Jer 28:17 | KingComments | STEP | Jeremiah has one more word for Hananiah personally ( ). It is a touching word, a call to listen anyway and recognize his sin that he was not sent by the LORD and caused the people to trust in a lie. Perhaps it is a call like Joshua once made to Achan ( ). However, the judgment is certain. The LORD is going to remove him from the face of the earth ( ). Hananiah called for apostasy, not from Babylon, but from the LORD. This is the sin of the antichrist, of whom Hananiah is a picture (cf. ). In Hebrew, there is a play on words in and . Because the LORD “has not sent” ( lo-selahaka ) Hananiah, He says that He will “send” ( mesallehaka ) him from the face of the earth, that is, he will die. In other words, Hananiah was not sent as a prophet by the LORD to His people, but is now sent by the LORD from life. Jeremiah also mentions a time limit. It is the time limit within which Hananiah will die, which is within seven months. Halfway through that year, two months after the announcement ( ), Hananiah dies by the judgment of God ( ; cf. ). These are two months that the LORD adds to his life, during which he could have still made use of grace. Whether he did, we do not know. With his death, the authority of the true prophet was confirmed. These events underscore the service of Jeremiah.

‏ Jeremiah 28:17

Death of Hananiah the Prophet

Jeremiah has one more word for Hananiah personally (Jer 28:15). It is a touching word, a call to listen anyway and recognize his sin that he was not sent by the LORD and caused the people to trust in a lie. Perhaps it is a call like Joshua once made to Achan (Jos 7:19). However, the judgment is certain. The LORD is going to remove him from the face of the earth (Jer 28:16). Hananiah called for apostasy, not from Babylon, but from the LORD. This is the sin of the antichrist, of whom Hananiah is a picture (cf. Isa 22:15-19).

In Hebrew, there is a play on words in Jer 28:15 and Jer 28:16. Because the LORD “has not sent” (lo-selahaka) Hananiah, He says that He will “send” (mesallehaka) him from the face of the earth, that is, he will die. In other words, Hananiah was not sent as a prophet by the LORD to His people, but is now sent by the LORD from life.

Jeremiah also mentions a time limit. It is the time limit within which Hananiah will die, which is within seven months. Halfway through that year, two months after the announcement (Jer 28:1), Hananiah dies by the judgment of God (Jer 28:17; cf. Eze 11:13).

These are two months that the LORD adds to his life, during which he could have still made use of grace. Whether he did, we do not know. With his death, the authority of the true prophet was confirmed. These events underscore the service of Jeremiah.