The King of Babylon, as depicted in the Book of Mormon, is a symbolic representation of both political and spiritual downfall. His pride and the downfall of his kingdom are paralleled with the fall of Lucifer, known as the “son of the morning,” illustrating a shared fate of being cast down due to rebellion against divine authority (2 Nephi 24:12). The prophecies concerning the King of Babylon, drawn directly from the writings of Isaiah, detail not only a physical destruction to come upon his rule and progeny but also a broader symbolic judgment upon the wickedness and hubris that his reign represents (2 Nephi 23:1; 24:15; 24:21; 24:22).
In these prophecies, the Lord speaks through His servant to declare the burden against Babylon, signifying a forthcoming divine intervention where the King of Babylon will be brought low in a dramatic shift from grandeur to the depths of hell, reflecting the spiritual descent paralleled with the prophesied physical ruination of the Babylonian empire (2 Nephi 24:15). This ruination includes a decree that the line of the king shall be cut off so that his offspring no longer rise to power or build cities to influence the earth (2 Nephi 24:21-22).
The cessation of the King of Babylon’s oppression marks a definitive turning point, as the “golden city” ends, and a proverb is raised against him, pronouncing the end of his high-reaching but ultimately doomed rule (2 Nephi 24:4). The King of Babylon’s pride and fall serve not only as a literal historical account but also as a moral and spiritual lesson against the dangers of seeking power and glory through opposition to the will of God.