Jeremiah 50:31, commentary and pictures

The Lord God of hosts stands against proud Babylon, and her appointed day has come for him to visit her in judgment and reckoning. That visitation punishes self-exaltation against God, refusal to glorify him, and persecution of his people through a religious system using state power, while he defends his own. The warning was spoken many years before the fall to offer mercy, but Babylon filled its measure of wrongdoing and ignored it, so judgment fell suddenly while Belshazzar and his lords felt secure, when he was slain in the night and the kingdom was given to the Medes and Persians under Cyrus. The prophecy makes a sudden transition from type to antitype, applying typically to ancient Babylon humbled by earthly instruments and finally and emphatically to antitypical Babylon, the great apostate harlot-system embracing all corrupt Christianity and at last all sinners, whose fallen condition and certain destruction at the end of the world are portrayed. Its destruction was not completed at the Persian overthrow, but came ultimately as the city gradually decayed and became desolate, so the proud city stumbles and falls with no one to raise it.

God's Judgment on Babylon

The Lord God of hosts declares himself against proud Babylon, and her day has come, the appointed time for him to visit her in judgment and reckoning. That visitation is punishment, the facing of consequences for pride and hostility toward him. The fall foretold is of the Babylonian empire as well as the city.

The visitation punishes pride and hostility toward God shown in self-exaltation against him and refusal to glorify him. It condemns the Babylonian religious system and its use of state power against God's people, while setting forth God's defense of his people. Pagan Babylon persecuted God's people, and proud Babylon opposed by God has its appointed time of judgment come. The proud one would stumble and fall without anyone to raise him.

The verse belongs to God's message through Jeremiah announcing judgment on ancient Babylon, to the great burden of prophecy against Babylon, to prophecies of doom, destruction and desolation against Babylon and the kingdoms surrounding Israel. It was spoken many years before the fall, foretelling the downfall of the head of gold before the silver empire takes its place. It warned Babylon while offering mercy, but Babylon had filled its measure of wrongdoing and ignored the warning, so judgment came. It also pronounces doom on the kingdoms surrounding Israel and declares that Babylon's appointed time of judgment has come.

The warning was fulfilled in a sudden fall that came while Belshazzar and his lords felt secure. The Persians captured the city, Belshazzar was slain during the night, and the kingdom was judged and given to the Medes and Persians under Cyrus. So ended the head of gold before the silver empire, proved by the dispassionate testimony of heathen historians who did not know the prophecy. A sign was given: Babylon would hear a rumor, and another rumor would follow one year later, before destruction came.

That destruction was not completed when the Persians overthrew Babylon, and the verse does not mean the old city on the Euphrates will be rebuilt and then suddenly destroyed. It came ultimately as the city gradually fell into decay and became desolate, fulfilling the prophecy literally. The proud city will stumble and fall with no one to raise it.

In connection with these prophecies, God's promises concerning Israel and Judah including the return from Babylon have been fulfilled. A remnant from every tribe returned, though not all returned at once.

Type of Mystical Babylon

The prophecies against Babylon carry a double application, speaking both of the ancient empire and as a type of mystical Babylon. They belong to the pronouncements of doom upon the kingdoms surrounding Israel, and in the case of Babylon make a sudden transition from type to antitype with a double fulfillment. The primary and typical fulfillment concerns ancient proud Babylon, foretelling the fall of the Babylonian empire as well as the city, humbled by earthly instruments in a sudden fall that came while Belshazzar and his lords felt secure. The emphatic and final fulfillment concerns antitypical Babylon, and the verse does not mean that old Babylon on the Euphrates River will be rebuilt and then suddenly destroyed.

Antitypical Babylon is the great apostate harlot-system that rules over the nations of the earth. It is modern Babylon, the confused religious world, embracing all corrupt Christianity and finally all sinners punished in the day of the Lord. The prophecy of ancient Babylon's final destruction portrays the judgment that will also fall on this modern Babylon at the end of the world, depicting its fallen condition and certain destruction.

The daughters of Babylon form a part of Babylon itself, so that great Babylon embraces her daughters with her. For this reason mystic Babylon embraces all corrupt Christianity with her. Like a millstone cast into the sea, she will be thrown down.

God opposes Babylon's pride and brings its appointed day of judgment, and its downfall came through self-exaltation against God and refusal to glorify Him, so that the proud one would stumble and fall without anyone to raise him. Ancient Babylon's experience illustrates principles repeated in a different setting.