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Fred R. Coulter—April 20, 2002
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Greeting's, brethren! We're going to take a look at some prophecies. We're going to see that today's sermon is perhaps the most important information that we are going to receive in a long time. Let's look at some Scriptures and prophecies, and let's understand it the way that it was understood when the reformation was being formed.
The thing that is important is that in every age there is some truth in the interpretation of prophecy for that age.
Revelation 17:1: "And one of the seven angels who had the seven vials came and spoke with me, saying to me, 'Come here; I will show you the judgment of the great whore who sits upon many waters.'"
Verse 15: "…'The waters that you saw, where the whore sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.'"
Verse 2: "'With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.' Then he carried me away in the spirit to a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, full of names of blasphemy. And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and was adorned with gold and pearls and precious stones; and she had a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominations and the filthiness of her fornication; and across her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And after seeing her, I wondered with great amazement" (vs 2-6).
The reformers properly interpreted this as the Roman Catholic Church. Seeing what it said, and going by the principle you shall know them by their fruits, they properly labeled this as the church of the antichrist, and the pope as antichrist, which is absolutely true. It was true then and is true now.
However, they didn't equate the daughters—because she's "…THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS…"—with the rest of the religions of the world.
So, today, when we look at it, when we see "…MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT…" we see a greater fulfillment of that, a greater description of it. We're going to see it fulfilled in a greater way.
It's interesting here that the system in Rev. 17, the woman is riding the beast, and that fulfills—and properly shows—what the Roman Catholic Church did for a thousand years. They ruled with temporal power over all the kings of Europe, and every kingdom that they could rule over.
It's proper that the woman was riding the beast. However, when we come to Rev. 13, which is at the time of the end, we find that the roles are reversed.
Revelation 13:1: "And I stood on the sand of the sea; and I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns… [the same system being regenerated in a different way] …and on his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, and his feet like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power, and his throne and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it were slain to death, but his deadly wound was healed; and the whole earth was amazed and followed the beast. And they worshiped the dragon, who gave his authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, 'Who is like the beast? Who has the power to make war against him?'" (vs 1-4).
This is quite a thing! We have today the Harry Potter age, which is very important, and the Lord of the Rings age, where that everything now is moving toward and occult society and occultism worships Satan.
Years ago if you said to someone what they're doing is pagan, they would say, 'Oh! I don't want to do that.' Today, if you say it's pagan, they say, 'That's cool!' They want to do it, and they want to find out more about it. Now with a generation of young people who are going to be spoon-fed with Harry Potter, after all the cartoon at Disneyland and everything they've been nurtured on up to that point—which wholly witchcraft indeed—we will have a generation that will worship Satan the devil.
Let's continue on and see about this beast power, and let's see what happens.
Verse 5: "And a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies was given to him; and authority was given to him to continue for forty-two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. And he was given power to make war against the saints…" (vs 5-7). So, this is going to come at the end.
"…and to overcome them; and he was given authority over every tribe and language and nation" (v 7). That's coming! We already now have the institution of the International Criminal Court. We are going to see that in order to solve the problems of the world, the U.N. is going to be given greater and greater power. That's going to fulfill what this is.
Out of that system will come the 'man of sin, the son of perdition' (2-Thess. 2). He will go into the temple of God and he will say that he is God, and he will be worshipped at God.
Verse 8: "And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." The ones who have the Holy Spirit will be the only ones who will understand the times and what is happening. We have reached a point in prophecy that we can say is the beginning of the end.
Verse 9: "If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone gathers into captivity, he shall go into captivity. If anyone kills with the sword, he must be killed with the sword. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints" (vs 9-10). They do neither one of those!
Let's understand how they understood v 11 a the time of the reformation, and when Sabbath-keepers began to be prominent and how it was even understood up through the Church of God Seventh-Day and into the Radio Church of God and into the beginnings of the Worldwide Church of God.
There are certain things, that when you read it—if you have absolutely no knowledge or not even a hint of the technology that we know today—there is no way you can truly understand it. When people would ask questions about it, they would come up with an interpretation of it. However, the interpretation—though it did have semblance or ring of truth to it—it was not really a correct interpretation.
Verse 11: "And I saw another beast rising out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon." The two horns I think we can safely say—after seeing the world scene today—are two individuals called 'your holiness': the pope and the Dalai Lama. They are the ones who will work together and bring the 'religions' of the world together. They didn't know that back then.
Verse 12: "And he exercises all the authority of the first beast before him; and he causes the earth and those who dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed." This second beast endorses the first beast as God. They didn't understand it then. When they come down to what the mark of the beast is, they had a different interpretation for it.
Verse 13: "And he performs great wonders, so that he even causes fire to come down to the earth from heaven in the sight of men." That will be real fire, and it will be a real bona fide miracle designed to deceive. Jesus said they could deceive even the elect.
Verse 14: "And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by means of the wonders that were given to him to perform in the sight of the beast, saying to those who dwell on the earth that they should make an image for the beast, which had the wound by the sword, yet, was alive."
Note sermon: The Hour of Temptation Coming on the Whole Earth. I go through and explain that very thoroughly and explains Rev. 13:14 in greater detail.
Verse 15: "And he was given power to give life to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast also could speak; and he causes everyone who will not worship the image of the beast to be killed. And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, to receive a mark in their right hands, or in their foreheads so that no one may have the ability to buy and sell unless he has the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name" (vs 15-17).
Here's how they explained it, because it was true that the Catholic Church went against all of those who rebelled. They did kill a lot of Christians. Also, when it came time for Sabbath-keepers to interpret this, here's how they interpreted it: Since the sign of God is His Sabbath, therefore, this mark has got to be the sign of the Roman Catholic system being Sunday with all of its holidays. But that's not correct.
If you don't buy or sell on the Sabbath, because you keep the Sabbath, and if the world closes everything down on Sunday, you can buy and sell on Sunday. But you can buy and sell on Monday-Friday. That could not possibly be the correct interpretation. This could not be understood until this time in which we are living now. I've given many sermon on the mark of the beast and what's going to happen and how it's going to come and the things that will take place. Now we will see that the time is here.
Remember the story of Paul Revere: one if by land, two if by sea and then went on his horse and said, 'The British are coming! The British are coming!' We've said for years that the mark of the beast is coming! And now it is here!
Note sermon: Where Are We in Prophecy Today? I read something about a family in Florida who is going to have implant of the VeriChip, which is the sign of a grain of rice.
During the Reagan administration they wanted to have a national identity card. Someone in the council meeting—wherever it was—said, 'Let's tattoo everyone.' Ronald Reagan said, 'That's the mark of the beast.' So, that ended any national identity card.
Now with 9/11 everything has changed, and the psychology of the people had changed. The attitude of the public has changed, except those who really study their Bibles.
Big Brother Gets Under Your Skin with Microchip (2002)
The first microchip will be implanted in U.S. citizens. Where will it lead? VeriChip, a hotly debated implantable microchip is currently being reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration for use in humans as an implanted ID that would store medical and security information.
Note the word security!
It is initially touted as means of quickly providing critical medical information, especially in cases where the patient is unable to communicate. But civil libertarians have expressed concern that eventually such chips could contain all of a individual's private information, or it could be abused in a 'big brother' fashion.
Of course, that will never happen! You know the income tax was only going to be one percent and it would never rise more than that! Until they connived a war to raise it! By the way we still have it—don't we? And much more than during wartime!
Applied Digital Solutions (ADS) on Feb. 7, 2002, announced the formation of VeriChip Corp. as a new subsidiary.
Why would they start a new corporation? In case of lawsuits! Then Applied Digital Solutions can still continue to function.
On Dec. 19, 2001, ADS announced the VeriChip, an implantable device about the size of a grain of rice that could be used to store information about the person who carries the implant.
I might mention it says on the by line at the top, 'exclusive to American Free Press.' Well, the American Free Press was the successor to The Spotlight magazine that was exposing the bilderbergers, the trilateralists and the Federal Reserve and all their hanky-panky. So, it conveniently burned down! Now they resurrected it with American Free Press.
Miniaturized, implantable identification technology with multiple medical, security and emergency applications is the motto of VeriChip Corp.
The VeriChip stores six lines of text and admits 125 kilohertz radio signal…
which comes right from the body, it needs no battery!
…which can be picked up by a special scanner up to four feet away, whereby the stored information can be downloaded into a monitoring device.
ADS and VeriChip plan to market the chip in the United States as a medical device that would allow hospital workers to download medical information immediately when they are handling implanted patients.
Everything starts out with good!
VeriChip initially stated that the chip would be marketed solely as a voluntary implant for medical purposes. But recently has asked the government for permission to be "used for ID purposes in airports, nuclear plants and other high security facilities," reported CBN News.
So, it's already expanding! Just wait and see. We have another terrorist attack and they will be accepting this as security devises for security identification in these high risk places.
VeriChip is not the first of its kind. In 2000 ADS quietly introduced the angel technology…
I gave a sermon on that when that came out.
…the precursor of the VeriChip. Angel technology was an implantable chip much like VeriChip that could be used to track humans by global positioning satellite.
So, this tells you what they're going to do!
Angel technology was proposed in a two-step fashion. First as an external wristwatch receiver, and then as an implant. Angel's marketing also focused on its potential medical uses; for use on people with Alzhiemers and other mind-impairing diseases. But at that time there was little public support for such a device.
CEO Richard Sullivan…
That's an Irish name, I wonder if he's an Irish Catholic?
…remarked, "With the recent tragedy of Sept. 11, it is our duty to expedite the development process and offer Digital Angel, in it's current Beta form…
What is Beta form? The first development is Alpha form! Beta form is one that increased and miniaturized so it can have more information. The next one will be their Alpha Beta Gamma, and it will be their Gamma form. Then the fourth one will be the Delta form. That's interesting because Delta is a triangle in the Greek language.
…to the rescue of all agencies connected with national and personal safety and security.
See what that is doing? This means the FBI, the police, sheriff departments, fire departments; all of that would be brought into it.
Digital Angel has many applications that can be used during this national tragedy. Since the chip has been announced, it has sparked a great deal of debate in media provoking headlines like: "VeriChip likely to face privacy issue debate.
But of course!
Company wants to get under your skin with ID; and a Microchip makes its mark, VeriChip and the Beast.
You see, what the VeriChip Corp. and Applied Digital did when this first came out, they sent their representatives to the 700 Club and told Pat Robertson, "This is not the mark of the beast. Because the mark of the beast says that it's on your right hand or on your forehead, and this is in. So this couldn't be it."
The reason why the second beast, being the religious beast, must okay this is because there are billions of Bibles out there, and people can read them and people can read and understand what it says. If they say that this is okay, that this is not the mark of the beast, this is for security, for identification, and besides you won't have your identity stolen anymore. We will know who you are and you won't have to carry around all kinds of credit cards, IDs in your wallet, it will be in you.
Makes me wonder if they are going to approve implanting the prisoners down in Guantanamo Bay with the VeriChip so that they can keep track of them wherever these terrorists go, and not let them know that it's in there. You see, you can't even tell that it's there. They could give them a shot and put it right in them. So, we need to keep our eyes peeled!
Supporters say that VeriChip is an advancement of technology that will be used to store medical information and increase security. Many worry that such a device will take away from individual privacy they worry that the chip might be required or forced upon citizens.
Just like the income tax, it was voluntary. But if you don't pay your taxes, guess what? It's enforced! Same thing. Satan always says you get a benefit.
Christians have been reported to criticize VeriChip due to its likeness in the Bible's reference to the mark of the beast in the book of Revelation where it says:
Quoting from the NIV:
"He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands on their forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name" (Rev. 13:16-17).
Which is kind of an unusual translation.
Others are skeptical about the chip. A civilian family of three in Boca Raton, Florida, has already volunteered to be the first humans to be implanted with the microchip, though Dr. Richard Selig, medical advisor for ADS, had already given himself the implant in advance of FDA approval.
Isn't it interesting how many things have been enforced by a bureaucracy that have never been voted on in congress, never had the approval of the people, but because it is 'good for you we're going to do this.' That's what they've done with inoculations; that's what they've done with other things.
So, the way that you take away the freedom in a republic or democracy is that you have a bureaucracy that is able to make regulations with the force of law.
The family of three are only waiting for FDA approval.
Which they will probably get!
Selig implanted a chip in his arm and his hip area a few months ago. "Yes, it's in my right forearm and there's no bump or anything you can really see."
"If there are no delays the implantable chip will be on the market in less than a year," Stephanie Murray of Palm Beach Daily News reported. The implant will cost around $200.
Let me tell you about a report that I saw on Palm Beach and also in England. In England they have surveillance cameras everywhere! It's been a good thing because it's cut down crime over 30%. But they have them where they can watch all streets, all corners, all shopping centers and malls. They have the ability to facially identify people, and they have made many, many arrests of criminals that they have caught on camera.
The city of Palm Beach, which has hardly any crime rate because it's one of the richest per capita cities in the entire United States, if not the world, are installing these cameras the same way that they have in Britain. In all shopping malls, all public places, on all street corners, in all banks, all places where the public gathers.
Now then, let's advance this one step. Let's make the camera have the ability to read the chip. You can know who it is instantly. You will not be able to go anyplace without being surveyed, so you add to that the global positioning satellite and they've gottcha! This takes away all choice! That why it's so damnable, because it takes away your choice.
Let's understand about the chip for the forehead: They have chips they have put in monkeys where now monkeys are able, just by thinking, to play a video game and to make the game move. It does it quicker than if they had joy stick in their hand, or the things that they do with the two little buttons in their thumbs.
What a perfect thing this would be for someone in war. All they would have to do is look at something and think and the weapons have been fired. Also, they could have that those who receive it in the forehead, that's a greater chip, that gives you greater access. That helps you mentally, get a better job, and so forth. So, you can see how this thing can be, as it is implemented, scaled out. Of course, have it on a voluntary basis!
On Jan. 24th ADS had announced that VeriChip had signed a Latin-American marketer as it's first customer.
Isn't it interesting that this in the hands of a dictator would be a thing that they would really want? Where are lots of dictators found? In Latin America! Their first customer!
The initial order exceeded 300, with anticipated first year revenue reaching $2-million. "Additional international orders valued at $1.5 million are under legal review and nearing completion," reports the Palm Business Wire.
The technology for VeriChip was originally developed by a subsidiary of ADS to track laboratory animals, livestock and to help locate lost pet cats and dogs.
Isn't that wonderful, you can find your dog? What about all the kidnapped children? Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing? Think how good this will be! All children born in hospitals must have the implanted chip put in them so if they're kidnapped from the hospital 'we can locate them real quickly.' Just like your car, if you have a certain chip in your car and your car is stolen then all you have to do is call the company and the police and the chip is activated and the information is sent to the police right where your car is, and they recover it within a couple of hours. Of course, we need this for human beings! Aren't human beings much more valuable than a car?
Let me read a little bit more about this family who is going to take this from another news release from Boca Raton:
The family (all three) are going to have it. The wife Leslie Jacobs says, "We are definitely wholeheartedly in belief that this technology will change the world."
Yes, indeed!
"It really is an honor to be a pioneer in a technology like this." Her husband Jeffery and 14 year old son Derek said that they share Leslie's pioneering attitude about VeriChip.
"We're doing something that is good for mankind," Jeffery said. "I feel like I'm going with the flow of nature and doing exactly what we're here to do to improve the problems of the world."
Let's see something important in Gen. 3. Every time that Satan causes people to sin, he doesn't say, 'Let's go sin.' He doesn't say to go against God. He says, 'Look! Think about this: There's a benefit for you! 'Isn't this good? Isn't this wonderful? This is a benefit!' Remember what Satan said to Eve, 'God has said that you shouldn't eat of any of the trees of the garden.'
Genesis 3:2: "And the woman said to the serpent, 'We may freely eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has indeed said, "You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die."' And the serpent said to the woman, 'In dying…'" (vs 2-4). Just like they're saying here that this is not the mark of the beast!
"'…you shall not surely die! For God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be like God, deciding good and evil'" (vs 4-5). Just think, if you have this chip in your forehead, what it's going to do to increase your mind, increase your thinking capacity, increase your intellect to where you can sit down right before a computer and you can think and it will be done.
Isn't that a marvelous benefit. What they don't tell you that they're going to develop with these is not just a chip of identification, it's going to be what is called a transponder. The little VeriChip is a transmitter. A transponder transmits and receives. So, they will be able to send signals, control moods and do things. So, under the guise of 'doing good'… Just like Eve, these people think it's good, wonderful.
Verse 6: "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked…" (vs 6-7).
Whenever Satan comes along with a lying deception to get people to sin or against God, there's always a benefit, always for good. Surely you can't be against keeping babies from being kidnapped from hospitals, can you? Surely you can't be against having a full proof way so that identity theft cannot occur? Surely you would want to help those who have Alzheimer's disease lest they get lost. Why, you see, if you oppose that then you're a radical, and you are against society.
For Jeffrey Jacobs the VeriChip could be a lifesaver. He has been severely disabled with Hodgkin's disease and a serious car accident. He says that if he is ever unconscious the device will provide constant electronic access to his complicated medical history and long list of medications, saving valuable time and maybe his life.
What if he gets in an ambulance that doesn't have the receiver to get the information?
As a scanner passes over the Chip—as it was demonstrated—Applied Digital chief technology officer Keith Bolton said, "Now it wakes up and has power. It transmits the information. As soon as it transmits the information, it goes back to sleep. No radiation, no power source of its own, it merely sits there waiting to be activated.
Isn't that nice? 'We're not intruding upon your privacy! This is just another form of identification.
However, newer versions of VeriChip will hold up to a megabyte of programmable information vs the six lines of 126 characters. Some may include a global positioning tracking feature.
What if by law that becomes mandatory? There in lies the problem:
Ethicists wonder who will be able to have access to the data? Can people be monitored? From how far? What about the right to privacy? The first concern is that it will fall into the hands of an evil, oppressive state.
Well, it always has! Hitler was nice when he started. He wasn't oppressive. He got jobs and the German economy going, he put the German people to work. All of that was good!
If you're thoroughly known then you can be thoroughly controlled because they will know more about you than you want to be known.
The other issue:
Could the chip ever become mandatory like inoculations? "I don't envision a time like that, because we live in the United States of America, the land of freedom of speech and democracy. It's your choice! You elect to have chip, because it's going to provide a benefit to you!"
That's what Bolton says! In asking about it and think about it's safety and the wave of the future:
One of Leslie's co-workers says that the dialog…
The argument back and forth concerning these things of the chip.
…"strengthens my position. I think I'm intelligent. I think my husband is intelligent. I know my son is intelligent and we wouldn't do anything without our research."
Did you read the Bible?
The son Derek doesn't escape the controversy. One friend from his band class thinks it's really weird. Another calls is "kool"; still another says, "I would wait till more people have it before I actually get it."
What you're dealing with is that with not only what they're saying, but here you have the psychological programming of the reader's mind: 'If many people have it, it's okay. The majority can't be wrong.'
Derek isn't the least bit concerned about the VeriChip. After all he's something of a computer genius, certified as a Microsoft System's Engineer at age 12. In fact, it was his idea for the whole family to get chipped.
"It's brand new. It really hasn't been in humans," Derek said. It may have been done in animals, but it's totally a different story when it's put I humans. It's used for different purposes. It's great technology, and if you're the first person, it's pioneering.
Applied digital wouldn't say when it will get Food and Drug Administration approval for the chip, but the Jacob's say that it's just a matter of weeks. When the company gets approval the Jacobs will have the surgery.
However, they probably won't be alone very long. Applied Digital Solutions says that it already has received requests from 2,000 kids across the country wanting to get implanted themselves.
Isn't that something? The Harry Potter generation wants to get chipped! So, we need to understand, brethren, what these things mean! What these things are, and how this can be.
What if we have another terrorist attack? What if it's against a big company? And the company says, 'All right, we know this technology is out there, so we are going to require it of all of our employees, and if you don't have it you can't work here.' Then other corporations do the same thing.
You can see what it's going to lead to! You can see the difficulties and problems! But being on a voluntary basis, I'm sure what they're going to do is have stories in the media about how good this is and how it works for this family and that family and all of those who volunteer to have the implant; that this is a good thing!
Add in another terrorist attack such as a nuclear power plant blowing up. Or a dirty nuclear bomb going off! Then they will increase the security even more.
Security and control is the name of the game, and that's what they want!
(go to the next track)
Let's think about some other things concerning this. This is brand new, just coming out, and the question is: How long will it take? How many years will it take? We don't know! But this has got to be the beginning of the end. Regardless of how many years it takes—it can take many years and it can take a few years—just depends on how things work out. We don't know, so therefore, we've got to be prepared. Let's also understand that another thing is that those who
- believe the Bible
- believe what it says
- believe concerning the mark of the beast
as it's described here
- looks at things like the VeriChip and Digital Angel
as those things that God says could cause you the loss of salvation, and those who won't receive it will be viewed as nuts! You'll be viewed as uncaring and unloving. 'You won't get this and provide for your family? Look at your wife and children, they're all crying because you won't do this.'
Let's see what the end result is going to be. Here's the ultimate fate of those who receive the mark of the beast. And people are going to say that this is very harsh. Yes, it is! The ultimate thing with the mark of the beast is that you give up your choice!
- you give it over to the beast
- you give it over to Satan the devil
Revelation 14:9: "And a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives the mark in his forehead or in his hand, he shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed undiluted in the cup of His wrath; and he shall be tormented in fire and brimstone in the sight of the Holy angels, and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends into the ages of eternity; and those who worship the beast and his image, and all who receive the mark of his name, have no rest day and night.' Here is the patience of the saints…" (vs 9-12).
Isn't it interesting that it compares those who receive the mark of the beast and what their fate is and:
Verse 12: "Here is the patience of the saints; here are the ones who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."
Notice v 13 when you don't receive it you're going to be killed: "And I heard a voice from heaven say to me, 'Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from this time forward. Yes, says the Spirit, so that they may rest from their labors; and their works follow them.'" What are they works? That they die for Christ!
After all, and especially in this age, it is not pleasant, it is not acceptable to people to say that we may be martyred. When we were baptized into the death of Christ, we died with Christ! So, whatever Christ requires of us, whether it be that we give our lives—because we keep the commandments of God, love God and have the faith of Christ—if that's the case then that's what it will have to be. Other Christians suffered through that. Others have been martyred for what they believe. Of course, if you're going to be faithful, then you are faithful unto death!
We don't know exactly how this is going to fall upon every one of us. That's why we've got to live by faith! We don't know how they are going to kill us. We have one hint, though, that looks like they're going to activate the guillotine. We're going to be beheaded, just like the French Revolution.
After all, think of all the good body parts that they can use. So, there will be a benefit to it. By the way, every body that has the parts that they sell, though people donate, is worth $250,000 to the medical community. What's going to happen to them?
Revelation 15:2: "And I saw a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, standing on the Sea of Glass, having the lyres of God."
You need to look at what the end result is going to be. Don't look at the immediate effect, that you may have to give your life, look at what the end result is going to be: the Kingdom of God or the Lake of Fire! Those are the choices that are set before us.
I know that a lot of people don't want to hear that. I know that a lot of people are going to say that's radical. But you need to understand that the Bible says, and Christ said, 'Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall never pass away.' These are the words of Christ. This is what He's telling us.
Verse 3: "And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, 'Great and awesome are Your works, Lord God Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, King of the saints. Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You only are Holy; and all the nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been revealed'" (vs 3-4).
Then we have the pouring out of the seven last plagues. Let's read where it is apparently going to be at this end time, that those who are martyred for Christ will be beheaded.
Revelation 20:4: "And I saw thrones; and they that sat upon them, and judgment was given to them; and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and those who did not worship the beast, or his image, and did not receive the mark in their foreheads or in their hands; lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." That's what we have to look forward to.
Let's understand that now is the time, because this is the beginning of the end as far as I'm able to understand, to understand some very important things that we need to realize concerning our attitude toward it.
Let's understand the phenomena that takes place with human beings. When a crisis is at hand, they become inactive—such as the Jews were when the Holocaust came upon them in Europe and they just went like cattle into the cars—or they become like the disciples and go to sleep. Let's read this because there's an important and profound lesson for us:
Matthew 26:36: Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, 'Sit here, while I go onward and pray.' And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee… [James and John] …and He began to be very melancholy and deeply depressed. Then He said to them, 'My soul is deeply grieved, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.' And after going forward a little, He fell on His face, praying, and saying, 'My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.' Then He came to His disciples and found them sleeping…." (vs 36-40).
Isn't that the way that it is, many times in face of danger, in the face of imminent things that are going to take place, people go to sleep at the switch, and right at the crisis, which was beginning right here with His prayers in garden and leading to His arrest, judgment and crucifixion the disciples fell asleep at the switch. Not only once, but three times!
"…And He said to Peter, 'What! Were you not able to watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, so that you do not enter into temptation… [and we need to with this mark of the beast coming] …the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.' The second time He went again and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if this cup cannot pass from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.' Now, when He came to them, He found them asleep again, because their eyes were heavy. And leaving them, He went again and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then He came to His disciples and said to them, 'Sleep on now, and take your rest. Behold, the hour has drawn near, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners'" (vs 40-45).
So, there's going to come a time just like the parable of the ten virgins. Five were wise; five were foolish; they all slumbered and slept and the wise took oil in their vessels with them. The foolish didn't! Then came the midnight call and he foolish said to the wise, 'Give us of your oil.' The wise said to the foolish, 'We can't! Go to them that sell and buy.' Then the Lord came and the five wise entered in with the Bridegroom and the five foolish, the door was shut on them.
Now we are facing exactly the same thing; we are living in a time when there is so much. We are living in a time when we have everything physically at our fingertips. We're also living in a time when we understand more about the Bible than perhaps any generation that has been in the history of the world.
Let's see that there are some tremendous lessons for us to learn. It's going to be awfully hard for people to give up the things that they can buy through credit cards and then it will be through the mark of the beast, and so forth. It's going to be hard to give that up.
Luke 12:15: "And He said to them, 'Watch out, and keep yourselves from covetousness, for no one's life is in the abundance of the things that he possesses.'" Yet, today people think that the more you have the better you are.
A lot of people equate that with spirituality. I want you to think back, those of you who do, to when the Worldwide Church of God had the three campuses, had the beautiful settings, had all the income coming in; everything was so great. I want you to think back to when I resigned in 1979, I said that 'unless there was someone calling them to repentance, that God would send forced into the Church to destroy it.' I didn't say that because I looked upon myself as a prophet, and because I desired it to happen. But I could read the Bible and see that unless there was repentance that is exactly what would happen. And it did happen!
It's going to happen even more ignominiously than we have ever thought. I think that because of the sins they have been cursed, and because of the curse God is not going to let anyone profit from the idol of that property, but He is going to destroy it. He's not going to obliterate it by literally destroying it, but by not letting them profit by it. We need to take that as a lesson.
Here's the lesson, v 16: "Then He spoke a parable to them, saying, 'The ground of a certain rich man brought forth abundantly…. [rich and increased with goods] …And he was reasoning within himself, saying, "What shall I do, for I have nowhere to lay up my fruit?" And he said, "I will do this: I will tear down my granaries and build greater ones, and there will I lay up all my produce and my good things. Then I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have many good things laid up for many years; take your rest, eat, drink, and be merry'"'" (vs 16-19).
We could say the same thing today. 'I've got all this stock in the stock market, I am worth so much, I am going to retire and this is going to be a great thing for me.' If we do this spiritually, think of the consequences!
Verse 20: "But God said to him, 'Fool, this night your soul shall be required of you; and to whom will you leave what you have prepared for yourself?'"
Every time I see the documentaries on the Pharaohs, look at all that they took into the pyramids with them, only to have thieves come and take it away. They couldn't use it, it was of no benefit to them, and when they show the mummies, they're still dead.
It's the same situation here, v 21: "So shall it be to the one who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." That's the problem of the Laodicean: 'I am rich, increased with goods, and have need of nothing because I have all of these physical things around me. All of these physical things represent blessings from God—don't they? You know the rest of the story with the Laodiceans.
Verse 31: "But seek the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you." We're not just talking about the physical things in this case, we're looking at the spiritual things!
Verse 32: "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father delights in giving you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make for yourselves purses that do not grow old, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief can come near, and no moth can destroy. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girded about and your lamps burning" (vs 32-35).
- be ready
- be prepared
- doing the things that God wants you to do
Verse 36: "And you yourselves be like men who are waiting for their lord, whenever he shall return from the wedding feast; so that when he comes and knocks, they may immediately open to him. Blessed are those servants whom the lord, when he comes, shall find watching…." (vs 36-37). So, not only do we need to be watching, we also need to be doing.
Now is the time to wake up! Now is the time to do as God said to the Laodiceans, 'Repent and be zealous!' Be serious about our calling and what God has called us to do. You have with the Digital Angel the beginning of the end, and it's right there for you to see, for everyone to see. What are we going to do?
Verse 41: "Then Peter said to Him, 'Lord, are You speaking this parable to us only, or also to all?'…. [Jesus didn't answer the question, but went on to explain it a little bit further]: …And the Lord said, 'Who then is the wise and faithful steward, whom the lord shall put in charge of his household, to give to each one the portion of food in season? Blessed is that servant whom the lord, when he comes, shall find so doing'" (vs 41-43). That's the whole key, and today there are many people laying down on the job:
- not studying
- not praying
- not taking advantage of the time that we have
- not gaining the knowledge of the Truth of the Scriptures
- not having an in-depth relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ
- through prayer
- through fasting
- through study
and all the spiritual tools that we need. No, they're just out there going along with the flow. It's going to create great problems for them.
Verse 44: "Of a truth, I tell you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant shall say in his heart, 'My lord delays his coming'… [it's going to come at a time when nobody expects] …and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to be gluttonous and become drunk" (vs 44-45). Drinking out of the cup of the wine of the fornication of 'mother' Babylon the Great!
Verse 46: "The lord of that servant will come in a day that he does not expect, and in an hour that he does not know, and will cut him asunder, and will appoint his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew the will of his lord… [we know the will of God] …but did not prepare, nor did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes" (vs 46-47).
- Do you want the correction from the Word of God to help you so you can make the choice to do what is right?
or
- Are you going to wait for the correction, which comes directly from Jesus Christ Himself?
We have those choices!
Verse 48: "But the one who did not know, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For to whomever much has been given, from him shall much be required; and to whom much has been committed, from him they will demand the more." That's exactly where we are today.
That's why it's also very important for you to understand when you look at the parable of the one who received the five talents, the two talents and the one talent, the five increased it to ten, and He said, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.' The one who receive two increased it to four, and He said, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.' The one that had one, went and hid it. He didn't do the will of the Lord! He didn't go and trade like Christ said! Christ came and the one who had one and hid it said, 'Here's Yours, Lord. I feared you for You were a harsh man. You reap where You haven't sown and You harvest where You haven't planted.'
Christ said, 'You wicked and lazy servant.' He took the one talent and gave it to the one who had ten. A lot of people say, 'Why does He give to the one who has ten.' The reason is because the one who has ten knows what to do, and did what should have been done.
Likewise in our lives, what are we doing? Here we are at the beginning of the end, and when these things are going to take place. Just like the disciples who were falling asleep at the switch.
Isaiah 56:9—here's where we are in the world today: "All beasts of the field, yea, all the beasts in the forest come to devour. His watchmen are blind; they are all ignorant; they are all dumb dogs who cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber" (vs 9-10).
That's how God looks at the situation when we fall asleep at the switch. Now's the time to be alert and be watching; knowing what's going on.
Verse 11: "Yea, they are greedy dogs, which can never have enough; and they are shepherds who cannot understand. They all look to their own way, every one for his gain, to his own end. They say, 'Come, let us take wine, and let us fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be like today, and much more abundant'" (vs 11-12).
That's what's going to happen with the mark of the beast! If we're asleep at the switch, let's understand and apply this spiritually; apply this to our lives. As we look at the things that we are building spiritually, and:
- we've got to constantly build everyday
- we've got to constantly grow everyday
- we've got to constantly maintain a spiritual relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ everyday
Proverbs 6:4: "Do not give sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids…. [apply this spiritually] …Deliver yourself as a gazelle from the hunter's hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler…. [so that those devises won't come in and grab you] …Go to the ant, sluggard; consider her ways and be wise, who having no guide, overseer, or ruler. Provides her food in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest. How long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep? Yet, a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest; so shall your poverty come as one who travels, and your want like an armed man" (vs 4-11).
When you travel and you leave your house unattended, when you come back, as it says in another place, it will be like a cottage that is overgrown with cucumbers. In other words, everything unkempt, everything falling apart, everything disintegrating. That's where too many people are spiritually. They're all disintegrating and don't know where to go.
- they're hot, cold or lukewarm
- they keep the Sabbath/they don't keep the Sabbath
- they keep the Holy Days/they don't keep the Holy Days
- they tithe/the don't tithe
- they pray/they don't pray
- they study/they don't study
It's just kind of a continuous seesaw of mixed emotions because of a lack of total dedication to God, and because of a lack of complete commitment to the Word of God and living God's ways.
The strangest thing about it, what happens is that they blame God when God is not the blame! That's the way it is with the Laodicean because he talks back to God.
God is merciful and kind, and don't mistake the merciful kindness that God gives to you as allowance or something that God is not going to call you into question for, because He will! Remember that judgment is on the house of God today! We are being judged every single day!
Ephesians 5:6: "Do not let anyone deceive you with vain words; for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience."
God's wrath is going to come! Just because there is a space of time, just because God does not come down and instantly bring His wrath upon us, let's not mistake that for God's approval! Let's not mistake that as we have more time!
Verse 7: "Therefore, do not be joint partakers with them. For you were once darkness… [now you're not because you know the Truth] …but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light" (vs 7-8).
Because Paul says, v 1: "Therefore, be imitators of God as beloved children; and walk in love, even as Christ also loved us…" (vs 1-2). That's the way we are to walk!
Verse 9: "(Because the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and Truth); proving what is well pleasing to the Lord; and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them" (vs 9-11). When you expose them it's not pleasant, but those things need to be done.
Verse 12: "For it is shameful even to mention the things being done by them in secret. But all of these things being exposed by the light are openly revealed. Therefore, He says, 'You who are sleeping—wake up, and arise from the dead! And Christ shall shine upon you'" (vs 12-14).
With the mark of the beast coming out, now is the time to do that. Now is the time, while you still are able:
- to sit down and make yourself some permanent spiritual goals, things that you are going to do
- to get on your knees before God in repentance and resolve
- to re-establish your relationship with God
Now is the time, while there is time! This is very important for us, brethren. No one believed Jeremiah when he said that Nebuchadnezzar was coming and going to destroy the city. When it happened, they blamed Jeremiah. They had 20 years to repent and change, and God gave them all the time to repent. Read the book of Jeremiah and see!
- God is merciful, kind and longsuffering
- He will grant us way of escape
- He will grant us repentance
But when the time comes to do so, which is for us now, because the end has begun, then God will bless us. If we don't, we'll end up in the same situation that the Jews did, because they didn't listen to Jeremiah.
1-Thessalonians 5:1: "Now then, concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, there is no need that I write to you; for you yourselves understand perfectly that the Day of the Lord will come exactly as a thief comes by night. For when they say, 'Peace and security'… [that's coming] …then sudden destruction will come upon them, as travail comes upon a woman who is with child; and they shall by no means escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness that the day of the Lord should overtake you as a thief. For you are all children of the light and children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of the darkness. So then, we should not sleep, as others do; but we should watch, and we should be sober. For those who are sleeping sleep in the night, and those who are drunken get drunk in the night" (vs 1-7)—deceived by Satan the devil!
Verse 8: "But we who are of the day should be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation, because God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" (vs 8-9). That's what we need to be doing. We need to wake up from the dead!
Let's see what's going to happen to the world because they are asleep and in the darkness! We've already alluded to 'the man of sin, the son of perdition is coming!'
2-Thessalonians 2:4: "The one who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is an object of worship; so that he comes into the temple of God and sits down as God, proclaiming that he himself is God." When that happens, if you're not already right with Christ, it's too late! Do you understand that?
Verse 7: "For the mystery of lawlessness is already working; only there is One Who is restraining at the present time until it arises out of the midst. And then the lawless one will be revealed (whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth, and will destroy with the brightness of His coming); even the one whose coming is according to the inner working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in those who are perishing because they did not receive the love of the Truth, so that they might be saved" (vs 7-10).
Ask yourself:
- Do I love the Truth of God, really?
or
- Do I just love those things that benefit me?
- Do I love God at all times?
- Even in trials, temptation, difficulties and depravations?
- Do you love the Truth?
- Do you obey the Truth because you love it?
If not, notice what's going to happen to the world because they don't, and also to the Laodiceans who are blind:
Verse 11: "And for this cause God will send upon them a powerful deception that will cause them to believe the lie." Isn't the mark of the beast a lie? All the benefits are only temporary! All of the benefits are those things that are physical! Satan owns the world and he gives to whomsoever will worship him. They're going to believe a lie!
Verse 12: "So that all may be judged who did not believe the Truth, but who took pleasure in unrighteousness." We're not to be that way, brethren, just as Paul said.
Verse 13: "Now, we are duty-bound to give thanks to God always concerning you, brethren, who are beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning has called you unto salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth unto which He called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brethren, stand firm, and hold fast the ordinances that you were taught, whether by word or by our epistle" (vs 13-15).
That's where we are today! Let's look at the message to the Philadelphia Church. Let's see the spiritual benefits that God will give because we faithfully do the things that God wants us to do: we love Him and we love the brethren!
Revelation 3:8: "I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, and no one has the power to shut it because you have a little strength, and have kept My Word…" Is there a blessing in keeping the Word of God? Absolutely!
"…and have not denied My name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who proclaim themselves to be Jews and are not, but do lie. Behold, I will cause them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you" (vs 8-9). That will happen!
If you don't believe that it will happen, study the book of Esther and see what happened to Haman the Agagite vs Mordecai. Who won the final battle? Mordecai! So likewise, in being faithful to God, you will win the final battle. You may lose some thing physically, but those are to be counted as nothing! Those will in turn become spiritual riches stored up in heaven for you for your reward when Christ returns.
Verse 10: "Because you have kept the Word of My patience…"—or patiently kept My Word under all circumstances.
I'll tell you something: It is harder and more difficult to keep the Word of God, to love God, to obey God in a time when the world is as it is now, where everything physical is out there for your benefit and distraction. It's harder! It's a greater challenge to be zealous in this kind of situation. Notice that there is a benefit:
Verse 10: "Because you have kept the Word of My patience I also will keep you from the time of temptation, which is about to come upon the whole world to try those who dwell on the earth." This means the whole earth. This has got to be the mark of the beast and the image of the beast. It can't be anything else, because there will never be a trial that will come upon the whole earth of the magnitude of that which is going to turn people away from God and turn them toward Satan the devil.
Verse 11: "Behold, I am coming quickly; hold fast that which you have… [don't give it up] …so that no one may take away your crown…. [then words of encouragement]: …The one who overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God…" (vs 11-12). Keep that in mind! The ultimate reward! The ultimate thing that God is going to give you and bless you with.
"…and he shall not go out anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which will come down out of heaven from My God; and I will write upon him My new name" (v 12). This is what we need to focus on, brethren! This is what we need to ask God to help us have this kind of attitude.
As Paul said, 'Wake up from the dead!' The time is here! The mark of the beast is here! It's not coming! It is here!
Verse 13: "The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Brethren, let's realize and understand that with this VeriChip the mark of the beast is here! The beginning of the end has started!
All Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version
Scriptural References:
- Revelation 17:1, 15, 2-6
- Revelation 13:1-17
- Genesis 3:2-7
- Revelation 14:9-13
- Revelation 15:2-4
- Revelation 20:4
- Matthew 26:36-45
- Luke 12:15-21, 31-37, 41-48
- Isaiah 56:9-12
- Proverbs 6:4-11
- Ephesians 5:6-8, 1-2, 9-14
- 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9
- 2 Thessalonians 2:4, 7-15
- Revelation 3:8-13
Also referenced:
Sermons:
- The Hour of Temptation Coming on the Whole Earth
- Where Are We in Prophecy Today?
Article: Big Brother Gets Under Your Skin with Microchip (2002) (no internet source found)
FRC:bo
Transcribed: 10/4/16
