Query:

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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:  .  .  .” 

Revelation 20:

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Just what is the “mark of the beast” and why is worshipping the beast and “the image” such a terrible thing?    

Answer:      

In the Bible, “beasts” (wild animal characters), are used to describe the kingdoms of this world which Satan uses as his political powers.  God uses a lamb or a goat to describe His Son and His people sometimes, but these are domesticated animals and not ferocious.  However, in the prophetic utterances regarding Satan’s system we are told of a lion, a bear, a leopard, and another animal that bears no relationship to any living creature, and a dragon.  All these are cartoon-like characters through which the Son of God wants us to see various aspects of Satan’s reign on earth.  See Daniel chapter 7.

In a last-day prophecy He combines all the characteristics of all the beasts into one, to illustrate what Satan’s last effort will be like.

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Revelation 13:

1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 2 And the beast which I saw was [in his body] like to a leopard [slim], and his feet were as the feet of a bear [massive], and his mouth as the mouth of a lion [strong]: and the dragon [Satan personally] gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

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In a vision John was shown that in the end time, all of Satan’s systems would rise up as one “beast” from among many people, the nations of Europe and the Middle East. They would come from where they had their origins, for waters equal nations. Revelation 17:15.  John noticed seven heads on this particular animal denoting the political systems which have been, and will be, used by Satan to control the world.  They represent Babylon, Medo/Persia, Greece, Pagan Rome, and Papal Rome, all in the past.  Today we have the materialistic culture (which is a reaction to the fear of religion) as the sixth head, and finally, we will see the Protestants of the United States of America leading out to fulfil Satan’s desires.

Then John saw ten “horns” (smaller powers, religious ones) on the heads, and they wore “crowns” showing that they will be controlling the animal as it rises into prominence at that time.  We are told that these crowned “horns” are “ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour [a short time] with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength to the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them . . .” Revelation 17:12-14.  They represent all the non-Catholic religions of the world.

This “mind” is identified below:

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Revelation 13:

3 And I saw one of his heads [one of the composite beast’s past manifestations, the Papacy] as it were wounded to death; and [as I watched] his deadly wound was healed: and [then] all the world wondered after the beast [Satan’s way of doing things]. 4 And [by doing this] they worshipped the dragon which gave power to the beast: and they worshipped the beast [as its seventh head took over], saying, “Who is like to the beast?  Who is able to make war with him?” [They obviously thought that it was God’s right hand man.]

5 And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given to him to continue forty-two months [three and a half years].

6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven [What he said was the opposite of the truth].

7 And it was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them [eventually they stopped witnessing against him]: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him [the seventh head], whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

9 If any man have an ear, let him hear. 10 He that leads into captivity shall go into captivity: he that kills with the sword [uses physical force] must be killed with the sword.  Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

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This worldwide system will be much liked by the people of the world, for it suits them and their desires.  And it is obvious it does not like the people of God!  But this is old news, for Satan has always behaved this way through his agents.  This time, however, Satan’s new reign, although not long, will be more intense than ever! “And there are seven kings [heads]: five are fallen, and one is, and the other [the seventh] is not yet come; and when he comes, he must continue a short space”. Revelation 17:10.

What makes this last manifestation different?  The next verses tell us.

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Revelation 13:

11 And I beheld another beast [the new entrant into Satan’s kingdom, the seventh head] coming up out of the earth [somewhere other than Europe]; and he had two horns like a lamb [he looked innocent at first], and [but later] he spoke as a dragon.

12 And he exercises all the power of the first beast before him [in front of him, for it joins him], and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, [his system is the same as the first one] whose deadly wound was healed. [It’s a NEW, hidden, version of the Papacy, which is a union of church and state using physical force to get obedience.]

13 And he does great wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14 and deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth,

that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

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This new agent of Satan’s is more sneaky than the first one that he used in the past – it looks even more innocent and Christian than the original.  Satan had to invent this because the cover has been blown on his first religious system, and thinking men and women have known for quite a while that the Papacy is NOT Christian, even though it still maintains that it is. (That’s what put the “protest” in Protestant originally.) 

However, this NEW deception is so good that today nearly all the world accepts it as Christian, including many who see through the first beast.  Who is it?  It is made up of those which are called the first beast’s “daughters”, for she is the mother of harlots.  It is written, “So he [an angel] carried me [John] away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman [a church] sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH”.  Revelation 17:3-5.

These harlot “daughters” are the churches which physically left the Roman Catholic system under the reformers, but which still retain all of its characteristics.  They are called “Protestant” by men, but the sad fact is that they no longer “protest” at all!  They have changed their lamb-like horns for the speech of the dragon.  Revelation 13:11. 

This is what God says of them:

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Revelation 3:

1 And to the angel of the church in Sardis [approximately 1517-1833] write; These things says He that has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars;

“I know your works, that you have a name [in men’s eyes] that you live, and [yet] are dead [in My sight].

2 “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. 

“If therefore you shall not watch, I will come on you as a thief [silently], and you shall not know what hour [October 1844] I will come upon you”.

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Through the use of miracles the second beast claims that it has the power of God, and it persuades nearly everyone to follow its lead.  I say nearly everyone because Jesus told us, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect [it’s not possible only because they stick to the word, Matthew 4:4]. Behold, I have told you before [so you will be prepared]”.  Matthew 24:24-25. 

The leaders of the Protestant churches, the lamb-like beast which arose in the new world of America, purpose to make a copy of the first beast, while maintaining that theirs is a different one.  But this new “image” will also use the force of the state in its religion, and will eventually propose a death penalty for those who do not agree with its position.  No matter what it looks like, no matter that it call itself Christian and is accepted as such by the overwhelming majority, the “very elect” (God’s true-hearted people) will not be deceived.  They know that Christian love can never use force on those who disagree with it.

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Revelation 13:

15 And he had power to give life to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

16 And he [the image] causes 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 [of acceptance], or the name [character] of the [image] beast, or the number [a full understanding] of his [the image’s] name. [1]

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So now we have a third “beast” (a worldwide religious/government system), through which Satan can work, the “eighth” head.  (Yes, there’s an “eighth head” not mentioned in Revelation chapter 13.)  “And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and [he is the one which is ruling at the end of the conflict and] goes into perdition [the “bottomless pit”, Revelation 20:1-3]”. Revelation 17:11.

This new worldwide system, made up of all the religions and governments of the world with one common aim, will “speak” through religious laws which have death penalties attached to them, for it wants to get rid of all opposition.  However, before that ultimate penalty, it will make buying and selling difficult for those that dissent from it, and will produce a “mark” which will identify its supporters.  That “mark” will be either something its followers believe in (in their foreheads), or that they accept because its suits them (in their hand). 

One great distinguishing “mark” of this false system is that it upholds the day of the Roman Catholic church – Sunday, which they will call “the Christian Sabbath” – even though there is not one single verse in the Bible for doing so. How do they fool all the people?  By claiming that the LORD’s day, the seventh-day Sabbath, is a part of the ceremonial law which was superseded at the cross.

Both sides will be plainly seen, because at the same time God’s people also receive a “mark” – called a “seal”.

It is written, “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, saying, ‘Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads’.” Revelation 7:2-3.  But the sealed ones have their mark only in their minds, because they all really believe in their God.

These two “marks” will be evidenced by the days on which the two groups publicly worship their god.  The contest will be between those who extol Sunday (the sun’s day) and those who keep the Sabbath (the Son’s day).

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Mark 2:

27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: 28 therefore the Son of man is LORD also of the Sabbath”.

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Of course, keeping a day does not save anyone, and many genuine Christians have lived and died keeping Sunday, thinking it was God’s Sabbath.  In the end times, however, the day will represent the god behind it – the first day of the week (Sunday) proclaims the character of a liar and a murderer as Jesus tells us, which is why its adherents love to use force in their religion.

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John 8:

39 They [the Pharisees] answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father”.  Jesus says to them, “If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man that has told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. 41 You do the deeds of your father”.

Then said they to Him, “We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God”.

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand My speech?  Even because you cannot hear My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it”.

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The desire to persecute shows the spirit within, even in public Sabbath-keepers.  There can be no more conclusive evidence that we possess the spirit of Satan than the disposition to hurt and destroy those who do not appreciate our work, or who act contrary to our ideas.

In the last days those Saturday-keepers who have this spirit will cease to keep the seventh day and take up Sunday, while those who love God in the Sunday-keeping situation will change and become Sabbath-keepers even at the cost of their lives.  Keeping the seventh day of the week (Saturday) properly at that time will present a picture of a living God who saves all those who come to Him in repentance for their past lives. 

The first day of the week has always been a symbol of a god and a religion which persecutes and kills its opponents, since the days of Cain who killed his brother after a religious argument. Genesis 4:8.  The seventh day has always represented a Creator God and those who have given up trying to be good (their own works), and who have allowed Him to remodel them.  “There remains therefore a [Sabbath] rest to the people of God.  For he that is entered into His rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His”.  Hebrews 4:9-10.

That’s what is so bad about the “mark of the beast”, the use of civil force in religion – it means that they who live by it will also die by it, and the Son of God is trying to save us from that.  (Genesis 9:6; Revelation 13:10). 

“Then said Jesus to him [one of His disciples], Put up again your sword into his place [let God defend you]: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword”.  Matthew 26:52.

This principle has always been known:

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Job 36:

5 Behold, God is mighty, and despises not any: He is mighty in strength and wisdom. 6 He preserves not the life of the wicked: but gives right [justification] to the poor [in spirit].  

7 He withdraws not His eyes from the righteous: but [even] with kings are they on the throne; yea, He does establish them for ever, and they are exalted.

8 And if they be bound in fetters, and be held in cords of affliction [of sin];

9 then He shows them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded. 10 He opens also their ear to discipline, and commands that they return from iniquity [with the command comes the power].

11 If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. 12 But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge [the experience of salvation].

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Conclusion:

The mark of the beast is the use of civil power by religious people to persecute and kill those who disagree with them.  It is signified by choosing to worship on a day that has no foundation in the Bible.  God warns against such an action because it will mean that those who do so will lose their chance of eternal life.

Acts 24:14-15

 But this I confess to you, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: and have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.