The Mark of the Beast

13 The Mark of the Beast [Next] They first started to turn up in the year 2010 in Michigan. Quite a lot of them. Counterfeit 20-dollar bills produced by the man who has been called the best counterfeiter on the planet, a man named Frank Bourassa. He bought paper milled in Germany and Switzerland, and bought equipment from China, and then he set about quite literally making his fortune. About 250 million U.S. dollars. Probably the most amazing thing is that when all was said and done, he was fined only $1500 and spent just six weeks in a Canadian jail. These were extremely good quality 20-dollar bills. People said, "You just couldn't tell that they were counterfeit when you looked at them." That's the key to a good counterfeit. [Next] It's not always easy to tell between a counterfeit and God's genuine article. In fact, the only foolproof way you're going to be able to do that is by making the Bible your guide and standard. In Earth's final days there is going to be a convincing counterfeit of God’s truth. [Next] The mark of the beast represents the culmination of the great battle between good and evil, which began long ago when in heaven Lucifer said in his heart, "I will be like the Most High." He coveted the place of God. What he wanted was rulership. Leadership. He wanted worship. His quest for worship will ultimately be brought to a close over one issue. That issue will demonstrate whether you have truly chosen Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. When Jesus comes back there will only be two groups of people on the planet: one who has loved God with their whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, and one who has not. The Bible describes them in various ways: those on the right hand of God and those on the left hand of God. The wheat and the tares. The sheep and the goats. In Revelation they are described as those who have the seal of God and those who have the mark of the beast. It's a solemn thought and we want to study it with an open heart, and a willingness to be led by the Holy Spirit. [Next] We see how solemn it is in Revelation 14:9-10 when the Bible says, "Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, [Next] 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. [Next] He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb’." There isn't another warning message in all of the Bible that is as serious as this one. [Next] Now, if God will issue a warning this serious, then certainly He will help us understand how to avoid the mark of the beast. There are so many ideas about this that it just boggles the mind. Some think the mark of the beast is a laser tattoo or a silicon chip or a debit card or a cashless society. We have to keep in mind that there is a world of difference between what the mark of the beast is and how people will be coerced to receive the mark of the beast. Remember, the cost to refusing the mark of the beast will be that you are prevented from buying and selling, according to Revelation 13. Whatever the mechanism is that keeps people from buying and selling, that itself is not the mark of the beast. They are two very separate issues. The devil wants you to miss the point, and the point is who's going to have your heart? In other words, who will you worship? With the mark of the beast some people are confused because they simply don't know what a beast is when it comes to Bible prophecy. Of course, we’re familiar with what a beast means because we recently study this subject recently. A beast is a prophetic symbol, just like the eagle which represents the United States; the lion, Great Britain; the kiwi bird, New Zealand, and so on. As we go through biblical identification marks, we find the little horn in Daniel 7 is the same as the first beast, or nation, in Revelation 13. [Next] What we see is that the little horn is... little. It says that in Daniel 7:8. It comes up among the other ten horns that came out of the kingdom of Rome. That places it in western Europe. It comes up after those other ten nations have been established, so this pinpoints it at sometime after 476 AD. Also, it destroys three of those first ten nations. Then it has eyes like the eyes of a man—it has a human leader. It speaks great words and blasphemies against God. It persecutes the people of God. It thinks to change times and God's laws. And it reigns, or rules, for 1260 years. [Next] As we looked at this, we discovered that the only nation in the world that can fulfill all these identifying marks is the Vatican City—the Roman Catholic church. While some of us may be surprised to hear it today, a few hundred years ago we would not. Martin Luther was confident about this, as were other reformers. John Knox, John Huss, John Calvin, John Wesley and many others. [Next] When it comes to this question of the beast, the issue of the number of the beast always comes up. Some have said the mark of the beast is ‘666.’ It's not. ‘666’ is the NUMBER of the beast. [Next] Revelation 13:18 says, "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 ‘666.’" Again, that's the number and not the mark of the beast. Down through time one of the authoritative titles of the popes of Rome was Vicarius Filii Dei. That phrase means, Vicar of the Son of God, or, one who stands in the place of the Son of God. I don't want to put too much weight on this, because this is simply one more identification point, but let me share this with you as I believe it is very valid and it's worth mentioning at this time. Vicarius Filii Dei is a Latin phrase. Latin letters typically have a numerical value. In Roman numerals the X represents what? Ten. The V is five. What's a C? A C is 100. [Next] We look at this name, Vicarius Filii Dei, and we see the numerical value of the word Vicarius is 112. [Next] Filii has a numerical value of 53. [Next] Dei, which means God, that's 501. [Next] When you add those together this title, used down through the years as one of the titles of the Popes of Rome, adds up to 666. Now, you might say, "Look, John, maybe your name adds up to 666.” Whether my name or yours adds up to 666 is of no consequence. Remember, there are multiple identifying marks, and we’ve seen that all of them point in a definite direction. [Next] So that’s the number of the beast. The mark of the beast? Okay, let's think. With that nation itself being a religious institution you would expect that its mark would be of a religious nature as well. Let's read Revelation, chapter 13, and we'll look at a few key verses that I think would help us to understand this. "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." (Revelation 13:3) Notice it says, "And all the world marveled and followed the beast." Or followed after the beast. Verse 4, "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?”" Verse 8 says, "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. If anyone has an ear, let him hear." This is something God wants us to understand. This reiterates the idea that the big question down at the end of time is that of worship. Who are you going to worship? To whom will you give your allegiance? Who is it that you're going to serve? That's the question. Who has your heart? Well, what we've seen is that the beast is seeking to mark its followers. I want you to know that God is looking to do essentially the same thing. [Next] Revelation 7:3 says, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." What’s in your forehead? Your mind. The frontal lobe of your brain. That's where your reasoning power reside. That's where your decision-making capabilities are. When God wants to seal His servants in their foreheads, He wants our minds, our hearts. He wants His people to be people who have made decisions for Him; who have chosen Him willingly. What is a seal? In Bible times a seal was something that showed authority. Important individuals had seals they used to show their ownership and authority. A seal might be placed on a law or a document, showing that the document had the authority of the government behind it. For example, in the Bible, King Artaxerxes passed a law and sealed it with his seal. That showed it was a valid law, with the full force of the authority of the government behind it. That made the document, or the law, official. It's kind of like getting a document notarized. The notary signs and stamps the document and now it's an official document that has been handled in accordance with all appropriate regulations. [Next] If God has a seal and the seal has something to do with His law, you would expect God's seal to show the authority of God's law. Now, connect that thought with what we read in Hebrews 8:10. [Next] God says, "For this is the covenant that I 
will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: [Next] I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." God's seal is to be put in your mind. God's law is going to be put in your mind. What is it that gives God's law authority? Let me narrow the question. Why do you worship God? "Because He loves me." No, that's not quite right. "Because Jesus died for me." No, that's not the fundamental reason either. It might be a reason but it's not THE reason. The reason that we worship God is found in Revelation 4:11. [Next] The Bible says this, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created." We worship the God of Heaven because He is the creator God. We don't worship rocks, idols, stones, and trees because God made those things. We don't worship the creation. We worship the Creator. The fact that God is the Creator God distinguishes Him from every false God in existence. [Next] Every seal has three key components. The name of the person whose seal it is; that person's title; and that person's dominion or area of authority. God's seal will be found on His law and it will be that identifying characteristic that shows why God's law has authority. Where do we find that in God's law? Look in Exodus 20, where the Ten Commandments are found, and see verses 8-9. [Next] "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God…" [Next] Now, we jump down to verse 11 where the Bible says, "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. [Next] Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." [Next] Look and you will find all the components that comprise the seal of the living God. We find God's name, The Lord. "In six days The Lord"—what did He do? "He made." He is the Creator. What did He make? Heaven, Earth. "The heavens, the Earth, the sea, and all that is in them." That's God's dominion. The seventh day Sabbath is the seal of God. It is the seal of His law, and it’s at the core of the message of salvation that God plants in our hearts. It demonstrates that God is the Creator, which is why we worship the true Creator God. He made all things, and He is the re-maker of all who come to Him in faith. The Sabbath day is a sign of sanctification. [Next] Ezekiel 20:12 says, "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." Stop and think about this. The Sabbath is the sign that in the beginning God made us, and that He is the only One who can remake us in His image. [Next] Ezekiel 20:20 says, "Hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God." In Romans 4:11, Paul says a sign and a seal are the same thing. God's holy Sabbath day is the seal of His law. It's a sign between God and His people that He alone has authority in their lives. Before you say, "Oh, this sounds like you’re putting us under the law," or "This sounds like righteousness by works,” let me assure you the Sabbath is the ultimate sign of righteousness by faith. Let me tell you why. [Next] God said to Abraham and Sarah, "You are going to have a baby." Now, they were both old, and Sarah laughed at God’s statement, but they certainly both wanted God's will to be done. Sarah brought her handmaid to Abraham and she said, "This is the way it will happen." A child was born. He was Abraham's child. Was he the child of promise? No, he was not. What that child represented was Abraham and Sarah trying to do God's will their own way and not by faith in God. That act represented works. But when Abraham and Sarah simply decided that they would obey God and trust God, a child was born according to God's plan. That child was the child of promise. That child represented faith, because they believed God and trusted in His Word, and God’s will was done. In this way, remembering the seventh-day Sabbath and keeping it holy represents faith in God. It's certainly not righteousness by works. When God says, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," and you say, "Great idea, I’ll bring God MY Sabbath,” that's you replacing God's will with your will. And that is not faith—that’s righteousness by works. When God says, "Remember the Sabbath," and you say, “Yes! I have a perfectly good Sunday here for you," that cannot be faith because you are substituting God's will with your own will. That would be works. Faith is taking God at His Word and trusting that Word, believing that Word, and letting the will of God be worked out in your life. Therefore, the seventh day Sabbath is a sign of righteousness by faith in the God who gave the Sabbath in the first place. And it is the seal of the living God. [Next] It says in Mark 2:27, "And He said to them, 
“The Sabbath was made for man, 
and not man for the Sabbath." After six days of creation God said, “I have something you're going to love, something that will be a blessing to you. It will recharge your batteries every week. It will keep the pressures of the world from flooding into your life and overtaking you. It will maintain the strength of our connection. It'll be good for you and your community, and your family." The Sabbath is the seal of our relationship with and our faith in Him to save us in His power. Now that we can understand what the seal of God is, we're better placed to understand the mark of the beast. [Next] Revelation 14:9 says, "Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, [Next] and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God." [Next] Now look at verse 12 with me. It says, “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” [Next] We see that those who keep the commandments of God don’t receive the mark of the beast. Those who do not keep the commandments of God do receive the mark of the beast. Which means the mark of the beast itself must also have something to do with the law of God. So now with the mark of the beast having something to do with worship, we ask ourselves, “What has this first beast / nation in Revelation 13 done to affect the law of God?” [Next] Daniel 7:25 says, “He shall intend to change times and law.” So what is the mark of the beast, or the distinguishing mark or characteristic which shows the authority of that power? [Next] One good question is what does the Vatican say is its own distinguishing mark? As we answer that question, let’s remind ourselves what the seal of God is. [Next] Exodus 20:8 says, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” Then we ask ourselves what Rome has done to change God’s law. [Next] From a Catholic catechism. Question: Which is the Sabbath day? Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day. [Next] Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday? [Next] Answer: Because the Catholic church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday. [Next] In addition to this, see what Karl Keating wrote in his book, Catholicism and Fundamentalism, on page 38. “Fundamentalists meet for worship on Sunday, yet there is no evidence in the Bible that corporate worship was to be made on Sundays. The Jewish Sabbath or day of rest was, of course, Saturday. [Next] It was the Catholic church that decided Sunday should be the day of worship for Christians in honor of the resurrection.” It wasn’t God, it was the church of Rome that changed the worship day from God’s Sabbath to man’s Sunday. And this is well known. Look at this church bulletin from a Catholic church in Algonac, Michigan, about 20 years ago. I know this isn’t an official decree of the church, but it’s fascinating all the same. [Next] “Perhaps the boldest thing, the most revolutionary change the church ever did, happened in the first century. The holy day, the Sabbath, was changed from Saturday to [Next] Sunday...not from any directions noted in the Scriptures, but by the church’s sense of its own power. …” [Next] It goes on to say this. "People who think that the Scriptures should be the sole authority should logically become Seventh-day Adventists." It really says, "If you're going to follow tradition, that's Sunday. If you're going to follow the Bible, that would be the seventh-day Sabbath." [Next] Cardinal Gibbons wrote these words, "Reason and sense demand the acceptance of one or the other of these two alternatives: either Protestantism, [Next] and the keeping holy of Saturday, or Catholicity, and the keeping holy of Sunday. Compromise is impossible." [Next] Pope Benedict the XVI said, “Sine dominico non possumus," "Without Sunday," - and he was referring to Sunday sacredness - "Without Sunday we cannot live!" [Next] It may make more sense now when we read the first part of Revelation 13:8: "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.” How does God see this question? [Next] Jesus said in Matthew 15:9, "And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” You say, "How can this be so wrong when everyone's doing it?" Wait. The truth isn't subject to a vote. It’s not a matter of popular opinion. It’s often not a good idea to go with the crowd. If you went with the crowd when Jesus was here for the first time you would have been shouting out, "Crucify Him, crucify Him." A good counterfeit will look a whole lot like the real thing, and that's the case here. [Next] The mark of the beast is really very simple. When you accept a change in God's holy moral law, you come to the place where you have rejected the sovereignty of God, and you have accepted in your life the authority of the beast. The true Sabbath is God's people coming into communion with God. The mark of the beast is a counterfeit, human beings choosing their way above the will of God. 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 leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?" (Romans 6:16) Paul said you are the servant of the one that you choose to obey. I understand this comes as a surprise to some people. Maybe you have decades invested in something that you now discover is not according to the will of God. That may be, but its better to learn God’s will late than never. When we find out that there were some things that we were taught incorrectly, that's an opportunity just to say thanks to God and let Him lead you in the biblical path. Let me paint a picture for you. We're at the busiest intersection in town. A big crowd gathers around and I reach into my bag and I pull out some white cloth and wave it in the air, throw it on the ground and stamp on it. Now, you know that nobody is offended. They may wonder, "What in the world is this? Where's he going with this?" But no one's offended because after all it's just a piece of cloth. Then I take out piece of blue cloth and I stomp all over that. Then I do the same with some red cloth. You might be wondering what’s going on but you’re not offended because it’s just… cloth. But then I take that cloth away and have it cleaned, and then I have it made into 13 horizontal red and white stripes with a blue patch up in one corner. And I have fifty white stars arranged in rows of six and five on the blue patch. [Next] I'm back on that busy street corner and I reach into my bag and I pull out my cloth. I wave my cloth so everyone can see it and then I throw it onto the ground and stamp on it and wipe my dirty shoes all over it. Nobody's offended, right? Wrong. Everybody's offended. But I can't understand why because the last time you told me that it was just cloth. Is it cloth? Yes or no? Yes AND no. It's cloth for sure, but it is not JUST cloth because that cloth now represents something. [Next] In John 14:15 Jesus said, "If you love me, keep My Commandments.” You cannot help but keep the Commandments of God. When the Holy Spirit enters into your life when you accept Jesus, He’s going to grow you into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. He will guide you in His steps. [Next] Now, listen very carefully. Nobody has the mark of the beast today, not yet. We know what it is but nobody has the mark of the beast. That won't happen until this is enforced by law, because remember, "He causes them to receive the mark of the beast." Now, how could that happen? Let me show you what was said some years ago by Pope John Paul II. [Next] John Paul II said, "Christians will naturally strive to ensure civil legislation respects their duty to keep Sunday holy." (John Paul II, “Dies Domini,” 1998) Rome is determined that there will be legislation, laws passed, setting Sunday aside as a holy day. [Next] Now, the Bible says in Revelation 13:16-17 that, "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, [Next] 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.” The way this world is going we can see that this time is not especially far off. What does the Bible mean, "receiving the mark in our forehead or in our hand?" We make moral choices in our foreheads, our minds. We decide what is right. "I agree. My decision is for this." In our hand? Your hand is a symbol of actions. You don't necessarily believe this, you may not agree, but you go right along with it anyway because of convenience. "I don't agree this is right but if I don't do this I won't be able to buy and sell. If I don't do this I won't be able to eat, or heat my home, or raise my kids. I don't agree but I will do it anyway." Certainly standing for Jesus will require some faith, and probably some sacrifices. Now is the time to be making a decision to make sure that you would never receive the mark of the beast. Make a decided stand to faithfully follow God. To surrender to Him and say, "Jesus, come into my life and live your will out in me." You may not feel that you have the strength. But you don't need the strength. Jesus has all the strength you need. What you need to do is let Him into your heart. It's just that simple. With Christ in your heart, what does the Bible say? "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." [Next] “God is a spirit. They that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). One last Bible story. Let’s go back to the time of Cain and Abel. God said, "Worship me. Bring me an offering of a lamb.” Abel obeyed God. Cain brought some fruit he had grown—he substituted his own way for God’s express will. God accepted Abel's offering but rejected Cain's. Cain was furious and by the time he came to his senses, the lifeless body of his brother lay at his feet. And God placed a mark on Cain lest anyone exact retribution for what he had done. He did not worship according to God's will, and he received a mark as a result. Down in the end of time, this question of the mark of the beast is about worship. Those who do not worship God in spirit and in truth will be marked, this time with the mark of the beast. No, it has nothing to do with a laser beam, a silicon chip under your skin, or a tattoo on your hand. God's issues are more than skin deep. God's issues go all the way to the heart. This issue will determine whether or not God has your heart. If He has your heart, He has your will, and He will have your obedience. The question is, whom do you love? What means more to you, Earth or Heaven? God is calling to you to yield to Him and the revelation of His Word. [Next] During World War II, a U.S. Army transport ship, the Dorchester, was transporting hundreds of U.S. troops to Europe in a convoy. On its way to Greenland, it was operating in very hostile waters and the convoy came under attack from the German Navy. A U-boat launched a missile that sank the Dorchester. Hundreds of men were on board and the ship was going down. Among those men were four chaplains, a Roman Catholic, a Jew, and two Protestants. At this time of crisis they were helping the men off the ship, trying to get them into the life raft. Because of the confusion and the destruction, many life jackets were inaccessible, or unavailable. It seemed some men would go down into the icy waters of the Atlantic without a life jacket on. These four men removed their life jackets and gave them to four sailors. While those men went to safety, these four chaplains sang together, and prayed together, and went down with the ship, and gave their lives. What a sacrifice! [Next] While we were yet sinners Christ made the ultimate sacrifice. He died for us. What are you going to do about that love? Will you let that love take full possession of your life today?