The Prophet Jeremiah

In every generation in the Bible, people had the opportunity to listen to God's will from the lips of one person. This person was always appointed by God and was the true pastor who spoke God's will according to scripture. However, very few people listened to, and took to heart, the words that came from the true pastor. Adam listened to the words of a false pastor and betrayed God. His descendants refused to board the ark because they did not believe in Noah's words and were subsequently wiped out with a flood.  Similarly, the Israelites doubted Moses' testimony and turned back right at the gates of the promised land of Canaan. Moreover, people turned to worshipping idols made by human hands.

A few generations later came the prophets (Isaiah-Malachi) who lived in the period 600BC while kings were ruling over Israel. One of these prophets was Jeremiah - the ‘weeping prophet’. 

The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:4-5).

Jeremiah's life was planned by God with a specific purpose to prophesy God's will to all people. 

“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
(Jeremiah 1:6-8).

Even though God reassured him that He was with him, it must have been a very heavy duty for a young and inexperienced man to speak God's will to people who would not listen. Nearly all of the 52 chapters of the Book of Jeremiah record words of rebuke and a heartfelt plea for repentance. Over a period of 23 years, Jeremiah pleaded with people to repent of their false idol worship and turn back to the true, living God (Jeremiah 25:3). Yet he was met with great resistance by his own people that included regular beatings and even imprisonment.

Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”
(Jeremiah 1:9-10).

Jeremiah's duty was to speak God's words in order to re-create peoples' spirits so that they would turn back to God. 

Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words, I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin." (Jeremiah 25:8-9).
The people living in Judah and Jerusalem would not listen, even though they had heard how the neighbouring Assyrians invaded northern Israel because of King Solomon's betrayal in turning the hearts of his people towards false idols (1Kings 11). God can not dwell where there is sin so He put an end to the people living in Judah and Jerusalem through the neighbouring Babylonians who invaded and held the land captive for a period of 70 years under King Nebuchadnezzar.

However, despite the peoples' betrayal, God never abandons His people, but out of His mercy and love always provides a way to bring them back to Him so that He can dwell with His creation. After the 70 years of captivity ended, God promised three things which are all contained in Jeremiah 31 - a "new work" (v.22), the sowing of two kinds of seeds (v.27), and a new covenant (v.31). A 'new work' was needed because history had proved to God that man, born of Adam's seed, could not save people from their sins because they always betrayed God. God, therefore, appointed someone born of His seed, who was conceived not through man's seed but through the weed of the spirit - Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:20). During Jesus' ministry, he sowed the good seed that was planted in peoples' hearts. God also promised a time when the truth would be made known again to all humanity through a new covenant.

Now is the time when all these prophecies in Jeremiah 31 - made 2600 years ago - are being fulfilled. Like Jeremiah, there is one person who has been appointed by God according to the promises contained within the Book of Revelation. He is a true pastor who has been testifying to the physical fulfilment of the Book of Revelation for 40 years. Like Jeremiah, he has been outcast, beaten, imprisoned and even labelled a 'cult' for speaking God's word. Yet he continues to fulfil God's will selflessly and tirelessly for the sake of humanity🙏