The Bible records a very brief account of an endeavor known as the tower of Babel. In a period after the great flood in which God destroyed the world that then was because of their sins, men banded together to establish a great city along with a high tower. Instead of spreading out to repopulate and settle the earth, these people evidently wanted to create great works for their own purposes.
God intervened to stop this by confusing their language to prevent their understanding one another. Why?
Mankind was beginning to venture into areas for which he was not prepared. Note this statement from God:
” ‘…and this is what they begin to do; now nothing will be withheld from them’ ” (Genesis 11:6).
These actions were outside of the plan that God was working out for mankind. We read the following in Genesis 5, verse 1: “…In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.” Then, in Hebrews 2 we are told: ” ‘…You have crowned him with glory and honor, And set him over the works of Your hands. You have put ALL THINGS in subjection under his feet.’ For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him” (verses 7-8).
Right now, God has given man the earth on which to live. We read in Psalm 115:16: “The heaven, even the heavens (which include space or the universe), are the LORD’S; But the EARTH He has given to the children of men.” We find this overview in Acts 17:26: ” ‘And He has made from one [man] every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings.’ “
We have more insight concerning the will of God for mankind in Isaiah 45:18: “For thus says the LORD Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited.”
However, in our time, mankind once again seeks to go beyond his appointed domain — thereby adopting, inadvertently, the spirit of Satan and his fallen angels who tried to leave earth to take God’s place in the third heaven. Jude 6 tells us, “And the [fallen] angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.” As the year 2004 gets under way, robotic spaceships have begun to land on Mars. The technology of our day seems limitless.
Now, ambitious plans for establishing colonies on the moon along with a quest to send men to the planet Mars are being embraced by mankind. The United States and Russia, long technological leaders in space exploration, now have competition from Europe, China, Japan and India. It appears that a space race is emerging once again.
The ominous worry is that space based weapons will proliferate among the nations. In fact, near space already is full of intelligence and communication satellites from which modern war becomes even more powerful in the hands of those nations who can wield such technologies.
Mankind is once again moving beyond the bounds and limits placed on him by God. This time, as before, God will have to intervene. Jesus Christ spoke of the end of the age of man’s self rule and the conditions occurring just prior to His return to this earth: ” ‘And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved…’ ” (Matthew 24:22).
However, there is great hope for mankind in the future that God has planned. As we read, Paul spoke in Hebrews 2:8 of the time when “all things” would be given to the sons of God. Peter adds the following: “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).
The sure promise of God is that man will indeed journey into all of His creation–beyond the bounds of this earth or the planets in this solar system. Indeed man will get to go where no man has gone before–just not yet!
