A sword is upon the liars; and they shall dote: a sword is upon her mighty men; and they shall be dismayed.
The sword is God's judgment falling on Babylon's false prophets and deceivers to make them foolish and confused, and on her warriors to fill them with dismay, so that falsehood and military might alike end in destruction. It was spoken as part of God's burden against ancient Babylon more than fifty years before its fall, foretelling conquerors from the Medes and Persians who under Cyrus would take the city suddenly while Belshazzar and his lords felt secure in revelry. That overthrow began a decay completed in utter desolation, leaving Babylon in ruins without inhabitants so that she did not rise again. What applied primarily to ancient Babylon applies emphatically in double fulfillment to antitypical Babylon, the great apostate system and confused religious world ruling over the nations in the day of the Lord. As ancient Babylon refused healing, modern Babylon refuses healing until her sins are full, so after the hour of judgment is rejected God's people are called out of her and His foretold judgments fall on her to destroy her like a millstone cast into the sea.
Judgment on Ancient Babylon
Jeremiah 50:36 stands among the prophecies against foreign nations, and especially against Babylon. It belongs to the message announcing judgment upon ancient Babylon, warning it and offering mercy and healing, which Babylon ignored so that the offered healing did not take effect. The sword named in it is judgment falling upon Babylon's liars so that they dote, becoming foolish and confused, and upon her mighty men so that they are dismayed. In the fall of the city this was carried out as Persian forces attacked, with the liars made confused and foolish and the warriors dismayed. It shows that Babylon's falsehood and its mighty men would meet destruction in confusion and dismay.
It belongs to the great burden of prophecy against Babylon spoken by God many years before its fall. That prophecy was given more than fifty years before the city was captured. Its fulfillment is shown in history in the fall of the head of gold, the Babylonian kingdom, when the Persian kingdom takes its place. The prediction was fulfilled when the army of Cyrus entered Babylon and the kingdom fell.
The chapter foretold both the conquerors and the circumstances of the capture, that Babylon would fall under the Medes and Persians. Both the city and the empire were included, with the empire falling suddenly while Belshazzar and his lords felt secure. Its apparent security and revelry did not prevent its sudden destruction, which came as God had foretold. That destruction was not completed when the Persians overthrew the city but came to fulfillment through its eventual decay and desolation. It would be left in ruins and without inhabitants, in a fallen condition whose certain destruction was foretold. Its fulfillment is connected with two rumors, the first as Cyrus marched toward Babylon and the second about a year later before the city's destruction, with no separate explanation given of the sword or the liars.
Type of End-Time Babylon
Jeremiah 50 is a double prophecy whose primary and typical sense concerns the city and empire of ancient Babylon, which fell suddenly while Belshazzar and his lords felt secure, and whose emphatic sense concerns antitypical Babylon, the great apostate system ruling over the nations. Ancient Babylon in the prophecy is a type of great, mystical Babylon and its doom, so the prophecy makes a sudden transition from type to antitype. What applied primarily and typically to ancient Babylon humbled by the Medes and Persians applies emphatically to modern Babylon and to the punishment of all sinners in the day of the Lord.
The chapter sets forth Babylon's character and religious system under God's disfavor and as a persecuting power that persecuted God's people, with paganism shown as a persecuting power. Just as the daughters of Jerusalem are part of Jerusalem and the daughters of Rabbah are part of Rabbah, so the daughters of Babylon are part of Babylon itself. Therefore great mystic Babylon embraces all corrupt Christianity, including the daughters of mystic Babylon.
The message against ancient Babylon announced judgment with warning and an offer of mercy and healing, but Babylon ignored the warning and the offered healing did not take effect. In like manner modern Babylon, the confused religious world, refused healing until her sins reached their full measure, and then God's foretold judgments fell on her when God closed all earthly accounts. After rejecting the announcement that the hour of judgment has come, the whole of that Babylon is left without the Spirit, God's people are called out of her, and her destruction as a millstone cast into the sea immediately follows so that she does not rise again.
The sword upon the liars and upon the mighty men brings confusion and dismay, so that Babylon's falsehood and its warriors meet destruction. Its fulfillment in Babylon's fall to the Medes and Persians is God's defense of His people and shows God's disfavor toward its religious system. It shows that Babylon's principles of error could not endure against God's truth.
The sword is God's judgment falling on Babylon's false prophets and deceivers to make them foolish and confused, and on her warriors to fill them with dismay, so that falsehood and military might alike end in destruction. It was spoken as part of God's burden against ancient Babylon more than fifty years before its fall, foretelling conquerors from the Medes and Persians who under Cyrus would take the city suddenly while Belshazzar and his lords felt secure in revelry. That overthrow began a decay completed in utter desolation, leaving Babylon in ruins without inhabitants so that she did not rise again. What applied primarily to ancient Babylon applies emphatically in double fulfillment to antitypical Babylon, the great apostate system and confused religious world ruling over the nations in the day of the Lord. As ancient Babylon refused healing, modern Babylon refuses healing until her sins are full, so after the hour of judgment is rejected God's people are called out of her and His foretold judgments fall on her to destroy her like a millstone cast into the sea.
Judgment on Ancient Babylon
Jeremiah 50:36 stands among the prophecies against foreign nations, and especially against Babylon. It belongs to the message announcing judgment upon ancient Babylon, warning it and offering mercy and healing, which Babylon ignored so that the offered healing did not take effect. The sword named in it is judgment falling upon Babylon's liars so that they dote, becoming foolish and confused, and upon her mighty men so that they are dismayed. In the fall of the city this was carried out as Persian forces attacked, with the liars made confused and foolish and the warriors dismayed. It shows that Babylon's falsehood and its mighty men would meet destruction in confusion and dismay.
It belongs to the great burden of prophecy against Babylon spoken by God many years before its fall. That prophecy was given more than fifty years before the city was captured. Its fulfillment is shown in history in the fall of the head of gold, the Babylonian kingdom, when the Persian kingdom takes its place. The prediction was fulfilled when the army of Cyrus entered Babylon and the kingdom fell.
The chapter foretold both the conquerors and the circumstances of the capture, that Babylon would fall under the Medes and Persians. Both the city and the empire were included, with the empire falling suddenly while Belshazzar and his lords felt secure. Its apparent security and revelry did not prevent its sudden destruction, which came as God had foretold. That destruction was not completed when the Persians overthrew the city but came to fulfillment through its eventual decay and desolation. It would be left in ruins and without inhabitants, in a fallen condition whose certain destruction was foretold. Its fulfillment is connected with two rumors, the first as Cyrus marched toward Babylon and the second about a year later before the city's destruction, with no separate explanation given of the sword or the liars.
Type of End-Time Babylon
Jeremiah 50 is a double prophecy whose primary and typical sense concerns the city and empire of ancient Babylon, which fell suddenly while Belshazzar and his lords felt secure, and whose emphatic sense concerns antitypical Babylon, the great apostate system ruling over the nations. Ancient Babylon in the prophecy is a type of great, mystical Babylon and its doom, so the prophecy makes a sudden transition from type to antitype. What applied primarily and typically to ancient Babylon humbled by the Medes and Persians applies emphatically to modern Babylon and to the punishment of all sinners in the day of the Lord.
The chapter sets forth Babylon's character and religious system under God's disfavor and as a persecuting power that persecuted God's people, with paganism shown as a persecuting power. Just as the daughters of Jerusalem are part of Jerusalem and the daughters of Rabbah are part of Rabbah, so the daughters of Babylon are part of Babylon itself. Therefore great mystic Babylon embraces all corrupt Christianity, including the daughters of mystic Babylon.
The message against ancient Babylon announced judgment with warning and an offer of mercy and healing, but Babylon ignored the warning and the offered healing did not take effect. In like manner modern Babylon, the confused religious world, refused healing until her sins reached their full measure, and then God's foretold judgments fell on her when God closed all earthly accounts. After rejecting the announcement that the hour of judgment has come, the whole of that Babylon is left without the Spirit, God's people are called out of her, and her destruction as a millstone cast into the sea immediately follows so that she does not rise again.
The sword upon the liars and upon the mighty men brings confusion and dismay, so that Babylon's falsehood and its warriors meet destruction. Its fulfillment in Babylon's fall to the Medes and Persians is God's defense of His people and shows God's disfavor toward its religious system. It shows that Babylon's principles of error could not endure against God's truth.