Revelation 13 reminds me of the Asch Conformity Experiments conducted in the 1950’s. The basic concept was to test the effect of peer pressure on students. Would a student acquiesce to obviously wrong answers and go along with the crowd? The conclusion showed that 75% of students quickly identified the wrong response in order to be accepted by the group. Today’s lesson is about having the courage to stand for the truth. The chapter begins with some strange symbolism: “The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns.” Most believe this is a reference to a political entity rising to power. Perhaps it is a consolidated, multi-national leader. John adds: “The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.” He seems to be describing a world leader that is elevated to a unique position of control. Over exaggerated fear works frighteningly well to divide people and stigmatize non-compliance. This world leader seems to have a “fatal wound” which miraculously “had been healed”. Perhaps this is a pale imitation of Christ’s resurrection. John adds that “The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast.” Be very careful when unquestioningly following any human authority. We are corruptible beings. Solomon wrote: “Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.” (Eccl 7:20).
John continues describing the last days. This world leader is given a platform to speak “proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.” Shockingly, there is yet another rise in antisemitism growing today. Apparently, he will once again unite the world in hate against the Jews: The Beast was given “power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them.” His cult-like appeal will lead him to assume the status of deity: “All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast.” Interestingly, some will read that and think of folks on the other side who are being duped. Here is a test, if you hate someone because they disagree with you, you are being manipulated. John includes a warning that I think means, if you allow government to punish your enemy, that same power will eventually be used against you: “If anyone kills with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.”
The chapter closes with an additional character added, making an unholy trinity. Yet another false copy. John sees “a second beast, coming out of the earth.” This beast “had two horns like a lamb… spoke like a dragon… with all the authority of the first beast”, but his job is to make “the earth and its inhabitants worship the first.” While the first beast appears to be a political leader, the second is a religious leader. John writes: “it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven… it deceived the inhabitants of the earth.” All were forced to honor the first beast or be killed. The tyrannical mandates will be so severe that the entire economy will be controlled by these world leaders. The beast will control all commerce: “It also forced all people… to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads… they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark.” So, we see the stark difference between our God Who gives, and the Enemy that takes. The apostle Paul explains in Ephesians 2 that: “God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” God gives us mercy and patiently waits for us to receive the gift of forgiveness by faith. Paul repeats: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith… it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” We cannot earn or buy forgiveness, and therefore, we cannot boast in our righteousness. Christ paid the debt of our sin so we can have unity with the Father. Paul calls it “the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” One final note about the conformity study; if just one other person stands for the correct answer, the test subject is able to resist being bullied. Friend, are you willing to stand for truth?