Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
The expected end for all men is their salvation. It is sure and all flesh shall see it in the appointed times.
Luk 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
The orthodox churches often cite Jeremiah 29:11 and teach it to the young and old. They use it to promise blessing to the flesh but don’t even see the promise of salvation hidden in the verse. It is a great verse that speaks of God’s plans for all men in due time but specifically for now, speaks to the plan for His Elect. Ironically, it is from a chapter that speaks about going into captivity in Babylon from which Babylon churches pluck this verse to support their carnal doctrines that completely miss the truth of God’s word.
The Lord has a plan for us indeed and that plan is for us to go into Babylon and spend our appointed time. Nothing is by chance, the Lord is working it all.
Jer 29:10For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. (come out of her and return to Jerusalem above)
My purpose here is not to bash Babylon. God knows I have done that long enough. My purpose is the show to those God has opened eyes and ears, a little of God’s plan and help them to see that one’s time spent in Babylon was ordained of the Lord before we were ever born.
Psa 139:16Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
Isa 46:10Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
Our stay in Babylon is when we will fulfill these Scriptures and claim His name yet do not even know Him blinded by the veil of flesh and the carnal mind.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
Isa 28:13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
I went thru a stage, that all of God’s Elect will have to go thru in living by every word of God. Before we are given to see Babylon’s purposes, we will hate it and want to heap condemnation and judgment upon the very same system we ourselves had just been delivered from by the hand of God. Babylon serves a valuable purpose for the Lord in bringing people to Himself. Only a few in this life, will be dragged out of Babylon and it is because of their unbelief, what was written for them, that the few chosen have even been given their faith as a gift from God.
Rom 11:30 For as ye (God’s Elect) in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
It takes time to appreciate and to understand this when we first come into the truth. When we first realize what Babylon has done to us, keeping us in bondage and spiritual darkness, perhaps for our whole life, we will hate the harlot. This too is a work of God and is working good in us in the end. The complete (10 headed) beast that all men are will want to kill this harlot.
Rev 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
As we come out of Babylon, the Lord will be showing us that we are this beast, a self righteous religious one at that, the chief of sinners, the abomination causing desolation, etc; and our first inclination will be to get vengeance on the system and the people who lied to us all those years and continue to deceive our friends, families and loved ones. We will seek to destroy the whore harlot churches with fire. This fire is the word of God and we will be quick to judge, condemn and find fault with everyone and everything. Our intentions will be good, we want to show them what has been shown us, but we are not mature enough yet to share it as God has some wicked things to deal with us first. At this point, we will still be carnal and judging men after the flesh but that will soon change as we mature into the doctrines of Christ.
2Co 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
As we grow in the knowledge of the Lord and HIS CHRIST, we will stop blaming others and holding them responsible for their behavior. Oh that sounds like foolishness to the carnal mind but is a truth and key to knowing the mysteries of the kingdom.
Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (this includes all things, good and bad, even our very sins)
Isa 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
I know many that have been led part way out of Babylon but for now are stuck on this stage. They have been shown the sloppy grace being taught in most churches but they are still under the law of Moses and this law was for the unrighteous. The law is for a carnal nation within and contain carnal commandments. This law and repentance mode of John the Baptist is good as it serves its purposes in drawing us to Christ. Still the veil of flesh must be taken out of the way to enter the kingdom of God.
2Co 3:14But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
2Co 3:15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
2Co 3:16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
With that veil still there we have NO understanding in our carnal mind even though we may know many scriptures. We all will argue vehemently, that we are converted long before we really are just as Peter and all the disciples learned with time. In type and shadow, carnal Christians are fulfilling the life of John the Baptist. They are the forerunner to the coming of the Lord within them and whether their judgment begin in this life and the Lord from heaven is revealed only the Father knows. We all must first be baptized into Babylonian doctrines as Christs’s baptism by John shows us. Very few shall find the way into the kingdom. The rest will have to wait to be converted in the lake of fire.
These carnal minded “holiness” types will preach against sin and repentance but can’t see past the delusion of free will. They are like John the Baptist, who we are told is very great relative to those yet carnal but still less then the least person who has been converted (entered into the kingdom of God). John represents in type and shadow, the last stage of our carnal mindedness in serving God as we live by every word. We think we are serving the Lord in truth and in spirit at that time, but we don’t even yet know Him. He has not appeared and our judgment has not begun. The carnal John in all of us must be decreased so Christ can be increased and in due time it will happen as ordained of God. That decrease will come when judgment falls upon us. While in this late state carnal phase, we too will all think only of this whore harlot outwardly and will forget where to look, which is inwardly. We all will think we serve God and are doing Him a service in our ignorance.
Mat 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women (FLESH) there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Luk 7:28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
What will change one’s mind on Babylon is when they are given to see that God is truly working all things, even having us go into Babylon and be in bondage for all those days. When we condemn and judge those in Babylon, we are judging another’s servant and we are commanded not to do this. God is causing and working all things and we need to stay out of His way.
Rom 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
That like all things we do is the work of the Potter. Let’s look at just one pivotal chapter that was written not for those that lived back then (1 Peter 1:12) but was written for us, those whom God has given HIS Spirit too and upon whom the ends of the carnal age have come.
1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
JEREMIAH 29
Jer 29:1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon.
These are the words spoken by God’s prophets (the Elect in type and shadow) to all of God’s Elect (God’s priest and prophets) who are still lost in Babylon. Man must live by every word God spoke and all of God’s Elect, even Saul of Tarsus must come out of Babylon in the appointed times. Like Christ, as His Christ we are only to go to the lost house of Israel and they are scattered in Babylon until their time to be found arrives.
Jer 29:4 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;
Did you catch here who did it? Who causes these people to be carried away into bondage in Babylon? It was the Lord. So we will learn to quit judging in the flesh the things God is doing and HE has put the multitudes, the billions of people into the orthodox churches of men.
This is the Lord’s plan, we all have to go spend our appointed symbolic 70 years in Babylon. Here is that prophecy, verse 1 quoted in Matthew 2:15 and referring to Jesus Christ. yet all of this prophecy from Hosea applies to CHRIST, His Body, the very Elect of God.
Hos 11:1When Israel (MY ELECT) was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
Hos 11:2As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.
Hos 11:3I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.
Hos 11:4I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.
Hos 11:5He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian (same thing as Babylon) shall be his king, because they refused to return.
God’s Elect will not go backwards into the world, but will stay under bondage to the flesh and carnal mind. Our carnal mind (Pharaoh) or this Assyrian or Nebuchadnezzar shall be our king. Walking as carnal men we will make and worship the image of the beast while we are in Babylon spiritually speaking. But in due time, the sword, the word of God, will continue to abide on our inward cities and will cut off this branches that bear no spiritual fruit as the righteous judgment of God first comes upon us, God’s very Elect. This battle takes place inwardly, in the cities and kingdom’s within. That is the battleground.
Hos 11:6 And the sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them, because of their own counsels.
We must never forget where the kingdom of God truly is (Luke 17:21). Our natural inclination will be to look outwardly and pin all of these Scriptures on the deceived guy down the street, but they really speak primarily about you and me. Babylon is first and foremost a mindset and it is within us and this harlot woman rides our beast and help keep that beast sitting comfortably on God’s throne trusting in its own righteousness. Babylon most certainly represents the organized religion and orthodox institutions of men but it also within us, it is a state of mind to be carnal and to mix the things of the world with the things of God. That mind is the land that must be cleared of all the giants and things which defile.
Few Will Come Out of Her My People
All of God’s people will come thru Babylon. No exceptions. We will come out when we hear spiritually the call to come out.
Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
The Lord causes all of us to go into Babylon spiritually and this includes all systems of religion or spirituality even atheist. And like ALL THINGS, it is also the Lord who causes the very few of His Elect to come out of Babylon. Here is just one example from Ezra. We see first that the Lord caused the king of Cyrus to make the proclamation that led to the return of the captives.
Ezr 1:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
And lest we missed it and still are thinking, no but the Jews had to choose to go back to Jerusalem, we must remember that yes we make choices, but those choices are all caused because the Lord gives us our every thought and all the desires of our heart. So here we can see who really is the cause of the few that leave Babylon.
Ezr 1:5 Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.
Who caused it? It was the Lord. The flesh just cannot accept this and their eyes can’t see such a plain and simple truth that is throughout the Scripture. I have shown these Scriptures plainly to people arguing that we must choose to leave Babylon on our own free will. But they cannot see, the pride of life has them blinded as that is the Lord’s plan for them now.
All during this symbolic 70 years in Babylon we will build houses, plant gardens, and eat the fruit, this all speaking to us serving the Lord in the flesh and mixing the things of this world and its traditions and principles with the things of God. That is spiritual fornication. We will be eating, drinking and giving in marriage just as in the days of Noah all the while we are in Babylon.
Jer 29:5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
Jer 29:6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
And the Lord will increase us while we are in Babylon just as verses 5-6 show. This is one way the multitudes stay blind, they appear to be blessed and are in actuality as the rain of God falls on both the righteous and the wicked. The Lord even causes real outward changes in our lives, miraculous healing’s, deliverance from addictions and lusts; but are hearts remain unconverted and we are yet carnal. These are the lying signs of wonders spoken about in 2 Thess 2 and Revelation 13 given to keep the beast sitting on God’s throne. This is us living in the strong delusion of the veil of flesh.
Jer 29:7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
We will even have peace. Life will be good. We will be like JOB before his day of judgment. We will think we have arrived.
Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
But this peace we have here is a false peace, it is the deception and spiritual darkness we all must first live thru until our time to come out of her my people truly arrives. We will listen to those who say “peace and safety” when there is no true peace. We will put ourselves under those who divine lies, prophesy falsely and heal the wound of the people but only superficially.
Isa 30:10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
Jer 7:4 Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.
1Th 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
Jer 8:11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
We will however not at first heed the words of the Lord and listen to His true prophets. We will be deceived by Babylon and dream our own dream, thinking we have free will and are in charge of our life. We will follow the lying prophets the Lord has saw fit to make many in Babylon.
Jer 29:8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
Jer 29:9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.
Lest we forget who is causing all things to happen, even evil things and false prophets!
Eze 14:9 And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
And the Lord will show us this in due time. After our appointed time of captivity has come, HE promises to come visit us and bring us out. He did for me and will do it for all of God’s Elect. The Lord has a plan for His people, the apple of His eye. It is all for good, a good plan and not for evil. The end shall be salvation. Praise God. This is huge if you can believe it.
Jer 29:10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
Again, the carnal minded “free willers” have no place to stand, their lies crumble with any examination of Scripture. And this next Scripture, Jeremiah 29:11 is cited often in Babylon as we are taught falsely that the Lord is speaking about blessing our flesh and making us comfortable and content living in this world. That is not the Lord’s plan as His plans for good actually speak of coming to judge and destroy our old man and carnal nature and through the desolation, to bring the lightness, the new man, Christ in us, up from the darkness.
Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Here is that plan summed up nicely by the Apostle.
1Co 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
1Co 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
1Co 15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
1Co 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Babylon knows verse 50 very well, but does not know how to apply it and teaches that the Lord is in the flesh blessing business but that is another jesus. When Christ truly appears to us, He comes to bring judgment upon our old man and carnal mind. That is the mystery of how He saves ALL MEN in their appointed times.
1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: (THE ELECT) and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
This is the riddle and the parable of salvation that God will reveal to you after judgment has begun and you look behind and can see God at work. Salvation comes throught the righteous judgment of God.
Joh 12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
Joh 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
And after the Lord has visited us and dragged us out then with true faith, we shall call upon Him and pray unto Him and He will hearken unto the prayers of a righteous man. As we endure fiery trials and judgment we will come to our wits end and cry out unto the Lord. We can ask for anything consistent with His will and HE will perform it. How great is that!
Jer 29:12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.Psa 107:28 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
When Christ appears to us inwardly a second time for salvation without sin, the bonds of captivity are cut and we are truly free in Christ Jesus. Henceforth we will be under grace and truth and not the law of Moses that brings death. This is all the work of God, it is not our work, HE scatters us into Babylon as His Elect and He also brings us back. Carnal men will continue to deny the Lord with the lie of free moral agency. Here is some good news.
Jer 29:14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
The rest of this Chapter is speaking of the Lord having vengeance for His temple and recompensing upon us, HIS ELECT, the punishment for our sins and rebellion while in Babylon. That is right, we all will reap what we have sown. This is actually the good news, the judgment of God against our old man and carnal mind, which is sweeter than honey and more desirable than gold.
Jer 29:15 Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon;
Jer 29:16 Know that thus saith the LORD of the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;
See this v16 – the Lord is the Potter directing the steps of all men, those in Babylon now and even the very few that are now out of Babylon. The Lord is causing all things for the counsel of His will, free will is the strong delusion of the carnal mind. And look at what is promised for God’s Elect, once they come out of Babylon. We will be hated and rejected of all men and follow the Lord. Our words and doctrines will be darkness and evil to those that walk after the flesh and they will not understand. This is what is necessary for God to finish His good work in His Elect, to strip us of all our pride, ego and fleshly strength. This is how we are humbled in our appointed times by His fiery judgments.
Jer 29:17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
Jer 29:18 And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:
Jer 29:19 Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.
Jer 29:20 Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:
Being a hissing and a reproach is not fun to the carnal mind. It is our natural inclination and human nature to strongly desire to fit in with those around us. But God’s Elect that are dragged out of Babylon are indeed a peculiar people, likened to aliens and strangers in a foreign land. We will stand out like sore thumbs or like Joseph who was given a coat of many colors by his Father. God’s Elect have been given that coat spiritually, and the world will hate us for it, just as Joseph’s brothers hated him. We will learn to count these things as joy as we understand them and know what great blessing has fallen upon us to be dragged out of Babylon.
Gen 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
Gen 37:4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
All of God’s elect will be given a coat of many colors in due time. This will cause them to be hated and rejected of all men, even without a cause just as they hated our Lord. This is the same enmity that God put between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman in the story of Adam and Eve.
Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Joh 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
Joh 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Conclusion
So knowing these truths, I have come to stop ragging on Babylon. You will too in due time if you are currently ragging on the whore harlot churches of men. The Lord is deceiving those prophets, it is not them, so we will stop judging them after the flesh and acknowledge this is the work of the Lord.
Once you see this, you will have mercy on them knowing that you coming out of Babylon was nothing to do with you, it was all the work of God. And that is what it is, the Lord is in the process of calling out the few that will be the judges and rulers of this world with Him in the ages to come. They will be merciful judges and it is thru the process of being shown our own wickedness and being delivered from it, knowing we had nothing to do with it, that we in turn will show mercy to all men.
Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. (Universal Salvation)
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
And showing that mercy will be a big role God’s Elect are being prepared for right now.
Oba 1:21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau (those that walk after the flesh); and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.
1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?Mat 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
This is the prize and the upward calling of God for which we strive to attain to the first resurrection!!!!!
Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
What a wonderful God we serve. His plans for all of us are for good. The hardships and evil we experience in this life is for His purposes and these things must be.
Gen 3:22And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
I hope this has blessed you and opened your eyes of understanding. Sincere questions can be emailed to me at peterjwilson56@gmail.com
A brother who once was blind but now sees and that only by the mercy of God, given as an undeserved gift,