Does Jeremiah 29:11 Apply To Me? (or A Lesson In Hermeneutics)

The answer is No. Here is why:

Imagine a scenario. You are a resident of a richly blessed land (say, America) and you look forward to the possibilities that lay before you. You have a nice home, a good reputation in the community, beautiful healthy children, and you find great joy and delight in your church. Life seems grand. Then, one day, the gates of Hell open to your land. Some militant Islamists (just to use a group that has expressed its hatred of all things American) has devastatingly attacked the United States, destroying Washington, D.C. and New York City and causing the total collapse of America as a political entity. Then, to make matters worse, you and your family who are fortunate enough to survive the ensuing years of war and famine are kidnapped by soldiers and then forced to move (exiled) to the Middle East. You are forced to speak a new language, practice a new culture, and even worship a new god. Everything you knew and everything you imagined is now gone. What would you do upon arriving in your new homeland? You might fight back. You might become depressed. You might even commit suicide. Who knows what you would do in such a moment of surreal despair?

The Jews were forcibly exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon, modern-day Iraq.

This is very nearly the context of Jeremiah 29:11. In the year 605 BC, the Babylonian Empire, under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar II, began to siege the Kingdom of Judah. This siege culminated in 586 BC with the almost total destruction of the capital city of Jerusalem and its majestic temple. At this point, the Kingdom of Judah ceased to be an entity at all. Throughout this siege, thousands of Jews were exiled by force to Babylon, a trek of about 800 miles. [1] Jeremiah the prophet was permitted to remain in Judah, but he continued to communicate with his fellow Jews--both those who remained in Judah and those exiled to Babylon (by letter).

What would God say to his chosen people in such a position?

One supposed prophet, named Hananiah, prophesied (in Jeremiah 28:2-3) that God would "break the yolk of the King of Babylon" within two years. Two years isn't that long, considering the horrific tragedy that has taken place. People can hang on for two years to see God's perfect wrath and justice carried out. Jeremiah, however, knew that Hananiah was a false prophet who would be exposed as a liar when this prophecy didn't come true in two years. (Jeremiah 28:9) When Jeremiah called out Hananiah, Hananiah responded angrily, restating his original claim (Jer. 28:11).

Jeremiah rebutted:

 "Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies. Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you are going to die, because you have preached rebellion against the Lord.'" (Jeremiah 28:15-16)

Hananiah was dead within months. (Jer. 28:17)

In the very next chapter of Jeremiah's book, God clarifies the matter by telling him to write a letter to those Jews living as exiles in Babylon. What God has to say is not as exciting as what Hananiah prophesied. The Jews will return to their land, but it won't be in two years. In fact, it will be in seventy years. They are yet three generations removed from restoration. Those who went into exile will not see their homeland again.

Understanding the context of this letter is essential to know how to interpret it. In the letter, God tells his people what to do while they are in their new home. Some of the instructions God gives are as follows:

• "build houses and settle down" (Jer. 28:5)
• "plant gardens and eat what they produce" (Jer. 28:5)
• "Marry and have sons and daughters" (Jer. 28:6)
• "Increase in numbers" (Jer. 28:6)
• "seek the peace and prosperity of the city [of Babylon]" (Jer. 28:7)
• "Pray to the Lord [for Babylon's prosperity]" (Jer. 28:7)
• do not listen to false prophets (Jer. 28:8-9)
• patiently await the fulfillment of the Lord's "good promise" in seventy years (Jer. 28:10)

Then comes the famously misapplied line: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, "plans to give you a hope and a future."


Is there any good reason to think that this passage applies directly to modern Christians? No. It doesn't apply, because this is a promise to restore the ancient Jews to the land, which God had promised to their forefathers Abraham and Moses. (Genesis 12:1-2; Exodus 3:8) This is a historically-specific letter written by God (through Jeremiah) to the Jews who wrongly thought they'd live in their promised land forever. Modern Christians have no such promise from God.

Are we like Hananiah?

To adamantly insist that this passage applies directly to modern Christians is to commit Hananiah's error--that is, to claim God said something to us that he did not.

In fact, the modern misapplication of the passage is always optimistic. "God has a plan for you, no matter what your circumstances now!" In the biblical context, the verse is actually a sobering reality check. "It won't be two years; it will be seventy."

To take this verse and claim it is a universal promise of some vaguely spiritualized prosperity is to misquote the Lord in favor of something much more appealing. [2] In addition, there are abundant verses in the Bible that speak of the Christian's victory and spiritual prosperity. (1 Corinthians 15:54-57; 1 John 5:4-5; Romans 8:35-37) Jeremiah 29:11 just isn't one of them.

What can modern Christians learn from this ancient passage?

That's not to say however, that Christians gain nothing from this passage. While it is not a promise that applies to us, we do get a glimpse of our Lord in a particularly tender moment in which he is reassuring his children of his love for them. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us nothing of God's plan for our lives, but it does reveal to us something about our God--He genuinely desires to encourage his children. It is infinitely more important that we learn about God than it is for us to learn about our own destiny, isn't it?

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[1] Among those exiled were Daniel, Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednego). (Dan. 1:6)
[2] "Spiritualizing" is a common interpretive error we make when trying to apply a passage that doesn't really apply. In the context, it seems to imply a more or less material prosperity of restored lands and wealth to the Jews. In order to make it work for modern readers, it must be turned into spiritual prosperity. Unfortunately, there is no hermeneutical justification for making the move from material to spiritual here.