Babel Lives!

Babylon is a biblical symbol of the recurring rise of empires and self-appointed world leaders, and it continues to live and thrive today.

There is a much larger and older story behind the visions of the Book of Daniel than meets the eye, one quite relevant today. The Book focuses on the Empire that intends to rule the world and has done so since the dawn of human history. We ignore this biblical narrative at our peril. Not only was ancient Babel alive and well in the prophet's day, but it is rising once more on the world scene.

The Book’s opening passage calls the Neo-Babylonian Empire the “Land of Shinar,” a verbal link to the Tower of Babel incident in the Book of Genesis. It is echoed in Nebuchadnezzar’s imposition of the Babylonian language on his subjects, and his attempt to gather all nations to pay homage to his great golden image- (Daniel 1:1-2, 3:1-6).

[Photo by Tom Podmore on Unsplash]

The Neo-Babylonian Empire was not a new political entity, but one with an ancient pedigree. In the New Testament, the name “Babylon” becomes a cipher for the latest incarnation of this World Empire that seeks absolute power over the Earth. Daniel was living in the latest but certainly not the last iteration of the imperial city that periodically appears on Earth.

God thwarted the completion of the high tower in the “Land of Shinar.” His intervention caused the diversity and distribution of languages and cultures across the planet. The identification of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom with Shinar pointed to the true origins of the Neo-Babylonian Kingdom - (Genesis 11:1-9).

When the tower was built in Babel, the “whole earth was of one language and one speech.” Noah’s descendants migrated to Mesopotamia to dwell “in the Land of Shinar.” The name ‘Shinar’ is the Hebrew equivalent of ‘Sumer,’ the first known civilization in Mesopotamia.

The people of Shinar began to build a city with a high tower that would “reach the heavens and thus make us a name, lest we be scattered across the whole earth.” This description reflects the culture of Sumer. Each city featured temples built on ziggurats that formed the highest point in the city. Each temple was dedicated to the city’s chief deity or deities, and its economic and religious activities centered on the temple.

Yahweh commanded Adam to “multiply, replenish, and subdue the earth.” That command was reiterated to Noah after the Flood. However, humanity chose to move to Mesopotamia, build a new civilization, and make a name for itself. Consistently, “Babylon” is characterized by arrogance and idolatry - (Genesis 1:28, 9:1, Isaiah 14:13-14, 63:12-14, Jeremiah 32:20).

If humanity united under one language, its wickedness would become boundless. By confounding languages, God caused the nations to spread across the Earth and stopped this first attempt at establishing a centralized regional if not global empire.

Thus, the idolatrous ambitions of Babylon were delayed, at least, until a more opportune time. In Daniel, the Kingdom of Shinar had begun to rise again under Nebuchadnezzar.

The latest ruler of “Babel” attempted to reverse God’s ancient judgment. Having conquered the Kingdom of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar set out to gather different ethnic groups, cultures, and nations into his rebuilt city. There, the people were educated in the “language of Babylon,” the latest incarnation of the World Empire.

PARALLELS

In Genesis, the “whole earth spoke one language” as men began to dwell in “Shinar.” They built a city and tower of “great height” in the plain of Shinar to mark their achievements and prevent the dispersal of humanity.

Likewise, Nebuchadnezzar brought Judean captives to Babylon, the great city built by him. Exiles from other nations were educated in the “language of the Chaldeans.” What the original inhabitants of Babel began Nebuchadnezzar attempted to complete.

Furthermore, Nebuchadnezzar “set up” a great golden image of exceptional “height” in the “plain of Dura,” then decreed that “all peoples, races, and tongues” must render homage to it.  He gathered representatives from every province and nation “to the dedication of his image” - (Daniel 3:1-8).

The verbal parallels are deliberate.  Just as the earlier Mesopotamians united to build a city and high tower for their glory, so, also, the Neo-Babylonian king would unite all humanity under his authority, and to “pay homage” to the image he had “set up.”

In the Book of Revelation, “Babylon” takes on cosmic proportions as it wages war against the “Lamb” and his people. This final form of “Babylon” becomes the world “city” in contrast to the coming “Holy City of New Jerusalem.”

Babylon is the “Great Whore” full of the “abominations” and every “unclean thing” on Earth. Her hands are stained with the “blood of the prophets and the saints that have been slain on the Earth.” She is characterized by her cruelty, arrogance, self-glorification, and the worship she demands from everyone. The key to her power is her control of global commerce. Economic sanction is her weapon of choice – (Revelation 17:1-6, 18:1-24).

In “New Jerusalem,” on the other hand, there is no “unclean or abominable thing,” and the “curse” imposed on humanity by Adam’s sin is removed. It is populated with the “saints,” nations, and the “kings of the Earth.” God Himself and the “Lamb” dwell with them and “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes” – (Revelation 21:1-8).

Babylon as the world empire spans history. She rides the seven heads of the “Beast from the Sea.” Its “heads” represent seven “kingdoms.” The first five empires had “fallen” before John’s time. The sixth existed in his day, and the seventh and final world power was yet to come.

The arrival of the “Beast” is described using a present tense participle. It is always “ascending” either “from the Sea” or the “Abyss.” It appears repeatedly in history. It is intent on eradicating God’s people – (Revelation 13:1-10, 17:7-12).

There is an imperial power today that uses economic control to impose its will on nations and peoples. Will it become the “Seventh Kingdom” that “ascends from the Abyss” to wage war on the saints? Only time will tell.

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SEE ALSO:

• Empires Rise and Fall - (Imperial hubris is the legacy of the Tower of Babel, humanity’s first but certainly not attempt to establish a World Empire)

• God gives Political Power - (God gave the Kingdom of Judah into Nebuchadnezzar’s hands, but He also equipped Daniel for service in the Court of Babylon)

• Babel Rises Again - (In the Bible, Babylon is both a historical kingdom and symbol of the recurring rise of the World Empire)