The Lord foretells the fall of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. At the time He speaks the words of this prophecy, Assyria is the major world power striking fear in the hearts of the people of Israel and Judah. Assyria will conquer Israel but the Lord will miraculously prevent Jerusalem from falling to the Assyrian army, thus preserving the nation of Judah for approximately 130 years longer than the northern kingdom of Israel. Babylon, which is not powerful enough in Isaiah's day to conquer Assyria, will cause the fall of Assyria and the fall of Judah. But the Lord will judge Babylon for its people's sins as well, and He names a nation in today's study that must have seemed inconsequential to the people of Isaiah's time.
Of the fall of Babylon the Lord says: "Like a hunted gazelle, like sheep without a shepherd, they will all return to their own people, they will flee to their native land. Whoever is captured will be thrust through; all who are caught will fall by the sword. Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives violated." (Isaiah 13:14-16)
These verses are graphically violent but they are accurate in describing the habits of invading armies---both in ancient times and in modern times. The things described here still happen in some places of our world today when enemy soldiers flood into a territory that they want to take for themselves. And we must keep in mind that the Babylonians perpetrated such atrocities themselves when they invaded other nations. In addition, they often used siege as a method to cause city leaders to surrender to them, and siege always resulted in numerous deaths by starvation and especially deaths of the very young and very old. The Babylonians will be given a taste of their own medicine, so to speak, when an invading army treats them the way they treated the peoples they previously invaded.
Babylon didn't fall in a single day like Sodom and Gomorrah, although the Bible predicted that Babylon would be as utterly destroyed as those sinful cities. Babylon's decline happened in stages but the Lord's words still came true: Babylon ceased to exist and nothing but ruins are left of it. He did not say that He would rain down fire and brimstone to destroy it in a single day; He simply said that it would cease to exist and never be rebuilt.
Now He names the very nation (the Medo-Persian Empire) that will attack and take over Babylon. This is but the beginning of Babylon's decline and eventually it will end up deserted as it is today. "See, I will stir against them the Medes, who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold. Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants, nor will they look with compassion on children. Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the pride and glory of the Babylonians, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; there no nomads will pitch their tents, there no shepherds will rest their flocks. But desert creatures will lie there, jackals will fill their houses; there the owls will dwell, and there the wild goats will leap about. Hyenas will inhabit her strongholds, jackals her luxurious palaces. Her time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged." (Isaiah 13:17-22)
Where is the ancient nation of Babylon today? It is no more, just as the Lord predicted. All these things came true exactly as He said they would. In the book of Isaiah we've found Him predicting the fall of Israel to Assyria; this happened. We found Him predicting the fall of Judah to Babylon; this happened. We found Him predicting the fall of Babylon to the Medo-Persian Empire; this happened. Everything else He's ever predicted, which is yet to come, will happen. His words are completely dependable in every way.
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