Revelation 13:5-8 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earthwill worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.
This passage emphasizes the blasphemy of the beast. The beast puts itself against God, the temple, and heaven. The beast fights against God’s people, likely through persecution, deception, or distortion. The power of the beast is limited to 3 1/2 years, but during that time, the beast has authority over the whole earth. The deception goes even to the point that people worship the beast. Everyone in the world will worship the beast except those who follow the Lamb. This type of situation sets up a crisis of faith for the followers of Jesus. When the pressure of conformity come, will we give in to cultural and political forces or will we remain true to Jesus? Will we do this even to the point of suffering or ultimately of losing our lives? Although some parts of the world have great freedom now, the forces of politics and social changes will tempt God’s people to compromise in faith and morality. This passage serves as a timeless warning to us that we should remain true to our calling as God’s people in Christ.
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