🤓 This is a lengthy one, folks. Get your caffeinated beverage handy. ☕️
We come to the 2nd half of the prophecy for Babylon. The parallels between this chapter and Revelation 17-19 are so striking that I think we’re meant to understand that John is drawing on Jeremiah (and Isaiah) as he writes about the future parallel to the fall of ancient Babylon.
I find that many people are confused or intimidated by the books of the prophets – and particularly The Revelation. Let me help you out.
It’s a tale of two cities: Babylon and Zion. These cities are PRIMARILY spiritual but there are also earthly locations where they are represented: Jerusalem (Zion) and every other city on earth (Babylon).
There are only 2 kingdoms: the confederate “kingdoms of this world” and “the Kingdom of our LORD and of His Christ.”
There have only ever been 2 groups of people on earth: Those who question, “Did God really say…?” And those who say, “God said…”
The great conflict of the ages is the rebel sons of God vs Yahweh and His begotten Son, Jesus the Messiah.
The rebels entice humans to join them and do whatever they please – only it’s actually bondage.
Jesus calls humans to join Him and stop living to please ourselves – and this “restriction” is actually freedom.
Don’t let the details confuse you. It’s very simple. Two sides: good and evil. And two realities: physical and spiritual.
In the OT we see kingdoms rise and fall in a very literal, physical sense. There was an ancient empire of Babylon. Archeologists dig up its artifacts and tell us about their kings and customs. But the wickedness and influence and mindset of Babylon comes from a spiritual place. While the physical, earthly Babylon was destroyed (that’s what both Isaiah and Jeremiah prophesied), the spiritual forces behind that influential, impressive, proud, dominating city are still very much alive and well and continue to influence the culture today.
But what happened physically to the ancient city of Babylon is going to happen again (but in a more complete way) in the future; not necessarily to a physical city on a map called “Babylon” but to all of its offspring – the cities of earth which use the same “operating system” as ancient Babylon. But this time, not only the physical infrastructure of the kingdoms of this world will be thrown down, but also unseen, spiritual infrastructure behind it.
So as we compare the destructions of past and future Babylons, remember that they are BOTH physical manifestations of the same spiritual reality – a rebel entity enticing humanity into rebellion against the LORD.
KINGS SENT TO WINNOW
Jer. 51:2 speaks of “winnowers,” (KJV “fanners”). Winnowers were the people who would toss basketfuls of threshed grain into the air and the wind would blow away the chaff. Winnowing is the process that gets down to the granular level. Yahweh will send them from every side to “winnow” Babylon. And the winnowers will not be just anyone. They will be kings of the nations, (see verses 11, 27-28).
In Revelation, guess who God appoints to do the destroying work of Mystery Babylon? It’s the kings of the nations. See Rev. 17:16-17.
FLEE! COME OUT!
In both the ancient Babylon and the future present Mystery Babylon, God’s people are warned to get out of there. Compare Jer. 51:6, 51:45 and Rev. 18:4.
THE GOLDEN CUP OF SIN & JUDGEMNET
Jeremiah calls Babylon “a golden cup” in the LORD’s hand that makes the earth drunk.
🤔 So… uh… why does God have a golden cup of booze? Seems a little out of character.
It’s figurative language. Remember how Isaiah and other prophets have talked about Babylon being like God’s paddle to administer punishment to the nations?
🤔 More like a war-club than a paddle, but yeah.
Ok, so now the metaphor has changed from paddle or weapon of war to a golden cup. The nations are all going to have to drink the same judgement from the golden cup.
In Revelation, the Prostitute (Mystery Babylon) also holds a golden cup that is full of sin and death (17:4, 6) But it’s not straight sin. This golden cup holds a cocktail. A mixed beverage. 🍸🍹
😏 Cheers. 🍻
Sin ALWAYS comes mixed with judgement. And just like you can’t unmix a margarita once it’s made, you can’t imbibe sin and not get the judgment that is mixed in it (unless of course you repent and believe the Gospel). The nations have drunk from this cup – BOTH the sin AND the judgment that is mixed into it (Rev. 18:3, 6).
BABYLON IS FALLEN!
In Revelation 18:1-2, a luminescent angel shouts – rather like a newsboy selling papers on the corner – 📰 “Babylon the Great is FALLEN! Is FALLEN!” Jeremiah used the exact same word to describe the Babylon of his day: “fallen.” See 51:8.
SIN & JUDGEMENT REACHED TO HEAVEN
Like an enormous mountain of stinking garbage at a landfill, both Babylons are described as having something “lifted up to heaven.” In Revelation it is her “sins,” (18:5) which come with judgment. In Jeremiah, only the judgement is mentioned (51:9), but the sin which brought about the judgment is assumed.
RICH COASTAL ELITES
Jeremiah describes ancient Babylon as dwelling “by many waters, rich in treasures,” (51:13). The Babylon of Revelation is described the same way but with several verses detailing the riches (18:11-19).
A LESSON ON MOUNTAINS
“Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, declares the Lord, which destroys the whole earth; I will stretch out my hand against you, and roll you down from the crags, and make you a burnt mountain. No stone shall be taken from you for a corner and no stone for a foundation, but you shall be a perpetual waste, declares the Lord.”
Jeremiah 51:25-26 ESV
We can assume from the context that this “Destroying Mountain” has something to do with Babylon.
It would be good here to pause and refresh our minds on the biblical concept of “mountain.” Our 21st century, western, scientific way of thinking reads “mountain” and we think: ⛰️ topographical feature, and geologic structure. In the ancient world in general, and also within scripture, mountains are associated with sacred space and places of a seat of divine government power. Mountains are spiritual.
☝🏼🤓 Kinda like Mount Olympus was the home of the gods in Ancient Greece?
Precisely.
Daniel saw a stone that smashed the golden image and then it grew into a great mountain that “filled the earth,” (Dan. 2:34-35), Daniel said that the mountain was the Kingdom of God, (v44-45).
Or how about the many references to Mount Zion as God’s habitation in the Psalms? Psalm 48 is all about Mount Zion and it is used synonymously with “the city of God.” And this isn’t just talking about the physical city of Jerusalem on earth. Zion is used to speak of the heavenly city – the NEW Jerusalem, the City of God. It’s a mountain.
In Zechariah 4:7 the LORD addresses a “great mountain” and tells it that before Zerubbabel it will become a plain. He has monumental task of rebuilding the temple (the dwelling place of God) and it is going to require God’s might and power.
In the ancient book of Enoch, Enoch repeatedly describes in his heavenly visions a set of 7 mountains; one of which is higher than the rest and it looks like alabaster with a sapphire peak! He finally asks his angelic guide what that special mountain is. Here is the reply:
“And he answered saying, ‘This high mountain which thou hast seen, whose summit is like the throne of God, is His throne, where the Holy Great One, the Lord of Glory, the Eternal King, will sit when He shall come down to visit the earth with goodness.” – 1 Enoch 25:3
Earlier in chapter 24 Enoch had seen this mountain and the throne on it and he saw fragrant trees encircling it and one of them was described in terms like the tree of life.
Now, it doesn’t matter if the book of Enoch is inspired or not. It’s ancient and it’s Jewish and the Jewish readers of the 2nd Temple period knew its content and understood the concept of mountain = divine throne and kingdom headquarters.
With that in mind, we may want to rethink what Jesus was saying here:
“He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.””
Matthew 17:20 ESV
The context here was the failure of the disciples to cast out a demon while Jesus was on the mountain of transfiguration. The heavenly realm has thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities, (Col. 1:16) and some of those thrones (mountains) are in rebellion. The disciples had failed to move the demonic mountain because of their lack of faith.
So… Now that we have a more biblical understanding of what a mountain connotes, let’s go back to Jeremiah.
“Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, declares the Lord, which destroys the whole earth; I will stretch out my hand against you, and roll you down from the crags, and make you a burnt mountain.”
Jeremiah 51:25 ESV
I can’t prove it, exactly, but I suspect that (spiritually), Babylon is the mountain, (the throne), of Satan just as Zion is the mountain throne of Yahweh. Who else could be accused of destroying “the whole earth” except the one who comes only to “steal, kill, and destroy?” (John 10:10).
If you want to dig deeper, this would be a good spot to re-read Isaiah 14:3-23. It’s about the earthly king of Babylon and his spiritual counterpart in the unseen realm.
With this is mind, the rest of the comparisons between the ancient and present Babylons will make more sense.
MOST EXALTED CITY ON EARTH
In Jeremiah 51:41-43, Babylon is described as “the praise of the whole earth” and then brought down to complete destruction; emptied of people.
The Babylon of Revelation is said to “reign over the kings of the earth,” (17:18). If we try to pin that down to one of the usual candidates: The Vatican, Washington DC, the City of London, we might be thinking about it all wrong. The heavenly city of Zion could be said to reign over all the saints of the LORD, but it doesn’t exactly have a zip code. It’s spiritual, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t REAL. The people under the government of Zion are very real. And we live on planet earth in physical cities with zip-codes. But our capital is in heaven. Mystery Babylon may very well be a spiritual “capital city” in the same way. It exists in the spiritual realm but rules over flesh-and-blood people in physical cities.
Jeremiah’s prophecy concerning the earthly, ancient Babylon says that it will be in ruins without inhabitants, (51:37). And that’s the exact same destiny for the Babylon of Revelation. Chapter 18, verses 8-10 describe utter destruction and verses 21-23 prophecy the eerie silence of the depopulated city.
REJOICE OVER BABYLON’S DESTRUCTION
In Jeremiah and Revelation, both heaven and earth are invited to rejoice over the destruction of the Enemy’s capital, (Jer. 51:48, Rev. 18:20, 19:1-4).
SLAIN OF ALL THE EARTH
There is quite an indictment leveled at Babylon. In both Jeremiah and Revelation, Babylon is said to be responsible for “the slain of all the earth.”
“Babylon must fall for the slain of Israel, just as for Babylon have fallen the slain of all the earth.” Jeremiah 51:49 ESV
“And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”
Revelation 18:24 ESV
How can one place be responsible for all murders on earth? Simple. If it’s the capital of the Devil.
“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
John 8:44 ESV
As further evidence that Babylon is a way to speak of the capital of the Infernal Kingdom, Jeremiah says that Bel will punished, (v44). Bel was a Babylonian deity. A god. A rebel being. The nations are described as “flowing” to him. It’s easy to float your way to Bel. Just go with the flow. Wide is the way to destruction.
And this entity, Bel, has “swallowed” something. But, like David snatching the lamb from the lion’s mouth, Yahweh is going to snatch His sheep from the jaws of this roaring lion.
In Revelation, as soon as Babylon is destroyed, guess what happens? Jesus comes riding in on a white horse and Satan is bound and thrown into the Abyss. It’s not just the humans facing judgment, it’s the characters in the unseen realm too. And when Satan is thrown in the pit, the nations no longer flow toward him like light being sucked into a black hole.
BURNED WITH FIRE
Both Babylons are sentenced to be burned. Jeremiah 51:52-58 gives a kind of reprise of the previous judgments listed and verse 58 ends with the place being flattened, and burned to boot. In Revelation, Babylon’s fiery judgment is described in 17:16, 18:9, and 18:18.
STONE THROWN INTO THE WATER
One of the most interesting parallels, is this final one.
😅 Last one? Whew! Finally! I thought this would never end!
(Me too.)
Have you ever seen the videos of the people who do miniature cooking?
😯 People really do this?
Yes.
😐 Wow. And I thought the portions from an Easy-Bake Oven were small.
At the end of the prophecy, Jeremiah tells Saraiah that when he finishes reading the prophecy, he is to tie a rock to the scroll and throw it into the river and say, “Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the disaster that I am bringing upon her, and they shall become exhausted.”
This action a miniature; a microcosm of the future reality. In Revelation, it’s not a scroll with a rock tied to it thrown in a river.
“Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more;”
Revelation 18:21 ESV
The fall of ancient Babylon (to rise no more) was a picture of the coming destruction of the world capital of the empire of Evil. It will also be permanent. (Hallelujah!) And it is certain. It IS coming just as surely as Jeremiah’s prophecies of the destruction of ancient Babylon were certainly true.
Just like the people who thought Jeremiah was a kook turned out to be dead wrong (pun intended), sadly, the people today who think judgment is never going to happen will also end up dead wrong. ☠️
If you or someone you know is living under the government of anything-that-is-not-Jesus, you need to get out while the gettin’ is good. The Bible is basically giving the world a tsunami warning. ⚠️ 🚨 The kingdom of this world is going to be swept away by a deluge of fiery judgment. Run for your life. Get outa Babylon and come to Zion.
To The Reader 