In The Book Of Revelation the reference to Babylon is obviously symbolic. "I will rise up against them," declares the LORD of hosts, "and will cut off from Babylon name and survivors, offspring and posterity," declares the LORD. JEWISH BIBLE QUARTERLY . Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. Bible Meaning: Confusion. But you have been cast out of your tombLike a rejected branch,Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword,Who go down to the stones of the pitLike a trampled corpse. "Now behold, here comes a troop of riders, horsemen in pairs." Tiglath-pileser became king of Babylon and later in 689 b.c. Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes at Riblah; the king of Babylon also slew all the nobles of Judah. Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her. And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. In the Old Testament the city of Babylon gave birth to an empire that ruled the known world and imposed a worldview upon all of the peoples that she conquered. Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he and his mother and his servants and his captains and his officials. Now on the seventh day of the fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. ", "Into his right hand came the divination, 'Jerusalem,' to set battering rams, to open the mouth for slaughter, to lift up the voice with a battle cry, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up ramps, to build a siege wall. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? John is carried away in the Spirit into the wilderness where he saw: After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,Hallelujah! After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory. He, inDeuteronomy 28:49-58, tells of sending people into exile if they disobey Him, which Israel did. And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth If I do not remember you, If I do not exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy. Then the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. It was one of the cities founded by King Nimrod, according to Genesis 10:9-10. Given how Babylonia was influenced by ancient Sumer, it comes as no surprise that this pantheon of gods is shared between the two cultures. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. A sword against their horses and against their chariotsAnd against all the foreigners who are in the midst of her,And they will become women!A sword against her treasures, and they will be plundered! The whole earth is at rest and is quiet;They break forth into shouts of joy. Dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Hazor," declares the LORD; "For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has formed a plan against you And devised a scheme against you. She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. Though Babylon should ascend to the heavens. And it will be in the day when the Lord gives you rest from your pain and turmoil and harsh service in which you have been enslaved,read more.that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, and say,How the oppressor has ceased,And how fury has ceased! read more. The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. The satanic power behind Babylon addressed as "Lucifer, son of the morning" (14:12) is portrayed both in his original rebellion against God and in his ultimate judgment. Come down and sit in the dust,O virgin daughter of Babylon;Sit on the ground without a throne,O daughter of the Chaldeans!For you shall no longer be called tender and delicate. The singers: the sons of Asaph, 128. "Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre; every head was made bald and every shoulder was rubbed bare. read more. How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones. At that time Berodach-baladan a son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/history-of-babylon-3867031. He will cause deceit to succeed by his influence; And he will magnify himself in his heart. Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the customs which Israel had introduced. So Judah was led away into exile from its land. It comes from the wilderness, from a terrifying land. the earth is shaken, and an outcry is heard among the nations. The whole assembly numbered 42,360, besides their male and female servants who numbered 7,337; and they had 200 singing men and women. And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. Which subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution. Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you. As if raising a defiant fist to the Lord God, their king alone decided what would happen to hisopponents, often hacking besieged peoples and carrying them about as evidence of his superiority.. Babylon the Great, commonly known as the Whore of Babylon, refers to a symbolic female figure and place of evil mentioned in the Book of Revelation in the Bible. Behold, I am bringing a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel, declares the Lord.It is an enduring nation,It is an ancient nation,A nation whose language you do not know,Nor can you understand what they say. Hyenas will howl in their fortified towers And jackals in their luxurious palaces. But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen. Their armies had proceeded to conquer much of the territory around Babylon before the fateful night in 539 b.c. From its inception, Babylon served as an opponent to God and His people and instead served as a symbol for mans arrogance especially in rejection of God. Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego. Then the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the rest of the people, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away into exile. Also King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods; and Cyrus, king of Persia, had them brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and he counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. You will not be united with them in burial,Because you have ruined your country,You have slain your people.May the offspring of evildoers not be mentioned forever. They said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth." All the articles of gold and silver numbered 5,400. View More Bible Stories View Revelation Chapter 18. However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God. Some scholars believe that the name Babylon is derived from the Akkadian name "babilani" and is translated "the gates of the gods.". The priests: the sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973; the sons of Immer, 1,052; the sons of Pashhur, 1,247; the sons of Harim, 1,017. At that time Berodach-baladan a son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. Finally, in the book of Revelation, Babylon again stands for Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire, the enemy of Christianity. The king of Assyria brought men from Babylon and from Cuthah and from Avva and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons of Israel. For thus says the Lord, Behold, I am going to make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and while your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies. He carried out from there all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, just as the LORD had said. The opposition to the rule of God by world powers or the exile of God's people from the land of blessing is conveyed properly through the metaphor of Babylon. A new "Babylon" will emerge. "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. The drinking feast celebrated by the one thousand lords apparently was shared by other inhabitants so that the normal watch kept on the walls was not observed, allowing the invaders valuable time in conquering the city before their presence was fully known. So Jeremiah wrote in a single scroll all the calamity which would come upon Babylon, that is, all these words which have been written concerning Babylon. The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea.As windstorms in the Negev sweep on,It comes from the wilderness, from a terrifying land. For in one hour your judgment has come. And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and slaves and human lives. It is with this context that Daniel the prophet takes up the theme and relates Gods dealings with Babylon to His ultimate purpose of bringing all nations into subjection unto the Son of God. Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the, Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.. He sent letters to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, namely, words of peace and truth. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. "All the kings of the nations lie in glory, Each in his own tomb. And against all the foreigners who are in the midst of her. To God? The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all the princes of Judah in Riblah. Hezekiah was pleased, and showed them all his treasure house, the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious oil and his whole armory and all that was found in his treasuries. Then the lookout called, "O Lord, I stand continually by day on the watchtower, And I am stationed every night at my guard post. The head of that statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze. Now. Also the gold and silver utensils of the house of God which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, and brought them to the temple of Babylon, these King Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon and they were given to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor. ), in which time Abraham was born. So the kings scribes were called at that time in the third month (that is, the month Sivan), on the twenty-third day; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, the satraps, the governors and the princes of the provinces which extended from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to every province according to its script, and to every people according to their language as well as to the Jews according to their script and their language. that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, and say, "How the oppressor has ceased, And how fury has ceased! Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it. Prepare for his sons a place of slaughterBecause of the iniquity of their fathers.They must not arise and take possession of the earthAnd fill the face of the world with cities. I will rise up against them, declares the Lord of hosts, and will cut off from Babylon name and survivors, offspring and posterity, declares the Lord. The sons of Israel did things secretly which were not right against the LORD their God. But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen. 'Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare. He burned the house of the LORD, the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every great house he burned with fire. Babylonia was next invaded by the Kassites in the period 1550-1169 b.c. So all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. The king appointed for them a daily ration from the kings choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the kings personal service. However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God. Assyria (Babylon as its capital) was the instrument the Lord used to punish His people. to break Assyria in My land, and I will trample him on My mountains. Now these are the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city. And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into captivity; and you will enter Babylon, and there you will die and there you will be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have falsely prophesied., For I have set My face against this city for harm and not for good, declares the, I will take vengeance and will not spare a man.. The two pillars, the one sea, and the stands which Solomon had made for the house of the. None remained except the poorest people of the land. All rights reserved. This was not a tribute to the God of the Bible but to false, pagan gods, which of course are not gods at all but in actuality, the name "babel" sounds like the Hebrew word for . In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and settled them in Halah and Habor, on the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. With the recompense with which you have repaid us. So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. Then his yoke will be removed from them and his burden removed from their shoulder. Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand. Babylon is referred to by many names in the Bible: The ancient city of Babylon plays a major role in the Bible, representing a rejection of the One True God. When Babylon the Great is destroyed, the kings and merchants who grew wealthy off of her trade will weep over her demise. Babylon the Great is a symbol. Its name stems from the narrative in Genesis 11:1-11, which concerns the construction of the Tower of Babel (bel). Enuma Elish: The Oldest Written Creation Myth, Meet King Pharaoh: Arrogant Egyptian Ruler, M.A., English Composition, Illinois State University, B.S., English Literature, Illinois State University, Land of the Chaldeans (Ezekiel 12:13, NIV), Land of Shinar (Daniel 1:2, ESV; Zechariah 5:11, ESV). So He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken through His servants the prophets. Christian theologians and Supremacists teachers have set out to darken the eyes of their followers. The governor said to them that they should not eat from the most holy things until a priest stood up with Urim and Thummim. And I will make what he has swallowed come out of his mouth; And the nations will no longer stream to him. Also the gold and silver utensils of the house of God which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, and brought them to the temple of Babylon, these King Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon and they were given to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor. And Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came to the city, while his servants were besieging it. And they went by way of the Arabah. In those days and at that time, declares the, They will ask for the way to Zion, turning their faces in its direction; they will come that they may join themselves to the. Early civilization near the site of ancient Ur in lower Babylonia dates from the fourth millennium b.c. Now these are the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city. And he said, Hear me, brethren and fathers! Practically all of the predictions of Jeremiah seem to relate to the fall of Babylon by the attack of the Medes and the Persians. And the second pillar was like these with network. "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit. Then the heads of fathers' households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem. First mentioned in the Bible is the record of Genesis 10:8-10 which names Nimrod, the grandson of Ham, as the founder of the city in the dim prehistoric past. But you said in your heart,I will ascend to heaven;I will raise my throne above the stars of God,And I will sit on the mount of assemblyIn the recesses of the north. For through the anger of the Lord this came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence. Indeed Babylon is to fall for the slain of Israel, As also for Babylon the slain of all the earth have fallen. None remained except the poorest people of the land. In the Bible generally, and in Revelation in particular, Babylon represents the world against God fallen, sinful humankind. They must not arise and take possession of the earth, And fill the face of the world with cities., I will rise up against them, declares the, I will also make it a possession for the hedgehog and swamps of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction, declares the. Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles, youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king's court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. All the articles of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king and of his officers, he brought them all to Babylon. God sometimes used the Babylonian Empire to punish Israel, but his prophets foretold that Babylon's sins would eventually cause its own destruction. Hezekiah was pleased, and showed them all his treasure house, the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious oil and his whole armory and all that was found in his treasuries. And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; Now behold, here comes a troop of riders, horsemen in pairs.And one said, Fallen, fallen is Babylon;And all the images of her gods are shattered on the ground., for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste! And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like the great city?. This "strong voice" is characteristic of the heavenly utterances (cf. Then his yoke will be removed from them and his burden removed from their shoulder. Media and Persia were united in a common government which lasted until Alexander the Great in 331 b.c. The king reflected and said, Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?. Even the wall of Babylon has fallen down! Because she encompassed such evil, she will be the dwelling place for demons, unclean spirits and birds, and every unclean and detestable beast (Revelation 18:2). They mention other entities as the possible "Babylon" of the Bible. The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah, 74. Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. Babel was founded by Nimrod and was one of the oldest cities in the land of Mesopotamia, or Shinar ( Gen. 10:8-10 ). Within the walls the city was laid out in square blocks with beautiful houses lining the streets usually three and four stories in height. Life 100.3 Matthew 22. "This day the ladies of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen's conduct will speak in the same way to all the king's princes, and there will be plenty of contempt and anger. Located about 59 miles southwest of modern Baghdad, Babylon was laced with an intricate system of canals leading off the Euphrates River, used for irrigation and commerce. From the city he took one official who was overseer of the men of war, and five of the kings advisers who were found in the city; and the scribe of the captain of the army who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the city. "Arise, go up against a nation which is at ease, Which lives securely," declares the LORD "It has no gates or bars; They dwell alone. "Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come; It arouses for you the spirits of the dead, all the leaders of the earth; It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones. And His arm will be against the Chaldeans. What is the significance of the Babylonian Empire in biblical history? For thus says the Lord, When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. "This day the ladies of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen's conduct will speak in the same way to all the king's princes, and there will be plenty of contempt and anger. Just as Satan is called the father of lies, the evil world system, Babyloncontrolled by himis mother to his evil acts. For this reason my loins are full of anguish; Pains have seized me like the pains of a woman in labor. They also feared the LORD and appointed from among themselves priests of the high places, who acted for them in the houses of the high places. It is obvious from these many passages in the prophets that Babylon occupies a large place in the prophetic program of the Old Testament for the nations surrounding Israel. "And you, son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the sons of Ammon and concerning their reproach,' and say: 'A sword, a sword is drawn, polished for the slaughter, to cause it to consume, that it may be like lightning-- while they see for you false visions, while they divine lies for you--to place you on the necks of the wicked who are slain, whose day has come, in the time of the punishment of the end. But a temple to what? 13:11). Now these are the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city. But you said in your heart,I will ascend to heaven;I will raise my throne above the stars of God,And I will sit on the mount of assemblyIn the recesses of the north. The etymology of the name Babel in the Bible means "confused" (Gen 11:9) and throughout the Bible, Babylon was a symbol of the confusion caused by godlessness. A wilderness, a parched land and a desert. Now it took place in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces. Daniel: The John Walvoord Prophecy Commentary by Walvoord & Dyer. Which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes. The Lord of hosts has sworn saying, Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand, to break Assyria in My land, and I will trample him on My mountains. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. "You are wearied with your many counsels; Let now the astrologers, Those who prophesy by the stars, Those who predict by the new moons, Stand up and save you from what will come upon you. She could be brutal; she could be proud and she thought she would reign forever. The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked,The scepter of rulersread more.Which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes,Which subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.. zihuatapulco 1 yr. ago The Bible is a work of fiction. So I will give over all Judah to the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will carry them away as exiles to Babylon and will slay them with the sword. A copy of the edict to be issued as law in every province was published to all the peoples so that they should be ready for this day. I will also make it a possession for the hedgehog and swamps of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction, declares the Lord of hosts. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. The LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! And they went by way of the Arabah. Upon the willows in the midst of itWe hung our harps. Who made the world like a wildernessAnd overthrew its cities,Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?. For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled. With the capture of Jerusalem, the prophecies of Jeremiah were fully vindicated. Therefore the Lord brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon. Despite its sinful ways, it developed one of the most advanced civilizations in the ancient world. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. Also King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods; and Cyrus, king of Persia, had them brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and he counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. At the very time the Medes were pouring into the city, the handwriting appeared on the wall (Daniel 5:5, 24-28). The message which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the grandson of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. And Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came to the city, while his servants were besieging it. How the faithful city has become a harlot. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. One day she will be gone, never again to tempt or lie. Then he led away into exile all Jerusalem and all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths None remained except the poorest people of the land. The sons of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them until the LORD removed Israel from His sight, as He spoke through all His servants the prophets So Israel was carried away into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day.
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