"Flee from the midst of Babylon, save your lives, each of you! Do not perish because of her guilt, for this is the time of the Lord's vengeance; he is repaying her what is due" (vs. 6).
As Jeremiah writes of the upcoming destruction of Babylon, he urges the Lord's people to flee Babylon (or, as some people put it, "get out of Dodge!") He knows that the time will come for the Jews to leave Babylon, lest they be destroyed along with the city. The prophet repeats this admonition in verse 45: "Come out of her, my people! Save your lives, each of you, from the fierce anger of the Lord!"
This warning must have left an impression, for it is picked up in the New Testament in the book of Revelation as, again, "Babylon" is about to be destroyed. "Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, 'Come out of her, my people, so that you do not take part in her sins, and so that you do not share in her plagues'" (Revelation 18:4).
Whether this "Babylon" is actually Babylon, a code word for Rome, or an as-yet-to-be-determined powerful nation is unknown. However, it may be a good idea to be ready to heed Jeremiah's/John's words whenever you think that an ungodly nation you are residing in is about to come in for an overdue punishment!
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