Part 1. The description of the victorious.
By now everyone should be aware that the central issue surrounding the topic of the Mark of the Beast that is to be forced upon the world will be worship. In fact, worship is a major theme of the book of Revelation in general. The word “worship” appears in Revelation 22 times which is more than in any other book of the Bible. Even now, before the time of the Mark of the Beast, we all worship…we all worship something or someone even if we are not religious. If it is not God then it is something else. The Bible says in Romans 6:16… “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of SIN leading to DEATH, or of OBEDIENCE leading to RIGHTEOUSNESS?”
If you start to read all the texts surrounding the word “worship” in the Bible it quickly becomes apparent that genuine worship stems from the heart and is shown in the actions. In fact the very next verse in Romans 6 says “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you OBEYED FROM THE HEART that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.”
There’s a “but”, but….there is also false worship. False worship may appear to be real on the outside but the heart is not sincere therefore it is null. A good example of this can be found in Jesus’ words written in Matthew 15:7-9 “Ye HYPOCRITES , well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, [8] This people DRAWETH NIGH unto me with THEIR MOUTH, and HONORETH ME with their LIPS; but their HEART IS FAR FROM ME. [9] But in VAIN THEY DO WORSHIP ME, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
According to the book of Revelation, EVERYONE will worship even if they don’t think they are… so that leads us to conclude that we will worship God or the beast. We will be obedient to one or the other.
The following are just three passages that describe the group of people that will be eventually victorious over the Mark of the Beast. Notice the common factor that you find in all three passages.
Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the COMMANDMENTS OF GOD and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, and the faith of Jesus.
Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that DO HIS COMMANDMENTS, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may ENTER in through THE GATES into the city.
These are people that are obedient to God’s commandments. Some may ask, “So does that mean that keeping God’s commandments saved them”? The answer is absolutely not! As it’s written in Ephesians 2:8…“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”
True obedience stems from the heart and is done out of love for God. (Romans 6) These people that are victorious over the Mark follow and obey God not to be saved but because they ARE saved. Their obedience is genuine and empowered by the Holy Spirit..as it is written in 1 John 3:24…Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
Clearly, if we are going to understand this issue of the Mark of the Beast, we must understand how the Commandments of God fit in, and even beyond that, what Commandments? The very first test that man had to face was a simple test of obedience in the Garden of Eden. God had plainly said do not eat from the tree, the serpent said go ahead and eat. God said that if they eat they will die, the serpent said “you will not surely die”
It was that simple. God’s word against the word of the serpent. So too will be the test during the time of the mark. It will be the words and law of the beast against the words and law of God.
Part 2. What commandments of God are still valid in these last days?
Now, this brings us to our next point that needs to be clarified before we can identify what the “Mark” will be during that time of testing. When it comes to the topic of the “Law of God” man has done a great job of muddying the waters. What exactly is the Law of God that we need to be paying attention too? Doesn’t The Bible say there is no more law? In fact, there are quite a few verses that seem to contradict each other in the New Testament alone that seem to cause great division in this matter.
(1.) James 2:10 For whoever shall KEEP the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is GUILTY of all.
According to this passage, it should be yes, right?
..but then another passage says
Colossians 2:14,16-17 having WIPED OUT the handwriting of REQUIREMENTS that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. [16] So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, [17] WHICH ARE A SHADOW of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
…now it’s a no?
(2.) How about this one…words of Christ now.
Matthew 5:17-18 Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. [18] For assuredly, I say to you, TILL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS AWAY, one jot or one tittle will by NO MEANS pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
According to this passage the answer to our question would be a solid yes!
….but then there’s this one.
Ephesians 2:15 having ABOLISHED in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of COMMANDMENTS contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
…now it’s a no again?
(3.) How about this one?
Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS of God and the faith of Jesus.
According to this passage the law is still very much valid during the great struggle before the Second Coming of Christ….but then it also says the following in Romans.
Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are NOT UNDER LAW but under grace.
So now it’s a no again?
(4.) How about this one?
1 John 2:3-4 Now by this we know that we know Him, IF WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. [4] He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
That is pretty clear right? Here the answer to our question is definitely yes! ….but then it also says this…
Galatians 3:23-25 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. [24] Therefore the LAW WAS OUR TUTOR to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. [25] But after faith has come, we are NO LONGER under a tutor.
This passage again, makes it seem like the answer to our question is a no.
What is going on friends? Do you see why this has caused so much debate over the years? Is God really trying to confuse us? We know that’s not true because the Bible tells us He is not the author of confusion nor would He deliberately contradict Himself. The truth is that these passages are not talking about the same “law”. This is very important to understand if we are to understand the conflict in the last days between the Beast powers and God.
Two Different Laws
Let’s look at two different laws that we find in scripture.
(#1.) Moral Law or Ten Commandments
Exodus 31:18 And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He [God] gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.
Deuteronomy 10:1-2,4 At that time the LORD said to me, ‘Hew for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and come up to Me on the mountain and make yourself an ark of wood. [2] And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke; and you shall put them in the ark.’ [4] And He wrote on the tablets according to the first writing, the Ten Commandments, which the LORD had spoken to you in the mountain from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly; and the LORD gave them to me.
Here’s just a few characteristics about the Moral Law..it was…
1. Written by God
2. With God’s own finger
3. On stone
4. Placed in the Ark
5. And called the “Ten Commandments”
(#2) Ceremonial Law – Moses’ Law
Deuteronomy 31:24-26 So it was, when MOSES had completed WRITING the words of this law in a book, when they were finished, [25] that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying: [26] “Take this Book of the Law, and put it BESIDE the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there as a witness AGAINST YOU;
Leviticus 23:5-6, 10-11, 13, 23-27; Here you will find the laws surrounding Passover, unleavened bread, first fruits, sheaf offerings, drink offerings, and ceremonial sabbaths.
Here are just a few characteristics about the ceremonial law from the above passages.
1. Written by Moses
2. Handwriting
3. In a book
4. Placed on the SIDE of the Ark
5. Called “Book of the Law”
6. “Against” the people
With that established let’s now take another look at the 4 passages we read that seemed to contradict each other.
(1.) Colossians 2:14,16-17 ”having wiped out the HANDWRITING of requirements that was AGAINST US, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. [16] So let no one judge you in FOOD or in DRINK, or regarding a FESTIVAL or a new moon or SABBATHS, [17] which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”
Was it the Ten Commandments that was nailed to the cross or was it the ceremonial commandments? What law had to do with ceremonial sabbaths and meat and drink offerings and was said to be “against us”. It was the ceremonial law! We no longer need to offer drink or food offerings or keep ceremonial sabbaths because all these pointed to Christ.
(2.) Ephesians 2:15 ”having ABOLISHED in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of COMMANDMENTS CONTAINED IN ORDINANCES, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,”
You can compare this passage also to 2 Chronicles 33:8 where God again specifically says “Ordinances written by the hand of Moses”.
So what law is made up of ordinances? Gods law? Or the ceremonial law? The answer is obvious. The law of Moses contains a lot of ordinances. At the cross the ordinances of the sacrificial system came to an end because they were pointing to and found fulfillment in Christ.
You can also read Hebrews 9:5-11 and 1 Corinthians 5:7. Moses’ law was symbolic of what Christ’s sacrifice was going to mean. The “time of reformation” mentioned in Hebrews was referring to the time when all the drink and food offerings were done away with at the cross.
(3.) Romans 6:14-15 ”For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
What is Paul trying to say? To make better sense of it read the very next verse
[15] “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!”
The passage states clearly that we are under grace but that doesn’t mean that the law is done away with! To be “under the law” means to be under the law as a system of salvation. In (Romans 3:19-20) we can read that the law does not justify or save us. It only helps us to see our sinful nature so that we can go to our Savior. Sort of like a mirror. To be “under grace” means to accept God’s grace as a means of salvation.
Also read (Romans 6:1-2). Grace doesn’t take away the law for if it did it would make sin to be ok.
So what does grace really do? The answer is found in Titus 2:11-12 which reads… ”For the grace of God that BRINGS SALVATION has appeared to all men, [12] TEACHING us that, denying UNGODLINESS and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and GODLY in the present age,”
(4.) Galatians 3:23-25 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. [24] Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. [25] But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
Does faith in Jesus take away the law of God? The answer is in Romans 3:31 “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.”
So many people today are deceived into thinking that the Gospel has completely nullified the Law of God and justify it by twisting scripture. The truth of the matter is the law is very much a part of the Gospel as it is written in 1 Timothy 1:9-11… ”knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the LAWLESS and INSUBORDINATE, for the ungodly and FOR SINNERS, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, [10] for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, [11] according to the glorious GOSPEL of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.”
The law of God shows us our condition and points us to Jesus..as it says in Psalms 19:7…”The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul…” God didn’t come to do away with something that is perfect but rather to help us who are imperfect become perfect as He is.
John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
In conclusion, the law of God is as relevant today as it has ever been. Jesus said it will be relevant and applicable ”till heaven and earth pass away” (Matt. 5:17) He did not do away with the law but He came and paid the price for breaking the law. The price He paid was death. As it says in Romans 6:23 “the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life”! The gift that Jesus gave us on the cross was not a free pass to continue in sin but it was empowering us to have genuine freedom FROM sin. If you have never accepted that gift. Would you like to do so now?
PART 3. THE SEAL OF GOD
In the book of Revelation we can find what is perhaps the most solemn warning in the entire Bible. The Bible says…
Revelation 14:9-10 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man WORSHIP the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, [10] The same shall drink of the wine of the WRATH OF GOD, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Several thoughts come to mind when reading this passage. One can only imagine what the full strength of the wrath of God looks like, especially when looking at some of the Bible accounts where we catch glimpses of the wrath of God. The text also makes it clear that the main issue surrounding the Mark of the Beast has to do with worship. A person will receive the mark by worshiping, or following the beast.
Did you realize that the concept of receiving some sign in your forehead and your hand is not some new and future concept? For a long time already God wants HIS PEOPLE to be sealed in the forehead and the hand. To start out let’s take a look at a couple different stories that show two different groups, or examples of marks in the Bible. This first one should be familiar to you.
Notice the highlights..
Genesis 4:8,11,13,15…And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and SLEW him…..[11] And now art thou CURSED from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;….[13] And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear…..[15] And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a MARK upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
To sum up the story, God instituted animal sacrifices in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve had sinned. The Bible teaches that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). All offerings had to have the shedding of blood in order for sins to be forgiven. After all, the wages of sin is death! In Genesis 4, we have the account of the first murder ever recorded. God didn’t accept the offering of Cain because his offering had no shedding of blood to symbolize the forgiveness of sins. Meanwhile, his brother Abel worshiped God as God had directed. So because Cain tried doing it his way instead of being obedient, God didn’t accept Cain’s false worship. In short, Cain was cursed and received a mark for killing his brother.
Let’s go to another story where we can see a mark being put on people..for the sake of space we won’t include it all here but do encourage you to take the time to go and read the whole account. It is extremely interesting, here are some highlights.
Ezekiel 9:4,6… And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a MARK upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof…..[6] Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the MARK; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
According to this account in the Bible, we can see that not all marks symbolize something bad. Here in Ezekiel, we see that those who had a mark were protected from death.
Just as we looked at two different examples of “marks” from other Biblical accounts, so too there will be two different “marks” or “sealings” that take place in the closing days of earth’s history. Just as the people of God were “sealed” in the account of the book of Ezekiel before the slaying angel, so too God’s people will be sealed in the last days before the wrath of God comes upon the world right before its destruction.
Revelation 7:1-3 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. [2] And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the SEAL of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, [3] Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have SEALED the SERVANTS OF OUR GOD in their FOREHEADS.
So what does the seal of God look like? Will it be a physical visible mark? One can assume many things but let’s let the Bible explain itself. We recently just read through passage after passage on how the law of God will play an important part in these last day events. We also saw the descriptions of God’s people during the time of the Mark, how that they keep the commandments (law) of God and have the testimony of Jesus. Notice the following texts now…I will share highlights but encourage you to go read (Isaiah 8:11-22) for context and you will see some strikingly similar imagery as the trouble and trials to come.
Isaiah 8:16-17,20 Bind up the testimony, SEAL THE LAW among my disciples. [17] And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. [20] To the LAW AND TO THE TESTIMONY: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Friends, the theme of God wanting to write His law upon our hearts can be found throughout scripture. In that light, the following should be familiar to you.
Hebrews 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my LAWS INTO THEIR MIND, and write them IN THEIR HEARTS: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
And also….
Hebrews 10:15-16 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, [16] This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put MY LAWS into their HEARTS, and in their MINDS will I write them;
Two more quick texts…
Exodus 13:9 And it shall be for a SIGN unto thee upon thine HAND, and for a MEMORIAL BETWEEN THINE EYES, that the LORD’S LAW may be in thy MOUTH: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 11:18 Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your HEART and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets BETWEEN YOUR EYES.
In the Bible, having God’s law “in your heart” is the same as having it ”between your eyes”, both are illustrations. The forehead, what’s between our eyes, is a symbol for our thoughts just as the hand is a symbol for our actions (Ecclesiastes 9:10).
Interestingly, right behind the forehead is the frontal lobe, the brain’s center for decision-making. Those who ask God to “put [His] law in their minds” (Jeremiah 31:33) have made the conscious decision to follow Him.
Because their hands will naturally do what their minds have chosen, their acts of worship will be sincere and based on the free will God has given. That’s the only kind of worship a God of love can accept (John 4:24).
By contrast, the devil accepts worship whether it’s voluntary or not. Some people, being deceived (Revelation 13:14), will serve the beast because they want to (hence the mark on the forehead); others, being threatened, will serve him because they have to (hence the mark on the hand). Repeatedly in history we can see that the devil resorts to force when his deceptions don’t work just as he will during the time of the Mark. The second beast “causes” people to worship the first beast (Rev.13:12-16) by threatening their livelihoods (verse 17) and, ultimately, their lives (verse 15).
An excellent example or story to help illustrate the principle of the Mark of the beast being in hand or forehead and Seal of God being in forehead is the story of the three Hebrews found in Daniel 3. It is a story that I’m sure most of you are familiar with. In Daniel 2 God gave Nebuchadnezzar a dream depicting different elements that had a head of gold. God told Nebuchadnezzar through Daniel that the statue represented the rise and fall of future world empires and began with the head of gold which represented Babylon but would soon be replaced by another kingdom. After some time we get to Daniel 3 where the king decides he doesn’t like the idea of his kingdom coming to an end so to show that he builds and erects a giant statue of solid gold and commands those in his realm to come worship.
So we see God establishing something and then man establishing a counterfeit and ordering/forcing other men to acknowledge and worship it.
In that crowd of men were three Hebrews who refused to bow down and worship. Their hearts and minds were set on worshiping God alone even if it meant death. Even in little things such as food it is written that along with Daniel they “purposed in their HEART” not to defile themselves. So think of this as the Seal of God being in their forehead, because their mind and heart were set on putting God first, the actions (hand) followed.
There were thousands of Hebrews carried to Babylon along with Daniel and his three friends. I’m certain (but can’t prove it) they were not the only Hebrews in the crowd that day. Even though the other Hebrews certainly knew the same laws of God against idol worship as did the other three they chose to bow down because they valued their lives more than the law of God. So even though they knew it was wrong and perhaps didn’t worship in their mind/heart, their actions still bowed down. Think of this as a mark in the hand (actions).
During the time of the Mark you will again see a counterfeit that was established by man that will directly conflict with the Law of God that all the men of the world are to acknowledge. This will be enforced by the threat of death.
Concerning the Mark of the Beast, again the devil accepts worship whether it’s voluntary or not. Some people, being deceived (Revelation 13:14), will serve the beast because they want to (hence the mark on the forehead); others, being threatened, will serve him because they have to (hence the mark on the hand).
PART 4. WHAT IS A SEAL?
Now..according to the Bible what is a seal? There are at least three different meanings we can get from the Bible.
First, we can seal a document to protect it. You can do the same to a tomb, such as they did in the case of Jesus’ tomb, or with locks on a prison cell. When we seal a document or place we conceal something or someone. Examples include Jesus tomb, (Matt. 27:66); the heavenly scroll (Rev. 5); and Satan’s confinement in the abyss (Rev. 20:3).
Second, sealing can certify that something or someone is reliable. Such as certified letters with a seal indicate that the info therein is authentic and true. Some examples to compare on this are (John 3:33; 6:27) and (Romans 15:28; 1 Corinthians 9:2).
Third, sealing can indicate God’s acceptance of someone. God knows those who belong to Him and gives them His Holy Spirit. Some examples can be found in (2 Tim. 2:19; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Eph. 3:1; 4:30)
When we read the account of the book of Revelation we can see that the people who do not have the Mark, instead have Gods seal in their forehead ( or mind).
Here we need to now again include another few texts…
One…Isaiah 8:16 Bind up the TESTIMONY, SEAL the LAW among my disciples.
Two…Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the COMMANDMENTS OF GOD and have the TESTIMONY of Jesus Christ.
Three…Hebrews 10:16-17 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my LAWS INTO THEIR HEARTS, and in their minds will I write them;
There are three things that make every official seal legal and binding…a physical seal contains the officials Name, Title, and Territory. For example when the kings of old or even officials today have a seal it will contain those three things still. Well friends. God has an official seal as well. We will see it from the Bible what exactly that seal is.
There is only one place in scripture where you will find all three parts of a seal..there you see God’s title “the LORD”; His office as Creator “the LORD made”; and His territory “the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them.”
That place can be found right in the middle of the law of God.
Exodus 20:8-11 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. [9] Six days you shall labor and do all your work, [10] but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. [11] For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
Points again to consider that we went over carefully…
ONE: The description of God’s people in the last days are again and again described as being obedient to His commandments and having the faith of/in Christ.
TWO: We saw clearly from the Bible that the Ten Commandments of God are as eternal as His character.
THREE: The antiChrist power is said to “think to change times and laws” (Daniel 7:25) There is only one law that is also a time..that is the fourth commandment. (For more on this check out the study titled “Identifying the AntiChrist”.
FOUR: Two of the reasons that we worship God are because He is not only our Creator but also our Redeemer.
FIVE: God gave us the Sabbath as a way to glorify Him as both CREATOR and REDEEMER.
SIX: In Ezekiel 20:12 it is written…”Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a SIGN between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who SANCTIFIES them.”
SEVEN: In Revelation 14 we see an urgent message that is to go to the world just before the judgements of God will be poured out that calls His people to honor and worship Him as the Creator.
Revelation 14:6-7 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth-to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people- [7] saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”
Friends…for a long time I struggled and fought with this but the more I study it the clearer it has become. There is a time of decision coming upon our world that will be very simply a decision to obey God while trusting in Christ, or to obey man. There is a lot to think about just in this part alone. Now that we saw what the seal of God is in the last days we will next look at what the Mark of the beast will be.
PART 5. THE MARK OF THE BEAST
After having discovered what the distinguishing seal of God is during that time of testing, it comes natural to conclude that the Mark of the Beast will be opposite, or opposing to God’s seal. The crazy but yet amazing part is that the “beast power” actually tells you what its “mark of authority” over the world is…and we are gonna see that.
Now we will look at something that will help us see the Mark of the Beast clearer using the prophetic chapters of Daniel 7 and Revelation 13.
The following is a list of references describing the beast power from both Daniel 7 and Revelation 13..note the order.
| Daniel 7 | Revelation 13 |
| :4 Lion | :2 lion |
| :5 Bear | :2 bear |
| :6 Leopard | :2 leopard |
| :7 dreadful/terrible beast | :1-3 dreadful/terrible beast |
| :7 ten horns | :1 seven heads and ten horns |
| :20 little horn kingdom | :1,3 little horn kingdom |
| :25 blasphemes God | :5,6 blasphemes God |
| :25 persecution 1260 years | :5-7 persecution 1260 years |
| :25 thinks to change times and laws | :4,8,15,16 mark of the beast |
Compare the last reference in Daniel to the last one in Revelation. You can again see how that the Mark of the beast will be in direct opposition to the law of God. After identifying the beast power, which is the papacy, and looking at what contains the seal of God, you should now be able to see what the Mark will be…but in case you missed it we will take it directly from the source.
Before we cover this last part, it is important to again stress the fact that currently, NO ONE has the Mark of the Beast. If you read this last part and then say that you read that anyone who does this or that has the Mark of the Beast, you are bearing false witness. Again, at this time, NO ONE has the Mark.
I stress that because when we see what the Mark will be there will be some predictable reactions…either you will get immediately angry and blow it off until the future when certain things pertaining to this subject begin to happen…or you will get stressed out and worried for a time but not let it affect your life…or you will prayerfully consider it and be praying that God guide and lead you on what to do about this information going forward.
So is this going to be a conspiracy theory? Is this even possible? Well friends I suppose that is something each of us will have to battle out ourselves. quick recap.
(1.) The group that is victorious over the beast power in the last days during the time of the Mark is identified repeatedly as being obedient to the commandments of God.
Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. See also (Rev. 12:17; 22:14) This same group is also said to have the seal of God. We identified the only place in scripture where you can find all three elements of a seal, that is God’s title, His role as Creator, and His domain…that is in the fourth commandment.
(2.) One of the identifiers of the antichrist/beast power is that this power will INTEND to change both TIMES AND LAW.
Daniel 7:25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time. There is only one law of God that is also a time…that is the fourth commandment.
The question to ask now is do we or have we seen this happening? Forget what everyone else says for a moment and look at what the beast power, the papacy, has to say about the one law that ties into all the points we have gone over. Does the beast power actually claim that it has the authority to change or alter the law of God? There are many, but here are just a few quotes…and references.
Extracts from: Ferraris. Prompta Biblioteca Canonica. Vol. 4 p. 48 “The pope is as it were GOD ON EARTH, … entrusted by the omnipotent God, direction not only of the earthly but also of the heavenly kingdom.”
Ferraris, Lucius. “Papa.” art. 2 Prompta Biblioteca Canonica. Vol. 5, published in Paris, by J.P. Migne, 1858 “The Pope is of so great authority and power, that he is able to modify, declare, or interpret even divine laws.”
Pope Leo XIll in his Encyclical Letters pg. 304 “We hold upon this earth the place of the God Almighty.”
The next question is…did the church actually accomplish this? Well if you ask them they believe they did..here is how. The following is what the church claims is a sign of her authority over the Bible.
Letter written by C.F. Thomas, Chancellor of Cardinal Gibbons, November 11, 1895 “Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change was her act… And the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters.”
Catholic Record September 1, 1923 “The church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact.
Father T. Enright, C.S.S.R. of the Redemptoral College, Kansas City, in a lecture at Hartford, Kansas, February 18, 1884, “…The Bible says, ‘Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.’ The Catholic Church says: ‘No. By my divine power I abolish the Sabbath day and command you to keep holy the first day of the week.’ And lo! The entire civilized world bows down in a reverent obedience to the command of the holy Catholic Church.”
To put it bluntly friends, this beast power, the papacy has taken it upon herself to do that which Bible prophecy has said she would do..through her influence and power she “attempted” to change the day that God had ordained as set aside and as a memorial of His Creation and Redemption power since Creation..from the seventh day of the week to the first day of the week…and indeed most of the Christians in the world follow suite. Can we see proof of this? Unlike conspiracy theories where details are murky and behind the scenes, in this case the Mother Church is proud and has nothing to hide about this fact. Here are just a few quotes from their official Cathecism which is equivalent to our Tauf Book.
First, from the Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine by Reverend Peter Giermann. “Question: Which is the Sabbath day? Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day. Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church in the Council of Laodicea transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.”
Second, from Reverend Steven Keenan’s Doctrinal Catechism we read this: “Question: Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?
Answer: Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her; she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh day; a change for which there is no Scriptural authority.”
This last quote is from the book of Reverend John Anthony O’brien..a very prominent writer for the Catholic Church who the book, The Faith of Millions, p. 473. “But since Saturday, not Sunday, is specified in the Bible, isn’t it curious that non-Catholics who profess to take their religion directly from the Bible and not from the Church, observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Yes, of course, it is inconsistency but this change was made about fifteen centuries before Protestantism was born, and by that time the custom was universally observed. They have continued the custom even though it rests upon the authority of the Catholic Church and not upon an explicit text from the Bible. That observance remains as a reminder of the Mother Church from which the non-Catholic sects broke away like a boy running away from home but still carrying in his pocket a picture of his mother or a lock of her hair.”
We could look at quote after quote after quote on this but I’m confident that each of you can do your own research into this. This does lead us to our last and final point..what does all this have to do with the Mark of the Beast?
Revelation 14:6-7 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth-to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people- [7] saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”
All this amazing prophecy that we have covered will culminate into dividing the world into two sides. Those with the Seal of God and those with the Mark of the Beast. Before the final plagues of God’s wrath are poured out the world will have been fully divided into two groups. From what we have covered thus far it is clear that the issue of God’s law over man’s tradition will be a dividing factor in this issue. Specifically when it comes to worship.
We saw that the image that has been set up by the beast and is the mark of its authority is Sunday worship. Before you start to squirm, read on…this isn’t about a matter of days, it’s about a matter of Masters. Also keep in mind that we worship God every day so this is not about that either. Sunday Sabbath worship will become the Mark of the Beast only when it is enforced by law. Impossible! You might say…not so much. Instead of wasting my time with a whole bunch of quotes from the leaders of our governments and evangelical Christianity in our world today about making a day of worship mandatory I will allow you to do your own research if you choose.
What I will share with you is that laws surrounding Sunday worship are nothing new, nor is a death penalty surrounding them new as well. It is currently just not enforced. The first such law was set in place back in 1610 in the colony of Virginia. It required every citizen to attend church services on Sunday twice a day. A first offense would mean you would lose your food allowance. A second offense meant the same, plus a whipping. And a third offense meant death! Over time however, our country has become more and more secular…until recently. Do you see evangelical Christianity begin to push back?
According to prophecy, the two beasts will unite forces and the mark will be enforced. I imagine (although I don’t know) this will not happen in an effort to be evil or with bad intentions…I imagine the people will do this thinking they are doing God a service, not realizing that the dragon is behind it all. However this plays out here is the MOST IMPORTANT THING TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS STUDY!!!
THIS IS NOT A MATTER OF FUTURE DAYS OF WORSHIP, IT IS A MATTER OF MASTERS TODAY!
The decision we make when that time comes will reflect the character we are building right now, today. Daily we make decisions based upon whether or not we trust and obey God as our Creator. The cumulative effect of these decisions forms our characters. And the final conflict between the beast and God will reveal what character we have developed. This is what the seal of God and the mark of the beast are all about.
The mark that we receive in the last days, whether it is God’s seal or the beast’s mark, will be the outward evidence of the type of inner character we have chosen to develop.
Those who receive the seal of God have “set to their seal that God is true” and trustworthy (John 3:33). They’ve learned to trust God as their Creator and Ruler in the little things of everyday life. Therefore, they are ready to face the larger tests of life. On the other hand, those who receive the mark of the beast have lived lives of self-sufficiency and disobedience. Day by day they have brushed aside the still, small voice of God’s convicting Spirit as inconsequential. Little did they realize they were forming their ultimate destiny by choosing to disobey what they considered at the time to be “little things.”
Right now, we live in a time conducive to following God in all things. Relative peace and security still are ours. (Revelation 7:1–4) says that this time of peace is for the sealing of God’s people. As we’ve already seen, the seal has everything to do with whether we trust and obey God by faith. Now is our day of opportunity to settle into the truth that God is trustworthy. We can obey Him, and He will take care of us. Each day God is giving us opportunities to develop godly character.
But, eventually, the winds will blow. The time of trouble, such as no man has ever seen, will arrive. Then we will reveal character—not develop it. It is in the summertime that all trees are green, but when winter comes it is the evergreens that stand out and stay green through the fierce trials of winter.
Let us praise God for the daily test and trials that try our patience and faith in God. These are the greatest blessings He can send us when we consider what He is preparing us to face. Never resent God’s providences. Seek Him with your whole heart and walk in faithful obedience, no matter how trying the circumstance.