SEVENTY YEARS: Approx 606 BC (Nebuchadnezzar's 2nd
year: Dan 2:1) to 536 BC (Cyrus' 1st year alone: decree to rebuild temple: Ezr
1:1). See Lesson, 70 years captivity.
Jer 25:12
ARE FULFILLED: While the land enjoys its sabbaths (1/7
of the approx 490 years Israel was in the Land) which had previously been
ignored by Israel (Lev 26:34,35).
Jer 25:20
FOREIGN: Heb "ereb" = "mixed", with special ref to Arab
peoples (see Lesson, Arab/"mixed"). Also in v 24.
There were 5 major Philistine cities (1Sa 6:17; Josh 13:3),
but in later days the prophets carefully leave Gath out of the picture (Amo
1:6-8; Zep 2:4; Jer 25:20; Zec 9:5,6). Why? Uzziah, in his war against the
Philistines, smashed up Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod (2Ch 26:6). The last of these
was evidently strategic enough to warrant rebuilding (Isa 20:1), but the other
two disappeared from history -- and from prophecy also.
Jer 25:24
FOREIGN: Heb "ereb" = "mixed", with special ref to Arab
peoples (see Lesson, Arab/"mixed"). Also in v 20.
Jer 25:26
SHESHACH: A cryptogram for "Babel", or Babylon. The
method used is a simple code in which each letter is replaced by its counterpart
marked off from the other end of the alphabet. Thus, in English, BAD becomes
YZW. (The same code is used in Jer 51:1,41 also.)