Jeremiah 50:11, commentary and pictures

The verse calls God's people His heritage and rebukes Babylon as their destroyers for being glad and rejoicing over destroying, plundering and oppressing them, picturing their prosperous, self-indulgent abundance gained by that defeat as growing fat as the heifer at grass and their noisy, boastful, arrogant revelry in apparent triumph as bellowing as bulls. That celebration and prosperity are condemned as part of the reason Babylon faces judgment, and its pride, violence and triumph are temporary and bring shame and desolation when Babylon becomes a wilderness and the kings of the Medes are summoned to take vengeance for the Lord and His temple. It belongs to a prophecy of Babylon's destruction, doom and utter desolation spoken before the city fell, fulfilled when it was humbled and taken by the Medes and Persians in the midst of security while Belshazzar held his idolatrous feast with the plundered vessels of the temple until his kingdom was numbered, weighed and divided. That overthrow did not utterly destroy the city at once, but its ultimate fulfillment came as it gradually decayed and became desolate, as its ruins recall. What applied to literal Babylon makes a sudden transition to the antitype, foretelling the day of the Lord when modern Babylon, the confused religious world and great apostate harlot-system with its daughters embracing all corrupt Christianity, shall be punished and overthrown as shown in Revelation 18, not by a rebuilding of old Babylon on the Euphrates followed by sudden destruction.

Babylon's Pride and Judgment

God's people are his heritage, and Babylon stands rebuked as their destroyers for being glad and rejoicing over destroying, plundering and oppressing them. The rejoicing was pleasure taken in their destruction and defeat, with prosperity gained through that defeat. To be grown fat as the heifer at grass is prosperous, self-indulgent abundance like a well-fed heifer grazing, and to bellow as bulls is noisy, boastful, arrogant revelry and confidence in apparent triumph, like bellowing cattle exulting in strength. That celebration and prosperity are condemned, belonging to the reason Babylon faces judgment rather than excusing its persecution.

Its pride, violence and triumph are temporary and bring shame and desolation. Babylon will become a wilderness because of the Lord's judgment, shamed and laid waste while its plunderers face his vengeance for what they have done. Its attackers are commanded to take vengeance for its sin against him, and the kings of the Medes are summoned to prepare for its destruction as vengeance for the Lord and his temple. This judgment expresses God's opposition to the Babylonian religious system and its persecution of his people. After using Babylon to bring judgment on Israel, God would punish Babylon for its own sins and pride in its victories.

The verse belongs to a divine message warning Babylon of impending judgment and offering mercy. Babylon slighted that warning, showing its opportunity for healing would not last.

Prophecy Fulfillment and Antitype

Jeremiah 50:11 stands within a prophecy against Babylon foretelling its destruction, doom, fallen condition and utter desolation, uttered before the city fell and fulfilled in its capture by the Persian Empire. The ancient empire in that prophecy also serves as a type of mystical Babylon. The downfall announced beforehand was later fulfilled when Babylon was taken by Persia and humbled by the Medes and Persians.

That overthrow by Persia did not mean Babylon was utterly destroyed at once, for its ultimate fulfillment came as the city gradually fell into decay and became desolate. Its ruins still recall the fulfillment of the prophecy of utter desolation. What is foretold is not merely the fall of the city but the sudden fall of the empire in the midst of security felt by Belshazzar and his lords. That suddenness was proved when Belshazzar held an idolatrous feast drinking from the plundered vessels of the temple to gods of gold and wood and stone, heard that God had numbered and finished his kingdom, had weighed him and found him wanting, and had divided his kingdom to the Medes and Persians, and before he rose from the banquet Babylon was taken on every quarter. No might or scheme or power or wealth of man can save a city or nation that sows within herself the seeds of error, confusion, destruction and death.

The prophecy gave a sign involving two rumors, the first coming as Cyrus marched toward Babylon and the second coming about a year later, followed by Babylon's destruction. Its references to Israel and Judah have been fulfilled and show their return to the land was not still future. A remnant from each tribe returned, though not all at once, while some Israelites remained in Babylon and merged into its population.

The prophecy makes a sudden transition from type to antitype, so what applied to literal Babylon humbled by the Medes and Persians also foretells the day of the Lord in which modern Babylon and all sinners shall be punished, as shown in Revelation 18. The final destruction of ancient Babylon portrays the destruction of modern Babylon, the confused religious world, when God brings earthly accounts to a close. It is included among prophecies of the final overthrow of the nations and earth's desolation in which not all beasts and birds are destroyed at Christ's second coming but may live and reproduce among the ruins.

The verse has a double application and will not be fulfilled by a rebuilding of old Babylon on the Euphrates followed by sudden destruction, but refers also to antitypical Babylon, the great apostate harlot-system ruling over the nations of the earth. The daughters of Babylon form a part of Babylon itself, so great mystic Babylon embraces all corrupt Christianity. Having rejected the announcement that the hour of judgment is come, that corrupt Christianity is left by the Spirit, with God's people called out of her before her destruction.