The Mark of the Beast
This article will discuss the mark of the beast. What it is, and
why you don't want it. For this article, read Revelation 13 and 14
for more information. First of all, let's begin by identifying the first
beast. That would be the first step in identifying what the "mark" is.
Revelation 13: 1-8, 16-18 gives 11 characteristics of the beast:
A. Rises from the sea (verse 1).
Seas or water refer to people, or a populated area (Revelation 17:15).
The beast would arise in a populated area. The papacy fits this point.
B. A composite of the four beasts of Daniel 7 (verse 2).
The papacy incorporated pagan beliefs from all four world kingdoms: Babylon,
Medo-Persia, Greece, and pagan Rome. She only put Christian garb on them and
spread them as Christian teachings.
C. Dragon gives it power and authority (verse 2).
The dragon, in this case, is Satan, in the guise of pagan Rome. The papacy
received her power and capital city from the power of pagan Rome.
D. Receives a deadly wound (verse 3).
The papacy received a deadly wound when Napolean's general, Berthier,
captured Pope Pius VI in 1798. The pope died in 1799 and the world thought
that the papacy was dead.
E. Deadly wound healed (verse 3).
Since then, the "wound" has healed. She has become the most powerful
religio-political organizations in the world. The pope is determined to be world
ruler, just as Constantine was in his day. The papal structure is prepared for
world rule now.
F. Strong political power (verses 3, 7).
See item E
G. Strong religious power (verses 3, 8).
See item E
H. Guilty of blasphemy (verses 1, 5, 6).
The papacy has committed blasphemy because her priests claim to forgive sins
and her popes claim to be Christ.
I. Wars with and overcomes the saints (verse 7).
The papacy persecuted and destroyed millions of saints during the Dark Ages.
J. Rules for 42 months (verse 5).
The papacy was in power for 42 prophetic months, equaling 1,260 literal
years--A.D. 538-1798.
K. Has mysterious number --666 (verse 18).
The verse says, "It is the number of a man," and Revelation 15: 2 says it is "the
number of his name." The pope obviously represents the papacy, so let's start with
him. His official name is "Vicarious Filii Dei," which is recorded in many places. It
means "Vicar of the Son of God" in English. If you convert that title into Roman
numeral values, it adds up to 666.
So, we can be sure that the papacy is, indeed, the beast. Next, let's find out what God's mark is.
Ezekiel 20:12--"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."
Exodus 31:17--"It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days
the Lord made heaven and earth."
God gave us His Sabbath as a sign of His power to create and save us.
Hebrews 4:4-10 says that when we receive His salvation, we should keep His
seventh-day Sabbath holy as a mark of salvation. Sabbathkeeping signifies that
a person has surrendered his life to Jesus. Since the mark of God is His holy
Sabbath, it makes sense that the mark of the beast will also involve a holy day.
Let's see if it does.
Here is a section from a Catholic catechism:
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.
The papacy is saying that it changed the Sabbath to Sunday and that almost
all churches accepted this new holy day. So, therefore, the papacy claims Sunday
as its "mark" of her power and authority.
Was this change predicted? Yes, yes, yes! In Daniel 7: 25, while describing the Antichrist, God said that it would "think to change times and laws."
How has the papacy tried to change God's laws?
In three ways: She has totally taken out the second commandment against
veneration of images, shortened the fourth commandment from 98 words to only eight,
and she also divided the tenth commandment into two commandments.
How has the papacy attempted to change God's times?
In two ways: She has changed the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day.
She also changed God's "timing" of the Sabbath. They count the sabbath from midnight
to midnight, instead of sundown to sundown as God says (Leviticus 23:32). The
Church's method is of pagan origin.
Here is a statement from the Catholic Church: "The
Church is above the Bible; and this transference of Sabbath
observance from Saturday to Sunday is proof positive of
that fact."
It is a great fallacy for the Church to say that they
have the authority to change the law because they did.
Revelation 13:16 says that the mark of the beast will
be placed in the forehead or in the hand. What does that
mean? The forehead represents the mind (Hebrews 10:16).
A person's decision to keep Sunday as a holy day is
represented by the mark being placed in their forehead.
The hand represents work (Ecclesiastes 9:10). If you
work on God's holy Sabbath or go along with Sunday laws
for only practical reasons, you will receive the mark of the
beast in your hand. The mark of God and of the beast will
be invisible to all but God. He alone will know His people
(2 Timothy 2:19).
What message does God give to His people in Isaiah 58?
Isaiah 58: 1, 13, 14--"Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my
people their transgression." "If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy
pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, ...Then shalt thou delight thyself
in the Lord."
He says, show my people that they are breaking my Sabbath and ask them to
quit breaking my Sabbath.
But, you may wonder, do people who worship on Sunday now have the mark of the beast? No! Until Sunday worship is forced by law, the mark will not be given. Very soon, when laws are passed, those who follow the laws of man over the laws of God, will receive the mark of the beast. If you wish to receive God's mark, follow Jesus and obey His truth. Keep His true Sabbath holy. With Him, all things are possible (Mark 10:27). In Revelation, who did John see in heaven.
Those who have the mark of God, the sign of His
Sabbath (Revelation 7:3).
Those who refused to identify with the beast or his image
and refused to have his mark in their foreheads.
People who will, for all eternity, follow where Jesus leads
and trust in Him in everything (Revelation 14:4).
So, what will you do to not get the mark of the beast? Will you follow Jesus?
While the Catholic Church is ultimately the one that changed the sabbath in the first place,
many Protestant denominations are to blame as well. They fully accept the precepts of the
Catholic Church, as if acknowledging the Church's power. If you find yourself in the
Catholic Church, or in a Protestant church that practices Sunday worship, pray to God
about it. He will lead you to all truth. Also, read God's End-Time Church for more
information about God's remnant church.
