What parallels exist between Zechariah 5:11 and Revelation's depiction of Babylon? Setting the Scene in Zechariah 5:11 “He replied, ‘To build a house for it in the land of Shinar, and when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its pedestal.’” (Zechariah 5:11) Revelation’s Portrait of Babylon • “The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet… On her forehead a mysterious name was written: ‘Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth.’” (Revelation 17:4–5) • “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons… For all the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality.” (Revelation 18:2–3) Side-by-Side Parallels • Geographical Link – Zechariah sends “wickedness” to “the land of Shinar” (ancient Babylon). – Revelation centers end-times rebellion in “Babylon the Great.” • Wickedness Personified as a Woman – Zechariah: a woman sealed in an ephah basket, explicitly called “Wickedness” (Zechariah 5:7–8). – Revelation: a woman named Babylon, “drunk with the blood of the saints” (Revelation 17:6). • A Prepared Dwelling Place – “Build a house for it… set there on its pedestal” (Zechariah 5:11). – Babylon boasts, “I sit as queen… I will never see mourning” (Revelation 18:7). • Commercial Overtones – The ephah is a commerce-sized basket; wickedness is measured and transported. – Revelation lists twenty-eight luxury commodities and global trade partners (Revelation 18:11-13). • Supernatural Transport – Two winged women lift the basket skyward (Zechariah 5:9). – The harlot rides a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns (Revelation 17:3). • Ultimate Judgment – Zechariah shows wickedness removed from the covenant land, destined for final exposure. – Revelation shows Babylon suddenly judged: “In one hour her doom has come” (Revelation 18:10). • Babel Backdrop – Both texts echo Genesis 11:1-9, where human pride in Shinar births Babel. – Revelation’s Babylon culminates the same rebellion before God destroys it forever. Why the Connection Matters • Confirms a continuous biblical storyline: human wickedness gathers in Babylon from Genesis to Zechariah to Revelation. • Underscores God’s sovereignty: He allows evil a “house” for a season, yet fixes its pedestal for inevitable collapse (Jeremiah 50:13; Isaiah 13:19). • Warns the saints: “Come out from her, My people” (Revelation 18:4) parallels the call for holiness in every age (2 Corinthians 6:17). • Highlights literal fulfillment: Zechariah’s prophecy anticipates a real, end-time Babylon whose downfall Revelation records. Looking Forward to Final Fulfillment • Babylon’s destruction makes way for “the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ” (Revelation 11:15). • The removal of wickedness foreshadows the new Jerusalem “coming down out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:2), the ultimate opposite of Shinar’s counterfeit city. |
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