The message concerning the desert by the sea. Had I not read in the subsequent verses of this passage about Babylon, the cherished city that has become astonishing to me, and the declaration of Babylon’s fall, with the idols of its deities shattered on the ground, along with the call to “Go up, Elam, and lay siege, Midian,” I would have found myself questioning the significance of this burden placed upon the coastal wilderness. (Jer. 51:36-37.) Thus, it is clear that Jeremiah refers to Babylon as a wilderness by the sea when he speaks as the Lord: “And I will transform its sea into a desolation, and its land shall be dried up, and Babylon shall become a mound of sand.” It is termed a sea due to the vastness of its populace; akin to how the multitude of Egypt is depicted as a sea: God will make the sea of Egypt a desolate place. We learn from the aforementioned Jeremiah how the Medes and Persians waged war against and obliterated Babylon: “Sharpen your arrows, fill your quivers. The Lord has stirred up the spirit of the kings of Midian, and against Babylon His intent is to bring destruction; this is the vengeance of the Lord for His temple. Set a standard on the walls of Babylon, strengthen its guards, appoint watchmen, prepare, for the Lord has conceived and executed all that He has proclaimed against the inhabitants of Babylon,” and again: “Raise a banner in the land, blow a trumpet among the nations, consecrate the nations to it, proclaim against it to the kings of Ararat, Minya, and Askenes, number Tapsar against it, and set the horses as a needle-caterpillar. Sanctify the nations against it, the kings of Midian, their princes, all their authorities, and the entire area under their control. The earth will tremble and be confounded, for the purpose of the Lord is determined against Babylon, to make its land desolate and uninhabited.” (Jer. 51:11-12; Jer. 51:27-29). Just as whirlwinds emerge from the south-west, this comes forth from the wasteland, the land of terror. A vision of fearful occurrences has been delivered to me, echoing the cries of the terrified citizens of Babylon, as they hear that the Midianites and Elamites are mustering forces against them, approaching from the barren lands. In this analogy, just as a great storm arrives propelled by a south-west wind, I sense devastation emerging from the desert, from a place of dread, a name that chills the spine. For what could be more frightening than impending captivity? The unfaithful betray trust, and the destroyer brings ruin. In Hebrew, this could be rendered as: you who kill, kill; and you who devastate, devastate; thus the prophecy appears directed toward the Elamite and Midianite, prompting them to complete what they have initiated, to advance confidently and lay siege to the mightiest city. Yet, if we interpret it as we have, in the third person, then it pertains to whoever is unfaithful or destructive, indicating they must be linked to prior statements wherein Babylon articulates a dire vision has been presented. “Go up, Elam, besiege, O Midian: I have brought an end to its mourning.” “Do not fear,” says the Persians and the Midianites, “the multitude of Babylon, nor be dismayed by its former might: I have ceased all its groaning and its yoke of oppression, that no one shall sorrow under the weight of Babylon's power, or that Babylon itself will be stricken with such disasters it will not have the capacity to mourn.”
My innermost being was filled with distress; anguish gripped me like that of labor pains; I fainted upon hearing and was troubled upon seeing. My heart became overwhelmed, and a shroud of darkness consumed me. Babylon, my cherished city, turned into a puzzling marvel. The prophets convey darkness due to their manifold transformations. Consequently, the words of Isaiah emerge, lamenting Babylon through prophetic insight, as immense calamities are destined for it, rendering the messenger speechless with horror; witnessing the bloodshed of countless souls and compelled by compassion—being but a man who speaks of humanity—he experiences grief akin to that of a woman in labor. Falling in confusion and trembling, with eyes darkened, he grapples for words. Rather than what we rendered as Babylon, my beloved, the Hebrew translates as neseph esci—the same term from the initial burden concerning Babylon, translated as “On the mountain of darkness,” for neseph conveys darkness or gloom. This city is aptly named so for its inflated self-image and immense pride, rising to the heavens.
“Prepare the feast, spread the linens—eat, drink. ‘Arise, princes, prepare your shields!’” Isaiah plainly states that Babylon’s capture occurred amid a feast, compelling the city to ready itself for battle: “Babylon, my cherished, has become astonishing to me. Prepare the feast, observe from the watchtower those who feast; arise, usurps, take up your shields.”
Set the table, observe from the watchtower at those who feast and drink; arise, rulers, ready your shields. This can be understood in two ways: to you, the Midianites and Elamites, to whom I previously said, “Go up, Elam, lay siege, Midian,” enjoy your meals and prepare for the impending conflict, so that when battle ensues, you are not weary; having eaten and drunk, arise, take up arms, and conquer Babylon. The phrase “observe from the watchtower” suggests carefully watching forthcoming events. Alternatively, it could imply that Babylon should prepare a feast for Belshazzar, the son of Elmerodach, grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, and observe what transpires after this festivity, where he will offer wine in the sanctified vessels to immoral companions. The princes reclining with the king (namely the Midianites and Persians) are summoned to rise and bear arms against him. Further details can be found in the book of Daniel.
The message concerning the wilderness by the sea. As whirlwinds arise from the south-west, this originates from the wasteland, the land of dread. A fearsome vision has been revealed to me: the unfaithful betray trust, and the destroyer brings ruin. “Go up, Elam, besiege, O Midian: all its groaning I have brought to an end.” Consequently, my innermost being was filled with agony: anguish overtook me, like labor pains. A vision of the wilderness by the sea. As a tempest sweeps through the desert, emerging from the wasteland, from the land of terror, a grievous vision was declared to me: the apostate backslides, and the lawless man is lawless. The Elamites and Persian envoys are marching against me: now I shall be humbled and comforted; thus, my loins were filled with weariness, anguish seized me as one in labor. What we perceive historically, we have briefly summarized; let us now present the loftier allegorical interpretation. The vision, or burden, is perceived against the sea of this present age, as the prophet perceives the manifold temptations this world encounters. The sea is termed the world, as I will confine myself to but one testament from the Psalm: “Those who descend into the sea in ships, those who conduct their business in the mighty waters, they have observed the works of the Lord and His wonders in the depths” (Psalms 106:23-24). For those who labor for God in this world, and echo the words of the prophet, “I have entered the depths of the sea” (Psalm 68:3), experience His marvels within the depths and, freed from temptations and trials, declare they have beheld a fearsome and foreboding vision. However, this storm emerges from that wilderness where the Lord was also tempted (Matt. 4) and where Israel endured the bites of serpents and the stings of scorpions. Upon its arrival, it rages and eventually subsides; then, he who endures will discern that only the apostate turns away, and only the lawless man acts without law. Therefore, if we are distressed by the waves of the sea and encounter a violent tempest, it is due to our own transgressions, for prior to the storm, we were apostates and lawless. The phrase “The Elamites and the ambassadors of the Persians come against me” implies: Elamites signify disdain, whilst Persians represent temptation. Let them thus come who despise, and let them tempt; yet I will groan, and my lament will be my consolation. My loins shall also fill with anguish, and sufferings will enfold me like those of a woman in labor, that I might conceive and bear forth through the fear of God, and manifest His spirit of salvation upon the earth. Properly articulated in the Hebrew text, whirlwinds and tempests arise from the wilderness and the land of terror, where God is absent, yet where all things remain earthly, where every unbeliever acts according to his disbelief, and every desolator lays waste. So the prophet boldly declares to his adversaries, “Come up, Elam, besiege, O Midian: I have put an end to all the mourning from the coastal wilderness, of that dreadful land, and of the most grievous vision proclaimed.” For my inner being, in repentance, was not filled with joy as before but with sorrow, so that I could no longer assert, “My insides are filled with reproach” (Psalm 37:8). I was gripped by anguish and pain, similar to labor pains. The Vulgate version and the Hebrew text exhibit considerable disparity at this juncture; therefore, we have summarily displayed both, to avoid any slightest basis for accusations from anyone inclined to resentment. I fell when I heard, I was troubled when I saw: my heart was weary, a profound darkness surrounded me: my beloved Babylon became an astonishing marvel. Set the table, observe from the watchtower upon those who feast and drink: arise, princes, prepare your shields. LXX: I have acted wickedly, lest I should hear, hasten, lest I should see; my heart wanders: sin has enveloped me; my soul is in anguish. Prepare the table, observe from the watchtower; eat, drink; arise, princes, ready your shields. The prophet recounts that upon hearing the vision, which he perceived arising from the wilderness by the sea, he collapsed and was troubled, overwhelmed, and almost with blinded vision and disturbed mind, he could not discern what he observed. For Babylon (where Aquila and Theodotion rendered as darkness, signifying this world steeped in evil, and whose rulers serve as agents of this darkness, as stated by the Apostle Paul in Eph. 6), which was once beloved by the prophet or by God, became wonderful in its destruction. Hence, it is commanded that once the prophet has partaken of the Lord's sustenance and is filled with His provisions, he should remain in vigilant watch for what will befall the world; and through him, it is directed toward all believers, that when they consume the body and blood of the Lord, they should transform into the princes of the Church, and listen with the apostles: “Arise,” and by doing so, they should claim the shield of faith from the armament of the Apostle Paul (Eph. 6), which will enable them to extinguish the fiery darts of the wicked one. This concurs with the Hebrew text and with the interpretation that has commenced concerning the world. Now, let us transition to the LXX version, which diverges in various aspects from the previous interpretations. The prophet reproaches himself or rather on his own behalf, reveals the faults of others, who, adhering to the deathly letter, disregard the life-giving spirit. He declares that he erred by failing to regard the law spiritually, instead striving not to discern the mysteries of God and neglecting to echo David's entreaty, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things from Your law” (Psalms 118:18). Hence, his heart drifts, and being pervaded with Jewish superstition, he remains estranged from the love of God, finding himself in fear, bearing the spirit of bondage rather than the spirit of adoption, by which we cry, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8).
THEOSIS