The present land of Iraq straddles the ancient river valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates. In fact one of its old names was Mesopotamia, meaning “the land between the rivers.” The region’s earliest mention is found in the Bible’s very first account of geographical locations, giving the names of the four waterways that branched from the main river which flowed from Eden: “…And the fourth river is Euphrates” (Gen. 2:14).
No need to recount the sad story of the Fall and expulsion from Eden—its grievous effects are all too well-known. But that rebellious act would become a philosophy of formal contempt against the true God, and would find a permanent home at a site “between the rivers” where the Tigris draws closest to the Euphrates in its 900-mile journey to the Persian Gulf.
The tower of Babel (originally called Bab-el, “the gate to God” and changed to Babel, “confusion”) became the scene of the first confederate showdown between God and rebel-mankind. It happened in one of the chief cities of Nimrod, a warlord from the line of Ham (Gen. 10:9-10). He was brother to the progenitors of the Canaanites and Egyptians, among others.
There at Babel, eastward from the region near Ararat, a plan was drawn up that directly contradicted the decree of heaven. God had said, “Fill the earth” (Gen. 9:1, nkjv). But 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” (11:4, nkjv). It seems they were well along in the project—perhaps having finished the tower and were working to complete the city, v. 8—when God intervened. Confounding their language, He forced them to separate: “So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city” (v. 8, nkjv).
But the human race did not cease in their attempts to return to their original plan. In fact the Bible could well be called “a tale of two cities.” The other city, besides Babel (later called by the Greek form, Babylon) was, of course, Jerusalem. There, instead of the words, “Let us make a name for ourselves” may be written, “the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name” (Deut. 12:21). The two cities are found juxtaposed especially in the books of Daniel, Jeremiah and Revelation. In fact Babylon is mentioned 260 times in Scripture until its demise “in one hour” (see details in Rev. 17 and 18).
It is believed that the remains of the original tower still exist, called in Arabic, Birs Nimrud. The tower’s height is estimated to have been 660 feet taller than the Great Pyramid at Giza. Hislop, in his well-known book, The Two Babylons, describes the religion of Babel and its serpentine journey through Persia, Egypt, Greece and Rome, continuing to this day.
As I write this, the fate of Sadaam Hussein is unknown to the West. He has seen himself as a modern Nebuchadnezzar, having huge billboards of himself and the ancient Babylonian monarch portrayed standing together. It would seem Hussein’s attitude could well be expressed in the words of his hero, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?” (Dan. 4:30).
If only he had responded to the monumental lesson of Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling and had also spoken these words truthfully, “Now I…praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and His ways judgment: and those that walk in pride He is able to abase” (v. 37). If it was not beyond God’s power to bring Nebuchadnezzar to the foot of His throne, it would not be beyond His grace to bring Sadaam Hussein to the foot of the cross.
Sadly, it seems, Iraq’s present dictator is more like Belshazzar in his defiance of the God of Daniel. Of him it could be said (as Daniel said of Belshazzar), “Thou…hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this” (5:22).
John records the death-throes of Babylon (whether literal or mystical) and the last great battle: “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Rev. 17:14). This will be the war to end all wars. Our hearts respond, “Come, Prince of Peace!”
Written by J. B. Nicholson Jr