Second Corinthians 6:17 says, “Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you” (CSB). The clause come out from among them is a reference to a passage in Isaiah.
Isaiah 52:11 speaks of the Israelites who are returning from exile in Egypt. (When Jerusalem fell, many of the people were carried away to Babylon, but some of the people fled to Egypt, thinking they would be safe there. Jeremiah warned them not to do this, but many of them went to Egypt anyway, and they took Jeremiah with them against his will. See Jeremiah 42 – 43.) In Isaiah 52, God is promising to call back to the Promised Land the descendants of those who went down to Egypt. The command to “come out from among them” is also an effective call. The people of Israel are commanded to forsake any idolatrous habits they may have picked up while in Egypt and to return to the Promised Land; at the same time, it is a promise that God will be the one to bring them back when the time is right.
Paul quotes this passage from Isaiah in reference to the Corinthian church. He is taking familiar wording and giving it meaning in a fresh context. Just as the Israelites in exile were to put off any idolatry they may have picked up while living in Egypt, so the Corinthian believers are to lay aside the idolatry and sexual immorality that they were steeped in by virtue of living in Corinth. They must be separate from the sin of the world.
Leading up to 2 Corinthians 6:17, Paul tells them, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers” (verse 14). We often apply this to a believer marrying an unbeliever, but it has a much wider application. In the context of the Corinthian church, it seems to have to do with participating in idolatry.
As a further rationale for the prohibition against being yoked to unbelievers, Paul asks a series of rhetorical questions. The implied answer to all of these is a big NOTHING!:
“What do righteousness and wickedness have in common?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).
“What fellowship can light have with darkness?” (verse 14).
“What harmony is there between Christ and Belial [the devil]?” (verse 15).
“What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?” (verse 15).
“What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?” (verse 16).
This final question gets to the heart of the matter. If there is no fellowship between the temple of God and idols, then the Christian should have nothing to do with idol worship: “For we are the temple of the living God” (2 Corinthians 6:16). Then to further support the idea that Christians are the temple of God, Paul quotes from Leviticus 26:12, which is also alluded to in Jeremiah 32:38 and Ezekiel 37:27: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16). The temple of God is where God dwells, and He says He will dwell among His people, making them the temple.
Since believers are in fact the temple of God, Paul concludes, “Come out from them and be separate. . . . Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” Christians are supposed to separate themselves from idol worship of any kind.
The concept of “separation” became one of the major teachings of fundamentalist Christianity in the United States in the 20th century. There was a lot of focus on “coming out and being separate” from the world in all sorts of ways, many of which may not have been warranted by Scripture. Many Christians were taught that they should separate from anything that looks at all like what “the world” was doing—attending movie theaters, playing cards, and dancing were commonly forbidden.
The biblical admonition of 2 Corinthians 6:17 is not so all-encompassing. Paul wants believers to be separate from idol worship in all its forms, but he never calls for a complete separation from pagan idol worshipers, whom they should attempt to win to Christ. Paul clarifies the matter of separation in 1 Corinthians 5:9–11: “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.”
Yes, the Lord wants His people to “come out from among them and be separate.” That means, first, that we should be separate from participation in sin. Second, we are to be separate from professing believers who are living in sin. Beyond that, Christians are called to not get involved in entangling relationships with unbelievers, which would lead to compromise (and thus being “yoked” with an unbeliever). Balancing that is the biblical understanding that we cannot completely remove ourselves from the world of unbelievers, as that would cause us to lose all influence. In the United States, if the 20th century was marked by believers being so separate from the world that there was not enough interaction with it, the 21st century may be marked by Christians being so involved with the world that it is hard to tell the difference between the two. Either way, evangelism is hampered. There must be a balance that cannot be summarized by a set of “dos and don’ts.” Every Christian has to decide if he or she is influencing the world or if the world is influencing him or her and then make choices accordingly.
A. The concept of Babylon.
1. Revelation 16:19 and 14:8have already declared Babylon’s fall. In Revelation 17and 18, the fall of Babylon is carefully detailed.
2. Babylon is mentioned 287 times in the Scriptures, more than any other city except Jerusalem.
a. Babylon was a literal city on the Euphrates River. Genesis 11:1-10shows that right after the flood, Babylon “was the seat of the civilization that expressed organized hostility to God.” (Tenney)
b. Babylon was later the capitol of the empire that cruelly conquered Judah. “Babylon, to them (the Jews), was the essence of all evil, the embodiment of cruelty, the foe of God’s people, and the lasting type of sin, carnality, lust and greed.” (Tenney)
c. To those familiar with the Old Testament, the name Babylon is associated with organized idolatry, blasphemy and the persecution of God’s people.
i. “In John’s day Rome epitomized all the antagonism and opposition to the Christian faith.” (Mounce) In some ways, the city of Rome was the clearest fulfillment of the Babylon attitude. If we had to pick one city today that most exemplifies the world system, perhaps we would say that Los Angeles is the Babylon of today.
3. The concept of Babylon is greater than Revelation 17-18and the Antichrist’s reign. Babylon was present in John’s day (typified by Rome), in our day, and throughout history, as the world system. But under the Antichrist, Babylon (in both its religious and commercial aspects) will have influence over the earth as never before.
B. The great harlot (religious Babylon) is described.
1. (1-2) Described by the angel.
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”
a. I will show you the judgment of the great harlot: Her judgment is assured at the outset. There is never any doubt regarding the fate – and ultimate failure – of Babylon.
i. As a religious system, Babylon came into being long before Christianity, but in Satanic imitation it anticipated the coming true Messiah. According to religious history and legend, the Babylonian religion was founded by the wife of Nimrod (a great-grandson of Noah), named Semiramis. She was a high priestess of idol worship, and she gave birth to a son who she claimed was conceived miraculously. The son, named Tammuz, was considered a savior. Many ancient artifacts remain with the familiar motif of the mother Semiramis holding the savior-infant Tammuz, which predate Christianity. It was also said that Tammuz was killed by a wild beast and then miraculously brought back to life. Baal was the local, Canaanite name for the Babylonian Tammuz.
ii. The Bible makes specific mention of some of the features of the classic religion of Babylon:
· Ezekiel protests against the ceremony of weeping for Tammuz (Ezekiel 8:14)
· Jeremiah mentions the heathen practice of making cakes for the queen of heaven (Jeremiah 7:18) and offering incense to the queen of heaven (Jeremiah 44:17-19, 44:25)
b. Who sits on many waters: Here, Babylon sits on many waters; that is, she presides over many nations (compare with Revelation 17:15). She has a universal, international character.
i. This is unification of all false, idolatrous religion, with representatives from apostate Catholicism, Protestantism, as well as a smorgasbord of other religions of the world.
ii. “The woman pictures false religion that will dominate the world in the tribulation period.” (Hocking) Many people like to identify this great harlot with the Roman Catholic Church, but false religion is not limited to any one church.
iii. “That Rome and the Romish system are involved, may readily be admitted; but that this is all, and that the sudden fall of Great Babylon is simply the fall of Romanism, or the utter destruction of the city of Rome, must be emphatically denied.” (Seiss)
c. The inhabitants of the earth were made drunk: Religious Babylon intoxicates kings and peoples. Karl Marx was partly right when he said, “Religion is the opiate of the masses.” He was partly right because emptyreligion is the opium of the masses.
d. Made drunk with the wine of her fornication: The idea of fornication often has strong associations throughout the Bible with idolatry. Since this is a well-accepted religious system, it is likely to appear as attractive and spiritual, though not necessarily moral.
2. (3-6) What John saw.
So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written:
Mystery,
Babylon the Great,
the Mother of Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth.
I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.
a. He carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness: John is carried away into the wilderness; the desolate nature of the wilderness is an appropriate setting for a vision of judgment.
b. Sitting on a scarlet beast: The harlot rides the same beast (seven heads and ten horns) that was previously seen in Revelation 13:1 – the Antichrist and his dictatorship.
i. “Her position, that of riding the beast, indicates on the one hand that she is supported by the political power of the beast, and on the other that she is in a dominant role and at least outwardly controls and directs the beast.” (Walvoord)
ii. Her association with blasphemy and the dragon’s beast are clearly seen from God’s perspective. But to the people of the earth she will look quite religious, and have the “faith” everybody wants.
c. The woman was arrayed: The woman is clothed with emblems of luxury (purple… gold and precious stones) and government (scarlet). Yet she offers idolatry (abominations) and impurity (filthiness of her fornication) in this sumptuous setting.
i. Purple and scarlet were colors of splendor and magnificence; the dyes to make fabric these colors were rare and costly.
ii. “We find in the course of church history that one of the deadliest marks of ecclesiastical corruption is the lust for temporal power.” (Barnhouse) Purple and scarlet were the colors of rulers, whether economic or political.
d. On her forehead a name was written: The name on her forehead identifies her in more ways than one. Roman prostitutes frequently wore a headband with their name engraved upon it.
i. “In spite of all her glamour she is nothing but a prostitute.” (Johnson)
ii. There is a stark contrast between the woman of Revelation 12 (representing Israel, God’s people), and this woman (representing idolatrous, false religion).
iii. “These two Women, thus related, and set over one against the other as opposites and rivals, must necessarily be interpreted in the same way. As Antichrist corresponds to Christ as a rival and antagonist of Christ, so Great Babylon corresponds to the Woman that bears the Man-child, as her rival and antagonist.” (Seiss)
e. MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT: This title is not for literalBabylon; but its spiritual(mystery) representation, which is the source (mother) of all idolatry (abominations) and spiritual adultery (harlots).
i. This harlot must be larger than any one branch of a religious institution. She is the embodiment of Satan’s own ecumenical movement – the religion of the world system.
ii. Our world, strong with the philosophy that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you believe, is prepared for the harlot’s seduction. We see the casual disregard for the truth crippling the church today.
f. Drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: The woman not only persecutes, she also revels in her persecution of the godly as a drunk revels in wine.
g. I marveled with great amazement: John was amazed because this wasn’t pagan persecution (such as he knew in his day), but religious error and persecution. This is a psuedo-church, thirsty for the blood of the saints. “False religion is always the worst enemy of true religion.” (Walvoord)
i. We should never forget that some of the most vicious persecution conducted against true Christians has been done in the name of the church. In the days when the Roman Catholic Queen Mary ruled England (known as Bloody Mary), some 288 Christians were burnt at the stake for their stand for Christian truth between 1555 and 1558. The first of these martyrs was a man named John Rogers, who, as he stood chained to a stake, and the fire rose around him, up to his legs and shoulders, he rubbed his hands in the flames as if he were washing his hands in cold water. Then he lifted his hands to the heavens and held them high until he was completely consumed by fire. Rogers went to the stake with such calm and dignity that the French Ambassador wrote that he went to his death “as if he was walking to his wedding.” His courage was so evident that the huge crowd burst into applause when they saw him walking to the stake.
C. The great harlot is interpreted.
1. (7) The angel tells John that the harlot will be explained to him.
But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
a. I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her: The focus of the explanation is on the beast. It appeared that the harlot ruled (rode) the Antichrist’s system, but he is the dynamic factor, using her as tyrants have always used religion – as a mere tool to accomplish their purposes.
2. (8) The beast carrying the woman is plainly connected with the beast of Revelation 13.
The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
3. (9) Seven mountains associated with the beast.
“Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.
a. The seven heads are seven mountains: Many quickly associate the seven mountainswith Rome and the Papacy, because Rome is well known as the city on seven hills. Yet literally, the Greek word means mountains, not hills.
i. Many commentators – especially those who see all of Revelation fulfilled in history – regard the seven mountains as an irrefutable connection with Rome. Clarke is a good example of this when he writes, “This verse has been almost universally considered to allude to the seven hills upon which Rome originally stood.”
ii. But in the Bible mountains are sometimes a figure of governments (such as in Daniel 2:35) and the city of Rome is built on hills, not mountains.
b. The seven heads are seven mountains: It is probably better to see the seven mountains as representing the seven kings and kingdoms described in Revelation 17:10. Many people find the connection between religious Babylon and Roman Catholicism irresistible, yet it is flawed in the sense that there is no doubt that religious Babylon will incorporate a strong Roman Catholic element, but it will be much bigger than Roman Catholicism.
i. Tendencies for Roman Catholicism’s ultimate partnership with a one-world religion were evident in Pope John Paul II’s bizarre involvement with and approval of other anti-Christian religions.
ii. In addressing a “prayer gathering” of Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and others, Pope John Paul II told participants that their efforts were “unleashing profound spiritual energies in the world and bringing about a new climate of peace.” The Pope pledged that “the Catholic Church intends to ‘share in and promote’ such ecumenical and inter-religious cooperation.”
iii. The Catholic Reviewcommented on this and said, “The unity of religion promoted by the Holy Father Pope John Paul II and approved by His Holiness the Dalai Lama is not a goal to be achieved immediately, but a day may come when the love and compassion which both Buddha and Christ preached so eloquently will unite the world in a common effort to save humanity from senseless destruction, and lead toward the light in which we all believe.”
4. (10) Seven kings and kingdoms.
There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time.
a. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come: This is one of the more difficult passages in the Book of Revelation. Some explain these seven kings, five past, one present, and one to come in the succession of Roman Emperors in John’s era, but there are many historical difficulties with this approach. More likely, it is a reference to:
· Five have fallen refers tothe five world empires before John’s day: Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Medo-Persia, and Greece
· One is refers to the world empire of John’s day: Rome
· The other has not yet comerefers to the one world empire to come: a revival of the Roman Empire
b. When he comes, he must continue a short time: This seventh will quickly be taken over by an eighth – and will become the state of the Antichrist (Revelation 17:11).
i. There are problems with this viewpoint as well (so some have taken the seven as symbolic). This plainly is a difficult passage!
5. (11) The beast (the Antichrist) is clearly identified as the eighth king.
And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.
a. Is himself also the eighth: He is of the seven in the sense that he shares characteristics with all previous world empires, but his fate is clear. Perdition means “destruction,” and the beast will be destroyed.
6. (12-15) Ten kings to come, allies of the Antichrist.
“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
a. Ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet: This probably alludes to a ten-nation confederation (as in the toes of the Daniel 2:24-45 image), but some take ten as a symbolic number.
i. “They are ten kingdoms which shall arise out of the fourth great kingdom there: ten European powers, which in the last time, in concert with and subjugation to the antichristian power, shall make war against Christ. In the precise number and form here indicated, they have not yet arisen… What changes in Europe may bring them into the required tale and form, it is not for us to say.” (Alford, 1866)
b. These are of one mind: Many have seen the European Union (formerly the European Economic Community) as the potential fulfillment of this. Perhaps, but now there are more than ten nations in this revived European power, and more on the way.
i. There is little doubt the EU itself claims to be a successor to the ancient Roman Empire. The EEC started in 1957, when six European nations met to talk about combining their nuclear, coal, and economic resources. They met together in Rome and signed the treaty of Rome – the beginnings of the present EU. In many places in Europe, the EU flag is just as prominent as any national flag.
ii. We could still say what Alford wrote in 1866: “In the precise number and form here indicated, they have not yet arisen… What changes in Europe may bring them into the required tale and form, it is not for us to say.” But it willhappen, and this confederation of nations will emerge as an heir to the ancient Roman Empire.
c. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast: Whatever their exact identity, their actions are clear. They join with the Antichrist in the war against Christ, in the battle alluded to in the sixth and seventh bowls (Revelation 16:12-21).
d. The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits: The harlot presides over peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. This tells us that the harlot’s influence is worldwide, through her connection to the beast. This will be a truly one-world religion.
i. The interpretation of the harlot focuses on her relation to the beast: she is utterly connected to the beast and his government. If this sounds unthinkable, remember that throughout history, religion – not true Christianity – has often been the willing servant and supporter of tyrants.
D. The great harlot is judged.
1. (16) Antichrist’s allies turn on the great harlot.
And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
a. These will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire: This violence probably takes place at the mid-point of the tribulation period. Here, apostate religion discovers the true nature of the beast.
i. Ultimately, the Antichrist will not tolerate any worship except of himself: The son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God(2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).
b. Burn her with fire: Once his power has been consolidated, the Antichrist no longer needs the help of religious Babylon. He will then work to dismantle and destroy her and her one-world religion.
i. This has always been the goal of tyrants – and most politicians – to use religion for their purposes, then discard it.
2. (17) God’s hand ultimately directs all this.
For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.
a. God has put it into their hearts: God directed the judgment against religious Babylon. God will sometimes use a wicked group (here, the ten kings) to be an instrument of His judgment against another wicked group (here, religious Babylon).
b. To be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast: God will ordain the political support of these ten kings for the Antichrist. God will give the world just what it wants: godless religion and godless rulers.
3. (18) The great harlot is identified with Rome.
And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”
a. That great city: In John’s day, there was no doubt which city reigns over the kings of the earth. Rome was the political, economic, and religious center of the world of that time.
i. But Babylon – in the sense of the world system – has always been that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth. The question for Christians is, “Does it reign over me? Or am I the citizen of a better city, the Jerusalem above?” (Galatians 4:26)
b. That great city: Again, the association of this harlot – of religious Babylon – with Rome doesn’t mean that the Roman Catholic Church is identical to religious Babylon, though apostate Roman Catholics will definitely be a part of this great harlot.
i. “It is most direct in Paganism; but it is in Mohammedanism, in Papalism, in the degenerate Catholicism of the Eastern churches, and in all the heretical isms, infidelities, and mere goodishness which afflict our Protestant Christianity as well.” (Seiss)
c. That great city: Rather, Rome was the ready personification of Babylon – the world in rebellion against God – in John’s day. Today, idolatry is just as strong, but more dispersed. Today, which city in the world is most readily identified with the world system? Hollywood? Wall Street? Washington?
INTRODUCTION:
In light of Rev. 18-19, we must view Babylon as an actual pagan nation that will ultimately be overthrown in the end times, as well as symbolical of the powerful pagan world system that will also meet its demise (both near and far fulfillment of prophecy).
Brian Bell: In scripture Babylon symbolizes “man’s worldly system” organized in opposition to God.
1.2.1. Babel (confusion) Gen.11. {Babel in Greek is Babylon}.
1.2.1.1. Founded in about 3000 BC by Nimrod.
1.2.2. Babylon is the capital city of Shinar (Gen), later to be called Chaldea.
1.2.3. Dealt w/again in the End times, esp. Rev.17,18 where “Babylon the Great” symbolizes the anti-God system that controls the end of the world.
1.2.3.1. Babylon is both a city & a system! – Like we speak of Wall Street & Madison Ave. – They are actual streets, but also stand for the financial or advertising enterprises.
1.2.4. Note also: The city of Babylon always stands in contrast w/the city of Jerusalem!
1.2.4.1. The proud city of man, vs. the Holy city of God!
1.2.4.2. The earthly city of human splendor, opposing the heavenly city that Glorifies God!
Gregg Allen: Babylon was God’s instrument of judgment. It was His “hammer” – His “battle-ax” and His “weapons of war” – which He used to break nations to pieces (51:20-23). But it was also a proud and arrogant instrument; and so promises in these two chapters to break His “hammer” into pieces (50:23). It’s a reminder to us that it is God Himself who ordains all that occurs; and that all nations – even the greatest – are but a drop in a bucket to Him (Isa. 40:15).
At the same time, we also see clearly that – even in judgment – God does not abandon the people to whom He pledged Himself (50:4-7). They had lost their way; but they were never out of His sight or out of His care.
Mackay: Both the immediate policy prescription of submission to Babylon and the longer term prediction of the overthrow of Babylon may be integrated as parts of one scenario arising out of the Lord’s purposes for his people. That, at the end of the day, is the abiding reality; the Lord, his jurisdiction, power and purpose.
BABYLON HAS BEEN CAPTURED – THE POWERFUL PAGAN WORLD SYSTEM WILL BE DEVASTATED BY DIVINE JUDGMENT
I. (:1-10) SEPARATION OF GOD’S ELECT NATION FROM BABYLON
“The word which the LORD spoke concerning Babylon,
the land of the Chaldeans, through Jeremiah the prophet:”
Parunak: Rev. 18-19 makes extensive use of this prophecy in its description of the apostasy of the last times.
1) Fits well with our conclusion that the destruction of Babylon here described is still future.
2) Also cautions us that we should not be too eager to spiritualize Babylon into the Roman Catholic organization, though undoubtedly all ungodly religion will play an important role in that last rebellion.
H. A. Ironsides: In no other city did idolatry assume so fearful a form and so dreadful an aspect as in the great city Babylon. She was, as before pointed out, the mother of almost every heathen system. From her, too, mystical Babylon borrowed far more than many have any conception. Almost every unscriptural practice in the great Romish apostasy can be traced back to the Babylonish rites and ceremonies.
A. (:2-3) Babylon Conquered by Nation from the North
1. (:2) Shocking Capture
“Declare and proclaim among the nations.
Proclaim it and lift up a standard.
Do not conceal it but say,
‘Babylon has been captured,
Bel has been put to shame, Marduk has been shattered;
Her images have been put to shame, her idols have been shattered.’”
Parunak: God’s victory against Babylon is explicitly a defeat and shame to her idols.
Mackay: The day was going to come when the whole political order of the world would be turned upside down, and what seemed to be the abiding contours of the international landscape would be dramatically reshaped. At that time the religious beliefs of the empire would be exposed as without substantive basis.
2. (:3) Shameful Condition
“For a nation has come up against her out of the north; it will make her land an object of horror, and there will be no inhabitant in it. Both man and beast have wandered off, they have gone away!”
B. (:4-5) Chosen People Renew Everlasting Covenant Relationship
1. (:4) Reuniting of Israel and Judah in Seeking Covenant Relationship
“‘In those days and at that time,’ declares the LORD, ‘the sons of Israel will come, both they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the LORD their God they will seek.’”
Mackay: Seeking the Lord involves turning from wicked ways and worshipping him in humility, and is the response of those who have renewed their covenant pledge of loyalty to the Lord and now desire to know his will for every aspect of their living. Those who approach the Lord in such a manner are recognized by him as his own and are blessed by him.
2. (:5) Renewal of Everlasting Covenant
“They will ask for the way to Zion, turning their faces in its direction; they will come that they may join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.”
Constable: Israel has not yet experienced the changes that the New Covenant promised (e.g. Jeremiah 32:40). She did not enter into this covenant with God after Babylon fell to the Persians.
Mackay: Unlike the Exodus in which the people are now found, the situation that is envisaged is one that will not come to an end. Dislocation, disruption and disharmony will be permanently banished. This vision therefore combines union between the two parts of the divided peoples with repentance and genuine desire to restore their relationship with the Lord in an enduring covenant bond (32:40).
C. (:6-7) Israel’s History Demonstrates Vulnerability to Abuse
1. (:6) Abused by Their Spiritual Leaders Who Should Have Nurtured Them
“My people have become lost sheep;
Their shepherds have led them astray.
They have made them turn aside on the mountains;
They have gone along from mountain to hill
And have forgotten their resting place.”
Bad shepherds are more concerned with how they can benefit from the flock rather than how they can protect and nurture the flock under their charge.
2. (:7) Abused by Enemy Nations Who Justify Their Actions
“All who came upon them have devoured them;
And their adversaries have said, ‘We are not guilty,
Inasmuch as they have sinned against the LORD
who is the habitation of righteousness,
Even the LORD, the hope of their fathers.’”
Constable: Enemies had devoured these “sheep,” but had rationalized their sin by saying that the Israelites deserved what they got because they had sinned against their God.
Longman: With such bad leaders, the people of God were like sheep without a shepherd. They not only got lost but they were devoured by their enemies who acted like wolves that prey on sheep. They had wandered from their true pasture, the Lord, where the shepherds were supposed to keep them for their safety, and they were eaten. The picture of God as the pasture of the people means that he is the source of their security and the one who supplies their needs.
D. (:8-10) Command to Flee Babylon in Anticipation of Plundering Attack
1. (:8) Depart While There is Still Time
“Wander away from the midst of Babylon
And go forth from the land of the Chaldeans;
Be also like male goats at the head of the flock.”
Thompson: Once the sheepfold was opened the male goats would rush to leave the enclosure first. So Judah would be in the forefront of captive peoples breaking loose from Babylon to return home.
2. (:9) Devastation is Coming
“For behold, I am going to arouse and bring up against Babylon
A horde of great nations from the land of the north,
And they will draw up their battle lines against her;
From there she will be taken captive.
Their arrows will be like an expert warrior
Who does not return empty-handed.”
3. (:10) Destruction Will Be Comprehensive
“‘Chaldea will become plunder;
All who plunder her will have enough,’ declares the LORD.”
II. (:11-16) DIVINE VENGEANCE EXECUTED AGAINST BABYLON
A. (:11-13) Babylon Shamed
1. (:11) Reason: Taking Pleasure in Pillaging Israel
“Because you are glad, because you are jubilant,
O you who pillage My heritage,
Because you skip about like a threshing heifer
And neigh like stallions,”
Mackay: Babylon had acted with unrestrained, reckless abandon, acknowledging no limits to what they did in devastating countries they conquered.
2. (:12-13) Result: Utter Humiliation
“Your mother will be greatly ashamed,
She who gave you birth will be humiliated.
Behold, she will be the least of the nations,
A wilderness, a parched land and a desert.
Because of the indignation of the LORD she will not be inhabited,
But she will be completely desolate;
Everyone who passes by Babylon will be horrified
And will hiss because of all her wounds.”
B. (:14-16) Babylon Sacked
1. (:14) Her Offense – Why the Command to Attack Babylon?
“Draw up your battle lines against Babylon on every side,
All you who bend the bow;
Shoot at her, do not be sparing with your arrows,
For she has sinned against the LORD.”
2. (:15) Her Opponent – Vengeance of the Lord
“Raise your battle cry against her on every side!
She has given herself up, her pillars have fallen,
Her walls have been torn down.
For this is the vengeance of the LORD:
Take vengeance on her;
As she has done to others, so do to her.”
Mackay: This theological statement (re Retribution) shows that the ultimate standard of conduct is not what empires think they can get away with, but what the Lord mandates as right and appropriate. There will be a correspondence between sin and punishment (e.g. Obad. 15; Lev. 24:19).
3. (:16) Her Oppression
“Cut off the sower from Babylon
And the one who wields the sickle at the time of harvest;
From before the sword of the oppressor
They will each turn back to his own people
And they will each flee to his own land.”
Constable: The agricultural cycle would end, from sowing to reaping, because of the fighting of Babylon’s enemy. The enemy soldiers would return to their own lands when they finished their job.
III. (:17-20) HISTORY OF GOD’S RECOVERY OF HIS ELECT NATION DESPITES ITS REBELLION AND IDOLATRY
A. (:17) Israel Disciplined by Pagan Nations
“Israel is a scattered flock, the lions have driven them away. The first one who devoured him was the king of Assyria, and this last one who has broken his bones is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.”
B. (:18) Israel Vindicated by the Punishment of Her Enemies
“Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria.’”
C. (:19) Israel Restored to Prosperity in the Promised Land
“And I will bring Israel back to his pasture and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan, and his desire will be satisfied in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead.”
D. (:20) Israel Pardoned at the End
“‘In those days and at that time,’ declares the LORD, ‘search will be made for the iniquity of Israel, but there will be none; and for the sins of Judah, but they will not be found; for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.’”
Feinberg: This short paragraph (17-20) summarizes the biblical interpretation of Israel’s history. The sufferings of Israel are stated (v. 17), then the judgment God will bring on those who inflicted such sufferings on Israel (v. 18), next her return to her land in peace and plenty (v. 19), and, finally, the greatest blessing of all – the pardon of Israel’s iniquity (v. 20). All these will be realized in messianic times, as v. 20 declares.
IV. (:21-28) DIVINE VENGEANCE EXECUTED AGAINST BABYLON
A. (:21-22) Destruction Orchestrated by the Lord
1. (:21) Divine Command
“’Against the land of Merathaim, go up against it,
And against the inhabitants of Pekod.
Slay and utterly destroy them,’ declares the LORD,
‘And do according to all that I have commanded you.’”
“Merathaim” means “double rebellion”
“Pekod” means “visitation”
Mackay: This presents the key to interpreting what the invading force are called on to do: they are to act under direct divine instructions. It is the Lord who controls what happens to Babylon and authorizes its overthrow.
2. (:22) Divine Destruction
“The noise of battle is in the land,
And great destruction.”
B. (:23-24) Trap Set by the Lord
1. (:23) Powerful Nation Reduced to Object of Derision
“How the hammer of the whole earth
Has been cut off and broken!
How Babylon has become
An object of horror among the nations!”
2. (:24) Babylon Captured Unawares by the Lord
“I set a snare for you and you were also caught, O Babylon,
While you yourself were not aware;
You have been found and also seized
Because you have engaged in conflict with the LORD.”
Constable: The Lord described Babylon as a wild animal snared in a trap, and as a thief caught unexpectedly-because she had conflicted with Him. Previously Babylon had ensnared other nations.
C. (:25-26) Weapons Unleashed by the Lord
1. (:25) Weapons of Divine Vengeance
“The LORD has opened His armory
And has brought forth the weapons of His indignation,
For it is a work of the Lord GOD of hosts
In the land of the Chaldeans.”
2. (:26) Complete Devastation
“Come to her from the farthest border;
Open up her barns,
Pile her up like heaps
And utterly destroy her,
Let nothing be left to her.”
D. (:27-28) Death and Flight as a Result of Divine Vengeance
1. (:27) Death of Strong Warriors
“Put all her young bulls to the sword;
Let them go down to the slaughter!
Woe be upon them, for their day has come,
The time of their punishment.”
2. (:28) Flight of Remaining Fugitives
“There is a sound of fugitives and refugees from the land of Babylon,
To declare in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God,
Vengeance for His temple.”
V. (:29-32) INSUFFERABLE ARROGANCE OF BABYLON PUNISHED
A. (:29) Punishment for Arrogance Deserved
“Summon many against Babylon,
All those who bend the bow:
Encamp against her on every side,
Let there be no escape.
Repay her according to her work;
According to all that she has done, so do to her;
For she has become arrogant against the LORD,
Against the Holy One of Israel.”
Mackay: “Defiled” sums up the presumption and arrogance with which Babylon has behaved as a militaristic empire. In Jeremiah “Holy One” (qados) as an epithet of God occurs only here and in 51:5, though it is very common in Isaiah. Possibly this indicates the extent to which the prophecies of the earlier prophet were in Jeremiah’s mind at this time. The term reflects the distance between the Lord and all possible competitors. He is supreme in power and ethically superior to all hypothetical deities. He is the eternal being who is the focus of Israel’s worship, and those who set themselves up against him bring doom upon themselves.
B. (:30) Punishment for Arrogance Described
“‘Therefore her young men will fall in her streets,
And all her men of war will be silenced in that day,’ declares the LORD.”
C. (:31-32) Punishment for Arrogance Destined
1. (:31) Day Has Come
“‘Behold, I am against you, O arrogant one,’
Declares the Lord GOD of hosts,
‘For your day has come,
The time when I will punish you.’”
2. (:32) No Deliverer
“The arrogant one will stumble and fall
With no one to raise him up;
And I will set fire to his cities
And it will devour all his environs.”
VI. (:33-40) DIVINE VENGEANCE EXECUTED AGAINST BABYLON
A. (:33-34) Redeemer Executes Divine Vengeance
1. (:33) Israel Oppressed by Babylon
“Thus says the LORD of hosts,
‘The sons of Israel are oppressed,
And the sons of Judah as well;
And all who took them captive have held them fast,
They have refused to let them go.’”
Mackay: The problem is often raised of how the Lord could here be punishing Babylon for the role she played in the fall of Jerusalem, when Jeremiah had told Zedekiah that Babylon was performing the will of God in coming against the city (37:7-10; 38:18). One must distinguish between God’s overruling of man’s evil intentions to work out divine purposes and the accountability of individuals and nations for their attitudes and actions.
2. (:34) Divine Redeemer Will Attack Babylon to Free His People
“Their Redeemer is strong, the LORD of hosts is His name;
He will vigorously plead their case
So that He may bring rest to the earth,
But turmoil to the inhabitants of Babylon.”
MacArthur: The OT concept of kinsman-redeemer included the protection of a relative’s person and property, the avenging of a relative’s murder, the purchase of alienated property, and even the marriage of his widow (cf. Lv 25:25; Nu 35:21; Ru 4:4).
Mackay: The divine designation is deliberately used to assert not only God’s willingness to act on behalf of his own, but also to indicate the resources at his disposal to ensure that his actions are effective.
B. (:35-38) Divine Vengeance Pictured as a Conquering Sword
1. (:35) Summary
“‘A sword against the Chaldeans,’ declares the LORD,
‘And against the inhabitants of Babylon
And against her officials and her wise men!’”
2. (:36a) Directed Against Her Priests
“A sword against the oracle priests, and they will become fools!”
3. (:36b) Directed Against Her Mighty Men
“A sword against her mighty men, and they will be shattered!”
4. (:37a) Directed Against Her Military Machine and Foreign Mercenaries
“A sword against their horses and against their chariots
And against all the foreigners who are in the midst of her,
And they will become women!”
5. (:37b) Directed Against Her Material Wealth
“A sword against her treasures, and they will be plundered!”
6. (:38) Directed Against Her Natural Resources on Account of Idolatry
“A drought on her waters, and they will be dried up!
For it is a land of idols,
And they are mad over fearsome idols.”
Alternate reading is a “sword” against her waters – to continue this same repetition of thought – just requires the changing of one vowel.
Constable: The city of Babylon depended on waterways for irrigation and agriculture, just as the whole nation relied on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and their tributaries and canals.
C. (:39-40) Divine Vengeance Makes Babylon Uninhabitable
“‘Therefore the desert creatures will live there along with the jackals;
The ostriches also will live in it,
And it will never again be inhabited
Or dwelt in from generation to generation.
As when God overthrew Sodom
And Gomorrah with its neighbors,’ declares the LORD,
‘No man will live there,
Nor will any son of man reside in it.’”
VII. (:41-43) AGENT OF DIVINE VENGEANCE
A. (:41) Identified as a Great Nation from the North
“Behold, a people is coming from the north,
And a great nation and many kings
Will be aroused from the remote parts of the earth.”
B. (:42) Characterized as Powerful, Cruel and Unstoppable
“They seize their bow and javelin;
They are cruel and have no mercy.
Their voice roars like the sea;
And they ride on horses,
Marshalled like a man for the battle
Against you, O daughter of Babylon.”
C. (:43) Feared by the King of Babylon
“The king of Babylon has heard the report about them,
And his hands hang limp;
Distress has gripped him,
Agony like a woman in childbirth.”
VIII. (:44-46) DIVINE VENGEANCE EXECUTED AGAINST BABYLON
A. (:44) Grand Incoronation of Divine Majestic Sovereignty
“Behold, one will come up like a lion from the thicket of the Jordan to a perennially watered pasture; for in an instant I will make them run away from it, and whoever is chosen I will appoint over it. For who is like Me, and who will summon Me into court? And who then is the shepherd who can stand before Me?”
David Guzik: There was no shepherd, no king, no leader who could stand against Him and His coming judgment.
B. (:45) Gruesome Intentions of the God of Vengeance
“Therefore hear the plan of the LORD which He has planned against Babylon, and His purposes which He has purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: surely they will drag them off, even the little ones of the flock; surely He will make their pasture desolate because of them.”
C. (:46) Global Impact of the Capture of Babylon
“At the shout, ‘Babylon has been seized!’ the earth is shaken, and an outcry is heard among the nations.”
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