Jeremiah 25

The Cup of God’s Wrath (25:15–38)

15–26 The cup filled with the wine of [God’s] wrath is a symbol of divine judgment (verse 15); just as wine causes men to stagger (verse 16), so will the sword of the Babylonians cause Judah’s people to stagger (see Isaiah 51:17).

In verse 17, Jeremiah says he made all the nations . . . drink it (the cup); that is, Jeremiah symbolically pronounced judgment against the nations. The real judgment would soon follow.

The nations to be judged are listed in verses 19–26. Note that the list begins with Judah (verse 18); if God’s own people are to be judged first, how can other nations hope to escape! (see 1 Peter 4:17). The list ends with Sheshach, a code name for Babylon (verse 26). For all the other nations, Babylon had been God’s agent of judgment; last of all, the agent itself will be judged.

27–29 God will begin His judgment with Jerusalem—“the city that bears my name” (verse 29). This was the place where God chose to establish His temple, His symbolic dwelling place on earth (Deuteronomy 12:5; Jeremiah 7:10). Judgment will then extend to all who live on the earth; here the “earth” represents the known world of Jeremiah’s time, which was made up of the nations listed in verses 19–26.

30–32 In figurative language, the Lord compares His wrath with that of a roaring lion (verse 30), a stern judge in a courtroom (verse 31), and a mighty storm (verse 32).

33–38 In these final verses, the Lord further describes His terrible judgment upon the earth. The slain . . . will be everywhere . . . like refuse lying on the ground (verse 33). In verses 34–36, the Lord singles out the shepherds, the leaders, for judgment; they will certainly not escape.