3. What about Babylon’s modern counterpart as respects being a “treacherous dealer” and a “despoiler”?

³ What about the modern counterpart of ancient Babylon? In her dealings with those Christians who are in covenant relationship with Jehovah God, she has been no less treacherous as respects the teachings of Christianity. Heartlessly she has despoiled such Christians because they keep the commandments of Jehovah God and carry out the work of bearing witness to his enthroned King, Jesus Christ. (Rev. 12:17) Christendom has been foremost in this program of dealing treacherously and despoiling, notably from the days of World War I. She especially will feel the force of the “hard vision” when it is fulfilled upon the modern world empire of false religion, Babylon the Great.

PERSONAL REACTION TO BABYLON’S FALL

6, 7. How does Isaiah describe the effect of the fall of Babylon upon those adversely affected?

⁶ The fall of the mighty Third World Power in 539 B.C.E. with particular benefit to the small land of Israel was naturally something hard to imagine. It involved a vast change in the course of world history. Individuals adversely affected by the fall of the Empire that had its central location in the “wilderness of the sea” were bound to agonize. The effect upon such ones is pictured in Isaiah’s words telling about the “hard vision,” as follows:

⁷ “That is why my hips have become full of severe pains. Convulsions themselves have grabbed hold of me, like the convulsions of a woman that is giving birth. I have become disconcerted so that I do not hear; I have become disturbed so that I do not see. My heart has wandered about; a shuddering itself has terrified me. The twilight for which I had an attachment has been made for me a trembling.”​—Isa. 21:3, 4.

8. What do Isaiah’s descriptive words illustrate as respects religious leaders in Christendom and pagandom at the fall of the world empire of false religion?

⁸ Those descriptive words having to do with the fall of the treacherous Third World Power illustrate the shock wave that will course through the frame of the world’s religious society when the modern-day counterpart of Babylon falls. This will hurt the religious feelings of the modern antitypical Babylonians far more than the hard-hitting message now delivered by Jehovah’s Witnesses during this “time of the end” since 1914. (Dan. 12:4) Priests and other officers of the religious bodies of Christendom and pagandom will be stunned, dumbfounded as if being unable to see or hear about what is taking place. Their hearts will have no stability, no rest, no ability to rely unwaveringly upon the gods once worshiped. A situation hideous enough to make one shudder terrifies them, particularly because their religious hypocrisy is exposed. The “twilight” such as comes with the promise of ease and relaxation at the close of a day’s work will be a darkening time of tremors for them. The day for them to misguide and oppress people in their religious organizations will end dreadfully. They will convulse like women holding their hips for pain at childbirth.

14. What does ancient Babylon’s downfall presage, and how will those involved in that be affected?

¹⁴ Ancient Babylon’s surprising downfall presages the sudden downfall of her present-day counterpart, Babylon the Great. This will catch worldly religionists off guard. So if believers in the invincibility of the world empire of false religion do not expect its fall soon, their complacency is due to be rudely shocked!

WHAT THE WATCHMAN HAS TO REPORT

15. The command given after the prophetic description of Belshazzar’s feast indicates what concerning ancient Babylon and her counterpart?

¹⁵ Why, though, does Isaiah give us that advance look into Belshazzar’s feast on that painful night of 539 B.C.E.? It was because of what was to follow, namely, the reporting of that outstanding event of the century to Jehovah’s covenant people, who would rejoice over the fall of “the treacherous dealer.” Isaiah 21:5, 6 shows what would follow upon the heels of Babylon’s fall, saying: “Get up, you princes, anoint the shield. For this is what Jehovah has said to me: ‘Go, post a lookout that he may tell just what he sees.’” Aha, there was to be world publicity on the event! So, too, the fall of Babylon the Great must make the news headlines!

16. What can be said about the “lookout” posted in the case of ancient Babylon and the one posted in the case of Babylon the Great?

¹⁶ Isaiah was the one told to post the “lookout” to report on what he was due to see. Isaiah did not live on to be an eyewitness of what he foretold and of which he gave us a written account. So someone else from Isaiah’s own people would have to serve as the posted lookout. In the then far-off days of the impending fall of Babylon the Great a similar lookout has been posted. It proves to be the class anointed with Jehovah’s spirit, a class appropriately associated with the magazine that still bears the name Watchtower. The evidence is at hand to show that by means of Jesus Christ Jehovah God has appointed that “lookout” class. It has served in this capacity down to this portentous hour of the “night” that is casting its gloom over the whole world. (Matt. 24:45-47)