“And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” Genesis 11:4.
The city and tower of Babel was the beginning of Babylon. It was typical of the spirit of Anti-Christ at work in the earth trying to unite all mankind into one body over which Satan could become lord. The proposed unity would have given men exceeding great power and nothing would have been restrained from them. In order to circumvent this, God confounded their language, making it impossible to communicate and thus to fulfill their plans. This confusion of tongues, verse 7, is typical of the divine restraint that has always hindered this ultimate objective of man without God.
“Build us a city and a tower and make us a name.” Ponder the spirit behind this first effort of Lucifer to unite all mankind and build himself a world kingdom. How clever he was in appealing to the vanity of man and using fear as a weapon: “... make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad.”
Had this unholy union succeeded the man of sin would have come forth in that day. Satan would have banished God from the earth and destroyed the righteous. If the Lord had not intervened nothing would have been restrained from them. Satan would have become absolute master of all men and would have demanded worship as God. The same spirit that motivated the building of the tower of Babel has motivated every effort to build succeeding world empires. This is the spirit behind every unholy alliance that has brought men together for selfish purposes that resulted in man’s glory rather that God’s. This includes religious empires as well as political.
When one world power runs its course and dies, the spirit behind it simply brings together another group of men and starts all over again. The human principals that head up such an empire die and pass off the scene but Satan and his demoniac host continue on from generation to generation.
The spirit of Anti-Christ does not die and as long as there is one depraved human being left that can be influenced, Satan will be trying to build himself a kingdom.
The tower of Babel was both political and religious. The building of the city represents the political aspect of world kingdom building and the tower that would reach unto heaven represents religion. The same spirit motivates the whole of Babylon, whether political or religious. It is selfish man in his sin-blinded condition cooperating with Satan in building a world order without God.
The principle word (Babel) for Babylon in the Old Testament means confusion and is used both literally and figuratively. Literally it has reference to the capital city of the kingdom of Babylon. Believed to be built on or near the original site of the tower of Babel in the plain of Shinar, it became an apt symbol for the world system. Beyond doubt the greater use of the word has reference to the world order or system that is Anti-Christ and Anti-God at its source.
In the book of Revelation it is used symbolically of the whole complex world system: political, religious, and economic. Chapter 14, 18 and 19. Because of the power to attract and seduce mankind, Babylon is pictured as a beautiful immoral woman. She is called “... Mystery Babylon The Great...” because of the hidden principle of darkness that inspires and enables her to influence the whole world. Revelation 17:5 and 18:3.
In Revelation 17:1 she is called the “... great whore ...” because of her spiritual intercourse with the power of darkness. Masquerading as the embodiment of good, she is evil and treacherous. She is the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth because she brings forth according to her own adulterous nature. The curse of God is upon Babylon and his people are commanded to come out of her lest they be partakers of her sins and receive of her plagues.
Babylon is a system devised by man to promote his own interest. It covers the whole sphere of human existence including government, religion and commerce. It is a system based upon selfish human expedience rather that right principles. However, due to expedience and the influence of moral forces in the earth, Babylon is a system of law and order without which there would have been utter chaos. Man in his most primitive state wisely recognizes the need of some form of law and order.
There are many forms and facets of Babylon. Some are primitive and backward and some are civilized and highly advanced. At its zenith of power and glory Babylon displays magnificent splendor. It is the natural man using all his talents and God-given wisdom to build a civilization of beauty, elegance and power. Conceived and designed to capture the mind and fancy of the natural man, Babylon, to say the least, is very impressive. However its glory is a fading flower to those who can see beyond its facade of vanity.
With the coming of Christ and the impact of Christianity upon the world, Babylon found it necessary to give public recognition to the Church by becoming her protector and advocate. The merger of Rome and Christianity under Constantine (313 AD) was simply another tower of Babel that led to another confusion of tongues.
The effect upon religion resulting from this merger was the forming of Protestantism. Similarly, the breaking up of the Roman empire into many countries with divergent forms of government was the political side of Babel.
Babylon today, both political and religious, is seeing the need of union again if she is to survive. She is being shaken to her very foundations. Once again expedience is saying, “Let’s all get together and be one. Our world has become so small and the liability of annihilation so great we must get together. What we need is one government, one religion, and one world with everything in common.”
The ecumenical movement of today to bring all churches together in one body is the same spirit that motivated the people at the tower of Babel. The purpose of the United Nations to have one super world-governing body is the other half of today’s tower of Babel.
Lesser expressions of this spirit are at work on every hand to eliminate all barriers to the oneness that the spirit of Anti-Christ must have to set up his kingdom. The real purpose behind world union is that Satan might become head and absolute ruler over all of God’s creation.
The leavening effect of Rome’s merger with Christianity has served a purpose in God’s infinite and wise plan. Because of this, the organized church lost its distinctiveness or separation from the world. In the process, the living stones of the true Church, within the confines of the whole, were hidden from the world focus until God’s purpose and plan could be consummated. The parable of the wheat and the tares growing together until the harvest (Matthew 13:24-30) is a picture of this truth.
Even as Daniel and the Hebrew children, who were carried away into Babylon, were kept and blessed, God has watched over and blessed his people in the world system. Israel in Egypt is another type of God’s elect kept and provided for in an alien land. Though she can never inherit the eternal blessings of God, Babylon has been blessed when she blessed the people of God. Although it is a place of bondage, its government of laws enacted to protected itself has served to protect the seed of God also. Even as Ishmael, a product of the flesh, could never inherit the promises of God, neither can Babylon. When God made his covenant with Abraham, he said, “... I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee ....” Gen. 12:3.
Many nations and people have been blessed by Almighty God because they showed favor to God’s elect. Some have been used of God unknowingly, like Egypt and Babylon itself, to preserve and protect the seed of the righteous. And though most of them will never inherit the eternal blessings of God, they have been a participant in the covenant of Abraham.
Likewise the leavening effect of Christianity upon the civilized world has served as a deterrent to the forces of evil during this day of grace. However the true nature and spirit of Babylon has not been changed by the advent of Christianity into the world. Putting on the outward dress of righteousness does not change the heart.
And like all reformation the true nature and spirit will manifest itself in the end. Although there have been seasons of respite and tolerance toward God’s true elect, Babylon (religious and political) still remains the persecutor of the righteous. As a rule the more the true Church has manifested the life and power of Christ, the more she has suffered at the hands of Babylon. Galatians 4:22-31. Revelation 17:6.
In the end Babylon always turns on those who will not bow the knee to her idols. In the end the true remnant has to always come out and start anew. As the children of Israel were forced to leave Egypt in the end because of the persecution of Pharaoh, God has a way of moving his people when the time comes.
Today the yoke of the world system is getting heavier and heavier upon the neck of God’s people. The outward show and glittering splendor of our modern civilization is leaving our hearts cold and empty. In spite of social security, Medicare, and push-button luxury, there is a sense of futility and insecurity. Likewise religious Babylon, though rich and increased with goods, is spiritually destitute and without any real answers.
The sea of humanity is being blown about by many winds of adversity. Great unrest is increasing as hatred, suspicion and fear grip the hearts of men. All of this is symptomatic of the failure and fall of Babylon. She has about reached the end of her course. Although she has been exalted to high heaven, she must come down to the dust. God’s people must begin to read the handwriting on the wall and get out while they have time and opportunity. Revelation 18:4.
The confusion of tongues imposed upon man at the tower of Babel is symbolical of the judgment of God that has always hindered the work of Satan to build a world kingdom in the earth. From that day until this the world system has been a babel of confusion that is always trying to come back from judgment and build again. Although God has granted much liberty and even blessed Babylon up to a point, he has never let her prevail in this area.
God’s eternal decree of judgment upon world kingdom builders is pictured in Malachi 1:4. “Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, the people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever.”
Satan knows the power of unity and constantly seeks to bring into being a one-world order through which he can exercise his will over man. Lack of complete world unity is the one thing that had hindered him from achieving his goal. Jesus confirmed this principle when he said, “... Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.” Matthew 12:25.
Although God will, at the very close of this day of grace, allow Satan a temporary success he has never experienced before, his last great effort will fail also. From the ashes of this last desolation there will be no resurgence. This will be the final destruction of the world system called Babylon. Revelation 18:20-21.