Ellen G. White and the Tower of Babel: Post-Flood Truth

No, Ellen G. White did not state that the Tower of Babel was built before the Flood; her writings clarify that the building of the Tower of Babel occurred after the global deluge, and she even addressed a past typographical error that could have led to this misunderstanding 🕊️.

Here's a gentle explanation of this truth:

The Tower of Babel: A Post-Flood Endeavor

• Motivation from a Past Flood The builders on the plain of Shinar disbelieved God's covenant that He would not again bring a flood upon the earth, and one of their primary objectives in erecting the Tower of Babel was to secure their own safety in case of another delugeCE 208.2. They hoped to build it high enough to place themselves beyond the possibility of danger, and even to investigate the cause of the previous flood, clearly indicating that the Flood had already occurredCE 208.2. Furthermore, the Babel builders are described as having murmured against God, complaining of His severity in destroying the world by a flood, which firmly places their undertaking after that eventPP 120.3.

• Addressing Misconceptions It is important to know that a typographical error in an earlier printing once created a seeming historical discrepancy, which unfortunately led some readers to believe that the book taught the Tower of Babel antedated the Flood. However, this error was soon discovered and corrected. The original teaching, and the corrected text, maintains that the Tower of Babel was built after the Flood3SG ii.4. While the sacrificial system established after Adam's fall was corrupted before the Flood, it was also corrupted by those who later engaged in building the Tower of Babel, indicating two distinct periods or groups involved in this corruption3SG 301.4+1.

• Historical Context The founding of cities like Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian realm, is recorded as happening soon after the dispersion from the Tower of Babel, further confirming its post-Flood timeline Jonah 3:3PP 125.1+2. This means that the world had already experienced the devastation of the Flood Genesis 6:5-13 before the events at Babel unfolded.

God's Intervention and Man's Pride

The builders of Babel were united in a heaven-daring undertaking, motivated by pride and a desire to establish a government independent of GodEP 72.2+1. They aimed to make a name for themselves and avoid being scattered over the earth, but God, in His mercy to the world and for the sake of the faithful among them, intervened by confounding their speech, thus putting a check on their rebellious purposesPP 120.3+3. Their grand monument to pride became a memorial of their folly and ended in confusion, strife, and defeatPP 120.3+1.

This event serves as a powerful reminder that relying on self and rejecting God's law leads to shame and defeat, just as Satan's principles led to rebellion in heaven and Cain's offering was rejectedPP 120.3. God's unwavering authority ensures that none can defy His power with impunityPP 120.3.