ירמיהו, פרק כ״ה, פסוק כ״ו

A profound vision of divine judgment encompasses all the nations of the world, both near and far, forming an inescapable chain of disaster. This historical process of punishment advances gradually across the globe, ultimately reaching the greatest and most powerful empire to prove that no human regime is immune to God's justice.

The kings of the north do not face their downfall simultaneously. Instead, their punishment unfolds in a continuous, unbroken sequence. The cup of divine wrath passes from one ruler to the next in a relentless chain of blows, with each nation falling right after the other [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

To clarify the exact scope of this judgment, the focus is deliberately narrowed to the kingdoms located on the surface of the ground. Without this distinction, a general reference to the earth might be misunderstood to include the entire globe, including the oceans. By specifying the dry land, the target of this divine retribution is clearly restricted to land-based empires [מלבי״ם].

At the very end of this global reckoning stands the king of Sheshach. Commentators agree that this is a direct reference to the king of Babylon, as the name Sheshach is simply the word Babylon encrypted using the traditional Atbash cipher. The Babylonian king will face his downfall at the absolute conclusion of this process. He is destined to absorb his punishment last, experiencing disaster only after all the other kingdoms have already met their fate [מצודת דוד].