The End of Babylon

Some of the most famous war stories made for the big screen depict the gruesomeness of humankind’s conflict. Images of gore, cruelties, and destruction; the sound of bombs and screams of pain; the reenactment of maimed bodies and loss of life—all now made even more vivid by the use of CGI technology. But even worse than the devastation in a war movie is seeing war and its aftermath, either on the nightly news or in person, when the tragic consequences are even ghastlier than a Hollywood production.

Without any computer or visual technology to aid him, Isaiah goes into great details to paint a stunningly horrid picture of the coming destruction of Babylon. The Lord’s raising of the Mede army against Babylon signals Babylon’s full destruction. There will be wailing a lament, the melting of hearts, and pains among the pains like those of being in labor.

The Lord intends to make desolate the great enemy of Israel, so that it will be easier to find gold in the land than people! The Lord will have the Medes hunt down the people of Babylon, slaughtering even children and pregnant women. The Lord’s judgment upon evil will be thorough and complete. Likewise, Assyria and Philistia will meet the terrors of the Lord’s wrath against their mistreatments of Israel.

No foes of God and His people will escape the rod of His wrath. Every act of wickedness committed will meet an end worse than the ravages of war that came against ancient Babylon and that will come against future Babylon (see Revelation 17). Without the mercy of God in Christ offered to us, God’s fierce anger would remain upon us (Rom. 5:9; Eph. 2:3).

Pray with Us

Today, our prayers go to God for the Enrollment Services department headed by vice president Anthony Turner. We are grateful for their dedicated service as they process hundreds of new student applications every year and provide counseling.

BY Dr. Eric C. Redmond

Dr. Eric C. Redmond serves as a professor of Bible at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and as associate pastor of adult ministries at Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, Ill. He is married to Pam and they have five children. He is the author of Say It!  Celebrating Expository Preaching in the African American Tradition (Moody Publishers), Where Are All the Brothers? Straight Answers to Men's’ Questions about the Church (Crossway), a commentary on Jonah in the Christ-Centered Exposition Series (B&H Publishers), and a study guide on Ephesians in the Knowing the Bible series (Crossway).