We read in Daniel 1:2 an indication that shows that a great battle is to be fought in Babylon. The Holy Spirit uses here a striking name for Babylon, calling it “the land of Shinar”.
Shinar is the location in the world where the people went to live when they were all still using one language. Humanity then rebelled against God there by seeking to build a tower that would reach into heaven. Man wanted to show that he is more powerful than God. The name Shinar refers to the area where rebellion against the Lord had been very strong. See Genesis 11:1–9; Zechariah 5:5–11; Revelation 17:5.
We read in Zechariah 5:1–11 that wickedness is specifically brought to Shinar and let loose. The city being built in Shinar is the symbol of opposition against the Lord. The name of the city is Babel – or Babylon. The battle between Jerusalem and Babylon, between serving the Lord and rebellion against him, will erupt in full force here. This is already evident in the following verses.
2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.