Babel: The Beginning of Nations

A brief history of the beginning of nations is given in Genesis 11:1-9.

Genesis 11:1-9 (NKJV) 1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 2 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. 3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” 5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the LORD said, “Indeed the people [are] one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

After the Flood, a few generations after Noah, Genesis 10 tells us of a man named Nimrod. Nimrod was the son of Cush, who was the son of Ham, Noah’s third son. Genesis 10 tells us more about Nimrod than about the other descendants of Noah that are listed. This is what we read of Nimrod. 

Genesis 10:8-12 (NKJV) 8 Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.” 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city).

Geographically, the land being spoken of is in the area of modern-day Iraq. The map below shows the area. The area around Babylon was known as “Shinar.” Notice the large size of the area where Nimrod established cities.

 

When Genesis 10 speaks of a “mighty hunter before the LORD,” one might think this man and God were friends, but nothing could be farther from the truth.

Here is what Strong’s Lexicon of the Hebrew language says about the name Nimrod: “Derived from the Hebrew root מָרַד (marad), meaning ‘to rebel.’”

Translation is a tricky business. When God moved Moses to write this, Moses wrote it in Hebrew. So, where our English translations say “before the Lord,” the Hebrew uses the word “face” and a word meaning “to” (as in the direction being toward). The commentaries of the ancient Hebrews took this to mean that Nimrod opposed God. In addition, they interpreted “mighty” as “giant.” 

The historian Josephus, writing in about 93AD, describes Nimrod as a ruler who sought to turn people away from God and establish himself as ruler. He also says that it was Nimrod who started construction of the Tower of Babel. (Josephus, Antiquities 1.4.2) His writings reflect the Jewish traditions of the day.

The Bible also suggests that Nimrod was the instigator of the Tower of Babel when it says, “And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel.” (Genesis 10:10)

Nimrod was no ordinary man. The word translated as “mighty” is used in Genesis 6 to describe the “giants” who resulted from the intermingling of the sons of God with the daughters of men. Genesis 6:4 says:

Genesis 6:4 (NKJV) There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore [children] to them. Those were the mighty men who [were] of old, men of renown.

Although the Flood wiped out all the giants that were alive before the Flood, fallen angels (the devil and his helpers), with the cooperation of some people, tried the same trick again after the Flood. There are some who think that the myths of the Titans rebelling against the great god Zeus probably come from the actual events recorded in the Bible concerning the Tower of Babel. Additionally, there is some speculation that the Epic of Gilgamesh comes from the same time frame. The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient story of a warrior-king with divine connections. 

When Genesis 6:4 mentions giants “afterward,” and uses the same word for “giant” or “mighty,” along with the hints of hybrid “demigods” in history, it might suggest that Nimrod was one of these.

However, whatever one believes about Nimrod, he was no ordinary man. God made a point of introducing him in Genesis 10 and God also made a point of telling us that Babel was the beginning of his kingdom. From these facts, we can assume that Nimrod’s role in history is significant.

Genesis 11 introduces us to the largest, most impressive project of the kingdom of Babel, the Tower. This was a symbol of rebellion against God. This audacious stance was a declaration of war against God. Nimrod wanted to be THE RULER, and so he led humanity in declaring war against God.

God’s response to this declaration of war was to delay the inevitable outcome by confusing the languages of the people. This war is still going on and the Bible tells us how it will end.

The fact that everyone spoke the same language facilitated Nimrod’s quest for dominance. Genesis 11:1 tells us:

Genesis 11:1 (NKJV) Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.

Before the Flood, the people also had only one language, and the unity of language and absence of nations or “race” did not keep the earth from being filled with violence. So, humanity cannot say that one language and one speech for everyone would bring understanding and peace. Nimrod’s plan was to unite all of humanity under him. Perhaps he convinced people to follow him by promising peace and prosperity. Whatever he used to convince others, under Nimrod, ambition and arrogance found full expression. So, God blocked Nimrod’s ambition to be ruler of the entire world. God did this by confusing language, thus spreading humanity around the globe. 

When people suddenly found themselves speaking different languages, they were immediately divided according to families, resulting in the many nations that have characterized humanity throughout the ages. God could have instantly wiped out the whole crowd, but He chose to call out a people for Himself instead. The Bible tells us that God is patient and wants everyone to repent; in other words, lay down the weapons of their warfare against Him. He did not and does not destroy all humanity because He is calling out a people for Himself.

However, and this is a very important, foundational fact, the kingdom that Nimrod started has never ceased to exist. Nimrod’s descendants are still at war with God. Babel became known as Babylon. In 605 BC, Babylon defeated Egypt and her allies at the Battle of Cachemesh and Babylon became the dominate world power, until the Medes and Persians conquered it, and it became the Persian Empire. The Persians expanded the Empire and eventually fell to the Greeks when Alexander the Great took over. Alexander the Great expanded the Empire and established the foundations that became the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire expanded the Empire and established the foundation of what has become our modern world.

All of this history was foretold in the book of Daniel, who was an official in the Babylonian Empire. The king of Babylon at the time, Nebuchadnezzar, had a dream, and in that dream, he saw a huge statue. Daniel was able to explain that dream to Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel’s explanation foretold the Persian, Greek, and Roman Empires. It also foretells the kingdom that Jesus will set up when He returns. As one goes through the Bible, it becomes clear that Babylon is the devil’s kingdom. Ephesians 2:2 says:

Ephesians 2:2 (NKJV) in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

In the context of this verse, “prince” means ruler or king. Throughout the Bible, Babylon is used to reference the world system. In Isaiah 14, the king of Babylon is equated with Satan. In Revelation, Satan is spoken of as the dragon (serpent), and it is Satan who empowers the Beast. The fall of the kingdom of the Antichrist is announced as “The kingdom of Babylon has fallen!”

It is essential that we not forget that as part of God’s kingdom, people are not our enemy. Ephesians 6 tells us:

Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

The problem is that the devil has deceived billions of people into following him. Being under the control of the evil one, they become tools to do his bidding. As Christians we have been entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18ff explains that on behalf of Jesus Christ, we plead with people to be reconciled to God.

When a person is reconciled to God, God gives that person His Holy Spirit and that person is changed. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says:

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) Therefore, if anyone [is] in Christ, [he is] a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

The kingdom of Babylon that Nimrod established to oppose God is still in operation; it is the system that the world operates under. The world opposes God. This is why, in the book of James, the Scriptures says:

James 4:4 (NKJV) Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

From ancient Hebrew writings, it appears that demons empowered Nimrod. We also know that this world lies under the power of the evil one, and that, in the last days, the Antichrist, also known as “the Beast,” will be demonically empowered. 

As followers of Christ and citizens of His kingdom, we must not forget that the spirit of antichrist is already in the world. 1 John 4:3 says:

1 John 4:3 (NKJV) and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

God includes Nimrod and Babel in the account of Genesis because understanding what happened at that time is essential in understanding the world as it operates today. Much of the Bible is devoted to prophecy and the history of Nimrod and Babel are crucial in understanding the Bible’s prophecies. 

There are two kingdoms at war. God’s kingdom and the devil’s kingdom. When Jesus returns, He will destroy the devil’s kingdom (The Kingdom of Babylon) and establish His kingdom.

For each of us, it is crucial that we choose which side we are on. It is also urgent that we make our choice now. The things given to us by God in the Bible VERY CLEARLY indicate that the end of Nimrod’s kingdom is near and this time God has promised He will not use a flood.