They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions’ whelps.
It pictures the people of Babylon roaring together like lions and crying out like young lions in the midst of the judgment that lays Babylon waste, a fierce and noisy outcry just before they are made drunken and sink into perpetual sleep. It belongs to the message sent to Babylon when she had filled up the cup of her iniquity, a message of coming judgment joined with gracious warning and offered mercy that was despised and left unheeded. It was spoken many years beforehand as part of the great burden foretelling the sudden fall of Babylon's city and empire while Belshazzar and his lords felt secure, fulfilled in that night when the kingdom was numbered and finished and given to the Medes and Persians. That overthrow by the Persians did not complete its doom, for Babylon afterward sank gradually into decay and desolation beside the Euphrates until the prophecy was literally fulfilled. What was true of literal Babylon is also true of antitypical, mystical Babylon, the apostate and confused religious world, whose final destruction comes when God closes all earthly accounts, and in this it stands as a warning to all proud, God-defying cities and to all sinners in the day of the Lord.
Setting and Lion Imagery
Jeremiah 51:38 belongs to the book's prophecies against foreign nations, especially Babylon, and uses vivid figures of speech. It belongs to the divine message sent through Jeremiah to ancient Babylon when it had filled the cup of its iniquity, a message of impending judgment, gracious warning, and proffered mercy. That warning was slighted and went unheeded, yet its record remains that God would have healed Babylon but she is not healed. It belongs to the chapter's account of Babylon's character and God's defense of His people. It is part of the testimony that pagan Babylon persecuted God's people. It is placed among the judgments against the nations that would fall before Nebuchadnezzar, as part of the prophecy of Babylon's doom.
The verse depicts Babylon's people roaring together like lions and yelling and howling like lion cubs and young lions amid the judgment that makes Babylon desolate. The lion imagery portrays their fierce, loud response before they are made drunken and fall into a perpetual sleep. It belongs to the lesson of Babylon's fall in which the people remained absorbed in revelry as the Persians entered, followed by alarm and massacre.
Foretold Fall Fulfilled
The verse is part of the great burden against Babylon spoken by God many years before its fall. It predicts the downfall of Babylon and the end of the head of gold before the Persian empire takes its place. That foretelling is to be proved by the dispassionate testimony of heathen historians who did not know the prophecy. The prophecy includes the fall of both Babylon's city and its empire, which came suddenly while Belshazzar and his lords felt secure.
It shows part of God's predictions against Babylon fulfilled in Belshazzar's night when the kingdom was numbered and finished, weighed in the balances and found wanting, and divided and given to the Medes and Persians. Then Babylon was taken on every quarter amid the cry Babylon is fallen, is fallen. This proves that 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 verse belongs to the prophecy foretelling Babylon's destruction and doom. That destruction was not to be completed when the Persians overthrew the city but would ultimately come to pass. Babylon gradually fell into decay and became desolate, fulfilling the prophecy literally. Its fulfillment is witnessed by the great heap of ruins beside the Euphrates.
Type of Final Judgment
Jeremiah 50-51 on the fate of ancient Babylon has a double fulfillment from type to antitype. Babylon in Jeremiah's day serves as a type of the great, mystical Babylon whose fate is prophesied in Revelation.
The prophecy includes the fall of both ancient Babylon's city and its empire, which came suddenly while Belshazzar and his lords felt secure, and it points beyond that event to antitypical Babylon. That antitypical, modern Babylon is the apostate harlot system that rules over the nations, that is, the confused religious world. Its final destruction is portrayed when God closes all earthly accounts, and this later application is connected with the judgment on Babylon in Revelation. Amid that judgment making Babylon desolate, its people roar together like lions and yell like lion cubs.
What applied primarily and typically to literal Babylon also applies to modern Babylon and to the punishment of all sinners in the day of the Lord. The prophecy describes the fall of ancient Babylon and also portrays the desolation of modern Babylon and of the whole earth. Babylon's fate in judgment is thus presented as a warning to proud, God-defying cities, applied to modern cities such as San Francisco, New York, and Chicago.
It pictures the people of Babylon roaring together like lions and crying out like young lions in the midst of the judgment that lays Babylon waste, a fierce and noisy outcry just before they are made drunken and sink into perpetual sleep. It belongs to the message sent to Babylon when she had filled up the cup of her iniquity, a message of coming judgment joined with gracious warning and offered mercy that was despised and left unheeded. It was spoken many years beforehand as part of the great burden foretelling the sudden fall of Babylon's city and empire while Belshazzar and his lords felt secure, fulfilled in that night when the kingdom was numbered and finished and given to the Medes and Persians. That overthrow by the Persians did not complete its doom, for Babylon afterward sank gradually into decay and desolation beside the Euphrates until the prophecy was literally fulfilled. What was true of literal Babylon is also true of antitypical, mystical Babylon, the apostate and confused religious world, whose final destruction comes when God closes all earthly accounts, and in this it stands as a warning to all proud, God-defying cities and to all sinners in the day of the Lord.
Setting and Lion Imagery
Jeremiah 51:38 belongs to the book's prophecies against foreign nations, especially Babylon, and uses vivid figures of speech. It belongs to the divine message sent through Jeremiah to ancient Babylon when it had filled the cup of its iniquity, a message of impending judgment, gracious warning, and proffered mercy. That warning was slighted and went unheeded, yet its record remains that God would have healed Babylon but she is not healed. It belongs to the chapter's account of Babylon's character and God's defense of His people. It is part of the testimony that pagan Babylon persecuted God's people. It is placed among the judgments against the nations that would fall before Nebuchadnezzar, as part of the prophecy of Babylon's doom.
The verse depicts Babylon's people roaring together like lions and yelling and howling like lion cubs and young lions amid the judgment that makes Babylon desolate. The lion imagery portrays their fierce, loud response before they are made drunken and fall into a perpetual sleep. It belongs to the lesson of Babylon's fall in which the people remained absorbed in revelry as the Persians entered, followed by alarm and massacre.
Foretold Fall Fulfilled
The verse is part of the great burden against Babylon spoken by God many years before its fall. It predicts the downfall of Babylon and the end of the head of gold before the Persian empire takes its place. That foretelling is to be proved by the dispassionate testimony of heathen historians who did not know the prophecy. The prophecy includes the fall of both Babylon's city and its empire, which came suddenly while Belshazzar and his lords felt secure.
It shows part of God's predictions against Babylon fulfilled in Belshazzar's night when the kingdom was numbered and finished, weighed in the balances and found wanting, and divided and given to the Medes and Persians. Then Babylon was taken on every quarter amid the cry Babylon is fallen, is fallen. This proves that 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 verse belongs to the prophecy foretelling Babylon's destruction and doom. That destruction was not to be completed when the Persians overthrew the city but would ultimately come to pass. Babylon gradually fell into decay and became desolate, fulfilling the prophecy literally. Its fulfillment is witnessed by the great heap of ruins beside the Euphrates.
Type of Final Judgment
Jeremiah 50-51 on the fate of ancient Babylon has a double fulfillment from type to antitype. Babylon in Jeremiah's day serves as a type of the great, mystical Babylon whose fate is prophesied in Revelation.
The prophecy includes the fall of both ancient Babylon's city and its empire, which came suddenly while Belshazzar and his lords felt secure, and it points beyond that event to antitypical Babylon. That antitypical, modern Babylon is the apostate harlot system that rules over the nations, that is, the confused religious world. Its final destruction is portrayed when God closes all earthly accounts, and this later application is connected with the judgment on Babylon in Revelation. Amid that judgment making Babylon desolate, its people roar together like lions and yell like lion cubs.
What applied primarily and typically to literal Babylon also applies to modern Babylon and to the punishment of all sinners in the day of the Lord. The prophecy describes the fall of ancient Babylon and also portrays the desolation of modern Babylon and of the whole earth. Babylon's fate in judgment is thus presented as a warning to proud, God-defying cities, applied to modern cities such as San Francisco, New York, and Chicago.