Tanak Foundations-Concepts in Jeremiah-Chapter 51

Jer 51.1-64 continues with the prophecy against Babylon, who we believe is the USA eschatologically.

v 1…Thus says the Lord: “Behold (take note of), I am going to arouse against Babylon and against the inhabitants of Leb-kamai (“the heart rises against me”) the spirit of a destroyer (spirit of destruction).

v 2…And I will dispatch foreigners to Babylon that they may winnow (fan) her and may devastate her land (and the chaff carried away, the cities emptied of people); for on every side they will be opposed to her in the day of her calamity.

v 3…Let not him who bends the bow bend it, nor let him rise up in his armor, so do not spare her young men; devote all her army to destruction.

v 4…And they will fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans, and pierced the land through in her streets (by the arrows).

v 5…For neither Israel or Judah has been forsaken (widowed) by his God (He isn’t dead), the Lord (Yehovah) of hosts (tzavaot), although their land is full of guilt before the Holy One (he has a kedusha) of Israel (which is why they were in Babylon; eschatologically Israel has sinned and that is why the Jewish people are in the USA, but God has not foresaken them).

v 6…Flee from the midst of Babylon (Psa 126; Isa 48.20; Mic 4.9-10; Jer 50.4-8, 16.28, 51.45, 50; Isa 52.11; Rev 18.4) and each of you save his life (not only physically but spiritually as well; between Rosh Ha Shannah and Yom Kippur there is a sabbath called “Shabbat Shuvah” or the “sabbath of return.” This may be when they leave the USA after the Natzal and before the destruction of the USA)! Do not be destroyed in her punishment, for this is the the Lord’s time of vengeance; he is going to render recompense to her (by Yom Kippur, ten days after the Natzal on Rosh Ha Shannah).

v 7…Babylon (USA) has been a golden cup (refers to the head of gold in Dan 2.38) in the hand of the Lord, intoxicating all the earth (by idolatry and spiritual adultery-Rev 17.2). The nations have drunk her wine (leading to error)l therefore the nations are going mad (eschatologically the USA did this through the economy, greed, spreading false religions, war and the United Nations, etc.).

v 8…Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken (anciently it fell in one night-Dan 5.30; eschatologically it will be “one day” as in Isa 47.9, and “one hour” in Rev 18.8-a certain megaton explosion can knock out the electrical grid and computers, opening the USA up for a nuclear attack); wail over her! Bring balm for her pain; perhaps she may be healed (it was attempted at one time).

v 9…We applied healing to Babylon, but she was not healed (refused to change); forsake her and let us each go to his own country (50.16), for her torment has reached to heaven, and lifted up to the very skies (no healing because Yehovah has judged her).

v 10…The Lord has brought about vindication (“righteousness as defined by the Torah”-Jer 50.8, 16, 51.45, 50; Isa 49.20, 52.11, Zech 2.6-13; Mic 4.9-10, 5.3-they must leave before Babylon/USA is destroyed); come let us recount (declare of 50.2) in Zion (50.5) the work of the Lord our God (eschatologically this alludes to the 144,000 who are saved as they see the natzal and believe; they will return to Israel before the USA is destroyed, sometime between Tishri 1 and the natzal, and about Tishri 8 of the first week of the Day of the Lord).

v 11…Sharpen the arrows (missiles), fill the quivers! The Lord has aroused the spirit of the kings of the Medes (the Medes are mentioned rather than the Persians here because Darius was above Cyrus in power and greatness at that time; the Medes and the Persians covered what is now Iran and Iraq, who are eschatological allies with Russia-Ezek 38.5) because his purpose is against Babylon to destroy it, for it is the vengeance of the Lord, vengeance for his temple (the Kahal/people-50.28; 1 Cor 6.19).

v 12…Lift up a signal (“nes” or banner and a term for the Messiah and associated also with the Natzal or resurrection-50.2) against the walls of Babylon; post a strong guard (to keep a good look out, but they didn’t), station sentries, place men in ambush (to those who are trying to scale the walls)! For the Lord has both purposed and performed what he spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon (even if they were ready for their own defense and had every tool available, nothing was going to stop their destruction; it will be the same with the USA; readiness and the best defenses will not stop what Yehovah has determined).

v 13…O you who dwell by many waters (Babylon was by the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and many lakes; the USA is a nation of many waters, lakes and rivers), abundant in treasures (agriculture; gold, silver, natural resources just like the USA), your end has come, and the measure of your covetousness (commerce, wealth were determined by God but they coveted more than what God had allotted to them, just like the USA does with the IRS and world market deals, often determined by lustful politics, insider trading and bribery).

v 14…The Lord of hosts has sworn by himself: “Surely I will fill you with a population (men) like locusts (vast numbers that will consume everything in sight, so will a nuclear attack in USA), and they will cry out with shouts of victory over you.”

v 15…He (God) who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding he stretched out the heavens.

v 16…When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he causes the vapors (mists, clouds) to ascend from the end of the earth; he makes lightning for the rain, and brings forth the wind from his storehouses (treasuries).

v 17…All mankind (adam) is stupid (compared to God), devoid of knowledge (because he disregards the Torah-Hos 4.6; Matt 22.29; Judges 21.25); every goldsmith is put to shame by the idols, for his molten images are deceitful (untrue), and there is no breath in them.

v 18…They are worthless, a work of mockery; in the time of their punishment they will perish (Babylon and the USA are guilty of all of these).

v 19…The portion of Jacob is not like these (Yehovah is not like the useless, lifeless idols); for he is the former (maker) of all, and of the tribe of his inheritance (Israel); the Lord of hosts is his name.

v 20…”You (Medes and Persians and eschatologically Iran and Iraq who is an ally of Russia-Ezek 38.5) are my war club (battle axe), (my) weapon of war; and with you I shatter nations, and with you I destroy kingdoms (Judea, Egypt, Edom, Moab, Ammon and others).

v 21…And with you I shatter the horse and the rider,

v 22…and with you I shatter the chariot and its rider, and with you I shatter man and woman, and with you I shatter old man and youth, and with you I shatter young man and virgin,

v 23…and with you I shatter the shepherd and his flock, and with you I shatter the farmer and his team, and with you I shatter governments and prefects.

v 24…But I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all their evil that they have done in Zion before your eyes (Judeans saw what they did to Jerusalem, the Temple, the cities, the people and the land),” declares the Lord.

v 25…”Behold (take note), I am against you, O destroying mountain (a great kingdom or potentate), who destroy the whole earth,” declares the Lord (the same character is given to the USA). “And I will stretch out my hand against you, and roll you down from the crags (rocks, fortresses, towers) and I will make you a burned out mountain (like a great volcano that destroys, but is now brought low and burned out, like a burnt kingdom or city-Rev 18.8; this may allude to a nuclear attack by Russia between Tishri 1 and Rosh Ha Shannah, and a week later on Tishri 8, right after the natzal on Tishri 1 and right before the birth-pains begin on Yom Kippur, Tishri 10. This week will be given to those who will flee Babylon and go back to Israel).

v 26…And they will not take from you a stone for a corner nor a stone for foundations (it will never be restored; ancient Babylon was inhabited till about 600 years ago and the rise of Bagdad; Bagdad was built with stones from ancient Babylon so it disqualifies ancient Babylon), but you will be desolate forever,” declares the Lord.

v 27…Lift up a signal (nes) in the land (any land where Cyrus ruled to gather soldiers for service), blow a trumpet (shofar among the nations (these are Rosh Ha Shannah terms-Isa 11.10, 13.2, 18.3)! Consecrate (set aside) the nations against her, summon against her the kingdoms of Ararat (reverse the curse; seat of Togarmah in southern Russia) Minni and Ashkenaz (Scythians who migrated to southern Russia and Ukraine in the eighth and seventh century BC; basically the same alliance in Ezek 38.5 to destroy Babylon, except Ethiopia and Libya); appoint a marshal (captain) against her, bring up horses like bristly locusts.

v 28…Consecrate (set aside for the service of God) the nations against her, the kings of the Medes (Persia or Iran today-Ezek 38.5- this refers to those under Darius), their governors and all their prefects, and every land of their dominion (Ezek 38.1-10; Jer 40.41).

v 29…So the land quakes and writhes (Chaldea trembles and will be in pain as a woman in childbirth), for the purposes of the Lord against Babylon stand, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitants (prophetically Russia will take the USA out so that they can go into the Middle East).

v 30…The mighty men of Babylon have ceased fighting, they stay in the strongholds (at first they fought, but were overrun so they retreated to the city and the fortresses of Babylon); their strength is exhausted (fails), they are (like) women; their dwelling places are set on fire, the bars of her gates are broken (her defenses have failed, and so will the defenses of the USA when it is attacked).

v 31…One courier runs to meet another, and one messenger to meet another (there are attacks everywhere and information is flowing and changing), to tell the king of Babylon (Belshazzar historically and the President of the USA prophetically) that his city has been captured from end to end (Babylon or any “city” represents the nation; it was so big some areas had not heard it had fallen-Rev 16.19, 17.18, 18.10, 21).

v 32…The fords also have been seized (leading from the river to the city), and they have burned the marshes (fortresses were there) with fire, and the men of war are terrified (the plan was to lower or block the Euphrates River and dry up the river bed under the walls, then march through the entrances where the water came in, burning the other defenses and frighten those in the city).

v 33…For thus says the Lord of hosts (Yehovah Tzavaot meaning “Lord of the armies” and when this term is used the Lord is coming from a military position of power), the God of Israel: “The daughter of Babylon (inhabitants) is like a threshing floor (where the king, princes and people are gathered and crushed) at the time it is stamped firm (threshed sheaves), yet in a little while the time of the harvest will come for her (eschatologically this will happen to the USA in the fall harvest season, within the first eight days after the Natzal on Tishri 1).

v 34…Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured me (Israel and Judah-this is what brought Babylon down), he has set me down like an empty vessel (used up); he has swallowed me like a monster (Hebrew “tannin” or dragon, sea monster-Psa 74.13-14; Psa 51.9-11). He has filled his stomach with my delicacies (of the king, the Temple, the people, etc); he has washed me away (he spoiled and plundered Israel and Judah, and the USA does the same thing by trying to work deals with Israel’s enemies and “washing” the Jewish people from the land God gave them).

v 35…May the violence (“Hamas” and this is the name of a terrorist organization) done to me (Israel) and to my flesh (the people, families, cities, etc) be upon Babylon (as they did to Israel, it will be done to Babylon/USA),” the inhabitant of Zion will say’ and, “May my blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea,” Jerusalem will say.

v 36…Therefore thus says the Lord, “Behold (take note), I am going to plead your case (avenge Israel by deeds not just words) and exact full vengeance for you; I shall dry up her sea (water coming into the city of Babylon) and make her springs dry (cut off all good things).

v 37…And Babylon will become a heap (of ruins), a haunt of jackals, an object of horror and hissing , without inhabitants.

v 38…They (Chaldeans) will roar together like young lions, they will growl like lion’s cubs (when the Medes and the Persians come at first).

v 39…When they become heated up, I shall serve their banquet (revelries like in Dan 5) and make them drunk, that they may become jubilant and may sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake up,” declares the Lord (he will prepare them a banquet where they will become drunk and unaware they will soon die. He will give them a meal they deserve, a cup of wrath).

v 40…I shall bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams together with male goats (all classes of people will be caught up in the destruction).

v 41…How Sheshak (this is a code word for Babylon using a technique called “At-bash” where the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet stands for the last letter, the second letter for the second to last letter and on down. So, Sheshak is made up of a shin, meaning beit, another shin meaning beit, and a kof meaning a lamed, for “Babel”) has been captured, and the praise of the whole earth has been seized (the USA certainly fits this description)! How Babylon has become an object of horror among the nations (Rev 18.9-16).

v 42…The sea has come up over Babylon (overwhelmed by the army of the Medes and Persians); she has been engulfed with its tumultuous waves (instead of the Euphrates River coming into the city through the walls, it was replaced by an army).

v 43…Her cities have become an object of horror, a parched land and a desert, a land in which no man lives, and through which no son of man passes (no inhabitants or travelers).

v 44…And I shall punish Bel (the false god of Babylon who had a temple there, also known as Babel), and I shall make what he has swallowed come out of his mouth (the offerings and treasures given to Bel, in particular, the Temple treasures that were restored by Cyrus back to Israel-2 Chr 36.7; Ezra 1.7); and the nations will no longer stream to him (to worship, to appease or gain favor from; other nations would send offerings to the god of the nation they were subject to; eschatologically, this alludes to the nations who stream into the USA to gain favor, money and prosperity through legal and illegal immigration). Even the wall of Babylon has fallen down (Bel could not even defend Babylon).

v 45…Come from her midst my people (the first chance they get, and go back to Israel; prophetically, this may allude to the 144,000 who mainly are in the USA. When the natzal, or rapture, happens on Tishri 1, year 6001 from creation, they will see it happen and believe in Yeshua as the first fruits of those who will be saved in the Day of the Lord), and each of you save yourselves from the fierce anger of the Lord (that was coming on Babylon).

v 46…Now lest your heart grow faint (at the rumor that war was coming) and you be afraid of the report that will be heard in the land- for the report (rumor) will come one year (that the Medes/Persians were preparing to invade Chaldea), and after that another report in another year (to invade, and they did come into Assyria but were stopped by the Gyndes River because he has no boats. He drained the river during that summer, and the next spring came to Babylon), and violence will be in the land (of Chaldea) with ruler against ruler (Belshazzar came out to meet Cyrus and lost the battle, and he retreated to Babylon. Israel was not to be afraid of what they will hear in the land of Babylon, and prophetically this would apply today in the USA. There will be violence in the land and political rulers will be against one another and dismay many. We believe Yehovah will give a warning in one year, and then in another year that the USA is going to fall soon).

v 47…Therefore behold, days are coming when I will punish the idols of Babylon (not just Bel); and her whole land will be put to shame (when they see their images and idols couldn’t save them) and all her slain will fall in her midst.

v 48…Then heaven and earth and all that is in them will shout for joy over Babylon (at her destruction through God’s justice-Rev 18.20), for destroyers will come to her out of the north (Medes/Persians, and later the Russians will attack the USA from the north),” declares the Lord.

v 49…Indeed Babylon is to fall for the slain of Israel, as also for Babylon the slain of all the earth have fallen (people from many nations were in Babylon and they fled to the city where they were slain by the Medes/Persians. Likewise, those from many nations have come to the USA but will fall when Russia attacks).

v 50…You who have escaped the sword (the Jewish people who escaped the sword of the Chaldeans when Judah was taken and the Medes/Persians as they invaded), depart! Do not stay (are told to flee and go back to the land, do not stay in Babylon)! Remember the Lord from afar (the true worship) and let Jerusalem come to your mind (as the place to go-eschatologically this is telling the Jews to leave the USA before destruction comes. This will happen between Rosh Ha Shannah and Yom Kippur of the first week of the Day of the Lord-Zech 2.6-13; Isa 48.20, 52.11; Jer 50.5, 9, 51.10, 50; Mic 5.3)!

v 51…We are ashamed because we have heard reproach; disgrace has covered our faces, for aliens have entered the holy places of the Lord’s house (they have lived to see the shame caused by the destruction of the Temple, and it was the same in 70 AD; so what good does it do to let “Jerusalem come to mind).

v 52…”Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I shall punish her idols and the mortally wounded will groan throughout her land.

v 53…Though Babylon should ascend to the heavens (a wall of defense and this may be an allusion to the Tower of Babel; but this may also allude to the defenses of the USA that are in space like the Iron Dome, the Space Force and any “star wars technology and satellites.”), and though she should fortify her lofty stronghold (in the heights), from me destroyers will come to her,” declares the Lord

v 54…The sound of an outcry from Babylon, and of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans!

v 55…For the Lord (Yehovah) is going to destroy Babylon (in judgment), and he will make her loud noise vanish from her; and their waves (of the horde coming against her) will roar like many waters; the tumult of their voices sound forth.

v 56…For the destroyer (Medo/Persia; the Russians later) is coming against her, against Babylon and her mighty men (heroes, rulers, wise men, etc) will be captured, their bows are shattered (broken into pieces and of no use); for the Lord is a God of recompense, he will fully repay.

v 57…And I shall make her princes and her wise men drunk (alludes to Dan 5), her governors, her prefects, and her mighty men, that they may sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake up (alludes to the second death),” declares the King, whose name is the Lord (Yehovah) of hosts (the armies).

v 58…Thus says the Lord of hosts, “The broad wall (Hebrew “rahab” meaning a harlot-Rev 17.1-18) of Babylon (it had numerous walls and was said to be 40 feet thick and 200 feet high-Pliny) will be completely razed, and her high gates will be set on fire; so the peoples will toil for nothing, and the nations become exhausted for fire (they will labor in vain trying to put out the fires).”

v 59…The message which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the grandson of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. (Now Seraiah was quartermaster).

v 60…So Jeremiah wrote up in a single scroll the calamity which would come upon Babylon, all these words which have been written concerning Babylon (in these two chapters).

v 61…Then Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “As soon as you come to Babylon, then see that you read all these words aloud,

v 62…and say, ‘Thou, O Lord, hast promised concerning this place to cut it off, so that there will be nothing dwelling in it, whether man or beast, but it will be a perpetual desolation.’

v 63…And it will come about as soon as you finish reading this scroll, you will tie a stone to it (Rev 18.21-24 says the same thing) and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates,

v 64…and say, ‘Just so shall Babylon sink down and not rise again, because of the calamity that I am going to bring on her; and they will become exhausted.'” Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.

So, what do we have that would lead us to believe that these two chapters and some other verses elsewhere is talking about the USA, not just ancient Babylon alone? Here is a small example:

  1. It is a rich, economic giant (51.13)
  2. Last of the great Gentile nations (50.22)
  3. Most powerful with defenses that reach into the heavens (51.33)
  4. A large Jewish population (50.8, 51.6)
  5. Anti-semitism in the land (50.7,12)
  6. Called the land of liberty (Shoa), and the richest (Koa) and the land of plenty (Shinar) in the names used in Ezek 23.23 for Babylon)
  7. A land of mingled people, or a melting pot (50.16)
  8. It sits on many waters (51.13)
  9. Sensual and given to pleasure (Isa 47.8)
  10. A treacherous dealer (Isa 21.2)
  11. Filled with pride (51.58)
  12. Covetous (51.13)
  13. A land of idols (50.2)
  14. Hammer or policeman of the whole earth (50.23)
  15. Nations stream into it (51.44)
  16. Land of forts (51.32)
  17. Described as a harlot (51.58)
  18. Has enemies from the area known as Russia today (51.27)
Posted in All Teachings, Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak, Tying into the New Testament

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