Babylon - Past, Present and Future - Church of God - NEO

CHAPTER ONEFrom Eden to BabelTo underst<strong>and</strong> the significance <strong>of</strong> <strong>Babylon</strong>for us today, we must go back in time tothe beginning <strong>of</strong> human civilization.2ANCIENT "TREE OFLIFE" SYMBOL1n one sense, the story <strong>of</strong> <strong>Babylon</strong> beginslong before there was a city by thatname. It begins with the founding <strong>of</strong> humancivilization on earth, when somewhere in the"l<strong>and</strong> between the rivers" <strong>God</strong> prepared a garden<strong>and</strong> created the first human beings.The Bible tells us that the Creator shaped manfrom the dust <strong>of</strong> the ground, <strong>and</strong> breathed into hisnostrils the first breath <strong>of</strong> physical life "<strong>and</strong> man becamea living being" (Genesis 2:7, New King James Versionthroughout unless otherwise noted) . This first humanbeing was different from anything that had been previ-0usly created. Whereas <strong>God</strong> had made all other forms <strong>of</strong>life after their own kind, he said, " Let Us make man in Ourimage, according to Our likeness" (Genesis 1 :26, italicsadded) .•Since man was made after <strong>God</strong>'s image, <strong>and</strong> according to<strong>God</strong>'s likeness, there was a vast difference-a qualitative,not just quantitative differenct -between animals <strong>and</strong> humanbeings. Animals do not have the ability to question what ismorally acceptable or what is right <strong>and</strong> wrong. They do notquestion the greater meaning <strong>of</strong> existence or search for immortality.People do, <strong>and</strong> that is what sets them apart. Human