The great seminary professor and Bible prophecy scholar Dr. Charles H. Dyer said, “Most events prophesied in the book of Isaiah came true during the prophet’s lifetime… But the events concerning Babylon described in the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of Isaiah were not fulfilled in Isaiah’s lifetime. They have never been fulfilled (The Rise of Babylon, p.162).
In chapter 13, Isaiah was prophesying about Babylon (Isa. 13:1) when he said, “the day of the Lord is near” (Isa.13:6), “the day of the Lord cometh,” (Isa. 13:9) and he talked about “the day of his fierce anger” (Isa.13:13). The prophecies in this chapter begin when the Tribulation period is near and they continue on into the seven-year time of trouble.
When these prophecies are fulfilled God said, “I will punish the world for its evil” (Isa. 13:11). He will do that during the Tribulation period (Zeph. 1:14-16; 2:8; Dan. 12:1; Rev.6-19).
Notice that God said He “will stir up the Medes (not the Medes and Persians) against them” (Isa. 13:17). Babylon “will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah” (Isa. 13:19). Babylon will “never be inhabited” from generation to generation (Isa. 13:20). And satyrs (demons) shall dance there (Isa. 13:21-22).
The Medes and Persians didn’t destroy Babylon by fire and a few people live there today so every jot and tittle of this prophecy hasn’t been fulfilled.
But Babylon will be destroyed by fire, it will become desolate and it will become the home of demons during the Tribulation period. All of that is prophesied in the book of Revelation (Rev.18:2, 8, 10, 19). They are events that will take place just before the Second Coming of Jesus.
There is more evidence of a future fulfillment. Gentiles will help the Jews return to the Promised Land. Gentiles will serve the Jews. Gentiles will be ruled by the Jews. Israel will have peace (Isa.14:1-3).
The world hates Israel today and Israel doesn’t have peace. But Israel will have peace after the Jews accept Jesus.
Isaiah reveals more coming events, but it is important to note that this future destruction of Babylon will be brought about by the Medes (not the Medes and Persians). Who are the Medes? Dr. Dyer said, “They have been fighting the countries of Turkey, Iran and Iraq in an attempt to establish their own independent country of Kurdistan” (p.173). The Medes are the Kurds.
About one hundred years later, Jeremiah prophesied against Babylon (Jer. 50-51). Many commentators apply his message to the Old Testament attack on Babylon by the Medes and Persians. There are similarities, but there are also differences. There is even reason to believe that Isaiah 13-14, Jeremiah chapters 50-51 and Revelation chapters 17-18 are all about the same thing. And few people doubt that Revelation chapters 17-18 are about the future.
Here is a partial list of similarities:
1) Isaiah chapters 13-14 will be fulfilled close to and during the Tribulation period and Jeremiah chapters 50-51 will be fulfilled about the time that Israel gets saved (Isa. 6:6, 9, 11, 13; Jer. 50:4, 20).
2) A multi-nation attack on Babylon is mentioned in Isaiah chapter 13 and also in Jeremiah chapter 50 (Isa. 13:1-6; Jer. 50:9, 41-42).
3) A later attack by the Medes (Kurds) in mentioned in Isaiah chapter 13 and also in Jeremiah chapter 51 (Isa. 13:17; Jer. 51:11-12, 28).
4) People are told to flee out of Babylon in Jeremiah chapter 51 and in Revelation chapter 18 (Jer. 51:6; Rev. 18:4).
5) Messengers announce the fall of Babylon in Jeremiah chapter 51 and also in Revelation chapter 18 (Jer. 51:31; Rev. 18:2).
6) Jeremiah chapter 51 says Babylon dwells upon many waters and is abundant in treasures and Revelation chapter 17 says the Harlot sits upon many waters and is very rich (Jer. 51:13; Rev. 17:1-4).
7) Jeremiah chapter 51 and Revelation chapter 18 both say Babylon has made the nations drunk on wine (Jer. 51:7; Rev. 18:3).
There is more, but here is a big difference: When Babylon is finally destroyed the walls will be torn down (Jer. 50:15; 51:58). The Medes and Persians diverted the Euphrates River and went under the walls. They didn’t tear them down.
This is the point: The fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians may have fulfilled part of Isaiah 13-14 and Jeremiah 50-51, but it didn’t fulfill all of it. There is more to come and the Kurds (Medes) will play a major role.
In fact, it has already started. The failure of Iraq and Syria has increased the hopes of the Kurds for their own nation. They are the only group that has fought the Islamic State to a standstill. The U.S. has not given them the weapons they want, but they will get more weapons and the U.S. is giving them air cover.
In Jan. 2015, the Kurds defeated the Islamic State forces in a four-month battle for Kobani. In May 2015, the Kurds captured about 220 towns and villages that the Islamic State had taken in Syria. In early June 2015, a Kurdish supported party won several seats in the elections in Turkey. In mid-June 2015, the Kurds seized an extremely important Islamic State border crossing and supply route from Turkey.
In late June 2015, the Kurds captured an important military base that the Islamic State has held since 2014 and they were only about 35 miles from the Islamic State’s headquarters in Syria. In early July, they took more than 10 more villages from the Islamic State in Syria.
Some say there is not enough time for Babylon to be rebuilt, but the God who spoke the world into existence in six days doesn’t need decades to rebuild Babylon. When He says something will happen it will happen.
It looks like the Rapture can happen any day, but we don’t know when. There appears to be a gap between the Rapture and the Tribulation period, but we don’t know how long that gap is. Much work can be done in a short period of time.
Rebuilt Babylon doesn’t have to be a big city like New York (and the Bible calls it a city not a nation). Ancient Babylon was just 14 miles on each side and much of that was farm land. Some think global trade can be controlled from just a few buildings with super-computers. Also, the False Prophet won’t need a lot of buildings. Whatever is there will burn in one hour.
Just know that the Kurds (Medes) will destroy the city of Babylon at the end of the Tribulation period and they are rising now. Pres. Obama says it will take ten years to defeat the Islamic State, but God can bring them down in one night (especially if they don’t leave Israel alone). Their defeat and the rise of Babylon could be sooner than many think.
Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck