RSBC 01/09/00
Sunday Night
The Book of Isaiah
Subject- “Babylon”
Text- Isaiah 13-1
Intro- Before I begin an exposition of these verses, I would like for us to look at who Babylon is, and some important factors concerning this Old Testament city. The Prophet Isaiah had the burden of declaring the wrath of God upon this once great nation.
Burden in this text and in mos text has to do with the load of something wether it is a message such as in this text, wether it is a physical load one bears. It is generally understood by most christians that Babylon stands for all false religions and the practice of those religions.
But it also was a literal city. In this text it is a city. This was not the first time God has dealt with the judgement of this city and it would not be the last time. So tonight I want to begin by asking some questions and then try to answer them.
I.... “ WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THIS CITY?
Genesis 10:8‑10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Lexicon says the following about him and his name....4
Nimrod = "rebellion" or "the valiant" the son of Cush, grandson of Ham, and great grandson of Noah; a mighty hunter, he established an empire in the area of Babylon and Assyria. Most people that I have read after believe this to be not a hunter of food to eat but rather a hunter against God...
The name Babylon means confusion by mixing, and this is what God did to them when they tried to build a tower to heaven. This was after the flood so I believe they were trying to build a tower so that if God ever destroyed the earth again with water ( which he said he would not) they would be safe from his wrath.
This city was located and called also by other names, for an example of what I am talking about listen to what God told Ezekiel...Ezekiel 12:13 My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon [to] the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.
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Babylon also was called the Lady of Kingdoms...Isaiah 47:5 Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms.
II... KNOW FOR IT’S MANY ADMIRABLE NAMES..
1ST. It was recognized by the world as the great golden city...
The Prophet Isaiah said..Isaiah 14:4 That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!
John Gill said of this golden city and I quote...the golden city ceased! the city of Babylon, full of gold, drawn thither from the various parts of the world, called a golden cup, #Jer 51:7 and the Babylonish monarchy, in the times of Nebuchadnezzar, was signified by a golden head, #Da 2:32,38 so mystical Babylon, or the Romish antichrist, is represented as decked with gold, and having a golden cup in her hand; and as a city abounding with gold, #Re 17:4 18:16.
Some have also said that GOLD in the Bible sometimes represent deity, we know that Babylon indeed was represented from its inception both a Kingdom of political rule and a religious rule.
2nd. In this text she is called the glory of Kingdoms... Isaiah 13-19
The intent of God is clearly seen in this text and the text’s that proceed it, the destruction of this once glorious Kingdom was to become a heep of ash when God gets through with her....
3rd. It was also known for it fabulous merchants and its merchandise and for that reason it was called the city of merchants...
Ezekiel 17:4 He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants.
4th. It was declared by King Nebuchadnezzar that it was his GREAT CITY...
Daniel 4:30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?
This city was surrounded by a great wall for its fortress. Jeremiah 51-53 Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, [yet] from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the LORD.
History records that this city had and also the Bible backs it up that they had a great Naval and military power.
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Isaiah 43:14 Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry [is] in the ships. Jeremiah 5:16 Their quiver [is] as an open sepulchre, they [are] all mighty men.
III... “ WHAT WAS THE RELIGION OF THIS CITY?
It was a city that really in it’s heart worshiped Nimrod and his wife and the baby....
Nimrod who built Babylon and caused many of it’s inhabitants to rebel against God and all that was truth...became a god to many which after his death Semiramis claimed that he was a Sun-god. She later had a son and claimed that it was Nimrod reborn, his name was Tammuz. Since she was not married now but still the Queen mother, it was remembered by the people that the Messiah would be born of a woman, so they assumed this was the fulfillment of Genesis 3-15...
As a result of this new rapid growing religion of the ancient world took hold then the child was worshiped and also the mother. Now you can see where Rome gets the Mary and Jesus worship Idea like all her idea’s strait from Mystery Babylon religion.
Jeremiah Said..
Jeremiah 50:38 A drought [is] upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it [is] the land of graven images, and they are mad upon [their] idols.
Daniel said...
Daniel 3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
IV... “ NOTE THE ATTITUDE OF THIS CITY AS IT IS RECORDED IN THE BIBLE...
1st. It along with it’s rulers and Kings...was very arrogant.
Jeremiah 50:29 Call together the archers against Babylon: all ye that bend the bow, camp against it round about; let none thereof escape: recompense her according to her work; according to all that she hath done, do unto her: for she hath been proud against the LORD, against the Holy One of Israel.
2nd. She was always self confident and secure in her power and wealth.
Isaiah 47:7‑8 And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: [so] that thou didst not lay these [things] to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it. Therefore hear now this, [thou that art] given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I [am], and none else beside me; I shall not sit [as] a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children:
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3rd. She was a very covetous nation...
Jeremiah 51:13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, [and] the measure of thy covetousness.
4th. She was represented in the Bible by certain symbols...
A. A great Eagle.
Ezekiel 17:3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:
B. A head of Gold..
Daniel 2:32 This image's head [was] of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
(KJV)
C. A lion with eagles wings...
Daniel 7:4 The first [was] like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
Next we will look at the verses...
Back to Outlines on Isaiah