Today’s chapter is Revelation 13

Tom writes:

Revelation 13 isn’t telling us to obsess over the mark of the beast, and it certainly doesn’t equate that mark with a piece of body-borne technology. No, Revelation 13 is telling us about worship; it unambiguously asserts that people will either worship Satan or Jesus, and it urges us to worship the Son. This isn’t quite as simple as it might appear; it calls for wisdom, so we don’t get caught up with the crowd. It seems that Satan sneaks into our worship through human powers that have been distorted into beast-like beings reminiscent of the visions of Daniel. Almost certainly total devotion to Rome - worship of the Emperor, collaboration in their every agenda - was seen as worship of the devil. Almost certainly total devotion to capitalism, or to liberalism or to nationalism will cause us to bear the mark of the beast. The faithful will need to patiently endure in the midst of any culture; not to conform to the pattern of this world but to stand out, distinct, like those who hope in a different world. And so Revelation 13 should cause us to ask about our dreams and our hopes. Whatever we may sing about on a Sunday, it is what we yearn for and what we shoot for that shows what we worship.

If you cut me open what would my ambition be shown to be? I’d like people to tell me I’m impressive. The odd applauding crowd would not go amiss. A little more acceptably, I want to grow old with my wife and watch my grandchildren thrive in life. All of these things can be good, but what if the only way I can reach them is to compromise with my culture and calm my commitment to Christ? This “risky” environment is what the church is always in. The beast is so powerful and he can make his way of getting things look really good. Massive wisdom and endurance are required. Chapters like this can make faithfulness seem incredibly hard. And, when I think about it, so many of my friends seem to have fallen captive to the relentless assaults of the power-wielding dragon. But we must not lose heart. Chapter 14 shows us the resource we have to draw on when we need to endure; worship of the lamb. Honour of and glory of the One who has redeemed us from the dragon’s power. If we want to endure and be blameless, it is worship of the Lamb that should be our battle-cry.

Question for reflection

Stop and audit your life, what does your use of your body suggest you are devoted to?

Revelation 13 - Monday 16th December