Babylon, a city of great historical and biblical significance, is frequently mentioned in the Scriptures, particularly in the context of its predicted destruction. The prophecies concerning Babylon's downfall are found primarily in the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Revelation, and they serve as a testament to the fulfillment of God's judgment against nations that oppose His will.

Isaiah's Prophecies

The prophet Isaiah provides some of the earliest and most vivid predictions regarding the destruction of Babylon. In Isaiah 13:19-22, the prophet declares, "And Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. She will never be inhabited or settled from generation to generation; no nomad will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flock there. But desert creatures will lie there, and their houses will be full of owls; ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will leap about. Hyenas will howl in her fortresses, and jackals in her luxurious palaces. Her time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged."

Isaiah 47 further elaborates on Babylon's fall, portraying the city as a proud and arrogant woman who will be brought low. In verses 1-3, the prophet writes, "Go down and sit in the dust, O Virgin Daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, O Daughter of the Chaldeans. For you will no longer be called tender and delicate. Take millstones and grind flour; remove your veil, lift up your skirts, bare your legs, and wade through the streams. Your nakedness will be uncovered and your shame will be exposed. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one."

Jeremiah's Prophecies

Jeremiah also prophesies the destruction of Babylon, emphasizing the completeness and finality of its downfall. In Jeremiah 50:13, the prophet states, "Because of the wrath of the LORD, she will not be inhabited; she will be completely desolate. All who pass by Babylon will be appalled and will scoff at all her wounds."

Jeremiah 51:26 further underscores the totality of Babylon's destruction: "No rock will be taken from you for a cornerstone, nor any stone for a foundation, for you will be desolate forever," declares the LORD. The chapter continues with a vivid depiction of Babylon's impending doom, highlighting the divine judgment that will be executed upon the city.

Revelation's Prophecies

In the New Testament, the book of Revelation also addresses the fall of Babylon, symbolically representing the ultimate defeat of worldly powers opposed to God. Revelation 18:2-3 proclaims, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a hideout for every unclean bird, and a cage for every unclean and detestable beast. For all the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality; the kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury."

The chapter continues with a lament over Babylon's destruction, emphasizing the suddenness and severity of her fall. Revelation 18:21 describes a mighty angel casting a stone into the sea, saying, "So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will never be found again."

Fulfillment and Historical Context

The prophecies concerning Babylon's destruction were fulfilled historically when the city fell to the Medes and Persians in 539 B.C. under the leadership of Cyrus the Great. Over time, Babylon's significance waned, and it eventually became uninhabited, aligning with the prophetic declarations of its desolation. The biblical predictions serve as a powerful reminder of God's sovereignty and the certainty of His judgments against those who defy His authority.Isaiah 13:1-22
The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 14:4-22
That you shall take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How has the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 21:1-10
The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it comes from the desert, from a terrible land.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 47:1-15
Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for you shall no more be called tender and delicate.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 25:12
And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, said the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 50:1-51:64
The word that the LORD spoke against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Of Divine Testimonies, and of the Sibyls and their Predictions.
... falsehoods;"the sixth of Samos, respecting whom Eratosthenes ... The predictions of all
these Sibyls [40] are ... called Erythr??an, though she was born at Babylon. ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap vi of divine testimonies and.htm

Remaining Books of the Old Testament.
... Such is the wonderful prophecy of Moses respecting the history ... Such also are the
predictions of the utter and ... affairs to the end of time: "Babylon, the glory ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xi remaining books of.htm

The City of God. Index of Subjects.
... Babylon, the founding of, [173]312, etc.; meaning ... error of his forefathers, the
destruction of which ... Peter says of, [955]437; predictions respecting, [956]441 ...
/.../augustine/on christian doctrine in four books /the city of god index.htm

Introduction
... 11:4); then as "the King of Babylon" (14:11 ... the one who fulfills the prophecies
respecting the Antichrist. ... A true conception of the predictions which regard the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/introduction.htm

The Declensions of Christianity, an Argument of Its Truth.
... up in that church, till mystical Babylon shall be ... can doubt remain whether the
predictions are fulfilled? ... Respecting arts and sciences, mankind may never have ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon iv the declensions of.htm

Christ's Connection with the Creator Shown from Several Incidents ...
... with it, nay, even enjoining silence respecting it ... then, along with the king of Babylon,
into his ... But all the predictions have been fulfilled [4289] concerning ...
/.../the five books against marcion/chapter xxi christs connection with the.htm

The Greater Prophets.
... companions by direction of the king of Babylon. ... some very remarkable revelations
respecting the time ... Both also contain predictions, the exact interpretation of ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxii the greater prophets.htm

The Hebrew Prophecies.
... Among these predictions, those in Isaiah 29:1 ... captives by the rivers of Babylon;
of Haggai ... upon several interesting critical inquiries respecting the component ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter v the hebrew prophecies.htm

The Jewish Institutions and Laws of Far Higher Antiquity than the ...
... the carrying away captive to Babylon by Nabuchodonosor ... Epigenes, in his book respecting
The Poetry attributed ... an Arcadian, who uttered many predictions to many ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xxi the jewish institutions and.htm

The Later Hebrew Histories.
... led by Zerubbabel, carrying with them liberal free-will offerings of those who remained
in Babylon for the ... And respecting these predictions, if such they ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter vi the later hebrew.htm

What is the significance of Babylon in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What is the whore of Babylon / mystery Babylon? | GotQuestions.org

What is the significance of the Babylonian Empire in biblical history? | GotQuestions.org

Babylon: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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