We live in a time of great uncertainty, turmoil, and unrest. The clash of values has intensified polarization, both politically and relationally. Families are divided, and nations that once were allies are becoming adversarial. Our world seems fragile. Jesus warned that times like these would mark the end of the age. The question raised by the early disciples was, ‘What will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age (Mt. 24:3)?’
Matthew 24:4, 6, 9-10, 12-13
Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.
At that time, many will turn away from the faith and betray and hate each other. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
We have the warning of Jesus, but we also have the example of other times in history that were chaotic and distressing. What did God have to say to His people in times such as these? We find the period just prior to exile and the conclusion of the Jewish exile was one such time. Jeremiah’s message to his nation was not just one of impending judgment but also a word of hope. Here in the last message of Jeremiah, we discover the impending judgment about to come upon Babylon, but it was a word designed to bring hope to God’s people. Babylon would fall, but it was the key for Judah’s exile to end. Yet, they were required to flee from Babylon.
Phillip Ryken explains the significance of this time. “Jeremiah 51 is not simply a history lesson from the past but also a warning for the present. Babylon is not just a historic city. It stands for everything hateful and odious to God. Babylon is every culture that is proud, arrogant, wasteful, violent, and destructive. It represents every city that sets itself against the kingdom of God. Robert Linthicum thus calls it “a city which has no redeeming value, a city given over to the wholehearted worship and pursuit of evil.” Or, as urban missiologist Ray Bakke observes, “Throughout the Bible, Babylon is a symbol of the city which is anti-God. …Augustine wrote about Babylon in his great book The City of God. He viewed the history of the world as a conflict between two great cities—the City of Man and the City of God. As Augustine studied the Bible, he discovered that Babylon represented the City of Man standing against the City of God. Then, as he examined his own culture, he realized that Rome had become the capital City of Man.”
So, what can we learn from this moment in the life of the nation of exiles that applies to the time in which we live?
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