Digging Up the Roots of Socialism
17 Nov 2006
Most agree that socialism has its roots in utopianism, though we shall shortly trace the roots of socialism further back to a much more ominous source. Utopians are those who believe in mankind’s ability to create a future ideal civilization; in other words, utopians believe in mankind’s ability to create a utopia or heaven on earth. This idea is strewn throughout literature, with the ancient Greek philosopher Plato being accredited with the oldest serious examples. In his Critias and Timaeus, Plato wrote of the mythical Lost City of Atlantis, a highly intelligent utopian civilization that sank into the sea “in a single day and night of misfortune.” While some insist that the Lost City of Atlantis actually existed, most concede that it was fabricated by Plato for the purpose of adding credence to his Republic, a work within which Plato proposes the possibility of an ideal civilization ruled by a Philosopher class, protected by a Warrior class, and served by a Producer class.
Although the idea is generally believed to date back to Plato, the term “utopia” appears to have been coined by the English statesman and humanist Thomas More, who wrote an essay by that title in 1516. More’s essay tells a fanciful tale of a fictitious explorer’s discovery of a rationally organized society. In a strange twist of irony, More’s essay is attributed with the birth of modern utopianism; despite the fact that it appears to have been More’s intention to repudiate rather than substantiate utopian thinking.
More constructed the term “utopia” from Greek words meaning “no place.” His insinuation is unmistakable; there is no place in this fallen world where utopia or heaven on earth will ever be found. While many, such as Francis Bacon (see below), the author of New Atlantis, disagreed with More and continued to maintain the possibility of a manmade utopia, others, such as Aldous Huxley, the author of Brave New World, and George Orwell, the author of 1984, became dystopians, writing of the hell on earth that would be created by utopians’ pursuit of heaven on earth. Though today’s world would do well to heed the warnings of Huxley and Orwell, the Bible foretells our unfortunate and ultimate failure to do so.
FRANCIS BACON
Francis Bacon is considered by some to be “the real and true founder of America,” as well as “the godfather of America’s Founding Fathers.” As the first Grand Master of modern Freemasonry, Bacon believed America to be the new Atlantis. He envisioned America rising to become a utopian society that would usher in a new world order by exporting democracy all over the world. His confidence in America serving as a future catalyst to worldwide utopia led him to become a leading proponent of Europe’s colonization of America. In honor of his advocacy on behalf of American colonization, a 1910 Newfoundland stamp bore Bacon’s image and read, “Lord Bacon: the Guiding Spirit in the Colonization Scheme.”
Despite the fact that he died 150 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, many believe that Francis Bacon’s fingerprints are all over the founding of our nation. Many of our Founding Fathers were Deists and freemasons who revered Bacon as the first Grand Master of modern Freemasonry. For instance, Thomas Jefferson praised Francis Bacon, along with John Locke and Sir Isaac Newton, as the “three greatest men the world had ever produced.” In addition, many insist that the influence of Bacon’s writings on our Founding Fathers is proven by the Great Seal of the United States. Designed and adopted by our Founding Fathers in 1782, the Great Seal bears the inscription: NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM, which is Latin for “New World Order.”
As I promised earlier, I will now trace the roots of socialism to a much older and far more ominous source than utopianism’s initial musings in the mind of Plato. As any serious student of Scripture can tell you, fallen humanity’s first attempt at manmade utopia was the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). The Tower of Babel represents fallen man’s initial attempt at glorifying himself by building his own heaven on earth. That this was the clear intention of Babel’s ill-fated tower builders is made abundantly clear by their audaciously articulated ambitions: “Go to, let us build us a city and 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.”
According to Genesis 11:2, Babel was located on “a plain in the land of Shinar.” This region, later known as Babylonia or Mesopotamia, has been called the “Cradle of Civilization.” It was here that the Garden of Eden was found and that human civilization originated, a fact attested to by all reputable archeologists and historians. As the site of man’s original sin and expulsion from Eden, as well as the incubator of fallen man’s aspirations toward manmade utopia, this strategic spot carries great symbolic significance in Scripture.
With the lone exception of Jerusalem, Babylon is the most talked about city in the Bible. It serves throughout Scripture as the antitype of Jerusalem. For instance, Jerusalem, which is called “the bride, the Lamb’s wife” (Revelation 19:9-10), depicts the capital of the Kingdom of God, whereas Babylon, which is called “the great whore” (Revelation 17:1-5; 19:2), depicts the capital or center of operation for the kingdom of this world. Although ancient Babylon perished long ago, never to be rebuilt (Jeremiah 50:35-40; 51:25-29, 61-64), its typology lives on in each ensuing age wherever the political, economic, cultural and religious center of the world is found. In Peter’s day, it was Rome, as is proven by the apostle’s reference to the church in Rome as “the church in Babylon” (1 Peter 5:13). In our day, it is America, the world’s sole remaining superpower.
In the Scripture, Jerusalem is called the “city of God” (Psalm 46:4; 48:1, 8; 87:3; 101:8; Revelation 3:12). It is a “heavenly” city (Hebrews 11:16) built by God (Hebrews 11:10) for the glory of His name (Deuteronomy 12:5, 11, 14, 18, 21; 2 Chronicles 6:4-6). Although the earthly city of Jerusalem serves as a type of the heavenly city, it is not to be confused with that which it symbolizes; namely, the Kingdom of God. Unfortunately, today’s foremost school of eschatology, premillennialism, often exalts Biblical types (the earthly city of Jerusalem) to synonymity with their truths (the heavenly city of Jerusalem); thus, confusing the two and leading Christians to chase shadows rather than the spiritual substance the shadows are meant to merely silhouette.
The Bible describes Babylon in a number of ways. It refers to it as “great” or the “great city” (Daniel 4:30; Revelation 14:8; 16:19; 17:18; 18:2, 10, 16, 18, 19, 20). It calls it “the jewel” and “queen of kingdoms” (Isaiah 13:9; 47:5). It identifies it as “the glory of the Babylonians’ pride” and as “the praise of the whole earth” (Isaiah 47:5; Jeremiah 51:41). Obviously, such glowing descriptions are from the world’s perspective and not heaven’s, which sees Babylon as evocative of fallen man’s attempts at forging his own way to heaven (false religions) and creating his own heaven on earth (one world government). Although Babylon was the first great Gentile world power and the birthplace of false religion, it is not to be confused with that which it symbolizes; namely, the kingdom of this world.
Babylon’s symbolic significance may be further uncovered by taking up one of Scripture’s most intriguing word studies. The original name, “Babel,” means “confusion” or “babbling.” It comes from God’s intervention at the Tower of Babel to halt the tower’s construction by confusing the languages of the builders, rendering ongoing communication and collaboration on the project impossible. However, the latter name, “Babylon,” means the “gate of god.” This name comes from the Babylonian Creation Epic which alleges that the earthly entrance to the “celestial city” of Marduk (the Babylonians’ chief deity) was found at Babel. Here, a veiled, but vital truth of Scripture is uncovered for the spiritually astute by a divinely inspired wordplay. This truth—anyone suggesting the possibility of man making his own way to heaven or creating his own heaven on earth should be immediately dismissed as nothing more than a confused babbler—should be taken to heart by us all.
Don Walton
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