This week we’re continuing our series on Revelation and Resistance series with Revelation 13:1-18 and 17:1-6. We examine the grotesque images of the Beasts rising from land and sea as images of the Roman Empire, a misshapen, deceptive, and violent creature trapping people unknowingly in the worship of Satan. Then we turn our attention to Woman Babylon, the beautiful seductress whose goblet is filled with the blood of the saints. Having these images before us gives substance to our unknown fears, we think, making visible that which lurks at the edges of our consciousness. More than that, perhaps, these images invite us to unmask the beastliness and seduction of the Empire in our own day. How are we unwittingly seduced and coerced into the worship of violence?