Jeremiah

Jeremiah is a major prophet of the Old Testament who ministered in Jerusalem during the final decades before the Babylonian destruction of the city in 586 BC. He is known as the "weeping prophet" for his grief over Israel's sins, and he prophesied the New Covenant written on the heart — the covenant fulfilled in Jesus Christ (CCC 715).

His Mission

Jeremiah was called to be a prophet even before his birth (Jeremiah 1:5) and ministered for over forty years during the reign of the last kings of Judah. He repeatedly called the people and their leaders to repentance, was rejected and persecuted, imprisoned and thrown into a cistern. His life of suffering for the sake of God's word makes him a type of Christ, the rejected prophet (CCC 715).

The New Covenant

Jeremiah's most significant prophecy is the announcement of the New Covenant: "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah... I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people" (Jeremiah 31:31–33). The Letter to the Hebrews quotes this passage at length as fulfilled in Christ (Hebrews 8:8–12; CCC 715, 762).

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Jeremiah called the "weeping prophet"? Because of the profound grief he expresses throughout his book — for the sins of his people, for the coming destruction of Jerusalem, and for his own suffering as a rejected prophet. The Book of Lamentations (traditionally attributed to Jeremiah) is an extended lamentation over Jerusalem's destruction. His grief is a type of Christ weeping over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41).