In this message we will cover eleven chapters, chapters thirteen through twenty-three, a long portion concerning Jehovah's judgment upon the nations and its issue, which is Christ's coming and the restoration that follows. These chapters show us one major point—that the nations are used by God's enemy to disturb God's chosen people and to frustrate God from carrying out His economy. Thus, God would be compelled to come in to judge them. All these judgments issue in one thing, that is, the ushering in of Christ.
The more we consider the judgments exercised by God over the rebellious ones, the more we see that man needs God's salvation, and this salvation is Christ Himself. The more I study the world situation, the more I realize that the only way to solve the problems in today's world is for Christ to come. And we must believe that He is coming. As He is waiting, He is preparing everything, including all of us, for His coming. All things are working together to bring our thought, our concept, and our understanding concerning human life and the human race to a deep aspiration: "Lord Jesus, You must come back. If You are not here, there is no way. Everything must be judged by You. Lord, You must come."
First we will consider Jehovah's judgment upon the nations, and then the issue of this judgment.
The judgment of Jehovah upon the nations was to destroy Babylon by the Median army (14:22-23; 13:17-19, 3-4; 21:2, 9a) because of its cruel destruction of many nations (14:5-6, 16-17) and because of its idols (21:9b).
In the human image seen by Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2, Babylon was considered by God to be the head, because it was the Babylonian invasion that destroyed the temple, captured God's people, and carried away some of the holy utensils. Although Assyria, not Babylon, was the first nation to trouble God in His economy, in the sight of God all the nations, including Assyria, are a part of Babylon. Before we were saved, we too were a part of Babylon. Even after we were saved, we have often remained a part of Babylon, because a number of times we have troubled the church and damaged God's elect. Whenever we criticize the saints, we are a part of Babylon, damaging God's elect.