Jeremiah 51:29, commentary and pictures

The land was to tremble and grieve as every purpose of the Lord against Babylon was performed, to make it heaps and a desolation without an inhabitant. Spoken many years beforehand as a burden of its fall from head of gold to Persian silver, it was fulfilled when Cyrus took the city on every quarter in the reign of Belshazzar amid his security, and afterward Babylon declined gradually until its site by the Euphrates became utterly desolate, not by a rebuilding of old Babylon followed by sudden destruction. That judgment was God's defense of His people and vengeance for His temple against cruel pagan oppression and a persecuting religious system joined to the state. Every purpose concerning Babylon will be carried out, showing that God's great purpose purposed in Christ Jesus is fixed, eternal and unchangeable and cannot fail, while His turning aside of threatened punishment from those who repent accords with His merciful character and works in direct line with it. What was spoken against literal Babylon has a double application, for ancient Babylon is a type of mystical modern spiritual Babylon, the great apostate system ruling the nations, whose humbling foretells its destruction with all sinners in the last days just before the day of the Lord. Its doom when repeated warnings were slighted is a lesson that cities and people that forget and defy God invite the same fruit of their own sowing, applied to San Francisco, New York, Chicago and others, which no human might, scheme or wealth can save.

Ancient Judgment Fulfilled

The verse belongs to the divine message of impending judgment, gracious warning, and offered mercy sent through Jeremiah when Babylon had filled the cup of its iniquity, recorded in Jeremiah 50 and 51 as part of the oracles from Jeremiah 46 onward against Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Syria, and Babylon, a warning that was slighted and left unheeded until doom was declared. It means the land would tremble and sorrow and grieve as every purpose of the Lord against Babylon was performed, to make the land a desolation and heaps without an inhabitant.

The judgment was God's defense of His people and vengeance for His temple against Babylon's cruel treatment and persecuting power, including its pagan oppression and its systems of religion seeking power by joining with the state. Spoken many years before the fall as a burden foretelling the fall of Babylon as the head of gold before the Persian silver empire, it was fulfilled when Cyrus's forces captured the city and the Babylonian empire ended. Babylon was taken on every quarter in the reign of Belshazzar, in the midst of security on the part of Belshazzar and his lords.

Its fulfillment was not to be by a rebuilding of old Babylon on the Euphrates followed by sudden destruction; after its later greatness Babylon declined gradually after the Persian overthrow, and its site eventually became utterly desolate and uninhabited, fulfilling the prophecy literally. The buried ruins and great heap by the Euphrates and the ruined site of its cities stand as an object-lesson and witness that every purpose against the kingdom and city was carried out in detail. That exact fulfillment is proved even by the dispassionate testimony of heathen historians who did not know the prophecy and had no design to show its fulfillment.

Unfailing Purpose and Antitype

Every purpose of the Lord concerning Babylon will be carried out, and in that certainty is seen the fixity of God's purpose. His great purpose concerning mankind, purposed in Christ Jesus, is fixed, eternal and unchangeable, and cannot fail or be turned aside. Although threatened punishment may be turned aside when individuals repent, that turning aside does not change His greater purpose. Such forbearance accords with His merciful and gracious character and works in direct line with His purpose, including His bearing with a sinful world until every honest soul, whether Jew or Gentile, is won.

The prophecy was spoken against the literal Babylon of Jeremiah's day, yet ancient Babylon stands both as the ancient empire and as a type of mystical, modern spiritual Babylon. Its fulfillment is not by a rebuilding of old Babylon on the Euphrates followed by sudden destruction, but includes the sudden fall of the Babylonian empire itself in the midst of security, and points beyond to the fall of antitypical Babylon. That antitypical Babylon is the great apostate harlot-system ruling over the nations of the earth, which alone is the Babylon of Revelation. In the doom pronounced from Jeremiah 46 onward against Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Syria and Babylon can therefore be read the fate of Babylon the great prophesied in Revelation.

By sudden transition the purpose performed against literal Babylon also foretells the day of the Lord when modern Babylon and all sinners shall be punished. The humbling of ancient Babylon, in which the land would tremble and become a desolation without inhabitants, is typical of the final punishment of the ungodly. That typical punishment is to be fulfilled emphatically in the last days just before the day of the Lord as the destruction of modern spiritual Babylon at the end of the world.

The judgment by which Babylon is made desolate as the Lord's purpose against it is carried out is God's defense of His people and vengeance for His temple. Babylon's religious system continues in later kingdoms, with the state used to support it and to persecute Christ's followers. Its proud city and its systems of religion, which sought power by joining with the state, would end in destruction as the land trembled and grieved in becoming desolate and uninhabited.

Warning to Modern Cities

Babylon's doom came only after repeated warnings of judgment went unheeded until doom was declared, for its people slighted the gracious warning sent to them. Its fate was invited by open wickedness and defiance of God, and when taken on every quarter and fallen in the reign of Belshazzar every purpose of the Lord against the defiant city was performed and it was left desolate. That fall proved God true against Babylon's perverted principles and showed the fruit of her own sowing of error, confusion, and death.

Its fate stands as a lesson that cities and people that forget and defy God face judgment, a call to repent and do right. The warning is applied to San Francisco and to other cities and people who forget or defy God, and to such places as New York and Chicago as well as San Francisco.

No human might or scheme or power or wealth could save a city or nation that sowed such seeds within herself.