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How to Avoid Receiving the Mark of the Beast |
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It was a high day-a great day-a day that called for a special celebration with a parade and the royal band. King Nebuchadnezzar was excited. He had invited dignitaries from all over the vast Babylonian empire to come. It was a day that he looked forward to with keen anticipation and also a day he would never forget as long as he lived. Some time before, the king had dreamed a strange dream. He had seen a great metal image. He couldn’t remember what it was, so Daniel had to reveal to him not only the meaning but the dream itself. Nebuchadnezzar could think of nothing else! After all-he was the head of gold! His kingdom stood unrivaled in the world. And now every one would see a vivid demonstration of how great Babylon really was-how great HE really was! The proud monarch was pleased when Daniel told him that the head of gold represented Babylon, but the thought that other, inferior kingdoms would follow seemed unbearable. In fact, even though the interpretation came from God, the king wouldn’t accept it. He became defiant, ordering a gigantic monument made: a statue like the one he had seen in his dream, but instead of several metals in the order seen in his dream, this image was all gold-not just the head, but also the entire body-everything! It was the king’s way of signifying to the world that his kingdom would last forever. Now everyone was here to see, and though they may have seen some magnificent representations of their heathen gods, they had never seen one to equal the dazzling beauty of this one! On this day thousands of VIPs (very important people) in the king’s empire assembled to witness the dedication of Nebuchadnezzar’s image of gold. It was a thrilling day, for the dignitaries could see Nebuchadnezzar himself seated on a throne, high and lifted above the heads of all. What a day! A day to remember. And they did have something spectacular to remember that none had counted on! Suddenly a hush fell over the vast crowd. The trumpets sounded a fanfare, and the king’s spokesman proclaimed loudly: "...To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace." Daniel 3:4,5 The music sounded. All the people fell down and worshiped, the image. Well-almost all the people. In the vast kneeling throng stood Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego-three Hebrews who refused to disobey God by bowing and worshiping an idol. Word soon reached the King. Somebody must have been peeking! Furious that anyone should dare defy his direct command, Nebuchadnezzar ordered the offenders to be brought before him. As the king looked at the three Hebrews, he recognized them at once. They were extraordinary young men with great intelligence and many talents. He had assigned them many responsibilities in the past, which they had faithfully and efficiently performed. Feeling somewhat kindly toward them, he decided to give them another chance. Calling them each by name, the king said, "Now when you hear the sound of ... all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image I made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace." Daniel 3:15 Once the king had made a
pronouncement, he had to back it up or lose face before all the
people. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
could see the smoke belching from the huge furnace. There could be no doubt about the
king’s intention. Oh, it would have been so easy to rationalize that it wouldn’t hurt just once to bow to an idol under these circumstances. After all, their lives were at stake! Wouldn’t it be important to show respect for the king? Evidently such thoughts never crossed their minds, for they had been taught God’s commandments from childhood, and one of those commands said, "You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything... You shall not bow down to them or serve them." Exodus 20:4,5 Calmly and without hesitation came their reply: "...O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no
need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we
serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your
hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you,
O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image The rest of the story is exciting. The king was furious and ordered that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. Then the King commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be bound and thrown into the fiery furnace. The fire was so intense that the soldiers who threw the three young men in the furnace fell back dead. Suddenly, the king was on his feet running toward the opening of the furnace, shouting to his advisors that he saw four men walking around in the flames-and that one looked like the Son of God! Nebuchadnezzar commanded the Hebrews to come out of the furnace, and to everyone’s utter amazement, the trio stepped out without a hair on their heads singed or even the smell of smoke on their clothing! Forgotten was the great golden idol set up with such pomp and ceremony. The lead story of the day, and for many days to come, was the amazing experience of those three young men. Their God had saved them from the flames! What a tremendous testimony to God’s love and care for His faithful followers! "Well," you say, "I’m glad we don’t have someone dictating to us how we must worship!" That would be terrible-facing death if you didn’t worship the way someone else commanded you. But do you know that according to Bible prophecy, the greatest crisis in history is just before us? Like the three Hebrews, everyone living during earth’s last hours will be faced with a similar choice? A choice that will forever seal their destiny! A choice that will involve obedience to God and His commands or worshiping and obeying another power. And the penalty for obeying God will be death! It doesn’t seem possible, does it? The most solemn warning ever given to earth’s inhabitants is recorded in the Book of Revelation. Evidently God considers this message to be vitally important, for He said: "If any man has an ear, let him hear." Revelation 13:9 We must listen to this most urgent message! "...If any one worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb." Revelation 14:9, 10 Every person should carefully study this prophecy and make certain that he or she has nothing to do with the beast or his mark. Blessings are promised to those who are loyal to God. They will receive His seal, while the most terrifying warning in the Bible is given to those who receive the mark of the beast. According to Bible prophecy, at the very end of time, earth’s inhabitants will be divided into two groups: those who are loyal to God and obey His commandments, and those who worship the beast and receive his mark. Intense pressure will be brought to bear on those who refuse to worship the beast or receive his mark. It will be just as serious a crisis as the three Hebrews faced as they stood before Nebuchanezzar. God’s people will be threatened with economic boycott. "He causes, all both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." Revelation 13:16, 17 Eventually, a decree will be passed condemning to death those who refuse to worship the beast and his image. Of the second beast of Revelation, the Bible says: "He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed." Revelation 13:15 Man says, "If you do not worship the beast, we will not buy anything from you or sell anything to you, and eventually we will kill you." God says, "If you worship the beast, you will receive the wine of the wrath of God." So God’s people will be faced with the most difficult decision they have ever had to make. What is this wrath of God that is to be poured out upon the wicked? Revelation holds the answer: "Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete." Revelation 15:1 Three of the seven last plagues are specifically targeted at the beast and those who worship him. Is it fair for God to pour out His wrath on them, if they don’t know whom the beast or his mark is? That is what is so wonderful about God! He will not pour out the seven last plagues upon mankind without first giving everyone an opportunity to know what the mark of the beast is and how to avoid receiving it. With His last warning message, God gives the key to unlock the prophecy, so that we can understand what it is all about. No one need face this coming crisis unprepared. It is so vital for us to know who this beast power is and how we can avoid receiving its mark. Let’s turn to a prophecy found in the Book of Revelation, and read about this beast power. The disciple John wrote: "Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast, which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority." Revelation 13:1, 2 "And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months." Revelation 13:3-5 "Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Revelation 13:6-8 We’ll need to catch our breath and look at this prophecy point by point. Here God again uses prophetic symbols to outline His warning to the world. And what does a beast symbolize? That’s right! Daniel 7 taught us that beasts represent kingdoms or ruling powers. Here in Revelation, we find pictured something truly spectacular- a composite beast made up of all four of Daniel’s great beasts! You have never seen a beast like that! A review of Daniel’s four beasts
will be instructive and help us understand the beast power we are
now studying. The beast of Revelation 13 is a power that follows these four great world empires. We find now a remarkable thing: only one power on earth has all the characteristics used in this prophecy. Scripture and secular history make identification certain. Speaking of the beast, John wrote, "The dragon gave him his power, and his
seat, and great authority." We find that the dragon represents Satan, for the Bible says, "And there was war in heaven ... and the great dragon was cast out,
that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the
whole world." Of course, Satan never steps into the battle in visible form. He works, disguised, behind the scenes, through other agencies, powers, and people. Revelation gives a picture of the gigantic struggle between Satan and the church: "There appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads... And the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man-child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and his throne." Revelation 12:3-5 Who is this man-child? None other than Jesus Christ! Here we see behind the scenes. The dragon, or Satan, is seen working desperately through a world power to destroy Jesus. That is exactly what happened. What nation was the devil working through at the time of Christ’s birth? Did that ruling power attempt to take the life of Jesus when He was born? As we turn the pages of secular history, we discover that pagan Rome, under the Caesars, was ruling when Christ was born. Herod the Great, serving as king under assignment by Caesar, decreed that all male infants in Bethlehem, up to the age of two, be slain in an attempt to kill Jesus when He was born. A Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, condemned Christ to death. Roman soldiers nailed Him to the cross, and a Roman seal secured the entrance to His tomb. Satan worked through pagan Rome to destroy Christ. And Jesus was resurrected and caught up to God and His throne exactly as the prophecy predicted. Does this give you confidence in Bible prophecy? The prophecy further predicted that this power, pagan Rome, would give its "power", it’s "seat" (or capital city), and "great authority" to the beast. Did pagan Rome fulfill this prophecy? And if so, who was the recipient? History tells us that Constantine, the emperor of pagan Rome, donated his capital-the city of Rome-plus a vast treasury and an army, to the bishop of Rome! Notice that he gives it to the church-and throws in an army, no less! What does that tell you about how far the church had slid into apostasy in just 300 years? In A.D. 300, Constantine moved his capital to Byzantium and changed the name of the city to Constantinople in honor of himself. When Constantine left Rome, he gave his seat to the pontiff. The Bishop of Rome became the head of the church, and a king on a throne! A union of church and state resulted, with the church ruling over the state. The evils that occurred as the result of this marriage are a tragic blot on the history of Christianity! The Vatican City lies in the middle of Rome, the city that was the seat of the old Roman Empire. The papacy continues there even today, not only as a religious power but as a political power as well. Almost every nation of the world sends ambassadors to the Vatican. Pagan Rome paved the way for Papal Rome. Lest we build up prejudice against Roman Catholic people, it is very important to keep in mind that the prophecy is talking about an organization, a system of theology, and not about individuals! There are great numbers of Catholic people who worship God sincerely but do not yet know what you are learning today from Bible prophecy. A close study of the identifying marks of the beast power in Revelation 13 makes clear that it is the same power as that symbolized by the rampaging, truth-challenging little horn of Daniel 7, which we considered before. The prophet John said this beast power would have a distinguishing mark and that it would try to force it upon everyone in the world! "He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand, or on their foreheads: and that no one may buy or sell, except one who has the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." Revelation 13:16, 17 According to God’s Word, this mark must be a symbol of rebellion or disloyalty to the government of God. The Bible clearly describes those who will not receive the mark of the beast-and keep in mind that is the most important thing to know, for above all things we want to avoid receiving it. "Here is the patience of the
saints: here are those who keep the commandments One group of people receives the mark of the beast, while the other is loyal and true to God by keeping all His commandments and maintaining an undying faith in Jesus. And make no mistake, the great issue to which this world is coming will center on the commandments of God! God also has a mark, or a seal. It will be placed on the foreheads of His followers. "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 granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." Revelation 7:2,3 I want that seal, don’t you? Nothing is more important than that. The final conflict of world history is over the seal of God and the mark of the beast, between God’s sign and a counterfeit sign. When we discover God’s seal, or mark, it will be easy to discover the counterfeit mark that the beast power will enforce. God tells us what His sign or seal is: "Moreover I also gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me..." Ezekiel 20:12 Again, God says, "Speak also to the children of Israel, saying, Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you." Exodus 31:13 God said that the Sabbath is His sign or mark of authority. What does the beast power say is the mark of its authority? The following quotation is taken from a Catholic catechism: "QUESTION: How prove you that the
church hath power to command feast and holy days? Sunday is
the mark of the Catholic Church’s religious authority, according to her
own testimony. She readily admits that she changed the day of worship from
Saturday to Sunday, and further, she says that that act is the "mark of
her ecclesiastical power and authority." The Catholic Church challenges Protestants to show why they have desecrated God’s day and turned from the Bible Sabbath to follow a day that was instituted by custom, tradition, and a command of the Catholic Church. Isn’t that amazing? Daniel predicted that this beast power would "think to change times and laws." Daniel 7:25 John predicted that Satan will try to force everyone to receive the mark of the beast. "He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand, or on their foreheads: and that no man may buy or sell, except one that has the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." Revelation 13:16, 17 In order for this power to fulfill all of this prophecy, it will try by using the power of civil governments to enforce its mark of authority at the end of time on everyone. Notice how God clearly identifies this power: "Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is six hundred and sixty-six." Revelation 13:18 What does "the number of the beast" mean, you may be asking. Many people have asked that question. We shall let the Catholic Church answer. Latin is the official language of the Catholic Church. The pope, in Catholic theology, stands for the whole church. One of the pope’s titles is said to be Vicarius Filii Dei, meaning "Vicar of the Son of God." "Catholics hold that the Church, which is a visible society, must have a visible head." You will see that the numerical values of the Latin letters are easy to calculate: VICARIUS = 112, FILII = 53, DEI = 501, making the total 666. What may we conclude from a study of the prophecies in God’s Word? We can see that the time is coming and is not far distant, when everyone, under threat of boycott and death, will be required to keep the first day of the week in direct violation of the command of God! Just think about that! A recent directive entitled: "Apostolic Letter, Dies Domini, of the Holy Father, John Paul II, to the Bishops, Clergy, and Faithful of the Church, on keeping the Lord’s Day Holy," has been sent out to the leaders of the Catholic churches admonishing them to press for the keeping of the "Lord’s Day," Sunday, as a time of rest and worship. It even goes so far as to suggest that they should work toward civil legislation to make it a reality. Does that sound familiar? Just as the prophecy says? This idea is not new in the country of America. For decades groups have advocated it. Pressure for Sunday legislation is being exerted upon many politicians there at the present time. It is important to know that it is very likely that this law will be cloaked under language that is secular rather than religious perhaps laws designed to guard the health and welfare of the people. But no matter how it is framed, it is obvious from the Word of God that someday in the future a Sunday law will be passed, forcing people to bow to the change that has been made in God’s commandments by the beast power. A question that many people ask is, "Does anyone have the mark of the beast now?" No, not a single person has the mark of the beast yet. God has true followers in every church, including the Roman Catholic. When Sunday keeping is enforced by civil law, every person must then choose between allegiance to God by keeping the Sabbath according to the commandments of God-or allegiance to the beast by keeping the day substituted by man’s authority. Then, and only then, will anyone receive the mark of the beast! To every soul will come the crucial test: Shall I obey God-or shall I obey man? It is not just a matter of days. It is a matter of masters! Paul wrote: "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 to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?" Romans 6:16 A most solemn moment will soon face every inhabitant on Earth. No one will be able to buy or sell who does not have the mark of the beast. First comes a boycott, then the death decree. And for those who receive the mark of the beast, the seven last plagues. Do you see why this issue is so
important? There is good news for those who choose to honor God and receive His seal. They may not be able to buy or sell, but God says, "Bread will be given him; his water will be sure." Isaiah 33:16 And concerning the plagues to be poured out upon the earth, God promises: "You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked." Psalm 91:5-8 And, as if you might still wonder what will happen, the Bible says, "Because you have made the Lord ... even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways." Psalm 91:9-11 Survival will not be easy. The Bible predicts that "there shall be a time of trouble." But God gives a wonderful promise to those who choose to follow Him: "At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book." Daniel 12:1 John was shown a vision of those who gained the victory over the beast: "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God." Revelation 15:2 Even now, God is pleading with His true followers to step out of the counterfeit religious systems to follow Him completely. "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues." Revelation 18:4 It costs something to choose to follow God. Remember the three Hebrews who courageously, even in the face of certain death, and without any delay to rationalize, took their stand for God? Won’t you this moment, without hesitation, step forward and place yourself on God’s side, regardless of the cost? Whatever sacrifices that you are called upon to make in order that you can follow Christ in all of the truth that you have learned from these programs. It will be worth it all when you are able to be a part of that everlasting kingdom that God is about to set up. Jesus is coming to take home with Him those who have chosen to follow Him all of the way. Won’t you, like the three Hebrews, take your stand for God and His truth tonight?
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