Jeremiah 52:12-23--The Temple Burned

Jeremiah 52:12-23
English Standard Version

The Temple Burned
12 In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, who served the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. 13 And he burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. 14 And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down all the walls around Jerusalem. 15 And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive some of the poorest of the people and the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the artisans. 16 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.

17 And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried all the bronze to Babylon. 18 And they took away the pots and the shovels and the snuffers and the basins and the dishes for incense and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service; 19 also the small bowls and the fire pans and the basins and the pots and the lampstands and the dishes for incense and the bowls for drink offerings. What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver. 20 As for the two pillars, the one sea, the twelve bronze bulls that were under the sea, and the stands, which Solomon the king had made for the house of the LORD, the bronze of all these things was beyond weight. 21 As for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, its circumference was twelve cubits, and its thickness was four fingers, and it was hollow. 22 On it was a capital of bronze. The height of the one capital was five cubits. A network and pomegranates, all of bronze, were around the capital. And the second pillar had the same, with pomegranates. 23 There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; all the pomegranates were a hundred upon the network all around

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The most unbelievable part of the LORD's prophecy through Jeremiah was that the Temple would be destroyed.  They might be willing to believe that invaders would come, and even that some of them would die, and maybe that some cities would be taken.  All this had happened in the past, but it was pretty hard for them to believe that Jerusalem would fall and that if Jerusalem fell that the LORD would allow His Temple to be desecrated and destroyed.  Yet, that is exactly what happens in this passage, exactly as the LORD said it would.

The Temple was burned with fire as was every great house that the rich lived in.  All the walls around Jerusalem were broken down so that there was nothing left of the city but a burning, shouldering heap of rubble.  The king of Babylon carried away everyone who was left who had not been taken captive during the first campaign.  Even the poor and those who had tried to escape the first time and the artisans that had been left behind.  Everyone now was shipped off into Exile with the exception of some of the poorest people that were left to work the farmland, vineyards and orchards as slave laborers.

Bronze is a very strong metal, and the Babylonians destroyed the pillars of bronze from the Temple and the Sea of Bronze that held all the water for the ceremonial washing.  They took away the smaller bronze items as well as the items of silver and gold that were used in the service of the LORD.  They put these objects into the treasuries of the temples of their gods.  The text reminds us of how beautiful this Temple was--so beautiful is was considered one of the Wonders of the Ancient World, and the Babylonians destroyed it to desecrate it in an attempt to show the people of Judah that the LORD was too weak to save them from their gods.