Jeremiah 27:21-22 (ESV)
thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of the LORD, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem: They shall be carried to Babylon and remain there until the day when I visit them, declares the LORD. Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.”
In this section of Jeremiah God is using Jeremiah to tell the nation of Israel about their upcoming captivity, the false teachers who deny the captivity and the intricate details of that captivity.
The above passage is about the details of the items in the Temple; the vessels. Jeremiah tells them that during the captivity some of the vessels are going to be carried off into captivity with them. The King of Babylon will take them. But God tells the people the vessels will stay there until He visits them; meaning until He brings them back to Jerusalem. That will be after 70 years and numerous kings and nations ruling over them in that captivity. Think about that. These vessels will be watched over by God for 70 years. Different kings will rule over the kingdoms that hold them captivity. But these precious belongings of the Temple will, per God, find their way back to the Temple.
Note what is recorded 70 years later when Ezra returns to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple:
Ezra 1:1 (ESV)
The Proclamation of Cyrus
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:
Ezra 1:7 (ESV)
Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the LORD that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods.
Ezra 1:11 (ESV)
all the vessels of gold and of silver were 5,400. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up, when the exiles were brought up from Babylonia to Jerusalem.
Ezra 5:14-15 (ESV)
And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, these Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor; and he said to him, “Take these vessels, go and put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its site.”
Ezra 6:5 (ESV)
And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought back to the temple that is in Jerusalem, each to its place. You shall put them in the house of God.”
God does not neglect the very details of His promises. You can rest assured He did not do it back then and He will not do it now. God has attention to details.
