“Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, ‘All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours’” (Luke 4:5-7).
Albert Speer (1905-1981), the Grand Architect and later, Minister of Armaments for the German Third Reich, credits himself with developing the Theory of Ruin Value (German: Ruinenwert). This theory proposed to be that type of construction which presented both a better designed and more imposing structure in use, as well as maintaining its aesthetics long after collapse. In other words, it was that architectural creation which still looked impressive a thousand years after said building, and presumably civilization, collapsed. Hearkening back to the majestic architecture of both the ancient Greeks and Romans, Speer championed this idea to his Fuhrer, Adolph Hitler.
He would reveal in his memoirs Hitler’s thoughts about Nazi state architecture in relation to the ancient Roman imperial architecture:
Hitler liked to say that the purpose of his building was to transmit his time and its spirit to posterity. Ultimately, all that remained to remind men of the great epochs of history was their monumental architecture, he remarked. What then remained of the emperors of the Roman Empire? What would still give evidence of them today, if not their buildings […] So, today the buildings of the Roman Empire could enable Mussolini to refer to the heroic spirit of Rome when he wanted to inspire his people with the idea of a modern imperium. Our buildings must also speak to the conscience of future generations of Germans. With this argument, Hitler also underscored the value of a durable kind of construction. (Source)
In Ruin Value Theory, the Nazis believed they were creating the beginnings of what would become a thousand-year Reich; in reality, it lasted only twelve years. However, Albert Speer was not alone in this line of thinking. Men have long desired to create things which outlast themselves, hoping to be remembered throughout history as belonging to some grand and illustrious age. The first evidence we see of this occurring was at the fated Tower of Babel, located on the plains of Shinar some four-thousand (+) years ago (See Genesis 11). Although its physical remains did not survive, the ideological motivation for the tower of Babel seems to be gaining renewed momentum in these past few centuries.
So, what was that motivation?
“Now the whole earth had one language and 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. Then they said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And 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’” (Genesis 11:1-4).
Back to Babel
A LOT of speculation and theory-making have gone into trying to figure out the motivations of the generation who built on Babel. Clearly, God is not intimidated by large buildings, nor is He afraid of man working together. So why did God react the way Scripture records Him as doing? Why is Babel even worth mentioning in the pages of Holy Writ? Perhaps, the best answer lies with the simplest explanation, which means the one with the fewest assumptions (e.g., Occam’s razor).
Since the whole Babel experiment happened not more than a century or two after the world’s greatest calamity of that time (or since), it is logical to assume the two events are connected both by proximity and causality. It is also reasonable to hypothesize that the Noahic Flood, and the environmental effects thereof, were still very fresh in the minds of that post-flood generation. Granted, only eight people alive after the flood knew what life was like before the flood. But knowing human nature, it is also reasonable to conclude that the survivors of the flood (Noah and family) would have seen the differences in the world after the flood, and told their offspring all about it.
“Back in the day, we lived for hundreds of years…”
“Back in the day, we had vast civilizations…”
“Before the flood, the world had perfect weather…”
“Before the flood, there were giants and monsters…”
Since humans are prone to glossing over and romanticizing the past (the good old days), the oral traditions passed on from Shem, Ham, and Japeth (and spouses) to their offspring were likely embellished over time. It is also likely that, by the time of Nimrod (Noah’s great-grandson), there was already a great sense of resentfulness building up at having to start over in a world that was considerably harsher than had been before the flood.
In other words, I believe the tower of Babel was a product of that resentfulness.
They built the tower so as to be remembered (pride) and as tribute (rebellion) to the grandeur of the world before the flood. It was a memorial to the world that was; the world God just wiped off the face of the earth. This remembrance then would have, in part, defeated the purpose for the flood.
Let that sink in for a moment.
The Flood was a divine act of judgment. It was God purging grotesque and excessive wickedness from the planet. And that post-flood generation just built a tribute to it. Thus, in my estimation, it would have been equivalent to that generation (presumably led by Nimrod) giving God the middle finger.
And God judged them accordingly.
“So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth” (Genesis 11:8-9).
Lost and Found
The flood was global in nature (not localized) and was beyond catastrophic for the antediluvian world. Not only did it destroy all life (except what and who were in the Ark, and sea creatures of course), but it effectively erased the memory of them to the extent that we have to call it pre-history or antediluvian (pre-deluge) as a descriptor for the entire 1,656 years because so little remained.
It is hard for us to wrap our minds around the length of time and how little we know of that age. For example, the equivalent would be like starting with our present day, and going back all the way to the year 363AD, and define that as a single age or epoch (2019-1656= 363).
Of course, that would mean no: medieval period, Dark Ages, Renaissance, Age of Enlightenment, Industrial, modern, post-modern eras, etc. Just the one. All of those eras were marked by human achievement and defining events which shaped the course of world history. We can, however, through historical documentation and archaeology, effectively understand human history all the way back to the time of around the first Egyptian dynasty. But beyond that, things get fuzzy.
The only real knowledge we have of the antediluvian world is from what the Bible details for us. In it, Genesis states that the world had become exceedingly wicked and violent. A portion (the book of 1 Enoch states the number as being 200) of the wicked angels who had rebelled with Lucifer (Satan) began intermingling and sexually reproducing with human women (Gen. 6:1-4; 2 Peter 2:4-6; Jude 1:6, 14-15).
[For the record- 1 Enoch is non-canonical and should be read with discernment – For a more in depth discussion on this topic, I recommend – https://youtu.be/Er507MsGp0M]
However, where 1 Enoch corresponds with Scripture, it provides an interesting perspective regarding what happened in the days before the Flood.
Enoch Chapter Six begins with the Genesis narrative:
“And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters. And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: ‘Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.’”
Enoch then names the leading angels in the conspiracy.
“And these are the names of their leaders: Samlazaz, their leader, Araklba, Rameel, Kokablel, Tamlel, Ramlel, Danel, Ezeqeel, Baraqijal, Asael, Armaros, Batarel, Ananel, Zaq1el, Samsapeel, Satarel, Turel, Jomjael, Sariel. These are their chiefs of tens.”
Enoch’s narrative continues:
“And all the others together with them took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in unto them and to defile themselves with them, and they taught them charms and enchantments, and the cutting of roots, and made them acquainted with plants. And they became pregnant, and they bare great giants, whose height was three thousand ells: Who consumed all the acquisitions of men.”
(Jack Kinsella’s The Watchers)
Their offspring, the Nephilim, were not fully human, nor fully angel, but a hybrid creation consisting of giants and other monstrosities. It is likely, these antediluvian hybrids would become the pagan world’s mythological “demigods,” which existed in every ancient culture since. It is believed that Satan convinced these fallen angels to commit the ultimate act of rebellion by intermingling with humans, in an attempt to corrupt mankind genetically, so that a Messiah could not come through the race of man (Gen. 3:15, 6:9). As a result, the Noahic flood:
wiped out a human population thought to number in the billions (est. 10B).
see Tom Pickett’s excellent work courtesy Lambert Dolphin’s website.
radically terraformed the earth and its climate forever.
see the late Chuck Missler’s excellent work on this.
destroyed the earth’s rich climate, reducing man’s ability to live for centuries.
just as God added rigor to Adam’s life after the fall, God added more rigor to mankind after the flood.
washed away 99% of the antediluvian civilization and culture.
All that remains from that long, lost age are rumors (Atlantis) and a handful of megalithic structures –sites: Great Pyramid at Giza, the trilithons at Baalbek, Lebanon, Ollantaytambo and Saksayhuaman “fortress” in Peru, the Balkan Dolmens, Giant Graves of Sardinia, the Rudston Monolith, Stonehenge, and Callanish Stones in the UK, etc. Two thoughts to consider are that, first, we know with absolute certainty that the flood in Noah’s day occurred. Lastly, given the enormity of these remaining cyclopean projects, what must have existed before the Flood certainly boggles the mind to what was lost in the flood.
However, what has remained sparked in mankind a newfound desire to rediscover that lost knowledge of the ancient, pre-history world.
The Hunt for Hidden Knowledge
Ultimately, this theory (ruin value) hearkens back to even deeper desire men have, which is to regain immortality. Since the Genesis account has been in human history since the time of its human author Moses (circa 1400BC), the knowledge of the plausibility that man could live for centuries has driven many to seek out exactly how. This was sought out through millennia of ritual-magic, mixed with mind- altering drugs, alchemy, and appeals to the supernatural. In a more practical sense, the thought went that if man could not live forever, perhaps his work can.
Thus, human history is littered with the remains of the aforementioned grand works from the Egyptian pyramids to the Taj Mahal; cultures thrive on trying to maintain their immortality. Which also brings in the human factor to all this: the attempt by man to gain forbidden and secret knowledge to combine both man’s works with his attempts to gain immortality. Therefore, it is no conspiracy to state that, throughout the past thousand years, secret societies have risen up in attempts to gain esoteric knowledge that was presumably lost in the Antediluvian age. Although these groups often invoke Christian-sounding terminology, their true nature is antichrist to the core.
1200s- The Knights Templar
In the early 12th century, nine knights vowed to protect pilgrims travelling in the Holy Land. Over time, more knights joined the cause, and the organization grew. They gathered significant wealth, fame and power and grew very influential. Popular culture casts them as founders of many other secret societies, as well as guardians of many sacred Christian treasures. The members of the order were eventually tortured and executed, and the order disbanded. The rapid disappearance of so many influential people gave rise to speculations and legends about their fate and continued activities. (Source)
1400s- The Rosicrucians
According to legend, Christian Rosenkreuz was a doctor who discovered and learned esoteric wisdom on a pilgrimage to the Middle East among Turkish, Arab and Persian sages, possibly Sufi or Zoroastrian masters, supposedly in the early 15th century (see § Symbolism of the numbers in the Manifestos); returned and founded the “Fraternity of the Rose Cross” with himself (Frater C.R.C.) as Head of the Order. Under his direction, a Temple called Sanctus Spiritus or “The House of the Holy Spirit” was built.
It is described that his body, as discovered by a Brother of the Order, was in a perfect state of preservation 120 years after his death (which occurred in absolute secrecy) – as Rosenkreuz had predicted – in a heptagonal chamber erected by himself as a storehouse of knowledge. It is described that on the Sarcophagus in the centre of the Crypt of Christian Rosenkreutz were written, among other inscriptions, the words “Jesus mihi omnia, nequaquam vacuum, libertas evangelii, dei intacta gloria, legis jugum” (“Jesus is everything to me, by no means empty, the freedom of the gospel, the untouched glory of God, the yoke of the law”), testifying to the builder’s Christian character.
Rosenkreuz’s crypt, according to the description presented in the legend, is located in the interior of the Earth, recalling the alchemical motto V.I.T.R.I.O.L.: Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem (“Visit the interior of the Earth; by rectification thou shalt find the hidden stone”). (Source)
1390-1717- The Freemasons
Freemasons were established by the 15th century, formed as a union of older secret societies, including stonemason groups that regulated qualifications and interactions with authorities and clients. They are probably the longest-lasting secret society in history, at least that we know about. They are infamous for using secret handshakes, bizarre rituals, using ceremonial regalia and having an elaborate hierarchy. Their hierarchy is based on the three grades of the medieval craft guilds including Apprentice, Journeyman and Master, and much of their symbolism is also based on traditional tools. The Freemasons describe themselves as a “beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbol.” Famous members include Ben Franklin, George Washington, Clarke Gable and John Wayne.
1776- The Illuminati
The Illuminati, whose name means enlightened ones, branched off from the Freemasons in the late 18th century by Adam Weishaupt. Their goal was to oppose superstition, government secrets and religious influence over public life. Many subsequent groups have claimed the mantle of the illuminati, and primarily focus on conspiracy theories. Contrary to their original mission statement, they are often depicted as the secret power behind world events, lurking in the shadows and pulling the strings. (Source)
1875- Theosophy
Theosophy is an esoteric religious movement established in the United States during the late nineteenth century. It was founded largely by the Russian émigrée Helena Blavatsky and draws its beliefs predominantly from Blavatsky’s writings. Categorized by scholars of religion as both a new religious movement and as part of the occultist current of Western esotericism, it draws upon both older European philosophies like Neoplatonism and Asian religions like Hinduism and Buddhism.
As taught by Blavatsky, Theosophy teaches that there is an ancient and secretive brotherhood of spiritual adepts known as Mahatmas, who—although found across the world—are centered in Tibet. These Masters are believed to have cultivated great wisdom and supernatural powers, and Theosophists believe that it was they who initiated the modern Theosophical movement through disseminating their teachings via Blavatsky. They believe that these Masters are attempting to revive knowledge of an ancient religion once found across the world and which will again come to eclipse the existing world religions. (Source)
1887- The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was created by Dr Willian Robert Woodman, William Wynn Westcott and Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, three members that were both Freemasons and Rosencrucians. Their belief system is largely taken from Christian Mysticism, Qabalah, Hermeticism, Alchemy, magic and Renaissance writings. William Yeats and Aleister Crowley are two of their most famous members. Crowley in particular brought the order into disrepute by sharing many of its secrets and openly practicing sexual and drug-based magic. However, the order is still active today. (Source)
1895-1906- Ordi Templi Orientis
This mystic order, often simply called the OTO, is an international brotherhood founded at the start of the 20th century by Karl Kellner and Theodor Reuss. It was modelled after the Freemasons as they sought to establish their own order in the German-speaking world. Their philosophy was using new age esoteric principles and practices to realize one’s true identity. The occult focused cult spread to France, Denmark, Switzerland and the United States in the early 20th century. The group took off in the English- speaking world when Aleister Crowley joined in 1910, using it as a vessel to advance the cause of his new esoteric religion Thelema. Crowley developed Thelema while exploring ceremonial magic in Egypt where he claimed that a non-corporeal being revealed the secrets of Thelema to him.
Scientology- 1950
Scientology is a set of religious beliefs created by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard wrote a self-help book that explored the relationship between body and mind called Dianetics in 1950. In 1952, he expanded upon the success of Dianetics by creating Scientology. Hubbard then incorporated the Church of Scientology in 1953. Hubbard maintained a leadership role in the Church of Scientology until his death in 1986 — even during periods where he went into hiding because of controversy and legal actions against the church.
Scientologists believe that people are immortal alien beings (called thetans) who have forgotten their true nature and are trapped on earth in a human body. Scientologists believe that each thetan has lived numerous past lives, both on earth in our physical bodies, and on other planets. Scientologists also believe that by undergoing a series of classes and teachings (called auditing by the church), people can free themselves of their human form and reclaim their true selves. (Source)
These are mentioned not to give them any undue attention or credibility, but to expose them and show the fruitlessness of their efforts. Whether it is Adam Weishaupt, Aleister Crowley, Helena Blavatsky, Adolph Hitler, Albert Speer, Jack Parsons, L. Ron Hubbard, Albert Pike, or anyone else who denies Christ, they will be eternally separated from God forever. Immortality can ONLY be achieved through becoming born-again, by placing your faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (1 Cor. 15:1-5; Romans 10:9-10; Eph. 2:8-9).
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’” (John 14:6).
Conclusion
While on earth for His first Advent, Christ stated that the days leading up to His return would be similar to the days of Noah and the days of Lot. Man would become exceedingly wicked and violent again, and this would be the new normal. What is not as clear, is whether or not the Nephilim (or whatever genetic monstrosities science comes up with nowadays) will also be the case. Either way, the supernatural veil will be torn in two as demonic forces are unleashed upon the earth (2 Thessalonians 2:9; Rev. 9).
Going back to the Fifth-century BC, the Jewish prophet, Daniel, was serving as a high-ranking Babylonian (and later Medo-Persian) statesmen. It was to him that God (through the angel Gabriel) gave some of the most detailed and amazing prophecies. As a young man, he had successfully relayed and interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream back to him about a majestic and imposing multi-metallic statue. The statue represented the kingdoms (including Babylon) which would come in direct succession from each other as represented by the different metals, moving from head to foot.
Later, as an older man, this same vision was shown to Daniel, except, instead of it being a statue, he was shown a series of animal hybrids (Dan. 7–8). They still represented the same kingdoms, but they were shown as beasts to depict their true nature from God’s perspective. These beasts form the backdrop to the final kingdom, which is set to rule as the final, Gentile kingdom on the earth.
“Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’” (Revelation 13:1-4).
This final kingdom will be formed into ten nations/regions that will ultimately fall under the control of just one ruler, the Antichrist (aka. the Lawless one, the Man of Sin, the son of perdition, the rider on the White Horse, and the Beast). He will be aided by a False Prophet, who will ultimately direct all the people of the earth to worship him, or be killed. He will also be able to perform signs and wonders supernaturally because he will have the full backing of Satan. It will seem that this will be the greatest empire to ever rule the earth. They will (Antichrist/False Prophet) be able to unlock all the mysteries that had eluded mankind for millennia. They will promise to create a new world order that will be free of God, and will last forever; however, it will only last seven years.
At the end of the seven years (Daniel’s 70th Week), Jesus Christ will peel back the sky and ride forth with the armies of heaven in tow. Here in the valley of Megiddo, Jesus confronts the Antichrist and his armies where they had staged to lay siege and destroy what remains of Israel. Speaking forth destruction, Jesus (the Word) will cause the forces of darkness to be melted on their feet, and the Antichrist and his false prophet will be thrown live into the Lake of Fire (Zechariah 14:1-15; Matthew 24:30; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 19:11-21).
The Final Kingdom will be what Jesus Christ establishes after His Second Coming. He is the rock that was cut without human hands, and which smashes the multi-metallic statue to dust (Dan. 2:44-45), and then fills the earth. At the front end, Jesus (and His Bride) will rule the earth for 1,000 years (Rev. 20), at which point culminates with one final satanic rebellion, whom Christ immediately crushes. Reality, as they (the unbelievers) know it, will melt away. They will stand before God at the Great White Throne Judgment. Everyone from Cain and Nimrod to Satan himself will be judged and cast into the Lake of Fire, which will burn forever and ever. God will then destroy the heavens and the earth, and create a new heaven and a new earth with which we (born-again believers) live with God into eternity future.
“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’
“Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’
“And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death’” (Revelation 21:1-8).
Even so, Maranatha!