INTRODUCTION

A.   Premillennialists look for a thousand-year reign of Jesus on the throne of David in Jerusalem--all of which is connected to the second appearing of Jesus.

B.   Jeremiah showed long ago that Jesus could never rule on David’s throne on the earth and prosper.

C. When one understands Jeremiah’s pronouncement concerning Coniah, he will know that the premillennial claim concerning the literal reign of Jesus on earth is false.

D. Let us study Jehovah’s message concerning Coniah (Jeremiah 22:24-30).

DISCUSSION

I.   THIS IS THE SAME AS JECONIAH (24:1) AND JEHOIACHIN (2 Kings 24:6,8).

II. HE WOULD BE DELIVERED TO NEBUCHADNEZZAR AND CARRIED TO BABYLON (22:24-28).

A. No favor will be shown to Coniah even though he is of the Davidic line (22:24).

B. Jehovah would deliver Coniah and his family to Nebuchadnezzar (22:25,26; 2 Kings 24:8-16).

C.   Coniah and his family would die in Babylon (22:27,28; 17:4).

III.   HE WOULD NOT HAVE AN HEIR ON HIS THRONE WHO WOULD PROSPER [RULING IN JUDAH] (22:29,30).

A.   Jehovah called the earth to witness what he would do to Coniah (22:29).

B.   Coniah was written "childless" as far as the throne was concerned  (22:30).

1.   He had children (1 Chronicles 3:17).
 

2.   Jesus was one of his descendants (Matthew 1:12-16; Luke 3:23-27).

 
3.   “An examination of the word used by Jeremiah shows that the translation ‘childless’ is an interpretation, a derived or extended meaning not in the word itself.  The literal meaning of Jeremiah’s word (‘arar) is ‘bare’ or ‘naked.’  It describes palaces or cities laid bare by armies.  (Jeremiah 51:58; Isaiah 23:13).  It describes what the Edomites wanted the Babylonians to do to Jerusalem, ‘Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation.’  (Psalms 137:7).  It describes unclothed women. (Isaiah 32:11).  In the context of Jeremiah 22:30, the word apparently means that Jechoniah would have no son to succeed himself sitting on David’s throne and ruling in Judah as he had done.

a.   “But the New Testament shows that from Jechoniah’s seed Jesus would come to sit on David’s spiritual throne and to rule in spiritual Judah, his church.  (Luke 1:32; John 18:36; Acts 2:30; Galatians 6:16).

b.   “If one of Jechoniah’s descendants should sit on David’s literal throne and rule in physical Judah as he had done, then one would be forced to say that Jeremiah uttered a false prophecy, for he affirmed such would never be...

c.   “Those who assert that Jesus, a man of Jechoniah’s seed, will return to literal Jerusalem and reign a thousand years have to reckon with Jeremiah.  If Jeremiah spoke God’s word ‘faithfully’ (23:28), premillennialism is a false doctrine.”  

IV. THIS DEFEATS PREMILLENNIALISM.  JESUS RULES IN HEAVEN, BUT COULD NEVER RULE AND PROSPER ON EARTH.
 
CONCLUSION

A.   Premillennialism is false.

B.   Jeremiah takes the wind out of the sails of premillennialism.

C.   Let men everywhere reject the false claims of premillennialism.
 

ENDNOTES

1 Hugo McCord, “Jechoniah,” Gospel Advocate, January 19, 1984, p. 49.

        James Rogers