In his oracles against the nations Jeremiah climaxes the end of his book
with a long devastating verdict against Babylon:
“The Hammer of the whole earth is cut down and broken… Behold, I am against you, O proud one, declares the Lord God of hosts, for your day has come, the time I will punish you…” (50:23,31).
After decades of tearful denunciations of the sins of Judah and its corrupt kings (Jeremiah’s own people), the prophet was probably quite eager to finally proclaim this oracle against Babylon at the end of his writings (50:1-51:64). Babylon was cruel and vicious to be sure, but even more it was their mockery of Yahweh himself and the atrocities against Yahweh’s people that was Jeremiah’s primary indictment. They slaughtered God’s covenanted people (51:35,49), and in an act of spectacular arrogance burned the temple of Yahweh to the ground (50:28, 51:11).
Fifty years later this oracle of judgment upon them becomes reality when the northern armies of Medes and Persians swept through the Levant and in 539 B.C. destroyed the invincible Babylon. A hammer that destroys the Hammer.
But more than the historical happenings, there are some big-picture typological connections that we cannot miss here. In the New Testament, “Babylon” stands for the center of worldly power. In the first century, Peter calls the city of Rome: “Babylon” (1 Pet 5:13). It was the political center that stood against God, his kingdom, and his rulership. And in the same way the book of Revelation identifies the ancient “Babylon” of Isaiah 21:9 as a foreshadowing of all centralized worldly power that opposes God throughout history up until the end (Rev 18).
This macro view makes us suspect that something beyond just ancient Babylon is in the background of Jeremiah’s words here. And indeed there are two texts within Jeremiah’s oracle that point in this direction. Jeremiah 50:5 refers to an everlasting covenant of restoration for the Jews that will come “in those days” –the days of Babylon’s destruction. Then Jeremiah unpacks more specifically that those days of restoration will include a pardon and elimination of their sins (50:20). These are very clear allusions to the “new covenant” a few chapters before (31:31-34); a covenant that is eternal –not like the mosaic covenant (31:31-33)– and a covenant where ultimate forgiveness of sin is at its core. Making this connection expands the horizon of final fulfillment because we know Jesus himself says –along with the rest of the New Testament– that this “new covenant” of Jeremiah ultimately points forward 600 years to the new era Christ set in motion (Lk 22:20, Heb 8:8-12). And so if this restoration in Jeremiah happens “in those days” of Babylon’s judgment, it suggests a Babylon that is more than just the ancient Semitic empire. This is an oracle of judgment upon the centers of worldly power throughout history (e.g. Rome) and also upon the ultimate powers that oppose God at the end of history.
If you’re following this interpretation, it immediately begs certain questions that I’m more disposed to just ask, and not answer =) …What is the Babylon of our day? What are its “idols” (50:2, 51:47) which will see their own shame and destruction? What is its pride (50:31) and its harlotries (Rev 18:3)? How has this modern Babylon spurned and desecrated the temple/presence of God (50:28, 51:11)? ...I’m so tempted to speculate an answer! But I’d rather bait you into sharing your thoughts...
“The Hammer of the whole earth is cut down and broken… Behold, I am against you, O proud one, declares the Lord God of hosts, for your day has come, the time I will punish you…” (50:23,31).
After decades of tearful denunciations of the sins of Judah and its corrupt kings (Jeremiah’s own people), the prophet was probably quite eager to finally proclaim this oracle against Babylon at the end of his writings (50:1-51:64). Babylon was cruel and vicious to be sure, but even more it was their mockery of Yahweh himself and the atrocities against Yahweh’s people that was Jeremiah’s primary indictment. They slaughtered God’s covenanted people (51:35,49), and in an act of spectacular arrogance burned the temple of Yahweh to the ground (50:28, 51:11).
Fifty years later this oracle of judgment upon them becomes reality when the northern armies of Medes and Persians swept through the Levant and in 539 B.C. destroyed the invincible Babylon. A hammer that destroys the Hammer.
But more than the historical happenings, there are some big-picture typological connections that we cannot miss here. In the New Testament, “Babylon” stands for the center of worldly power. In the first century, Peter calls the city of Rome: “Babylon” (1 Pet 5:13). It was the political center that stood against God, his kingdom, and his rulership. And in the same way the book of Revelation identifies the ancient “Babylon” of Isaiah 21:9 as a foreshadowing of all centralized worldly power that opposes God throughout history up until the end (Rev 18).
This macro view makes us suspect that something beyond just ancient Babylon is in the background of Jeremiah’s words here. And indeed there are two texts within Jeremiah’s oracle that point in this direction. Jeremiah 50:5 refers to an everlasting covenant of restoration for the Jews that will come “in those days” –the days of Babylon’s destruction. Then Jeremiah unpacks more specifically that those days of restoration will include a pardon and elimination of their sins (50:20). These are very clear allusions to the “new covenant” a few chapters before (31:31-34); a covenant that is eternal –not like the mosaic covenant (31:31-33)– and a covenant where ultimate forgiveness of sin is at its core. Making this connection expands the horizon of final fulfillment because we know Jesus himself says –along with the rest of the New Testament– that this “new covenant” of Jeremiah ultimately points forward 600 years to the new era Christ set in motion (Lk 22:20, Heb 8:8-12). And so if this restoration in Jeremiah happens “in those days” of Babylon’s judgment, it suggests a Babylon that is more than just the ancient Semitic empire. This is an oracle of judgment upon the centers of worldly power throughout history (e.g. Rome) and also upon the ultimate powers that oppose God at the end of history.
If you’re following this interpretation, it immediately begs certain questions that I’m more disposed to just ask, and not answer =) …What is the Babylon of our day? What are its “idols” (50:2, 51:47) which will see their own shame and destruction? What is its pride (50:31) and its harlotries (Rev 18:3)? How has this modern Babylon spurned and desecrated the temple/presence of God (50:28, 51:11)? ...I’m so tempted to speculate an answer! But I’d rather bait you into sharing your thoughts...