BABYLON | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 26, 1899

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 25, No. 30.

BABYLON.

Man's Way or God's Way?

ONE of the prominent and striking characters of Bible symbolism is the name and city of Babylon. It is an active agent in human affairs from the Deluge to the time when Babylon, like the apocalyptic millstone, is buried in oblivion.

Babylon is presented under various phases. In country and city, in cup and woman, her seductive, malign influence is symbolized in the Scriptures. There is, as in all other symbols, danger of misinterpretation.

The origin of Babylon is departure from God. The motive is selfishness and pride.

God is one. His plan is one. If followed by His creatures, it makes them one with Him.

God's plan is diffusive. It is designed to bless all by uniting all with Him, and so make them blessings to others. Babylon's plan is to secure that we may hold. God's plan is to receive that we may give.

When man was created upon the earth, God commanded him to "be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish [completely fill] the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." Gen. 1:28. God blessed man, and designed that man should be a blessing to all His creatures.

After the flood, the inhabitants of earth reduced to one family, God again commanded, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth." Gen. 9:1. God's purpose is one and eternal.

But selfish man refused, and in his refusal was the beginning of historical Babylon. Men 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." Gen. 11:4.

And so men built their center of influence in material things upon earth. They did it to oppose God's plan. They did it that they might save themselves. They did it to make themselves a name. Believing in the idea, not yet coined into vox populi vox dei, they named the tower and city "Bab-il," or Bab-ilu. They inscribed that name on the bricks which they burned so thoroughly (Gen. 11:3) that they have been preserved to this generation. The meaning of this name is "the gate of God," or "the gate of heaven." It was man's selfish way of self-salvation.

In God's one way was perfect harmony. In man's departure was discord and confusion. Man named his effort what he wished it would be. God, in His mercy, named that effort of man—that city and tower—what it was—what it would forever symbolize, confusion. "Therefore is the name of it called Babel [Babylon, margin, "confusion"]; because Jehovah 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." Gen. 11:9. And yet, while this was the beginning of earthly historical Babylon, it is not its beginning. The "king of Babylon" is Satan, once Lucifer, the son of the morning, the day-star of God.

In God's plan Lucifer was light. Wherever he came among God's creatures he was the Light-bringer. He was the chiefest of all God's created works. "Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden, the garden of God." Eze. 28:12, 13.

Such he was in God's plan; but being free to choose God's unselfish way of love, or his own, he chose his own; and the day-star of God became the prince of darkness, the king of Babylon. Isaiah speaks of his utter overthrow, and its cause: "Thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! . . . How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!" And here is the reason: "For thou saidst in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars [other angels] 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." Isa. 14:4-14.

This was the spirit manifest in the origination of historical Babylon. It is the spirit which dominates in every departure from God.

"Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord." Christ is one with the Father. The Gospel is one. The way is not many, but one. There is no confusion in the way. It leads straight to God. The simple-hearted and single-eyed need not err therein. "The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." Prov. 4:18. "God is not the author of confusion."

But as soon as men depart from God, as soon as they substitute another way for God's way, they cause confusion. It is as tho the general of an army should erect, upon a disorganized field, his standard as a rallying point, and another standard should be erected at some distance, and men should be told to rally around that. The result would be confusion in that army. If a king should build a road through a forest, and give directions along the way by written waymarks and by his servants, there would be no difficulty to the traveler. But if his apostate servants should cut by-paths, fill up the true way with rubbish, each advertising his own as the better way, albeit he knew not its end, confusion and disaster would result.

These are fair illustrations of what God has done for men, and what men have endeavored to do in the perversion of God's way. God has erected His standard of truth, His holy Word. He lifts up the perfect Example, Jesus Christ. Men on every side have erected false standards in numerous creeds and theories and sciences "falsely so-called;" and "confusion" everywhere exists.

God has cast up the highway of holiness through this world to the holy city and endless life. It crosses morasses of sin; it skirts hills of destruction; it dips deep into valleys of humiliation; it climbs hills of difficulties; it is oft thorn-bordered and rock-bestrewn; but it is a true and tried way, and every step of the distance has been pressed by the holy feet of Jesus

our Saviour. Out of this highway men have cut their by-paths to escape hills of difficulty, to shun thorn-bordered paths, to avoid the valleys of humiliation and sacrifice. They have started these by-paths; they know not where they end; yet they label them "The Gate of God" or "The Gate of Heaven," and invite the pilgrim to leave the narrow way and enter. To all those who accept is confusion.

Babylon of old has passed away; but "greater Babylon" still lives, and multitudes take brief, deluded shelter under her spreading branches. Dan. 4:10, 11. Millions are lulled to slumber by her poisoned wine. Jer. 51:7.

Yet God's way is the one way; there is no other. All other ways are of Babylon, however beautiful they seem. Men may call them "The Gate of God," but "God is not mocked;" He calls them confusion. "Be not deceived."