Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.
Matthew 26:3-5
Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
John 11:47-48
Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.
Acts 5:26
The next point to understand about Antichrist religion and Antichrist government is that they fear the people, the multitudes. Why? Because that is where the two beasts get their power from. When the people refuse to keep their commandments, it renders them powerless to stop. It is an illusion that they have power over the multitudes because if the people ever got together as one it would be nearly impossible for the beasts to stop. So then the beasts and the multitudes are constantly in a give and take mode of operating, each side testing the limits to see what the other side will tolerate. A cousin of fear is selfishness, for one cannot be fearful before believing that he or she has something to lose. Antichrist religion and government are selfish, seeking to feed the people what they want to hear. The people are selfish, seeking to hear from the beasts that which is pleasing in their sight. There remains an uneasy tension between the two sides. You do for me, I’ll do for you. Either side is capable of laying down the hammer and causing a great upheaval in the social fabric if they don’t get what they want.
This tension is not possible in a kingdom ruled by love. There is no fear in love. In the true authority, Christ and His followers give themselves away freely to the multitudes. There can be no accusation of unfair motives when love is the ruling power. There can be no selfishness when love is on the throne. Christ’s demonstration of love by washing the feet of the disciples shows what power there is in love. It humbles and softens the heart of the masses, when they see such love in operation. One act of kindness speaks more than thousands of words of Antichrist religion pandering to the people. The power and authority belongs to Christ in love. He shall reign forever and ever amen.
And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people. Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.
John 7:12-13
And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
John 19:38
These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
John 9:22
Just like the powers that be fear the people, so the people fear the powers that be. They are in charge of the form of Antichrist religion and Antichrist government. As long as the people want what the beasts are selling, there will be fear on both sides, each fearing to offend the other. They selfishly need each other. It’s like a relationship where each side is using the other for the pleasure of sex. As long as each side is being pleased, there is a shaky truce of fear and selfishness. No love can exist where there is fear. If enough people are dissatisfied with the rule of the beasts, there will be clamor, asking for a change in leadership. This is what we see in Antichrist religion. Different churches compete with each other, seeing who can make the best offer to the masses, seeing who can draw the most people. They are like used car salesmen, each seeing to outdo the other in what they can promise the people. The same spirit exists in Antichrist government. In America, the Democrats and Republicans are in power in varying degrees. They each keep hawking their goods, trying to appeal to the masses for votes and hence power and authority.
The alliance is by nature unsteady. People are ready to shift allegiances at the drop of a hat if they don’t get what they want. Selfishness. No matter how many people switch denominations or how many people switch political parties, the two beasts stay in power to some degree. If the masses decided they wanted leadership that will rule them by the love of Christ, the system would blow up overnight. This won’t happen however, because the system remains selfish and the people remain selfish. They want to be ruled with force and cruelty. Because they allow such character in their lovers, they are assured to get what they selfishly want in return. They have itching ears, wanting to be tickled with lies and half truths. They will give their power to the beast because they refuse to be ruled by the love of Christ. A few people come out of slavery to Antichrist religion and Antichrist government and are truly born again and leave the system. Not enough people are getting saved to truly cause a reformation in the two beast system. Revelation shows that the beasts will continue to exist and thrive here on earth, until Christ returns and destroys both systems in the lake of fire, along with Satan, who is the father of the two beasts.
And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.
Mark 11:18
The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.
John 12:19
Those in power and authority in Antichrist religion and government fear Jesus Christ Himself. As previously said, Jesus Christ has the power to blow up the whole Antichrist system with His radical ideas of selflessness and love. It makes the beasts uneasy when people decide to follow Christ, because they are no longer needed. Both Christ and the beasts fill a need in the peoples lives to have authority exercised over them. Most people choose the unrighteous path of the beasts, so the beasts will remain. They say of Christ, “we will not have this man to rule over us!”. Christ said narrow and strait is the way that leads to righteousness and few there be that find it. Few are willing to forsake their selfishness. Christ’s kingdom works by a total surrender to Him in love. The beasts system and kingdom works by a gimme gimme what I want right NOW plan of attack. The beasts and the masses hate each other, but each are necessary to the others existence. Both the beasts and the multitudes are afraid of what will happen when Christ reigns in the hearts of mankind, so they delay it as much as possible. Judgement day will come and their temporary system of selfishness will be destroyed in the blinding light of LOVE and TRUTH. Both the beasts and the selfish multitudes will be cast alive into the lake of fire, along with the selfish devil who seduced them all.
Those that truly love the Lord refuse to be part of religious systems that mock the very nature and character of Jesus Christ. They refuse to be part of the governmental beast that rules the land. They only submit to Antichrist government to the degree that love requires, keeping just and good laws for the sake of the good of God and all people. If the beast one day passes unjust laws, the people of God have no hesitance to break those unjust laws. Righteousness and love demand that we don’t submit to abuse of authority. It’s not in the best interests of the people or the government to raise up a standard of selfishness in the land.
For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
Mark 6:20
Finally, the two beasts of AC religion and government fear those that are truly serving Jesus Christ. Serving Christ is such a radical departure from selfishness that the beasts are powerless to stop it. The day may very well come in America where the true Christians are thrown in prison for their refusal to bow to the two beasts of AC religion and government. Until then, we labor to see people come out of the two beast system and be separated unto the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many are called, but few are chosen!