About Jeremiah
God's word is true even when no one believes it - judgment is real, but beyond judgment lies a new covenant that will transform human hearts from the inside out.
""For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you.""
Jeremiah 29:11
Written
circa 627-586 BC
Author
Jeremiah
Genre
Prophecy / Lament
Position
24th of 66 books - Major Prophets (longest prophetic book)
Authorship
Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, a priest from Anathoth who ministered for over 40 years from Josiah to the Babylonian exile. His secretary Baruch (ch. 36, 45) helped compile and preserve his prophecies.
Historical Context
Jeremiah prophesied during the final years of Judah (c. 627-586 BC): Josiah's great reformation, the rise of Babylon, Jehoiakim's apostasy, Zedekiah's rebellion, and ultimately Jerusalem's destruction in 586 BC.
Purpose
To warn Judah that Babylon was God's instrument of judgment for their persistent apostasy, to call for submission rather than resistance, and to promise a new covenant written on the heart.
Key Message
God's word is true even when no one believes it - judgment is real, but beyond judgment lies a new covenant that will transform human hearts from the inside out.
Book Structure
Interesting Facts
Jeremiah 31:31-34 - The promise of the New Covenant is one of the most theologically important passages in the OT, quoted directly in Hebrews 8.
Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern (ch. 38), imprisoned, had his scroll burned (ch. 36), and was taken to Egypt against his will - yet continued to prophesy.
Jeremiah wept over Jerusalem's destruction with such intensity he is called the weeping prophet.
Jeremiah's letter to the exiles (ch. 29:7) - Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you - is the foundation of common grace theology.