In this message we will first consider Jehovah's punishment and judgment upon Babylon and then give a brief word on chapter fifty-two, which is a supplement to the history of captivity.
Jeremiah 50 and 51 speak concerning Jehovah's punishment and judgment upon Babylon. The word of condemnation regarding Babylon is much longer than that spoken regarding any other nation.
Babylon's origin and initiation was Babel, and the name Babel means confusion (Gen. 11:7-9). Babel was built by Nimrod, who was a descendant of Ham and began to be a mighty one in the earth, and the beginning of whose kingdom was Babel as the beginning of human government on earth (Gen. 10:6-11; Dan. 2:31-32, 38). It was a land full of idols, where man worshipped idols, exalted man's self, and opposed God (Jer. 50:38b; Josh. 24:2; Gen. 11:3-4). The first king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, was even identified with Satan as Satan's embodiment (Isa. 14:4, 11-15). It was this Babylon that destroyed God's holy city and His holy temple and carried the vessels of God's temple and His holy people into captivity (2 Chron. 36:17-20). The coming Roman Empire and the Roman church will both in the spiritual sense be called Babylon the Great and will be destroyed by God (Rev. 17:5; 18:2, 10). Hence, Babylon typifies the world, both physically and spiritually, that worships idols, exalts men, and opposes God to the uttermost, all of which was or will be utterly destroyed by God (Jer. 51:11; Rev. 14:8; 16:19b; 18:2, 10).