Introduction
In Jeremiah’s oracle of the nations found in chapter 46 through 51, among the various nations addressed Babylon certainly received the largest amount of attention. These prophecies against Babylon are found in chapters 50-51. Robert P. Carroll has made the observation “these are almost as long (110 verses) as the material against the other nations in 46-49 (121 verses).”[1] Given Babylon’s importance in Jeremiah’s work, any study of Jeremiah must deal with the details of the prophecy of Babylon carefully.
It is the result of such a careful study of this passage that Charles Dyer believed that not everything mentioned about Babylon in Jeremiah 50-51 has yet been fulfilled. The ramification of this has implication for eschatology. On the basis of his observation of the text, Dyer believed that there will be a future existence of a literal Babylon that awaits destruction according to the details of Jeremiah’s prophecy. In fact, Dyer believed it is highly probable that Babylon will have a role in the End Times if one further studied the issue in conjunction with other Scriptural passages. Dyer’s has presented his view in print in a book titled The Rise of Babylon.[2] Given that the book’s primary audience are Evangelical lay people, further arguments can still be developed in pushing his view forward. This essay seeks to contribute to Dyer’s position with further technical details. Rather than rehash the same argument and evidence in this essay of what Dyer has already proposed, the purpose of this essay will make further observation of Jeremiah 50 through 51 on the basis of the Hebrew text and then contribute additional historical and archaeological evidences that support his thesis that the predictions in Jeremiah 50-51 have not all been fulfilled. While this essay could stand alone apart from The Rise of Babylon, it is best to read this as reinforcing the biblical argument and extra-biblical evidences found in Dyer’s work.
Some note of caution is necessary here. In suggesting that there are prophecies in Jeremiah 50 and 51 that have not been fulfilled, this does not imply that the Scripture is errant. Rather, in light of the Evangelical commitment to inerrancy, these prophecies are expected to be fulfilled literally eventually in the future. In addition, by saying that there are prophecies not yet fulfilled, this does not imply that there are not instances found in Jeremiah 50 through 51 that seems to have been fulfilled already. The description of the capture of Babylon is mentioned in Jeremiah 50:2, and this capture is predicted to be the act of a nation (50:3a) or nations (50:9) coming from the north. In the next chapter, Jeremiah goes on to identify the specific identity of this nation, leaving no room for speculation what that nation would be. Jeremiah 51:28 recognizes the agent of Babylon’s capture to be the Medes. Historically it did turn out that the Medes invaded Babylon, as the Scripture attests in Daniel 5:31 and collaborated by other extra-biblical historical documents.
In what follows, this essay will evaluate three key predictions of Babylon found repeatedly throughout Jeremiah 50-51. Next, this essay will explore several lines of evidences concerning the history of Babylon which indicates the three key predictions have not been fulfilled to this very day.
Key predictions
Walls will be torn down
There are three passages in Jeremiah that discusses the wall of Babylon being taken down. In Jeremiah 50:15 there is a reference alluding to the walls of Babylon: “Her walls are overthrown.” According to the context, the immediate subject of the pronominal suffix “her” is Babylon. The wall of Bablyon is described in the Hebrew as נֶהֶרְסוּ. It is a Niphal Perfect third person plural verb of הָרַס. According to Holladay, the meaning of the verb means “demolished.”[3] Munderlein has noted the verb is used for “tearing down,” and this meaning is supported by several instances in the Old Testament when it is used as the opposite of “build.”[4]
Jeremiah 51:44 is another statement about the walls of Babylon coming down. In a verse that begins with the statement of how God was punishing the Babylonian god Bel, Jeremiah testified that “Even Babylon’s wall has fallen down.” Whereas previously in Jeremiah 50:15 the Hebrew verb נֶהֶרְסוּ was used to describe the destruction of the walls of Babylon, here the verb is נָפָלָה. While the verb’s general meaning is “fall”, when the verb is used to described what has happened to structural building it has the idea of collapse as evident with it’s usage with tent in Judges 7:13 and walls in 1 Kings 20:30.[5]
Surprisingly, the phrase translated as “Even Babylon’s wall has fallen down” from the Hebrew גַּם־חֹומַת בָּבֶל נָפָלָה in Jeremiah 51:44 is missing from the Greek Septuagint.[6] The Jewish textual critic Emmanuel Tov believed that this phrase was a later addition to the text, reasoning that the Hebrew vorlage used by the translators of the Septuagint must have been a shorter first edition of Jeremiah and that the Masoretic text’s version of Jeremiah was a second edition that was filled with additional post-exilic vaticinium ex eventu materials.[7] Tov’s reasoning for his conclusion should caution any Evangelical Old Testament textual critic, especially with his operating precommitment of assuming vaticinium ex eventu. In addition, it is begging the question to say that the Masoretic text was prophesying of events that already occur when it is not a given of whether it has happened already. Moreover, since only the Septuagint is the one family of ancient translation that omits this phrase and other ancient translations bears witness to the reading of the Masoretic text, and in light of the fact that there are serious problem with the Septuagint’s transmission of Jeremiah such as being faithful to the order of Jeremiah[8] coupled with the absence of any significant variants of the rest of this verse among other Masoretic texts according to the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia’s Textual Critical Apparatus, it is best to adopt גַּם־חֹומַת בָּבֶל נָפָלָה as part of the original reading. It is also the more difficult reading, and the canons of textual criticism dictates the Masoretic text should be the preferred reading over against the Septuagint’s reading.[9] The omission on the part of the translators of the Septuagint must have arisen from their knowledge that the walls of Babylon were still not destroyed between the second and first century B.C. and the variant was probably an attempt to make the text be compatible with contemporary realities.[10]
These two verses alone are enough to indicate that Babylon’s city walls will be destroyed but more details can be found in Jeremiah 51:58: “The broad wall of Babylon will be completely razed, and her gates will be set on fire.” The walls of Babylon here is described as “broad.” How broad were the walls of Babylon? According to Huey, the ancient city walls of Babylon were wondrous: “The outer wall was twelve feet thick, and the inner wall was twenty-one feet thick with twenty-three feet separating them.”[11] Using another verb to describe what will happen to Babylon’s walls, Jeremiah 51:58 states that these walls will be in Huey’s words, “leveled.”[12] The broad walls seem to be referring to the city’s walls. Apparently, the gates of the city walls will be burned during the event of it being taken down. This gives some indication that one of the means for the destruction of the walls of Babylon and Babylon itself will include fire.
Burned
In Jeremiah 50:40 the prophecy of Bablyon’s destruction makes the comparison with that of the destruction of Sodom and Gommorah. Carroll notes, “so great will be Babylon’s devastation that the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:24-25, 28) comes to mind as the best analogy of it.”[13] In Josh McDowell’s Evidence That Demands A Verdict, he writes that while “Babylon would be destroyed and become as Sodom and Gomorrah…it does not predict destruction in the same manner as Sodom and Gomorrah.”[14] While it is true that the fate of Babylon according to Jeremiah 50:40 describes the fate of Babylon to be similar with that of Sodom and Gomorrah in that these three cities will be abandoned by their human occupants, other verses in Jeremiah 50-51 seem to indicate that the method of destruction by fire will be similar as well. It is this picture of Sodom and Gomorrah with “fire on the cities, obliterating them and all the valley around” that Thompson believes Jeremiah 50:40 is painting.[15]
Fire has been explicitly predicted to be one of ways Babylon will be destroyed. As stated earlier, Jeremiah 51:58 teaches that “her high gates will be set on fire.” The Hebrew word for fire, אֵשׁ, is used here and the Qal verb form of יצת here should be translated according to Holladay as “burn up.”[16] What are predicted to be “burned up” are the high gates of Babylon, a clear reference to the gates of the city wall.
The fiery destruction of Babylon will not be limited to just the high gates of the city wall but will extend itself into the city. According to Jeremiah 51:30, “Their dwelling places are set on fire.” Once again, a verbal root of יצת appears in this verse and indicates the burning that will occur. The subjects of the pronominal suffix in the immediate context are the mighty men of Babylon (v.30). This verse also informs the readers that the city bars would be broken into, which explains how the dwelling place of the warriors within the city of Babylon manage to get incinerated.
The burning of Babylon appears to go beyond Babylon and into nearby city as well. Speaking from the perspective of God, Jeremiah 50:32 states, “I will set fire to his cities…” It seems that other urban areas under Babylonian control will share in the similar fate as Babylon.
God describes the result of Babylon’s burning destruction in Jeremiah 51:25: “And I will make you a burnt out mountain.” Literally in the Hebrew, Babylon will be “a mountain of burning.”[17] Keown, Scalise and Smothers have noted that “Babylon was situated in a flat plain.”[18] As a result, Huey concluded, “The description could not be literal because Babylon was on a plain.”[19] One needs to be careful of what they rule as literal and not literal when it comes to biblical prophecy. A literal interpretation might not be as easily ruled out as Huey believes. To begin with, the range of the semantic of the Hebrew word הַר is definitely mountain, mountain ranges or hill.[20] Certainly the “burning” part to Jeremiah 51:25 can be accepted as literal in light of the other burning references in Jeremiah. If the burning is seen as literal then it is a strongly possibility that “mountain” should be understood literally as well. A better explanation than the one Huey arrived at would be that the burnt remains of Babylon will become a burnt mound of some sort. The remains of Babylon as an abandoned mound or “hill” of some sort does receives several mention throughout Jeremiah 50-51. It might have something to do with the fact that the ruins of Babylon gets piled up. Jeremiah 50:26 records God saying to Babylon, “Pile her up like heaps.” Then in Jeremiah 51:37, God says, “Babylon will become a heap of ruins.”
Taking all the above biblical data into consideration, the scene of Babylon’s destruction is that of an epic battle with the warriors of Babylon losing, the city infiltrated into and fire used to burn the city gates and homes. The burning destructive force is so great it spills over to other Babylonian controlled cities. Babylon itself will become a burnt mountain afterwards.
Abandoned
If Babylon’s destruction will result in her becoming a burnt mountain, it definitely sounds like the destruction was total. With such devastation, it is not hard to imagine that survivors would abandon the wreckage of Babylon.
This total destruction and abandonment of Babylon is not only drawn by implication from the previous biblical data, it is also explicitly taught throughout Jeremiah 50-51. The reason one would expect Babylon to be abandoned is because Jeremiah 50:26 uses languages to indicate the destruction was total with phrases such as “utterly destroy her” and “let nothing be left to her.” Jeremiah 50:39-40 teaches that no one will live there after the destruction with the following phrases: “And it will never again be inhabited,” “No man will live there, nor will any son of man reside in it.”
Jeremiah 51:29 also speaks of Babylon being destroyed to such an extent that there will not be any inhabitants. In 51:37, Jeremiah pronounces the fact that Babylon has turned into “an object of horror and hissing, without inhabitants.” It will be a place of “perpetual desolation” with “nothing dwelling in it, whether man or beast” according Jeremiah 51:62. According to 51:43, not only will no one reside in Babylon, the extent of her abandonment reaches the point “through which no son of man passes.” People traveling will not even take routes around its land.
The duration of this abandonment has been described in the last clause of Jeremiah 50:39: “And it will never again be inhabited or dwelt in from generation to generation.” The Hebrew word used for “generation” is דֹּור. According to Freedman and Lundbom, “Like other ancient peoples, the early Hebrew dated long periods by lifetimes.”[21] Concerning what the lengths were of one generation, there is some ambiguity. Botterweck has observed how there were “two different ideas concerning the length of a dor: a longer period of 100 years, and a shorter period of 30.”[22] One should also note “that the Hebrews began with the son and not the father in counting generations. The sons (banim) are the first generation; the grandsons (bene bhanim) the second, followed by the third (shilleshim) and fourth (ribbe‘im) generation (Ex. 34:7).”[23] What is definitely certain is the fact that Babylon has been predicted to be destroyed to such an extent that there will not be one generation after another dwelling in it (“generation to generation”). The phrase “generation to generation”, which in Hebrew is ד־דֹּור וָדֹור, is probably better translated as “forever” like the Hebrew word “olam…the two terms are often found in parallelism” such as in Joel 3:20.[24] Thus, the duration of Babylon’s abandonment shall be forever according to Jeremiah 50:39.
Fulfilled?
Having surveyed three of Jeremiah’s prediction, the logical question is whether these matters have already come to pass and if so, when. Has the walls of Babylon been destroyed? When was the city torched and never again to have any residence? What does the evidence of history indicate?
In evaluating when these events occurred in history, Thompson came to the following conclusion under his comments on Jeremiah 51:26: “The fact that historically Cyrus entered Babylon without any appreciable resistance and left the city intact is quite contrary to the description of devastation that appears in v.26, so that the verse, as well as others in chs. 50 and 51, must come from a period before the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus.”[25] However, the events of Jeremiah 50-51 could not have happened before Cyrus, since the book of Daniel reveals otherwise. Daniel was a court official in Babylon beginning with the first wave of the Babylonian captivity and lived his life there until the reign of King Cyrus. Thompson’s view is problematic because if Jeremiah 50-51 has already happened before King Cyrus entrance into Babylon, then in light of the observation from the Hebrew text above there would have been no Babylon for Cyrus to peacefully enter into, no residence to greet him since it would have been abandoned and nothing there for Cyrus but heaps of ruins. Logically, Jeremiah’s fulfillment must come after Cyrus’ entrance into Babylon and not before.
History attests that Babylon survived beyond the Medes-Persian era though this history might not be as familiar to as many as it should be. According to Bill Arnold, it would survive for another one thousand years after Cyrus II first took over Babylon: “When Cyrus II captured Babylon without a fight in October 539, its people welcomed him as a liberator. The Persian capture of Babylon ended the last native Semitic empire in ancient Mesopotamia…For the next millennium, Indo-Europeans would dominate Babylonia.”[26]
Not only was Babylon still inhabited during the Persian and Hellenistic period, but its great city walls were still standing according to Classical sources. The famous fifth century B.C. Greek historian Herodotus claimed to have visited Babylon and described how the city walls were still standing: “The outer wall is the main defense of the city. There is, however, a second inner wall, of less thickness than the first, but very inferior to it in strength.”[27]
Two Greek sources, Arrian of Nicomedia’s Anabasis of Alexander III. 16.3 and Curtius Rufus V 1.19-23 both record how Alexander the Great’s “invasion” in 331 B.C. of Babylon were met with joyous celebration and festivity thrown by the citizens of Babylon upon their arrival.[28] Rather than wiping out the people and making Babylon desolate, the army of Alexander the Great had a welcomed stay for 34 days according to Curtius V 1:39, due to the people’s friendliness towards the Greek army as Diodorus XVII 64.4 records.[29] It is clear that Alexander the Great was not the one who brought Jeremiah 50-51 to fulfillment.
After Alexander the Great untimely death, the various Greek generals and their line fought battles in which the control of Babylon juggled back and forth with the various Greek powers for the next few centuries. To summarize Boiy’s study of the primary sources concerning the condition and history of Babylon during the Achaemenid[30] and Hellenistic period,
On the Basis of a few classical sources it was for a long time communis opinion that the Achaemenid king Xerxes destroyed Babylon’s main temple Esagil. It was also thought that the city ceased to exist shortly after the beginning of the Hellenistic period because Seleucus I founded a new capital in the vicinity, Seleucia-on-the-Tigris, and deported the complete population of Babylon—minus a few priests to continue the cult of Bel in Babylon—to the new metropolis. Thanks to the publication of several cuneiform tablets dating from the Hellenistic period it is now clear that Babylon was also in the Hellenistic period still a flourishing city.[31]
The cuneiform texts which Boiy alluded to reveal more than the existence of Babylon, it also revealed that this era did not witness the fulfillment of other prophecies found in Jeremiah 50-51. The Babylonian Astronomical Diary 3 -124A: ‘rev.5’ alludes to the continual existence of Babylon’s city walls, when it gave an account of Arab raiders which made a hole on the Babylonian’s city wall near the neighborhood of the Zabba gate around July/August 125/4 B.C.[32] These preserved cuneiform Astronomical Diaries cover a wide span of time but ends in 61 B.C.[33]
Babylon continued to exist beyond the last written entry in the Astronomical Diaries. The existence of Bathyrans in Israel during the reign of Herod in Israel contributes to our knowledge that there were still people in Babylon during the transition between the B.C. and A.D. era. According to Jacob Neusner, “The Bathyrans were Babylonian Jewish immigrants who came at the time of Herod and settled in frontier regions, northeast of the Sea of Galilee, to protect the border. They founded the town of Bathyra, hence the name. Herod put some of them into the Temple hierarchy.”[34]
Gleaming through Jewish rabbinical literature, it provides another indirect witness of Babylon’s populated existence during the time of Herod and Christ’s early years of life. According to the Palestinian Talmud, the famous Rabbi Hillel was from Babylon. Hillel was a near contemporary of Jesus, who lived most of his life before Jesus and became historically significance for being a Rabbi whose interpretation later became an important Rabbinic school. His Rabbinic school would later govern the Jews in the post-Temple destruction 70 A.D. era. In the Palestinian Talmud’s Gemara[35], a record of Hillel’s origin is mentioned in a passage concerning the Passover and the Sabbath:
On one occasion the fourteenth of Nisan fell on the Sabbath, and they forgot and did not know whether the Passover overrides the Sabbath or not. Said they, “Is there any many who knows whether the Passover overrides the Sabbath or not?” They were told, “There is a certain man who has come up from Babylonia, Hillel the Babylonian by name, who served the two greatest men of the time, and he knows whether the Passover overrides the Sabbath or not.”[36]
Evidence beyond the third century of Babylon’s existence does get a little difficult. There is still testimony of Babylon’s existence during the first half of the fifth century A.D. In his Commentarii in Isaiam V 13.20, Theodoretus writes of how during his day Babylon still had a few inhabitants which were primarily Jewish.[37] Archaeologically, Aramic incantation bowls dating around 600 A.D. have been found.[38]
Understanding the situation of Babylon from the seventh century A.D. onwards requires one to take into consideration that the world surrounding Babylon at that time was changing since Mesopotamia would become heavily Islamic. Therefore any sources on Babylon at this time would likely be Arabic in origin. This is usually the stopping point for most studies considering the legacy of Babylon, as one writer puts it, “Few accounts, however, include the Arabic accounts.”[39] Compounding this difficulty is the fact that many Arabic texts referencing Babylon have not been translated into English.
In the first Arabic Islamic geographical road book that has survived, the Kitab al-Masalik Wa’l-mamalik, the geographer Abu’l-Qasim ‘Ubayd Allah Ibn Hurdadbih (820-826 A.D.) gives some description of the Abbasid empire during his lifetime which makes reference to the irrigation district of Babylon.[40] The Arabic usage of the term “Babil” has more than one range of meaning in that it can refer to Babylon, the area surrounding Babylon and also Babylonia. If Babylon still existed, a comparison of this irrigation district with the other five sister irrigation districts reveal that Babylon might have been a significantly populated area compared to the other areas since their district were taxed more than the other districts in terms of wheat, barley and money according to official documents at that time.[41] However, one should be cautious in assuming that Babylon still remained as a population center since the tendency of previous primary sources seems to suggest a gradual depopulation and migration away from Babylon has already begun for centuries. The name for the district as Babylon might have been retained given the proximity and the prestige Babylon once had in that district.
By the tenth century A.D. however, it becomes clear that Babylon was no longer populated. Arabic road books suddenly stop talking about the city of Babylon as a present reality but something of the past. For instance one of the Persian geographers of this time, Abu Ishak Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Farisi al-Karhi,[42] describe Babylon in this fashion:
Babil would be but a small village, were it not the oldest construction of al-‘Iraq. That iqlim (Babil) is named after it because of its antiquity, for the Canaanite kings and others used to reside there. Here are the remnants of a construction whose outer appearance suggests it was an important capital (misr) in the days of old.[43]
Ibn Hawqal, who was the heir of Al-Karhi’s work during the tenth century also described Babylon as a city of the past in which remains of her glory days are still visible: “In Babil are the remnants of a construction of which is reported that it was in the days of old a large capital.”[44] These tenth century documents demonstrates that while there are gaps in the historical data in explaining the exact time and cause of Babylon’s decline, the anti-climatic abandonment of Babylon is not the same dramatic devastating end prophesied in Jeremiah 50-51. The decline of Babylon is so anti-climatic that it escapes the attention of it’s contemporary historical writers. If the Word of God is true, it is possible that a future Babylon still waits for its destruction as described in Jeremiah.
Coming to the days of modern archaeological studies of Babylon, the German archaeologist Robert Koldewey is credited as the first archaeologist to study Babylon. His work is still highly regarded and given the unstable political climate of the region from World War I onwards, further archaeological studies have been severly limited. His works remains to this day the most detailed study of Babylon. Koldewey “opened his first trenches at Babylon on March 26, 1899, and continued to dig there every year until 1912.”[45] During the excavation Koldewey discovered a shift in archaeological paradigm when it comes to excavating Babylon as compared with ancient Greek remains, which he described in his own words: “To those accustomed to Greece and its remains, it is a constant surprise to have these mounds pointed out as ruins. Here are no blocks of stones, no columns; even in excavation there is only brickwork.”[46] While it was true that “with the weathering of time, the mud bricks had literally become mud again after the buildings of the city was abandoned,” Koldewey’s workmen “uncovered literally miles and miles of mud-brick walls” due to the good fortune that “the stratification of the various buildings were relatively easy to identify, simply because the builders inscribed their bricks with their names.”[47] Not only were bricks upon bricks found but Koldewey also discovered “walls decorated with huge reliefs of dragons and bulls that stand thirty feet high even today.”[48] This is far from the fulfillment of Babylon’s walls being destroyed and taken down. According to Boiy in 2004, “The first eye-catcher on the map of Babylon is the outer wall on the east bank, the so-called ‘Osthaken.’ Remains of this wall are still visible in the landscape.”[49] The walls of Babylon still remain standing, and Jeremiah’s prophecies about her walls is at a stand still and is waiting for a future fulfillment.
Surprisingly, some of the archaeological discovery of Babylon survived in a good and durable state. For instance Koldewey’s 1899 excavation revealed walls filled with glazed bricks on either side of Babylon’s Procession street, and the pavements of red and white marble flagstones on asphalt were also found.[50] The most incredible discovery during all the years of Koldewey’s excavation was the famous Ishtar gate, found in 1902. It stood over forty feet high, and experts estimated that before it’s ruin it must have had at least five hundred and seventy five bulls and dragons decorated horizontally on it, of which one hundred and fifty two of these figures survived and still on the gate.[51] What’s incredible is the fact that these remains go back to the time of Nebuchadnezzar and visitors to the German museum viewing the original Ishtar Gates will find no hint of destructive burning on them. Nor are there any indications of destructive fiery destruction on the authentic ruins in Babylon itself.[52]
Conclusion
This paper has demonstrated how Jeremiah 50-51 predicts Babylon’s final destruction will include her city walls taken down, the city itself to be destroyed into a burning heap or mountain of fire, and how she will be abandon from having any inhabitants forever. Since the walls of Babylon still stand today, having yet for the whole city to be totally destroyed by fire and since there are currently a large international military force residing in Babylon which has become a Division headquarters, it seems that there will be a future literal Babylon that will one day rise again to have it’s destruction according to Jeremiah be fully fulfilled.
Bibliography
Arnold, Bill T. “Babylonians.” In Peoples of the Old Testament World, edited by Alfred J. Hoerth, Gerald L. Mattingly and Edwin M. Yamauchi, 43-75. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1994.
Boiy, T. Late Achaemenid and Hellenistic Babylon. Leuven, Belgium: Peeters Publishers and Department of Oriental studies, 2004.
Botterweck, G.J. “דֹּור.” In Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. 14 volumes. Edited by G. Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringgren and Heinz-Josef Fabry. Translated by John T. Willis, Geoffrey W. Bromiley and David E. Green, 3:174. Cambridge: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978.
Carroll, Robert P. Jeremiah: A Commentary. The Old Testament Library. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1986.
Champdor, Albert. Babylon. Translated by Elsa Coult. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1958.
Dyer, Charles H. The Rise of Babylon: Signs of the End Times. Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, 1991.
Fagan, Brian M. Return to Babylon: Travelers, Archaeologists, and Monuments in Mesopotamia. Boston, Massachusetts: Little, Brown and Company, 1979.
Freedman, D.N. and J. Lundbom. “דֹּור.” In Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. 14 volumes. Edited by G. Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringgren and Heinz-Josef Fabry. Translated by John T. Willis, Geoffrey W. Bromiley and David E. Green, 3:173-181. Cambridge: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978.
Freedman, H. Pesahim: Translated into English with notes, glossary and indices. The Talmud. London: The Soncino Press, 1938.
Keown, Gerald L., Pamela J. Scalise and Thomas G. Smothers. Jeremiah 26-52. WBC. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995.
Holladay, William L. A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988.
Huey Jr., F.B. Jeremiah Lamentations. NAC. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1993.
Janssen, Caroline. Mesopotamian History and Enviornment: Babil, the City of Witchcraft and Wine. Ghent, Belguim: University of Ghent, 1995.
Neusner, Jacob. From Politics to Piety: The Emergence of Pharisaic Judaism. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2003.
McDowell, Josh. Evidence That Demands A Verdict. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1992.
Munderlein, G. “הָרַס.” In Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. 14 volumes. Edited by G. Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringgren and Heinz-Josef Fabry. Translated by John T. Willis, Geoffrey W. Bromiley and David E. Green, 3:461-463. Cambridge: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978.
Talmon, S. “הַר.” In Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. 14 volumes. Edited by G. Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringgren and Heinz-Josef Fabry. Translated by John T. Willis, Geoffrey W. Bromiley and David E. Green, 3:427-447. Cambridge: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978.
Thompson, J. A. The Book of Jeremiah. NICOT. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1980.
Tov, Emanuel. Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible. 2nd revised edition. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2001.
___________. The Text-Critical Use of the Septuagint in Biblical Research. 2nd edition. Jerusalem: Simor Ltd., 1997.
Ziegler, Joseph ed. Jeremias, Baruc, Threni, Episula Ieremiae. Septuaginta: Vetus Testamentum Graecum. Göttingen, Germany: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1976.
[1] Robert P. Carroll, Jeremiah: A Commentary, The Old Testament Library (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1986), 814.
[2] Charles H. Dyer, The Rise of Babylon: Signs of the End Times, (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, 1991).
[3] William L. Holladay, A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), 84 (הָרַס 1).
[4] G. Munderlein, “הָרַס” in Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, 14 vols., ed. by G. Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringgren and Heinz-Josef Fabry translated by John T. Willis, Geoffrey W. Bromiley and David E. Green, 3:461-463. (Cambridge: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978), 462.
[6] Gerald L. Keown, Pamela J. Scalise and Thomas G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52, WBC (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), 357.
[7] Emanuel Tov, The Text-Critical Use of the Septuagint in Biblical Research, 2nd edition
(Jerusalem: Simor Ltd., 1997), 47.
[8] The Septuagint version of Jeremiah moves the oracle of the nations into the middle of Jeremiah rather than in the end as one can see in their English Bible.
[9] This principle is discussed in further details in Emanuel Tov, Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible, 2nd revised edition (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2001), 302-305.
[10] The evidence that the walls of Babylon were not destroyed during this time shall be presented below.
[14] Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands A Verdict, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1992), 306.
[15] J. A. Thompson, The Book of Jeremiah, NICOT (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1980), 745.
[20] S. Talmon, “הַר” in Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, 14 vols., ed. by G. Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringgren and Heinz-Josef Fabry translated by John T. Willis, Geoffrey W. Bromiley and David E. Green, 3:427-447. (Cambridge: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978), 443-444.
[21] D.N. Freedman and J. Lundbom, “דֹּור” in Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, 14 vols., ed. by G. Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringgren and Heinz-Josef Fabry translated by John T. Willis, Geoffrey W. Bromiley and David E. Green, 3:173-181. (Cambridge: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978), 174.
[22] G.J. Botterweck, “דֹּור” in Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, 14 vols., ed. by G. Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringgren and Heinz-Josef Fabry translated by John T. Willis, Geoffrey W. Bromiley and David E. Green, 3:174. (Cambridge: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978), 174.
[26] Bill T. Arnold, “Babylonians,” in Peoples of the Old Testament World, edited by Alfred J. Hoerth, Gerald L. Mattingly and Edwin M. Yamauchi (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1994), 66.
[27] Quoted in Albert Champdor, Babylon, translated by Elsa Coult (New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1958), 126.
[28] T. Boiy, Late Achaemenid and Hellenistic Babylon, (Leuven, Belgium: Peeters Publishers and Department of Oriental studies, 2004), 105.
[34] Jacob Neusner, From Politics to Piety: The Emergence of Pharisaic Judaism, (Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2003), 27.
[35] Gemara were Jewish commentary on the Jewish code of the Oral Torah that were collected and written down called the Mishnah. See Neusner, From Politics to Piety, xxi.
[36] Pesahim 66a (or Peshahim 6:1). Quoted from H. Freedman, Pesahim: Translated into English with notes, glossary and indices (London: The Soncino Press, 1938), 333-334.
[39] Caroline Janssen, Mesopotamian History and Enviornment: Babil, the City of Witchcraft and Wine, (Ghent, Belguim: University of Ghent, 1995), 5.
[41] Kitab al-Masalik Wa’l-mamalik fragments quoted in Janssen, Mesopotamian History and Enviornment: Babil, the City of Witchcraft and Wine, 23.
[43] Al-Istahri’s fragments quoted in Janssen, Mesopotamian History and Enviornment: Babil, the City of Witchcraft and Wine, 30.
[44] Ibn Hawqal fragments quoted in Janssen, Mesopotamian History and Enviornment: Babil, the City of Witchcraft and Wine, 33.
[45] Brian M. Fagan, Return to Babylon: Travelers, Archaeologists, and Monuments in Mesopotamia, (Boston, Massachusetts: Little, Brown and Company, 1979), 214.
[52] In 2003 I was with the Marines in Iraq and had the privilege of visiting the ruins of Babylon about half a dozen time. Seeing the ruins left much to treasure in my heart concerning the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah especially with the prediction of it’s burnt destruction which the remains seem to lack any past indication of.
But… Jeremiah’s “Babylon” in chapters 50-51 is not referring just to the now ruined and empty capital city of ancient Babylonia also once called Babylon, it is “Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans” (50:1). It is “Chaldea” (50:10), the “land of Babylon” (50:28), the “whole land” (51:47.
Babylon, the Babylon of Jeremiah chapters 50-51, is the whole nation associated with Chaldea, not just the one time now long gone capital city of ancient Mesopotamia also called Babylon —
“For the purposes of the LORD against Babylon stand, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitants,” (51:29). “The sound of an outcry from Babylon, and of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans!” (51:54).
The desolation coming is greater than just a rubble mound of one city.
While the post focused on the city of Babylon specifically, you are right to note that Jeremiah 50-51 covers prophecies concerning the whole of Babylonia not just Babylon. Thanks for pointing that out.
You are absolutely correct the post focused on the city of Babylon specifically… that is why I was perplexed enough to comment. Since, as you point out so very correctly, Jeremiah 50-51 “covers prophecies concerning the whole of Babylonia not just (the city) Babylon.”
And so I guess I’m still perplexed as to why a writer would write a post of such length focusing specifically upon the destruction of the city of Babylon — a post titled “Has the totality of Jeremiah 50-51 been fulfilled concerning Babylon?” — when Jeremiah 50-51 isn’t even talking about the city of Babylon, but rather is talking about “the whole of Babylonia.” As you so rightly affirm.
Now since the “whole of Babylonia” — the area now occupied by modern day Iraq — is still quite inhabited, and always has been, there is really no reason at all that we must, as the writer suggests, wait for “a future literal Babylon [to] one day rise again to have it’s destruction according to Jeremiah be fully fulfilled.”
Not at all! The whole of Babylonia — modern day Iraq — is quite ripe for the destruction described there in Jeremiah 50-51 even now.
Nevertheless, your post is indeed quite timely, prophetic in fact, for the blast walls are coming down, and further, the burning of the cities and the abandonment by the occupying reconstructionists is even right now looming at the very doorstep of history.
Just as the invasion of the “land of the Chaldeans” (Jer 50:1) by a “great nation and many kings” (50:41) and the capture and punishment of the “arrogant one” (50:32) has occurred right here in our very recent history.
Are we not then living in the days of the fulfillment of the totality of Jeremiah 50-51 even now?
I say your post could not have been more timely. Was it, let’s be bold, even divinely appointed?
The setting of the Book of Revelation from chapter 6 onwards is not necessarily entirely in the 7-year Tribulation period. Chapters 17 and 18 could be fulfilled pre-Tribulation.
BondServant, the point is that the description points to America. Figuratively and literally. No other nation on earth fits the description, nor has the military might, economic powers, commercial trade, deep water ports all over it’s coast (East, West, South, North) sits upon many waters (No other nation on earth literally, physically sits on two of the largest oceans, the gulf of Mexico, the Bering Sea….not to mention the fact that the US has military bases deployed all over the earth and ships that roam the seven seas. The other point here is that America was NEVER a Christian nation NEVER!!!! God is going to punish all of her sins in one day. All of her wickedness, false idol worship, acceptance of the Beast system and the proliferation of filth and sin, hatred, mass murder, rape, slavery, racism, sexism, homosexuality, false religions, child sacrifice ( I believe this is still going on…hence the reason there are so many missing children in the United States).pornography, drugs, abortion, human trafficking, and the list goes on, and on and on. How can anyone possibly think that for one moment God IS NOT going to judge America for her sins??? It’s right there in black and white brother…It will be wiped from the face of the earth by Russia and the other host of nations that the US has been bombing and killing in order to steal their wealth (inheritance). That’s the truth and it’s directly from God’s word, so it’s not something I’m making up. Rome as well will be destroyed for her abominations and for leading the world (Catholics) into false idol worship and worship of the Sun God, Satan. The signs are all here. Take a look at the capital and place a picture of it next to a picture of the Vatican (which is the city that sits on seven hills) Rev 17:9 The obelisk (Shaft of Baal) sits proudly in Washington DC and the Whore (Ishtar) sits proudly in NYC harbor(The city of Babylon). There’s no turning back; the fate of the US has been sealed and if this election is any indication about the true feelings and nature of the country and the people living in it (Trumps wife stripped naked and posed for pictures with another woman) there you have it…there’s literally a whore in the White house…certainly not a woman or a man of the Lord Jesus Christ. Trump might be the king of the south that pushes at Putin…People thought it was Obama….Trump may very well be that guy…that remains to be seen. But, one thing that is consistent throughout scripture is that God always, ALWAYS warns and delivers his people before he destroys the land. He did it for Noah, He did it with Lot, He did it with the Israelites in Egypt and He’ll do it once again for the faithful in Christ Jesus. 🙂
[…] 1.) Has the Totality of Jeremiah 50-51 been fulfilled concerning Babylon?– Employing a historical-grammatical hermeneutics while being conscious of lexical meaning of Hebrew terms and extra-biblical history, I’ve tried to argue that the prophecies found in Jeremiah 50-51 demonstrate a future literal Babylon that will be a key player in eschatological events since the prophecied destruction still awaits in history. This is an application of historical grammatical heremenutics, attention to the Hebrew lexically and history towards the theological subject of eschatology. […]
“[T]he prophecied [sic] destruction” may very well be under way right now, through the invasion, capture, execution, reconstruction and abandonment. Burning, civil war, plundering, flood and drought leading to utter desolation will complete the explicit decrees of the Jeremiah 50-51 prophecy.
We do not need to wait for a “future literal Babylon.” We are seeing the destruction of the “land of the Chaldeans” — as Jeremiah calls it in his prophecy — happening right here in the present.
Go to http://iraqisbabylon.info for further information.
Dear Brother,
Jeff has a point somewhat obscured by your hermeneutics. Essentially historical grammatical hermeneutics can never assert of by itself real fulfillment. It can only give us ½ of the equation- the text. The reason the source of the authority to discern fulfillment must exceed that which the text offers. Fulfillment cannot be limited into the ontological realm of the text itself. Historical grammatical heremenutics is inherently limited to time of writing by the human vessel in time ,This however is not how prophesy is to be discerned as fulfilled. The text itself cannot answer the question for us. For the type can not be the authority by which the antitype is discerned.
Essentially historical grammatical hermeneutics lead to a literalism which can only offer speculation. If you’re interested I could get you access to my work on peshar hermeneutics which the apostles practiced. But he who speaks let him speak as the oracle of God!
I would really recommend Your review of Jeff’s blog. See if it doesn’t touch the informed subjective aspect of your being – your spirit bares witness to the truth of his discernment.
Wow, there’s many things I want to comment about what you said..but the night is not young, so I’ll have to focus on the main thing I suppose. You mentioned about the apostle using Pesher hermeneutics; I’ve been doubtful in the past with people saying this and I have to confess that the data they try to cite from the NT does not seem to follow to the conclusion in that it can be resolve from an historical and grammatical hermeneutics informed by antecedent theology, or that the method behind the interpretation is not necessarily unique or essentially Pesher. I would be interested neverthesless in your work concerning the defense of this thesis.
Sorry, this may be a sidebar but needed to share this. Modern day Iraq has become a nuclear and chemical disaster zone. America and allied forces deployed large amounts DU (Depleted uranium) in both war campaigns in many of the armaments used to destroy tanks and other targets. Depleted uranium is extremely toxic and cancer inducing (do a web search) and very hard to clean up due to its small size of the particles. DU is being blamed for baby deformations and rise in childrens cancers there. in fact the US government thru the arm of Project Hope built a cancer hospital in Basrah just to deal with the huge rise of children’s cancers–they dont say its the DU but if you do the research, it seems a possible candidate. Other possibilities include the blown chemical and nerve gas ammo dump at Khamisiyah that the US army destroyed. Also, the burning petrol due to the massive fires Hussein lit off–he literally finished off his country no different than what Hitler did as he retreated from Russia. It is interesting if this modern end of days event connects to the scriptures in Jeremiah?
Okay…
I thought your article was very well written and insightful. Many evangelicals are starting to ask the question if the fulfillment of Babylon and Mystery Babylon prophetic role is being fulfilled here in the USA. I am currently reading a book that takes that position. One that requires the believer to discern God’s will to stay or flee babylon as scripture calls us to do.
Cool!
Very good. Even though you have not considered other equally pertinent verses such as Jeremiah 50:12, 50:23, 51:7, 51:42 and 51:44, you have conclusively proven that a future commercial Babylon is yet to be utterly destroyed by fire. Surely, you ought to have also considered Revelation 18 which would have provided further understanding of the unfulfilled verses in Jeremiah chapters 50 and 51. Then, you would have understood that the future commercial Babylon is already with us and it is none other than the USA. All the merchants of the world and as many as trade on the sea are not going to become rich by exporting their never-ending cargoes of merchandise to a rebuilt city of Babylon in Iraq. All the nations of the world are not going to stream to a rebuilt city of Babylon in Iraq for anything!
It is very strange that there is a general reluctance to see the writing on the wall as to the identity of modern commercial Babylon (together with all her cities) which is destined to be a desolation among the nations and to be uninhabited by humans FOREVER.
How could this be possible? Could it be that modern commercial Babylon will become a radioactive waste dump the size of a continent?
You are correct. Babylon the Great is none other than the USA. Strangely, the majority of Christians refuse to believe this. I believe Revelation 18:4 is a call not only to the Jews living in America but also to true Christians living there as well. The call is unmistakable. It is a divine command to flee the USA before the plagues fall suddenly on her.
Isn’t it kind of strange to self-affirm your own comment?
Occasionally, one would have come across a movie wherein the same actor played two different roles for added punch. Bondservant will argue that it is imperative for all true Christians to flee the USA in obedience to Rev 18:4. Those who disobey the divine commandment in Rev 18:4 will likely share in the plagues that will fall suddenly on the USA.
Some Christians are resting on the assurance and security of the rapture occurring before the sudden destruction of Babylon the Great (aka the USA). But their very disobedience to a divine commandment may point to a misguided complacency on their part.
I think you have an allegorical hermeneutic and such a method could read anything into the text.
In my studies of Babylon the Great, I arrived at the fact that only ONE nation in the last days, trades with the whole world, only one NATION is the hindermost kingdom, and only ONE NATION was founded by its mother.There is only ONE NATION that is the hammer of the whole earth.
And its film and music industry founded by modern masonry literally moves the whole world to fornication. because it is spiritually demonic.There is also only ONE NATION who is completely surrounded by water. Golf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Great Lakes in the North. And only ONE NATION is a land of many peoples, races and languages, where many of these immigrants will say: “Come let us go to our own land.”because of the destruction on the land.
And only ONE NATION owes a debt of mass murder if one only reviews the murder performed in the name of gain for large corporations and calls it democracy as happened in Nicaragua, Honduras, Chile, Panama, Guatamala and presently, almost every Middle East Nation that includes now also Africa.
I often wondered, how my God could be so myopic as to overlook the most powerful kingdom on earth. Until I woke up and realized it was I who was myopic, because I could never understand and realize our Lord was speaking about the country of my birth. The United States of America!
Clem,
What do you make of the post’s observation from Jeremiah 50 and 51?
Clem, it seems to me that having understood the identity of modern Babylon, you remain completely at ease in disobeying the divine commandment in Rev 18:4….”And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.” There is always a price to pay for disobedience.
One must let Scripture interpret Scripture. My argument that Rev 18:4 includes a divine commandment to all the Jews living in the USA to flee the land before the sudden destruction of Babylon the Great is supported by Jeremiah 51:50 which was clearly and unmistakably addressed to the Jews….”You who have escaped the sword, Get away! Do not stand still! Remember the LORD afar off, And let Jerusalem come to your mind.” This is a clear and unmistakable call to the 7 million or more Jews living in the USA today to flee for their lives before the sudden destruction of Babylon the Great.
Jeremiah 51:50 will also dismiss the fallacy of those who teach about a future rebuilt Babylon in Iraq. The Jews are not going to emigrate to a rebuilt Babylon in Iraq in any significant number!
It may be that for years, both Jews and true Christians didn’t understand the nature of the divine commandment in Rev 18:4. But now that they do, after reading this and many similar messages, it is imperative that they must obey the divine commandment in Rev 18:4. Willful disobedience may very well mean that their blood will be upon their own heads when destruction comes in one hour within one day.
Again you are reading into things not there; there is no America in the text, right after Jeremiah 51:50 in v. 54 we see this Babylon is still in the land of the Chaldeans; I think we should call Jews to repent and turn to Jesus as their Lord and Savior, not flee the USA.
We have a duty to introduce the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the Jews. But that duty does not include encouraging them to stick with modern Babylon or Babylon the Great (aka the USA). Instead, we should also remind them of the fate of modern Babylon.
“Therefore the wild desert beasts shall dwell there with the jackals, And the ostriches shall dwell in it. It shall be inhabited no more forever, Nor shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation. As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah And their neighbors,” says the LORD, “So no one shall reside there, Nor son of man dwell in it.” [Jer 50:39-40]
“We would have healed Babylon, But she is not healed. Forsake her, and let us go everyone to his own country; For her judgment reaches to heaven and is lifted up to the skies.” [Jer 51:9]
“And the land will tremble and sorrow; For every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, To make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitant.” [Jer 51:29]
“Babylon shall become a heap, A dwelling place for jackals, An astonishment and a hissing, Without an inhabitant.” [Jer 51:37]
“My people, go out of the midst of her! And let everyone deliver himself from the fierce anger of the LORD.” [Jer 51:45]
“You who have escaped the sword, Get away! Do not stand still! Remember the LORD from afar off, And let Jerusalem come to your mind.” [Jer 51:50]
“And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.” [Rev 18:4]
Biblical code words need to be interpreted with understanding……’the land of the Chaldeans’ is ‘the land of Babylon’ and ‘Babylon’ is modern Babylon, Babylon the Great (aka the USA)……”And the nations shall not stream to him anymore. Yes, the wall of Babylon shall fall.” [Jer 51:44]
It is a fallacy to imagine that the nations of the world will stream to a rebuilt Babylon in Iraq and the merchants of the world will become rich by selling their merchandise to a rebuilt Babylon in Iraq. The reality is that the nations of the world have been streaming to the USA and meeting regularly in New York and that the merchants of the world have already become rich by offloading their never-ending containers of merchandise at the harbors of the USA! One would have to wait another 238 years (2014 – 1776) for a rebuilt Babylon in Iraq to achieve such distinction!
When modern Babylon, Babylon the Great (aka the USA), is suddenly destroyed by fire in one hour within one day, the merchants of the world will mourn and throw dust on their heads after they are struck by great fear that no one will buy their merchandise anymore. How could any Christian not be able to see the USA under judgment in Rev 18?
Hey brother,
It’s one thing to say Jeremiah 50-51 and Revelation is not talking about the original Babylon situated in Modern Day Iraq; it’s another thing to claim it’s America. The latter still is not established by Scripture interpreting the Scripture but more of newspaper interpreting Scripture.
Also from the verses you share are there native Ostrich in the USA?
First question – Are there animals in heaven?
Second question – Are there demons, foul spirits, and every unclean and hated bird in the USA? [Rev 18:2]
Forget about Jeremiah 50 & 51. The prophet Isaiah has made another connection with Rev 18:2 in Isaiah 21:9. I assume you would have missed that connection. Please correct me if that is not true.
Quote Isaiah 21:9….”Then he answered and said, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen! And all the carved images of her gods He has broken to the ground.”
Quote Rev 18:2….”And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!”
What “is fallen, is fallen”?
Once again, I ask, how could any true Christian not be able to discern that it is the USA that Rev 18 is talking about? Those who are wedded to Babylon the Great (aka the USA) cannot be expected to forsake Babylon the Great (aka the USA). Thousands of years ago, those who were wedded to Sodom and Gomorrah could not be expected to forsake Sodom and Gomorrah.
“At the noise of the taking of Babylon The earth trembles, And the cry is heard among the nations.” [Jer 50:46] Now, that will be very, very true at the noise of the sudden destruction of the USA! The earth didn’t tremble and a cry was not heard among the nations whenever a Syrian or Iraqi city fell!
“And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore:” [Rev 18:11]
“The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.” [Rev 18:23
Re-read those words again….”For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.”
Cry for Babylon the Great (aka the USA) and for all who are wedded to her and unable or unwilling to forsake her. I fully expect loud protests from all, including Christians, who are wedded to Babylon the Great (aka the USA).
Hey brother,
First off, you didn’t answer my question.
Second off, all those verses does not logically NECESSITATE it’s the U.S.
My question still stand and remain unanswered: “Are there native Ostrich in the USA?”
I ask because you cited Jer 50:39-40 and Jer 51:37 as proofs that Jeremiah 50-51 is about the USA. But it mentions Ostrich. I think this suggests strongly Babylon is not a Scriptural reference to the United States. I did a little internet search on Ostrich (scientific name being Struthio camelus). Here’s the breakdown of their geographical distrubution: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Struthio_camelus_distribution.svg
I don’t see Continental North America in it. Makes one wonder if the Jeremiah 50:39-40 is talking about the USA.
Let me ask a second question: Are there native Jackals in America?
I ask because you cited Jer 50:39-40 and Jer 51:37 as proofs that Jeremiah 50-51 is about the USA. But it mentions Jackals. I think this suggests strongly Babylon is not a Scriptural reference to the United States. I did a little internet search on Jackals. Here’s the breakdown of their geographical distrubution: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jackals.png
I don’t see Continental North America in it. Again it makes one wonder if the Jeremiah 50-51 is talking about the USA.
These are two reasons brother why I think Jeremiah 50-51 is not talking about a symbolic Babylon with the USA as the referent. I am not saying it’s not the USA just because I want to have my head bury in the sand. I just don’t see any exegetical support for your view brother.
Blessings to you.
If you want to rely on the name of a bird and the name of a wild dog to demolish the overwhelming evidence of a reference to the USA in Revelation chapters 17 & 18, Jeremiah chapters 50 & 51, and Isaiah chapters 13, 21 & 47, you are most welcome.
I’ve been having a discourse with a fully settled atheist recently. In the end, I realized that it was not my job to cause a leopard to change its spots. It is the LORD’s job to grant wisdom, understanding, and faith to any person that He chooses.
And by the way, if you would care to Google for the different species of wild dogs and ostriches found in North America, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. I’ve no doubt that you’ll love this website from the American Ostrich Association:-
http://www.ostriches.org/factor.html
And the American jackal is called a coyote:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote
http://carnivoraforum.com/topic/9890700/1/
So, I wish you all the best and a secure and comfortable life in modern Babylon.
Again, I’m surprised at how you keep on saying there’s overwhelming evidence that the USA is Babylon in the Bible when all the verses you cited does not logically necessitate it’s the USA. Some of the things you said applies to other countries as well such as Australia.
The Scripture uses very specific terms for Ostrich and Jackals. If these terms didn’t matter we would have seen Scripture used generic terms like “bird” and “dogs;” or for that matter if it’s America we expect “bears,” “cattles,” and the like.
Coyote’s being nicknamed American Jackals thousands of years after Scripture is closed doesn’t make them Jackals.
I perceive my job as just one of many voices in the wilderness. An understanding of things to come is not mine to grant. That is the prerogative of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. How much time left the USA has, I don’t know. But I do know that the LORD, through His prophet Isaiah, spoke about an exceedingly proud nation and the fate of that nation in the most solemn pronouncement that He has ever made concerning any nation in Isaiah 47:8-11. The LORD spoke about this same proud nation again in Revelation 18:7. In both Isaiah 47:8 and Rev 18:7, this proud nation says in her heart that she will never be a widow. If only she knew of the torment and sorrow that will come upon her!
This exceedingly proud nation spoken of by the LORD in Isaiah 47:8-11 and Rev 18:7 is not going to be a rebuilt city in Iraq to be named Babylon. Millions upon millions of immigrants of different racial backgrounds are not going to populate it. Millions of Jews are not going to populate it. The nations of the world are not going to stream to it. The merchants of the world and every shipmaster and sailor, and as many as trade on the sea, are not going to become rich by selling their merchandise to it. The kings of the earth are not going to live luxuriously with it.
God never gave two individuals the same pair of eyes. There is such a thing as carnal eyes and spiritual eyes. Some Christians needed to look for the specific names of ‘America’ or ‘the USA’ in the Scriptures, while there are other Christians who don’t need to look for the specific names of ‘America’ or ‘the USA’ in the Scriptures. I belong to the latter group, which, undoubtedly, is a very, very small minority.
The 7 million or more Jews living in the USA today will be divided into two groups:-
Group 1 – those who will manage to escape the destruction of the USA
Group 2 – those who are unable to escape the destruction of the USA
The LORD has something to say about Group 1…..”The voice of those who flee and escape from the land of Babylon Declares in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, The vengeance of His temple.” [Jer 50:28]
An internet search has revealed that there are less than 50 Jews living in Iraq today!
So, have a good day and may you be blessed by unceasing studies of the Holy Scriptures.
SLIMJIM, give up. What’s the USe-i-sAy?
Good play on words
Good Day Brothers! I was reading through this and I thought I would give my 2 cents worth on this discussion. In regards to the term “ostrich” as found in Jeremiah 50:39, which according to my Interlinear Bible is Strongs word #3284, which means:
1) an unclean bird
1a) owl, ostrich, literally translated as “daughters of the owl”
1b) perhaps an extinct bird, exact meaning unknown
So, this term is rather ambiguous. No one knows for sure if it actually means “ostrich”, or if it is an unknown extinct bird. Slimjim asked if there were Ostrich’s here in the U.S.? No, there certainly are not, neither are there Ostrich’s in modern Iraq. They are only found in Africa, and I highly doubt any country in Africa is the “Daughter of Babylon”. But if the Hebrew word as denoted by Strongs 3284 means “owl” or “unclean bird”, then this could readily tie in with the rest of Jeremiah and Revelation that points (in my opinion) to the U.S. as being Mystery Babylon/Daughter of Babylon.
Grace and Peace,
Brian B.
Brian,
Are there other reasons why you think the US is mystery Babylon?
Good comment.
Revelation 18 is a perfect fit for the USA as Mystery Babylon. Revelation 18:4 is, in my opinion, first and foremost, a command to the Jews living in America. A born again Christian should also obey this command unless he is absolutely certain that he will participate in the Rapture which should occur before Mystery Babylon is completely rendered uninhabitable by humans. The fate of America has been sealed and it is unalterable.
If there are only seven Jews living in Iraq today, could the divine call in Revelation 18:4 be directed at just seven Jews living in Iraq today? I don’t think so. By contrast, there are more than seven million Jews living in America today, almost the same number as in Israel herself.
The divine call in Revelation 18:4 is getting louder and louder as each day passes by.
Apart from Revelation 18:4, what about the following pleadings from the LORD……
Jeremiah 51:6…”Flee from the midst of Babylon, And every one save his life! Do not be cut off in her iniquity, For this is the time of the LORD’s vengeance; He shall recompense her.”
Jeremiah 51:45….”My people, go out of the midst of her! And let everyone deliver himself from the fierce anger of the LORD.”
Jeremiah 51:50….”You who have escaped the sword, Get away! Do not stand still! Remember the LORD afar off, And let Jerusalem come to your mind.”
These pleadings and commands from the LORD are directed at His people in the closing days of this age. Those who are wilfully deaf will likely share in her sins and receive of her plagues.
Read Revelation 16 as well. At the end it says “15 “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.” This is the day of the Lord. This is also alluded to in Zechariah 2 :
Then I looked up, and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 I asked, “Where are you going?”
He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.”
3 While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him 4 and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it. 5 And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’
6 “Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven,” declares the Lord.
7 “Come, Zion! Escape, you who live in Daughter Babylon!” 8 For this is what the Lord Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye— 9 I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them.[b] Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.
10 “Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord. 11 “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. 12 The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.”
“many nations will be joined with the Lord in THAT DAY” the day of the lord the destruction of satans kingdom, bablylon.
“come come flee from the land of the north”
North in the strongs dictionary
northern side, dark, gloomy
Or tsaphon {tsaw-fone’}; from tsaphan; properly, hidden, i.e. Dark; used only of the north as a quarter (gloomy and unknown) — north(-ern, side, -ward, wind).
This world is dark and gloomy, satans kingdom, the new jerusalem is coming when Jesus returns that day.
This is the GREAT and TERRIBLE day of the Lord. Great for believers, awful for those who will finally see that Jesus is the truth, the tree of life. and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil aka satans followers aka being your own God like every pagan king/queen that has roamed the face of the earth. “ye shall be as gods, having the knowledge of God, behold he is like one of us”. The ancient babylonian mystery religions, freemasons, etc, etc.
1 thessalonians 4:16-17
“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever”.
Revelation 18:4 is the archangel…
2 peter 3:10
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
I trust God is going to take me out of here before the fire.
Romans 8:6
“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace”
Open your spiritual eyes, God isn’t going to forsake his creation aka chosen people.
We are the bricks for new Jerusalem. Has nothing to do with this earth. It will all be new, no recollection of this world. Don’t be wed to this world, be wed to the coming kingdom.
Lord your kingdom come, your will be done
amen
BondServant, I agree with you wholeheartedly as I have read the post further down. Here’s what we know. The prophecy has been there for thousands of years, but the Holy Spirit is pouring out the secrets and allowing that which was hidden to be revealed. Many will reject what is written as well as what is being seen, because their hearts and eyes are blinded from the truth. May the Lord continue to bless you with the interpretation of His word. I know God’s word is not wrong and the signs and symbols are all there.
Without the shadow of a doubt, the ‘Revealer’ of things to come is God the Holy Spirit. It is His prerogative to whom He wants to reveal things to come. May God bless you too.
bondservant are you equivocating? A text out of context rule always applies.
It is possible that mighty America’s time as a super power may be over before all this comes to pass.
The Yellowstone super volcano could erupt and take out the majority of people in all of the surrounding states. It would take out the vast oil supply in North Dakota and Montana.
Another civil war could break out.
Some drug impervious plague could wipe us out.
All the Muslims in America could go Holy War on us.
The liberals could completely take over everything.
Trump could be impeached and Hillary coronation could replace him.
All the illegals could take up arms against us.
We may not be mentioned in the Bible end times prophecies at all because our time may have come and gone as the one lone super power, let alone a super power in any degree.
Very long post. Well argued.
Bondservant is too speculative and an American hater.
I agree
You are childish and totally biblically ignorant. I guess you would call Jesus a Jew hater when He prophesied that not one stone will be left standing after the destruction of the second temple.
It is not my job to worry about closed minds. I just tell it as it has been revealed to me by the Scripture. Right now America is tearing herself apart. This internal tearing apart will intensify rather than abate. It stands to reason that the enemy will see a mortally wounded Eagle.
Four years later you are still trolling this page and have not proven that America is Babylon.
America does have spiritual problems but pointing that out is not the same thing as saying America is Babylon in Jeremiah 50-51. Please read the article.
If you are looking for the name of ‘America’ in both the Old and the New Testaments, you’ll be greatly disappointed.
And when you failed in your endeavor to look for the name of ‘America’ in the Bible, you will continue to call me ‘troll’. Is something amiss with your spirituality?
Four years! You are patient than most Slim. I like the point about ostrich you made in the comment section.
No amount of scriptural proof will open closed minds. This much, I understand perfectly.
Seems like things in the middle east is being set up for this to be fulfilled. Especially with Russia, Turkey in the Middle East. Now we also must watch out for a strengthen Iraq.
Serena, I’m pleasantly surprised that you are probably the third or fourth commentator with a biblically open mind. So, we are a very, very small minority who dare to stick to the big prophetic picture. If you have carefully read my interchanges with SLIMJIM and others who accused me of being an “American hater”, it will strike you that these guys paid no attention to the fact that my comments were not based on “American hatred” but based purely on a God-given understanding of the big prophetic picture presented by both the Old and the New Testament. SLIMJIM even said that I’ll be “trolling” these pages for a long time.
In commenting on the central thesis of this article so well written by SLIMJIM, how many commentators have you come across who have considered the interconnection of other stupendous endtime Bible prophecies such as Isaiah 13; Isaiah 21; Isaiah 47; Daniel 2; Ezekiel 38/39 and Revelation. I expect you to answer ‘NONE’ and you are correct.
You are right again that the Middle East is being set up for world-shaking fulfilment of the prophecies in Jeremiah 50/51 concerning an endtime political and national entity symbolically called ‘Babylon’ or ‘Babylon the Great’. By the time Israel’s outer ring of enemies (comprising Russia, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Libya, Sudan and other allied member countries) launch their massive invasion of Israel, America will have ceased to exist as a viable nation. Ezekiel 39 verse 6 certainly appears to be suggesting a nuclear exchange. And don’t forget that both Isaiah 47 verses 8 & 9 and Revelation 18 verse 7 & 8 were prophesying the same destruction of the endtime political and national entity symbolically called ‘Babylon’ or ‘Babylon the Great’. Let us compare the startling similarity of the language used by God the Holy Spirit in the above mentioned verses.
Isaiah 47 verses 8 & 9:
“Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures, Who dwell securely, Who say in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, Nor shall I know the loss of children’; But these two things shall come to you In a moment, in one day: The loss of children, and widowhood. They shall come upon you in their fullness Because of the multitude of your sorceries, For the great abundance of your enchantments.”
Revelation 18 verses 7 & 8:-
“In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.”
Do you see how God was talking about the same endtime political and national entity? This is huge. This is mind-boggling. This is unnerving. I have plenty of biblical reasons to nail down the identity of this endtime political and national entity destined to be destroyed by fire in “ONE DAY”. SLIMJIM will be alarmed by what I have written here, and somebody will again say that I’m too “speculative” and an “American hater”. For heavens sake, I’m just a prophecy student sharing my God-given understanding of prophecies with whomever God wants me to share with.
I received an unexplained urge (whether it was of divine origin or not, I have no idea). But it was undoubtedly a strong urge to discuss Jeremiah 51 verse 9 quoted here:-
“We would have healed Babylon, But she is not healed. Forsake her, and let us go everyone to his own country; For her judgment reaches to heaven and is lifted up to the skies.”
Here are my questions to all who claimed that I have not and will never prove that America is the political and national entity symbolically called ‘Babylon’ or ‘Babylon the Great’ or ‘Mother of harlots’:-
1. Whom does the first word ‘We’ at the beginning of the verse signify?
2. Was the name ‘Babylon’ in this verse a reference to the ancient city of Babylon in Iraq; a future rebuilt city in Iraq to be named ‘Babylon’ again; or a present existing political and national entity bearing all the hallmarks vividly described in multiple related prophecies yet to be fulfilled in connection with this endtime entity?
3. Was this verse a reference to a land of diverse immigrants from various original nationalities?
4. Will Iraq ever become a land of diverse immigrants from various original nationalities?
5. Does this verse contain a divine ADVICE to the diverse immigrants living in this land to physically flee for their lives, each one to “his own country”?
6. When total destruction comes in ONE DAY, all those diverse immigrants who were unwilling to forsake this land symbolically called ‘Babylon’ (including many ‘Christians’) will die. Will they be able to blame God that He has never given them any advance warning?
7. Which country in particular has been polluting the rest of the world such that her “judgment reaches to heaven and is lifted up to the skies? Is Roe v. Wade an abomination in the eyes of God? Is Obergefell v. Hodges an abomination in the eyes of God?
8. Is it not true that only the very blind will say that since the modern names of America and Russia do not appear anywhere in the Bible, these countries cannot possibly be the subject of yet to be fulfilled prophecies?
Its crazy to think the Middle East current events is setting things up for a new rise of Babylon with all the multinational forces and businesses there, because of the business of getting oil in Iraq. Maybe Babylon will be even a part-Iranian power, seeing the Shiite union between Iraq and Iran and historically there has been a blend of Persian control of Babylon and vice versa. Glad this future Babylon will be destroyed!
There are no deep sea ports there. It is talking about the USA melting pot of the world. queen of heaven in NYC
Babylon’s got a lot of oil…and the world is willing to drink from her
I’m enjoying your current series through the minor prophets. I thought I searched up some of the other Major Prophets on your blog and I was blessed reading your studies here on Jeremiah and Babylon.
Insightful; watch for Babylon Rising
Good article, it points out things I wouldn’t have seen. Jeremiah 50:33-46 is also clear. It connects Babylon with oppressing Judah. This therefore is literal Babylon which really happened historically. We must watch out for the rising of a glorified Babylon in the future.
Well things in the middle east has been heating up especially in the Persian Gulf…
The time is getting closer for Babylon to rise
America is endtime ‘Babylon’. It’s already here and you’re stucked in it.
Thanks for your like of my post, “Mr. Smith Goes To Washington;” you are very kind.
This is a game changer for me in seeing the Middle East today through the lens of Scripture
Bondservant,
I don’t like in America. I’m an Aussie.
Would it be possible Iran takes over Iraq and become the new Babylon?
Wow!
Fascinating that Babylon’s wall has not yet been burned
From the way the world center so much on the Middle East this makes so sense now
Maranatha! As we celebrate Christ with the Lord’s first coming, it is also glorious to know the details of events leading up to the second coming and how the Lord will be victorious! Babylon will fall!
It seems the world can’t turn away its attention from Iraq and Iran can it?
You really should read up on Ezekiel 38 & 39. In those chapters, Persia signifies Iran today, Togarmah and Gomer signify Turkey today, Ethiopia signifies Sudan today, and Gog, the prince of Rosh, signifies Russia today. A coalition of these countries will prepare for a massive invasion of Israel in the near future. We have noted from news reports that Russia, Iran and Turkey are already firmly aligned for this end time epic invasion of Israel.
I am looking at Babylon in a fresh way after this intense study.
America needs prayer
I feel all the problems in the USA is distracting us from the Middle East and Israel
That place that was Jerusalem is now Sodom as it says in Revelation. New Jerusalem is where yeshua reigns…
I’m thinking Big Tech is Babylon
[…] Has the totality of Jeremiah 50-51 been fulfilled concerning Babylon? […]
[…] Has the totality of Jeremiah 50-51 been fulfilled concerning Babylon? […]
With the regard to the view that the “Babylon the Great” in Revelation 17 refers to a rebuilt literal city of Babylon in future, I’d like to ask two questions, if you don’t mind:
1. An important characteristic of ‘Babylon the Great’ is that it has martyred a large number of saints and witnesses of Jesus (Rev. 17:6). So, the entity that Revelation 17 describes as ‘Babylon the Great’ must fulfill this important criterion of being responsible for the martyrdom, in the name of false religion, of large numbers of saints and witnesses of Jesus Christ. Does this description fit the literal city of Babylon? Let me explain what I mean:
It’s apparent that two different aspects of Babylon are in view in Revelation chapters 17 and 18. The ‘Babylon the Great’ of Revelation 17 is the religious aspect of Babylon which is destroyed (possibly at mid-Tribulation) by the antichrist and his 10-nation confederacy (Revelation 17:16-17). The antichrist uses the great harlot (Babylon the Great) of Revelation 17 to rise to power but, at mid-Tribulation, he turns on this great harlot and destroys her because he wants to be the sole centre of worship. On the other hand, the ‘Babylon the Great’ of Revelation 18 is the commercial aspect of Babylon which God will destroy at the end of the Great Tribulation by means of the 7th bowl judgment (Rev. 16:17-19). Immediately after the destruction of commercial Babylon, Christ will return to earth to establish His millennial kingdom.
If the judgment of religious Babylon occurs at mid-Tribulation (i.e., before the antichrist begins to martyr the tribulation saints in the second half of the Tribulation) and if the first half of Daniel’s 70 week is going to be a relatively peaceful period (due to the antichrist pretending to be a man of peace and signing a 7-year peace treaty with Israel), it means the martydom of saints for which ‘Babylon the Great’ is indicted in Revelation 17 must have occurred prior to the beginning of Daniel’s 70 week. If this is correct, then the martydom of many saints and witnesses of Jesus (Rev. 17:6) of which ‘Babylon the Great’ is guilty must have occurred before the great Tribulation even begins. That is, it must be a reference to the martyrdoms that occurred over the centuries prior to the beginning of the Tribulation.
If the above scenario is accurate, the question we must ask is: does the literal city of Babylon fulfill this criterion of being responsible for martyring God’s saints and witnesses of Jesus over the centuries? If ‘Babylon the Great’ is a reference to the literal city of Babylon, in what way has the literal city of Babylon been associated with the martyrdom of saints and Christ’s witnesses in the past? We know from history that countless numbers of Christ’s witnesses have been martyred in the name of false religion. For example, many believers (including Jesus’ Apostles) were martyred by the Roman government for rejecting the Roman gods. None of these martyrdoms occurred in the literal city of Babylon. Since the earliest centuries of Christianity (when the Romans martyred Christians) up until the 21st century, countless numbers of saints and witnesses of Jesus have been martyred — in the name of false religion — in various cities around the world (including cities in Islamic countries).
2) In Isaiah 13, the prophecy of Isaiah says when literal Babylon is destroyed, it will never again be inhabited or settled with people from generation to generation (Isaiah 13:20). How does this prophecy apply to the end-time destruction of Babylon described in Revelation 18 given that this end-time destruction of Babylon will immediately be followed by the the return of Christ and the establishment of His millennial reign onf earth? (If ‘Babylon the Great’ is a literal city that is destroyed by the 7th bowl judgment at the end of the Great Tribulation as Rev. 16:17-19 indicates, the implication is that the destruction of ‘Babylon the Great’ will immediately be followed by the millennial kingdom of Christ).
So, if the destruction of commercial Babylon by the 7th bowl judgement (cf. Rev. 16:17-19) is going to occur at or near the end of the great Tribulation, the next thing that happens immediately after the destruction of Babylon is the Second Coming of Christ and the establishment of His millennial kingdom on earth. Is Isaiah, therefore, saying that no one will inhabit the destroyed city of Babylon from generation to generation during the millennial kingdom reign of Christ? Do we expect people to keep inhabiting cities from “generation to generation” during the millinneal reign of Christ just as they did prior to the Second Coming of Christ? My understanding is that only believers will inhabit the millennial kingdom and there will be no death in the millennial kingdom. Since people will no longer die during the millennial kingdom, does the idea of “generation to generation” in Isaiah’s prophecy really fit the millennial kingdom era? Isn’t it more likely that Isaiah meant to say that Babylon will never be inhabited or settled before the Second Coming of Christ, rather than after the establishment of the millennial reign on earth?
I’d like to know your thoughts regarding these questions.
Many blessings,
Vik.
[…] Has the totality of Jeremiah 50-51 been fulfilled concerning Babylon? […]
To debunk virtually 99% of the comments that say USA is Babylon, it’s obvious you never even read the article. What “Wall” surrounds America that will be destroyed, and please don’t say, oh it’s imaginary. Please!
Very good point