The Tower of Babel
 
The account of the Tower of Babel is found in Genesis chapter 11. Judgment from God did take place but lighting did not come down from heaven.  
 
After the flood in God's New Beginnings for the world the Bible says, "Be fruitful and multiply,and replenish the earth." Genesis 9:1.The original plan of God for people in His New Beginnings was that they scatter around the earth. In verse 7 the Word of God says, "And you,be ye fruitful and multiply in the earth." This once again describes a scattering. Even when Jesus Christ issued forth the "Great Commission" in Matthew chapter 28 to take the gospel around the world, He told His children to scatter, not gather in one place to accomplish this task.
 
God used the Tower of Babel to accomplish His goal of scattering around the world. After the flood and before the Tower of Babel everybody spoke Hebrew because the names in the Bible are in this language. Some history books attest to the fact that these were the Sons of Noah.
 
These people listened to God and Noah in the scattering process.They went in tribes. These may have been the Sons of men. They dispersed into more distant places probably because these people were fearful. Maybe they felt there was safety in numbers.
 
I don't believe it took the world long before this "Group fear mentality" took place. The leaders of that time period in history took this thing one step higher when they decided to journey...,"From the east,that they found a plain of land of Shinar; and they dwelt there." Genesis 11:2.They talked about this "Group fear" and they responded upon it to travel and build as one people for a common cause.
 
Every time I turn the television set on to watch the News I hear this one consistent theme spoken of over and over, and that would be, "We are afraid and must come together as one." It could be a security issue, the economy or another crisis of some kind.  What most people don't understand is the Bible speaks of this for the latter days. This is the prophetic reality in our world now and we can know that Jesus Christ is just about to return because of what we are seeing, as current events match the Word of God.
 
There must have been a lot of violence in the world at that time because they did come together. The leaders and the people of the world at that point in history did not want to be scattered. Fear brought them together but contempt toward God scattered them into different languages. If somebody were to ask me if I thought they started out in contempt, I would probably answer "no." In real simple terms contempt is," I don't like your rules, I will do what I want." Their common bond to protect themselves was far more important than listening to God because they were scared.
 
We as Christians do this all the time. We have our own towers in our heart and sometimes believe it will protect us. It could be money,a tower of worry or maybe a tower of anger that we built.What almost always happens is, it ends up in contempt towards God and people. For example, if you know somebody and that person is building a harmful tower in his or her life, and you try to tell them, don't you usually receive a look of contempt.
 
There are many similarities in Genesis chapter 11 to our day. Nimrod probably was the central figure that orchestrated the whole thing. He was known as a good skillful hunter.Rumor has it that his birthday was on December 25th and he was seen as a protector of the people. There was also a historical rumor that he was born of a virgin.
 
It is not hard to figure out that this man was a type of the future Antichrist. Being that he was a skillful hunter and able to lead, I can only surmised that he was a very charismatic man---- a Messiah figure.His idea was, if the people of the world are under my watchful eye, then they will be under my control. I have made a personal observation in life.Usually when people desire control in a possessive way, it is the one thing they want, but it is the one thing they will never get.
 
The Tower of Babel did not just have roots in fear, it also had roots in astrology. God probably originally wrote the gospel in the stars but Satan perverts everything.The height of the Tower was also for the purpose of false worship in astrology.  
 
They wanted to be their own God rather than serve the one true Creator that gave them life.The Bible says in Genesis 11:6, " And the Lord said, behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do."
 
The original gathering was not only for fear but false worship, and this is no doubt where the roots of a Babylonian religion came from. This is why in Revelation chapter 18 God finally judges this false system of religion and politics together as one.They will attempt to be bound in their fear and false worship with contempt toward God and man. I see that in our world today. It is amazing how many people I hear say,"I don't think Jesus is coming soon." What book are they reading? What world are they observing?
 
I believe the rapture of the Church takes place before the start of the future seven year tribulation period. I believe the real hope lies in the Person of Jesus Christ through the resurrection of His children. This event is very close based on what I am seeing around the world. Anybody that is not prepared for the Blessed Hope should accept Jesus Christ into their heart and live for Him on a daily basis.
 
I would also like to point out two other similarities from Genesis chapter 11 to our day. The Bible says, "And they said one to another, Go to,let us make brick,and burn them thoroughly,and they had brick for stone,and slime had they for mortar." Genesis 11:3.The Bible says in Daniel 12:4 regarding end time Bible prophecy, "But thou,O Daniel,shut up the words,and seal the book,even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro,and knowledge shall be increased."The people that built the Tower in Genesis chapter 11 used brick. Building with brick was an advanced form of construction in that day. Back then with their efforts to become one and strong together, they were advanced for their time.
 
Daniel 12:4 talks about travel and knowledge being increased. To use the word exponential would be an understatement to describe this technological reality for today. Do you see the correlation between the brick in Genesis chapter 11 and our day with the computers and travel spoken of by Daniel?  
 
I would also like to point out one more similarity in this story and relate it to end time Bible Prophecy. The Bible says in Genesis 11:7, " Go to, let Us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."  The Bible says in 2 Thes. 2:11, " And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie."
 
When the people of the Earth gathered as one in Genesis chapter 11 in fear and false Babylonian worship, God confounded them. In the future Day of the Lord during the 7 year tribulation period, if people according to 2 Thes. 2:10 receive,..." Not the love of the truth, that they might be saved," they then will be deceived under a strong delusion and believe a lie.  
 
There is a progression when an individual,group or world builds a Tower. It starts out in fear and a false sense of security, then confusion and an inevitable separation.They originally intended to unite but they ended up divided.
 
If Jesus Christ is not in the center there will always be division. When everybody started to speak a different language, they had no other choice but to separate. That is why we have so many dialects today. One word in our English translation could have 25 different meanings in another language.
 
Many true Believers in Jesus Christ are trying to get the gospel around the world. People in Genesis chapter 11 tried to unite in fear and false worship. Jesus Christ Himself said and showed people by example that He was not to be feared if one followed Him because He is a God of love. Even an Angel introduced Jesus Christ by saying..."Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,which shall be to all people." Luke 2:10. If all this were not enough, the Apostle Paul says in 2nd Timothy 1:7, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
 
What a delight to accept and follow Jesus Christ. It is refreshing to know that God replaces our fear with the peace of the Holy Spirit through His Son Jesus Christ. " Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." Revelation 3:20.
 
Bob D.