Judgment on Babylon & Details of Judah’s Captivity Jeremiah chapters 50-52

Judgment on Babylon (Jeremiah 50-51) The Lord declares Babylon’s doom through Jeremiah (50:1) This message would eventually be carried to Babylon and proclaimed there by Baruch’s brother Seraiah (51:59-64) The reasons for Babylon’s punishment She had rejoiced to destroy God’s heritage (50:10-11; 51:49) She had destroyed God’s temple (50:28; 51:11) She had done much evil in Zion (51:24, 34-35) She had been proud (50:29-32) She was insane with idolatry (50:38; 51:17-19, 47, 52) Israel would then be allowed to return to her homeland as God had promised (50:4-8, 19-20)

Judgment on Babylon (Jeremiah 50-51) Details of Babylon’s fall She would be conquered by the Medes, and an assemblage of nations from the north (50:9, 41-42; 51:11, 27-29, 48)

Judgment on Babylon (Jeremiah 50-51) Details of Babylon’s fall She would be conquered by the Medes, and an assemblage of nations from the north. (50:9, 41- 42; 51:11, 27-29, 48) She would become desolate and uninhabited (50:13, 39-40; 51:29, 37, 41-44) Babylon in the New Testament In the New Testament, “Babylon” fittingly represents a powerful foreign government (i.e. Rome) that would be punished because it had oppressed God’s people (cf. Revelation 14:8: 16:19; chs. 17-18; 1 Peter 5:13)

fulfillment of Jeremiah’s Prophecies (Jeremiah 52; 2 Kings 24-25) Jerusalem fell and Zedekiah was taken (52:1-11; cf. 32:4-5; 34:2-5) The temple was pillaged and destroyed (52:12- 23, cf. 7:4-14) The people were carried into captivity (52:24-30) The deportations to Babylon listed here (vs. 28-30) occurred in 598/7 B.C., 587/6 B.C., and 582/1 B.C. In 2 Kings 24-25 and 2 Chronicles 36, there were three deportations listed: (1) under Jehoiakim (606/5 B.C.), which marked the beginning of the seventy years of exile; (2) under Jehoiachin (597 B.C.), and (3) under Zedekiah (586 B.C.).

Jehoiachin’s provisions in Captivity (Jeremiah 52:31-34) “It is interesting that we have a biblical record mentioning Evil-merodach’s treatment of Jehoiachin (about 560 B.C.), and we have archaeological evidence of similar treatment at an earlier period.” (Ferrell Jenkins) “A collection of three hundred tablets, found in the early twentieth century in Babylon, record provisions given to various workmen and captives, including kings. Four of them list supplies for “Yaukin king of Yakuda” — Jehoiachin king of Judah. The only one of the four with a date is from Nebuchadnezzar’s 13th year — five years after the Bible says Jehoiachin became a prisoner.” (mindrenewers.com) Jehoiachin’s Ration Tablet Berlin Museum