Lesson 55

Revelation  - Study of Things to Come

Destruction of Babylon the Great  Chapter 17-18

 

The Relationship of Rev 17-18 to Jer 50-51.

Believe at this point we need, on the basis of the data to conclude that Rev 17-18 speaks of one Babylon, a city that will extend its control throughout the world.

 

John used several OT passages within these 2 chapters to gain incite;

Background comes from:  Isa 13-14;  46-47;  Ezk 26-28.

Main one on which 17-18 is drawn on though is Jer 50-51.

 

Parallels between Rev 17-18 and Jer 50-51

The parallels fall into 3 main categories; the description; the destruction and the response.

 

The Description           Jeremiah                         Revelation

 


Compared to a      "Babylon has been a        "I saw a woman....having

golden cup            golden cup in the             in her hand a gold cup"

                            hand of the Lord"            (Rev 17:3-4; cf. 18:6)

                            (Jer 51:7a)  

                                                   

Dwelling on          "O you who dwell by          "I shall show you the

many waters        (l[;) many waters."            judgment of the great

                             (Jer 51:13)                     harlot who sits on many

                                                                   waters" (Rev 17:1)

                                           

Involved with      "The nations have              "Those who dwell on the

the nations          drunk of her wine;              earth were made drunk

                          therefore the nations          with the wine of her

                           are going mad"                 immorality" Rev 17:2

                           (Jer 51:7b)         

    

                                            

Named the          "The word which the           "Babylon the great"

   same                Lord spoke concerning         (Rev 17:5).

                          Babylon, the land of the      "Woe, woe, the great city

                          Chaldeans" (Jer 50:1)          Babylon, the strong city"

                                                                   (Rev 18:10).

 

 

Jeremiah was prophesying destruction of the literal city of Babylon, and John was prophesying the destruction of a city with the same name.

 

 


  The Destruction               Jeremiah                       Revelation

 


 Destroyed Suddenly     "Suddenly Babylon        "For this reason in one

                                   has fallen and been       day her plagues will

                                   broken"  (Jer 51:8)       come, pestilence, and

                                                                      mourning and famine.

                                                                      (Rev 18:8)

                                               

 Destroyed by fire         "Their dwelling             "And the ten horns...will

                                   places are set on          burn her up with fire"

                                   fire"  (Jer 51:30)          (Rev 17:16)

                                                                     "And she will be burned

                                                                      up with fire" (Rev 18:8)

                                               

 Never to be                 "And it will never          "Thus will Babylon, the great

                                  again be inhabited or     city, be thrown down with

                                  dwelt in from gener-      violence and will not be

                                  ation to generation"       found any longer"

                                  (Jer 50:29)                   (Rev 18:21)

                                             

 Punished according    "Repay her according      "Pay her back even as she

 to deeds                    to all that she has           has paid, and give back

                                 done, so do to her"         to her double according

                                 (Jer 50:29)                    her deeds"  (Rev 18:6)

                                             

 Fall Illustrated           "You will tie a stone        "And a strong angel took

                                 to it and throw it            up a stone like a great

                                 into the middle of           millstone and threw it

                                 the Euphrates, and         into the sea, saying,

                                 say, 'Just so shall           'Thus will Babylon, the

                                 Babylon sink down         great city, be thrown

                                 and not rise again"         down with violence and

                                 (Jer 51:63-64)               will not be found any

                                                                     longer'"  (Rev 18:21)

 

 

So what does all this say??

John and Jeremiah both have described a city that is destroyed suddenly and completely.

 

This destruction, judgment, is meted out by God for past deeds and is  pictured as a rock sinking in a body of water to rise no more.

 

 


 The Response                 Jeremiah                       Revelation

 


 God's people          "Flee from the midst         "And I heard another voice

 to flee                    of Babylon, and each        from heaven, saying, 'Come

                              of you save his life"          out of her, my people,

                              (Jer 51:6).                       that you may not participate  

                              "Come forth from her       in her sins and that you may

                              midst, My people,             not receive her

                              and each of you save        plagues" (Rev 18:4)

                              yourselves from the   

                              fierce anger of the   

                              Lord"  (Jer 51:45)    

                                             

 Heaven to            "Then heaven and earth     "Rejoice over her, O

 Rejoice                 and all that is in                heaven, and you saints

                             them will shout for           and apostles and prophets

                             joy over Babylon, for        because God has pro-

                             the destroyers will            nounced judgment for you

                             come to her from the        against her" (Rev 18:20)

                             north, declares the    

                             Lord" (Jer 51:48)     

 

 

Conclusion:

Both John and Jeremiah recorded the same response to the judgment of the    city in view.

The remnant who are in that area are told to flee before the destruction comes.

In heaven there is a call to rejoice as a result of God's victory.

The identification of Babylon depends, I believe, on John's use of Jeremiah's prophecy.

Was John describing the same event or simply using "biblical language" to describe a different event? (i.e. this is like that type of thing)

 

 

Situation:

1. If Jer 50-51 has been fulfilled;  then John uses the imagery of this past destruction to describe a different destruction that is yet future, but is similar to it.

2. If Jer 50-51 is not fulfilled, is still yet future, then it would appear that John's prophecy is also viewing that same destruction, that same judgment.

 

 

The Fulfillment of Jeremiah 50 - 51

 

1. Babylon to be destroyed suddenly:  Jer 51:8

- This is also noted in Isa 47:9,11

- Babylon was not destroyed when it fell to the Medes and Persians Oct 12/13 539 BC.

 

 

2. Babylon to be destroyed completely: 

- Note the evidence, the sequence that pervades the whole section.

Jer 50:3; 50:13; 50:26; 50:39-40; 51:29

 

 

The fact remains that Jeremiah's words, 50:13, are not yet fulfilled.

 

 3. Building Materials never to be reused.  Jer 51:26

 

 

* The point of the prophecy of Jeremiah is to show the extent of the destruction, not even the building materials would be reused; they would lie in waste forever.

 

4. Believers are to flee the city. 

 

 

5. Israel and Judah to be reunited.  Jer 50:4-5 (read); 50:20; 51:50

- Jeremiah is speaking of a cause - effect relationship between the destruction of Babylon and the reestablishment of a united Israel.

 

 

These verses in Jeremiah have an eschatological significance that can find fulfillment only in the ultimate restoration of Israel and Judah just before the beginning of the millennium.

 

 

 

 

Summary conclusions:

1.  Jeremiah 50-51 is describing a still yet future destruction of a literal city.  It was directed towards "Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans" (50:1).

2.  Several of the key elements of the prophecy have not been fulfilled yet!  (noted 5)

3.  That there is a close relationship between the prophecy of Jeremiah and of John in Rev 17-18.  (its description, its destruction and the response to it)

4.  The parallels lead to a conclusion that they are both describing the future destruction of the same city.

5.  Therefore we must conclude that the Babylon of Rev 17-18 is a future city, that will attain a place of world influence only to be destroyed in the midst of the 7th bowl judgment being poured out.