One of the Greatest Prophecies In Scripture

 

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 13:19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. 20 It will never be inhabited, Nor will it be settled from generation to generation; Nor will the Arabian pitch tents there, Nor will the shepherds make their sheepfolds there. 21 But wild beasts of the desert will lie there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches will dwell there, And wild goats will caper there. 22 The hyenas will howl in their citadels, And jackals in their pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, And her days will not be prolonged."

 

This word against the magnificent city of Babylon is one of the greatest prophecies in Scripture. This city was a shining example of what man can do. It was home of the hanging gardens of Babylon which is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Its walls were wide enough for a two lane highway.

 

But you know what? Today there is virtually nothing left of this city, and the hanging gardens have never been found. In my opinion, if you want to find Babylon, look for the bones of owls, ostriches, wild goats, and hyenas!

 

Babylon, the glory of earthly kingdoms has been laid as bare as Sodom and Gomorrah. Though its destruction was not as sudden, it was just as complete.

 

Jeremiah affirms this prophecy in Jer 51:41, "Oh, how Sheshach is taken! Oh, how the praise of the whole earth is seized! How Babylon has become desolate among the nations!

And in Jer 51:29 “And the land will tremble and sorrow; For every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, To make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitant.”

 

The destruction of this ancient wonder of the world is meant to be a picture for us of the final sudden judgement against a world infatuated with hedonism rather than infatuated with Jesus.

 

Re 18:1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.

 2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!

 3 "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury."

 4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.

 5 "For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

 6 "Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her.

 7 "In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, 'I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.'

 8 "Therefore her plagues will come in one day--death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.

 9 "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning,

 10 "standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.'

 

Don’t miss the warning set forth in verse 4: 4 "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.

 

Let go of your man-made kingdoms and seek first the kingdom of God, it’s the only thing that will last! Mt 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.