The story of the Tower of Babel is known by many people, Christian and non-Christian (mostly scholars, historians and archaeologists) alike. We can easily outline what happened by saying something lie - “People built a tall tower, it angered God so much that HE made them speak all different languages so they couldn’t communicate with each other and HE made them distribute across the world” - and we wouldn’t be really all that wrong to say so.
However, there is so much more to the ‘Tower of Babel’ story, and it still has an influence on our global society now.
Genesis 11:1-9 says…
Verses 1-2: “Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there.”
This is the only time in human history that humanity has been united, and it will be the only time that it will be so - that is until Jesus returns and rules Earth for a thousand years (Revelation 20).
Verses 3-4: “Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
“Let us make a name for ourselves” - this is perhaps one of the saddest statements in the whole Bible. It shows that the pride-filled sin that plagued the pre-flood world was still present in the generations post-flood.
It is also interesting that the generation of the Tower of Babel would have known about ‘Noah’s Flood’ and the causes of the outpouring of the wrath of God - yet they still chose to rebel against God, and pursue their own ‘fame’ and pleasures.
Verses 5-8: “But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord scattered them abroad from there, over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.”
We can’t hide anything from God now…people couldn’t then - especially in those days when God was more present in the physical realm than HE is today.
The dispersal and confusing of languages may not seem like a godly, or nice thing to do - yet it provides a way to protect humanity. If humanity remained as a singular people group then as evil spread once more it would have infected the whole populace. Yet, even in separate cultural and linguistic groups the protection against evil can be guaranteed if it remains true to God.
Verse 9: “Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.”
God scattered, and now since the death and resurrection of Jesus there is a movement by God to bring humanity back into right relationship with HIM, and ultimately with each other during eternity.
But who founded the city, and helped drive the people to build such an offence to God?
Genesis 10:8-10 provides us with the answer - “Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord.” And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.”
Nimrod is a foreshadowing of the Anti-Christ. He represents a man of great power and influence who was trying to guide humanities direction towards one that set aside any belief and worship of Yahweh, and focussed on humanities own abilities.
The events directed by Nimrod, surrounding the Tower of Babel, are perhaps the first glimmer of what is known today as ‘Humanism’ - the worldview that humans can achieve anything. It is humanism that drives dangerous ideologies such as communism, rainbow genders, and the rise of techno-driven societies.
Today through the explosion of technology and knowledge humanity is both more united than ever, but also incredibly divided by language, culture, religion and political worldviews. But what is being seen in ever increasing push for systems and worldviews that are incredibly anti-Christian and more devastatingly anti-Christ. Yet, there is coming a time that one person will be the epitome of everything that is against God, and HIS perfect will.
In Revelation 13, we see the prophetic imagry of the final antichrist being spoken of. There are several elements that we see in this chapter that echo the events surrounding the Tower of Babel. These include:
Anti-Christ (the Beast) given “All authority” by Satan (the dragon) - verse 2
People will worship both the Beast (anti-christ) and the Dragon (Satan) rather than Yahweh - verses 4,8.
He will be blasphemous against God - verses 5-6.
He would make everyone who worshipped him to wear a mark which will influence their ability to work, make a living, to buy food and necessities - verses 16-17.
Over the last several decades there has been a rise in the areas of biotechnology, the melding of living organisms with cybernetic technologies (this includes the rise of Transhumanist agendas), genetic manipulation, the creation of digital currencies and the dominance of globalism and the diminishing of the role and power of nation states and their governments. All of this is humanities ‘New Babel’ - a coming together of the globalised peoples to achieve great things, all in the name of the human spirit.
The spirit of human pride still exists today, and it still seeks the same purpose. To exhale humanity over God. It is the pride of Satan, and the sin that led to The Fall. Yet, it is in Jesus’ humility and ultimate sacrifce that we can access total cleansing forgiveness for our sins. Babel has no hold on Christians - it is however - the end plan of the satanic forces that are gathering as we surge towards the immenent return of Jesus Christ who is to be King of Kings and rule the Earth.
Our role as Christians is to be faithful and obedient to God and HIS word, to remain in a right relationship with HIM - and most of all not to fear the events that are beginning to unfold around us. God is in control, not those in power here on Earth.
May you draw ever closer to God, may HE give you peace in this time of chaos, and may HE bless you with wisdom in how to meet the challenges of each and every day going forward.