THE ORIGIN OF NAME BABYLON
We will not spend much time on the meaning of the name Babylon. We will not say more than what is recorded for us. We are much more concerned on the hidden meaning of MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT. We are only concerned how the Holy Ghost used Babylon.
In Genesis 11:1-9 we have a very brief record of the origin and the meaning of the name Babylon. The land of Shinar where the children of the earth started to build the city of Babel is the same place as the ancient city of Babylon that is mention many times from 2nd Kings to the book of Zechariah was located; (Daniel 1:2). It is mentioned nearly three hundred times. That is twice as much as Zion is mentioned, the city of God! This does not give light on the meaning of Babylon as it is used by God to hide a mystery within His word. But, it does show us of the importance of the word Babylon.
As we read Genesis 11:1-9, we see that these men ........
(The Holy Spirit does not give us a name for them! The Spirit refers to them as "they"!) These men wanted to make them a name, but they left off building the city, without making for themselves a name! Not only did they leave off and came short of their purposes of building themselves this great city, they left CONFOUNDED!)
........without any thoughts toward the God of heaven, but had much thoughts about their persons and pleasures. They were very knowledgeable as far as this world's wisdom goes: ".......And now nothing will be restrained from them, which they imagined to do." Genesis 11:6.
They IMAGINED to do great works for themselves, to honour themselves for their great works, which they imagined to do. In the plains of the land of Shinar, there we see men, laboring to live in this world, without any knowledge of the God who created all things, including them. They had high thoughts about themselves, BUT THERE did the ALMIGHTY confound them and proved that he alone rules over all and those who exalt themselves, he is able to bring them down, and leave them in total ignorance of the most important thing and that has the highest value and for their best interest: the fear of God and knowledge of that Glorious Creator of all things; that are in heaven, in the earth and under the earth; visible and invisible; things past, present and things yet to be.
This great work that God did by confounding them, did not cause them to seek him, or even cause them to mention the name of God. They just left off and were scattered upon the face of ALL the earth; And there are they still laboring to make for themselves a great name. We will see their children in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
Genesis 11:9 is the second mention of the word Babel, from which the word Babylon comes from. Its meaning is recorded for us it Genesis 11:9; Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there CONFOUND the language of all the earth:........"
They THOUGHT they were wise, BUT they were VERY CONFUSED about HOW to be wise! There are a few things that we should ponder in Genesis 10 and 11 before moving on.
What amazes me is this: First, this scattering/dividing of the children of men took place in the days of Peleg. "And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided;" .......This is NOT speaking of a CATASTROPHIC event; whereby, the LAND ITSELF was divided. This thinking does not go with the flow of events in Genesis 10 and 11. The ONLY thing that Moses mentions from the statement found in Genesis 10:25 is what we read in Genesis 11:1-9! That is: the dividing of the LANGUAGE among the children of men. This is not too deep, but there are many who love the literal sense in everything they read in the scriptures and cannot think in any other sense, so they have a catastrophic event taking place that they cannot prove nor could it take place, without God creating a new heaven and a new earth. We do have his promise that he will turn to us a pure language in that day. "For then (after the earth is devoured with the FIRE of his jealousy, verse8) will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent." Zephaniah 3:9 It was divided in this sense: men were scattered upon the FACE OF THE EARTH, all of them having different languages to take with them.
Second: This may have happened with NOAH STILL LIVING or at least shortly afterward. Follow me: Shem had Arphaxad two years after the flood; Arphaxad had Salah; Thirty seven after the flood (Luke said Cainan, Luke 3:36, but this is a different study for another time) Salah had Eber; Sixty seven years after the flood; Eber had Peleg, One hundred and one years after the flood. Noah lived after the flood Three hundred and fifty years; Noah lived after Peleg was born, another two hundred and fifty one years! Peleg lived after Noah, one hundred and eighty nine years. Maybe Genesis 11:1-9 happened after Noah’s death, it really does not matter, BUT, this does: Men SO SOON forgot the FLOOD! I would think that the ark was STILL there to witness to them and against them! When we read Genesis 11, we wonder with amazement that the earth was full of reprobates, SO SOON! WHY (we know why) cannot the "FREE WILL" preachers see that apart from the POWER of God's Spirit, NO MAN WOULD EVER COME TO HIM! When the Almighty leaves men to themselves, they would NEVER seek God; they would NEVER have ONE thought toward heaven; They would LOOK to THEMSELVES as a MIGHTY HUNTER before the LORD; mighty in THIS or mighty in THAT, and NO ONE is as mighty as ME, would be their inward thoughts! Not even "that God" who thinks that he is Almighty, by sending a flood to cover the earth! Their inward thoughts were, WHO is the LORD that I should obey Him?
This is what we take from those two chapters, that helps us to understand our subject as we work our way through the Bible. This is where we FIRST hear of BABEL/BABYLON! From Genesis 10 and 11, and we learned the Holy Ghost's definition of the word Babylon; and it simply means: CONFUSION.
We shall (the Lord willing) see that this perfectly describes ALL MEN who have ever lived in this world, and who are, and who yet shall live in this world WITHOUT God; by that statement, we mean, who lived without fearing, loving and submitting themselves to the very God who created the world and all things therein, including them; and giving Him glory for ALL things that they enjoy in HIS WORLD.
All one needs to do, is to read their works, listen to their words, and consider their life and then you can see and understand that they are very CONFUSED. Whether they are religious or neutral or hate religion, if they are living their life according to the wisdom that is in their heart and not according to the TRUE WISDOM found ONLY in word of God, then a spiritual man/woman can see just how confused those folk are. There are multitudes in and out of religion that are of the great city of "SPIRITUAL BABYLON"!
The truth is: there are only TWO CITIES on this planet called earth;........ We know that there are many literal earthy cites, but there are only TWO in a TRUE spiritual sense.
One is Babylon........ In Babylon, that GREAT CITY; you will find a king that is over them, and his spirit works in them; his name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. He is the angel of the bottomless pit. He is the prince and the power of the air, in this Babylon.
This king was, and is not, and yet is. This king's kingdom shall be destroyed with violence, and shall be found no more at all. The king shall go into eternal perdition, into the lake of fire, prepared for him and his angels. All of the great city of Babylon, those who make up this great city of Babylon will be cast into the lake of fire with them.
The other is Zion......In Zion, they too have a king over them. His name is: Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The prince of peace. His kingdom shall have NO END! Those who are part of THIS CITY, are called, faithful, and chosen! They shall live forever with God, and shall look upon his face; the citizens of this city know him as JESUS CHRIST the Lord, king of kings, Lord of lords. They shall inherit all things; a new heaven and earth. The first heaven and earth were corrupted by its king and his children; but the mighty God of Zion shall destroyed their Babylon and its king!
Let us now search the scriptures and see from them what they teach us concerning: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT....
I may not make every verse fit perfectly, but there will be so much of the picture put together, that it will be impossible to deny the truth of what we will be teaching from this paper. I will not claim perfection, but will claim TRUTH of that, which we will be presenting.
Search the writings of the prophets in the Old Testament, and read them very carefully and you must confess, if one are honest with God's word, that the word Babylon when used by the prophets, was NOT always speaking of the literal ancient city that took Judah captive, during the days of Jeremiah the prophet.
Let us look at the scriptures of the prophets and see if we can determine what the Spirit of God meant when he was teaching us through holy men of God, who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
