Hurling A Great Millstone

What John next sees confirms that Jehovah's judgment of Babylon the Great is final: "And a strong angel lifted up a stone like a great millstone and hurled it into the sea, saying: 'Thus with a swift pitch will Babylon the great city be hurled down, and she will never be found again.' " (Revelation 18:21) In Jeremiah's time, a similar act with powerful prophetic meaning was performed . Jeremiah was inspired to write in a book "all the calamity that would come upon Babylon." He gave the book to Seraiah and told him to travel to Babylon. There, following Jeremiah's instructions, Seraiah read a declaration against the city: "O Jehovah, you yourself have spoken against this place, in order to cut it off so that there may come to be in it no inhabitant, either man or even domestic animal, but that she may become mere desolate wastes to time indefinite." Seraiah then tied a stone to the book and threw it into the river Euphrates, saying: "This is how Babylon will sink down and never rise up because of the calamity that I am bringing in upon her." - Jeremiah 51:59-64.

The throwing of the book with the attached stone into the river was a guarantee that Babylon would plunge into oblivion, never to recover. The apostle John's seeing a strong angel perform a similar act is likewise a powerful guarantee that Jehovah's purpose toward Babylon the Great will be fulfilled. The completely ruined condition of ancient Babylon today testifies powerfully to what will befall false religion in the near future.

Next time: Continue with Hurling A Great Millstone.
Revelation Its Grand Climax At Hand! Watchtower Bible And Tract Society, 1988