Surely at the command of the LORD it came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, read more. 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. and of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan and 50 males with him; Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. What is the significance of the Babylonian Empire in biblical history? A great bridge some 660 feet long and 30 feet wide bridged the Euphrates River and connected the eastern and western halves of the city. At the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon with the valuable articles of the house of the Lord, and he made his kinsman Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem. Ezekiel also prophesied from there (Ezekiel 1:1) and spoke of the detestable things that would occur in the temple (Ezekiel 8:5-6). The Babylonian exile was a period in the history of ancient Israel. Much discussion has ensued regarding the meaning of Babylon as portrayed in Revelation. and all the kings of the north, near and far, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the earth which are upon the face of the ground, and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them. 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. 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. So all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls around Jerusalem. He, inDeuteronomy 28:49-58, tells of sending people into exile if they disobey Him, which Israel did. All those about them encouraged them with articles of silver, with gold, with goods, with cattle and with valuables, aside from all that was given as a freewill offering. Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand. 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 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. But in terms of Babylon the Great, we have to look at the end times for this phrase. Nabonidus then assumed power appointing his son Belshazzar as co-ruler. At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon went up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth. The history of Babylonia proper, known as the Old Babylonia period (1830-1550 b.c. For there our captors demanded of us songs,And our tormentors mirth, saying,Sing us one of the songs of Zion.read more.How can we sing the Lords songIn a foreign land? The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. 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. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. Outstanding chapters in Isaiahs predictions are 13, 14, and 47 with scattered references elsewhere (21:9, 39:1, 3, 6, 7; 43:14; 48:14, 20). Which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes. And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back? In the year that King Ahaz died this oracle came: Do not rejoice, O Philistia, all of you,Because the rod that struck you is broken;For from the serpents root a viper will come out,And its fruit will be a flying serpent. "Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, saying, 'Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?' Media and Persia were united in a common government which lasted until Alexander the Great in 331 b.c. "All the kings of the nations lie in glory, Each in his own tomb. ), whose kings were native Babylonians. Now in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and built a siege wall all around it. But he will be broken without human agency. The event, though future, is described as past, being predetermined in the counsels of God. In the Bible generally, and in Revelation in particular, Babylon represents the world against God fallen, sinful humankind. Such a rebuilding of the ancient city would make possible a literal fulfillment of the prophecy of complete and sudden destruction as predicted in Isaiah 13:19-22. Stand fast now in your spellsAnd in your many sorceriesWith which you have labored from your youth;Perhaps you will be able to profit,Perhaps you may cause trembling. All the men of valor, seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths, one thousand, all strong and fit for war, and these the king of Babylon brought into exile to Babylon. All rights reserved. The LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. I will also give over all the wealth of this city, all its produce and all its costly things; even all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give over to the hand of their enemies, and they will plunder them, take them away and bring them to Babylon. Who brings forth the chariot and the horse, The army and the mighty man (They will lie down together and not rise again; They have been quenched and extinguished like a wick): And it came about in the days of Amraphel king of, against Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of, It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land, Then it will happen on that day that the Lord, Will again recover the second time with His hand. Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children. Then the lookout called, "O Lord, I stand continually by day on the watchtower, And I am stationed every night at my guard post. And the second pillar was like these with network. Thus ended the fabulous reign of the Babylonian Empire, the symbol of Gentile glory and moral and religious wickedness. Daniel ends his interpretation by telling the king the interpretation is sure and certain because it has been ordained by God (Daniel 2:38-45). God can and will use evil people and nations to enact His will (Pharaoh in Egypt, e.g.) 'This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. A prominent theme of Jeremiahs prophecies were predictions against Egypt in which he anticipated that Nebuchadnezzar would conquer Egypt. 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. And they will draw up their battle lines against her; Their arrows will be like an expert warrior, All who plunder her will have enough, declares the. But these two things will come on you suddenly in one day: In spite of the great power of your spells. All the articles of gold and silver numbered 5,400. The character Jack Conrad appears to be based on John Gilbert, a leading MGM star of the 1920s.Talkies revealed to many an apparent mismatch between his soft voice and his dashing on-screen persona, leading to dwindling roles, a drinking problem, and a death by heart attack in 1936, at the age of 38. With great deference, Daniel then gave the interpretation. When Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, they fled and went out of the city at night by way of the kings garden through the gate between the two walls; and he went out toward the Arabah. And they went by way of the Arabah. 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. Wander away from the midst of BabylonAnd go forth from the land of the Chaldeans;Be also like male goats at the head of the flock. Daniel was a young man of the tribe of Judah living in Jerusalem. "And it will be to them like a false divination in their eyes; they have sworn solemn oaths But he brings iniquity to remembrance, that they may be seized. At the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon with the valuable articles of the house of the Lord, and he made his kinsman Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem. He is the author "Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges.". In the Bible, Babylon is mentioned from Genesis to Revelation, as it rises from its rebellious beginnings to become a symbol of the Antichrist's evil world system. "Now behold, here comes a troop of riders, horsemen in pairs." Jeremiah 51:49. Take the millstones and grind flour, put off your veil, strip off your robe, uncover your legs, pass through the rivers. Because the rod that struck you is broken; For from the serpents root a viper will come out. 'Your pomp and the music of your harps Have been brought down to Sheol; Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you And worms are your covering.' Now when Jerusalem was captured in the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it; in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the city wall was breached. Now on the tenth day of the fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, who was in the service of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. Historians believe Babylon was the first ancient city to exceed 200,000 people. Corporate sin, however, was embraced by a group of people who decided they should exalt themselves over God by building a tower with its top in the heavens, in order to make a name for themselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth (Genesis 11:4). The story of the tower of Babel unfolds in Genesis 11:1-9. When he died in 556 B.C, after only four years of reign, he was succeeded by his son who was assassinated shortly after he came to the throne. Of the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and he was called by their name. The captain of the guard also took away the bowls, the firepans, the basins, the pots, the lampstands, the pans and the drink offering bowls, what was fine gold and what was fine silver. When and how was Judah conquered by the Babylonians? Verse 2. So Judah was led away into exile from its land. So all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. The number of the men of the people of Israel: These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city. "Run away, flee! As we learned from Jonahs experiencesGod cares about wicked people too. Imagine what the Israelite captives felt as they marched down the streets of Babylon and through the Ishtar Gate. 'You will be fuel for the fire; your blood will be in the midst of the land You will not be remembered, for I, the LORD, have spoken.'". ), included the brilliant reign of Hammurabi (1728-1686 b.c.) The evil of Babylon in the Bible emanated from the objects of its worship and the actions of its rulers and subjects. The city also included great parks and gardens, some of which, such as the hanging gardens described by Diodorus, were outstanding wonders in the ancient world. 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. The mountain is the Lord, and He will set up a kingdom that will eclipse all others, and which will never end. If the prophecies of Isaiah are remarkable for their anticpation of Babylons rise to power and the captivity of Judah a hundred years before it actually occurred, the prophecies of Jeremiah are notable because they were delivered at the peak of Babylons power when it seemed most unlikely that the great nation would fall. Her full title is stated in. "Then afterwards," declares the LORD, "I will give over Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people, even those who survive in this city from the pestilence, the sword and the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their foes and into the hand of those who seek their lives; and he will strike them down with the edge of the sword He will not spare them nor have pity nor compassion."' "I Myself will war against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, even in anger and wrath and great indignation. And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!, 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. Now, then, hear this, you sensual one,Who dwells securely,Who says in your heart,I am, and there is no one besides me.I will not sit as a widow,Nor know loss of children.. Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus says the Lord: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the Lords house will now shortly be brought again from Babylon; for they are prophesying a lie to you. With the help of the Medes, Nineveh was destroyed in 612 b.c. He built an enormous city of which the ruins still remain. But he *said to me, Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. the land suffered various invasions including that of Assyria. Flee from the Chaldeans!Declare with the sound of joyful shouting, proclaim this,Send it out to the end of the earth;Say, The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob.. 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. That was a period when Israel and Judah were divided, and evil kings reigned over Israel and its unfaithful people and caused even Judah to follow their sinful ways. 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. 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. During the height of its power, provisions were stored in Babylon supposedly sufficient for twenty years of siege and designed to discourage anyone attacking it. "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. 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. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him and bound him with bronze chains to take him to Babylon. At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon went up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. How the faithful city has become a harlot. 238 city: 'Babylon is the Greek spelling of the name which in Hebrew is uniform-ly 'Babel' [ and] refers to an ancient city on the eastern bank of the Eu-phrates about twenty miles south of Bagdad, near the modern village of Hilla Nebuchadrezzar: the builder king of Babylon The Bible depicts Nebuchadrezzar II and his city as doomed, but to his own people, he restored Babylon to glory. Within the walls the city was laid out in square blocks with beautiful houses lining the streets usually three and four stories in height. "The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; They break forth into shouts of joy. and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech the gods of Sepharvaim. As far as the historic fulfillment is concerned, it is obvious from both Scripture and history that these verses have not been literally fulfilled. The number of the men of the people of Israel: the sons of Parosh, 2,172; the sons of Shephatiah, 372; the sons of Arah, 775; the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,812; the sons of Elam, 1,254; the sons of Zattu, 945; the sons of Zaccai, 760; the sons of Bani, 642; the sons of Bebai, 623; the sons of Azgad, 1,222; the sons of Adonikam, 666; the sons of Bigvai, 2,056; the sons of Adin, 454; the sons of Ater of Hezekiah, 98; the sons of Bezai, 323; the sons of Jorah, 112; the sons of Hashum, 223; the sons of Gibbar, 95; the men of Bethlehem, 123; the men of Netophah, 56; the men of Anathoth, 128; the sons of Azmaveth, 42; the sons of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah and Beeroth, 743; the sons of Ramah and Geba, 621; the men of Michmas, 122; the men of Bethel and Ai, 223; the sons of Nebo, 52; the sons of Magbish, 156; the sons of the other Elam, 1,254; the sons of Harim, 320; the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono, 725; the men of Jericho, 345; the sons of Senaah, 3,630. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.. Despite its sinful ways, it developed one of the most advanced civilizations in the ancient world. read more. Walls also lined the river on either side and 150 gates of solid brass protected the entrances. At the very time the Medes were pouring into the city, the handwriting appeared on the wall (Daniel 5:5, 24-28). 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. I also will remove you beyond Babylon.. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, "Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom." NIV. "Command them to go to their masters, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, thus you shall say to your masters, read more. Even the cypress trees rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying,Since you were laid low, no tree cutter comes up against us. 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. Nebuchadnezzar was the head of gold (606-561 BC, kingdom of Babylon). 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. 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. He carried out from there all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the kings 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. Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, Amen.