PROOF OF LOVE - Beautiful love story ...

Long ago, an old couple who had no children
lived in a humble wooden house, leading a very quiet life, joyful.
They both loved each other and were very happy.
One day an accident happened to the lady.

She was working at home when the house started to catch fire in the kitchen and the flames reached her entire body, the husband wakes up startled by the screams and goes down to reach her, when he saw her covered by the flames immediately tries to help her and the fire also hits his arms.

When the firefighters arrived there was no more fire
just smoke and part of the house completely destroyed.
They quickly took the couple to the nearest hospital,
They were hospitalized in a serious condition.
After a while the gentleman least affected by the fire got out of ICU
and went to meet his beloved.
The lady in her bed all burnt, she did not want to live anymore,
she was all deformed, the flames burned all over her face.

Getting to the room of her mistress, so she asked him:
- How are you my love?
Yes he replied, shame that the fire reached my eyes
and I can no longer see, but relax love,
your beauty beauty is engraved in my heart forever.
Then the old lady felt bad for her husband, and said:
- God saw everything that happened to my husband,
God took his vision so that he won't  witness this deformity in which I stay now.
The flames burned all over my face and I look like a monster.

Passing some time she recovered, returned home where she did everything for her dear husband everyday and he kept on telling her: I love you so much!
And so they lived 20 years until the lady died.

On the day of her funeral when everyone said goodbye then came that gentleman without his sunglasses and with his cane in hand,
arrived near the coffin, kissing her face and stroking her beloved said in a passionate tone:
- " You are so beautiful my love, I love you so much"
The people hearing and seeing that scene, a friend who was next asked if what happened was a miracle, and looking in his eyes the old man only said:
"I've never been blind,I was  just pretending, because when I saw her all burnt out I knew it would be hard for her to continue living that way."

We lived twenty years both very happy and in love!!
That was one of the most beautiful proof of love that ever was a man to a woman

When I woke up this morning lying in bed

When I woke up this morning lying in bed,I was asking myself,What are some of the secrets of success in life?I found the answer right there,In my room.

The Fan said........Be cool
The Roof said........Aim high
The Window said.....See the world
The Clock said.....Every minute is precious
The Mirror said.......Reflect before you act
The Calender said.....Be-up-to-date
The Door said....Push hard for your goals

 AND NOT TO FORGET,THE CARPET SAID...KNEEL DOWN AND PRAY.

Carry a Heart that Never Hates.
Carry a Smile that Never Fades.
Carry a Touch that Never Hurts.
'God Blesses Us To Be A Blessing Unto Others'�

 Jeremiah 29:11 "for I know the plans I have for YOU, declares the LORD??"Never give the devil a ride, he will want to take over the driving."Dear child of God Be still for a while and praise God for His favor, His grace and His Awesomeness. �God is able to do the impossible and is always near. He loves us unconditionally. Please forward this to every person you want God to Bless

Social Life & Relationships!: Just yesterday i had a sweet thought of you

Social Life & Relationships!: Just yesterday i had a sweet thought of you: A day or two ago I had sweet thoughts of you: pure and innocent thoughts of a deep and profound love that filled with me with such grati...

WHAT MAKES A GREAT DAD?

WHAT MAKES A GREAT DAD?
(Genesis 2: 24-25)
By: Pastor Greg Tupas, Jr.

ANYBODY can be a father but it takes a great man to be a great dad. Our modern society tries to convince women, though that they are as strong and that they should be equal with men. It is sad to note that the present time tend to mix men and women together in a mixing bowl which make it difficult to identify who really is the head of the family. I remember an instance when a husband was asked about their respective responsibilities or duties at home, the husband replied: “My wife is responsible to our children. Our children are responsible to their pets ( cats and dogs) and I am responsible to the plants. “

A great dad does not necessarily pictures a big masculine man painted with tattoos and with a dagger on his waist when he walks out of the house. We will study the characteristics of a great dad based from the text (I Thes. 2: 7-12) which does not only apply to churches but the principles of the said text also applies to our family.

Characteristics of a great father:
1. Loving - Verse 8 is an expression of love. “So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear to us.”
In Ephesians 5: 25, husbands are instructed to love their wives because generally, it is not usual for husbands to show their affection to their wives Women are not told to love their husbands because their love comes out naturally. On the other hand, wives are instructed to respect their husbands (Eph. 5:33), because this is one aspect which sometimes women hardly observe.
Comparatively, mothers know more than the fathers in child care. They know exactly how to carry a baby so that it will be comfortable, they know when to change the diaper and feed the baby. They know exactly what to do when it cries even if its not hungry. They know how to bathe it without any difficulty. I admit, as a father, I am not as good as my wife in child care, but fathers enjoy and love to play and be with their children.
A great dad is a loving father, just as what is portrayed in the story of the prodigal son which everyone of us is familiar with. He knew that the door of his father’s house was open to him on the day he decided to return and ask for forgiveness for what he had done. Our heavenly Father has His arms open and ready to accept us when we repent of our sins.
As fathers, we should prove our love to our children by being ready to forgive them when they have offended us.

2. Transparent – still in verse 8 of our text it says that it is not only the gospel which was preached but their very lives and souls were shared to the church in Thessalonica. Likewise in the family, fathers should live what they teach to their children. We are most transparent to the members of our family. We can appear to be pious, kind and loving inside the church, but there is nothing we can hide to our wife and our children. You are who and what you really are in the home.
We should not only teach them the Christian values but we must live and show our family the values that the Bible is teaching us as the model and the leader of the household.
The unbelievers have a different set of values from us. They value most their possessions, positions and power.
We, Christians are not affected by stress and pressures because we have PEACE with God through our Lord JESUS CHRIST (Rom. 5: 1). Even in our finances, we should set aside as the first part of our budget our tithes and offerings.
In a funeral rites, the children of the deceased father were asked to say some lines regarding what memories they have of their father. Many good memories were mentioned by each of them but there was one common thing mentioned by all of them. They all said that they always see their Dad kneeling with their Mom beside their bed every night before they sleep.

3. Faithful to God – Verse 10 of our text mentions about being holy, blameless, righteous. A father who is faithful to God leads his family closer to God. If you don’t lead your family to God, you will be leading them to the evil one.
A very young boy was diagnosed with a terminal illness and the doctor informed the parents that he barely have a few days to live. The father, though he was a Christian found it hard to tell his son. He would read him passages and stories from the Bible which would encourage and give him strength in fighting for the pain that he was suffering. After praying hard, the father decided to ask his son: “Are you afraid to meet Jesus?” “If Jesus is like you, Dad, I’m not afraid!!!”

4. A positive influence - (vv 11-12) you could be a positive influence to your children by being a good example.
There was a Christian father who was tempted to drop by a bar to drink some bottles of beer with his friends after work. Before he opened the first bottle, he heard a small voice and he recognized that it was the voice of his son, saying: “Dad, whatever you, I’ll follow your footsteps.” That one sentence was enough to remind and convict him that he was on the wrong path.
A young athlete while running a race stumbled and hit his chin badly. Immediately somebody ran to the field and picked him up. The athlete was surprised to see that it was his father. “ You don’t have to continue running, son, you are hurt.” “I want to finish the race Dad.”, the boy said. “Okay, we’ll finish the race together.” He did not get the gold medal but he could not forget the golden memory of what his father did when he most needed him.
Do you possess these qualities? Do your children have great memories about you as their father? It is not yet too late, you can still be a great father, by the grace of our Heavenly Father.

http://www.baptistchronicle.org/sermons_what_makes_a_great_dad.html

What is the Mark of the Beast?

The mark of the beast is a combination of letters and symbols that will be physically and permanently placed on your forehead or right hand. Most people will consider it an honor to receive the mark. It will be like a key for them that will open doors of acceptance, prosperity and peace.

The mark of the beast will be placed on people who worship the beast and choose to receive his mark. There will be severe penalties for refusing the mark and great rewards for getting it.

Worship the beast and get his mark

The mark of the beast will be enforced. The people who believe in the beast and worship him will be glad to get his mark.

The beast is not a person or a human organization. The beast is Satan himself. But when Satan comes as the beast he will appear in a glorious body. People will not recognize him as the Devil. He will claim to be God and most people will believe that he is God.

The mark of the beast is an outward, physical symbol, showing that the wearer has chosen to worship the beast and receive him as God.

Mark of the beast a symbol of worship

When two people get married the wife will often take the last name of the husband as her own. The husband and wife will both wear a wedding ring as a symbol of their marriage. Likewise, people will take the name of the beast and will wear his mark as a symbol of their allegiance to him.

There will be six hundred and sixty six different ways to get the mark.

666 and the Mark of the Beast

666 comes from Revelation 13 in the Bible. 666 is a human number that is connected with the mark of the beast.

Beast is Satan, claiming to be God

The beast is Satan in a brilliant, perfect body. He will appear to people as a glorious being and he claims to be God. He will have many names, all of which are different names for God. In fact, he will have a total of six hundred and sixty-six (666) names.

“No one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. 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.” Revelation 13:17,18

666 blasphemous names

This verse tells us to calculate or count the number of names the beast has. The beast will have 666 names. When he first comes to earth he starts out with 7 blasphemous names and over the next few months he keeps adding names until he reaches 666 blasphemous names. These are blasphemous names because they claim to be God but they aren’t God. When you count up all of his names there will be 666 names.

Mark of the beast is 666 names

The mark of the beast is the name of the beast or any of his 666 names. In other words, you receive the mark of the beast by taking any one of the beast’s 666 names.

So why does he need so many names? Because he wants to appeal to every person on earth. He carefully select his blasphemous names so that one of his names will appeal to each person on earth.

He will come as Allah or Imam Mahdi to the Muslims, Maitreya Buddha to the Buddhists, Jesus Christ to the Christians, Krishna to the Hindus, Messiah to the Jews, Saoshyant to the Zoroastrians, the “Dark Lord” to satanists, and so on through the whole list of 666 names.

His goal is to win the worship and allegiance of every person on earth.

What does the Mark of the Beast
look like?

The mark of the beast will be a literal, physical combination of letters and symbols. It will be permanently and prominently engraved or tatooed on the forehead or right hand of each person who gets the mark of the beast.

The mark of the beast will include one of the beast's 666 names. Each of the 666 names will be a name for God. The beast is Satan, coming to earth, looking like God and saying that he is God. Each of his names will be blasphemous, because he is not God.

Does the mark of the beast look nice?

The mark of the beast will look attractive and beautiful. It will please the senses and will excite the admiration of those who see it. Most people who wear it will be proud to have it.

The mark will be plainly visible for all to see. Your friends and family will be able to see if you have received the mark. Your employer can look at you and see the mark. When you go shopping the store clerk will be able to see if you are wearing the mark of the beast.

Is the VeriChip the Mark of the Beast?

The VeriChip is a small radio frequency identification device. It has an identification number and it is the size of a grain of rice. The VeriChip is implanted in the human body. It is currently used in some countries for medical information.

By itself the VeriChip is not the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast will only be offered after the beast has come. The beast is Satan coming to earth disguised as God. He will appear in a beautiful body and will require people to worship him and receive his mark.

VeriChip could be part of the mark of the beast

When Satan comes to earth claiming to be God he will require people to receive the mark of the beast. It is possible that a VeriChip could be implanted in the forehead or right hand as a part of the mark of the beast. This would probably only occur in the more industrialized countries.

Currently the VeriChip is not the mark of the beast. But at some point in the future it could be part of the physical mark that is put on a person's forehead or right hand.

Mark of the beast – forehead or right hand

“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

The mark of the beast will be placed on a person's forehead or right hand.

Bible Mark of the Beast
forced on everyone

"He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead." Revelation 13:16

The beast is Satan. But he will appear on earth as a powerful, awesome being. He will claim that he is God. This will happen very soon.

A few months after the beast comes to earth he will attempt to force every person on earth to receive the mark of the beast. He will make a law requiring every person to receive the mark of the beast and there will be stiff penalities to anyone who refuses. This law will apply to every person in every country on earth.

It won’t matter if you are very wealthy or if you are poor. It won’t matter if you are the leader of a great country or if no one knows your name. You may be free, or you may be in prison or in debt.

You may be old or young, male of female. You may be very religious or you may not even believe in God. Nothing about you will matter. If you are alive you will be under great pressure to receive the mark of the beast.

If you choose to receive the mark of the beast it will be placed on your forehead or on your right hand.

You will be given a choice about what mark you want to receive. You will be allowed to choose from any of the 666 names that belong to the beast. Each of the 666 names is a name for God. Each name is blasphemous because the beast is not God.

The beast is Satan, pretending to be God. He will command you to worship him and to receive his mark and he won’t care which of his 666 names you choose.

Who will get the mark of the beast?

Almost everyone in the world will get the mark of the beast. There are many reasons why people will choose to get the mark:

1.       It will be required for everyone

2.      There will be severe penalties for refusing the mark of the beast

3.      There will be great rewards for getting the mark of the beast

4.      People will believe they are honoring God by receiving the mark of the beast

5.      People will be afraid of not getting the mark of the beast

6.      Peer pressure – most other people are getting the mark of the beast

7.      Financial pressure – can’t buy or sell without the mark of the beast

People will want to get the mark of the beast because then they will be allowed to buy food, water, medicine and clothes. They will be able to work and get paid. Humanly speaking, getting the mark of the beast will be the logical, sane, safe, smart thing to do. But spiritually speaking, it is not wise to get the mark of the beast.

Please understand that God will not allow anyone to receive the mark of the beast unless they choose to get it. People will not be physically forced against their will. But most people will choose to worship the beast and to receive his mark.

When will the Mark of the Beast
be required?

It is not possible to get the mark of the beast right now. First of all, the beast does not currently exist and second of all, the mark is not being offered or required.

Very soon the beast will arrive on earth. The beast is not a person or a human organization. The beast is Satan himself. Satan will appear on earth in a glorious body and will claim that he is God. When he comes he will bring millions of his demons with him. They will not appear to be demons. Many of his demons will appear as glorious angels who pretend to be from heaven. Some of his demons will claim to be people who have died and gone to heaven. They will say that they have come back to earth to teach and help other people. They will appear in beautiful, perfect bodies.

Two demons appear to be Moses and Elijah

There will be two powerful demons who will claim to be the prophets Moses and Elijah. They will come with the beast. The three of them will appear to be God, Moses and Elijah.

The two demons who pretend to be Moses and Elijah are described as a beast in Revelation 13. They are called a beast with two horns. The two horns represent two beings, one Moses and the other Elijah.

"11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed." Rev 13:11-12

The demons pretending to be Moses and Elijah will be gentle and kind like a lamb but their words will be the words of Satan. They will have great power and authority. They will tell people to worship the first beast. This first beast is Satan. He appears to be God and people will adore and worship him.

Fire from heaven and miracles

"13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast." Revelation 13:13-14

The demon who is pretending to be Elijah will call down fire from heaven to prove that the beast (Satan) is God.

The demon who is pretending to be Moses will work miracles to prove that the beast (Satan) is God.

"16 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, 17 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

After Satan and his demons have been on earth for a few months the two demons pretending to be the prophets Moses and Elijah will force people to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. They will enforce the mark of the beast.

How do you get the Mark of the Beast?

First of all, you can’t get the mark of the beast accidentally. You can’t get it without meaning to. The mark of the beast is not a disease and it is not contagious.

You will get the mark of the beast by making a conscious choice to receive it. There will be a magnificent, powerful, loving being on earth claiming to be God. There will be two glorious, powerful prophets with him who claim to be the prophets Moses and Elijah. The three of them will convince almost everyone in the world to worship this beautiful, charismatic being who looks like God. They will convince almost everyone in the world to get his mark.

These three beings will offer protection, eternal life, peace and prosperity to people if they will worship the being claiming to be God and receive his special mark as a symbol of their allegiance. This is the mark of the beast.

666 versions of the mark of the beast

There will be 666 different options or versions of the mark. The beast will have 666 slightly different names that all claim to be God. One of these names will seem appropriate and attractive to each person on earth. For example, Christians believe that Jesus Christ will come again, the Jews believe that the Messiah is coming. So when the beast arrives on earth he will claim to be Jesus Christ to the Christians and he will offer them a version of his mark that is Christian. He will claim to be Messiah to the Jews and he will offer them a mark that is Jewish.

Most people will be deceived into believing that they should get the mark of the beast. They will line up to get it. They will feel honored to get it.

But please note that this awesome being is not God. You should not worship him. He is the beast. He is Satan. You should avoid his mark at all costs. You will not receive peace, prosperity or eternal life. All 666 versions of the mark of the beast are false and dangerous.

What if you get the Mark of the Beast?

Here is a very important point. If you choose to get the mark of the beast you are choosing to worship the beast and give him your allegiance. You will be worshiping Satan. You will be breaking the first of the ten commandments. In the first commandment God says,

"You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:3

If you worship the beast you are placing another god before the true God of heaven.

If you choose one of the beast’s 666 names to be put on your forehead or on your right hand you are choosing to worship the beast as your god. You will be worshiping a false god and will receive the undiluted wrath of the true God who lives in heaven.

Allowed to buy and sell

It will seem like a good idea to get the mark of the beast because then you will be able to buy and sell. You can buy food and water. You can buy medicine and clothes for your family. You can continue to work at your job and get paid.

Mark of the beast brings the complete wrath of God

Receiving the mark of the beast has a very serious consequence.

The most solemn, fiery threat in the Bible applies to anyone who receives the mark of the beast.

"If anyone 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. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." Revelation 14:9-11

If you receive the mark of the beast you will receive the full wrath of God. His wrath will not have any mercy mixed in with it.

Everyone who has the mark of the beast will receive seven terrible plagues. The 1st plague will be terrible, painful sores.

"So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image." Revelation 16:2

Get the mark of the beast and die eternally

Beyond receiving 7 plagues full of the wrath of God, the people who receive the mark of the beast will lose the opportunity to live forever. They will die eternally instead.

What if you refuse
the Mark of the Beast?

If you refuse to get the mark of the beast you will not be allowed to buy anything or to sell anything. You will not get paid for your work. You will not be able to buy food, medicine, water, fuel, clothes or anything at all. You will be cut off from support and most likely you will be killed.

Can’t buy or sell without 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 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

You will be hated and likely killed

"Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved." Matthew 10:21,22

You will be forced to get the mark of the beast. If you refuse the mark of the beast you will not be allowed to buy anything or sell anything. You may be put in prison and you may be killed.

So why would anyone refuse the mark of the beast?

Refuse the mark of the beast and live eternally

Some wise people will refuse to worship the beast and to receive the mark of the beast. They will choose to worship the God of heaven instead. Many of these people will be killed. But a short time later they will be raised from the dead and they will live and reign with Christ for 1,000 years.

"Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." Revelation 20:4

After the 1000 years is over, the people who refused the mark of the beast will live forever and ever with God. They will be perfectly and eternally happy.

Choose against the Mark of the Beast

Every person will be required to choose between 2 options. Please carefully consider these 2 options:

1. Get the mark of the beast – You will be worshiping the beast. The beast is Satan claiming to be God. You will be able to buy and sell. Many people will like you. You can keep your job and your house. But you will soon receive the full wrath of God, poured out without mercy. You will die forever.

2. Refuse the mark of the beast – You will not be able to buy or sell. People will hate you. You will lose your job, your house and most likely your life. But God will have mercy on you and if you believe in Him and worship Him you will live again, forever.

Worship God or Satan?

Every person on earth will worship one of two beings. Either it will be the true God of heaven or it will be the beast, who is Satan claiming to be God.

There is only one way to receive eternal life and one name to believe in to receive salvation.

“the name of Jesus Christ . . . Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:10-12

There are many ways to be lost and many false gods to worship. The beast will have 666 approved names that all claim to be God but are all false.

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Matthew 7:13,14

Each person will either take God’s name or take one of the beast’s 666 names. God has only 1 name and 1 way – the right way. Satan has 666 names, 666 ways – all wrong.

Whose way will you choose? Whose name will you choose? Whom will you worship?

Who is the Beast in Revelation 13?

“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.” Revelation 13:1

The most solemn warning in the Bible is given to people who worship the beast. This warning includes the threat of receiving God’s wrath.

“If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.” Revelation 14:9,10

If you worship the beast and receive his mark you will receive the complete wrath of God. So it is very important to understand who the beast is so you can avoid worshiping him.

First of all, the beast is not a wild animal like a tiger or a lion. He is not a literal animal.

Second, the beast is not a person, a country, or a human organization. So who is the beast? What does the beast represent?

 

 

The Beast is Satan claiming to be God

The beast is a symbol for Satan. But here’s the catch. Satan will come to earth disguised as God. He will wear a costume that makes him appear to be God. He will take on the appearance of God. But he is not God. He is Satan, the great deceiver.

Satan has been on the earth for thousands of years. But most of the time he has not been visible to human eyesight. He has existed in the spirit world. Soon he will transform himself into a being that looks and sounds like God.

Satan will become visible to us and he will be disguised as God. He will have the appearance of a glorious, heavenly being. The Bible calls him the beast when he comes to earth pretending to be God. The beast in Revelation 13 is Satan masquerading as God.

What does the Beast look like?

When Satan comes to earth in a visible body he will be glorious, impressive, attractive and charismatic.

People will recognize that he is stronger and more majestic than a mere human being. People will be convinced by their senses that Satan is God. The book of Revelation calls him the beast.

The beast will speak in a melodious voice and he will have friendly, loving eyes. He will be gentle and kind. His appearance will dazzle and charm people. He will be extremely powerful.

The Beast will look like God

People will believe that the beast is God. They will be entranced and drawn to him. They will have an almost irresistible desire to worship the beast.

“And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.” Revelation 13:1

When Satan comes to earth looking like God and claiming to be God, he will have seven symbolic heads. Each head will have a blasphemous name.

Blasphemy is claiming to be God when you aren’t God. Satan will claim to be God even though he is not God. He will give himself seven names that are variations of God’s name.

The 10 horns that the beast has are 10 of Satan’s leading demons. These 10 demons will be kings and rule with Satan. This is why each of them is wearing a crown.

666 Mark Of The Beast

666 Mark Of The Beast Introduction

Revelation 14:9-11 “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, 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: 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.”

Here is one of the most severest warnings you will find in the Bible. Today there are a multitude of interpretations on what 666 and the mark of the beast is. Many people believe that 666 is the mark of the beast but note closely what Revelation 13:17 says, “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.” Did you note that the number and the mark are two separate things?

Considering the consequences are so severe for receiving 666 or the mark, it is highly advisable we study this topic thoroughly and find out what the Bible really reveals. The documentation below is from an excellent book by Pastor Steve Wohlberg, a leading specialist in the area of Bible prophecy and endtime events. The content below is from his book called "Truth Left Behind". It is a complete topic on 666 and the mark of the beast and I have no doubt you will enjoy it. Steve has very kindly granted his permission to use this chapter of his book here.

Select the following link for further reading on 666 and the mark of the beast.

Microsoft and the Mark of the Beast

By Steve Wohlberg

Taken from Chapter 8 of his eye-opening book, Truth Left Behind.

Because the San Andreas fault line runs through the vast city of Los Angeles, those who live in the area are justly concerned about the coming of the “big one”—an earthquake above 7.0. When it comes to apocalyptic issues described in the book of Revelation, the “big one” is definitely 666 and the Mark of the Beast. If this subject could be measured by a Richter scale capable of weighing spiritual significance, its magnitude would be well above 1,000. The consequences of receiving 666 and the mark are truly catastrophic. Those who get it will experience the wrath of God and lose their souls (Revelation 14:9-11). Therefore nothing could be more serious.

The eighth book in the Left Behind drama, The Mark—The Beast Rules the World, continues the developing saga of the “Tribulation Force” against the beast after the Rapture. At the height of his sinister reign over mankind, Antichrist Nicolae Carpathia unveils his secret weapon to gain full control of the world—a highly sophisticated “miniature biochip” to be inserted under the skin of people’s foreheads and hands “as painlessly as a vaccination in a matter of seconds” (p. 86). “The visible evidence of loyalty to the potentate,” this techno-mark also “serves as a method of payment and receipting for buying and selling. Eye-level scanners will allow customers and merchants to merely pass by and be billed or receipted” (pp. 86, 87). This forces Rayford Steele, Buck Williams, and the rest of the Tribulation Force to make a final decision: either submit fully to the Antichrist or expose themselves as Christians. For all who refuse to follow Carpathia, “loyalty enforcement facilitators await with sharpened guillotines” (p. 170).

This incredible scenario reveals what most prophecy-minded Christians today imagine when it comes to 666 and the Mark of the Beast. They know it will come from the devil, will be enforced by the Antichrist, will be used to control buying and selling, and they assume it will be centered around some sort of high-tech computer technology. And as we have already seen, the majority also believe it will come after the Rapture. Beyond this, there seems little else to know. Or is there? In this book we have challenged the accuracy of Left Behind when it comes to the beast, the image, and the timing of the Rapture. If this blockbuster best-selling series is off track in these key areas, what about its basic theology regarding the Mark of the Beast itself? Is it trustworthy? When it comes to the mark, could Left Behind be once again sincerely and yet mistakenly out in left field?

“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” (Revelation 13:16). Here the Bible says a mark will be received in the hand or in the forehead. Yet the Bible does not specifically say it will be a “miniature biochip,” or even that it will involve technology at all. These modern words, “computer,” “biochip,” “technology,” “bar code,” and “scanner,” do not appear in Revelation. People just assume it will happen this way. It’s a little bit like the Catholic doctrine of the assumption of the Virgin Mary established in 1950. Because Pope Pius XII proclaimed the assumption to be true, many Catholics now believe Mary was “assumed” or taken to heaven without dying at the end of her earthly life. Yet this is really just a huge “assumption” not supported by the Bible!

Likewise with 666 and the Mark of the Beast. Christians assume the mark will involve computer technology developed by a Microsoft or an Intel, yet the Bible itself does not specifically say this. I call this the “Great Mark of the Beast Microchip Assumption.”

The Bible specifically does say, “He deceived them that had received the mark of the beast” (Revelation 19:20). Notice carefully. Those who receive the mark are deceived. Therefore the 666 and the Mark of the Beast must involve some sort of subtle deception. That is, it must not be too obvious or easily noticed. If it were, how could almost the entire world be mislead? Jesus warned us that Satan’s deceptions are so tricky they can “‘deceive, if possible, even the elect’ ” (Matthew 24:24, NKJV).

It seems to me that the Left Behind scenario portrays the mass of humankind as altogether too gullible. Think about it. How deceptive would it be for someone like Nicolae Carpathia to command everyone to accept a computerized biochip in their foreheads or in their hands? Honestly, let’s get away from fiction and talk about real people. How many real people do you know who would accept big government implanting biochip technology inside their heads? The idea becomes slightly more believable if one imagines a world in which millions of people have just vanished. But what if people don’t vanish? What if we are dealing with this world—the real world and real people? Even more than this, what if we are talking about you and me facing 666 and the Mark of the Beast? How deceptive would that be to us? How could this “deceive, if possible, even the elect”?

When we look carefully at Revelation, we discover that the Mark of the Beast is not the only thing placed in people’s foreheads. Amazingly, the forehead is mentioned many times apart from the mark. The first time the mark is mentioned is in Revelation 13:16. Three verses later John saw a group called the 144,000 with the “Father’s name written in their foreheads” (Revelation 14:1). This solitary sentence flashes new light on this whole topic. One group gets the Mark of the Beast while the other group has the name of God in their foreheads. Referring to the saved, the very last chapter of the Bible says, “They shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads” (Revelation 22:4). Therefore, both saints and sinners will all one day have something in their foreheads. Does this mean God’s people will walk around with actual, visible letters written on their foreheads?

John also saw an evil scarlet woman riding a beast. “And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS” (Revelation 17:5). No one doubts this is a symbolic prophecy. There will be no real prostitute riding a beast. Therefore, the writing of that mysterious name upon her forehead must also be symbolic. Are the scales beginning to fall from your eyes? The real issues are more than skin deep.

This idea about the forehead or the hand is not unique to Revelation. Moses told the Israelites, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. . . . Thou shalt bind them for a sign on thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes” (Deuteronomy 6:6, 8). Again Moses said, “Therefore shall ye lay up these mine words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes” (Deuteronomy 11:18). What did God intend the Israelites to learn from this? Did the Lord want them to take a fine-point pen and write a whole lot of words on the tiny bit of skin between their eyes above their noses? How could their faces contain the entire book of Deuteronomy? It has thirty-four chapters!

With a little bit of reflection we should be able to understand what this idea of the forehead and hand is really all about. Anciently, God wanted His words on the foreheads of the Israelites. This must mean He wanted them inside of their minds. What about His words on their hands? This must apply to their actions. So, the forehead represents the mind, and the hand represents the actions. That’s simple enough. Therefore, what the book of Revelation is really saying when it speaks of a mark in the forehead or in the hand is that one day the masses of humanity will fully yield their minds and their actions to some specific idea, or tradition, or “mark” that comes from the beast. They will be marked in their minds. Yet God’s true people will see through this deception. Why? Because they have the name of God in their foreheads.

What is the name of God? Is it only a specific set of syllables God would like us to use when we address Him, or does this issue involve more than mere pronunciation? When Moses ascended Mount Sinai, “The LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD” (Exodus 34:5). Then God described His character. He revealed Himself as merciful, gracious, patient, forgiving, just, and full of truth (Exodus 34:6, 7). These wonderful attributes are referred to as “the name of the LORD.” At the end of His earthly life, in a prayer to His Father, our Saviour said, “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world” (John 17:6). Jesus didn’t say this simply because He had been pronouncing certain syllables correctly, but because His life revealed the true character of God. So when the Bible says people will have the name of God on their foreheads, this means that His gracious attributes of character have become a deep part of their thinking and actions. They are truly connected with Jesus Christ. In the final days, God will have a people who are so firmly rooted in Jesus and in His attributes of character that they will not be deceived or go along with 666 and the Mark of the Beast. Thus, we are dealing with deep spiritual issues.

The mark is mentioned eight times in Revelation (13:16, 17; 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16: 2; 19:20; 20:4), but there is only one unique section that specifically and comprehensively clarifies the issues and warns the entire world against receiving this evil mark. It is the three angels’ messages found in Revelation 14:6-12. Sadly, most Christians have never even heard of these messages, yet they are of cosmic significance. They are just as important as the message of Noah before the Flood. Why? Because they contain Heaven’s last call before the return of Jesus Christ (Revelation 14:14-16).

John saw the first “angel flying in the midst of heaven,” followed by “another angel,” and then by a “third angel” (Revelation 14:6, 8, 9). All three of these angels have tremendous things to say “to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6, NKJV). This does not mean that literal angels will appear in the sky flying over Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo, Paris, London, and Moscow. As with many other things in Revelation, these angels are symbolic. They represent a final group of Christians who proclaim God’s last message to the whole world from the pulpit, on the radio, on television, in print, and via satellite. Instead of the fictitious “Tribulation Force,” we might call them God’s real “Three Angels’ Messages Force.” They expose the real Antichrist, counteract the tidal wave of Jesuit futurism, and teach the actual truth about Satan’s evil mark.

Here’s a quick overview of these mighty messages. The first angel proclaims the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ, the hour of judgment, and the importance of worshiping the Creator of heaven and earth (Revelation 14:6, 7). The second angel announces the fall of the Babylonian harlot, which has made the whole earth drunk with her confusing wine of deception (Revelation 14:8). The third angel solemnly warns about the beast, the image, and the deadly mark, stating that those who receive the mark will drink the wine of the wrath of God (Revelation 14:10, 11). The third angel concludes with these highly significant words, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12). As soon as God’s real “Three Angels’ Messages Force” has completed its heavenly assignment, there follows a power-packed description of the return of Jesus Christ on a white cloud to reap the final harvest of the earth (Revelation 14:14-16).

Let’s unpack these mighty issues, beginning with the all-important topic of worshiping the Creator. The first angel says with a loud voice, “Worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters” (Revelation 14:7). Then the third angel thunders, “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God” (Revelation 14:9, 10). Here people are given the ultimate choice: Either worship the Creator or worship the beast and receive his mark. Thus, the issue of worshiping the Creator is central to avoiding the mark.

The next mighty issue is one few people are aware of. Most best-selling prophecy books and blockbuster Tribulation movies skip right over it. Those who believe the mark is a biochip developed by some high-tech firm like Microsoft or Intel usually miss it entirely. As we have already seen, immediately after the third angel warns humankind about receiving the mark, the very next sentence says, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12). Here one group receives the mark, while the other group “keeps the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Thus, the issue of keeping the commandments of God is also central to avoiding the mark. In a little while we will place this hidden issue fully under the microscope.

Have you heard of a brand of toothpaste called “Close-Up”? It is designed to make one’s breath smell sweet. When we take a “Close-Up” look at the three angels’ messages, we discover that the sweetest part of all has to do with a Person, the person of Jesus Christ. The first angel announces to the world “the everlasting gospel” (Revelation 14:6), which literally means the good news of Jesus Christ. The third angel speaks of “the Lamb” in contrast with the beast (Revelation 14:9, 10), which is another reference to Jesus Christ, pointing to His unfathomable love and sacrifice on the cross. And the very last word of the third angel’s message is “Jesus” (Revelation 14:12). Thus, we discover a laser-like focus on “the gospel,” the “Lamb,” and on “Jesus” Himself. To summarize thus far: Those who believe in Jesus Christ, accept the gospel, follow the Lamb, worship the Creator, and keep the commandments of God—these will not worship the beast and receive his mark. Like the unparalleled majesty of Mount Everest, these mighty issues regarding 666 and the Mark of the Beast are now rising up before our very eyes.

Jesus Christ is center stage, and so is the worship of the Creator. Once again, let’s take a closer look. The first angel says, “Worship him that made heaven, and earth” (Revelation 14:7), but who is the Maker of heaven and earth? What does the New Testament really say? Speaking of Jesus Christ, the Bible says, “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not” (John 1:10). Do you see it? John is saying that the One who was in the world is also the very One who made the world. Those in John’s time didn’t understand this, and neither do most people today. Yet the Bible is telling us that Jesus Christ is not only our Saviour, but He is also the Maker of planet Earth. That humble Man who walked our dusty roads, who ate our food, who slept outside under our stars, and who spoke words of love to those who were just plain stressed out, is actually the great Creator of all life.

Jesus Christ is “The Word.” We know this because John wrote, “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). These words reveal that Jesus did not begin His life in a manger, but that He existed long before He became a tiny baby inside of Mary. Speaking of the One to be born in Bethlehem, an ancient prophet wrote, “Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2). Thus, the Baby of Bethlehem is an eternal Being who existed long before the time of Joseph, Herod, and the wise men.

The very first words in the book of John reveal, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:1-3). Once again the wonderful and beautiful truth is established that Jesus is the Maker of everything. Nothing exists apart from Him. He made Adam and Eve, the mountains and the trees, the sun, moon and stars, all of the animals, every shiny fish, and your favourite pet.

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16, 17). Let this thought both amaze and subdue us; the Eternal One who made this earth is the very One who died almost naked on a splintered cross in the Middle East. “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14). When we fully yield to God’s love, say “Goodbye” to every sin, stop trusting in ourselves, and start really believing in Jesus Christ, our merciful heavenly Father will forgive us, and grant us the free gift of eternal life (see Ephesians 2:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Acts 20:21; and 1 John 1:9). This good news is called “the everlasting gospel” in the first angel’s message.

Therefore, when the first angel tells everyone to “worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters” (Revelation 14:7), this is a special end-time call to worship Jesus Christ, not only as Saviour, but also specifically as the Maker of all life. And amazingly, this very issue is closely tied in with 666 and the Mark of the Beast, for we have already discovered that those who worship the Creator are placed in contrast with those who worship the beast and receive his mark. Yet what exactly is 666 and the Mark of the Beast? Is it possible to know for sure without indulging in wild-eyed speculation? I believe it is. We still have a few more pieces to put together in this awesome prophetic puzzle, yet when we are finished, it will become extremely clear what 666 and the Mark of the Beast is. In fact, there will be no mistaking it.

In some Hollywood action movies, a high-impact “red button” is finally pushed inside some technological control center. In a symbolic sense, it’s time for us to push a “red button” of deep prophetic insight. Here goes. The deadly mark is the Mark of the Beast; it’s a mark that comes from the beast itself. John saw those who gained “the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark” (Revelation 15:2). Logic tells us that in order to understand “his mark,” we must correctly interpret who “he” is. Who is this beast? Some think the beast is a huge computer in Belgium. The Left Behind novels portray the beast as a super-powerful, devil-indwelt Romanian who gains control of the world after the Rapture. Yet what have we learned in this book? Who did Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, the translators of the King James Bible, Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Spurgeon, and countless other historic Protestants think the beast was? What power arose out of the Roman Empire, has spoken great words against God, has made war on the saints, has received a deadly wound which is now healing, and has fulfilled every point of this prophecy? Now you know the answer. It is the Roman Catholic Church. And the mark is “his mark.” Therefore the Mark of the Beast must be something that comes from the Roman Catholic Church itself.

Not long ago someone handed me a copy of a very old Bible from the 1800s that had belonged to a Presbyterian lay pastor. Certain texts throughout this Bible contain footnotes reflecting the beliefs of Christians in the nineteenth century. I quickly turned to Revelation 13:16 about the Mark of the Beast, and I discovered footnotes that would probably not appear in a Scofield Reference Bible. I was stunned when I read: “Ver. 16. A mark. Submission to the rites and ceremonies of the papal communion. In their right hand. By active obedience to the papal power. Or in their foreheads. By outward profession of its doctrines and infallible authority” (The New Testament: With Commentaries, References, Harmony of the Gospels and the Helps Needed to Understand and Teach the Text. 1895. New York and St. Louis. N.D. Thompson Pub. Co., p. 530). When those words were written, Bill Gates wasn’t born yet, nor was there a company called Microsoft. In the footnotes of that Bible, when it came to 666 and the Mark of the Beast, computer technology was a non-issue. What mattered was submission or resistance to the Roman Catholic Church!

The third angel’s message is now crying out with a loud voice to everyone, “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God” (Revelation 14:9, 10). Now think about it. Would Jesus tell us in Revelation, “The mark is coming, so watch out. It will be tricky, almost deceiving the very elect. I love you, and died for you, yet I can’t tell you exactly what this mysterious mark is. If you get it, you’ll be lost. You’re on your own.” Does this sound logical? Would Jesus show and not tell? Why would God send a message to the whole world about the mark, and then keep its identity a secret? How could such a message be given with a loud voice? Imagine Noah preaching, “Quick! Get into the ark, because the Flood is coming! That is, I’m pretty sure, although I‘m not entirely positive.” Impossible! It is the same with the third angel’s message. Again, think about it. Can we know for sure who the beast is? Yes. Therefore, we must be able to find out from the Bible itself exactly what the mark is. Logic, reason, and the integrity of God’s loving character require this.

We are about to make another amazing discovery. Remember those X-ray eyeglasses I talked about in chapter 3 of this book? Well, there is a certain X-ray text in the Bible that will, if we let it, supernaturally enable us to see exactly what 666 and the Mark of the Beast is. I also call it our golden clue. We can find it by carefully comparing Revelation 13 with its Old Testament counterpart, Daniel 7. These two chapters fit together like a key fits into a lock. The connections are easily seen. Both chapters talk about beasts from the sea, a lion, a bear, a leopard, a dragon, ten horns, a mouth speaking great things, war on the saints, and a specific time period of three and a half years or forty-two months. Interpretations may vary, but almost all Protestant, Catholic, and Evangelical scholars, including the authors of Left Behind, agree that the little horn of Daniel 7 and the first beast of Revelation 13 refer to the same thing—the Antichrist. Yet there is something many people have missed that is right there in God’s Word. And not only does it tie in with 666 and the Mark of the Beast but, it is a golden clue as to what the mark really is.

The very first time 666 and the Mark of the Beast is mentioned in the Bible is near the end of Revelation 13. Now, if other aspects of the beast in Revelation 13 find such a perfect parallel in the little horn of Daniel 7, then what about the mark? Could there be something near the end of Daniel 7 that parallels the mark near the end of Revelation 13? Yes, there is. It is in verse 25. Daniel 7:25 says the little horn will speak great words against God, and this idea is also found in Revelation 13:5. Daniel 7:25 says he will wear out, or make war, on the saints, and this idea is also found in Revelation 13:7. Daniel 7:25 says the horn will rule for three and a half years, and this point is also restated in Revelation 13:5. Thus, every point of Daniel 7:25 finds a perfect parallel in Revelation 13. Yet there is one point in Daniel 7:25 we have not yet touched upon. Most people miss it, few ever explain it, yet there it is. It is our golden clue. You may not believe this, but the final destiny of the world is connected with it.

Microsoft and the Mark of the Beast - Page two

By Steve Wohlberg

Taken from Chapter 8 of his eye-opening book, Truth Left Behind.

Are you ready? Here it is. The little horn will also “think to change times and laws” (Daniel 7:25). What does this mysterious sentence mean? Most have no idea. Notice that little word “change.” The horn will “change” something, then the beast will enforce his mark. Could this change, whatever it is, be connected with the mark? Let’s think about it. Can a change be a mark? Has anyone ever entered your life and changed you so deeply that it can truly be said, “He left his mark?” Imagine a man losing his temper and punching another man in the eye. What would show up around that eye the next day? A mark. What if a vandal entered your home and hit your computer screen with a hammer, changing its surface? The next day, as you surveyed your shattered monitor, you could plainly see where that man had left his terrible mark.

Yet what exactly will the little horn think to change? He shall “think to change times and laws” (Daniel 7:25). Because the Antichrist comes during New Testament times, it is evident that some of God’s “laws” must still exist this side of the Cross. When Jesus died, He put an end to the sacrificial laws of the Old Testament, which pointed forward to His death, and this is why we no longer sacrifice lambs. Those laws are gone. Yet what about the Ten Commandments? Do they still apply to us?

Let’s have a brief Bible study on law and grace. An essential part of “the everlasting gospel” of the first angel’s message is the truth that Christians are “justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28, NKJV). Paul wrote: “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9). This mighty New Testament truth became one of the battle cries of the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther boldly taught that a person is saved through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, rather than through pilgrimages, idol worship, prayers to Mary, confessions to a priest, or any other human work. Renouncing self and all self-merits, we are to trust completely in the merits and worthiness of Jesus alone. Yet the Roman Church could not accept this. This led to the great divorce.

The Bible urges us to “Behold the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The more we discover who Jesus Christ is, how much He loves us, and how He died on a cruel cross for all of our sins, the more we are drawn to God. We see Him in His true character of love and friendliness. “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). The Bible teaches, “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Jesus said, “This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). Through repentance and faith in the dripping blood of the Lamb, we are forgiven and accepted by God just as if we had never sinned. “All that believe are justified” (Acts 13:39). This is what the Bible calls, “good news.” Jesus has already died for us, paid for our sins, and His free salvation is now offered to us all.

This good news is also powerful news to transform our lives. When a person surrenders fully to Jesus Christ, he is born again. The Holy Spirit enters the life and changes the heart. Peter said, “Ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). Believers receive a divine power that begins to work on the inside. Then how should a Christian, saved by grace, relate to God’s law? After describing salvation by grace apart from works in Ephesians 2:8, 9, the same Paul wrote in the same book, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise” (Ephesians 6:1, 2). “Honor thy father and thy mother” is the fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12). In the same book, Paul also wrote, “Let him that stole steal no more” (Ephesians 4:28). “Thou shalt not steal” is the eighth commandment (Exodus 20:15).

James also wrote, “He that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now, if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law” (James 2:11). Here, James tells Christians to keep the sixth and seventh commandments. Jesus Himself said, “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marries another, committeth adultery” (Luke 16:17, 18). Thus, Jesus upheld the seventh commandment. Near the end of His earthly life, in touching tones of love, Jesus Christ appealed to His followers, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). These words are actually a quote from the second commandment, which states, “Shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:6). Thus, the New Testament is very clear—Christians who are saved by grace should also love Jesus Christ and keep the Ten Commandments, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Who can truly disagree with that?

What does all of this have to do with 666 and the Mark of the Beast? You are about to find out. First, let me summarize some major points. Just as there are Ten Commandments, even so there are ten fundamental facts in our Bibles about the Mark of the Beast. These facts do not represent Left Behind fiction, but real truths found in God’s Word:

1. The Mark of the Beast is deceptive, not obvious (Revelation 19:20).

2. The mark will be received on the forehead, which represents the mind, or on the hand, which represents the actions (Revelation 14:9; Deuteronomy 11:18).

3. The three angels reveal a comprehensive message from God before the second coming of Jesus Christ to all the world to help people understand the mark (Revelation 14:6-16).

4. Those who worship Jesus Christ as Creator will not get the mark (Revelation 14:7, 9-11).

5. Those who keep the Ten Commandments will not get the mark (Revelation 14:9, 12).

6. The mark comes from the beast, which represents the Roman Catholic Church.

7. The warning against the mark will be given with a loud voice, thus it must be clear and easy to understand (Revelation 14:9).

8. The mark involves a special sin against God Himself, for those who receive it will drink the wine of His wrath (Revelation 14:9, 10).

9. The mark has something to do with the changing of God’s law (compare Daniel 7:25 with Revelation 13:16).

10. The Mark of the Beast has something to do with the changing of the times and laws of God (Daniel 7:25).

Let’s take a look again at our little-known, golden-clue text, He shall “think to change times and laws” (Daniel 7:25). Now notice that word, “times.” We know the word “laws” has to do with the Ten Commandments, which continue after the Cross. But what about “times”? OK, here we go. We are almost at the bottom line. You are about to discover something you will hardly believe. It’s a truth so shocking it can hardly be written. It shatters all false interpretations, which may sincerely, yet deceptively, hide the real issues. If you pray and humbly study this out, you will know for sure it’s true. Are you ready? There is only one of the Ten Commandments that has to do with “time.” There is only one that has to do with the Creator of heaven and earth. And this single, solitary commandment is the only one of the Ten Commandments that the Roman Catholic Church specifically says it has changed. It is the commandment that says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8)—the commandment that points to Jesus Christ as the Maker of all life.

Before we go any further, I want to share with you a very important thought. The Bible says, “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (Daniel 12:4). This verse tells us that in the final times, God will be giving new light to His people. This especially applies to an increase of knowledge of the book of Daniel, which includes our golden-clue text: He shall “think to change times and laws” (Daniel 7:25). In the final days, God will help His people understand what this changing of “times” is really all about. This doesn’t mean that previous generations of godly Christians who never had this special end-time light are lost. Nor does it mean that believers today who haven’t yet grasped it are doomed. But it does mean that God has new light for this final generation. Thus, we need a certain openness of mind to learn something new. Someone once said, “The purpose of an open mind is to close it on the truth.” So let’s be open, testing everything by Scripture.

God Almighty did not write the ten suggestions, but the Ten Commandments. The fourth says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, . . . For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8-11).

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Where do we remember? In our foreheads. “Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work.” With what do we work? With our hands. Thus, the Sabbath commandment deals with both the forehead and the hand. The “seventh day” is specified as “the Sabbath of the Lord.” It is not the Sabbath of the Jews, but of the Lord. “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day.” These words are directly quoted in the first angel’s message (see Revelation 14:7). And who is this “Lord” that “made heaven and earth”? As we have already seen, according to the New Testament, it is Jesus Christ. Thus, the Sabbath commandment, in a unique and special sense, reveals Jesus Christ as Lord and as the Maker of all life.

A well-known Roman Catholic catechism declares:

Q. Which is the Sabbath day? A. Saturday is the Sabbath day. Q. Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday (The Converts Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, by Peter Geiermann, 1946, p. 50).

The Catholic Church for over one thousand years before the existence of a Protestant, by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday (The Christian Sabbath, p. 29. Printed by The Catholic Mirror, the official organ of Cardinal Gibbons, Baltimore, Md., 1893).

The Pope is of so great authority and power that he can modify, change, or interpret even divine laws (Farraris’s Ecclesiastical Dictionary. Article, “The Pope”).

Of course the change [from Sabbath to Sunday] was her act . . . and the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters (Signed by H. F. Thomas, Chancellor for Cardinal Gibbons, in a letter dated, Nov. 11, 1895).

Thus, the Catholic Church claims the pope has power to change God’s law, just as Daniel 7:25 says. This church claims to have changed the Sabbath into Sunday, which is a changing of “times,” just as Daniel 7:25 says will occur. And papal Rome also calls this change a “mark” of her authority, which makes this a perfect fit with Revelation 13!

This issue of Sabbath or Sunday is now the hottest, most intense, and most explosive issue facing the Christian world. An entire book could be written on this subject alone. It is outside the scope of Truth Left Behind to deal with every single argument for or against Sabbath keeping, yet we will address the major issues. Let’s start by looking at ten key Sunday facts found in the New Testament:

Microsoft and the Mark of the Beast - Page three

By Steve Wohlberg

Taken from Chapter 8 of his eye-opening book, Truth Left Behind.

1. Jesus Christ rose on Sunday, “the first day of the week” (Mark 16:9).

2. The New Testament refers to “the first day of the week” eight times (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1, 9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1, 19; 1 Corinthians 16:1; Acts 20:7).

3. Five of these references are about the Resurrection (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1, 9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1).

4. One Sunday text refers to a fearful gathering of the disciples on that day before they knew Jesus was alive (John 20:19).

5. One Sunday text refers to a special collection of money on that day in the city of Corinth for a group of poor believers in Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 16:1-3; Romans 15:25, 26).

6. And one Sunday text refers to a solitary instance in Troas where believers gathered late one Saturday night as a farewell to Paul (Acts 20:6-13).

7. None of these references even remotely suggest that Sunday is now holy or that it has been set aside in honour of the Resurrection.

8. Jesus Christ never said a word about Sunday in any of His teachings.

9. Jesus Christ gave His church authority to teach only what He taught (Matthew 28:19), which forbids any emphasis on Sunday keeping.

10. The New Testament is as silent as a cemetery about any change from Sabbath to Sunday.

By way of contrast, here are ten key Sabbath facts found in your own Bible:

1. Jesus Christ kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16).

2. Jesus taught much about the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-14).

3. Jesus said He is “Lord of the Sabbath,” thus revealing that it is His own special day in honour of the fact that He is the Creator of all life (Mark 2:28; Matthew 12:8).

4. Jesus often healed people on the Sabbath, revealing His love and power (Matthew 12:9-13).

5. Jesus freed the Sabbath from the burdensome traditions of the Pharisees (Luke 13:10-17).

6. The Sabbath was kept by Christ’s disciples after the Cross (Luke 23:46, 54-56).

7. The Sabbath was kept in the book of Acts by both Jews and Gentiles (Acts 13:42-44; 16:13; 17:1-4; 18:4).

8. The entire book of Revelation was given on the Lord’s,” day which is the Sabbath day (Revelation 1:10; Exodus 20:10; Isaiah 58:13; Matthew 12:8).

9. The Sabbath is not just for Jews, but is also for Gentiles (Isaiah 56:1-8).

10. The Sabbath will be kept in the new earth by all the saved (Isaiah 66:22, 23).

In the next few paragraphs I am going to get very specific about certain arguments which I have heard against this “new light” about keeping the Sabbath. Some of this may seem a bit technical, yet it is necessary to cover this subject thoroughly. As I go through these arguments, it is not my purpose to attack other Christians. Yet in the interest of truth, we must carefully study the Word of God. We need to look at this topic from every possible angle.

I have spoken about this hot subject in cities across America, and in my many discussions with Christians, I have discovered that, just as there was a Roman Catholic counter Reformation, so there are two major counter texts now being used against Sabbath keeping. The first is Romans 14:5, 6 where Paul talks about eating or not eating certain things, and esteeming or not esteeming certain days. Many people apply this to the Sabbath, but this is a mistake. When we carefully compare Romans 14 with 1 Corinthians 8, we learn that Paul was referring to eating or not eating food sacrificed to idols on certain pagan feast days. He may also have been thinking about certain Jewish feasts or fast days (see Luke 18:12). The very first verse of Romans 14 tells us that this chapter is dealing with “doubtful disputations” (KJV) or “disputes over doubtful things” (NKJV). Thus, Romans 14 is not a discussion of the Ten Commandments, which are not “doubtful,” but exceedingly clear, “written with the finger of God” (Exodus 31:18). In any case, Romans 14 says nothing about the Sabbath.

The second major counter text now being used against the Sabbath is Colossians 2:16. But when we look at its context, we discover something that is often overlooked. Jesus Christ, “blott[ed] out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us . . . nailing it to his cross” (2:14). The “handwriting of ordinances” was not the Ten Commandments, which were not written by any human hand, but with the finger of God (Exodus 31:18). It was the ceremonial law that was written with the hand of Moses (Deuteronomy 31:24-26). It was this “handwriting of ordinances” that was nailed to the cross. Paul continued, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come” (Colossians 2:16, 17). People sometimes apply those “sabbath days” in verse 16 to the Creation Sabbath of the Ten Commandments, yet again this is a mistake. Paul is referring to the meat offerings, drink offerings, and the yearly sabbaths of the ceremonial law (Leviticus 23:24, 27, 32, 37-39), not the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. The yearly ceremonial sabbaths (Passover, Day of Atonement, etc.) were shadows pointing forward to Jesus Christ (see Hebrews 10:1). The Creation Sabbath is not a shadow, for it points back to the beginning of the world (Exodus 20:11)! Along with the other nine commandments, it was definitely not nailed to the cross (Revelation 11:19; 12:17; 14:12).

Some say, “We keep Sunday because we are under the new covenant.” Yet it is impossible for Sunday to be part of the new covenant because Sunday came after Jesus Christ died! Yet it was His death that “confirmed” the covenant. Paul said that after a covenant is confirmed by death, “no man disannulleth or addeth thereto” (Galatians 3:15). Some say, “Sabbath keeping is legalism,” yet they would not say this about such commands as “honor your father and mother” or “Do not commit adultery” or “Do not steal.” So why make that charge against Sabbath keeping? Besides, this is the only commandment of the ten in which God specifically said, “Remember”! Should we forget the only one God said not to? Some are too willing to abolish the whole ten-commandment law just to get around the fourth one. Yet this is very strange, especially at a time when Christians everywhere would like to see the Ten Commandments hanging once again on the walls of our public schools!

Others say, “If Christians are supposed to keep the Sabbath, why are all of the other Ten Commandments carried over into the New Testament, except the fourth?” Yet the fourth is in the New Testament! The Bible says that after Jesus died, His followers “rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment” (Luke 23:56). There it is. The “commandment” was still there after the Cross, and Luke wrote this about twenty-eight years after the Resurrection!

Still others object, “But we are not under the law; we are under grace!” quoting Romans 6:14. This is true, yet people fail to read the very next verse. Paul continued: “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid” (6:15)! What is sin? “Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). Simply put the pieces together. Even though we are under grace, this does not mean we are free to break any one of the Ten Commandments. If we may disregard the fourth commandment, why can we not also disregard the other nine?

The most common argument is, “We keep Sunday in honour of the Resurrection.” But the Bible nowhere supports this. The truth is, baptism commemorates the death, burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:4). Besides, how could the Resurrection change one of the Ten Commandments? Shall we use the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Sunday as a reason to break the law of God, which says, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8)? Paul asked, “Is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid” (Galatians 2:17). It’s true that Paul taught that we are not saved or justified by the law, but by the grace of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:28). This is a Protestant principle. But then Paul asked, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law” (Romans 3:31).

The Catholic Council of Trent said tradition is equal with Scripture. Yet Protestants responded, “No way! The Bible is above tradition!” This is another major Protestant principle. Dear friend, Sunday is only a tradition of men. Shall we follow the Bible or tradition?

Others ask, “Then why didn’t the Reformers keep the Sabbath?” The reason is simple. They were just coming out of the midnight blackness of the Dark Ages, and they could handle only so much light. Jesus said, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now” (John 16:12). Yet we live in the final days. The Bible says, “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (Daniel 12:4). Knowledge is increasing, and fuller light now shines. This especially applies to our golden-clue text: He shall “think to change times and laws” (Daniel 7:25). This is no minor matter, for we are talking about one of the Ten Commandments that the Almighty God wrote with His own all-powerful finger on two tables of stone (Exodus 31:18). Have you ever heard anyone say, “We can change this or that because it is not written in stone?” Friend, stone is stone, and rock is rock. There is simply no use in beating our heads against this truth. God’s law has not changed! Read Matthew 5:17-19.

Did you hear about the high-tech hackers who illegally emailed their way into Microsoft’s internal corporate network in November 2000? Microsoft’s public relations spinners insisted that the intruders viewed or altered any of Microsoft’s source code, yet Bill Gates was very concerned that his enemies “could have built secret ‘back doors’ into future programs, ensuring access to computers worldwide” (Newsweek, Nov. 6, 2000, p. 8). This was an attack on the source code of the world’s largest software maker. The Bible also describes an illegal attack upon the “source code” of the great King of the universe. The little horn has “[changed] times and laws” (Daniel 7:25). It has hacked its way into the very heart of the Ten Commandments, the foundation of God’s government in heaven and earth. It has altered the Bible Sabbath of Jesus Christ from Saturday to Sunday, and now it claims that Sunday is a mark of its authority as the true church. Thus, Rome admits what prophecy predicts. The pieces fit together too perfectly for us to doubt. According to the Bible and the Roman Church itself, Sunday is the Mark of the Beast.

Yet I want to clarify something of the utmost importance. No one has this mark right now. Most Christians have never really studied this subject before. There are true Christians in all churches, including the Roman Catholic Church. Yes, God has sincere people everywhere. Yet one of these days, according to the book of Revelation, this mark of Rome’s authority will be enforced by law around the world. Then, after people’s minds have been enlightened, the final time of choice will come.

The Bible says, “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: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark” (Revelation 13:16, 17). Thus, this mark of Rome’s authority is destined to be enforced by law. This may shock you, but Sunday laws have been enforced in various degrees for 1,800 years. The first Sunday law was enforced by the Roman emperor Constantine on March 7, 321 A.D. His famous edict declared, “On the venerable day of the sun [Sunday] let the magistrates and people residing in the cities rest, and let all workshops be closed” (Schaff’s translation, History of the Christian Church,  vol. iii, p. 75. See also the Code of Justinian, Book 3, Title 12, Law 3).

Why did Constantine pass this Sunday law? The reasons are both fascinating and relevant for us today. In the fourth century, the Roman Empire was disintegrating. Morality was at an all-time low. Yet religion was far from dead. Constantine himself was a dedicated sun-worshiper, as were the majority of his subjects. In fact, the very name “Sunday” stems from pagan sun worship. By this time, a growing number of Christians were following the Catholic Church’s example of giving up the Sabbath and keeping Sunday in honour of the Resurrection. Constantine had already seen the moral strength of Christianity as revealed in the courage of its martyrs, and this gave him an idea. He thought to himself, “Why not unite the Christians and the pagans together through their mutual respect for Sunday?” That’s why he passed his famous Sunday law hoping to bring unity into his empire, thus saving it from ruin. His plan failed, and Rome still went down.

Constantine’s Sunday law “was his mode of harmonizing the Christian and Pagan elements of the empire under one common institution” (A. P. Stanley, Lectures on the History of the Eastern Church, p. 227. 1861). But he went further than this. He not only claimed to become a Christian himself, but he also favoured the Roman Catholic Church. Through Constantine’s influence, the Catholic Church’s political power grew strong. A union between the Catholic Church and Constantine’s state developed. Yet Constantine really remained a pagan at heart. “His coins bore on the one side the letters of the name of Christ; on the other the figures of the Sun-god” (Ibid.) Thus, Constantine contributed to the uniting of the Roman Catholic Church with the Roman state and to the forming of the beast, and it happened through the enforcement of Sunday.

Microsoft and the Mark of the Beast - Page four

By Steve Wohlberg

Taken from Chapter 8 of his eye-opening book, Truth Left Behind.

After Constantine, the Roman Catholic Church continued to enforce the keeping of Sunday in Europe for over 1,000 years. Sunday laws were also enforced in England for centuries. Amazingly, this practice was continued in colonial America. I have in my library a book, Dateline Sunday, USA-The Story of Three and a Half Centuries of Sunday-law Battles in America, written by Attorney Warren L. Johns (1967). This book reveals that in spite of the desire of the early American Puritans to get away from everything Catholic, they still maintained the keeping of Sunday and even the enforcement of Sunday laws. In the 1600s, if you lived in Massachusetts, Virginia, or Connecticut, you were required by law to attend church on Sunday. Disobedience was punished by heavy fines, whipping, confinement in a cage, and in some cases, even by death. Thus, colonial Protestant America still followed the example of Constantine and the Catholic Church in the uniting of church and state, and in the enforcement of Sunday laws.

The American Revolution resulted in complete separation from England and in the forming of a new nation. The American Constitution and the Bill of Rights fully established the doctrine of religious freedom. The First Amendment now denies the right of government to enforce religion. The Statue of Liberty at the entrance to New York harbor remains a monument against Rome and against the history of religious persecution in Europe. In the United States, the state is separate from the church, and the church is separate from the state. Both have their place, and both are to remain free. Yet history reveals that Protestant America has never completely cut loose from the City of Seven Hills, from the Vatican itself.

On May 21, 1888, a New Hampshire Christian senator introduced the following bill into the fiftieth Congress, “Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that no person, or corporation, or the agent, servant, or the employee of any person or corporation, shall perform or authorize to be performed any secular work . . . on the first day of the week, commonly known as the Lord’s day” (The National Sunday Law, Arguments of Alonzo T. Jones before the United States Senate Committee on Education and Labor at Washington, D.C., December 13, 1888. 1889, p. v.). The purpose of this bill was to produce enforced Sunday keeping nationwide, and this proposed legislation had the support of Christian churches across America who were seeking to inject more religion into an increasingly secular society. Yet the Blair Sunday bill was finally ruled unconstitutional, and it died in committee.

That was over a hundred years ago. Yet the problem of immorality remains; in fact, it is getting worse. Every Christian knows society is in moral trouble, and we struggle for solutions. What does the future hold? Bible prophecy predicts that what happened in Europe leading to the forming of the beast will eventually happen in America leading to the image of the beast. In the fourth century, Rome was disintegrating. Constantine decided that the solution to the problem was to unite the government of Caesar with the Roman Catholic Church and to enforce the keeping of Sunday. Something similar will happen again. During a future crisis, in an hour of desperation, Protestant America will finally conclude that the only solution to the national emergency will be to unite the church with the federal government and to enforce the keeping of Sunday.

Pastor John Hagee, a much-respected Christian television evangelist, recently said, “I believe that in the next two years America will either return to God—or we will be a nation that goes beyond the brink and forever turns away from God. We are in that decision-making process now. It’s time we rise up and Take America Back!” (John Hagee Ministries, Ministry Resource Catalog. Fall issue, 1999-2000, back cover). Pastor Hagee is correct when he says America needs to come back to God, yet (and I trust he would agree) this must be done through the love of Jesus Christ without the use of force.

On May 31, 1998, Pope John Paul II issued a lengthy pastoral letter, Dies Domini (The Day of the Lord), which contained a passionate appeal for the revival of Sunday observance. The pope said the prevailing neglect of Sunday reflects a spiritual crisis inside the Catholic Church and within Christianity in general. Notice his words: “The Lord’s Day has structured the history of the Church through two thousand years: how could we think that it will not continue to shape the future?” Shockingly, the pope then urged world governments to enforce Sunday laws! “In the particular circumstances of our own time, Christians will naturally strive to ensure that civil legislation respects their duty to keep Sunday holy.” Such statements are right in line with this official Vatican position: “Christians should seek recognition of Sundays and the Church’s holy days as legal holidays” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, p. 528. 1994, italics supplied).

This view is shared by Pat Robertson, the founder of the Christian Coalition. In his best-selling book, The New World Order, Pat Robertson (like Pastor Hagee) correctly emphasizes the need for America to come back to God. His book envisions a time when this will occur. But he also writes: “The next obligation that a citizen of God’s world order owes is to himself. ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,’ is a command for the personal benefit of each citizen. . . . Only when people are permitted to rest from their labors, to meditate on God, to consider His way, to dream of a better world can there be progress and genuine human betterment. . . . Laws in America that mandated a day of rest from incessant commerce have been nullified as a violation of the separation of church and state” (Pat Robertson, The New World Order, p. 236. 1991).

Do you realize what you just read? Pat Robertson is envisioning an America that has returned to God. As part of this new world order, he also sees an America that is keeping the Sabbath, yet by the Sabbath, he really means Sunday. He then looks back to the days of colonial America when Sunday was enforced by law. He wants to see this again. He says what is stopping Sunday laws from being enforced is the separation of church and state, which, he has concluded, is really a doctrine of the liberal left. This is a mistake. The founding fathers separated government and religion as a reaction to the Church of Rome and in favour of inalienable rights. As we have already seen, the Catholic Church is against the separation of church and state and is in favour of Sunday laws. When Protestants attack the separation of church and state and at the same time seek for Sunday laws, “They know not what they do.” They are really lining up with the Roman Catholic Church and are preparing the way for the image of the beast and for the enforcement of his mark.

In the blazing light of Bible prophecy, these developments are more chilling than the scariest horror movie. I am not questioning anyone’s sincerity or deciding people’s destinies, yet the truth must be spoken. Truth Left Behind may never become as “wildly popular” as Left Behind, and it probably won’t receive a host of positive reviews from Christian leaders nationwide. Nor will its contents be viewed as altogether politically correct. But, like Martin Luther, I have my orders, and they come from above. How many people accepted the preaching of Noah? How many boarded the ark? I am writing this book because the Spirit of God is compelling me and because Christians must be warned. Lucifer himself is hiding underneath many of Christianity’s most popular trends. In fact, the enemy has recently spoke directly from heaven in support of Sunday observance. Have you heard of the apparitions of Mary? They are definitely increasing. We should have no doubt they really come from Satan. Notice these words from a Catholic author who has compiled an entire book about these appearances: “One evening our Lady appeared to a local farmer, Michael O’Donnel. She told him, ‘Preserve Sunday for prayer’ ” (The Thunder of Justice, by Ted and Maureen Flynn, MaxKol Communications, Inc., 1993, p. 30).

“Those who fail to learn the lessons of history are condemned to repeat its mistakes.” It already happened in Europe. The Roman Empire was falling apart, so Constantine decided to unite the government of Caesar with the Roman Catholic Church and to enforce the keeping of Sunday. This helped form the beast, and it will happen again in America. Our country is now sinking in the quicksand of sin, and immorality is raging out of control. Like the approaching footsteps of a midnight thief, the final crisis is coming. In a soon-coming dramatic hour of desperation, prophecy predicts America will reject over two hundred years of freedom. Sincere, and yet misguided Christians will take the reins of government. The appropriate separation of government and religion will disappear as Protestant America forms an image of the Roman Catholic Church. In a final attempt to bring America back to God, Sunday observance will once again be enforced by law. Yet this time, unlike the past, the enforcement will be universal. Protestants, Catholics, and even the apparitions of Mary, will all be united in this. The reasons will sound good; the movement will look Christian, and it will seem like our only hope. Yet deep in the midst of these turbulent waters will be Satan himself. He will have finally pulled off his ultimate masterpiece of delusion. He will have led Christians, in the name of the Lamb, to enforce the Mark of the Beast. Those who refuse to cooperate will not be able to buy or sell. And this is not an issue that some fictitious Tribulation Force will have to deal with. No. It will apply to you and me.

“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: 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” (Revelation 13:16, 17). Notice carefully that people will get either the mark, the name, or the number. This doesn’t mean the government will someday say, “Take your pick. Do you want the mark, the name, or the number?”—as is taught in The Mark—The Beast Rules The World (p. 86). Not a chance. We are dealing here with deep spiritual issues. Sunday is the “mark” of Rome’s authority. And just like “the name” of God refers to His character (Exodus 34:5-7), even so does “the name of the beast” refer to his character. The beast “thinks” it’s OK to change God’s law (Daniel 7:25). Those who think like this during the closing seconds of time will be sharing in the character of the beast. They will have his name on their foreheads, instead of the name of the heavenly Father (Revelation 14:1).

What about that mysterious “number of his name . . . 666” (Revelation 13:17, 18)? Consider this: What day was man created? On the sixth day. What day did God rest? On the seventh day (Genesis 1:26; 2:1-3). What number is God’s number all throughout Revelation? Seven! The book of Revelation talks about seven churches (1:20), seven lampstands (1:20), seven stars (1:20), seven seals (5:1), seven trumpets (8:2), and finally seven last plagues (15:1), which will be emptied on those who get the number 666! Revelation says that 666 is man’s number (Revelation 13:18), representing man trying to take the place of God. Seven is God’s number, representing complete submission to Jesus Christ, our Creator. In fact, Jesus is represented in Revelation as a Lamb with “seven horns and seven eyes” (5:6), therefore the number seven is also Jesus Christ’s special number. Those who keep the Sabbath reveal to the whole universe that they have entirely surrendered pride and self to the love of Jesus Christ, the Maker of all life, and to the full power of His Cross. By God’s grace, they overcome where Lucifer failed. This is the core issue.

When the Mark of the Beast is finally enforced by law around the world, the Good Shepherd will call His sheep. During that fateful crisis, there will be sincere Catholics and Protestants everywhere who have never understood the real issues. The Spirit of the Almighty will talk to their hearts. The three angels’ messages will be heard from the pulpit, in print, on the radio, on television, on the World Wide Web, and via satellite. People will have a chance to learn what is truth. Jesus Christ will be lifted up, His cross will be seen, and actual cause of His death will be more deeply understood by Christians. Why did Jesus die? The Bible says, “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3). What is sin? “Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). Simply put the pieces together. Jesus Christ died because human beings have broken the Ten Commandments, including the forgotten one, which says, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). Therefore our Jesus Christ, our Creator, also died because we broke His Sabbath!

During the crisis surrounding the Mark of the Beast, it will be understood that Jesus is the Saviour of the world and the Maker of all life. The Sabbath will be presented as a special day, which uniquely reveals Jesus Christ and His love for His own lost world. He is the Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). People will then be brought face to face with the core issue that will ultimately decide their destiny. Will they worship Jesus Christ, the Creator, and keep the commandments of God? Or will they worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark? Humanity will have reached its final crossroads. Heaven’s clock will have struck the midnight moment. The last hour of decision will have come. During those closing seconds, the seventh-day Sabbath will represent allegiance to Jesus Christ, the Maker of all life, while Sunday will represent allegiance to Rome.

Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). The heart of the issue is love for Jesus Christ. Out of sincere appreciation for His grace and for the magnitude of His sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, Christ’s true followers will fully take their stand on the Lord’s side, no matter what the cost. The three angels’ messages are clear: Those who accept the gospel, embrace the Lamb, worship the Creator, and keep the commandments, will not receive the Mark of the Beast. This is what the Bible says! The third angel describes God’s final apocalyptic people in this way: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12).

During planet Earth’s last crisis, when the Mark of the Beast is globally enforced by law, after a person truly sees the core issue and then chooses to believe in Rome’s Sunday instead of the Bible Sabbath of Jesus Christ—then and only then, will God Almighty look into the inner recesses of his or her mind, and consider that person to have the mark in the forehead. Those who don’t believe in Sunday keeping, yet who go along with it because of intense social and economic pressure to conform, will receive the mark in their right hand. Those who reject the use of force, who follow the Lamb, keeping the Sabbath no matter what the cost, will be revealing their supreme loyalty to the great Creator of heaven and earth. They have the name of God in their foreheads.

After everyone has made his final choice, the hinges of heaven’s door will close forever. Jesus Christ will then make this final, tremendous announcement: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:11, 12). A mysterious voice will thunder from the heavenly temple, commanding the seven angels: “Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. 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” (Revelation 16:1, 2). These seven last plagues will totally desolate planet Earth. But as the Lord protected the Israelites in Egypt during the falling of the ten plagues (Exodus 8:22, 23; 9:6, 26; 10:21-23), even so will he fully protect His trusting and obedient children who have His holy name in their foreheads.

“He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling” (Psalm 91:4-10).

At the conclusion of the seven last plagues, at the end of “the time of trouble such as never was,” God’s loyal people shall look up with wonder and see the coming of the King. “Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:30, 31). Contrary to the fictitious account of Left Behind, this is when the Rapture takes place!

Jesus Christ, the Babe of Bethlehem, the carpenter’s Son, the Good Shepherd, the Lamb of God, the King of kings, the Lord of the Sabbath, and the Maker of all life, the One who loves us and died for us, will soon return to take His children home. Oh friend, will we be “caught up” on that great day? Will we follow the Bible or tradition? True Protestantism or Jesuit futurism? The Creator or the beast? Will we be marked in our minds or will we have the name of God in our foreheads? The choice is up to us. It is up to you. “If any man have an ear, let him hear” (Revelation 13:9).