Articles / Mystery Babylon the Great

A Study of Jeremiah 51


Babylon and the daughter of Babylon

The Dual Fulfillment of Bible Prophecy - Many Bible prophecies have both a short term and long term fulfillment. As we read the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, we find many times God spoke about what was to happen to a subject, a nation, a people. Some of the things happened right after He spoke about them and some of the things will happen far into the future. Especially in our days, the latter days, we have seen, are seeing and will continue to see, Bible Prophecy being fulfilled.
 

1 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind;

God pronounces judgment against Babylon. Her people have rebelled against the Lord and His Holy Word.

God will send a powerful wind of destruction against her.

2 And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

God will fill her land with strangers. The enemy will surround her and prevail. Her people will flee to other countries.

3 Against him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine: and spare ye not her young men; destroy ye utterly all her host.

The enemy will engage the military in combat. Both officers and enlisted will be embattled. Complete  annihilation is her outcome.

4 Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and they that are thrust through in her streets.

The battle will rage throughout the nation. Street fighting will be everywhere with many casualties.

5 For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.

When the enemy comes against Israel it will look hopeless for her defense. Jesus Christ, Himself, will defend her even though the people are gathered back together in unbelief with many transgressions.

6 Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence.

Hurry out from this wicked place. Don't let it infect you. Her cup of iniquity is full and God is going to bring a harsh judgment upon her. What she has sewn she will now reap.

7 Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.

God has blessed Babylon above all nations. She has taken this blessing and turned it into a curse. She has corrupted the whole world. The nations have become just like her. Madness prevails.

8 Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.

God's judgment comes in an instant and will be total destruction. Cry out for her. Give her some pain medication and see if that makes her better. 

9 We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.

We tried to bring healing to her but it didn't help. We told her to return to God and ask Him to forgive her for sinning against Him. She would not listen but did more evil in His sight. Abandon her and go back to the place you came from. The time for her judgment is come and it will reach unto the heavens.

10 The LORD hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God.

The Lord will take up for His children who have obeyed Him. We will proclaim to the church what the Lord is doing.

11 Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple.

Sharpen the arrows and gather the shields. The Lord is supernaturally gathering the enemies of Babylon as His instrument of judgment against her. The Lord will take His vengeance from his Temple. (The Book of Revelation details God's Vengeance from His Temple)

12 Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes: for the LORD hath both devised and done that which he spake against the inhabitants of Babylon.

Raise a flag upon the defensive walls of the city. Put plenty of watchmen around and prepare ambushes too. Nevertheless, the counsel of the Lord shall stand, which He spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon.

13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.

God is speaking to latter day Babylon. Ancient Babylon had only the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers running around her to the Persian Gulf. The USA is surrounded by water and rivers and lakes all in between. Your land is filled with treasures but your end has come and the extent of your hoarding things.

14 The LORD of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillers; and they shall lift up a shout against thee.

The verse is self explanatory. We have seen the reports and videos of the men streaming into our country, over our borders, for years. Many have been reported to be Islamic extremists. They are the ones who "lift up a shout", "Allahu Akbar", when they encounter their enemy in battle. 

15 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding.

Give God the Glory! He, alone is Supreme.

16 When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

God Speaks and causes the different weather events upon the Earth.

17 Every man is brutish by his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

Learning, apart from the Lord, does not make a man wise, but rough. Every originator of a carved idol is confused by the thing he made. There is no truth there and no life

18 They are vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

They are the pride of men who made them but they don't work. When God brings judgment, they will not help at all. 

19 The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the LORD of hosts is his name.

Our God is Alive. He is Eternal. Israel is the instrument of punishment that He inherited. Jesus Christ is the Lord of Hosts.

20 Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;

God will use Israel, in the latter days, as His weapon of war. He will use Israel to break apart the nations and destroy kingdoms. The nations will be in great controversy with Israel.

21 And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider;

With Israel and her controversy, God will break apart the military forces of her enemies.

22 With thee also will I break in pieces man and woman; and with thee will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and the maid;

With Israel and her controversy, God will break apart man and woman, old and young and the young man and the maid.

23 I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers.

With Israel and her controversy, God will break apart the shepherd and his flock, the farmer and his yoke of oxen, also captains and rulers.

24 And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the LORD.

I will repay to Babylon and to all the peoples of the nation all the evil they have done to the church that you have seen, says the Lord.

25 Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.

Listen to Me, I am against you, you destroyer of nations, says the Lord, which destroys the whole Earth. I will take hold of you and bring you down off your high hill and leave you a nation destroyed.

26 And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith the LORD.

No one will want you anymore. You will be good for nothing, for nothing will be left of you.

27 Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz; appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as the rough caterpillers.

Raise a flag in the land. blow the trumpet and make the announcement: make ready the nations to fight against Babylon. The kingdoms of Ararat, Minni and Ashchenaz; appoint a calvary captain and start the charge, a great multitude.

28 Prepare against her the nations with the kings of the Medes, the captains thereof, and all the rulers thereof, and all the land of his dominion.

Prepare against Babylon the nations (Russia and the muslim nations) with the Medes (the Iranians), their captains, all their rulers and all the land that they own.

29 And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant.

The invasion may be preceded by great earthquakes, tornadoes, natural catastrophies. The people are dismayed. The Word of the Lord will be fulfilled for destruction and desolation. There will be no one left.

30 The mighty men of Babylon have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken.

The great military men of Babylon have refrained from fighting. They have remained in their barracks or wherever they are in the field. The enemy has taken the fight out of them, their moral is broken. They are afraid of the enemy who has burned up their homes and breached their defenses.

31 One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to shew the king of Babylon that his city is taken at one end,

The word of military defeat will be passed from courier to messenger until it is finally given to the king. He will be informed that part of his city has fallen.

32 And that the passages are stopped, and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are affrighted.

They have captured and burned the entrances to the harbors and sea ports. The soldiers are terrified.

33 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; The daughter of Babylon is like a threshingfloor, it is time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of her harvest shall come.

Our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says, the daughter of Babylon (the USA), is getting ready for harvest time. It is time to thresh her and separate the wheat from the tares. Her harvest is near.

34 Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out.

The armies of Nebuchadrezzar, the King of Babylon, have overwhelmed the nation and pulverized the people. They  have stripped the people, consumed them, taken all their delicacies and driven them away.

35 The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say.

The violence done to me and my family is the responsibility of Babylon shall the dwellers of Zion say. My blood be upon the heads of the people of Chaldea shall Jerusalem say.

36 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry.

Because of this, says the Lord, I will intervene. I will fight for Zion and Jerusalem and avenge them. My plan is to cause a severe drought upon the nation.

(Check this out: The Mississippi is drying up. The Great Lakes are drying up. The Midwest breadbasket is drying up http://www.droughtmonitor.unl.edu/  - 2013).

37 And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant.

Babylon will become a desert, a home for jackals, a derision and no one will live there.

38 They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions' whelps.

They shall make lots of noise, both old and young. They will attempt to frighten their foes.

39 In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD.

They will be inflamed with strong drink. They will be partying and getting drunk. They will pass out from overindulging and will sleep soundly, says the Lord.

40 I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he goats.

God says, I will cause them to be an easy prey for their enemies, even their best soldiers.

41 How is Sheshach taken! and how is the praise of the whole earth surprised! how is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations!

The suddenness of it will astound the world. The praise of the whole world has become an astonishment among the nations.

42 The sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof.

Hurricane Sandy devastated much of coastal NYC and NJ. They are still waiting for help in many places . (2013).

43 Her cities are a desolation, a dry land, and a wilderness, a land wherein no man dwelleth, neither doth any son of man pass thereby.

Her cities are deserted, dried up and destroyed. Not a decent place left.  The nation has been emptied of all her people. No one comes anywhere near there.

44 And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up: and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.

God says, I will bring down Bel, their big idol. He will be stripped of his power. All the rest of the nations around the world will be released from his authority. Babylon shall be financially shaken.

45 My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the LORD.

My children, leave this country of Babylon. Separate yourselves unto the Lord and escape the wrath that I am ready to pour out, says the Lord.

46 And lest your heart faint, and ye fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land; a rumour shall both come one year, and after that in another year shall come a rumour, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler.

Stay strong in the Lord or you will become fearful for the rumour that shall be heard in the land; a rumour shall come one year and after that, in another year, a rumour will come. Two great signs shall appear; violence in the land and ruler against ruler.

47 Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will do judgment upon the graven images of Babylon: and her whole land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.

Therefore God pronounces judgment on the idols of Babylon. Confusion shall reign throughout the land. This is the time when she will be attacked and many people killed.

48 Then the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein, shall sing for Babylon: for the spoilers shall come unto her from the north, saith the LORD.

There will be a great celebration in Heaven and on Earth at this time. I will send destroyers to her from out of the North, says the Lord.

49 As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth.

Because of the actions of Babylon, people have been killed in Israel. Many, from all over the world, will be killed in Babylon as a result.

50 Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still: remember the LORD afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.

You people that obeyed my command to leave and escaped the fighting, remember the Lord where you are now and think about Jerusalem.

51 We are confounded, because we have heard reproach: shame hath covered our faces: for strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the LORD'S house.

We're dumfounded that people are talking bad about us. We are embarrassed and ashamed because the heathen have entered the sanctuaries of the Lord's house.

52 Wherefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will do judgment upon her graven images: and through all her land the wounded shall groan.

Because of this, says the Lord, the day is coming that My wrath will fall upon her idols of wood and stone and it shall cause multitudes of her people to be grief stricken.

53 Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the LORD.

Though Babylon should build flying machines to reach into the heavens and though she should greatly strengthen her defenses, yet I will send enemies in unto her, says the Lord.

54 A sound of a cry cometh from Babylon, and great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans:

The enemy has struck and there is a national outcry. He has brought great destruction to the nation.

55 Because the LORD hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice; when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered:

The Lord has sent the enemies in to Babylon and brought down her superpower status; when the oceans surrounding her are in an uproar, you will hear their shouts.

56 Because the spoiler is come upon her, even upon Babylon, and her mighty men are taken, every one of their bows is broken: for the LORD God of recompences shall surely requite.

The enemy has attacked the armies of the Babylon and captured her soldiers. The armament of her soldiers has been destroyed: for the Lord God shall surely repay those that rise up against Him.

57 And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.

God will send a spirit of drunkenness upon the leaders, rulers and officers of the nation. They will be under strong delusion and believe they are safe and secure, says the King, Whose Name is the Lord of Hosts. 

58 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the people shall labour in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary.

The Lord of Hosts says, the defensive perimeter of Babylon shall be torn apart and her ports of entry shall be set on fire; and the people will work long and hard with little to show for it. Try as they might to prosper, they shall just wear themselves out.