Jeremiah Tells a Story of Good and Bad Figs

By Mary Vee
Jeremiah 29

From Jeremiah's Journal

Photo Courtesy

At times God showed me what He wanted me to tell the people of Judah with a vision. A vision is different than a dream. When I see a vision, I am not asleep.

I am the prophet Jeremiah. God recently showed me a vision. I saw two baskets of figs in front of the temple of the Lord. One basket had very good figs, like those that ripen early. The other basket had very poor figs, so bad they could not be eaten.

Then God said to me, "The people who Nebuchadnezzar took as prisoners far away to Babylon are like the good figs. I will watch over them and give them a desire to want to know more about me--that I am the Lord. They will be my people and I will be their God. 

"They have been led astray by the evil kings Ahab and Zedekiah, but one day, they will return to me with all their hearts.

"Zedekiah, his officials, and the survivors of Jerusalem are like the bad figs. Some will remain in Jerusalem, some will go to Egypt. These are the ones that will be hated by other countries. The people from those countries will make fun of them, laugh at them, call them names. A famine will come to where they live and soldiers will attack them until they are destroyed. These are the ones who never will have a place in their heart for me."

I sent a letter to those who had been taken to Babylon and told them about the vision of the figs. I wanted to encourage them that they would one day come back to their home and tell them not to listen to any prophet who told them a different message.

In the letter, God told me to say, "You will be there for seventy years. Plant gardens. Settle into homes. Raise your families. God knows the plans He has for you. Plans to take care of you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.

"At some time you will call on God and pray to Him. When you do, He will listen. You will search for Him, and He will be there, waiting for you. That is when He will bring you back from captivity to your beloved homes in Jerusalem.

"As for Ahab and Zedekiah who are telling you lies in my name, I will hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon and he will put them to death.

Seventy years. Thats a long time. But at least we know there will be an end to the captivity. Then those who truly love God will come back home.

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1. What fruit did Jeremiah see in his vision.
2. What is the difference between a dream and a vision.
3. The good fruit was like...what?
4. The bad fruit was like...what?
5. How long would those who were taken to Babylon have to wait before they would come back to Jerusalem?
6. What would happen in that amount of time?