister to Me."³⁰

The same terminology which strongly affirmed the eternality of the Davidic Covenant is used in connection with the Levites. Leaving off the references to the Davidic promises one can see the permanence of the ministry of the Levites.

(17) For thus says the LORD, " ... the Levitical priests shall never lack a man before Me to offer burnt offering, to burn grain offerings and to prepare sacrifices continually."

(19) And the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah saying, (20) Thus says the LORD, "If you can break My covenant for the day and MY covenant for the night, so that day and night will not be at their appointed time, (21) then My covenant may also be broken with ... the Levitical priests, My ministers. (22) "As the host of heaven cannot be counted, and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of ... the Levites who minister to Me."

There are two interesting implications that can be made from this text in chapter 33. First, the Covenant with the Levites is not only affirmed to be eternal in nature, it is also very closely tied to the eternality of the Davidic Covenant. Since both are eternal in nature and both are so closely tied together in the text it would seem that the full expression of these two covenants would be witnessed simultaneously. Second, just as the expression of the Davidic Covenant will be witnessed in a physical reign of a Davidic ruler over the Israelite people so to the expression of the Covenant with the Levites must be witnessed in a physical ministration of the descendants of Levi.

This would present a problem to those who hold to an amillennial viewpoint. If the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant can be realized in a spiritual sense as the reign of Christ over the church, how is the role of the Levitical priest to be understood as functioning in this age.

This passage has been a crux interpretum for expositors. It is especially difficult for those who hold to the amillennial position in eschatology. The only resort for them is to allegorize the text or the use of a dual hermeneutic. Simply stated, the passage assures that just as the Davidic covenant (2 Sam 7) is guaranteed by God's promise, so is the Levitical priesthood. But whereas the amillennial system can find room for the Son of David to reign now and in the future by transferring the earthly throne to the heavenly one at the Father's right hand, it is not so easy to find Levitical priests with their ministrations in the same framework.³¹

The same hermeneutic must be used for the ultimate fulfillment of both the Davidic Covenant and the Covenant with the Levites. If the Davidic Covenant is to be fulfilled in a literal reign of a Davidic ruler, then the Covenant with the Levites must be fulfilled in a literal ministration of a Levitical priesthood.

Conclusion

In the same text in which a presentation is made of the four major covenants between the LORD and His people, and their relationship to each other, there are also statements given which have eschatological implications. The presentation of Abrahamic, Davidic and New Covenants also provide the reader with further information on their fulfillment in history. The future role for the capital city of Jerusalem under the Davidic ruler, the restoration of the Nation of Israel which will finally have a harmonious relationship with the LORD, the future role for the Levitical priests are all eschatological topics touch upon this the selected text.

29 Pentecost, Thy Kingdom Come, p. 148.

30 For further references on the specifics of the Levitical Covenant see Numbers 18:7-8, 19-21, where the covenant is called by the LORD an everlasting covenant, and Malachi 2:1-9, where the Levities are accused of betrayal to their covenant.

31 Feinberg, "Jeremiah," p. 593.

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Copyright © 2000 by Lowell B. Hudson                                                                                         Revised: 26 December, 2006
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