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The historian Herodotus states that the city was approximately 200 square miles in size: (14x14 miles) The city was surrounded by a wall and a deep mote: beyond which was another wall 200 royal cubits (344 feet) high: and 50 royal cubits (86 feet) thick. On top of this rampart was room enough for a 4 horse chariot to pass, and even to turn, in addition to space for chambers facing each other.... The city had 100 gates of bronze, 25 gates on each side... The Euphrates flowed through the midst of the city dividing it into 2 portions.

King Nebuchadnezzar ruled Babylon in the days of the prophet Daniel. Initially this king was a cruel idol-worshiper who cared nothing for YaHuWaH the Elohim of Israel or his laws. But the Almighty humbled him and after a seven year ordeal Nebuchadnezzar became a true believer. After his conversion he wrote to the citizens of his great empire as follows:

Sad to say Nebuchadnezzar's grandson Belshazzar, quite unimpressed by his grandfather's conversion, greatly sinned against YaHuWaH the Almighty Elohim of Israel. At a banquet, attended by a thousand of his lords, their wives and concubines, Belshazzar, king of Babylon, desecrated the sacred vessels of Israel's Elohim. Moreover he blasphemed the name of the Creator by praising the idols of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone that the Babylonians had made and worshiped. Here is the record of his blasphemous banquet.

YaHuWaH was not pleased with Belshazzar's sacrilege. He decided that Belshazzar's days on earth were to end: so He wrote a coded message on the wall of the banqueting hall. The message was:

When king Belshazzar saw the writing, he was terrified beyond words. What made matters worse was that none of the celebrated wise men of Babylon were able to even read the coded message, let alone explain its meaning. In haste the prophet Daniel was called and here are his words of explanation:

What, dear reader, does this ancient story have to do with us living at the beginning of the 21st century? The answer is - very much. Because every one of us will some day, like king Belshazzar of old, be weighed in the balances. Indeed, in the courts above our motives, words and actions are being weighed every day! Sooner or later will come the time when the Almighty decides to draw the curtain on our lives.

The patriarch Job was well aware of this fact and how that even his grief and integrity could be weighed by the Almighty YaHuWaH .

The Bible plainly states that there is coming a Day of Judgement. Ignoring this fact will not make it go away. It behooves every man and woman, therefore, to bear this in mind as they go through life. Belshazzar's day of judgement - the first phase - came on the night when his blasphemy overshot itself. He was struck down that very night. Belshazzar's final judgment, however, will come on the Great Day of Judgment when all mankind will assemble before YaHuWaH and receive according to their works, eternal life or eternal damnation. Do not ignore these truths.

What spiritual parallels can we draw from this story from ancient Babylon?

KINGS

• Nebuchadnezzar: Proud, boastful, cruel and a worshiper of idols. But when he was humbled, he had the courage to confess his sins and seek pardon of the Almighty. His prize will be eternal life! Nebuchadnezzar's story could well be yours. But are you, like him, willing to confess your sins and seek pardon of the Almighty?
• Belshazzar: Proud, boastful, cruel and a worshiper of idols. But, unlike Nebuchadnezzar, he continued to blaspheme the Elohim of Israel. Belshazzar's end was tragic; and so will be the end of all who treat with contempt YaHuWaH, the Elohim of Israel. They face eternal damnation!

Even in the midst of the evil Babylonian empire, YaHuWaH had His faithful followers; men who would not be defiled by the blasphemy and sin all around them. Two such examples are as follows:

• Daniel:

  Daniel 2:	47: The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your Elohim is an Elohim of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. 48: Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.
  Daniel 5:	12: Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel…

• Ezra

  Ezra 7:

  6: This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the Torah of Moshe, which YaHuWaH Elohim of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of YaHuWaH his Elohim upon him… 10: For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Torah of YaHuWaH, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.

In Scripture, fallen society is often figuratively described as Babylon; and millions of believers, like Daniel and Ezra, find themselves living in this evil metropolis. YaHuWaH 's call to us is to separate ourselves from sin; a seemingly impossible task, but one that must be done if we want to live forever.

It may well be that the Almighty's call to 'come out of Babylon' - to forsake sin - will reach you this day. If it does, then do not delay, but repent, forsake your sins and accept the Gospel of Salvation. Only then can you be sure of everlasting life.