Babylon

 

"The Word of God came to Jeremiah saying: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I  appointed  you as a prophet to the nations [nations  are  Gentiles]. (Jeremiah 1:5 NIV) This verse  does not mean Jeremiah lived in the spirit world previous to his birth. This Scripture refers to Psalm 139:16  "Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the  days  ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Jeremiah was called the 'weeping prophet'. He had a short  ministry,  sensitive  and sympathetic by nature, he was to  deliver  a stern  message of judgment. He was martyred in 586  B.C.  Today's endtime anxiety in Christian circles compares to Jeremiah's time.

Israel had forsaken the "living" God. God was personally residing in His physical temple here on earth protected by the  Levitical Aaronic  priesthood. Jeremiah speaking (I apply this to myself today and it fits) "You  are  always righteous, O LORD, when I bring a case  before you. Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? You  have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow  and bear  fruit.  You are always on their lips [he  is  not talking about atheists, but those who talk about God a lot] but far  from their  hearts. Yet you know me, O LORD; you see me and  test  my thoughts about you. Drag them [the faithless] off like sheep  to be butchered! Set them apart for the day of slaughter!

"How  long will  the land lie parched and the grass in every field be  withered?  Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals  and birds have perished. Moreover, the people are saying, 'He will not see what happens to us.  If  you have raced with men on foot and they have  worn  you out,  how can you compete with horses? If you  stumble in safe  country, how will you manage in the thickets by the  Jordan? Your brothers, your own family- even they  have betrayed  you;  they have raised a loud cry against you.  Do not trust them, though they speak well of you. (Jeremiah 12:1-6 NIV)

"Moab will be destroyed and her towns  invaded; her finest young men will go down in the slaughter, declares  the King,  whose  name is the LORD Almighty. The fall of Moab is  at hand; her calamity will come quickly. Mourn for her, all who live around her, all who know her fame; say, `How broken is the mighty sceptre, how broken the glorious staff!' (Jeremiah 48:15-17)


"A  sword  against  the  Babylonians!"  declares  the  LORD- "against  those who live in Babylon and against her officials  and  wise men! A sword against her false prophets! They will become  fools. A  sword against her warriors! They will be filled  with  terror.
(Jeremiah  50:35-36)  "I will bring them down like lambs  to  the slaughter, like rams and goats." (Jeremiah 51:40)

"How Sheshach will be captured, the boast of the whole earth seized! What a horror Babylon will be among the nations! The  sea will  rise  over Babylon; its roaring waves will cover  her.  Her towns  will be desolate, a dry and desert land, a land where  no-one  lives,  through which no man travels. I will punish  Bel  in Babylon and make him spew out what he has swallowed. The  nations will no longer stream to him. And the wall of Babylon will  fall. Come  out  of her, my people! Run for your lives!  Run  from  the
fierce  anger  of the LORD. Do not lose heart or be  afraid  when rumours are heard in the land; one rumour comes this year, another the next, rumours of violence in the land and of ruler against ruler. For the time will surely come when I [the Lord declaring]
will  punish  the idols of Babylon; her whole land will  be disgraced and her slain will all lie fallen within her.

"Then  heaven and  earth and all that is in them will shout for joy over  Babylon,  for  out of the north destroyers will  attack  her,  declares  the LORD. Babylon must fall because of  Israel's slain, just as the slain in all  the earth have fallen because of Babylon You who have escaped the sword, leave and do not linger! Remember the  LORD in a distant land, and think on Jerusalem.''  (Jeremiah 51:41-50)


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