The Tower of Babel: Present and Future Considerations

Isaiah 41:21-23 "Present your case,” the LORD says. “Bring forward your strong arguments,”
The King of Jacob says. ²² Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place;
As for the former events, declare what they were, That we may consider them and know their outcome. Or announce to us what is coming; ²³ Declare the things that are going to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together."

In yesterday's blog we began looking at the accuracy of scripture in matters of history and current evidence as it pertained to the Tower of Babel incident recorded in Genesis 11.  The overall aim of this small series of blogs is not only to shed some light on that event, but to also demonstrate the reliability and accuracy of the Biblical text.  The above text gives a test and challenge to anyone claiming Divine origin for any document or truth: namely say something accurate about the past, the present, the future and point it all to the God of the Bible. 


We have seen that the Bible alone can do this, since in comparison to outside historical sources and current evidence, the Bible does indeed demonstrate accuracy and reliability.  What of the future?  What does the Bible have to say about the future in light of what took place at the tower of Babel?


From Babel came forth Babylon 
Throughout history Babel would become the Empire of Babylon.  We read of this empire in the Bible books such as Daniel, Jeremiah and Habakkuk.  Other Bible books mention the taking of the Jews into Exile into Babylon, along with their return from that exile in Ezra and Nehemiah.  Babylon was begun by Nimrod, and remerged again in Daniel's day under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. 


Babylon is a picture of the current world system opposed to the believer
In 1 John 2:15-17 we see a description of the Christian's three-fold enemy: The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.  The lust of the eyes parallels mankind's desire for material possessions, an economic idolatry.  The lust of the flesh corresponds to mankind's desire for power, political idolatry.  And the Pride of life speaks to man's desire for religion without the God of the Bible - thus religious idolatry. 


Babel and its rebellion sets forth the pattern in which humanity, apart from God's grace is lost and in darkness.  It also explains the three-fold rebellion that mankind had and still has against God: economic, political and religious: Economic in refusing to acknowledge God's ownership of their lives; Political in refusing to acknowledge His kingship and religious, refusing to trust in Christ by faith alone. 


The Christian's walk through this world requires the power of the Spirit, the cross and the scriptures, as well as other Christians, since this world system, a "babylon of sorts", is hostile to the Christian.  It is our responsibility to be salt and light, and to let our light so shine before men so that they may see our works and give praise to the Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)


Babylon as the system will give away to Babylon the Great
After the Perisans had conquered the Babylonians, Babylon as a historical empire faded off the scene.  However In Revelation 17 and 18 we see prophecies concerning the arising of a future empire that the Bible calls "Babylon the Great".  Babylon the Great can be best understood under three headings: Economic, Political and Religious Babylon.  In those two chapters, the world system will be unified under one man, the Anti-Christ, who will be the head over the economic, political and religious interests of mankind.  Just as in Genesis 11, mankind will once again attempt to unite together in rebellion against God. 


With the Bible accurately making sense of the past, as well as explaining why things are presently, we can rest assured that the description of the future is also trustworthy.  Thankfully, Christ will return to defeat Babylon the Great. All true Christians will not have to suffer the doom recorded in those chapters. (Please compare 1 Thessalonians 1:10)  If anything, whatever is done for man's glory in earth will past, but whatever is done for Christ will last. 

The Tower of Babel: Evidence of Scripture's Accuracy

Genesis 11:4  They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

How accurate is the Bible
In today's blog I want us to briefly consider how accurate and reliable the Bible is in explaining historical events, present situations and future realities.  We will be using the tower of Babel as our case study, noting how all that proceeded from that one event is proof that the Biblical account of the Tower of Babel really did happen.  The Bible alone can be termed God's book, since its reliability and accuracy is unmatched. 

1. Historical sources confirming the existence of Babel
When we read Genesis 11, we are seeing the combined efforts of all men who were descended from the bloodlines of Noah's sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.  With the context of Genesis 10 as a backdrop, we know that in all, 70 different nations were represented.  Nimrod, the leader of this rebellious movement, concucted not only the building of this tower of Babel, but also the raising up of the Babylonian city, culture and lifestyle. From this one man, and one movement, would derive all of the religious, political and economic efforts of mankind in rebellion against God.

The Bible tells us in Genesis 11:8 "So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city."  Thus this great tower, representing humanity's economic, religious and political anarchy, was ceased in its construction.  Mankind dispersed, speaking different languages.  But how historical was this event?  Was it true?  Consider the testimonies throughout world history that refer to this tower:

1. We have discovered sources upon which King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the King who reigned in Daniel, had made efforts to reconstruct the tower of babylon which is spoken of in Genesis 11.

2. Herodotus, a Greek Historian writing in 450 b.c, speaks of the existence of a mound of ruins in Babylonia in his day.  He describes the "Hanging Gardens of Babylon", one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, as being associated with this site. 

3. Strabo, another Greek Historian, writes in his book "Geography" a physical description of all the countries surrounding the Mediterranean world in the 1st century A.D.  Writing in around the days of Jesus, Strabo describes the ruins of a tower that was 1/4 of a mile at its base and over 600 feet high.  Strabo calls this tower the tower of Jupiter of Belus.  Belus is Greek designation tower the world "Babylon" or Babel.

Clearly these sources outside of the Bible, composed by men who were not sympathetic to scripture, confirm the existence of this tower.  The ancient Babylonians used the term "Babel" in reference to what they believed to be "a gateway to the gods".  However the Bible reveals that the term "babel" ended up referring more to "confusion".  Indeed, if God had not stepped in and judged mankind at Babel, mankind would had destroyed themselves. 

2. Present day evidence for the existence of Babel

With historical testimony affirming the accuracy of the biblical record, what about current-present day evidence?

1. We know from the most recent studies in linguistics that scientists have traced the origins of all modern languages to the area surrounding modern day Iraq and Baghdad - the ancient site of the Tower of Babel.  In fact Linguists divide the earth's nearly 7,000 language groups into two general language families - both of which derive from the descendants Noah's sons: Hamio-Semtic (from Ham and Shem, all of the Middle Eastern and Asiatic Languages, like Chinese and Hebrew for instance) and Indo-European (from Japheth, all of the European and Mediterranean languages, such as Russian and Greek). 

2. The existence of "towers reaching to the heavens" existing all over the world tells us that man, though dispersed, still carried the rebellious message of Babel in his heart.  In Egypt, we have the Pyramids; in Mexico, the mighty Aztec Zigurrauts; In South America, the Mayan ruins; each of these being but examples of shrines devoted to men placing themselves as objects of worship and idolatry. 

3. Google Earth is a website where one can download pictures of any place on earth.  If you type in the site just South of Modern day Baghdad, Iraq, you will arrive at the ancient site of the tower of Babel. This site, called "Etemenanki" (tower of Marduk), can be found and viewed as a rather large mound of stone and ruins some 60 or so miles South of Baghdad.  

So clearly then we have evidence that we can view in our current day and time that this event had occured, and that it also explains the existence of other objects and sites throughout the world.  Once again the Bible is affirmed as being fully reliable and accurate in matters of history and science.  As Jesus reminds us in Matthew 5:18: "¹⁸ For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished."

In tomorrows blog, we will look at the future realities described by scripture that speaks of the world's present situation in light of prophecy connected to Babylon the Great and the Tower of Babel.