by Jon R. Welker

(This is an article that was written for Shepherdsfield Update #57)

"And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
...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.
...And the LORD said, Behold, the people is 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 11:1, 4, 6-9

In recent years one word stands out which reveals the attitude of world leaders and the view of many nations as they plan for the future. That word is GLOBAL. This word has been attached to almost every segment of our civilization. Global warming, global village, global economy, global pollution, global networking, global positional satellites, global epidemics, and the list continues. I believe it links with the Scriptural account regarding Babel in Genesis 11. Babel was mankind's first attempt at "globalism" -

"And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. …The people is one…." Genesis 11:1, 6

Because of the rapid technological innovations, particularly in computer technology and its connected internet capabilities, "the whole earth [is becoming] of one language, and one speech" - the language of the computer and its various usages, such as e-mail and text messaging, etc. Now, "nothing will be withheld from them which they have imagined to do" (verse 6). Therein lies the problem and the danger. "wickedness of man"and "imagination of the thoughts of his heart [being] only evil continually" (Gen. 6:5), which provoked the Lord into unleashing the Flood in Noah's day, has now found "high speed internet" capability to spread such disobedience and evil to every corner of the globe in but small segments of time. Yes, I am aware of the potential for the same equipment to spread good things as well. Yet, we have but to consider the many statistics regarding the greater use of the internet for pornography and wickedness in comparison to potential good to realize that just as in Genesis 11, it was not necessary to mention that there might also have been some potential for "one language and speech" to educate people into patterns of righteousness. It is clear, therefore, that such was not the case. Truly, "the wickedness of man is great in the earth" again in our day.

The "high speed" pollution of every thought and imagination grows by the day. As you will read elsewhere in this Update [see "Environmental Issues in our Laodicean Age" - pg. 6] this process of "through pollution" [diaphtheiro, dee-af-thi'-ro] is destroying the earth (see Rev. 11:18). The inner world or environment of man is reflected or manifested in his outer or physical world. "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man," said Jesus (Matt. 15:11) . "…As in heaven [the mind], so in earth [the physical]" (Lk. 11:2).

Therefore are we beholding the whole earth and its environs "polluted" - "through polluted." This includes "minds, morals; ...bodily vigor and strength; as per Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon for polluted.

It is truly becoming difficult for even sincere believers to remain undefiled in our present environment. Like unto "just Lot," many sincere Christians are "…vexed with the filthy manner of life of the wicked: (for that righteous… dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, [are] vexed [in their] righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds)…" (II Pet. 2:7-8).

Since the Lord changes not (see Mal. 3:6), can we not assume that His response will be the same? He cannot permit this polluting to continue indefinitely, or even over a prolonged time.

"And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." Matthew 24:22

So again, I will encourage you to keep "watching" as Jesus commanded (Mk. 13:37). As you read through this Update, keep in mind the real message that God is speaking to us about global pollution - and its affect upon you and all people.

Babylon links with confusion. And the history of Babylon reveals that it was there that attempts were made to gather together various "ancient mysteries" in order to control people and establish an empire of great power, strength and wealth. In the Book of Revelation this process and its creation is called "Mystery Babylon"! (See Rev. 17:5.) Babylon's connection with apostasy and confusion of truth is unmistakable. And although physical Babylon is no longer a significant entity, Scripture warns us of her spiritual counterpart:

"With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication [4203], and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication." [4202] Revelation 17:2

4203 porneuo {porn-yoo'-o} • from 4204; to act the harlot, i.e. (lit.) indulge unlawful lust (of either sex), or (fig.) practise idolatry: - commit (fornication). (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance)

4202 porneia {por-ni'-ah} • from 4203 • 1) illicit sexual intercourse; 1a) adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals, etc.; 1b) sexual intercourse with close relatives [= incest]; Lev. 18; 1c) sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; Mk. 10:11,12; 2) metaph. the worship of idols; 2a) of the defilement of idolatry, as incurred by eating the sacrifices offered to idols. (BibleWorks for Windows © 1998)

It's interesting to note that pornography is one of - if not the greatest - uses of the internet!

The pollution (or confusion) of TRUTH by the rapid rise of computer technology is being done by the sharing of a common distribution of information - the internet. "The whole earth is of one language"… "the people are one…."

All of earth and even man's inner world of thought is truly being "through-polluted."

Now, let me quote a few paragraphs from our The Lord's Day book about the history of Babylon.

The rise of physical Babylon took place over many centuries after the flood of Noah. It was first reestablished by Nimrod (Gen. 10:10), son of Cush who was the grandson of Noah through the line of Ham. Nimrod (we will revolt) was also known as Ninus (the son) and he became mighty on the earth while Noah's son Shem was still alive. The beginning of Nimrod's kingdom was Babylon.

Another name for his father, Cush (black), was Belus or Bel (the confounder). Both Nimrod and Cush were instrumental in bringing about a great apostasy and a great confusing of the truth. Being the ringleader, Cush was also the first to whom was given the name Merodach (the Great Rebel). Jeremiah speaks of Bel being put to shame and Merodach being broken down (Jer. 50:2). As Bel, he confounded the whole world and so he is put to shame. Since Merodach's rebellion had broken the then united world in pieces, he himself was broken down. The method used to provoke rebellion in the world of that day was by proclaiming a release or liberty from the specific way of life for man which God had made known and which was carried into the postdiluvian world by Noah. It was the same Satan-inspired message to liberalism that has always appealed to human nature - "it is not necessary to conform to all that you have been told." The ringleaders became the liberal interpreters of "God's will" for the people.

…Dark-skinned Nimrod (from the line of Ham), with his fair-skinned and beautiful queen, Semiramis, ruled in the capitol city of Babylon. There they developed the liberal but secret religion after the pattern in the antediluvian practices, until there came a confrontation with Shem and other uncorrupted men. Nimrod came forward with his religion a little too early and was put to death by the sword as a warning to all. Semiramis, as queen, continued to sponsor the new religion under the wraps of secrecy, and took for herself the position that had been occupied by Nimrod. By her arranging, Nimrod became deified, her son Tammuz became the deified reincarnation of Nimrod and she herself became the "great Mother of Gods." This idolatry and its practices, long before the birth of Christ, spread through Tibet, China and Japan, and through the Americas (Jer. 51:7). The Madonna and child worship, the queen of heaven worship, a set-apart priesthood, secrecy in ritual, systems of merit by penance, immersion baptism, etc., long have been a part of all major religions.

Semiramis was a paragon of unbridled lust and licentiousness, and the city where she reigned became known among nations as the grand seat of both idolatry and consecrated prostitution. Because patriarchal faith was still fresh in the minds of men, it was hazardous to all at once publicly set up a system such as she inaugurated. Idolatry of any form was severely punished even much later as in Job's day (Job 31:26-28). Therefore by necessity, if idolatry was to be brought in, especially such foul idolatry as that in the Babylonian system, it had to be brought in by stealth and in secret so the uncorrupted men could not put it down. The object was to bind all mankind to blind and absolute submission to a hierarchy entirely dependent on the sovereigns of Babylon.

The method of implementation called for all knowledge, sacred and profane [common], to be monopolized by a priesthood which dealt it out to those initiated into the "mysteries" exactly as it saw fit - as the interests of that system of spiritual despotism seemed to require. The people who became a part of the system were bound to the priests, and were told only that blind and implicit submission to them could result in salvation. Symbolism refers to the golden cup of Babylon, and the secrecy surrounding that system required the drinking of mysterious beverages from the cup. These beverages were compounded to be intoxicating, and were used with the objective of bringing aspirants to the order under their power, dimming the understanding and freeing the emotions and passions so they would be prepared to accept what they would see and hear. Babylon persistently remained the holy city and religious capital of Asia, until conquered by the Persians in 538 B.C….

Keep Watching!

- lest you become one of the intoxicated, even intoxicated by the "fornication" (porneo) of our present Babylon!