They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.
Until the day that I visit them - until I visit the Babylonians in wrath by Cyrus (Jeremiah 32:5). In 70 years from the first carrying away of captives in Jehoiachin's reign (Jeremiah 29:10; 2 Chronicles 36:21).
I will restore them - "the vessels" of the temple, by the hand of Cyrus (Ezra 1:7) through Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah; also subsequently by Artaxerxes (Ezra 7:19) through Ezra.
Remarks:
(1) How futile it is to attempt to resist the will of God. God, who has made the earth and all things therein, by "His great power and His outstretched arm," can give it to whomsoever He pleases (Jeremiah 27:5). We must not, therefore, resist the authority which He has delegated to human rulers, but cheerfully submit.
(2) It is true we see power often in the hands of bad men; but God has His own all-wise purposes to serve, and our part is to believe He doeth all things well, and will make what is dark now, clear at last, if we but wait in patient faith.
`Blind unbelief is sure to err, And scan God's work in vain; God is His own interpreter, And He will make it plain.'
(3) The day of God's wrathful visitation of the proud oppressor, whom God has exalted for a time, is coming at last (Jeremiah 27:7; Jeremiah 27:22). Meanwhile we may judge how inferior in value are worldly riches and grandeur to the true riches, from the fact that often God gives the largest measure of the former to unbelievers.
(4) By a meek spirit, by quietness, and by a contented resignation to circumstances which we cannot alter, we may turn a cross into a blessing. Many would have escaped destroying providences had they submitted to humbling providences. It is better to take up a light cross that God puts in our way, than to pull down a heavier one on our head by impatience and impotent fretfulness. It would have been better for the Jews to have submitted to Nebuchadnezzar's yoke, as appointed by God, and so to have remained in their own land, than by their rebellion to bring on themselves their expulsion from it, and lengthened exile in Babylon (Jeremiah 27:10). In resisting Nebuchadnezzar, after the warning of God, they virtually rushed upon their own destruction. O that sinners would submit to the light yoke (Jeremiah 27:2) of Messiah, to whom the Father hath given power over all nations, and over the beasts of the field (Psalms 2:1-12 and Psalms 8:6-8: cf. Genesis 2:19-20), rather than "die" (Jeremiah 27:13) by the vain effort to "break His hands asunder (Psalms 2:3), and to cast away His cords from them." Rather let them "cast away from them all their transgressions, and make them a new heart and a new spirit." For God saith-now saith-as He did to Israel of old, "Why will ye die?" (Ezekiel 18:31.) Why should you die the second death, infinitely worse than that "by sword, famine, and pestilence?" (Jeremiah 27:13.)
(5) What a grievous responsibility they incur who, by false promises of safety, without regeneration and conversion, flatter sinners to their ruin (Jeremiah 27:15-18). They and their dupes shall perish together, but especial woe awaits those by whom the offence came; they shall be beaten with many stripes.
(6) There is hope to the Church in her days of great est depression. Though one's lot be cast in times of her affliction, he must not despair, but confidently expect that, if not in his time, at least in God's own good time, better days are in store for the Church, and through her for the world. Her holy vessels shall be restored as at the first (Jeremiah 27:22), believing ministers and people, about to be "vessels of honour, sanctified and meet for the Master's use" (2 Timothy 2:21).