On that day, the strength of the house of Israel will be exalted, and I will empower your voice among them, and they shall recognize that I am the Lord.
One might wonder why there is an immediate leap from the tenth year of the previous prophecy to the twenty-seventh year here, followed by references to the tenth and twelfth years, and eventually the twenty-fifth year which appears at the conclusion of the temple's account. The resolution to this is not complex. The two prophecies regarding Egypt are interconnected, although revealed at different times; they relate to the same nation. This structure is similar to instances within Jeremiah, where events are often recounted in reverse chronological order. In some passages, Zedekiah's actions are detailed before those of his predecessor, Jehoiakim. However, the Psalms do not adhere to a historical sequence, as they are crafted as lyrical compositions.
To address the literal context: When Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre and was unable to utilize battering rams or siege engines due to the city's coastal positioning, he commanded a vast number of troops to gather stones and construct embankments. They filled a narrow waterway, bridging the gap between the mainland and the island. As the Tyrians witnessed the impending fall of their city, their leaders evacuated valuables—gold, silver, and various precious items—by ship to nearby islands, leaving nothing of worth for Nebuchadnezzar when he ultimately seized the city. Nevertheless, since he complied with God's purpose in this endeavor, Egypt was granted to him shortly after Tyre's fall.
Tyre was far more malevolent than Egypt, as while Egypt attacked Jerusalem, Tyre only offered empty promises of assistance. It is one thing to mislead the vulnerable by instilling false hopes; it is quite another to wage war against God's chosen people. Hence, the Lord asserts that Nebuchadnezzar, in his campaign against Tyre, executed My will—his soldiers worked hard under harsh conditions, suffering blistered heads and sore shoulders from carrying heavy loads, yet he and his army found nothing of value there. Because he fulfilled My purpose, I will grant him the land of Egypt in recompense.
Some interpret this reward as coming under Nebuchadnezzar's reign, while others assert it occurred during the time of Cambyses, son of Cyrus, who ravaged Egypt as far as Ethiopia, leading to his own demise as a result of insanity, stemming from a fall, ultimately ending with his own sword. Herodotus recounts this extensively, detailing the entirety of Egypt, its cities, fortifications, and the origins of the Nile, extending to the boundaries of Ethiopia, the Great Sea, and the borderlands of Libya and Arabia.
The root of the Lord's discontent with Egypt lies in their deception of God's people through false promises, causing them to place their trust in human aid rather than in God, igniting His anger. The prophecy states that on the day when Egypt falls, the strength of Israel will be elevated, likely referencing the royal lineage. Some attribute this to Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, descended from King David through Jehoiakim; others suggest it pertains to a future time with the anticipated return of Elijah. However, we understand this strength as representing Christ as the horn of salvation.
The words of the prophet will not merely echo possibility but will become manifest, allowing all to witness that I am the Lord, whose words are fulfilled in action. This emphasizes the connection to the literal interpretation of prophecy. In observing that Nebuchadnezzar was rewarded for his righteous actions, we recognize that even the Gentiles, when they act rightly, will not go unnoticed by God's judgment. Thus, Jeremiah refers to Nebuchadnezzar as the servant of God, stating: I will send Nebuchadnezzar, My servant.
It becomes apparent that in contrast to the Gentiles, we stand condemned for failing to adhere to the natural law, whether outlined or not. The apostle Paul elaborates on this in his epistle to the Romans. Moreover, for clarity in the spiritual interpretation, we inquire about the significance of the number twenty-seven. In Genesis, it is noted that in the six-hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month on the twenty-seventh day, the floodwaters came upon the earth, and later, in the seventh month of the same year, it was noted that on the twenty-seventh day the waters receded and Noah's ark came to rest upon the mountains of Ararat, which represent Armenia.
This number thus emerges as significant, marking both divine wrath, as evidenced by the flood, and mercy, as observed in the later events of the seventh month. As the Jewish calendar is based on lunar cycles, the designation of the twenty-seventh day indicates that some vestiges of light remain, signifying God's mercy amidst His wrath. When the moon completes its cycle, the Passover and principal feasts are commemorated. Thus, we note that this number encompasses both blessings for Nebuchadnezzar, rewarded for his labors, and calamity for the Egyptians, foretold with impending devastation.
THEOSIS