The Bible Says
Jeremiah 28:5-9 Meaning

In Jeremiah 28:5-9, the prophet Jeremiah, who served from around 626 BC until the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC, confronts another prophet named Hananiah within the sacred confines of the temple in Jerusalem. The capital city of the kingdom of Judah, Jerusalem, was a center of worship and religious life for God’s people in the ancient Near East. Jeremiah begins by stressing the public nature of this prophecy, declaring, Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the people who were standing in the house of the LORD (v. 5). Here, we see Jeremiah responding to Hananiah’s words before a gathered audience, indicating the seriousness of any prophecy given in God’s temple.

Jeremiah’s initial response to Hananiah’s claims is both careful and measured. This is made clear when we read, and the prophet Jeremiah said, "Amen! May the LORD do so; may the LORD confirm your words which you have prophesied to bring back the vessels of the LORD’s house and all the exiles, from Babylon to this place" (v. 6). Even though Jeremiah typically warns of looming judgment, he does not reject out of hand the possibility that God might restore the temple articles and bring the captives home. His affirmation demonstrates that he genuinely hopes for deliverance, reflecting a heart aligned with the people’s well-being. Yet he also implies that any genuine prophecy must be confirmed by God Himself, a crucial principle for discerning the truth of such declarations.

Jeremiah then shifts to sober caution, urging everyone to listen carefully to what he must say. He delivers this caution in the words, "Yet hear now this word which I am about to speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people" (v. 7). By commanding their attention, Jeremiah emphasizes that not all prophecies are necessarily from the LORD. Throughout the Scriptures, believers are consistently encouraged to heed the word of a prophet but also test its authenticity (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). In Jeremiah’s context, people faced imminent turmoil from Babylon, and Jeremiah insisted that truth would only be revealed when time tested Hananiah’s promised peace.

Recalling the witness of prophetic voices throughout history, Jeremiah states, "The prophets who were before me and before you from ancient times prophesied against many lands and against great kingdoms, of war and of calamity and of pestilence" (v. 8). This prophetic tradition often spoke of destruction and hardship, especially when people strayed from God’s ways. By alluding to his predecessors, Jeremiah underscores that authentic prophecy sometimes bears unwelcome news. It was common for earlier prophets like Isaiah or Micah to warn of impending judgement if the covenant was violated, reminding the people of God’s consistent pattern of dealing with disobedience.

Finally, Jeremiah sets a clear test for discernment, declaring, "The prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, then that prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent" (v. 9). By stating this, Jeremiah explains that time would validate whether Hananiah’s message of swift restoration was truly from God. If circumstances did not unfold as Hananiah predicted, it would reveal his prophecy as false. Jeremiah’s stance urges caution and patient trust in the LORD, rather than clinging to predictions that promise quick relief without solid evidence that God has so decreed.