What is the meaning of Jeremiah chapter 33 verse 16?

Answer 1

A:Jeremiah 33:16: "In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness."

The Babylonians had defeated Judah and taken some of the Jews into captivity. Jeremiah was preaching a message of hope.

Answer:

In order to understand verse 16, one has to grasp the meaning of the ones leading up to it.

Jeremiah's chapter 33 is a "prophecy" of the "gospel" [good news] of the Kingdom of God. The time just ahead of us, in which Jerusalem is slated to become the place of His future throne where the throne of David was ["He... will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David..." - Luke 1:32 NIV].

Verse 15 says: "In those days and at that time I will make a Righteous Branch sprout from David's line; He will do what is Just and Right in the land."

This prophecy speaks of both "Houses" of the scattered children of Israel; Israel AND Judah [the Jews]. Not just the Jews who were the only visible Israelites around in Jeremiah's day.

Verse 14: "'The days are coming, ' declares the LORD, 'when I will fulfill the gracious Promise I made to the House of Israel AND to the House of Judah."

The "House of Israel" disappeared from historical view... removed from their land and dispersed among the nations by the Assyrian Empire, some 130 years before the "House of Judah" [the Jews] in the time of Jeremiah went into Babylonian captivity [see II Kings 17:18-23].

While the Jews, the House of Judah, returned from Babylonian captivity 70 years later... the House of Israel never did.

The Jews, however, were scattered once more in 70-71a.d. by the Roman Empire. Until a small contingent of armed Jews declared themselves a state in the Middle East around Jerusalem in 1948... and is to this day threatened by their neighbors with annihilation -- hardly at Peace, Prosperous or Secure.

Jeremiah's 33rd chapter prophesys of the end time return of BOTH Houses at the time of the return of Jesus Christ.

"...I will heal My people and will let them enjoy abundant Peace and Security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed [Salvation] against Me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against Me. Then this city [Jerusalem] will bring Me Renown, Joy, Praise and Honor before all nations on earththat hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant Prosperity and Peace I provide for it." (verses 6-9)

Obviously, Jerusalem is not yet "at Peace or Secure"... it's not yet a place of Joy, Praise or Honor... neither are the nations in awe of any imagined Prosperity attributed to it.

Verse 16 boasts both Salvation and Safety for Jerusalem... neither of which will come to pass until Jesus comes back with Power and Glory to establish these things, His Kingdom, and His throne there.

"...never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure." (Zech.14:11 NIV)

"...the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles." (Zech.14:16 NIV)

Jeremiah 33:16 is more than a message of Hope for Jerusalem. It's a prophecy of Jesus' establishment of the Kingdom of God there... the future headquarters and throne of its King.

Answer 2

Many times a single verse in Scripture requires the reader to go both before and after it to glean the full meaning. That is the case here (full chapter better)

Jeremiah 3:14-17New King James Version (NKJV)

14 "Return, O backsliding children," says the Lord; "for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. 15 And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.

16 "Then it shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days," says the Lord, "that they will say no more, 'The ark of the covenant of the Lord.' It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore.

17 "At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts.

As the Northern Kingdom called Israel was imprisoned about 100 years before Jeremiah recorded these words, it must be pointing to a future time - the phrase 'in those days' points to the end-times and having all the nations gathering at the Throne of the LORD there would certainly prove that to be. This then is a prophecy for the 'spiritual Israelites' or disciples in God's Church Jesus began and the falling away of the last Church-era called Laodicean. Also, the gathering of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms in re-union is prophecized to occur in the latter days (see Ezekiel all).

God has always given His people 'shepherds' to lead them. Moses particularly in the OT, Jesus in the NT and Jesus and His firstfruits in the Millennial rule. Many other Scriptures point to this time like Isaiah 22:22, Ezekiel 37, and Revelation 19 to name just a few.