INTRODUCTION:  The tower of Babel is the sight of man’s first and (to date) only one world government.  Man has dreamed of renewing a universal government since that time.  All the empires of the past have been attempts to establish it.  He believes that if man would just stop fighting himself and unite, he could accomplish anything and would no longer need God.  God has therefore allowed divisions in language, geography, culture, etc., to keep man from uniting as one.  Bible prophecy tells of a time when man will have his one world government and will use it to fight God and God’s people, the Jews.  This is the time of the tribulation.

1. THE FATHERS OF THE NATIONS (Genesis 5:32And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
   See All...; Genesis 9:18-19 [18] And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. [19] These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.
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1. Ham, the Younger (Genesis 9:24And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
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2. Japheth, the Elder (Genesis 10:21Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.
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3. Birth Order: Japheth, Shem, Ham
2. THE DIVISION OF THE NATIONS (Genesis 10:1-32 [1] Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. [2] The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. [3] And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. [4] And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. [5] By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations. [6] And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. [7] And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtechah: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. [8] And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. [9] He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. [10] And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. [11] Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, [12] And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city. [13] And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, [14] And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim. [15] And Canaan begat Sidon his first born, and Heth, [16] And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite, [17] And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, [18] And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. [19] And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha. [20] These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations. [21] Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born. [22] The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. [23] And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash. [24] And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber. [25] And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan. [26] And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, [27] And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, [28] And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba, [29] And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan. [30] And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east. [31] These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations. [32] These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.
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1. Divided by Continents
1. Japheth (Genesis 10:2-5 [2] The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. [3] And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. [4] And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. [5] By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
   See All...) goes to Europe.
2. Ham (Genesis 10:6-20 [6] And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. [7] And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtechah: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. [8] And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. [9] He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. [10] And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. [11] Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, [12] And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city. [13] And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, [14] And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim. [15] And Canaan begat Sidon his first born, and Heth, [16] And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite, [17] And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, [18] And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. [19] And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha. [20] These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations.
   See All...) goes to Africa.
3. Shem (Genesis 10:21-31 [21] Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born. [22] The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. [23] And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash. [24] And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber. [25] And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan. [26] And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, [27] And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, [28] And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba, [29] And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan. [30] And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east. [31] These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.
   See All...) goes to Asia.
4. NOTE: This is a generalization and not an exact rule.
2. Divided around Israel (Deuteronomy 32:8When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.
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3. Appointed to Seek the Lord (Acts 17:26-27 [26] And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; [27] That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
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3. THE UNITY OF THE PEOPLE AFTER THE FLOOD (Genesis 11:1-6 [1] And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. [2] 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. [3] And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. [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. [5] And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. [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.
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1. A Universal Language (Genesis 11:1And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
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1. A requirement for one world government
2. Many have thought that this language and the heavenly language was Hebrew.
1. It was the language Jesus spoke to Paul from heaven (Acts 26:14And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
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2. It seems to be the language of the saints in heaven (Revelation 19:1-6 [1] And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: [2] For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. [3] And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. [4] And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. [5] And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. [6] And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
   See All...) –Alleluia is a Hebrew word.
3. If it was the language of Adam, it could have been preserved through Noah through the line that comes down to Abraham.
3. The kingdom will be a time when people speak a pure universal language (Zephaniah 3:9For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.
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2. A Universal Government (Genesis 11:2-4 [2] 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. [3] And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. [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.
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1. A city (Genesis 11:4-5 [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. [5] And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
   See All...) is the stage at which government rises above extended family government.  It is the basis for all larger government.  Cain left the presence of the Lord and his parents and built a city (Genesis 4:16-17 [16] And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. [17] And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.
   See All...).  From the city came the beginnings of civilization (Genesis 4:20-22 [20] And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. [21] And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. [22] And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.
   See All...).
2. This plan to stay in one place was directly against the command of the Lord to Noah (Genesis 9:1And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
   See All...).  They were to replenish the earth.
3. The land of Shinar (Genesis 11:2And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
   See All...) is the location of the city, nation and empire of Babylon.  Babel (Genesis 11:9Therefore 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.
   See All...) becomes Babylon.  Throughout scripture, Babylon is a picture of the one world government.
1. The first Babel (the one in our story) was built by Nimrod as the beginning of his kingdom (Genesis 10:8-10 [8] And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. [9] He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. [10] And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
   See All...).
2. Prophetically, Babylon points to the future one world kingdom and its wickedness.  Notice how “wickedness” goes to build a house in the land of Shinar in the prophecy of Zechariah 5:5-11 [5] Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. [6] And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth. [7] And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. [8] And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. [9] Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. [10] Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? [11] And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.
   See All.... (See also its prominence in Revelation 14:8And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
   See All...; Revelation 16:19And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
   See All...; Revelation 17:5And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
   See All...; Revelation 18:2And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
   See All..., 10, 21.)
4. They built their city by substitution. They used brick in the place of stone and slime in the place of mortar (Genesis 11:3And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
   See All...).  This world builds its civilization using many substitutes.  They have substitutes for God, for the Bible, for righteousness and for many additional things.
5. This universal government was anti-God.  It was a promotion of self-willed men.  Notice the language of these men.
1. Let us make brick (Genesis 11:3And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
   See All...).
2. Let us build us a city and a tower (Genesis 11:4And 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.
   See All...).
3. Let us make us a name (Genesis 11:4And 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.
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4. Lest we be scattered (Genesis 11:4And 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.
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5. In these two verses we find the word us five times and the word we one time.
3. A Universal Religion (Genesis 11:4And 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.
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1. They built “a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven” (Genesis 11:4And 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.
   See All...).
2. This is a religion that is based on works.  They were building the tower.  They were doing the work.  All religions are based on good works.  This will be one of the uniting factors in the one world religion.  Read what Paul says about the religion of the Jews in Romans 10:2-4 [2] For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. [3] For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. [4] For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
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3. This is a religion that is based on human initiative.  They were reaching up to heaven.  They were not responding to God’s word to them.  If they had been, they would have scattered across the face of the globe without God confounding their language (see Genesis 9:1And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
   See All...).  Man wants a religion that originated as his idea.  See Naaman’s “Behold, I thought” (2 Kings 5:11But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
   See All...) and man’s desire to bring God down to his own level (Romans 1:23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
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4. A Universal Goal (Genesis 11:4-6 [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. [5] And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. [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.
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1. Man’s universal goal is to make “a name” for himself (Genesis 11:4And 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.
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1. This desire of man is revealed in scripture (Psalm 49:11Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.
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2. This desire is so great that men have often been willing to join together in a cause (Psalm 2:2The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
   See All...; Proverbs 11:21Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.
   See All...; Isaiah 28:15Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
   See All...).  These causes have ranged from building pyramids to sending men to the moon.
2. Man’s fear is that he will be scattered across the face of the earth (Genesis 11:4And 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.
   See All...) and be separated from the power of numbers.
3. Man united has a power to accomplish things that are even recognized by God.  God knows that “nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do” (Genesis 11:6And 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.
   See All...).  The trouble is that man does not have the morality to do the right thing (Psalm 10:3-11 [3] For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. [4] The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. [5] His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. [6] He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity. [7] His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity. [8] He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor. [9] He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net. [10] He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones. [11] He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.
   See All...; Romans 3:10-18 [10] As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: [11] There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. [12] They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. [13] Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: [14] Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: [15] Their feet are swift to shed blood: [16] Destruction and misery are in their ways: [17] And the way of peace have they not known: [18] There is no fear of God before their eyes.
   See All...).  The greater his power, the greater his acts of wickedness.
4. THE SCATTERING OF THE PEOPLE BY THE LORD (Genesis 11:7-9 [7] Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. [8] So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. [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.
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1. God Confounds the Language of the People (Genesis 11:7Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
   See All...).
1. Notice the words of the Lord in response to the men.
1. The first words of the men – “Go to, let us make brick” (Genesis 11:3And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
   See All...).
2. The first words of the Lord – “Go to, let us go down” (Genesis 11:7Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
   See All...).
2. The Lord addresses their sins in the opposite order of their occurrence.
1. The sins of the men
1. They found a plain and dwelt there (Genesis 11:2And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
   See All...).
2. They said one to another (Genesis 11:3And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
   See All...).
2. The judgment of the Lord
1. Let us go down, and confound their language (Genesis 11:7Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
   See All...).
2. So the Lord scattered them (Genesis 11:8So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
   See All...).
2. God Scatters the People Abroad (Genesis 11:8So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
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1. The Lord had to bring judgment to get the people to separate as He originally commanded.
2. The early church was supposed to separate and would not until the Lord allowed persecution to arise (Acts 1:8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
   See All...; Acts 8:1And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
   See All...).
3. The Place Takes the Name of Babel (Genesis 11:9Therefore 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.
   See All...).

CONCLUSION:  Although we should participate in government, we should not look to human government as the source of all our needs.  We must always remember to look to God and His provision.  He is our guide and helper.