In our first two messages on Jeremiah Chapters 50 & 51 we completed our study of verses 1-20 of Ch. 50. We will now pick up at verse 21 of Ch. 50 while continuing to use the New King James translation of the Bible.
In verse 21 God addresses the modern-day land of Babylon as Merathaim and Pekod. Pekod was an ancient part of the Chaldean Empire while Merathaim means a double rebellion.
Babylon's first record of rebellion against God is found in the Book of Genesis when Nimrod attempted to build the Tower of Babel.
Saddam Hussein attempted to repeat this same personal affront towards God when his construction plans for reconstructing the Tower of Babel were abruptly halted by the Persian Gulf War.
God calls for the utter destruction of this land, which is now called Iraq.
Verses 23-25 has God speaking in the past tense against this land He refers to as "the hammer of the whole earth."
From His omniscient view, God sees Iraq cut apart and broken after He brings His armory against her. God speaks of an unsuspecting trap Babylon is to be caught in. He declares that He Himself has set this snare because of contention directed His way.
It is very possible that this trap is still future and has a connection to the Lord's personal intervention to temporarily assist Iraq in her battle as is prophesied in Jer. 50:44.
It is also worth remembering, when contemplating traps, that the start of the Iraqi conflict began when Saddam Hussein did not receive a red light warning from the United States when he sent out direct inquiries as to any repercussions Iraq might expect if it should invade Kuwait. No explanation has ever been given as to why George Bush senior did not send a clear and unmistakable signal of the United States devotion of purpose to defend the Bush family owned Kuwaiti oil wells and to retaliate against any incursion into Kuwait.
Verse 26 then reiterates the looting of Iraq's riches as was addressed in verse 10.
This command to loot her is of great significance to myself since I believe the Scriptures reveal the destruction of three different aspects of ancient Babylon in sequential order in these last days.
First will be geographical Babylon before the start of the final 7 year Tribulation Period as is described in Jer. 50 & 51 and other prophecies.
Second will be the headquarters of the Babylonian false religious beliefs in the middle of the Tribulation as is revealed in Revelation Ch. 17.
Then last will come the destruction of the location of the political and economic might of the Babylonian kingdom at the close of the Tribulation Period during the days of the Battle of Armageddon as is foretold in Rev. 16:16-21 & Rev. Ch. 18.
To fully discuss this teaching in-depth would require an entire message, but for explaining what is the significance of God prophesying in Jer. 50:10 & 26 about Babylon number one being looted and everyone being satisfied, what is being shared should prove adequate.
Religious Babylon, which is destroyed in the middle of the Tribulation Period, is eliminated as being the same Babylon spoken of in Jer. 50 & 51 because religious Babylon's destruction will come from ten specific kings who will unite to destroy her under the beastly Anti-Christ (see Rev. 17:12-18).
In contrast, the Babylon of Jer. 50 & 51 is to be destroyed from countries around the earth. Since we are told in Jer. 51:20-24 that Israel will be one of these attacking countries we know with certainty that this cannot be the Babylon of Rev. 17 since Scripture teaches us that Israel will be fighting for her life against the Anti-Christ during the time of Rev. 17 and most certainly will not be uniting with him to destroy a religious city (see Dan. 7:19-25).
This leaves our final Babylon of Revelation Chapter 18.
Once again we can eliminate this Babylon, which is to be destroyed at the close of the Tribulation Period, as being the same Babylon being spoken of in Jeremiah 50 & 51.
The key to this is our point originally made about the destroyed Babylon of Jer. 50:10 & 26 satisfying all who spoil her with her riches.
When one reads verses 9-19 of Rev. 18 it is plain that the complete opposite is happening with the destruction of this Babylon when compared to the geographical one in Jeremiah regarding her wealth.
Instead of everyone being satisfied with their share of the pie, as they might say, we find mourning and wailing because of the poverty brought upon all by the destruction of this hub of Babylon's financial and political might.
Returning to verses 27-30 of our study in Ch. 50 of Jeremiah we find more evidence that dramatically reveals we are living in the very day when geographical Babylon and the land which surrounds her will experience the judgment of God..."the time of her punishment."
In verse 28 we are told that the voice of those who flee from the land of Babylon will be heard as a reminder in Israel that it is the day of the Lord's vengeance.
We then have God name what past offence in particular He has been waiting on to avenge in this prophecy against Babylon. We are told that it is "The vengeance of His Temple."
Some may view the following fact as nothing more than a coincidence, but for those who believe in a God who rules over time and men the fingerprint of the Almighty is seen with exceptional clarity.
God has recorded in the Bible four times the date that Nebuchadnezzar began his siege of God's holy city Jerusalem on Jan. 15, 588 BC. This led to the fall of His Temple to the Babylonians in 586 BC.
This date of our Jan. 15th, which is recorded by God in II Kings 25:1, Jer. 39:1, Jer. 52:4 & Ezek. 24:1 is the exact deadline pronounced by former President George Bush senior for the start of the first phase of the Iraq war in 1991!
Verses 29-30 then tells of the forces that will surround the Iraqi's and how her men of war shall be cut off in that day.
Verses 31 & 32 brings this prophecy against Iraq down to a personal level.
In my opinion, this is a direct word to Saddam Hussein. God addresses him as the most proud.
It is more than ironic that the name Saddam means "one who confronts."
I recently read, but have been unable to substantiate, that his name can also be translated as "shock."
This is an interesting piece of trivia when considering that the initial code name for the present campaign known as "Operation Iraqi Freedom" is "shock and awe."
An obscure end is then pronounced for Saddam. We are told that, "The most proud shall stumble and fall, And no one will raise him up; I will kindle a fire in his cities. And it will devour all around him."
This prophecy discredits any teachings that the proud one being spoken of was the ancient King Nebuchadnezzar who did not die during such a war of destruction, nor is it the future beastly Anti-Christ who is to be cast alive into the Lake of Fire according to Rev. 19:20.
We personally accept this prophecy for Saddam Hussein's end just as it is written. Saddam will not die a hero on the battlefield, nor a martyr for the faith of Islam, but a lone man on the run who will stumble in his tracks and fall to his death.
Verses 33-35 then tells of the time when God would bring freedom to the Jews held captive in foreign lands and how it would be in those days that he would bring the sword against Babylon and its leaders. This prophecy again proves that the destruction of geographical Babylon will take place in these last days.
Israel had been held captive in foreign lands until Israel once more became a nation in 1948. Jews are still coming out of Russia with difficulty, but the exodus is steady.
Jeremiah 50:36 then prophesies that a sword (referring to a weapon of death) will be brought against the soothsayers of Iraq.
It was reported during the Persian Gulf war in 1991 that Saddam Hussein has 50 astrologers in his personal confidence. They will perish along with their divinations.
Verse 37 presents three points of interest. First we are told that a sword will be against Iraq's horses and chariots.
Chariots in our day could be towed or fuel powered vehicles. The reference to horses (apart from any symbolic meaning for horsepower of engines) would mean that at some future point in this war vehicles possibly lacking fuel or parts, will be supplemented with horses. Horses could indeed be of an advantage in the desert sand and heat which are inhospitable to a technically mechanized army.
We are then told of the "mixed peoples" who will be found in the midst of this war. It has been of interest how obituaries printed in the newspaper have made special note of the ethnic background of American soldiers that have died thus far in Iraq.
Just recently we read of a Native American Hopi Indian that was killed and then later of the "first Scott." Besides the diverse nationalities found in the American military, the prophesied final assault of nations against Iraq from the ends of the earth will more than adequately supply the foretold melting pot of mixed peoples.
Then lastly we are once again told of the great treasures of Iraq which will be robbed. As of this 13th of April, 2003 country after country are outrightly voicing their concerns as to who will have a part in administering Iraq's vast oil reserves.
These are the last days that Jesus and the prophets said would surely come. Today is the day to trust in the name of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
Very soon the trumpet of God will sound and the true believing Church of the Son of God will be caught up to join the lord in the heavens (I Thess. 4:15-18).
Salvation will still be available until the close of the 7 year Tribulation Period, but it will come at a tremendous cost in trials and sorrow. Don't put it off. If you don't come to the Lord today you may never come.