Four Prophecies of Judgment (Jeremiah 21–25)

What if the faithful move is the one that offends your pride? Walking through Jeremiah 21–25, we face a message Judah refused to hear: God would use Babylon to break a stubborn nation, and survival meant surrender. We map the final, faltering years under Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah, then watch as Jeremiah names the rot in leadership and the lure of comforting lies. Alongside the hard news, a fierce promise rises: God will gather a remnant and raise a King from David’s line—the righteous Branch—who rules wisely and secures His people. He bears the name The Lord Is Our Righteousness, grounding hope not in politics but in a person.

We dig into why Jeremiah’s call to yield was not treason but trust, and how false prophets thrive by selling peace without repentance. Their slogans were popular; their source was empty. God’s answer is bracing and simple: let the one who has His word speak it faithfully. A vivid vision of two fig baskets reframes the moment—good figs among the exiles God will refine and restore, bad figs among those clinging to power and refusing correction. Exile becomes a forge, not a finish line. Then comes a precise timeline: seventy years of captivity, followed by judgment on Babylon itself. The same God who disciplines His people holds empires to account, pouring the cup of wrath on nations that exalt themselves against His purposes.

We close where justice and mercy meet. Judgment is certain, yet hope stands open through the righteous Branch who also saves—Jesus Christ. If you’ve been carrying your own terms to God, trade them for surrender that leads to life. Listen, reflect, and share this with someone who needs sturdy hope, not empty promises. If the message moved you, follow the show, send it to a friend, and leave a review so others can find these studies. What part challenged you most today?

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Transcript

Surrender To Babylon Or Die

Judgments On Judah’s Kings

Promise Of The Righteous Branch

Exposing The False Prophets

Vision Of Good And Bad Figs

Seventy Years Of Exile

Justice For Babylon And All Nations

Final Appeal To Repent And Believe

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Jeremiah chapters 21 through 25 are going to continue now, a very unpopular message to the nation of Judah. The preacher, prophet is Jeremiah, and he's going to deliver now four prophecies. And the first one is here in chapter 21, and this is directed against the last four kings of Judah. Now we've already met these kings in our wisdom journey, but we need to bring them back out on stage for a few moments today. After godly king Josiah died, his son Jehoahaz became king. He's known here in the book of Jeremiah by the name Shalom. Jehoahaz or Shalom reigns for three months before being replaced by his brother, Jehoiakim. Jehoiakim reigns in Judah for eleven years before the Babylonian army arrives in Jerusalem and takes all the vessels from the temple that are the treasures of the nation. They also deport a number of captives back to Babylon. One of them, by the way, was a young man by the name of Daniel. Well, the next ruler of Judah is Jehoachim's son, Jehoachin. He only reigns for three months. He's also known as Jekoniah or Koniah. During his reign, Nebuchadnezzar comes back to Jerusalem, takes him captive along with others, including this time a prophet by the name Ezekiel. Now the final king of Judah is Zedekiah. His reign lasts eleven years and ends with the final fall, the total destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Now, the first part of this prophecy here in Jeremiah chapter 21 takes place during Zedekiah's reign. And it's a shocking prophecy that God is actually going to help the Babylonians fight against Jerusalem. And as verse six says here, strike down the inhabitants of this city. Jeremiah tells them here in verse 9, he who goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans, those are Babylonians, shall live. In other words, Jeremiah says, Your only option to surviving is to wave the white flag and surrender to King Nebuchadnezzar. Well, this prophecy is going to be used to label Jeremiah as a traitor to his people. He's just telling the truth, but they'll interpret it as treason. Well, now here in chapter 22, down in verse 11, Shalom or Jehoahaz has been taken in captivity to Babylon, and Jeremiah prophesies that the king will never see his homeland again. Next is King Jehoiakim, of whom Jeremiah prophesies here in verse 19. With the burial of a donkey, he shall be buried. In other words, nobody's going to care when this king dies, and nobody's coming to the funeral. It's just going to be like, you know, somebody's old donkey finally fell over and died. Well, you can understand now why Jeremiah wasn't the favorite prophet in town. Well, next, we're told here in verse 30 that Koniah or Jehoachin is going to die without having any children. He's not going to produce an heir to the throne. In fact, the next and the last king of Judah will be his uncle Zedekiah. Now here in chapter 23, God describes all of these godless kings of Judah as worthless shepherds. Verse 1 says, Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture. Well, you know, in the midst of these very dark days without godly leaders, the Lord now points to a future hope. Listen to this promise God gives them here in verse three. I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will set shepherds over them, who will care for them, and they shall fear no more. Well, this wonderful promise is related to the future regathering of Israel in the reign of Jesus Christ, the Messiah in his coming kingdom. And if there's any doubt as to who the good shepherd is, God removes it all here in verse five by saying, I will raise up for David a righteous branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called. The Lord is our righteousness. Wow, listen, beloved, this future king is without any doubt the Messiah, the son of David, the king of righteousness, Jesus Christ. Even his title here, referring to him as Lord, reveals his deity. Now throughout the rest of chapter 23, Jeremiah turns from the kings to prophesy against the false prophets, and God doesn't pull any punches here with these fake prophets. They've been opposing Jeremiah this entire time, and they've been popular with the people because they've prophesied peace and victory. But God, of course, sees through it all, and he says here in verse 21, I did not send these prophets, yet they ran. I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. Let me tell you something, beloved, to this very day today. The most popular voices are not necessarily speaking God's word. But listen to what God says here in verse 28. But let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. Well, that's Jeremiah. Jeremiah's third prophecy here now in chapter 24 is specifically directed against King Zedekiah. Jeremiah is given a true vision from God, and this vision is a vision of two baskets of figs. One basket is filled with good figs, representing some of the Jewish captives already in Babylon. The Lord says here in verse 7, I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall return to me with their whole heart. In other words, they're followers of God. God's going to bring some of them back from Babylon. But the ultimate promise here looks out into the future when the Jewish people are in their land and the kingdom of Christ begins on earth. Now the second basket, this other basket in Jeremiah's vision, contains bad figs. Verse 8 says that cannot be eaten. This represents Zedekiah, all those officials, everybody left in Jerusalem who continue to defy God. They're effectively spoiled like rotten fruit. And with that, we have now here in chapter 25 the fourth and final prophecy in this section of Jeremiah. And this particular one is directed against the people of Judah. You see, despite repeated warnings, the people of Judah cling to their idolatry. They are clinging to their immorality. Babylon is going to effectively serve as the discipline of God. Verse 11 says, This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Well, let me tell you, this prophecy is bad news and good news. The bad news is punishment is inevitable. The good news is it ain't going to last forever. In fact, years later, Daniel is going to be reading Jeremiah's prophecy. He's going to realize that Judah's 70-year exile in Babylon is coming to an end. Well, what about these Babylonians? I mean, they're God's instrument of judgment upon Judah, but they aren't any better than Judah spiritually, uh morally. They're equally wicked and idolatrous. Well, God has a promise for them as well, here in verse 12. After seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation for their iniquity, declares the Lord, making the land that is their land an everlasting waste. Now there's a point to be made here, beloved. God can use wicked leaders, God can use wicked nations to advance his plans on planet earth, but they will still be held accountable to God. They're not going to get away with their immorality either. You see, the Lord tells Jeremiah now here in verse 15, Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. This symbol of a cup is the Lord promising his future judgment upon all the ungodly nations that rise up against God's chosen people. God will keep his word in this promise. Now we've covered a lot of material today, but here's a principle I want to leave with you. Here it is. So where are you today, my friend? God's going to judge sin. God's going to judge the sinner in this final judgment described in the Bible over in Revelation chapter 20. Your only hope is found in the death and resurrection of Christ, who died to pay for your sins so that you can be forgiven. Today, right where you are, if you haven't done that, let me invite you to repent of your sin. Place your faith in Jesus Christ, his life, death, and resurrection on your behalf. Ask him to save you. No matter what you've done, no matter where you are, the Bible promises that if you call on the name of the Lord, he will hear you and you will be saved. Well, until our next wisdom journey, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.