The Tower of Babel was the pivotal point where united humanity openly rebelled against God by refusing to scatter, and it became the root of all idolatry and false religion.
God had instructed Noah's descendants to scatter and repopulate the earth, but instead they gathered under Nimrod in Mesopotamia and built a tower. Les Feldick teaches that the tower was a religious rejection of God's authority, aiming to usurp God's throne religiously. From Babel, every pagan and false religion traces its origin, and God responded by scattering the people and confusing their language.
Genesis 11:4 — This verse records the people's stated purpose for building the tower — to make a name for themselves and avoid being scattered.
Genesis 11:9 — This verse explains the origin of the name Babel, the confounding of language, and God scattering the people.
The biblical account in Genesis 11 tells us that the whole earth was of one language and one speech when people settled in the plain of Shinar. They said to one another, '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 was a direct contradiction of God's earlier instruction to repopulate the earth and scatter. The LORD came down to see the city and the tower, and He 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.' So the LORD confused their language so they could not understand one another, and He scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. That is why the place was called Babel, 'because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth'.
Les Feldick emphasizes that the Tower of Babel was a total rebellion against God's command to scatter and repopulate the earth. Under the leadership of Nimrod, the descendants of Noah stayed together in the Euphrates Valley in Mesopotamia rather than scattering as God had told them. The tower was not a literal attempt to reach heaven with brick and stone; it was a place of false religion where humanity tried to approach God an alternative way, essentially trying to usurp His throne religiously. That was always Satan's goal, and at Babel Satan's influence led them into idolatry and paganism.
The people built the Tower of Babel in direct opposition to God's instruction to scatter and repopulate the earth. Instead, they stayed together in the area of the Euphrates in Mesopotamia under one man named Nimrod. Les Feldick explains that the tower was not meant to physically reach heaven but was a place of religion intended to replace what God had instructed. They were determined to find an alternative way to approach God.
Les Feldick repeatedly stresses that the Tower of Babel is where all idolatry, paganism, mythology, occultic religions, and cults have their roots. At Babel, Satan influence came in and they went after other gods — the introduction of idolatry and paganism. Everything contrary to the one true God concept in Scripture traces its beginning to the Tower of Babel. All the Eastern religions, all mythological religions, and every cult that has ever existed run their roots right back to Babel.
God scattered the people from the Tower of Babel and confused their language — the name Babel means confusion. From that point on, idolatry took over the human race. Les Feldick teaches that in the following 200 years, the human race went deeper and deeper into false religion, so that by the call of Abraham there was not a believer in the true God left on earth, aside from possibly someone like Noah or Seth.
About 200 years after the Tower of Babel, God did something totally different. He sovereignly pulled Abraham out of the mainstream of humanity and promised to make a nation of him — the nation of Israel. Les Feldick points out that this didn't happen accidentally; God deliberately chose Abraham from a world that had become saturated with idolatry and paganism, and through him began His covenant plan for Israel.
Why the New Testament Starts With Abraham — Matthew 1:1 Explained
that have had none of this back in the Old Testament, at least as we teach it. And we're going to have to at least build some basics again before we take that run through the Gospels and the book of Acts and on into Paul's epistles. Now, Genesis chapter 12, verses 1, 2 and 3, I've had most of my students mark their margin. This is the Abrahamic covenant. The Abrahamic covenant.
Rebellion and Religious Usurpation
Les teaches that Noah's descendants rebelled against God's command to scatter and gathered at Babel under Nimrod; the tower was a religious attempt to replace God's authority with Satan's promotion.
Root of all Idolatry and Paganism
Les emphasizes that all idolatry, paganism, occultic religions, and related cults have their roots at the Tower of Babel.
Beginning of All Pagan Religion
Les explains that Babel was the total rejection of God's instructions; every pagan religion and everything contrary to the one true God started there, and God scattered them.
An Alternative Way to God
Les highlights that Babel was a place of false worship where mankind sought an alternative way to approach God, and that within 200 years the earth had no true believer left.
Every False Religion's Origin
Les reinforces that every false religion, pagan religion, cult, and idolatrous mythological religion has its roots at the Tower of Babel.
Paganism Permeated the Human Race
Les teaches that at Babel, under Satan's influence, idolatry was introduced and paganism permeated the whole human race, leaving no knowledge of the one true God.
Confusion and the Call of Abraham
Les notes that Babel means confusion, that every cult and pagan religion traces back to it, and that about 200 years later God sovereignly called Abraham out to form Israel.
Genesis 11:1: And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
This verse establishes the unity of language that made the Babel project possible.
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 direct human intention behind the Tower of Babel — to make a name and avoid scattering.
Genesis 11:9: 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 verse ties the name Babel to the confusion of languages and the scattering of humanity.
The Tower of Babel is significant because it marks humanity's first organized rebellion after the flood against God's command to scatter. It was the place where false religion began, and it led directly to God confusing the languages and scattering the people.
No. Les Feldick teaches that the tower was not intended to literally reach heaven with brick and stone. It was a religious symbol — an attempt to approach God in a false way and to usurp God's throne religiously.
Les Feldick teaches that every false religion, every pagan religion, every cult, and every idolatrous mythological religion has its roots at the Tower of Babel.
Babel means confusion. It was named that because the LORD confused the language of all the earth there and scattered the people abroad from that place.
Watch the Teaching: Why the New Testament Starts With Abraham — Matthew 1:1 Explained