Jeremiah 51:48

Hebrew Bible

47 “So the time will certainly come when I will punish the idols of Babylon. Her whole land will be put to shame. All her mortally wounded will collapse in her midst. 48 Then heaven and earth and all that is in them will sing for joy over Babylon. For destroyers from the north will attack it,” says the Lord. 49 “Babylon must fall because of the Israelites she has killed, just as the earth’s mortally wounded fell because of Babylon.

Revelation 18:20

New Testament

19 And they threw dust on their heads and were shouting with weeping and mourning, “Woe, Woe, O great city—in which all those who had ships on the sea got rich from her wealth—because in a single hour she has been destroyed!” 20 (Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has pronounced judgment against her on your behalf!) 21 Then one powerful angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone, threw it into the sea, and said, “With this kind of sudden violent force Babylon the great city will be thrown down, and it will never be found again!

 Notes and References

"... Interestingly, the book of Revelation has many quotations or allusions to the book of Jeremiah, including about a dozen texts from chapters 50–51. Revelation 18:2-19 picks up on the theme of wailing over Babylon (= Rome) in a taunting dirge for the fallen city. Just as with Israel, Christians are summoned to flee the city (Revelation 18:4). The image of drinking/pouring out the wine of God’s wrath, used in 51:7 (see also 25:15-29) is utilized in Revelation 18:3. In Revelation 18:5, the sins of Babylon are piled so high that they have reached heaven and God remembers their iniquities; in Jeremiah 51:9, it is their judgment (= the effects of their sins) that has reached the heavens. The image of Babylon as a volcano (51:25-26) is also picked up in Revelation 18:8-9. The image of the harvest in 51:22 is referred to in Revelation 14:14-15. The announcement of judgment on Babylon that its sea would become dry (51:36) may be echoed in the promise of Revelation 21:1 that the sea would be no more. The rejoicing of heaven and earth at the defeat of Babylon (51:48) is appropriated by Revelation 18:20. The symbolic act of Seraiah in throwing Jeremiah’s scroll into the Euphrates (51:59-64) is adapted in Revelation 18:21 ..."

Fretheim, Terence E. The Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary: Jeremiah (p. 647) Smith & Helwys, 2002

 User Comments

Do you have questions or comments about these texts? Please submit them here.