kj chap. 15 p. 285 par. 20 The Watchman Lives to Get the Report
- 20 The prophet Ezekiel proved to be a faithful vocal watchman toward the house of Israel. Till the tenth day of the tenth lunar month of the year 609 B.C.E., when the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem began, he courageously declared Jehovah’s warning to the disaster-threatened Israelites.
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w79 9/1 p. 21 par. 23 “The Way of Life” or “The Way of Death”—Which?
- Back in 609 B.C.E., Babylonian invaders were working their way toward Jerusalem. (Jer. 21:13) Aware of what was approaching, King Zedekiah sent a couple of inquirers to Jeremiah for, possibly, some favorable message from Jehovah. But what reason was there for King Zedekiah to expect any favorable word through Jeremiah? In Jerusalem and throughout the kingdom of Judah there obtained these things to which Jehovah called attention: the breaking of His covenant with Israel, the worship of other gods, unjust court sentences, robbing of helpless ones by defrauders, the taking advantage of widows and orphaned children, the depriving of laborers of due wages, the shedding of innocent blood, false prophesying. (Jer. 21:12; 22:3, 13-16; 23:14, 16) Necessarily Jeremiah had to take courage and boldly declare Jehovah’s unaltered message of calamity for the violators of God’s covenant.—Jer. 21:1-7; 1:7, 8, 17.
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jr chap. 1 p. 8 par. 10 “I Have Put My Words in Your Mouth”
- Consider just one example of what Jeremiah had to declare. In 609 B.C.E., Babylonian forces were moving toward Jerusalem. King Zedekiah sought a favorable message from God through Jeremiah. But that is not what God had for that king.—Read Jeremiah 21:4-7, 10.
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jr chap. 2 pp. 27-28 par. 22 Serving in “the Final Part of the Days”
- 22 Judah was now split into opposing factions—those who favored submission to Babylon and those who urged rebellion. In 609 B.C.E., Zedekiah did rebel by seeking military assistance from Egypt. Jeremiah then had to contend with the nationalistic hysteria of those supporting the rebellion. (Jer. 52:3; Ezek. 17:15) Nebuchadnezzar and his armies returned to Judah to quell the revolt, conquering all the cities of Judah and again besieging Jerusalem. Jeremiah’s message to Zedekiah and his subjects at this critical time was that Jerusalem would fall to the Babylonians. Death awaited those who remained in the city. Those who went out to the Chaldeans would survive.—Read Jeremiah 21:8-10; 52:4.
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