modern Babylon as it's portrayed in Revelation 16. So we're going to begin first in Genesis chapter 11 verses 1 through 9 where the initial characteristics of Babel are mentioned. And of course the Bible builds on that story from there, but there is a couple characteristics that we want to identify here right from the outset. Genesis 11 1 through 9, and the whole earth was of one language and of one speech 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 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 mortar and they said go to let us build us a city and a tower whose top may reach unto heaven and let us make a name lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth and the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the children of men built it and the Lord said behold the people is and they have all one language and this they began to do and now nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do go to let us go down and there confound their language that they may not understand one another's speech so the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth and they left off to build the city 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 upon abroad upon the face of all the earth now what I would like this to look at here are some of the characteristics that are very early on identified with babe with Babel or Babylon of course they they were building the tower out of brick and slime and we understand that this symbolizes man's works in opposition to the altars that God's people would build that not any cutting was to be done on simply stones that the Lord had provided this was bricks that had been made by man ever identifying that this was an effort of man's own works of course they're building a tower to not only save themselves from another flood but also to reach unto heaven to reach unto God so we see here illustrated symbolically a people that have built into their design an attempt to save their self through their own works and by doing so end up in heaven but the characteristics that I want to note here is that they were going to make themselves a name and they're going to build a city and a tower and if we go to Revelation 13 verses 16 through 18 it says this and he causes all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads and that no man might buy or sell save he that had the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name here is wisdom let him that have understanding count the number of the beast for it is the number of a man and his number is 600 three score and six