17:1-10 The Allegory of the Cedar Spring and the Messiah Planted by Yahweh – This chapter is anchored in current political events (Zedekiah’s rebellion), likely proclaimed not long before the actual fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. We receive a royal “Messianic” prophecy for the rst time in the book, allegorically, theologically, and eschatologically. There is little theological content in the “riddle” or “allegory.” The image of “cedar” and the image of a “vine” as representing God’s people are motifs prominent in other biblical passages, the most famous “vine” passage being John 15 (cf. also Is 5:1-7; Mt 20:1-16; 21:33-46). 17:11-18 The Allegory’s Historical Meaning – While the material continues to be non-theological on the surface, although we must avoid the ever-present temptation to divorce theology from history. At best, history unilluminated by revelation is mute and certainly does not disclose anything but an inscrutable Deus absconditus (See Pieper, Christliche Dogmatik, 1:377-81). The Gospel cannot be discerned from history alone. Yet, God is the nal author of all history and directs it toward its conclusion at Christ’s return. Beware of “docetism,” which denies that God’s redemptive actions at Bethlehem and Calvary took place in real, physical history, and so those events, at best, are symbolic. The rst eagle (17:3-6) is Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (605-562 B.C.). The “cedar” is said to be in “Lebanon,” but the tree represents Jerusalem. That the eagle breaks o “the topmost of its shoots” refers to Nebuchadnezzar removing King Jehoiachin, whom he took into Babylon in 597 B.C. (2 Ki 24:10-16; 2 Chr 36:10-11). The “member of the royal family” was Jehoiachin’s uncle Mattaniah, whom Nebuchadnezzar renamed Zedekiah and stationed as his vassal king of Judah (2 Ki 24:17-18; 2 Chr 36:10-11). Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar (2 Ki 24:20; 2 Chr 36:13-16). It seems to have been brewing since his ascension. Yahweh commanded Jeremiah to denounce Zedekiah (593 B.C.; Jer 28:1) for conspiring against Babylon. Likely Psammetichus II (594-589) of Egypt encouraged Zedekiah to revolt, promising assistance. According to Jeremiah, Judah looked to Egyptian king Hophra (589-570) for help, but to no avail (Jer 37:5-10). Thus Egypt is the second “great eagle” toward which the “vine” turned. The uprooting of the vine and its desiccation by the east wind (Babylon) corresponds to the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. (2 Ki 25:1-21; 2 Chr 36:17-21). Zedekiah ed but did not escape. His sons were slaughtered…