Unity or Nationalism

Unity is defined as the state or quality of being one; singleness. Nationalism (or separation) is seen as
involving a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms,
devotion to one's nation or patriotism. God has always wanted since the tower of Babel nationalism instead
of unity (because of the implications of it) for mankind. Today many are calling for a one world
government (which will end in disaster). In order to understand why this will result in world wide
destruction let's take a look at the past to understand the future.

"And Cush begat Nimrod; he began to be mighty upon the earth." (Genesis 10:8) The Chaldee or Chaldea
paraphrase of this verse says, "Cush begat Nimrod who began to prevail in wickedness, for he slew
innocent blood and rebelled against Jehovah." Nimrod was the world's first despot, king and world dictator.
He was also known as a great hunter. Being clothed in leopard-skin, as the trophy (Triumph) of his skill,
his spotted dress and appearance must have impressed the imaginations of those who saw him; and he came
to be called not only the "Subduer of the Spotted one" (for such is the precise meaning of Nimr--the name
of the leopard), but to be called, "The spotted one" himself. Nimrod no doubt killed and subdued many
dangerous animals in his day to include the dinosaurs. Because of this alone he was seen as one of
humanity's great benefactors. This man also founded and built cities. He was the first great city-builder
after the flood, by gathering men together in masses, and surrounding them with walls, he did still more to
enable them to pass their days in security. Freeing them from the alarms to which they had been exposed in
their scattered life, when no one could tell but that at any moment he might be called to engage in deadly
conflict with prowling wild beasts, in defence of his own life and of those who were dear to him. Within
the battlements of a fortified city no such danger from savage animals was to be dreaded; and for the
security afforded in this way, men no doubt looked upon themselves as greatly indebted to Nimrod.

The flood by which God had showed His avenging justice on the sinners of the old world was still fresh in
the minds of men because of Noah and the upright among his descendants. From this fear they were
emancipated by Nimrod. He introduced apostasy by the (ungodly or) free life he developed among those
who rallied around him, and by separating them from the holy influences that had previously less or more
controlled them. Through this Nimrod helped mankind to put God and the strict spirituality of His law at a
distance, and thus he became the "Elevator of the heavens," (making men feel and act as if heaven were
afar off from earth, and that they could easily disregard or break His laws). The legend of Atlas is based
upon this. For this among other things, men could not but regard Nimrod as a high benefactor. As he seems
to have gained, as one of the titles by which men delighted to honour him, the title of the "Emancipator" or
"Deliverer." He began his own false religion, being worshipped in it both indirectly and directly as a deity.
The amazing extent of the worship of this man indicates something very extraordinary in his character; and
there is ample reason to believe, that in his own day he was an object of high popularity. Though Nimrod
was made a king and abridged the liberties of mankind, yet he was held by many to have conferred benefits
upon them, that amply indemnified them for the loss of their liberties, and covered him with glory and
renown.

"And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from
the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there" (Genesis 11:1-2) 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." (Genesis 11:4)

Alexander Hislop wrote the following account and meaning of these verses in his book, "The Two
Babylons."

Here we discover a most blatant defiance of God, a deliberate refusal to obey His command given through
Noah. He had said, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth" (Genesis 9:1); but they said, "Let us
make us a name lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."

As we have seen, Nimrod's ambition was to establish a world-empire. To accomplish this two things were
necessary. First, a center of unity, a city headquarters; and second, a motive for the encouragement and
inspiration of his followers. This latter was supplied in the "let us make us a name." It was an inordinate
desire for fame. Nimrod's aim was to keep mankind all together under his own leadership "lest we be
scattered." The idea of the "tower" (considered in the light of its setting) seems to be that of strength- a
stronghold- rather than eminence.

"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. Go to, let us go down, and
there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 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 (Confusion); 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" (Gen. 11:6-9). Another crisis
had arrived in the history of the world. Once again the human race was guilty of the sin of apostasy.
Therefore did God intervene, brought Nimrod's schemes to naught by confounding the speech of his
subjects and scattered them throughout the earth. Here was one of the mightiest and most far-reaching
miracles of history. It finds no parallel until the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost when
another miracle of "tongues" was performed. The effect of God's intervention was the origination of the
different nations and after the destruction of the Tower of Babel we get the formation of the "world" as we
now have it. At this point the nations were abandoned to their own devices- "God gave them up" (Rom. 1)-
but not until the race had twice enjoyed a revelation of God's mercy (first to Adam and then to Noah) and
had twice forsaken Him before and now, after the Deluge.

To sum up. In Nimrod and his schemes we see Satan's initial attempt to raise up a universal ruler of men. In
his inordinate desire for fame, in the mighty power which he wielded, in his ruthless and brutal methods-
suggested by the word "hunter"; in his blatant defiance of the Creator, (seen in his utter disregard for His
command to replenish the earth,) by determining to prevent his subjects from being scattered abroad; in his
founding of the kingdom of Babylon - the Gate of God- thus arrogating to himself Divine honors; inasmuch
as the Holy Spirit has placed the record of these things immediately before the inspired account of God's
bringing Abram into Canaan- pointing forward to the re-gathering of Israel in Palestine immediately after
the overthrow of the Lawless One; and finally, in the fact that the destruction of his kingdom is described in
the words, "Let us go down and there confound their language"(Gen. 11:7)- foreshadowing so marvelously
the descent of Christ from Heaven to vanquish His impious Rival, we cannot fail to see that there is here,
beneath the historical narrative, something deeper than that which appears on the surface; yea, that there is
here a complete typical picture of the person, work and destruction of the Anti-Christ.

Jesus warned us all that, "as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man. For as in
those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,
until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all
away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man." (Matthew 24:37-39) King Solomon wrote the following
truths in Ecclesiastes 1:9-10. "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is
that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said,
See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us." The Nimrod of old is a type of
Anti-Christ that will be seen in the future, just as foretold in the book of Revelations. Even as the Old
Testament was a type and pattern for the New Testament. (Hebrews 8:1-13)

We find the same pattern of rebellion against the plan of God from the book of Genesis to Revelations.
Genesis first introduces the Devil as the tempter of the human race. (Genesis 3:1-18) Revelations shows the
final doom of Satan and his followers. (Revelations 20:10) Genesis promises that Satan's head will be
bruised. (Genesis 3:15) Revelations shows that Satan is bruised and defeated. (Revelations 19:20) Genesis
tells of humanity's first rebellion against God. (Genesis 3-4) Revelations promises and end to humanity's
rebellion against God. Genesis reveals the tragic sorrow that resulted from sin. (Genesis 3-4) Revelations
promises Christians that God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. (Revelations 21:4) Genesis shows
the first curse. (Genesis 4:8) Revelations shows that the curse is lifted. (Revelations 22:3) Note: In Genesis
Satan first attempts to discredit God and His word by asking Eve if God really said that they could not eat
of the tree and that they would die as a result of it. (Genesis 3:1-5) Revelations promises a curse upon those
who detract from His Holy Word. (Revelations 22:19) From start to finish mankind as a whole has rebelled
and will continue in rebellion, until the very end. But for those who have trusted in the grace and truth of
God, "Look up, for your redemption draws nigh." (Luke 21:28)