In Genesis 11, we have the familiar story of the Tower of Babel, and in this historical account, we have all the primary elements necessary to predict that eventually mankind will succeed in constructing a unified world government. In this early stage of man's endeavors to achieve dominion apart from God, we see the basic pattern for the one world order, dominated by the Devil, that is destined to be installed at the end of the age when JESUS CHRIST returns to the Earth. The Bible tells us,

"And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. 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 morter. 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 11:1-4)

    The first thing we see is that all people still spoke the same language at this point in history. This would not be unusual considering the fact that at this time the world had just begun to replenish the population after the great judgment of God at the flood of Noah. In fact, the prior chapter of Genesis details the genealogies of the descendants of Noah that precede the story of the Tower of Babel.

    Also, in the prior chapter, we are introduced to Nimrod who is to be the key individual that is the apparent leader of the project to build Babel. The Bible tells us Nimrod "began to be a mighty one in the earth." (Genesis 10:8)

The First City

   One of the more interesting aspects of the tower tale is the assumption that man was of a primitive understanding at that point in time. This comes from a superficial reading of the text, and the presumed implication that the people were foolish enough to think they could actually climb up into heaven by building a tower "whose top may reach unto heaven." (Genesis 11:4).The fact is, archaeological evidence from this era tells us this early society was already well versed in mathematics, astronomy, commerce, and writing.

    There is evidence that the pre-flood civilization of Noah's time was probably very advanced on a number of levels. Intercontinental travel is implied through various cultural similarities seen in North American antiquities - indicating a diffusion of art, architecture, and religious ritual had occurred that apparently originated in the Mediterranean "cradle of civilization."

    Thus, when the cluster of people that "journeyed from the east" decided to "build us a city and a tower" out of bricks that they formed, it doesn't necessarily mean they were unaware of more modern construction techniques. It means they set out to build the tower with the materials that were available to them. Indeed, there is even a subtle clue in the very fact that the text does take the time to document what they had available when it states "and they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar." (Genesis 11:3)

    Because we have previously analyzed the account of the Nephilim in Genesis chapter 6 wherein the fallen angels inter-bred with the daughters of men through an apparent genetic manipulation (and found that amazing account to be historically accurate), we know that much of the knowledge of the evil angelic host had been evident to early man. In fact, in the Babylonian records that date back to the time just after the Tower of Babel episode, we've learned a great deal about a race of beings they interacted with whom they referred to as the Annunaki - a term which means "those who from heaven to earth came."

    These extremely old Mesopotamian tablets tell us that the ancient Sumerians learned metallurgy, geography, and even map-making from the Annunaki. They had elaborate beliefs on the things of the spirit, and their records covering cosmology include facts about the planetary alignments in our solar system that weren't 'rediscovered' until the Voyager space probes of the 1980's. To put it bluntly, there is a great deal more to the Tower of Babel story than most people are willing to recognize.

    We know, for example, that the ancient "tower" that is usually referred to as the Tower of Babel was a ziggurat - essentially a 'step-pyramid' that was used as an observatory. In the excavated ruins of ancient Babylon, this tower is named Etemananki. While one might ask why this ancient group felt the need to build an observatory at this point in time, the answer to this question is actually in the Bible - although it is somewhat veiled.

    The context provides the key. At the time of the effort to build the tower, the world had recently been devastated by the universal flood - and it was common knowledge that the flood had been triggered by something that came from the heavens. Studies in Biblical catastrophism have provided a conclusive link between the ancient flood of Noah and a planetary collision that was the catalyst for the great flood (for more on the particulars of this event, see Rampaging Planets: Catastrophism in The Bible by the present author)

    While space precludes a lengthy justification for the belief in planetary catastrophism as the mechanism the LORD used to bring about the great flood and other cataclysmic judgments described in the Old Testament, the reader is urged to examine the Biblical verses that pointedly tells us about how God causes the hills to melt, the earth to be burned, and the mountains to quake (Amos 9:13, Nahum 1:5, Isaiah 13:13) when it suits His purpose.

    To cite just one clear scriptural example of this concept, we may look at the defeat of the armies of Sisera at the hand of the LORD when the text says "They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses [orbits] fought against Sisera." In this stunning example of divine intervention using the agency of the planetary order, when "the stars fought" the result was "The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon." (Judges 5:20, 21) In short, here is a point blank description of a flood caused by a mysterious activity among the stars.

    Suffice it to say the evidence is extensive that the LORD uses the existing planetary order to bring about His will (Job 38:22, 23, 34) With this thought in mind, the simple fact is, the ancient builders of Babel, as the descendants of Noah, understood that the devastation of the great flood had originated in the heavens - and they wanted to build an observatory to learn more about the reconfigured heavens after the time of the flood. It is also likely they wanted to build the ziggurat so it could serve as a sort of 'early warning station' of future destructions from on high.

    There is another statement in the Biblical account of the Tower of Babel that also bears scrutiny. The people that sought to build the tower said "and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." (Genesis 11:4. The word rendered "name" is Shem and, although it implies identity, there is also the connotation of a collective identity.

    One scholar says the word as used in this passage refers to,

"...a standing mark or title of distinction or eminence. 'and let us,' say the heads or leaders, 'make us a name,' a monument or token of superiority and eminence; to denote and to signify to all succeeding generations that they were the true original governors, to whom mankind ought to be in subjection." (Old Testament Word Studies, William Wilson, Kregel Books)

    The essential idea is that the builders of Babel sought to create an identity or found a government that would provide them with a vehicle that would enable them to develop a dominion that would preclude their being "scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." (Genesis 11:4) In short, the idea was to build a kingdom for their posterity.

    As previously noted, the prior chapter in Genesis identified the leader of this enterprise as Nimrod who was said to be "a mighty hunter before the Lord" (Genesis 10:9). The text goes on to inform the reader that that "the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar." (Genesis 10:10) Thus, Nimrod was the undisputed head of the government that ultimately built Babylon.

    When the Bible tells us Nimrod was a great "hunter before the Lord," the word "before" has many applications that change the way the verse is perceived. Strong's Concordance tells us before can mean "against," or in opposition to. Because we know the LORD ultimately intervened against the effort at man-made government that originated at Babel, we can see the context requires we recognize that the text is telling us that that 'Nimrod was a great leader that opposed the Lord.'

    Another factor is that Nimrod's program involved a hierarchical political structure. Prior to and immediately after the tower episode, we find two crucial examples of GOD's preference for man's development. In these two cases, we see His selected an organizational structure that was patriarchal.

    In the first case, we learn that Noah's associates were all his family members, consisting of his wife, his sons, and their wives. It is self-evident that Noah was the undisputed leader of this patriarchal structure.

    Shortly after the Tower of Babel episode, we learn that God chooses to make a great nation from Abraham - once again utilizing the patriarchic structure. God chooses Abraham and states "for a father of many nations have I made thee." (Genesis 17:5) Among many promises, God gives Abraham "all the land of Canaan...and to thy seed after thee." (Genesis 17:8, 7)

    Furthermore, in both cases of these examples of the LORD's concept for a people-group, we see that GOD is the one that chose the figure He would develop into a people. God chose Noah, and God chose Abraham. The LORD did not choose Nimrod, and neither were the latter's subjects his offspring. Thus, the idea of a government that develops apart from the revealed will of God is manifested for the very first time in the building at Babel. And there is more.

    All through scripture, we see the LORD is the one that chooses those that He desires to lead. Deuteronomy speaks of "the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name in...." whereas when the children of Israel were to be given the promised land, the person who was to be the leader of Israel was one "whom the Lord thy God shall choose...." (Deuteronomy 17:8, 15) The Psalmist writes that God "shall choose our inheritance for us" and "Blessed is the man who thou choosest." (Psalm 47:4, 65:4)

    Conversely, the building at Babel was but the beginning of the great kingdoms of men, and the head of that hierarchical political structure, Nimrod, was destined to eventually be deified. In this regard, Nimrod is a perfect picture of the Antichrist and his Babylonian kingdom presages the last Babylon of the end times. Interestingly, on this aspect of the king of Babylon seeking to elevate himself to the status of a god, the true Word of God, the King James Version, tends to obscure the meaning just a bit as the truth of this matter is only for those with ears to hear - i.e. those that God has chosen to draw unto Himself.

    When Genesis states that the "the beginning of [Nimrod's] kingdom was Babel, and Erech [seen as Uruk in the Babylonian documents], and Accad, and Calneh," it implies a much greater kingdom was to ensue. In the next verse it states "Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah...." (Genesis 10:10, 11) Something very strange is going in with this identification.

    Let The God Names Begin While some point out that Noah had a grandson named Asshur, what is hidden from view is that it's likely that this Asshur is but another appellation for Nimrod. In fact, author Alexander Hislop states that "Asshur is the passive participle of a verb, which, in its Chaldee sense, signifies 'to make strong.' (The Two Babylons, page 24)

    Citing the Roman writer Justin's work Trogus Pompeius, Hislop points out that Mesopotamian records indicate the founder of Nin-eveh was the ancient king Ninus - whose name is preserved in the city's name; yet even to the present day, archaeological work continues in what was the capital of Assyria - a city near Mosul in Iraq known as Nimrud. So while Genesis tells us Nineveh was founded by someone named Asshur at a time when Nimrod's power would have been supreme, that same place later became known as Nimrud. Thus, the name Asshur seems to be a god-name, implying strength and power, that is distinctly connected to the person the Bible calls Nimrod. In fact, in the book of Micah, Nimrod is also identified with Asshur - which also happens to be the Hebrew word for Assyria. The prophet Micah states "And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof...." (Micah 5:6)

    The scriptures further identify Asshur is a name for the god of Assyria, for the prophet Hosea tells us "Asshur shall not save us...neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods...." (Hosea 14:3) In fact, like many of the ancient societies that named their leaders and subjects with names derived from their god, many of the successive kings of Assyria used the god's name as a compound to their own name. A good example of this are the famous kings of Assyria, Asshur-banipal and Asshur-nasirpal.

    While it is theoretically possible that the Asshur that was later elevated to deity by the Assyrians was actually the grandson of Noah and a contemporary of Nimrod, the evidence suggests that the two people were one and the same. Thus, we identify Nimrod under the Assyrian god-name of Asshur. How Nimrod assumes the identity of the deity named Asshur is of great interest as it provides us with a key understanding in the present account - as well as on the larger scale of prophetic interpretation of contemporary events.

    When the tower was being built under the guidance of Nimrod in order to build a system that would unify all the people under the government of their great king, the LORD intervened. Genesis tells us,

"And the Lord said, Behold, the people are 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. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth." (Genesis 11:6-9)

    This verse is very revealing for it tells us that God recognized that the hierarchical structure that had emerged in the government of King Nimrod would be able to accomplish whatever the leader so desired. Furthermore, not only was the government of Nimrod/Asshur in direct opposition to the LORD's plan for the family unit, the dominion of the king had a religious dimension as well which also enhanced his authority.

    What is truly fascinating is what God actually accomplished with the scattering the languages. This one event caused the most profound change since the flood itself; and in the process of recognizing what actually happened, we can gain a significant understanding of the entire panorama of prophecy.

    Not only did the LORD set back the top down political-religious power of Satanically inspired government with the scattering of the languages, this act also insured the renewal of the family unit. As each person (or smaller clusters of persons) that had suddenly been endowed with a new linguistic orientation re-settled, each of their descendants also spoke the same language. This ensured the social construct was, once again, more tightly focused around families.

    Ironically, the scattering of the languages also set the pattern as to how the nations would eventually develop - to say nothing of the divergent religious beliefs that ultimately emerged. The truth of this matter is strikingly simple. In fact, the earlier question of how Nimrod became Asshur is the key to why all nations have so many divergent god names that may be traced back to the same source.

    Nimrod became Asshur simply because Asshur was the word assigned to Nimrod that was used in the language of one of the earliest family groups that became powerful after the languages were scattered.

    It has been known for many years that these diverse religious god-names have distinct similarities, attributes, and historical parallels. For instance, in the Greek language, the name for Nimrod was Nebrod - which means "mighty hunter." A related word, Nebros, means the spotted fawn. This was the symbol for Bacchus - a Grecian version of Nimrod.

    Bacchus was a young god that died prematurely, and he has been distinctly identified as the Grecian version of the Egyptian Osiris - the son of the sun-god who also died in his prime. 400 years before the time of Jesus, Plato tells us "that in his day the Egyptian Osiris was regarded as identical with Tammuz; and Tammuz is well known to have been the same as Adonis." (Two Babylons Hislop, page 56. In short, every one of these "names of blasphemy" are related.

    Time and time again, the names of each pagan god all trace back to the Tower of Babel - and so do the names and attributes of the planets and the stars. These parallel myths are all distorted echoes of pre-flood knowledge. For example, the prophecy in Genesis that was issued long before the flood concerning the coming of a great Saviour as the "seed of the woman" was carried onto the ark with Noah, and predated all religious development. (see Genesis 3:15) Many centuries before the time of the Tower of Babel when all people still spoke the same language, the expectation of a divine seed that would be sent from God was universally known.

    For instance, in the ancient Chaldean culture, a circle was a mathematical zero, but in the mystery religions the symbol for zero meant "the seed." Thus, in the Persian mystical religious traditions, we see the confluence of two compound words - "zero" (the seed) and "aster" (star) converge in a Persian god named Zoroaster - meaning starseed. This is a classic example of how the scattering of the languages, in combination with a distorted version of the earlier knowledge of the LORD's activity (the curse upon the serpent) formed the basis for a pagan religious belief.

    A similar linguistic trail exists when tracking the name of Nimrod's mother Semiramus. She shows up as Cybele, Rhea, Baalti, Minerva, Diana (the huntress), Athena, Hera, Venus, Ashtaroth, Astarte, Ishtar, etc. Significantly, as in the case with Nimrod, there is always a connection with the stars.

The Solar System
In The Sides Of The North

   Here we come to the missing component in the tale of the tower. Because the truth of the story of what really happened just before and just after the flood of Noah has been obfuscated by the confusing of the languages - to say nothing of the 'washing away' of the evidentiary record because of the overwhelming devastation of the flood itself - few understand what is at the root of the history of religion.

    Prior to the flood, a planetary body in our solar system provided the requisite energy and light that was necessary to completely balance Earth's biosphere. We already know that in the pre-flood environment, man's genetic structure and habitat allowed him to live to be hundreds of years old. The memory of this 'golden age' of robust health and abundance persisted through the time of Noah and the subsequent generation at the Tower of Babel. Shining brightly on a continuous basis, this planet provided just the right amount of light and warmth that complemented and perfected the radiant activity of the sun. Linguistic research on the origins of the god-names tells us it was the planet we know as Saturn.

    After the flood, the descendants of Noah quickly learned that Saturn was missing. Although Saturn could still be located by the ancients, the evidence suggests that its ability to provide energy was substantially diminished - even as its location was moved to a more distant orbital path. Saturn is more widely recognized by his classical Latin name Lucifer.

    Although this name is also associated with Venus, over the centuries the names and attributes of the various planetary gods have overlapped and become significantly confused - once again a testimony to the confounding of the languages at Babel.

    When Saturn's prominent position in the sky was sharply diminished, after the flood the longevity of man suddenly collapsed. Disease, hardship conditions, and a pronounced reduction in the abundance of the various harvests were immediately observed. It was obvious something had changed dramatically as the population began to perish at a progressively younger age. To put it simply, the quality of the biosphere had deteriorated substantially, and men began to search for an organizational structure to insure their survival - "lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." (Genesis 11:4)

    In his fallen nature, man followed his natural instincts and refused to accept the account transmitted by Noah as to why God had brought about the tremendous deluge. Instead, men longed for a return to the conditions that were now gone forever. The focal point of this desire was the now obviously missing planet. Because everyone remembered the LORD's promise concering a Messianic figure in the form of the seed of the woman, Nimrod and Semiramus were able to propagate a religious counterfeit that capitalized on the prophecy concerning the seed of the woman and the arrival of the Saviour.

    Scripture provides us with no direct information on the death of Nimrod, but by examining the mythos of the various names associated with him, it is clear he met with a violent end. After his demise, it seems that Semiramus was able to convince the populace that Nimrod (aka Ninus/Asshur/Tammuz/Adonis etc.) had been resurrected (or even reincarnated) or was about to be returned in the form of her son. The details of how she accomplished this are distorted due to the myriad of legends, but it appears that she was able to channel the longing for a return to the golden age into a religious ritual. This formed the basis of all the ancient religious systems.

    The proof of this is found in the fact that the parallel myths are so similar it is undeniable that they must all have a common origin. Furthermore, systematic research conclusively demonstrates that these religious practices all have the same focus. Each of them, through various forms and ritual, implored the god of heaven to return the missing deity that mankind was convinced would bring about a return to the prior conditions. In every case except Biblical Christianity, that deity has been definitively linked to Lucifer. Incredibly, every ancient pagan religious practice has at its very core an intense desire to see the return of LUCIFER.

    It should be stated that the identification of the planetary pantheon with the fallen angels does not diminish the personal nature of the angelic host, nor does it redefine God into some mystical force that moves the planets in their orbits. What is clear is that the planets and stars have some intrinsic association with each of the fallen angels, and those angels are personalities that have consistently sought to deceive mankind into following in their great rebellion against the true God of heaven - the GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

    Thus, in the Old Testament, we find a vivid description of the fall of Satan that can also be deciphered as a description of the fall of the previous position of prominence of the planet Saturn. It is nothing short of amazing when we realize that the passage actually identifies this entity as the king of Babylon:

"...take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! The golden city ceased! The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the scepter of the rulers. Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth...All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How are thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most high." (Isaiah 14:4, 5, 9-12)

    What this passage shows us is the identity of the king of Babylon is but a repetitive manifestation of Lucifer - the one whose previously bright presence in the heavens has fallen. Nimrod was only the first of many 'kings of Babylon.' The fallen star named Lucifer is variously identified as the king of Tyre, the king of Babylon, the Assyrian, Edom, the dragon, and even the Egyptian Pharaoh. Ezekiel, a great prophet of the LORD tells us that Satan's standing in the heavens caused his pride to enlarge and his heart was lifted up because of glorious position. His was a pivotal part of God's great creation, but because of his turn to evil and his infecting of humankind with the same malady, "the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." (Romans 8:22)

    Although the Biblical prophets addressing this entity point their commentary at various temporal identities in the form of kings and princes, on another layer these passages are actually the LORD speaking directly to Lucifer. For instance, in Ezekiel, God says to Satan,

"Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness...Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee...." (Ezekiel 28:15, 18)