Jeremiah 51:1-64

51:34 | The evil nations that oppose the Lord are often depicted as dragons and sea monsters (Ps. 74:13-15; Isa. 51:9-11). Babylon had violently swallowed and spit out Israel like a monster. The four world empires that give way to the eternal kingdom of God in Daniel 7 are portrayed as hideous beasts that come out of the sea. These evil powers are empowered by Satan, the great dragon who wages war on God’s people (Rev. 12). The sea would ultimately cover Babylon (51:42), and the Lord promises to one day destroy all these evil powers (Isa. 27:1), including the Beast (Antichrist), who will preside over the final empire of Babylon (Rev. 13, 16-19).

51:58 | The inner wall of the city was 21 feet thick and the outer wall almost 12 feet thick. Nebuchadnezzar also built a moat around the walls, artificial lakes, and flooded areas to provide additional security. The city walls also had numerous gates and as many as 25 towers. Impressive fortifications would not protect the city from the Lord’s judgement. By the NT era, the great city of Babylon was an abandoned ruin.

51:59-64 | Baruch’s brother Seraiah performs the final sign act in the book by tying a rock to the scroll of Jeremiah’s oracles against Babylon and casting into the Euphrates river, symbolizing the finality of Babylon’s destruction. Seraiah read the scroll and performed this act in 593 BC when Zedekiah was required to report to the Babylonians. The Lord delivered this message of judgement before Jerusalem had even fallen and Babylon was still at the height of its power.