And it shall come to pass, when ye are multiplied in the land and become fruitful, in those days, saith Jehovah, they shall say no more, Ark of the covenant of Jehovah! neither shall it come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit [it]; neither shall it be done any more.
Jeremiah 3 is a plea to a people who had wandered from God. In the middle of it comes a promise about a day when Israel is back in the land and growing. The strange part is what that day will not hold. Israel's most sacred object, the ark of the covenant, will not even come to mind.
The promise reaches past captivity, and it outruns Israel's best days.
Here we have God's grace stepping in for the whole people in the latter day — after the Assyrian captivity, which had already happened, and the Babylonian one, still to come. After all that, God would recall His people — not part of them, but the whole of them. He would recall Israel. He would recall Judah. He would bring them both back into the land. He would bless them there so richly that even their ancient blessing, the ark of the covenant, would pass away. The ark was the great mark of David's faith. David made a resting-place for it on Zion, and it was lost soon after Solomon... So great would be the blessing of that day that even what David and Solomon knew would be altogether eclipsed by the still brighter glory of the whole united people. From that time they would never depart from the Lord again.
The ark stood for God's presence with Israel. Scripture stops mentioning it around Jeremiah's time, and the verse may hint at how people were treating it then.
Josiah tells the Levites to put the ark in its proper place in the temple, and to stop carrying it on their shoulders. That is the last historical mention of the ark in Scripture. From Jer. 3:16 it would almost appear that people had turned it into a showy display, and that the Levites may have carried it in procession through the streets of Jerusalem. It is never heard of again, and probably perished when the Babylonians burned the temple.
Some have said Jeremiah hid the ark away for a future day. One writer finds that unlikely, and points to this verse.
That it disappeared is certain. That he hid it, to come out at a future day, we think most unlikely, with the words of his prophecy (Jer. 3:16) before us... A stone took its place in the rebuilt temple, and Ezekiel's temple of the future never mentions it. Jeremiah has told us that it will not be needed, and we can all understand why. The ark was the symbol of the Divine presence, and God needs no symbol when He Himself is there.
This is no downgrade. The picture gives way to the Person it pictured.
The ark had the greatest significance in Israel when it was made. Yet it was only a symbol of Christ. The symbol must vanish away, while the One it speaks of remains for ever in all the excellence of His beauty and glory.
The temple Ezekiel describes for that age has no ark in it.
In the holiest place there is no sign and no ark needed: Jehovah fills it alone.
The next verse names what replaces the ark: Jerusalem becomes the throne of the LORD, and the nations gather to it. Three things arrive together there, and history has not yet seen them together.
Some events have looked like the fulfilment of many of the prophecies about their restoration — for example, the return of the people from Babylon. But God has given His own marks. He has tied circumstances together that have never yet come true, as in this passage: "All the nations shall be gathered unto it."... In a word, we see three things happening together which surely have not yet happened at the same time: Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah; Judah and Israel united; and the nations assembled to the throne of God. When the church began, Israel was scattered. When Israel returned from Babylon, there was neither church nor gathering of nations.
The verse has a present edge. It settles the question of chasing after sacred objects. The writer quotes an older translation here: where the ESV has "or missed," it reads "neither shall they visit it."
He sees the living glory and covenant coming in Christ with surpassing splendour, and so he says, "Neither shall they remember it, neither shall they visit it!" A greater glory outshines it. This helps those who cling to the living Lord today. Many are trapped in superstition and darkness by vague and mysterious teaching about "The Ark," and I have met some of them in great distress of mind. We have the living Christ, and we are to follow Him.
- Outshone. The sign that once marked God's presence is not destroyed. The glory it pointed to has come, and it outshines the sign.
- Outgrown. Israel's future blessing goes far beyond the days of David and Solomon. Their finest treasure will not even come to mind.
- Untraceable. The ark's story stops in Jeremiah's day. Guesses about a hidden ark run against the very verse that says it will never be needed again.
- Unnecessary. Ezekiel's temple of the future has no ark: no symbol of God's presence is needed when God Himself is there.
- Unfulfilled. A throne at Jerusalem, Judah and Israel together, and all nations gathered — these three have never yet happened at once. The promise still stands open.
At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of Jehovah, to Jerusalem; and they shall no more walk after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
Jeremiah looks ahead to a day when Jerusalem carries God's throne. The promise raises two hard questions. What does it mean to call a city the throne of the Lord? And when has anything like this ever happened?
The title given to Jerusalem is a title of rule. One writer will not soften it into something spiritual and present. He uses an older translation that prints God's name as "Jehovah"; the ESV has "the LORD".
Here the prophet speaks of a state that goes beyond everything known under their best kings. Is it the gospel, or what we now know under Christianity? There is not the slightest resemblance. "At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah." Now that is not the gospel. The gospel is not the throne of Jehovah. The throne of Jehovah means governmental power. It is put forth over the whole earth, according to His name, Jehovah. There are to be no idols. There are to be no rivals. The name of Jehovah is to be the one universal name owned and honoured over the whole earth.
Some say this came true when the exiles returned from Babylon. Others say it pictures the church. One commentator answers both.
Certain early signs have looked like the fulfilment of many prophecies about their restoration. The return of the people from Babylon is one. But God has given His own marks. He has linked circumstances together which have never yet come true. In this passage, "all nations shall gather to it." That did not take place at the return from Babylon. But you will reply, It is the church. No. We see three things happening together which have not yet happened at the same time: Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah; Judah and Israel united; and the nations assembled to the throne of God. When the church was founded, Israel was dispersed. When Israel returned from Babylon, there was neither church nor gathering of nations.
The ark was the gold-covered chest in Israel's sanctuary. It was God's throne among His people, and it is gone. One writer shows what this verse puts in its place — and what changes in the people themselves.
The literal ark has passed away, as Jeremiah tells us, and it will never return. But instead of that throne of His of old, a far greater grace has declared that Jerusalem itself "shall be called the throne of the LORD, and all nations shall gather to it... and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart."
The verse opens with "At that time." Commentators place that time after judgment has cleared the ground.
Besides the warrior-judgment, there is a judgment from the seat of authority. It comes when Christ has destroyed the beast and Antichrist and has taken the throne of Jehovah on the earth at Jerusalem. For Jerusalem is to be called the throne of Jehovah.
The same writer names who has tried to build a worldwide rule. He also shows that Christ's kingdom will not be limited to the earth.
"All nations shall gather to it." The papacy has tried under the gospel to set up a universal spiritual monarchy. That will really be done by the only One entitled to it, the Lord Jesus. He will have this kingdom upon the earth, Jerusalem His centre, and all the nations His sphere. At the same time He will have the heavens, and the new Jerusalem will be the capital.
The promise is startling because of who receives it. God names a guilty city as His throne.
Jerusalem then is to be the throne of Jehovah. Suppose it is worthy of God, suitable to His grace, and due to His Son, that He should show mercy to the vilest of sinners now. Then will it take from His glory, or lessen His grace, if He pours out His mercy over the earth? Will it, if He yet makes that guilty city a holy city, not in word only, but in deed and in truth? The time shall come when He who saw and wept over its growing wickedness will be its unhindered and eternal blessing, so that the nations may be blessed too.
- Throne — the phrase means real government. God rules the earth under His own name, with no idols and no rivals.
- Replacement — the ark, God's old throne among Israel, is gone for good. Grace answers that loss and names the whole city His throne.
- Gathering — the reach then runs outward. Jerusalem is His centre, all the nations His sphere, and the new Jerusalem the capital above.
- Timing — three things must meet at once: the throne, Judah and Israel united, and the nations gathered. They never have, so the promise still stands unfulfilled.
- Mercy — the city named as God's throne is the guilty one He wept over. The same grace will make that city holy in deed and truth, and its people will no longer follow their own evil heart.