Introduction
Towards the end of the Bible in the book of the (Revelation chapters 13 & 14) there is prophecy concerning an end-time dictator who is scheduled to rule the whole world. In symbolic language he is called The Beast. Elsewhere in Holy Scripture he is known as:- The Man of Sin
- The Man Lawlessness
- The Son of Perdition
- The Little Horn
- The Antichrist
In the same prophecy Yahweh, the Almighty God of Israel, the God of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob warns mankind that all who accept the Mark of the Beast
will experience the full measure of His wrath, which is to be poured out undiluted,
‘without mixture, into the cup of His indignation.’
It is a terrifying prophecy to say the least and one you must understand if
you want to escape the wrath of the Almighty God. Bible commentators have through the
centuries endeavoured to interpret this prophecy; and there is no shortage of
explanations available.
The Mark of the Beast some say is:
- An invisible, coded tattoo, discernible only by high-tech equipment or some kind of X-ray.
- The diabolic brand mark of an evil spirit.
- A computerized society in which all business transactions will be done by credit cards.
- A silicon identity chip inserted under the skin. etc. etc.
In our efforts to identify the Mark of the Beast we will initially confine
ourselves to a logical assessment of the scriptures alone; and then adopt
the only conclusion the facts allow. To venture beyond this into the arena of
melodramatic fantasy and wild speculation, as seen in many films and books on the
subject, is self-deluding and dangerous.
Let us begin by quoting three passages concerning the:
- trade sanctions imposed on all who refuse to receive the Beast’s Mark
- and the divine penalty for those who ignore God’s warning and accept it.
Trade Sanctions
| Revelation 13: | 16: “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich
and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in
their foreheads: 17: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” |
The Divine Punishment
| Revelation 14: | 9: “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: 11: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” |
| Revelation 16: | 2: “And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.” |
No one who holds the Bible to be the inspired Word of God will doubt, but that
here before us is portrayed the most terrifying threat in all Scripture; a prophecy of
unparalleled importance to every soul on earth. And yet, as previously pointed out,
the Mark of the Beast is not defined in the Bible. In other words, we are not told in
plain language what the Mark is. At this point one may be tempted to ask:
- Why didn’t God tell us what the Mark of Beast is?
- How can He expect His followers to resist receiving the deadly Mark of the Beast if most of them don’t even know what it is?
Two Clues
- To begin with the Mark is described in (Revelation 14: 11) as
The Mark of his name.
What the Beast's name is we are not told; but it would appear from this clue that the Beast's mark is in some way related to his name. - Secondly we are told in (Revelation 13: 16) that the mark is to be placed in the foreheads or right hands of those who accept it.
Understanding Bible Prophecy
There exists in Scripture a fundamental principle regarding the origin and understanding of Bible prophecy. The principle is mentioned in this passage:| 2 Peter 1: | 20: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21: For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” |
Origin:
Bible prophecy is not the product of human intellect or will power. It is a gift from God. Holy men of old were inspired by the Holy Spirit: or, as the text says, “they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
Bible prophecy is not the product of human intellect or will power. It is a gift from God. Holy men of old were inspired by the Holy Spirit: or, as the text says, “they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
Understanding:
In exactly the same way, the understanding of Bible prophecy is also not a matter of human intellect or will power. One must be given the understanding just as the prophets of old were given the prophecy. In other words, spiritual eyesight is also a gift from God. This means that without the Holy Spirit it is virtually impossible to correctly understand, appreciate or even believe a Bible prophecy. Understanding must come from above either through:
In exactly the same way, the understanding of Bible prophecy is also not a matter of human intellect or will power. One must be given the understanding just as the prophets of old were given the prophecy. In other words, spiritual eyesight is also a gift from God. This means that without the Holy Spirit it is virtually impossible to correctly understand, appreciate or even believe a Bible prophecy. Understanding must come from above either through:
- Direct revelation, which very few of us are privileged to receive, or
- From the Bible itself, and then only if the Holy Spirit opens our minds to understand.
Bearing these basic facts in mind, we will now seek to solve the mystery of the Mark
of the Beast by comparing Scripture with Scripture. When we do this we see that
Yahweh also places His Name (His seal) in the foreheads of those who
follow Him.
| Revelation 7: | 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. 4: And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.” |
| Revelation 14: | 1: “And I looked and lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having the father’s name written in their foreheads.” |
After examining these verses about Yahweh’s name, one cannot fail to
see a similarity with those verses containing those two clues about the Beast’s
Mark or name. For here in this prophecy we are given a preview of two groups
of people.
- Those who accept the Father’s Name or Seal in their foreheads.
(Revelation 7: 2-4, Revelation 14: 1) - And those who accept the Beast’s Name or Mark in their foreheads.
(Revelation 13: 16)
These facts leads us to the conclusion that the Beast’s Mark is simply a counterfeit
or substitute of Yahweh’s signature and seal. It follows that any information
which we obtain concerning the Seal or Signature of Yahweh will obviously
help us decipher the mystery of the Mark of the Beast.
Yahweh’s Sign & Seal
According to the dictionary, the words sign, seal, signature, mark, inscription, etc. are synonyms. That is, they are different words with shades of similar meaning. Yahweh's seal, in short, is linked with His sign, His signature and His Name. And so for that matter is your own sign or signature. It is simply an inscription of your own name.
Well may we now ask, “What then is the Almighty’s Sign? Is it a
visible signature, mark or name that He inscribes on the foreheads of
His people?” Obviously not, for this is a symbolic prophecy and, besides,
Yahweh's law expressly forbids us making or receiving any marks on our bodies.
(Leviticus. 19: 28) The Most High would hardly, therefore, expect His servants
to receive a literal mark or tattoo on their foreheads if His law
expressly forbids receiving marks. Oh no, Yahweh’s signature or sign is
certainly not a literal inscription or mark on the forehead.
Well then, what is it, and what does it stand for? Yes, what is the special
sign or seal which is to be placed in the foreheads of the servants
of the God of Israel? For a sign to be worthy of the name, must of necessity
manifest itself in some way. Indeed if it does not exhibit its presence, even
occasionally, it cannot justifiably be called a sign.
And so we ask, “Is Yahweh’s sign love or generosity, speaking in
tongues or wonder working power?” No, it is none of these, admirable
though they may be. These signs and phenomena, in fact, are found in almost every
society known to man - pagan and otherwise. They certainly are in no way peculiar
to the servants of the God of Israel. Yahweh's signature or sign is very different
from all these things, and because of its strangely unique nature we will allow the
Holy Scriptures to tell you what it is.
| Exodus 31: | 13: “Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye know that I am the Lord that sanctify you.” (King James Version) |
| Ezekiel 20: | 12: “Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.” (King James Version) |
| Ezekiel 20: | 20: “And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.” (King James Version) |
And there you have it.
The Sabbath days in the Almighty’s law are His signature,
the special identifying SIGN He places on His people to signal to the universe that they
are His: and that He has set them apart to sanctify them.
What of the Almighty’s Seal?
We are also told in the scriptures that Yahweh seals His people with His law.| Isaiah 8: | 16: “Bind up the testimony, SEAL THE LAW among my disciples.” |
In other words, the Almighty seals His people with
obedience. Obedience,
incidentally, is doing what the Most High commands, following in His steps, endeavouring
to behave like Him. Click
here for more about the Almighty's Seal.
Where does Yahweh place his Seal & Signature?
The Scriptures tell us that they are inscribed in the believer's 'forehead' meaning his/her 'mind.'| 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:” |
| Deuteronomy 6: | 8: “And thou shalt bind them (the laws of God) for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.” (In the forehead, the mind) |
| Exodus 13: | 9: “And it (the Feast of Unleavened Bread) shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes (In the forehead, the mind) that the Lord’s law may be in thy mouth.” |
According to these Scriptures, the Almighty's signature is defined as being the
Sabbath days in His law: the very same law He has scheduled Himself to inscribe
in the believer’s forehead, his mind. Yes, believe it or not, Yahweh's
Sabbath days constitute His signature, His sign: and like Himself they cannot be
changed or done away with.
The Almighty’s Sabbaths
Do you know what the Almighty's Sabbaths are? Can you turn to the Holy Scriptures and identify the Sabbath days of the Holy One of Israel?
The answer is: they are the seventh day of the week (Saturday) and the seven annual
Sabbaths mentioned in Leviticus chapter 23.
(The Feasts of Unleavened Bread. Pentecost, Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles)
(The Feasts of Unleavened Bread. Pentecost, Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles)
These Sabbath days are the sacred memorials of Yahweh’s finest achievements
in the Plan of Salvation. They are the divinely appointed anniversaries of His work
of creation, redemption and sanctification. They represent the Almighty's
signature and as part of His holy law are scheduled to be inscribed in the very minds
of his true followers. This means that they will be understood, accepted, appreciated,
remembered and observed for all time by the true children of the Most High.
In short, the Almighty is going to seal and sign His people with OBEDIENCE,
WITH HOLINESS. When that event occurs, we will bear His Name in our minds
and actions: which means we will perfectly reflect our heavenly Father’s holy
character.
Why are these Sabbath days so important? They are important because they are
a declaration of faith in the Person, the character, the handiwork and the
sanctifying power of Yahweh the Almighty God of the Hebrews, the God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
In modern terms the Sabbath days listed in Leviticus 23 are the
Eternal’s trade mark, His signet, His signature, His company seal,
His badge, the symbol of His presence, His Name: and when they are faithfully
remembered, kept in mind, (in the forehead) by a true believer they signal to
the universe that person is Yahweh’s property and that He is even now
impressing His Name upon that person’s soul.
| Isaiah 8: | 16: “Bind up the testimony, SEAL THE LAW among my disciples.” |
| Hebrews 10: | 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.” |
Now do you understand? Have you begun to grasp the awesome, spiritual significance of Yahweh’s Sabbaths?
In truth, in very truth, they alone constitute the Almighty's Signature which He inscribes upon the minds of believer's;
which week by week and feast by feast strikingly sets them apart from all the peoples of this
world.
Yes, the Eternal's unchanging signature is the seventh day Sabbath (Saturday)
and the seven annual Sabbaths in the Sacred Calendar. Take these Sabbath days away,
remove them from the environment of worship and you will lose the one and only
identifying sign that distinguishes the servants of the God of Israel, from the rest
of humanity. That is a fact, a fact which will increasingly amaze you the more
you consider it.
Now that you know what Yahweh's Sign is, it only remains for us to decipher the
Mark of the Beast; bearing in mind that it must be some clever substitute
or forgery of the Almighty's Sign. To do this we will again rely on the Holy
Scriptures (only) to direct us to the answer.
Antichrist’s Aim
Most students of Bible prophecy will allow that the Beast of Revelation 13 and the Little Horn of Daniel 7 are one and the same power. Compare these two characters and you will see that they both came to the fore in the last days. They both blaspheme God and persecute His people; both continue for a period of three and a half years and both are finally destroyed by the Saviour at His return to earth. In other words, they are the same power.
Paul's prophecy of the Lawless One, the Man of Sin is also another
eye opening commentary on this same satanic power who will arise in the last
days to oppose Yahweh and his law. (2 Thessslonians 2: 1-2)
You will notice in
this chapter how the Apostle Paul describes the activities of the Antichrist as
‘lawlessness.’ He calls him the ‘Man of Sin,’
(Verse 3) the ‘mystery of iniquity.’ (Verse 7)
What is sin? What is iniquity?
According to the Holy Scriptures “sin is lawlessness.” Sin is breaking one or more of God's commandments. Sin is an expression of Satan’s character and in its advanced stages it always manifests itself in a self-deluding enmity and rejection of Yahwehs law. The Bible states plainly:
According to the Holy Scriptures “sin is lawlessness.” Sin is breaking one or more of God's commandments. Sin is an expression of Satan’s character and in its advanced stages it always manifests itself in a self-deluding enmity and rejection of Yahwehs law. The Bible states plainly:
| 1 John 3: | 4: “...sin is the transgression of the law.” |
The ‘Man of Sin,’ as the term implies, is an antagonist of
divine law. He absolutely detests the Almighty's law and every commandment in it.
He not only breaks Yahweh's law, but his main objective is to lead others into
breaking it, into disobedience, into sin. That's why he's called the ‘Man
of Sin.’
According to the prophet Daniel (chapter 7: 25) the main thrust of the Beast's hatred
is directed against the divine commandment dealing with sacred times. And this
can only mean the Sabbath commandment, which alone deals with the element of time.
| Daniel 7: | 25: “And he (the little Horn) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” |
The only laws in Scripture which deal with the element of ‘time’
are the Sabbath laws of the Most High. These laws are directy linked with the Feast
days in the sacred calendar. The Little horn vainly imagines that he can change
Jehovah’s law.
The Mark of the Beast
From the King James Version it becomes evident that the Man of Sin, the Antichrist, the Little Horn power, the Beast will vainly imagine that he can somehow change the Sabbath days of the Almighty God and replace them with days of his choosing - counterfeit sabbaths! And that dear reader is exactly what the Antichrist has tried to do. He has tried to set aside the sacred Sabbaths of the Most High by popularizing numerous festivals of his own choosing. In other words, he has dared to think that he could change the commandment concerning time in Yahweh’s law, delete the Signature of the Almighty, by somehow replacing it with his own sign, his Mark!
“But,” you ask, “What is his Mark?” Yes, what is the signature or Mark of the
Beast?
There is only one Bible-based answer to that question and it presents
itself as the only conclusion that the foregoing facts allow;
and that one inescapable conclusion is this:
That as the true weekly Sabbath of Saturday and the seven annual Feast Days (1 A Fast Day)
in the sacred calendar constitute the Sign of Yahweh the Almighty God of Israel, then the
Mark of the Beast, the Lawless One, the one who vainly thinks that he can change the
Sabbath days in God's law, must by process of simple deduction be the bogus sabbath
of
Sunday and all the other pagan festivals which
are currently posing as Christian Holy
Days. (Valentine’s Day, St. Patrickvs Day, Mundi Thursday, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday,
Easter, Whitsun,
Hallowe’en, All
Saints Day,
Christmas, New Years Day, etc.)
These popular holidays are certainly not sanctified by the Almighty: and no
where in the scriptures are we commanded to keep them. They are pagan festivals
in disguise. They originated with the heathen centuries before the Christian era and
were incorporated into the Christian calendar long after the Saviour’s
resurrection. Certainly they now have a few praiseworthy principles veneered
onto their make up, and this has deluded millions of genuine Christians into
accepting them as the true holy days of God; but deep down in substance and
effect they are the same old festivals of heathenism that Yahweh abhors: festivals
of fertility, sexual licence and demon worship.
In short, the popular holidays of Mundi Thursday, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Sunday,
Easter and Christmas, etc. are ALL forgeries of Yahweh’s Signature. They represent
the Antichrist’s futile and presumptuous attempt to meddle with
the calendar of the Almighty God!
The Bible says of the “Little Horn” power that he would “think
to change the times of Sacred Feasts and holy days and the law;” that
“calendar and ordinance he shall think to set aside.”
Oh how true this has proved to be. The Antichrist has already attempted to do just
that. But his attempted forgery has been exposed. Throughout the world people
are becoming increasingly aware that the festivals of Christendom are nothing more
than pagan festivals in disguise.
In the light of these facts, therefore, we cannot help but conclude: that the bogus
religious festivals (Mundi Thursday, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Christmas, Easter,
Sunday etc.) are in reality the Signature of Satan, the Mark of the Beast!
How they originated and came to be adopted by most of the churches is a study in
itself, a study you may wish to pursue in the nearest reference library. Indeed,
it is now common knowledge that these festivals are inherently pagan, that
they existed long before the Christian era and were only introduced into the Christian
worship several centuries after the resurrection of our Saviour. But what is not
generally known is that they represent the Lawless One’s efforts to change the
Sabbath and Feast commandments in Yahweh’s law and that they constitute the Mark
of the Beast.
Comparatively few know this fact.
In view of this, it becomes obvious that there can be no room in the church for
bunny rabbits, Easter eggs, hot-cross buns, ghost masks, mistletoe and Christmas
trees. These heathen symbols and especially the observance of the festivals they
adorn and accompany, must be discontinued by all TRUE believers who wish to
please God, Israel's God.
Why ?
Because once they are recognized for what they
are, then a person's continued use of them can only mean that he/she is unmoved by
the severity of God’s warning and has virtually begun to reject the Father’s
Name.
It’s Your Choice
And now, dear reader you are obliged to choose:- Between the genuine and the counterfeit,
- Between the divinely appointed Sabbaths of the Almighty and the festivals of Satan; the pagan festivals he has deluded most of mankind into accepting as the genuine holy days of God.
- Between the Signature of Yahweh the Holy One of Israel and the Mark of the Beast!
Has Anyone got the Mark Now?
The Answer Is:No one has the Mark of the Beast at this moment in time. (2012) All we are doing now is identifying what the mark is. But when the Antichrist once again makes his appearance on the world scene, then every soul on earth will be compelled to choose between Yahweh’s signature and the Beast’s Mark. It is at that time, when those who refuse the mark are not allowed to buy and sell, then - and then only - will we be able to say who has the Mark of the Beast. But at the moment, no one has the Mark of the Beast. All we are doing in this article is identifying what the Mark is and what the punishment will be for those who knowingly accept it.
However, your present reaction to this message about the
True Sabbath Day
will go a long way in determining what you will do when that testing time comes for
you to choose between Yahweh's signature and the Beast's mark. Whose signature will
you accept on the parchment of your soul at that time? That is a question only
you can answer. In the past you may not have known anything about the Almighty's
Sabbath days, we didn't, and God in His great mercy will no doubt allow for our
ignorance. But now you know. Never again can you truthfully say,
“I didn’t know.”
You now know what the Mark of the Beast is, and with that knowledge comes the
added responsibility to obey God's commandments. In your own interests, therefore,
you should carefully consider the conditions and consequences this article has
brought to your attention, before making a choice. And do not needlessly delay;
for time is short and the patience of the God of Israel has almost run out. The spirit
of the Lawless One, the
Antichrist, is already
at work deceiving millions of Christians into thinking that Yahweh's law, the
irrevocable constitution of the mighty universe, is obsolete. Beware of that
subtle and dangerous deception: for it has already tricked millions of Christians
into sin.
The Holy Scriptures abound with examples of how the servants of the Most High
were tested on the matter of obedience. The longest Psalm in the Bible
(Psalm 119) extols
obedience in
virtually every verse. In the Sermon on the Mount the Saviour magnifies
obedience to a degree few, if any, individuals had previously imagined.
The Saviour's advice concerning the Commandments was as follows:
| Matthew 19: | 16: “And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17: And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 18: He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19: Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” |
So dear to His heart are His Sabbath commandments that this fearsome
punishment will be meted out to those who knowingly and wilfully
break them.
| Revelation 14: | 9: “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:” |
When the Antichrist arrives on the world scene, people will be compelled to
receive his mark. If you refuse it, you will not be allowed to buy and
sell: no matter where on earth you live. But if you accept it, you will
drink of the wine of the wrath of God. And that is why it is so important that
you really understand - in advance - what the Mark of the Beast is.
IF you study this paper over and over again, you will see how clearly
it identifies the deadly Mark of the Beast.
God Can Still Protect and Take Care of Us
The God of Israel is well able to miraculously nourish and protect His people when they are expelled from human society for seeking to obey Him. Indeed, He has a plan to care for them in the same way as He looked after ancient Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. In that wild and barren desert Yahweh fed His people for 40 years, much to the astonishment of all the surrounding nations. In (Revelation chapter 12) you will read about a similar plan of 3½ years: when He will miraculously feed and shelter His people in the desert of the nations.
To be sure some believers will be martyred when the Antichrist arrives on the world
scene. But the whole church will certainly not be wiped out. Many, many obedient souls
will be divinely protected as that prophecy clearly indicates. See A Voice In The
Wilderness - Canada articles entitled
The Coming Exodus
and
The Time of Trouble for information about
this event.
The book of Revelation, awesome though it is, ends with a blissful picture of
Yahweh’s obedient people entering the New Jerusalem to live eternally
with Him and His Son who sacrificed his life on Calvary to redeem us.
| Revelation 22: | 14: “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” |
Let no one keep you from reaching that eternal goal: because it is your
legal right to be there. Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ)
has already paid the price for you to enter. Put your faith in him;
express that faith in obedience - and live for all time. That is
the message of ALL Holy Scripture.
After reading a lesson of this nature you may be interested in further study.
The following articles may interest you.
- Sunday Is it the Christian Sabbath?
- The False Prophet of Revelation 13
- Who/What is the Antichrist?
- Time is Short
- The Sacred Calendar of the God of Israel.
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