Babylon Strides the Earth

“Babylon” symbolizes the recurring rise of the world empire and its self-appointed kings and tyrants, and it strides across the Earth even today.

There is a much older story behind the visions of the Book of Daniel. It presents the World Empire as it attempted to rule Daniel’s world. However, this imperial power has been striving to subjugate humanity since the dawn of human history. We ignore this biblical narrative at our peril since it is rising once more in our day using its economic and military might to impose its will on nations and peoples.

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 Chaldean language on his subjects, and his attempt to gather all nations to venerate his great golden image- (Daniel 1:1-2, 3:1-6).

[Photo by Kelsey Knight on Unsplash]

The Neo-Babylonian Empire was not a new political entity. It had an ancient pedigree. In the New Testament, the name “Babylon” becomes a cipher for the latest incarnation of this World Empire. 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 his Dominion - (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.” ‘Shinar’ is the Hebrew equivalent of ‘Sumer,’ the first known civilization in Mesopotamia.

The people of Shinar began to build a great city with a high tower that would “reach the heavens and thus make us a name, lest we be scattered across the Earth.” This description reflects the Sumerian culture. Each city featured temples built on ziggurats or mounds that formed the highest point in the city. Each temple was dedicated to the city’s deity or deities, and economic activity 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 in Scripture, “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.

The idolatrous ambitions of Babylon were delayed until a more opportune time, but not eliminated. In Daniel, the Kingdom of Shinar began to rise once more, this time 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 where the people were educated in the “Language of Babylon,” the latest incarnation of the World Empire.

REVELATION

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 he built. Exiles from other nations were educated in the “language of the Chaldeans.” What the original inhabitants of Babel began Nebuchadnezzar attempted to complete.

Moreover, 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 “Babel” 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, and self-glorification. The key to her power is control of global and seaborn commerce. She and the “Beast from the Sea” together form a thalassocracy. 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 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.” They represent seven “kingdoms.” The first five 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).

Another incarnation of Ancient Babel is rising today; like its ancestors, it employs economic control and its dominance of global commerce and the world of finance to impose its will on nations, kings, presidents, and peoples. It follows in the footsteps of Shinar, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Greece, and Rome.

Will it become the “Seventh Kingdom” that “ascends from the Abyss” to wage war on the saints? It is well on its way, but only time will tell.

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