Albert Barnes Commentary Jeremiah 33:17-18

"For thus saith Jehovah: David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt-offerings, and to burn meal-offerings, and to do sacrifice continually." — Jeremiah 33:17-18 (ASV)

Read literally, these verses promise the permanent restoration of the Davidic throne and of the Levitical priesthood. As a matter of fact, Zedekiah was the last king of David’s line, and the Levitical priesthood has long passed away. Both these changes Jeremiah himself foretold (Jeremiah 22:30; Jeremiah 3:16). In what way then is this apparent contradiction (Ezekiel 40–48) to be explained?

The solution is probably as follows. It was necessary that the Bible should be intelligible to the people at the time when it was written, and in some degree to the writer. The Davidic kingship and the Levitical priesthood were symbols, which represented to the Jew all that was most dear to his heart in the circumstances under which he lived.

Their restoration was the restoration of his national and spiritual life. Neither was restored to exist permanently. But that was given instead, of which both were types: the Church, whose Head is the true prophet, priest and King.