Isaiah 14:5-6 “Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers; that smote the peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, that ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that none restrained.”
Comment: Their rulers continually smote people with their wickedness. No one was able to stop or control the persecution. This caused anger among the nations.
Isaiah 47:8-10 “Now therefore hear this, thou that art given to pleasures, that sittest securely, that sayest in thy heart, I am, and there is none else besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children: but these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood; in their full measure shall they come upon thee, in the multitude of thy sorceries, and the great abundance of thine enchantments. For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness; thou hast said, None seeth me; thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee, and thou hast said in thy heart, I am, and there is none else besides me.”
Comment: The rulers of Babylon demand things be done their way. They are led by evil spirits. They trust in their wickedness, done in such a way that no one knows it, a perfect description of terrorism. They get their way by doing evil things.
Isaiah 47:12-13 “Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou has labored from thy youth; if so thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail. Thou are wearied in the multitude of thy counsels: let now the astrologers, the star-gazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from the things that shall come upon thee.”
Comment: Their astrologers, the prognosticators and their multitude of counselors are unable to show them how to save themselves.
Jeremiah 50:11-13 “Because ye are glad, because ye rejoice, O ye that plunder my heritage, because ye are wanton as a heifer that treadeth out the grain, and neigh as strong horses; your mother shall be utterly put to shame; she that bare you shall be confounded: behold, she shall be the hindermost of the nations, a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert. Because of the wrath of Jehovah she shall not be inhabited, but she shall be wholly desolate: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues.”
Comment: God’s wrath comes because they plunder His heritage (Israel).
Jeremiah 50:14-16 “Set yourselves in array against Babylon round about, all ye that bend the bow; shoot at her, spare no arrows: for she hath sinned against Jehovah. Shout against her round about: she hath submitted herself; her bulwarks are fallen, her walls are thrown down; for it is the vengeance of Jehovah: take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her. Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.”
Comment: Babylon is surrounded on all sides. She will receive the same vengeance she has shown towards others. Because of the fear of the coming war, the foreign workers were fleeing, trying to get out and return to their homelands.
Jeremiah 51:7 “Babylon hath been a golden cup in Jehovah’s hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunk of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.”
Comment: The nations have been influenced by Babylon, and have become drunk like her. They are mad because they follow evil instead of God’s plan.
Jeremiah 51:41-44 “How is Sheshach taken! And the praise of the whole earth seized! How is Babylon become a desolation among the nations! The sea is come up upon Babylon; she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof. Her cities are become a desolation, a dry land, and a desert, a land wherein no man dwelleth, neither doth any son of mass pass thereby. And I will execute judgment upon Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up; and the nations shall not flow any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.”
Comment: No one will be able to live in Babylon or even pass by because of the contamination that results from its total destruction.
Zechariah 5:5-11 “Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their appearance in all the land (and, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead); and this is a woman sitting in the midst of the ephah. And he said, This is Wickedness; and he cast her down into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there came forth two women, and the wind was in their wings; now they had wings like the wings of a stork; and they lifted up the ephah between earth and heaven. Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? And he said unto me, To build her a house in the land of Shinar: and when it is prepared, she shall be set there in her own place.”
Comment: We are told here that the harlot Babylon is wickedness. A base will be established there in Babylon to support her wickedness.
Revelation 17:3-6 “And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness: and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations, even the unclean things of her fornication, and upon her forehead a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATINS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered with a great wonder.”
Comment: The woman depicted here is found in the wilderness and rides on the end-time beast, which has seven heads and ten horns. This beast, which was formed down through ages, represents kingdoms that blasphemed God. They blasphemed God by placing their power and their gods over God’s chosen people, Israel. This beast does not yet have ten crowns, so Babylon is not riding on the eighth end-time beast, which has ten crowns on the ten horns. The woman’s wine is the killing of the saints and martyrs of Jesus down through the ages. Babylon has given to the earth the abominations against God. They have chosen their power and riches over God’s plan for His creation.
Revelation 18:7 “How much soever she glorified herself, and waxed wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall in no wise see mourning.”
Comment: This is the same description as was used in Isaiah 47:8. Babylon was determined to have her way at all costs.
Revelation 18:11-13 “And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth their merchandise any more; merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stone, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet; and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel made of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble; and cinnamon, and spice, and incense, and ointment, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and cattle, and sheep; and merchandise of horses and chariots and slaves; and souls of men.”
Comment: Riches from oil production were used to purchase everything they wanted; the love of money is the root of all evil. Saddam was buying souls of men when he paid money to the families of the suicide bombers. Today merchandise of all types pours into Iraq as they try to rebuild.
Summary: Characteristics of Babylon
Many of the characteristics of Babylon can be illustrated by Saddam’s actions. He continually ruled his people in anger that no one was able to stop. He trusted in wickedness. He paid for suicide bombers to attack Israel. Even though his country was surrounded on all sides, he stood firm demanding things his way. He caused fear all over the world by his threats, causing them to respond to his actions. He even had a portrait done of himself with King Nebuchadnezzar on equal bases. Iraq today has become a center for the battles against wickedness. Today the ships of the world are carrying merchandise of all types for the rebuilding of Iraq.
