According to the Bible, the Tower of Babel was built so people could make a name for themselves, reach toward heaven, and avoid being scattered across the earth — an act of rebellion against God's authority.
Genesis 11:4 records the builders' stated purpose: '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.' Les Feldick explains that the tower wasn't meant to be a literal construction to heaven; rather, it was a place of religion designed to usurp the throne of God religiously, and it became the root of all pagan religions.
Genesis 11:4 — This verse gives the explicit purpose of the tower builders — to reach heaven, make a name, and avoid being scattered.
The Bible records the building of the tower in Genesis 11. At that time the whole earth was of one language and one speech. As people journeyed east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 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' (Genesis 11:4). God came down to see the city and tower and 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' (Genesis 11:6). The Lord then scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth, and they left off to build the city. The name Babel was given because there the Lord confounded the language of all the earth (Genesis 11:8-9).
Les Feldick teaches that the Tower of Babel was never meant to be a literal staircase of brick and stone into heaven. Instead, it was a place of religion 'whereby they could literally usurp the throne of God religiously,' and that was Satan's goal. He describes the gathering as a total rebellion against God's instruction to scatter and repopulate the planet; rather than scattering, the early descendants of Noah united under Nimrod in the plain of Shinar. At Babel, under Nimrod, Satan instituted all pagan and mythological religions. Every false religion, cult, idolatrous movement, and mythological religion has its roots at the Tower of Babel. Les calls it a place of false worship, where mankind was determined to find an alternative way to approach God. Afterward, God scattered the people, and the human race went deeper and deeper into false religions.
The people's stated purpose was to build a city and a tower whose top would reach unto heaven, make a name for themselves, and keep them from being scattered over the whole earth. God's response was to come down, confound their language, and scatter them.
No, according to Les Feldick. He says the tower was not intended to actually take brick and stone all the way to heaven. Rather, it was 'a place of religion whereby they could literally usurp the throne of God religiously.' The whole idea at Babel was to replace what God had instructed with what Satan promoted.
Les says the post-flood people were in total rebellion against God's instruction to scatter and repopulate the earth. Instead of scattering, they all stayed together and gathered at the Tower of Babel under Nimrod. It was a deliberate rejection of God's authority.
Les teaches that all idolatry, all paganism, and every false religion have their roots at the Tower of Babel. Every cult, mythological religion, and occultic movement traces its beginning to Babel. It was the starting point of false worship — mankind's attempt to find an alternative way to approach God.
Why God "Gave Them Up" — Romans 1 & the Wrath to Come
Warren Supreme Court. Taking prayer and God out of the schools was all precipitated by the Warren Court. And I always have to think of those so-called brilliant, intellectual, robed men, thinking themselves to be wise, probably with more power than any other group of men in the world. And yet they'll come out with decisions that are as idiotic as a first grader. Why? The verse says it all.
Usurping God's Throne Religiously
Les clarifies that the Tower of Babel was not a literal brick-and-stone structure reaching heaven; it was a religious means of trying to usurp God's throne.
Beginning of Pagan Religions
Les says at Babel, under Nimrod, all pagan and mythological religions began, and God scattered the people from there.
Satan Institutes Pagan Religion
Les connects the Tower of Babel to Satan's institution of all pagan and mythological religions under Nimrod.
Every False Religion's Root
Les emphasizes that every false religion, pagan religion, cult, and idolatrous mythological religion has its roots at the Tower of Babel.
Rebellion and Idolatry's Root
Les notes that the people stayed together instead of scattering, and that all idolatry, paganism, and occultic religions trace back to Babel.
All World Religions' Origin
Les says all pagan idolatrous religion — and any true cult — has its roots at the Tower of Babel.
Alternative Way to Approach God
Les says the Tower of Babel was a place of false worship, where mankind was determined to find an alternative way to approach God.
Genesis 11:4: 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.
This is the builders' own statement of purpose for the Tower of Babel.
Genesis 11:6: 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.
God recognizes the danger of the people's unified rebellion at Babel.
Genesis 11:8-9: 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.
This records the outcome of the tower project: God scattered the builders and gave the city its name.
According to Les Feldick, it was the early descendants of Noah — the people who came from the eight souls on the ark. Instead of scattering as God instructed, they stayed together and gathered at Babel under Nimrod.
No, Les says the people were not actually trying to take brick and stone to heaven. The Tower of Babel was a place of religion — an attempt to usurp God's throne religiously.
The people had rebelled against God's instruction to scatter and fill the earth. In Scripture, God came down and confounded their language, then scattered them from Babel over the face of the earth (Genesis 11:8-9).
Watch the Teaching: Why God "Gave Them Up" — Romans 1 & the Wrath to Come