| Jeremiah 51:1 Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon. For further study - Jeremiah 51:1-11 The passage of prophecy is a parallel passage to Jeremiah 50, which we have looked at in a previous devotional. This chapter, as well, deals with the "final" destruction of the city of Babylon, which is the area of modern-day Iraq. The Lord's first statement in this chapter, and in our key verse for today, verse 1, is that He will rise up against Babylon. Remember, this passage was written over 50 years before the fall of the Babylonian Empire, which happened in 539 BC. This prophecy, however, is not written for the "near time fulfillment" of the "pre-written" history, written by the Jewish Prophet Jeremiah. This is a prophecy that will be fulfilled at the end of the Tribulation Period, Revelation 18. This prophetic passage must be read in the context of Isaiah 13 and 14, Jeremiah 50, Revelation 16:17-21 and 18. These chapters call for the total destruction of the city of Babylon, which has never been fulfilled. Only the Babylonian Empire was destroyed in the past, Daniel 5. Verses 6-8 and 10 speak of how the Lord will use the city of Babylon to accomplish His will in the future. Revelation 18 reveals that in the last three and a half years of the Tribulation Babylon will be the world headquarters for the "one-world" economic, political, governmental system that will be controlled by the "Antichrist". Jeremiah 50:28 and verse 11 of our devotional reading for today indicates that the reason for the removal from the earth of this historic city, Babylon, is the Lord's vengeance of His Temple and what the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar did to the Temple and the implements of the Temple, II Chronicles 36:18-21. These prophecies will be fulfilled and the "stage" is actually set now for this to all happen. The focus of this world on the Iraqi war and the rebuilding of war-torn Iraq has been that which has helped "set the stage" for God's Word to be played out. Just before we conclude this devotional thought please look at the first part of verse 11. It mentions the Medes of the Medes and Persians of Biblical times. Experts tell me that the Biblical "Medes" are the modern-day Kurds located in the northern area of Iraq. Jeremiah 51:11 records the Lord's action of raising up the "spirit of the kings of the Medes" for the purpose of the destruction of Babylon. Will God use the "Kurd's" in Iraq to help bring down Babylon, I do not know. What I do know is that Babylon will be destroyed. Bible prophecy will be fulfilled. The world today is set up for these prophecies to be fulfilled, but first the Rapture will take place. He will shout and call us up to meet Him in the "air". That could happen at any moment, keep looking up. PRAYER THOT: Thank you Lord for the prophetic word that is so up-to-date, it seems we are reading from the "newspaper" instead of the Bible. Help me to realize how close we are to the fulfillment of Bible prophecy and live my life in light of these truths. | 
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