CHAPTER 28

(596 B.C.)

THE FALSE PROPHECY OF HANANIAH

¹And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spoke unto me in the House of the LORD, in the presence of the Priests and of all the people, saying (in this Chapter, we find the reason, at least in part, for Zedekiahs rebellion against Babylon. He was listening to the false prophecies of Hananiah. Actually, the entirety of this Chapter consists of the confrontation between this false prophet and Jeremiah. Hananiah seemed to be the leader of those who opposed Jeremiah. Most probably he was a Priest, just as was Jeremiah),

²Thus speaks the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. (If one is to notice, the terminology being used by this false prophet, i.e., Thus speaks the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, is very similar to the terminology used by Jeremiah. In this false prophecy he contradicts the true Prophet.)

³Within 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 (Jeremiah had prophesied that the vessels would be returned, but only after a long period of time [27:21-22]. This false prophet claims they will be returned within two years):

⁴And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, who went into Babylon, says the LORD: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. (And I will bring again, concerning Jeconiah, directly contradicts the Prophecy of Jeremiah that this king would die in a foreign land [22:26-27]. The deportation which took away Jeconiah [Jehoiachin] also took away Mordecai and Esther, as well as many others. This false prophet claims they all will be brought back.)

JEREMIAHS ANSWER

⁵Then the Prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the Priests, and in the presence of all the people who stood in the House of the LORD (in modern times, I wonder what the unity crowd would think of Jeremiah! Virtually all of Judah and Jerusalem are in unity, with the exception of this lone Prophet Jeremiah. He alone disturbs this unity! However, unity at the expense of compromise is mans way, and not Gods Way),

⁶Even the Prophet Jeremiah said Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform your words which you have prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORDs House, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place. (Even the Prophet Jeremiah said Amen, simply means that he wishes such were true!)

⁷Nevertheless hear you now this word that I speak in your ears, and in the ears of all the people;

⁸The Prophets who have been before me and before you of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence. (Jeremiah now refers to the Prophets of old who prophesied as he, and who had also been opposed by false prophets foretelling peace.)

⁹The prophet which prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD has truly sent him. (Jeremiah is probably referring to Deut. 18:22.)

HANANIAH BREAKS JEREMIAHS YOKE

¹⁰Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the Prophet Jeremiahs neck, and broke it. (As Jeremiah stands with a yoke of wood about his neck, symbolizing the Babylonian yoke that would remain and even intensify upon Judah, Hananiah, no doubt, ridicules the stupidity of such and holds up Jeremiah to derision. He then proceeds to take the yoke from off Jeremiahs neck, and then he breaks it. It was probably done with much favorable response from the people.)

¹¹And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus sa ys 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. And the Prophet Jeremiah went his way. (However, the Lord has not said anything to Hananiah. And the Prophet Jeremiah went his way, probably means that he walked out alone, maybe even with the jeers of the people ringing in his ears.)

THE TRUE PROPHECY OF JEREMIAH; PREDICTS HANANIAHS DEATH

¹²Then 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 (Then the Word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the Prophet, refers to a lapse of time of possibly several days or even weeks. It is obvious that the Holy Spirit was grossly offended by Hananiah forcibly taking the yoke off the neck of the true Prophet and then breaking it. This man set himself to oppose the Word of the Lord, and such is always a dangerous occupation),

¹³Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus says the LORD; You have broken the yokes of wood; but you shall make for them yokes of iron. (You shall make for them, refers to the people! By listening to the false prophecies of Hananiah and others, they were only making the yokes heavier and harder, i.e., yokes of iron.)

¹⁴For 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. (The Message that Jeremiah now delivers is not softened whatsoever, but is rather hardened. It was a yoke of wood, and now it is a yoke of iron.)

¹⁵Then said the Prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD has not sent you; but you make this people to trust in a lie. (But you make this people to trust in a lie, seems to indicate that people were present when Jeremiah spoke these words to Hananiah. The true Prophet pulled no punches!)

¹⁶Therefore thus says the LORD; Behold, I will cast you from off the face of the Earth: this year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the LORD. (As it regards this false prophet, the chilling announcement was this year you shall die! In the phrase, This year, there is ample room for Repentance, but there is no evidence whatsoever that Hananiah did repent; actually, the evidence is that he did not.

Because you have taught rebellion against the LORD, is also a powerful statement to any and all Preachers. In fact, most of the preaching presently is actually rebellion against the LORD, i.e., against His Word.)

¹⁷So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month. (Hananiah promised the people deliverance within two years, but he was himself struck down by death within two months; however, even that seemed not to turn the people toward God!)