The Tower of Babel & The Three Visitors.

[Sam_777]

The Tower of Babel:
“*Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As men moved eastward, [a] they found a plain in Shinar ** and settled there. 3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” 5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” 8 So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.**” (Genesis 11:1-8).

The Three Visitors:
“The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. 3 He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.” (Genesis 18:1-3).

Could you please comment on these questions:

1. What do you think was meant by building a tower to reach heavens, does that mean some sort of today’s high-riser buildings or something else, and how such a building could reach heavens?
2. Why do you think God confused our language, what was is the point?
3. What do you think was meant by “Come, let us”, whom was calling whom & who is “us”?
4. Could someone please explain whom were the three men Abraham saw!*

 

[Valke2]

The Tower of Babel:
“Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As men moved eastward, [a] they found a plain in Shinar ** and settled there. 3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” 5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” 8 So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.**” (Genesis 11:1-8).

The Three Visitors:
“The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. 3 He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.” (Genesis 18:1-3).

Could you please comment on these questions:

1. What do you think was meant by building a tower to reach heavens, does that mean some sort of today’s high-riser buildings or something else, and how such a building could reach heavens?

I don’t think they intended to “reach heaven” but to build a monument to attest to their greatness.

1. Why do you think God confused our language, what was is the point?

 

[puzzleannie]

when God speaks in the OT and says “Let us” as in Let Us make them in our own image" or “Let Us confuse their speech” that is the Trinity, the three Persons acting in their Unity as One God. The 3 visitors to Abram are also considered to be personifications of the Trinity and in fact depicted as such in the famous icon of that event.

the point of the tower of babel story is that humans are again attempting to usurp powers and abilities that belong exclusively to the Divinity and that God time and time again brings humans up against their own limitations and folly whenever they attempt this.

 

[Sam_777]

Thank you Valke2 and puzzleannie, that affirmed my interpretation about the Trinity in the OT.

 

[Valke2]

I don’t believe the church teaches that the use of the plural (“let us”) in Genesis supports the trinity theology.

 

[inJESUS]

I don’t believe the church teaches that the use of the plural (“let us”) in Genesis supports the trinity theology.

it was mentioned by the church fathers.

Irenaous (sp?) , for example, says:

Now man is a mixed organization of soul and flesh, who was formed after the likeness of God, and molded by His hands, that is, by the Son and Holy Spirit, to whom also He said, “Let Us make man.”

 

[Valke2]

it was mentioned by the church fathers.

Irenaous (sp?) , for example, says:

Now man is a mixed organization of soul and flesh, who was formed after the likeness of God, and molded by His hands, that is, by the Son and Holy Spirit, to whom also He said, “Let Us make man.”

Ok. I was basing my belief on the article on the Trinity in the Catholic Encyclopedia. In there it lists biblical references to support the Trinity theology but does not refer to the “let us” language in Genesis.

 

[jmtosh]

Hi,

I understand that the Hebrew infers that the tower was built to the heavens or in honour of the hosts of heaven (pagan deities). It was believed that the signs of the zodiac decorated the uppermost level of the ziggurat.

To the awestruck worshipper on the ground the high priest would literally be ascending up to commune with the gods.

 

[jmtosh]

As regards the Trinity the “us” does refer to the trinity.

In Genesis 1:26 God said, Let **us **make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have **dominion **over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thingthat creepeth on the earth.

Verse 27: So **God **created man in his image, in the **image of God **created he him: male and female created he them.

Plurality of persons one God.

Likewise in Genesis 11.

Another reference in the old testament is Isaiah 6:8 when the Lord asks who will go for us?

As touching Genesis 18 if one reads further into Genesis 19 one sees that two of the men that appeared to Abraham were angels who had left the LORD speaking with Abraham and went to Sodom. So one of the men was a theophany (or an appearance of God).

In Genesis 19:24 the LORD rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven.
This text seems to support the idea of plurality of persons in the Deity in that the LORD **on earth **(see Genesis 18) rained fire and brimstone from the LORD in heaven.

 

[peary]

The Tower of Babel:

Could you please comment on these questions:

1. What do you think was meant by building a tower to reach heavens, does that mean some sort of today’s high-riser buildings or something else, and how such a building could reach heavens?

Yes. Also, they wanted to reach the ‘heavens’ and in that way say that they were equal to God.

1. Why do you think God confused our language, what was is the point?

I never understood this concept from an anthropological view because it doesn’t make sense. Human beings have to communicate with one another, even in tribal areas.

1. What do you think was meant by “Come, let us”, whom was calling whom & who is “us”?
2. Could someone please explain whom were the three men Abraham saw!

God in the representation of the Trinity.

 

[Delta2]

In the Qur’an where Allah speaks, he says “We”, “Us”, Our" over 100 times!

“4.151”: These it is that are truly unbelievers, and **We **have prepared
for the unbelievers a disgraceful chastisement.

“4.153”: The followers of the Book ask you to bring down to them a book
from heaven; so indeed they demanded of Musa a greater thing than that, for
they said: Show us Allah manifestly; so the lightning overtook them on
account of their injustice. Then they took the calf (for a god), after
clear signs had come to them, but We pardoned this; and **We **gave to Musa
clear authority.

“5.65”: And if the followers of the Book had believed and guarded
(against evil) **We **would certainly have covered their evil deeds and We
would certainly have made them enter gardens of bliss

“6.83”: And this was **Our **argument which we gave to Ibrahim against his
people; **We **exalt in dignity whom **We **please; surely your Lord is Wise,
Knowing.

“9.101”: And from among those who are round about you of the dwellers
of the desert there are hypocrites, and from among the people of Medina
(also); they are stubborn in hypocrisy; you do not know them; We know
them; **We **will chastise them twice then shall they be turned back to a
grievous chastisement

“10.70”: (It is only) a provision in this world, then to Us shall be
their return; then **We **shall make them taste severe punishment because they
disbelieved.

“10.11”: And if Allah should hasten the evil to men as they desire the
hastening on of good, their doom should certainly have been decreed for
them; but We leave those alone who hope not for Our meeting in their
inordinacy, blindly wandering on.

“10.23”: But when He delivers them, lo! they are unjustly rebellious in
the earth. O men! your rebellion is against your own souls – provision
(only) of this world’s life – then to Us shall be your return, so We will
inform you of what you did.

“12.3”: We narrate to you the best of narratives, by Our revealing to
you this Quran, though before this you were certainly one of those who did
not know.

“13.40”: And We will either let you see part of what We threaten them
with or cause you to die, for only the delivery of the message is
(incumbent) on you, while calling (them) to account is Our (business).

“17.83”: And when We bestow favor on man, he turns aside and behaves
proudly, and when evil afflicts him, he is despairing.

“18.48”: And they shall be brought before your Lord, standing in ranks:
Now certainly you have come to Us as We created you at first. Nay, you
thought that We had not appointed to you a time of the fulfillment of the
promise.

“19.38”: How clearly shall they hear and how clearly shall they see on
the day when they come to Us; but the unjust this day are in manifest
error.

“19.80”: And We will inherit of him what he says, and he shall come to
Us alone.

“20.80”: O children of Israel! indeed We delivered you from your enemy,
and We made a covenant with you on the blessed side of the mountain, and We
sent to you the manna and the quails.

“20.113”: And thus have We sent it down an Arabic Quran, and have
distinctly set forth therein of threats that they may guard (against evil)
or that it may produce a reminder for them.

“23.115”: What! did you then think that We had created you in vain and
that you shall not be returned to Us?

“28.44”: And you were not on the western side when We revealed to Musa
the commandment, and you were not among the witnesses;

“28.45”: But We raised up generations, then life became prolonged to
them; and you were not dwelling among the people of Madyan, reciting to
them Our communications, but We were the senders.

 

[Delta2]

that means that Muhammad was a little confused about the Bible

Because the Bible attests The Holy Trinity, from Genesis to Revelation