The Final Prophecies of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 45–52)

A faithful prophet sits in the shadow of exile, the crowd long gone, yet the message still burning. We walk through Jeremiah’s closing chapters with Baruch’s weary confession in hand and hear God’s bracing reply: do not seek great things for yourself. From there the horizon widens as nations step into view—Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Damascus, desert tribes, and Elam—each weighed by the same just and merciful Judge. The thread is unbroken: pride collapses, oppression meets its match, and even the judged receive surprising promises of restoration.

The narrative swells toward Babylon, a superpower cast in poetry and destined to fall to the Medes and Persians. That turning point becomes more than history; it’s a signal fire that lights the path to Judah’s restoration and hints at a final reckoning still ahead. We connect the dots between Daniel’s eyewitness moment and Jeremiah’s long view, then turn back to the ashes of Jerusalem in chapter 52, where temple and city crumble under the weight of covenant unfaithfulness. Through it all, a sober hope endures: God has not been unseated, and His purposes move forward even when the world feels off its axis.

We share why success measured by applause is too small for a life with God, how Baruch’s lament speaks to our restless ambitions, and where courage hides when the room grows quiet. If you’re wrestling with headlines, personal discouragement, or the ache to make your life count, this journey through judgment and mercy offers ballast and direction. Listen, subscribe, and leave a review to tell us where this story met you—and what “great things” you’re ready to lay down today.

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Transcript

Baruch’s Lament And God’s Reply

God Judges Egypt Yet Promises Mercy

Philistia And Moab Under Review

Ammon, Edom, And Damascus Warned

Desert Tribes And Elam Scattered

Babylon’s Poetic Doom And Meaning

Medes, Persians, And Judah’s Restoration

Jerusalem’s Fall And Lamentations

The Only Applause That Matters

SPEAKER_00 0:48

As we come to the end of our wisdom journey through the book of Jeremiah today, we're not given any information of the prophet's final days. More than likely, Jeremiah died in Egypt. And I think it's rather sad to contemplate this faithful prophet sitting down there all alone. The people have rejected his message. The people have consistently avoided his influence. He's been a very unpopular messenger of doom. But he's also delivered messages of hope for the future restoration of his people. And that must have encouraged his heart as he grew older. Well, now we're in the final chapters of the book of Jeremiah, and we find an earlier message to Jeremiah's friend Baruch, repeated more prophecies against other nations, and another retelling of Jerusalem's soon fall. Chapter 45 takes us back to 605 BC during Jehoiakim's reign when Baruch's recording on a scroll, God's message to Jeremiah. We journeyed through that event back in chapter 36. And that message of divine judgment was emotionally distressing to Baruch. He says here in chapter 45 and verse 3, the Lord has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning. Now we're given the Lord's threefold answer to Baruch. First, the Lord says here in verse 4, What I have built, I am breaking down. In other words, God is sovereign over the good times, and he's sovereign over the bad times. God alone determines when judgment is appropriate. Secondly, he tells Baruch here not to seek great things for himself. He's not to be concerned about that. He's to be most concerned about God's plans, not his. I came across this verse where God's responding to Baruch years ago in my own early ministry, and it was both convicting and encouraging. The Lord says to Baruch here in verse five, And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not. Well, I've had this verse underlined ever since. Well, now, thirdly, in God's response, Baruch can rejoice in God's promise to preserve his life, even though disaster is coming. And by the way, beloved, there are timeless truths that we ought to remember when we're tempted to despair over what's happening in our world. Our focus should not be our desires, our will, but the Lord's. And let me tell you, things today might be unsettled, but God has not been unseated. He is in sovereign control. Just as he was back here, he is today. Now, Jeremiah's final prophecies concerning the nations begin here in chapter 46. Well, we don't know exactly when all these prophecies were given, but they balance out all the prophecies against Judah. They reveal that Jeremiah wasn't a traitor to his people at all. He wasn't just picking on Judah. He had some pretty severe warnings for the surrounding nations as well. And as we look at these chapters, these closing chapters 46 through 51, let's try to get the big picture here of God's plan. Judgment is going to be pronounced on each of the nations listed here. God's first warning is for Egypt. The Egyptians have just suffered defeat at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar in that great battle of Karchamesh near the Euphrates River, verse 2 tells us here, this took place in 605 BC. This is just the beginning, however, for years later, Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian army is going to invade Egypt itself, according to verse 13, and will devastate that empire. Don't miss verse 25, by the way, which says this is God's judgment on Pharaoh and Egypt and her gods and her kings. Now this judgment isn't going to be permanent. Verse 26 promises afterward. Egypt shall be inhabited as in the days of old. Well, the next nation to hear the verdict of God's judgment is the Philistine nation here in chapter 47. This ancient enemy of Israel is going to permanently disappear as a nation from the face of the earth. Next up is Moab here in chapter 48. Verse 16 says, The calamity of Moab is near at hand. Verse 20 says, Moab is put to shame. Moab is laid waste. In other words, God's going to judge them for opposing Israel in their pride and arrogance, verse 29. But like Egypt, God still has a plan for Moab. We read here in verse 47, yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the latter days, declares the Lord. Next up is the nation of Ammon, just north of Moab, and they become the object of God's judgment here in chapter 49. Ammon is going to suffer desolation and exile, but then the Lord promises them here in verse 6, afterward I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites. Next up is the nation of Edom. They live south of the Dead Sea. They're another enemy of Israel, and they're warned of coming judgment. Verse 13 tells us, all her cities shall be perpetual wastes. You could translate that a perpetual wasteland. Damascus, the capital of Syria, is mentioned next. God promises here in verse 27, I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall devour the strongholds. Next, Jeremiah mentions the cities of Kidar and Hazor. They're out there in the Arabian desert, but that isn't going to protect them from the judgment of God. In fact, verse 32 prophesies, I will bring their calamity from every side of them, declares the Lord. Now Elam is mentioned. This is modern day Iran. It's going to be attacked from all sides. Verse 36 says, There shall be no nation to which those driven out of Elam shall not come. In other words, the people of Elam are going to be defeated and scattered. Now with that, the culmination of Jeremiah's prophecies found in chapters 50 through 51 focus here on the judgment of God toward the empire of Babylon. In fact, this prophecy here is actually one very long poem. The Babylonian Empire that God used to punish Judah is now going to be punished by God. And verse 3 here in chapter 50 summarizes their coming destruction. Out of the north, a nation has come up against her, which shall make her land a desolation, and none shall dwell in it. Because Babylon defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. Verse 29, they're going to now face annihilation. Now over here in chapter 51 and verse 11, we read how the Lord's going to make this all happen. The Lord has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes because his purpose concerning Babylon is to destroy it. Well, the Medes, we know from history, along with the Persians, become God's tool of judgment to conquer what seemed to be the unconquerable empire of Babylon. That's going to take place in 539 BC. Daniel chapter 5, by the way, gives us Daniel's eyewitness account of the fall of Babylon. What's fascinating is that the fall of the Babylonians who had conquered Judah will become the catalyst for the restoration of Judah and all of Israel. The Lord says in Jeremiah 50, verse 19, I will restore Israel to his pasture. Many scholars believe that this is a reference to that coming day when the final Babylon falls and Israel is regathered to their land. Babylon will be rebuilt during the tribulation. It will be the headquarters of the Antichrist. What do we learn from this roll call of nations facing the judgment of God? Well, for one thing, we know for certain that God's justice cannot be escaped. No matter how long it takes, in God's time the godly will eventually be blessed, and those who defy God will one day face his fiery judgment. Now, Jeremiah chapter 52 gives us a little addendum to this entire book. And here Jeremiah recounts again the fall of Jerusalem. This expands, by the way, on chapter 39. This is going to be a reminder to the people of God how devastating the destruction of Jerusalem will be. I mean, the city is destroyed, the Lord's temple will be destroyed. Imagine unbelieving idolaters, pagans, are used by God to judge the people of God. Well, that's because the people of God had become like pagans themselves. This chapter also sets the stage for Jeremiah's private journal, which is the Book of Lamentations, and we're going to begin that in our next wisdom journey. So as we come to the end of this book, the book of Jeremiah, these final chapters remind us again of a powerful truth that was lived out during Jeremiah's ministry. God may give us a difficult assignment, like he did with Jeremiah. It might be lonely, it might be unpopular, it might be emotionally distressing at times. But here's the timeless truth to remember. Our lives and our service are not measured by human approval, human applause. When you and I stand one day before the Lord, the only thing that's going to matter is receiving the approval, the applause of God. So let's accept our assignment from Him. Let's live for Him today in light of that coming day when He settles the score and makes everything right. 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.