The Mark of the Beast

Fred R. Coulter—November 7, 1998

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We're going to talk a little bit about the mark of the beast. Some of this will be speculation. I will be giving opinions as we go through this, and as possibilities.

This is something that all the disciples of Christ have wanted to know down through time. Everyone wants to know and understand the prophecies. Of course, a lot of the things are based upon that if we know it then we can escape or go to a place of safety; all of those factors are there. Or, if we really know it and understand it then we can have a great following, as we know with the churches in the past.

Let's look at it from the point of view that we really want to know and God can show us, and that we also need to understand—as it was in the book of Zephaniah—'what is it to you who desire the Day of the Lord?' It's a day of darkness and gloominess, chaos and war. So, if you start trumpeting the alarm and say, 'the Day of the Lord, the Day of the Lord, the Day of the Lord,' you need to be very careful, because your anxiety to want it to happen is not going to make it happen. It's going to happen according to God's way!

Understanding the Scriptures is not going to come just because you want to be an expert in the Word of God.

Matthew 24:3: "And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, His disciples came to Him alone, saying, 'Tell us, [#1]when shall these things be? And [#2]what shall be the sign of Your coming, and [#3]of the completion of the age?'"—the end of man's rule. The Greek here is 'aion.'

All the disciples from that time clear down to now have wanted to know that. Of course, everyone comes along that they have certain things that they think 'are really it,' and that they really have the answer. I'll have to say: we don't have the answer! We have part of it, and we can see some of the things, so let's see how it all fits together.

We have to understand that it is God Who does the revealing. And in revealing it, God does not reveal it because the person is whomever the person may be.

Psalm 119:18: "Open my eyes so that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Law"—reveal to my eyes! God is the One Who has to do the revealing! The Law here in this case does not refer to all the laws alone, but all the Word of God. God is the One Who has to open our mind!  That's the way it needs to be, because it is God's Spirit that gives us understanding. We also have to apply what Jesus said, 'Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened.' That is if it's at the appropriate time that God wants.

Certain things that we're going to cover today, if you go back say 1500 years… I'm reading a book called The Celtic Church in Britain, and they were Sabbath-keepers and they believe in the 14th Passover. I read their doctrine of salvation and it was almost exactly like what we are preaching today.

God's Spirit is consistent with all His people, but they could not understand, and I can see why that many of them believed that the Holy Spirit was a person. They could not conceive of a thing speaking. Or they could not conceive of something speaking that was not a person.

But we can understand today that, yes, that is so. In understanding the things in the book of Revelation, the only thing they could say was, 'It's a mystery to us, God will have to show us.' God has had His people all the way down, and the same thing happened to the Celtic Church in Britain, they were taken over by the Catholics.

Whenever you see the giving up of the Passover and the Holy Days and moving to Easter and Sunday, there has got to be a Catholic behind it somewhere. I think that is true with our modern day experience. And reading their history, I can see so many things that are happening today with them going back to Sunday, Easter and all this sort of thing.

John 16:13: "However, when that one has come, even the Spirit of the Truth, it will lead you into all Truth…" Especially this had to do with the apostles in writing the New Testament. The Holy Spirit had to guide them into all Truth that God wanted contained in the New Testament. Then with the Truth that is there, plus the Truth of the Scriptures of the Old Testament, when you put that together, that helps us understand the Word of God even more.

"…because it shall not speak from itself, but whatever it shall hear, it shall speak. And it shall disclose to you the things to come" (v 13).

When do we need to know about the things to come? Obviously, Daniel didn't need to know! Daniel was told to 'seal the book and close it up until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. When? At the time of the end! We need to look at these Scriptures and see how we can understand these things a little bit more.
The book of Revelation is so jam-packed with teaching, and assumes that you basically understand all of the Bible in an overview; some things in particular. Here is a revelation; remember what we read in Psa. 119:18: reveal to my eyes, or open my eyes… This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him, then He gave to John:

Revelation 1:3: "Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of this prophecy…" This tells us that at this time, we do need to study the book of Revelation along with all the other Scriptures, and put it together and see if we can learn more each time we go through it. We pick up a little more here and little more there, and it gives us understanding.

This is also very important to understand, "… and who keep the things that are written therein; for the time is at hand" (v 3). How do you keep the things that are written here? It contains all the Ten Commandments, not listed out in numerical order, but as we go through we'll point out some of the commandments of God that are there.

It also shows that if you don't keep them, you're not going to understand. So, this verse ties directly in with Dan. 12 that the wise shall understand and none of the wicked shall understand.

Revelation 13:18: "Here is wisdom. Let the one who has understanding…" Where does understanding come from? From God!

"…count the number of the beast; for it is a man's number, and his number is 666" (v 18). There have been many attempts to understand that; I'm not going to apply 666 to anything today particularly. But when 'the man of sin, the son of perdition' comes on the scene it will be known who he is, and he will fit this.

Many attempts have been made down through history to fit it to different ones in history, and it can kind of partially fit, but it's a stretch to make these things fit. God isn't going to have it to where we're going to have it stretch to make it fit. It will become evident and God will let us know. The only way that we're going to know it is if we know the Scriptures and know how the things are coming along and the time-setting that is involved in it.

I saw a production by an independent Seventh-Day Adventist group—the same one that did Israel of the Alps—and it's called Mark of the Beast, 666! I learned a lot from it—not what they taught—that gave me understanding, but what they left out in presenting their case. I think they have the number 666 pretty well applied to the Catholic Church, no question about it. That is true, but it doesn't necessarily just apply to the Catholic Church alone. They do have the mistake of saying that the mark of the beast Sunday-keeping, and of course, that would include the holidays of the world. A lot of them keep the holidays of the world, and they're wrong in that. The mark of the beast is not Sunday-keeping and the holidays of the world.

We're going to see what the Scriptures tell us and understand this. First of all, let's understand some things that are important for us to realize. I've got five things listed out here, and these are the five things that we have associated with the beast: the number, the mark and the image.

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.

• the beast—the civil power
• the image—the religious power
• the mark—the economic power

Why is it listed that way? It's not listed exactly the same way in other places!

Revelation 13:17: "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.

• the number
• his name

Here it's got his name and then the number of the name. There are five things that are connected with the end-time: the beast, the image, the mark, the number and the name.

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…"

We do not have the number listed here or name, but those are all components of it. Let's understand something that's very important, because we need to make a distinction, and I think we're going to see that those people, even in their carnal zealousness, are trying to establish a constitutional government by going back to the Constitution of the United States, which is a Constitution of a government of this world. A government of this world is part of the end-time beast system—period! It's going to have to be.

If that being the case, then they are still in the world. They are still in Babylon, and they're trying to reform Babylon. For all of those zealous who think they are really doing God's service, they're not doing God's service at all, because you're trying to be in the world.

This is very important for us to really comprehend; John 17:13—Christ is praying: "But now I am coming to You; and these things I am speaking while yet in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in them." That's very important.

If you're all wrapped up in a constitutional government of this world, you are of the world! We have to live in the world, we can use the rights of citizenship as Paul did, but did Paul try and bring about a new government on this earth? Did he try and amend the constitution of Jerusalem, Antioch, Pisidia or Corinth or Philippi? NO! Paul preached the Kingdom of God. But when he was in trouble with the authorities, he was able to use, legally, the system of the world to give him the protection that he needed.

But he was never a part of the world, and that's what's important to understand. I think that's why when you have the beast and the name, that you are part of the world. That's why it's distinguished this way; that's still part of it.

Verse 14: "I have given them Your words, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." Christ did not work with the civil governments. Christ did not try to change the Sadducees and Pharisees. He called them to repentance, but He didn't lead the disciples to have a movement to march on Jerusalem and make them accept the Constitution of the Kingdom of God.

Verse 15: "I do not pray that You would take them out of the world, but that You would keep them from the evil one." Who is the evil one? Satan the devil! If you are protected from the evil one, then you are not part and parcel of the system of this world, because all of the governments have been deceived by Satan the devil and he's 'the god of this world.'

Verse 16: "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." This is the dilemma that a lot of people find themselves in. When you get a lot of carnal zeal to try and have things right, then you go out and try and reform the world.

There are certain things that you can do in your own life. But Lot did not go out and try to reform Sodom. Abraham did not go down and try and reform Sodom and Gomorrah. That's important to realize, because when you do that, then you go back into the world and you get one foot back into the world, and then you have not overcome the beast.

Luke refers to Satan the devil, we are seeing this take place as never before; Luke 4:4: "But Jesus answered him, saying, 'It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God."'" That's the way we are to live, by the Word of God!

Since we are not of the world, we can't make the world live by the Word of God. What happens when that takes place? Hatred ensues! Violence and martyrdom comes! We'll be put in a position where we have to witness against them, and that will again take place, but we are to live by every Word of God!

Verse 5: "Then the devil led Him up into a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time." Which kingdom of this world does not belong to Satan the devil? There's only one kingdom and that the Kingdom of God, which must come from heaven! All the kingdoms of this world belong to Satan the devil, even the kingdom of Judea, which had the temple, the worship and the priesthood.

What did Jesus say? You are of your father the devil! That's why He had to start the Church separate and make it not of the world.

Verse 6: "And the devil said to Him, 'I will give You all this authority, and the glory of them all; for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I desire. Therefore, if You will worship me in my presence, all things shall be Yours'" (vs 6-7).

This tells us that if you're going to be in the governments of this world, and be part of the world, sooner or later you're going to worship Satan the devil one way or the other. At the end-time it's going to be that you're either going to be worshipping God or you're going to be worshipping Satan. Let's tie this in with:

Revelation 12:9: "And the great dragon was cast out, the ancient serpent who is called the Devil and Satan, who is deceiving the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him."

We know that this is talking not only of that time then, but when has Satan not deceived the world? From the beginning he has deceived the world! Except those whom God has called! Therefore, since he has deceived the world; and since God wants as many saved as can be, because they are blinded—as Satan does (2-Cor. 4:4—the 'god of this world blinds the mind); God has turned them over to their own devices and Satan the devil so that they might be saved during the Great White Throne Judgment.

Please know and understand that God will not let you lose salvation because you have been deceived and closed unto sin if you're in the world.

Today, being in the Church, if you go back into the world, and if you give up on God, then there is no salvation, because you have not been deceived! But there are a lot of people who are going to receive the mark of the beast who are deceived into receiving it. We're going to see that God is not going to hold them responsible for salvation with it, or they're going to pay plenty, the price, because of receiving it. So, he is deceiving the whole world actively!

Now let's see where this is going to come to. We can see the development of the beast, and it's coming! I never will forget that when the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations Kofi Annan said that when they were doing this thing with Iraq some time ago, 'Now you see the power of the UN. When all the nations give their power then we can get things done and such power,' he intimated, is going to be the ultimate power in the world. So, you watch that develop more and more.

Let's understand that we are coming to a point that we are looking at worldwide events, which 100-200 years ago, 500-1500 years ago, clear back to the time of Christ they could not think in terms of worldwide events like we do today.

Revelation 13:1: "And I stood on the sand of the sea… [people, multitude, nations] …and I saw a beast rising up out of the sea…"

This beast is just another reincarnation of the beast in Rev. 12:3 where it talks about the great red dragon, which had seven heads and ten horns. Satan is like the genie; he disappears in one form and reappears in another form, but it's the same old thing. In the end-time it's the same old thing rearranged so that it looks new. If you take generations leading up to it, and if you take away the history, then the generation that is going to be at the end-time will not know what was in the past. So, they will think this is all new.

"…having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy" (v 1)—Satan's name! What are some other names of blaspheme?

• Nimrod
• Baal
• Tamuz
• Ashtoroth
• Easter
• Ishtar
• Semiramis

All of those are names of blaspheme! All the names of the pagan gods of the world:

• Zeus
• Thor
• Mars
• Venus
• Mercury

All names after the planets; those are all names of blaspheme! Anything that puts itself up in front of God!

Verse 2: "And the beast that I saw was like a leopard… [this is a combination of all the empires (Dan.7)] …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…" (vs 2-3).

There have been many interpretations of this. Trying to interpret this going back to the last century when the Church of God Seventh Day interpreted this as Rome was conquered and then re-established under the Emperor Justinian. That can be one interpretation, but I believe that it has to be the deadly wound of the beast—the man—who will call himself 'God on earth' and it's going to be in the body of a man. That is the beast!:

• you have the beast, which is the system
• you have the beast, which is the person

"…but his deadly wound was healed; and the whole earth was amazed and followed the beast" (v 3)—all the world!

You can see how that can happen. Just put this on television today and just translate it into the things that we know today. If they have a great leader who is bringing peace and all of this sort of thing; if he were wounded to death, all the world would be mourning. Look what they did with Princes Diana. Can you imagine what they would do with some great hero man? That's what this is going to be.

Verse 4: "And they worshiped the dragon, who gave his authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast…"

Let's understand something right here: this whole end-time generation is being prepared for all of this demon magic as never before. Sabbaths can be very lonely, so I tell all of you who don't have Sabbaths where you can get together and fellowship with anybody, I understand and hope and pray that more brethren will be called so you won't be alone. You're pretty miserable on the Sabbath not being able to fellowship. That's why it says not to forsake the assembling of yourselves together.

I couldn't go out so I took the television thing and I said I'm going to monitor the programs on the Sabbath, which most of the kids in this world watch. I tell you that they are demonic from head to toe, from beginning to end. All the cartoons, all of the movies, demonism is involved. I saw that there was a movie called Practical Magic. This world is going to be given over to magic.

• Who are the ones that Satan used in the past? Simon the magician!
• What were the religious leaders called in Egypt? The magicians!

It's all coming back again! But first they're going to have to give it so that Satan is acceptable. Someone told me about a movie called Devil's Advocate, which puts the devil and the world as a benign and helpful creature. That's why they want to get rid of anything concerning the Bible. That's why they want get rid of anything concerning the true Christ. Have as many false christs as you want, but get rid of the true Christ.

That's why all this ecumenical movement—I'm okay, you're okay, you believe what you want to believe, I believe what I want to believe—and we're fine and hunky-dory, and we're all going to worship "god." That's going to be Satan! They're worshipping the dragon and they're worshipping the beast, and deceived into worshipping both!

Satan is deceiving the whole world! Rev. 13 is telling us the end result of that deception. 2-Thess. 2 tells us that is in the body of this one person and what he is going to do and how he is going to do it. There are going to be all kinds of false prophets, false 'christs' and apparitions of Mary, of Christ, all kinds of demonic and false preachers going around.

Here's what's going to happen, here's this great leader. Bill Clinton doesn't have one truthful cell in his body, but everybody loves him! He's a good actor. This is what's going to happen with the 'great leader' of the world.

Thessalonians 2:1 "Now, we beseech you, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him… [when He returns] …that you not be quickly shaken in mind, nor be troubled… [there are going to be a lot of things coming down the pike] …—neither by spirit…" (vs 1-2). There are going to be a lot of demonic spirits out there causing a lot of people to believe a lot of things.

"…nor by word… [by message that someone will preach] …nor by epistle… [letter] …as if from us, saying that the day of Christ is present" (vs 2-3). This is what we're going to hear: the end, the end, Christ is going to come!

Verse 3: "Do not let anyone deceive you by any means…" That's quite a statement! This deception is coming on the whole world!

Stop and think about it, what a magnificent, tremendous and marvelous thing that God is doing, that He could take us—who all began as just a speck of dust, like putting a little pin-point mark on your paper—and bring us into this world. Look at the billions that are in the world, all from a speck of dust! To make us, by calling us—and if we are faithful to the end—to be resurrected and brought into the Kingdom of God as a spirit being with power and glory. That is something! Overwhelming!

When you think about that, we can know the Truth and that we cannot be deceived. That's an amazing blessing! So, we shouldn't get all exciting that we are some great mucky-muck or anything. We haven't done anything other than be a speck of dust!

Once you've had your mind open and you understand the Truth and you're no longer deceived. Don't be deceived by smooth-sounding words!

"…because that day will not come unless the apostasy… [the 'falling away'] …shall come first…" They leave everything concerning God and go toward everything concerning Satan. That's what it means.

Even some of the Protestants have certain things of Christ, but now even they're losing it. It's all going toward Satan (Rev. 13).

• Are they being deceived concerning the true God?
• Are they being deceived into thinking that Satan is the true God?

Both are correct! Yes! So, this is a multiple thing that is taking place.

If they're deceived, I don't think that they are totally aware that they are worshipping Satan. Insiders know that they are worshipping Satan, those of the synagogue of Satan. Will the world in general know that they are worshipping Satan and realize that the beast is of the power of Satan and not of God? No, they won't!

Some of the insiders of the establishment of this world know that the average 'Joe/Jane Citizen' don't know! They're just doing what they're told. They grow up in a ready-made environment, and Satan is trying to create that ready-made environment for himself. And he's being pretty successful in it.

The beast power—the man—is going to be counted as savior to the world. No question about it! He will be called the manifestation of God, just like the old empires with their emperors. The emperors were the manifestation of God in the flesh, of whom the last one was Emperor Hirohito in Japan.

This apostasy is going to come first, leaving everything of the true God and going toward Satan the devil. We're going to see that this is a deception. These people have not committed the unpardonable sin, but I would have to say that those of the establishment who are in on it and know who they are worshipping, probably have committed the unpardonable sin!

"…and the man of sin shall be revealed—the son of perdition" (v 3). In other words a future completed act. He will have been revealed to whom? To the Church, for what he is! But to the world he's a savior! So, he will have to come on the scene first. Understand as we come down to the time of the end, there have to be certain things that take place.

"…the son of perdition"—the only other one who is called this is Judas Iscariot—will know who and what he is and the power behind him. Satan will not give it to him unless he fully acknowledges it, just like when Satan gave the proposition to Jesus (Luke 4)

Verse 4: "The one who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God…" A brand new 'religion; though it's not really brand new; it's the old 'religion' brought back to where it sounds new.

"…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." (v 4). That's why when it gets back there in Rev. 13 where they worship the dragon and the beast both.

Not only are they worshipping the dragon—who is called 'God'—but the man is a manifestation of God. It's all combined together.

Verse 5: "Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things? And now you understand what is holding him back in order for him to be revealed in his own set time" (vs 5-6).

And in his time is the time that it's going to be. There is a time when he will be revealed. You can't force the time, because until he is here he can't be revealed. That's why when you go back 30, 50, 100, 500 years and back, you don't know he is and can't be revealed, because he can't be revealed until he's here.

Verse 7: "For the mystery of lawlessness is already working…"—the mystery of iniquity, and all the religions of the world are 'mystery religions.'

"…only there is One Who is restraining at the present time until it arises out of the midst" (v 7). In other words, until the time when he's brought on the scene, and then he is removed.

Verse 8: "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" (vs 8-9).
Take a whole civilization that is anurd because of TV, that is cynical because of the things that have taken place, to get the whole world stirred up and excited about this is going to take some pretty profound things. This is going to be very profound.

Verse 10: "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in those who are perishing…" They are deceived by any and every means. The whole world is going to be deceived.

"…because they did not receive the love of the Truth, so that they might be saved" (v 10). There is a real dividing line again. When we come down to the end-time, we see that:

• you either are, or you're not
• you either are of God, or you're of the world
• you're either of God, or you're of Satan

No two ways!

Verse 11: "And for this cause God will send… [God is the One Who is doing it] …upon them a powerful deception that will cause them to believe the lie." They are totally deceived.

God is not going to let anyone lose salvation by deception. God is turning them over to the deception that He may have mercy in the Great White Throne Judgment.

Verse 12: "So that all may be judged who did not believe the Truth…" Tie this together the sermon Two Witnesses & False Prophets and understand that there is going to be a great and powerful movement of God on the earth through the two witnesses and the Church when this beast and false prophet come on the scene. It is going to be a confrontation much like Moses and Aaron and Pharaoh and the magicians. We're in for some profound things to take place.

"…but who took pleasure in unrighteousness" (v 12).

• IF the world is going to be deceived and you are part of the system of this world, you have not overcome the beast
• IF you fall victim to the image of the beast and worship it, you have fallen victim to the image of the beast and the system
• IF you receive the mark of the beast—being undeceived—you relinquish salvation

We are not deceived! The world is deceived! God is going to turn them over to the deception. Here's what's going to have to happen. If you being undeceived now and know the Truth, allow yourself to go and willingly accept this system in the world, you do it not deceived; you do it willingly! That's what we need to really understand. You will end up worshipping the dragon, and of course, that has to do with another god, with idolatry and all of that.

Revelation 13:4: "…saying, 'Who is like the beast? Who has the power to make war against him?'" We have seen how they have scaled down all the national armies in the world.

Speculation: What if the peaceful solution to all war is to turn all atomic weapons over to the control of the United Nations? They will have total power! Not just the power of the United States, but all of the nuclear power of all the nations: United States, Russia, France, Britain, China, Pakistan, India altogether! Plus the UN will have control over their armies and they will take away all your guns.

Who is able to make war with the beast? Nobody, except Christ!

Verse 5: "And a mouth speaking great things… [after the wound is healed] …and blasphemies was given to him; and authority was given to him to continue for forty-two months"—3-1/2 years of the Great Tribulation; so the Tribulation cannot begin until:

• the man of sin, the son of perdition, is on the scene and is known
• until he has the deadly wound and is healed and brought back to life

Then the Tribulation starts; it cannot start until then. We have a lot of troubles and difficulties like we're having now with weather and government.

Verse 6: "And he opened his mouth in blasphemy… [2-Thess.2] …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, and to overcome them… [Rev. 17] …and he was given authority over every tribe and language and nation" (vs 6-7). That is an all encompassing power. That's why the Tribulation is going to begin at that point.

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." So, the true saints are going to be the only ones who know, and counted as insane, mad and contrary to the whole system.

That means that sooner or later we will be exposed to the world for who and what we are. God is going to make that known. That's why it says:

Verse 9: "If anyone has an ear, let him hear." We are down to the things of eternal life or eternal death; that's why John says that; if you really truly hear the Word of God.

Verse 10: "If anyone gathers into captivity, he shall go into captivity. If anyone kills with the sword, he must be killed with the sword…." If you're still part of the beast are in the civil system and trying to correct that, you're going to be killed in vain; not as a martyr for God, but in vain because you're trying to modify Babylon when God is going to destroy it!

Most people just don't get it! Republicans, democrats, socialists, communists are not going to save the world. Christ is going to save the world!

"…Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints" (v 10)—meaning that they don't take up arms.

Here's the religious system, v 11: "And I saw another beast rising out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon."

Every time I see these ceremonies going on that they show on television of the Vatican, I can't help but think: here is all this, it looks so good to the world. It's a worldwide thing! That's why the pope wants to be the world's religious leader, to include all religions. But truly the Catholic Church is the only world-religion, everywhere in the world! You can't say Buddhism is; you can't even say that Protestantism is.

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… [so they sanction this new world religion and worship of the beast] … whose deadly wound was healed."

This second beast probably helped resurrect the first beast. Can you imagine what that is? The first beast has a deadly wound and the second beast runs in there and prays for him and he's resurrected. Together they can do great things.

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."

You know there's going to be every test in the world to show this is authentic and not an illusion. It's not going to be mechanical; it's going to be literal fire out of they literal heavens coming down on the earth. God is going to let them have that power. 

Verse 14: "And he deceives those who dwell on the earth…" Here's another part of the deception.

• Were we deceived before God called us? Yes!
• Is the whole world deceived? If you're already deceived then it's easy to have another deception!
• Have we not seen deception upon deception? Yes!

This is why receiving the mark of the beast for someone in the world, already deceived, is not the unpardonable sin. It's going to be 'hell to pay' for them in this life, but it's not the unpardonable sin.

If we accept the mark of the beast it is the unpardonable sin! That's what we need to understand.

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 series: Daniel/Revelation
• Note sermon: The Beast That Was, and Is Not, Yet, Is

I go through and show that the image of the beast has always been a female goddess. That's why all the things concerning the virgin Mary, the goddess Giah, and so forth, all have an impact; mother earth and all that together, that's all part of it.

When they make this image of the beast, which is the 'religious' system—the woman in Rev. 17 that rides the beast—then you make an image for the beast, not necessarily of the beast. I think there will be images of the beast, but the one that's going to count will be the one who is the female goddess.

Verse 15: "And he was given power to give life to the image of the beast…"

Can you imagine a wonderful soothing female voice telling the world how wonderful that this all is? How many people will fall for that? Then all the demonic power behind it! They will cry tears of joy! It's going to be something! There is a 'joy in sin for a season.' There's going to be joy to the people on the earth when this first starts. You cannot have a deception if it starts out bad. If you worship the beast and you drop dead, how many people are going to go along and worship the beast? Nobody! If you worship the image of the beast and you drop dead, no one else is going to want to come up and worship the image of the beast. NO! There's going to be demonic joy! People just will crave it and want it.

"…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" (v 15). Who are the ones who won't worship? Those who have the Spirit of God!

No one is going to receive the mark of the beast until they worship that image of the beast and worship the beast. God is not going to let it be a fingerprint, a thumbprint, and eye-print; it's going to be something that is put on, because you have to show subservience to Satan and the system.

I've got an article here that tells me what they want: A brain implant, not a transplant, allows a man to control his computer. This is fine, it's a paraplegic who can't talk, but whom they put a little chip into his brain that will allow his brainwaves to connect to that chip, which then will interface with a computer. He can do things on the computer just by thinking.

I believe that the mark of the beast is also going to be a control factor. Once you receive it, you give up your free will and your free choice from that time forward. That's why it's such a damnable thing, even for those who are deceived into taking it. What is going to happen to them?

But a far more damnable thing for those who have the Spirit of God, if they should give up on the Spirit of God and go receive the mark of the beast. You're going to be killed if you don't receive it. Many of us, because we don't know how long we have to go, we may be gone and in the grave by that time. But it's going to be for those who follow.

So, I believe it's going to be a combination of control, bar scanning; it's going to be a whole new numbering system. They're going to junk all credit cards, all debit cards, all banking systems, all social security numbers. They're going to have to issue a new number to each person as they receive the mark. You are not going to be in the system, you're not going to be in the computer unless you have that new number and that new mark.

With this implant, the man had to think to do that. Could that also have implications for the mark of the beast, that you have to think to make it work? Could very well be, but they have to have receptacles where they can control you. That's what Satan wants, total control!

People are going to think that this is wonderful. Certainly! It's going to be 'goods and services, buy whatever you want.' You're born into this world and you have a reserve of how many X number of dollars into your account and every year they add so much more to it. I mean, this is going to be something!

Verse 16: "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." The Greek here is 'epi'—upon the right hand or upon the forehead.

If you've seen the television series Babylon V, they control brainwaves. They have a little triangle… Isn't it interesting that it's in the shape of trinity symbol, a triangle, right on the right hand? It's going to be put there, so it's not going to be trickery. You're going to choose to do it, or choose to reject it—one of the two.

There may be a lot who reject it at the last minute, and they may be part of the 144,000 and the great innumerable multitude. So, it's going to be a big day of slaughter when they start that. It's going to make the Inquisition of the past look like kindergarten.

Now the wrath of Satan is going to be upon everyone who doesn't receive it.

Verse 17[transcriber's correction]: "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." A hundred years ago it wouldn't make any difference if you couldn't buy or sell; you could have your farm and take care… They had their own farms, horses, cows, mules and food. They bartered with their neighbors. They didn't need money; they didn't have money. They made their own shoes and clothes and all this sort of thing.

Today, you can't get along without buying or selling. Today we are in such a merchandized world that you have to buy and sell. We can't even exist two weeks without the supermarket, maybe a month or two. But by that time your electricity is shut off, and your house is foreclosed upon. Never have we had a society where buying and selling is so important. The whole world is breathless how the market is going to do.

Concerning prosperity, there's going to have to be prosperity at the end to make it work. So, it's going to have to happen.

There is a lot in the book of Revelation that is so heavy. Every word here is based upon so much that that's why this is the last book in the Bible.

Revelation 14:6: "And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and language and people; saying with a loud voice…" (vs 6-7). The angel is going to preach. If there aren't men to preach or they can't hear the two witnesses, an angel is going to come by and do it. That's going to be something! I think that's going to cause a lot of the great innumerable multitude to repent.

"…'Fear God, and give glory to Him, because the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him Who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters'" (v 7). Rather than a man who is nothing, or Satan who is rebellious.

Verse 8: "Then another angel followed, saying, 'The great city Babylon is fallen, is fallen… [that great city] …because of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, which she has given all nations to drink.'" That's how they're all deceived.

Verse 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… [this has to take place before the mark is given] …he shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed undiluted in the cup of His wrath…'" (vs 9-10).

God does nothing unless He warns first. The third angel's message is not what Ellen G. White says it is. It's what it says here. An angel is going to warn the world. So, there are going to be plenty of witnesses.

"…and he shall be tormented in fire and brimstone in the sight of the Holy angels, and of the Lamb…. [Rev. 16] …And the smoke of their torment ascends into the ages of eternity…" (vs 10-11). It doesn't say that they are tormented forever, but it says that the smoke of their torment. Why is there smoke? Because it's fire and brimstone!

This does not in any way indicate the unpardonable sin. The smoke going up has nothing to do with the unpardonable sin. The unpardonable sin is that if we, as Christians who have the Spirit of God, knowingly reject the Spirit of God and knowingly accept the mark of the beast then we have committed the unpardonable sin. All the people in the world haven't. You would have to include all the end-time generation in that.

Then they are resurrected and God says that now you have been burned up in fire and brimstone once, now we're going to do it again! 'Why, Lord.' Well, you were deceived and received the mark of the beast. 'If I really would have known I wouldn't have done it.' Doesn't make any difference, I'm going to throw you into the Lake of Fire anyway.

There are some people who actually believe that those who receive the mark of the beast have committed the unpardonable sin. NO! If we do, we have! If the world does, it hasn't! But they're going suffer torment. A special punishment is going to come. That's why the warning is given here.

"…and those who worship the beast and his image, and all who receive the mark of his name have no rest day and night" (v 11)—after it comes to this point. At first it's going to be wonderful. When it comes down to the battle, it's going to be horrible.

Verse 12: "Here is the patience of the saints; here are the ones who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven say to me, 'Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from this time forward….'" (vs 12-13)—during the Tribulation that's going on. This couldn't mean the very last minute. How many are going to die in the Lord at the very last minute?

This is during that period when they reject the mark, the beast and the image and they are killed. You patiently keep the commandments of God.

"…Yes, says the Spirit, so that they may rest from their labors; and their works follow them" (v 13). Notice how that's positioned:

• Rev. 14 gives a warning
• Rev. 15 shows those who overcome the mark of the beast (v 2)
• Rev. 16—the very first plague of the seven last plagues are for those who have the mark of the beast

And that's what it's warning about:

Revelation 16:1: "Then I heard a loud voice from the temple say to the seven angels, 'Go and pour out the vials of the wrath of God onto the earth.' And the first angel went and poured out his vial onto the earth; and an evil and grievous sore fell upon the men who had the mark of the beast, and upon those who were worshiping his image" (vs 1-2).

Revelation 14:11: "…and those who worship the beast and his image, and all who receive the mark of his name, have no rest day and night.'

It's interesting that it says the mark of his name. So, you have the name, the number of the name and the mark of his name, and the things that are going to take place with that. Then it shows the rest of the seven angels who pour out their vials.

Revelation 16:8: "And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given to it to scorch men with fire." Can you imagine the fires that will be on the earth because of that? Just look at some of the fires that we see today! Once these things get going there are firestorms, just like an all consuming brimstone, just burning everything in the way.

Verse 9: "Then men were scorched with great heat; and they blasphemed the name of God, Who has authority over these plagues, and did not repent to give Him glory. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; yet, they did not repent of their works" (vs 9-11).

That's what happens. When you come back and look at those who receive the mark of the beast are really going to end up fighting Christ and not repenting. When the second resurrection takes place then the deception will be lifted. Then they will understand what they have done. I can imagine the kind of repentance that they're going to have at that point.

If they don't repent then it's the second death to ensue. So, the whole thing of the mark of the beast and his name and number is really far more reaching than just a simple thing that a lot of people have tried to make it. It's going to be very profound! There are going to be great events taking place. There are going to be:

• warnings from heaven
• warnings from the true preachers of God
• warnings by the two witnesses

This is going to be something that's going to take place!

All Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version

Scriptural References:

• Matthew 24:3
• Psalm 119:18
• John 16:13
• Revelation 1:3
• Revelation 13:18
• Revelation 15:2
• Revelation 13:17
• Revelation 20:4
• John 17:13-16
• Luke 4:4-7
• Revelation 12:9
• Revelation 13:1-4
• 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
• Revelation 13:4-17
• Revelation 14:6-13
• Revelation 16:1-2
• Revelation 14:11
• Revelation 16:8-11

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• 2 Corinthians 4:4
• Revelation 12:3
• Daniel 9
• Revelation 17

Also referenced:

• Book: The Celtic Church in Britain by Leslie Hardinge
• Sermons:
• Two Witnesses & False Prophets
• The Beast That Was, and Is Not, Yet, Is
• Sermon Series: Daniel/Revelation
• DVDs (produced by the Seventh Day Adventist):
• Israel of the Alps
• Mark of the Beast 666

FRC: bo
Transcribed: 4/13/17