Your Sons & Daughters Shall Prophesy - Prophetic Gifts Today In The New Testament Church

A Profile of the Ancient Hebrew Prophet

Enacted Prophecy

The plan of the fearful Jewish remnant in Jerusalem seemed logical: Flee to Egypt and escape the invading Chaldeans. The prophet Jeremiah, with anguished heart, admonished and threatened his countrymen not to go. His dire warnings were quickly cast aside, however, and the remnant pursued their so-called escape from destruction, compelling the prophet to go with them. The refugees settled in several Egyptian cities but Jere miah was retained in Tahpanhes, where Pharaoh's palace stood. Jeremiah had done everything in his power to make his people under stand they must submit to Nebuchadnezzar, or else his hordes would dev astate Judah. He preached and talked in vain. God enhanced the spoken prophecies with a series of fourteen "signs" that were to be like "acted words"-that is, constant visual reminders of the word of the Lord (see chart on page 105). Jeremiah paraded before the diplomats of Edom, Moab, Ammon and Sidon, for instance, wearing a wooden yoke (Jere miah 27), an act whose symbolic imagery was easily understood-and which they disdainfully rejected. While Jeremiah found himself in Tahpanhes under duress, an amazing word of the Lord came to him. The hardened Jews were so dull of hear ing that God now chose to give them a mind-boggling exhibition that would make a major statement to three nations-Egypt, Judah and Baby lon. This message to Jeremiah, living as he was among idolatrous Egyp tians and treacherous Israelites, must have prompted some hesitation, but he proceeded as directed: [God] said, "While the people of Judah are watching, bury large rocks between the pavement stones at the entrance of Pharaoh's palace here in Tahpanhes.Then say to the people ofJudah, 'The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will surely bring my servant Nebuchadnezzar, king of Baby lon, here to Egypt.I will set his throne on these stones that I have hidden. He will spread his royal canopy over them.And when he comes, he will destroy the land of Egypt.He will bring death to those destined for death; he will bring captivity to those destined for captivity; he will bring the sword against those destined for the sword....He will pick clean the land of Egypt as a shepherd picks fleas from his cloak.. "' 21 Jeremiah 43:9-12, NLT Some enacted prophecies are heartrending episodes. Ezekiel's wife died by divine decree, for instance, on the day the siege of Jerusalem began as a sign of God (Ezekiel 24:16-27). The prophet was not (as we have seen) to lament or show any remorse at his tragic loss; he was to be mute ■ 104