The Big Squeeze

Writing to Christians in imperial Rome around A.D. 56, the apostle Paul urged, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom 12.2).  The renowned English translator, J. B. Phillips, expressed it this way:

“Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God remould your minds from within.” (The New Testament in Modern English).

Significantly, the world is portrayed as an aggressive force that pressurizes people to conform to its customs and ideals.  The ‘world’ (aiōn) of which Paul speaks is not creation per se, but rather the system of thought and behaviour that dominates the age in which we live.  Anglican archbishop, Richard Chenavix Trench, defined aiōn as follows:

“All the floating mass of thoughts, opinions, maxims, speculations, hopes, impulses, aims, aspirations, at any time current in the world, which it may be impossible to seize and accurately define, but which constitute a most real and effective power, being the moral, or immoral atmosphere which at every moment of our lives we inhale, again inevitably to exhale” (Synonyms of the New Testament).

In Second Corinthians 4.4, Paul identifies Satan as “the god of this age” who blinds people’s minds to prevent them from believing the gospel.  And in Ephesians 2.2, he refers to Satan as “the prince of the power of the air” who controls the spiritual and moral atmosphere of the epochs of human history.

The spiritual and moral atmosphere of a given period is often defined by a word ending in “ism.”  Communism; capitalism; materialism; anarchism; fascism; totalitarianism; religious extremism; social progressivism; sexual permissivism; etc.  As a rule, each one of these “isms” has little tolerance for alternative points of view, and forcibly imposes its ideals and values on the silent, passive majority.  

Take Communism for example.  South African writer and philosopher, Laurens Van Der Post, visited the Soviet Union in 1963, and described “the stunning effect” of seeing a uniform Soviet pattern reproduced in virtually every aspect of life (Journey into Russia; The Hogarth Press, 1964).  Van Der Post referred to it as the “national Marxist-Leninist stereotype.”

From art to architecture, from fashion to food, from education to industry, the all-knowing State determined what was acceptable and what was not.  Promises of equality and opportunity notwithstanding, Communism was a war against freedom of thought and individual expression. 

The Mark of the Beast

In the Book of Revelation, the prophet John describes the emergence of a global leader who wields unprecedented power over the masses of humanity.  He is called “the Beast” and “the Antichrist.”  The scale of his rule and the extent of his control is simply mind-boggling.  According to John,

“He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Rev 13.16-17).

In his commentary on the Book of Revelation, Robert Mounce commented that “the coupling of opposites (small, great; rich, poor; free, slave) is a rhetorical way of stressing the totality of human society,” and moreover, “no one who would carry on the normal pursuits of everyday life is exempt” (New International Commentary on the New Testament).

With respect to my preterist friends who believe that the Book of Revelation refers primarily, if not exclusively, to events in the Roman Empire in the 1st century, I have not been able to identify a single incident from that period that could be construed to be a fulfilment of John’s prophecy concerning the Mark of the beast.

As respected theologian, George Eldon Ladd, noted: “We have no historical situation associated with emperor worship which illustrates this prophecy.  John expects the beast, aided by the false prophet, to achieve a totalitarian rule in which he has complete control over politics, religion, and economics with the purpose of compelling the worship of all men” (A Commentary on the Revelation of John).

Throughout the past 2,000 years, humanity has witnessed the rise and fall of many totalitarian rulers, each of whom desired to exercise complete control over politics, religion, and economics.  However, they lacked one thing; namely, the technology that was needed to achieve their goals.  But now, with the development of the internet and the exponential growth of computer-driven artificial intelligence, leaders have the tools to potentially control every facet of human existence.

In John’s vision, people are compelled to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead.  The important thing is not the nature of the mark, but rather, what the mark signifies — total control over a person’s thoughts and actions.

The mark of the beast is really about universality and uniformity — everyone, everywhere, thinking and acting the same way.  And that is being achieved, as we speak, through the hypnosis of social conditioning.

Pavlov’s dogs

Whilst studying the physiology of digestion in dogs, the Russian neurologist, Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), noticed that his dogs began to salivate in the presence of the technician who normally fed them, rather than just salivating in the presence of food.  Deciding to test these observations, Pavlov presented a stimulus such as the sound of a metronome, and then gave the dog food.

After several repetitions, the dog associated the sound of the metronome with the appearance of food.  Eventually, the dog began to salivate merely at the sound of the metronome, even without the appearance of food.  Pavlov called this a conditioned response to a conditioned stimulus.              

Whether we realise it or not, we are at the epicentre of a giant Pavlovian experiment.  Unseen forces are conditioning us to think and act in ways that are conducive to their globalist goals.  And their primary tool is social media. After all, if everyone is thinking it, and saying it, and doing it, then it must be right!

However, in a letter to the churches of Asia Minor, the apostle John presents the case for contrarianism:

“Do not love the world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2.15-17).

Surrounded by a system that is trying to squeeze us into its mould, our point of reference must be God and his unchanging Word.  Indeed, the most effective antidote to strong delusion is to cultivate a love of the truth (2 Thess 2.10-11).    

The gift of true discrimination

Paul prayed for the Philippian church that their love would abound in knowledge and in all discernment, and that they would approve the things that are excellent (Phil 1.9-10).  New Testament scholar, Gordon Fee, points out that the Greek word aisthēsis, translated ‘discernment,’ denotes something close to “moral insight.” 

The purpose of this moral insight is to enable believers to discern the real value and true nature of things, or as the American Bible Union Version says, “to distinguish the things that differ.”  The New English Bible calls it “the gift of true discrimination.”   

But how do you know if the things you see and hear in the news media are true?  How do you know if the assurances of politicians and the predictions of ‘experts’ are trustworthy?  How do you know if the claims of social influencers and TV evangelists are genuine?

Whilst the Bible reveals the will and purpose of God for humankind, it does not provide the answers to some of life’s most pressing questions.  For example, the Bible does not tell you whether to buy a particular product or use a particular medication. The Bible does not tell you whether to invest in a particular insurance scheme or subscribe to a particular political ideology.  

Once again, I refer to Laurens Van Der Post.  Whilst serving with the British Army in the Dutch East Indies during World War Two, Van Der Post was captured by the Japanese and held as a prisoner of war for over three years at Sukabumi and Bandung.  Speaking of “the instinctive system” whereby imprisoned or isolated people ascertain what is true in their daily news and propaganda diet, Van Der Post opined:

“Every thought, every articulation of meaning from painting to music, carries within it evidence of its correspondence to the truth by the impact it makes on our senses and imagination.  This was forcibly brought home to me in over three years of captivity in a Japanese prisoner of war camp.  Denied all official news except Japanese propaganda sheets, we all quickly evolved a technique for sorting out the true from the false.”

Take special note of the phrase, “evidence of its correspondence to the truth by the impact it makes on our senses and imagination.”  In other words, truth resonates within us.  It corresponds with our gut instinct.  It provokes a feeling within us, which, over time, we learn to recognise as a faithful adjudicator of the genuine article.

This is what Paul meant when he said that the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit, or as J. B. Phillips puts it, “the Spirit Himself endorses our inward conviction” (Rom 8.16), and again in Romans 9.1, “My own conscience, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, assures me it is no lie” (New English Bible).

If something looks fishy, sounds fishy, and smells fishy, it usually is fishy!  Likewise, if something “sits right” in your heart and commands a sense of peace, then that usually indicates a correct decision and an appropriate course of action.

Little wonder then that the writer of Proverbs urged, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom.  And in all your getting, get understanding”(Prov 4.7).

Or, in the words of the Father of Monasticism, Anthony the Great, “Beseech the Lord with tears by day and by night to have the spirit of discernment, so that you may abound in every good thing and attain perfection” (Arabic Antony Letters XI). 

Get discernment!  As the world tries to squeeze you into its mould, your future, and the future of your children, may well depend on it!