“Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,
‘Come out of her, my people,
so that you do not take part in her sins,
and so that you do not share in her plagues…’”
— Revelation 18:4
There are times in history when the words of Revelation ring not just with mystery, but with clarity. Not as cryptic codes to be solved, but as a mirror held up to our own times — daring us to see.
Revelation is not just a book about the end.
It is a book about unveiling — pulling back the curtain to show us what’s really going on beneath appearances. The name itself, apokalypsis, means exactly that: an uncovering.
And in that uncovering, we’re invited — not to panic or to plot — but to choose.
To see the systems at work.
To follow the Lamb instead of the beast.
To come out of Babylon, even while still living within its walls.
The Beast Is Always Dressed for Church
When Revelation 13 introduces the beast, it shows us not just brute force — but seduction. The second beast performs signs and wonders, deceives many, and promotes the first beast in spiritual terms. This is not just raw power. It is religious performance in service of empire.
We would do well to remember this:
The most dangerous empires don’t silence religion — they co-opt it.
They turn faith into propaganda.
They wrap nationalism in liturgy.
They proclaim their leaders as anointed ones and bless brutality as righteousness.
It happened in Rome.
It happened in Nazi Germany.
It is happening again.
US Trumpism and the Spirit of the Beast
Let us be clear: this is not about attacking individuals.
This is about recognising patterns — and naming the spirit behind them.
In the U.S., we have witnessed a concerning fusion of political idolatry and religious language:
- Churches flying flags inside sanctuaries.
- Preachers calling for violence “to defend righteousness.”
- Prophets proclaiming political leaders as God’s appointed saviours.
- Sermons exalting nationalism over the gospel of peace.
This isn’t conservative vs liberal.
It’s Christ vs control.
We are not called to worship power in the name of Jesus.
We are called to follow the Lamb who gave up power for love.
Crowns Without Crosses
What we are seeing — not only in America but globally — is the offer Jesus refused in the wilderness.
“All these kingdoms I will give you,” says the tempter,
“if you will bow down and worship me.”
— Matthew 4:9
And Jesus said no.
But many have said yes.
They preach a Christ without a cross — a victorious, weaponised, glory-drenched Messiah who conquers his enemies rather than forgiving them.
This is not the gospel.
It is a parody.
And Revelation exposes it.
The Lamb wins, not by domination — but by self-giving love.
He is slain, yet standing. Broken, yet glorified.
And Here in the UK…
It’s subtler here — but no less real.
There are still echoes of empire dressed in robes of tradition:
- A temptation to equate British identity with Christian virtue.
- A tendency to prioritise decorum over discipleship.
- A Church that at times speaks boldly in safe places, but stays silent in prophetic ones.
Even in more progressive circles, the same spirit whispers:
“Don’t offend. Keep it safe. Grow your platform. Be liked.”
But Christ never courted favour.
He washed feet.
He overturned tables.
He walked away from crowds when they tried to make him king (John 6:15).
And he invites us to do the same.
The Lamb’s Alternative
In Revelation 14:4, the faithful are described as:
“those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes.”
Not those who hold power.
Not those who win the culture war.
But those who walk in his footsteps — even when it leads to suffering, sacrifice, or obscurity.
The Lamb’s way is not about winning.
It is about witness.
Not about overpowering darkness.
But about shining light.
The way of the Lamb is humility over hype.
Presence over platform.
Grace over grasping.
Revelation Isn’t a Call to Escape — It’s a Call to Discern
“Come out of her, my people…”
This isn’t just about leaving a city.
It’s about stepping out of Babylon’s way of thinking.
It’s about no longer making deals with the beast.
- No longer justifying fear in the name of faith.
- No longer excusing oppression as “God’s order.”
- No longer staying silent when the Lamb is being used to bless a lie.
We don’t need to shout.
We don’t need to argue.
We need to live differently.
So What Do We Do?
We resist — not with rage, but with reality.
We build sanctuaries, not empires.
We host prayer circles instead of pursuing platforms.
We plant gardens, write blessings, create art that awakens and disarms.
We speak truth quietly but clearly.
We love without condition.
We follow the Lamb even when it costs us.
This is not weakness.
This is prophetic resistance.
You Are Seeing What the Spirit Reveals
If you’re feeling unsettled… it’s because you’re awake.
If you’re disillusioned by the church-as-institution… it’s because your soul remembers the church-as-body.
If you’re weary of empire dressed in vestments… it’s because you’re longing for the kingdom of the Lamb.
This is the gift — and the burden — of discernment.
You’re not crazy.
You’re being called.
A Blessing for the Quiet Revolution
May you come out of Babylon not with bitterness, but with clarity.
May you walk not in fear, but in the peace of the Lamb.
May your allegiance be to truth,
your loyalty to love,
your life a quiet refusal to bow to any power but God.
May you be brave enough to lose —
if it means walking the path of the One who was slain.
And may the Spirit who reveals
also sustain you
as you carry the light into a world still chasing shadows.
🌌 You Are Not Alone
You are not the only one hearing the call.
There are others — in homes, in fields, in churches and cafés and forests — who are laying down the sword, turning off the noise, and stepping out of the system.
Not to run away.
But to build something holy in the wilderness.
Something shaped not by empire, but by the Lamb.
Let us go with them.
Let us go with Him.
Ancient Whispers 
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