Who or What Is the
PROPHETIC BEAST?
By Herbert W.
Armstrong
Who or what is "the wild Beast" of the Apocalypse, or book of
Revelation, chapters 13 and 17? What does Bible prophecy reveal about world
events now leading to Armageddon and the end of this age? This two-part booklet
deals with governments and wars that will bring this world to its final end.
PART ONE — WHO IS THE BEAST?
Bible prophecy reveals events of our time and world-shaking events soon to
change your life.
A major world-shaking event is foretold in the symbolic language of a
mysterious world-dominating wild beast.
The Bible is God's book of history, prophecy and revealed knowledge of God's
purpose and master plan for humanity from its beginning on into eternity. But
the Bible is primarily a book about the chosen nation of
We know little concerning nations, or whether there were nations on earth,
prior to the great Flood. But soon after the Flood, Nimrod founded the
city-states of
First, then, who is the mysterious wild "beast" of Revelation 13 and
17? If you have his mark, you must suffer the seven last PLAQUES! Is he a
mysterious superman world dictator yet to appear? ... Is he the Antichrist? ...
or a government? ... or a church?
THE MOST important question of the hour is: What, or who, is the BEAST, the
IMAGE of the beast, and the MARK of the beast spoken of in the Apocalypse or
book of Revelation?
Whatever this weird beast -- whatever the baffling image -- whatever the
mysterious mark -- it behoves you and me to find out!
For it is those of this very present generation who shall be worshiping this
beast or his image, or shall have received his mark, that will suffer the
unspeakable torture of the seven last plagues!
Ignorance will not excuse! "My people are destroyed for lack of
knowledge," says the Eternal, in Hosea 4:6. And the illustration of
Ezekiel's watchman shows that those who are unaware, because they are not
warned, will suffer just the same (Ezek. 33:6; and
The time is at hand! The plagues of God's wrath will soon be poured out,
unmixed and undiluted -- full strength upon a heedless, God-defying world, and
a careless, lukewarm, indifferent Christianity!
Who Shall Suffer the PLAGUES?
Listen! John in the Apocalypse or book of Revelation describes the last warning
message: "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark
in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath
of God, which is poured out without mixture" (Rev. 14:9, 10). This
prophecy is most significant because it is revealing, in advance, events
immediately ahead of us at this present time.
Listen again!
John, carried forward in vision into the terrible "day of the Lord,"
sees these plagues beginning to fall! "And the seven angels came out of
the temple, having the seven last plagues ... and the first went, and poured
out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon
the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his
image" (Rev. 15:6 and 16:2).
Every sign tells us these things will happen, plunging the world into the most
frantic, frenzied state of anguish ever known, almost certainly within a matter
of the next several years!
Those who suffer the wrath of Almighty God are described as those who worship
the beast, or his image, or have his mark.
It is futile to try to imagine, as so many are doing, what the mark of the
beast may be. These prophecies are real. They are imminent. Because these and
other prophecies have never been understood until now, even churches, the
theologians, evangelists have been ignoring prophecies in general and these
imminent prophecies in particular. Too many are trying to speculate in their
imaginations. But God says, "My thoughts are not your thoughts" (Isa.
55:8).
We can't work this out in our minds. We are face to face with a stern reality,
not an imaginary fairy tale! There is only one way to learn the truth. That is
to study carefully, cautiously, prayerfully, with an open mind yielded to and
guided by the Holy Spirit, all the testimony of all the scriptures that bear on
this question.
We cannot determine what the mark of the beast may be, until we have learned
what, or who, the beast is!
For, of course, the mark is the beast's mark. Who, what then, is the beast?
The Bible DESCRIPTION of the BEAST
The beast, the image of the beast and the mark of the beast are all described
primarily in the 13th chapter of Revelation.
Notice carefully this Bible description. The apostle John was being given this
message for you and me of this day. In the vision he saw "a beast rise up
out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten
crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy."
"And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as
the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave
him his power, and his seat, and great authority" (Rev. 13:1-2).
Now most of those who are teaching and preaching to others on these subjects
overlook entirely this description. For this description will IDENTIFY the
beast.
If the beast is some mysterious superman, or antichrist, soon to appear as
world dictator, he will be a peculiar-looking individual indeed, for he will
have seven heads, and ten horns! Have you ever seen a man with seven heads, and
ten horns growing out of one of his heads? And did you ever see a man who was
like a leopard, and can you imagine a superman coming who will have the feet of
a bear, and the mouth of a lion? And will he appear by coming up out of some
ocean?
Now these, of course, are all symbols. The very word beast is a symbol. And our
problem is to interpret the symbols, for they stand for real, literal things.
But man cannot interpret biblical symbols. And when we know what the heads and
the horns are, what the feet of the bear, the mouth of the lion, and likeness
to a leopard all mean, and then we can know what, or who, the beast really is!
The Bible Interprets Its Own Symbols
The point we want to stress is that the Bible interprets its own symbols! If we
want the truth, we must be guided solely by the Bible interpretation, not man's
interpretations and imaginations.
And the Bible itself tells us what they represent!
In the 7th chapter of Daniel, we find exactly these same symbols described.
Here again are the beasts, the seven heads, the ten horns, and here also is the
lion, the bear, and the leopard. And here the Bible tells us what these symbols
represent.
God had given Daniel understanding in dreams and visions (Dan.
The first was like a "lion" (verse 4), the second was like a
"bear" (verse 5), the third like a "leopard" (verse 6), and
the fourth was so dreadful and terrible it could not be compared to any wild
beast known to inhabit the earth (verse 7)!
Now there was only one head described on the lion, one for the bear, one for
the fourth beast -- but the third beast, the leopard, had four heads -- thus
making seven heads in all! And out of this great and dreadful fourth beast grew
ten horns!
Now notice verse 16, latter part. Here comes the interpretation of the things!
The question is, will we accept this Bible interpretation of the seven heads,
the ten horns, the lion, the bear and the leopard?
"These great beasts, which are four, are four kings which shall arise out
of the earth," is the interpretation of verse 17.
And the word king is synonymous with kingdom, and used only in the sense that
the king represents the kingdom over which he rules, for in verse 23 we read,
"The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon the earth." Notice
also the word kingdom is used to explain the beasts in verses 18, 22, 24, and
27.
Now what do the "horns" represent? Notice verse 24: "And the ten
horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise." Notice the ten
horns, or ten succeeding kingdoms or governments, come OUT OF A KINGDOM, not
out of a man, or a superman. This alone makes plain that the beast is not some
mysterious personal superman yet to come. Also that the beast is not a church
as some claim, for no ten kingdoms ever did, or will, come out of a church. And
since "king" in these prophecies only stands for the kingdom he
represents, and since the words are used interchangeably, it follows that these
ten horns are ten succeeding kingdoms growing out of the fourth kingdom, which
was to rule the earth!
Identification of the Kingdoms
These same four world-ruling gentile kingdoms are described in the second
chapter of Daniel. King Nebuchadnezzar of the Chaldean Empire, who had taken
the Jews captive, had a dream, the meaning of which God revealed to Daniel.
The dream is described in verses 31-35. The king saw a great image. Its head
was of gold, its breast and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of brass, its
legs of iron and its feet and toes were part iron and part clay. Finally, a
stone, not in men's hands, but supernaturally, smote the image upon his feet
and toes. It was broken in pieces and was blown away like chaff. Then the stone
that smashed it became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
"This," Daniel says, beginning verse 36, "is the dream; and we
will tell the interpretation thereof before the king."
“... Thou art this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom
inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule
over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch
as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh
all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise" (verses 36-40).
The interpretation of the stone smashing the image at its toes is found in the
44th verse:
"And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom,
which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other
people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it
shall stand forever." The Stone is Christ and His world-ruling kingdom.
The interpretation of the stone is given many places in the Bible. "Jesus
Christ of
And so we see that here are four universal world-ruling gentile kingdoms. They
begin with the Chaldean Empire, which took the Jews captive to
God had promised ancient
The Fourth Beast
Plainly, here in Daniel 2 are described the same four universal world-ruling
gentile powers that are described by Daniel's four beasts. And this dream-image
identifies who they are. The first was Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom, the Chaldean
Empire, called "Babylon" after the name of its capital city, 625-539
B.C.
The second kingdom, which followed, then, we know from history, was the Persian
Empire, 558-330 B.C., often called Medo- Persia, composed of Medes and
Persians.
All ancient-history students know the third world kingdom was
And the FOURTH KINGDOM, which, developing from Rome, spread out and gradually
absorbed one after another of these four divisions -- "dreadful and
terrible, and strong exceedingly," was the ROMAN EMPIRE (31 B.C. to A.D.
476).
It had absorbed all the others, occupied all their territory, was greater and
stronger than all. It included all the royal splendour of ancient
And thus, this fourth beast was unlike any wild beast of the earth. It was
stronger, greater, more terrible, than any.
And so John, in Revelation 13, sees, not four beasts, but one beast. Not a
leopard, but like a leopard -- possessing all its cunning, cruelty and speed.
But it also possessed the dominant characteristics of the two other most
powerful beasts -- the feet of a bear, and the mouth of a lion. Daniel's fourth
beast, the
And so, if we are willing to be guided solely by the Bible description of this
"beast" and to let the Bible interpret the symbols used to describe
it, we come to the inevitable conclusion that the beast of Revelation 13 is the
Nebuchadnezzar's image, by the two legs, describes the two divisions of the
John also pictures this beast, not as a church or as an individual man, but as
a powerful government having a great army. For they worshiped the beast by
saying, "Who is able to make war with him?" (Rev. 13:4).
The Symbolism of the Horns
Let us now notice the symbolism of the horns of the fourth beast of Daniel 7
and of the beast of Revelation 13.
The ten horns symbolize the same thing -- the ten stages of government
continuing out of the
The ten horns, then, are ten kingdoms to arise out of the fourth kingdom, the
The Deadly Wound
Now let us return to our description of the beast in Revelation 13.
"And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly
wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
"And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they
worshipped the beast saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make
war with him?
"And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and
blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two
months" (Rev. 13:3-5).
The beast here symbolized is the one which included the royal splendour and kingly
power symbolized by the mouth of the lion (
The deadly wound, then, was the one administered to the
Notice, the dragon gave his power to the beast. Who is the dragon?
Some have said "pagan
They worshiped the beast (Rev. 13:4). Therefore some conclude, from this one
statement alone, that the beast must be the papacy, not knowing that the people
worshiped the
History is full of accounts of the worship of the Roman emperors, for paganism
was a state religion. The following is from Robinson's Medieval and Modern
Times, an older college textbook, page 7:
"The worship of the emperor: In a word, the Roman government was not only
wonderfully organized ... everyone was required to join in the worship of the
emperor because he stood for the majesty and glory of the dominion ... all were
obliged, as good citizens, to join in the official sacrifices to the head of
the state, as a god."
But when the seventh head of this great beast received its deadly wound in A.D.
476, was that the end? No, the prophecy says "his deadly wound was healed
... and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months" (verses
3, 5). The ten horns represent ten successive kingdoms to follow out of this
kingdom. So, through the ten horns growing out of this head (the Roman Empire
of 31 B.C.-A.D. 476), the beast (for the ten horns are part of the beast)
continues until the Second Coming of Christ.
The text says one of his heads was wounded to death. The beast included the
seven heads and the ten horns. John sees the beast living in the days of its
seventh head, the
The
Then there was the kingdom of the Ostrogoths, 493-554, another outside foreign
people who ruled in the territory. But they were driven out of
These three kingdoms, sweeping into the Roman territory, filled the period
known in history as the "transition age" (see Myers' Ancient History,
page 571). That is, a TRANSITION between the wound and the healing.
Now Daniel saw a "little horn" coming up among these ten, before whom
these first three were "plucked up by the roots" (Dan. 7:8). That
leaves 7 horns to come. And of the little horn, Daniel 7 says "his look
was more stout than his fellows" (verse 20). The papacy dominated
completely all the horns to follow.
The Deadly Wound Healed
It was the fourth kingdom (symbolized by the fourth horn), succeeding the fall
of the Empire in 476, which really HEALED the deadly wound, and restored the
empire. In A.D. 554, Justinian, Emperor of the East, from
Now, notice verse 5 of Revelation 13. Power was given to this beast, once
healed, to "CONTINUE FORTY AND TWO MONTHS." In the prophecies
pertaining to the times of
Following the healing, in 554, came the Frankish kingdom (French), the
And from 554 to 1814, the duration of the "healed beast," was exactly
1260 years!
At that time, eight of the horns having appeared and gone, the beast itself
went into the non-existent condition symbolized in Revelation 17:8 as the
"bottomless pit." But by the year 1870, Garibaldi had united the many
little divisions in the
The "Heads" the Woman Rode
We shall deal later more specifically with the 17th chapter of Revelation in
this connection. But let us note in passing that the woman mentioned in this
chapter never rode on any part of this beast of Revelation 13 except its last
seven horns! She is the "little horn" of Daniel 7, whose "look
was more stout than his fellows," and who caused the first three to be
plucked up by the roots. And since, in the 17th chapter of Revelation, the
woman rode on all seven of the heads of the beast there pictured, and since she
rode none of the heads but only the last seven of the horns of the 13th chapter
beast, it follows that the seven horns of the "healed beast" of the
13th chapter form the seven heads of the beast of the 17th chapter!
Notice, at the time John saw the beast, five are fallen, one is, and one is yet
to come (Rev. 17:10). The five that are fallen are the five during the 1260
years in which power was given, by religious authority, for the healed beast to
continue. The one that "is," is the kingdom that extended from
Garibaldi to the downfall of Mussolini. It was not in any sense the
power-wielding old Roman Empire, so during the stage of this 9th horn (Rev. 13)
or 6th head (Rev. 17) John speaks of it as the beast that was, and is not, and
shall arise once more out of the bottomless pit.
The 7th head with its 10 horns, in the 17th chapter, will be, as the 17th
chapter explains, the revival of the beast, the Roman Empire, "out of the
bottomless pit" by a "United States of Europe," or federation of
10 European nations centered within the bounds of the old Roman Empire (Rev.
17:12-18). This is actually beginning today!
The entire beast of Revelation 17 -- the revivals of the
The Number of the "Beast" --
666 -- Whose Number Is It?
Where shall we find that mysterious number 666? Does the pope, as some claim,
wear it on his crown, identifying him as the beast of Revelation 13? Or must we
look for it elsewhere?
Here are all the scriptures speaking directly of this number:
"And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name
of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath
understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and
his number is Six hundred threescore and six" (Rev. 13:17-18).
"And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had
gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and
over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of
God" (Rev. 15:2).
Note These Points
From these scriptures, we have the following definite points:
1. The beast has a number and may be identified, if we have wisdom, by this
number.
2. The number is 666.
3. We are told to count this number -- that is, add it up. The same Greek word
is used elsewhere only in Luke 14:28: "count the cost."
4. This number, 666, is the number of the beast. The only Bible interpretation
of this symbol, "beast," is a kingdom or the king who rules it and,
therefore, really is the kingdom (Dan.
5. The expression "the name of the beast, or the number of his name"
makes plain that the number 666 is the number of the name of the kingdom or
empire.
6. The expression "it is the number of a man" shows we must also
count this number in the name of the king, or ruler, over the kingdom
identified as the "beast."
The Beast Is Not the Woman
In the 17th chapter of Revelation we find a beast, and a woman -- a great,
wealthy but fallen woman who was riding the beast. The Bible describes the
symbol "woman" to mean a church (see II Cor. 11:2; Rev. 19:7; Eph.
Let us be consistent. The beast of Revelation 13 is not the woman who rode the
beast -- the beast is the government, and the woman is a church.
The beast of Revelation 13 is the
This beast had a deadly wound (Rev. 13:3). That means the beast ceased
altogether to exist or function as it had since 31 B.C. Yet its deadly wound
was later healed, after which (verse 5) it continued to exist another 1260
years!
Those who believe a church is the beast say this deadly wound came in 1798. But
the church did not cease to function in that year. Napoleon's abuse of the Pope
in 1798 could in no sense be called a wound to death. And those who teach this
do not expect that church to continue on another 1260 years.
The Founder of
The founder and first king of
When John wrote this Revelation, telling us to count the number of the beast,
he wrote in the Greek language. Consequently, we should look for this name, and
the number 666, in this language recognized in the Bible, not in the Latin.
We are all familiar with the Roman numerals, where letters are used for
numbers. All understand that I is 1, V is 5, X is 10, etc. But many do not know
that the Greek language, in which the book of Revelation was written, also uses
letters for numbers.
In the Greek, the language in which Revelation was written, this name was
understood in the second century A.D. to have originally been spelled Lateinos.
It signifies "Latin man" or "the name of
It is indeed no coincidence that the name of the kingdom, its founder and first
king, and of each man in the kingdom, counts to exactly 666!
Certainly the beast stands identified!
And Mussolini, Too
But the same numbers also branded in Latin on the man who dominated the puny
sixth head of the symbolic beast.
Mussolini called himself "Il Duce." Italians shouted "Viva Il
Duce!" which means "long live the chief." Everywhere in
V is 5, V is 5, I is 1, L is 50, D is 500, V is 5, C is 100, E has no number.
Now count them, and you have exactly 666!
Thus this number 666 is indelibly branded upon the
But, some will ask, does not this number apply to the Pope? Some teach
"the words 'Vicarius Filii Dei' are on the Pope's triple crown." The
Pope does, on some occasions, wear a triple crown, but these words are not on
it! We should be careful to prove all things.
Furthermore, these words are in the Latin, not a Bible language. This is not a
name, but a title, and it is the name of the beast, and the number of the name
of the man of the beast we are told to count. Further, this Latin title does
not apply to a kingdom, or empire, but alone to a man.
And so the number 666 is branded on the
Could anything be more conclusive?
The "Two-horned Beast"
Satan has his civil government on earth. He gave it "his power, and his
seat, and great authority."
He also has organized religion as his instrumentality in deceiving the world.
In II Corinthians 11:14, we find Satan is transformed into an "angel of
light." According to Revelation 12:9 and 20:3, he has deceived the whole
world. How?
Paul tells us in II Corinthians 11:13-15. Satan has his ministers who pretend
to be the ministers of righteousness, but are actually false apostles,
deceitful workers, calling themselves the ministers of Christ! Therefore they
claim to be Christian ministers. They are the many, not the few, because all
prophecies say it is the many, not the few, who have been deceived. Satan's
main labor for six thousand years has been the deceiving of the world.
Now turn to the 13th chapter of Revelation, beginning with verse 11:
"And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two
horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon."
Who -- what -- is this "beast"?
Some say it will be the
Why this ignorance, when the answer is so plain? Yes, why indeed?
The Bible Interpretation
Remember, first, the Bible interprets its own symbols! When men put their own
interpretation on Bible symbols, their conclusions are always false!
Notice, after John saw one beast, which we have proved to be the
So this other beast with the two horns is the prophecy of another kingdom or
government. In these prophecies, God pictures to us the earthly gentile
governments as the wild beasts whose characteristics describe them. This
two-horned beast appeared as a lamb. But actually it spoke as a dragon -- its
true characteristic -- for "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaketh" (Matt.
What does the word "lamb" symbolize, in the Bible? The answer is,
Christ (John
So here is some kingdom or government appearing as that of Christ, or the
Christ did not set up a government (kingdom) at His first appearing on earth.
After His resurrection the disciples asked Him if He would at that time restore
the kingdom (Acts 1:6); but He did not. The Church is not the Kingdom. Because
some thought it was, Jesus spoke the parable of Luke 19:11-27 to show that He
first must ascend to His Father's throne in heaven to receive the royal power
to become King of kings, to set up the world-ruling
Now notice carefully Revelation 13:12:
"And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him."
The first beast is the
Now when? "He exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and
causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast,
whose deadly wound was healed" (verse 12). So, it was after the deadly
wound (of A.D. 476) was healed. It was healed when Justinian brought about the
restoration of the Empire in the West in A.D. 554. Consequently this religious
government exercised power after A.D. 554 when the
So here we have pictured a government -- a religious government -- appearing as
Christ's government, masquerading as the
The teaching in that day was that the Second Coming of Christ is fulfilled in
the person of the leaders of the church. The millennium had begun.
For the entire 1260 years, the emperors acknowledged the supreme power of
religion. The church was organized as a governments a dual, two-fold government
(symbolized by its two horns or kingdoms -- for "horns" symbolize
kingdoms also -- see Dan. 7:24). It embodied church government, and it also was
a state or civil government, always occupying a certain amount of territory
over which it, alone, ruled as an independent sovereign State in addition to
actually ruling over the vast civil kingdom called the
Notice, this second beast was to wield power over all the earth, because it was
to cause the earth, and them that dwell therein, to worship this first beast
"whose deadly wound was healed" after 554.
In most any encyclopaedia, under "Millennium," you will read the
history of this very event -- of how the "
Notice Revelation 13:14: "And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by
the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the
beast." Verse 13 says "he doeth great wonders."
So notice these three points:
(1) This beast performs miracles.
(2) He performed them "in the sight of" the
(3) With them he deceived all nations.
All Nations Deceived
Where else, in the Bible prophecies, do we find these same identical facts?
First, note Revelation 17. Here is pictured a woman. In II Corinthians 11:2,
Ephesians 5:22-27 and elsewhere, we learn that "woman" is a symbol
for church. This woman is a fallen woman -- an apostate church -- pictured as
ruling over many nations (Rev. 17:1, 15).
In verse 3, this false church is pictured sitting on a beast "having seven
heads and ten horns." A woman riding a horse guides, controls, the horse.
It does her bidding.
Notice, verse 18, she is "that great city, which reigneth over the kings
of the earth." Notice, verse 2, the inhabitants of the earth have been
deceived by this counterfeit Christianity. Also, Revelation 18:3, she has
deceived all nations.
Next, notice II Thessalonians 2:3-4. The day of Christ -- and the coming of
Christ -- shall not come, until there be a falling away, and a "man of
sin" be revealed. He exalts himself above all that is called God. As God,
he sits in a temple claimed to be the
Here is an important religious figure prophesied to perform miracles and lying
wonders, with which he deceives people everywhere.
At Armageddon
This deceiving religious ruler will still be active clear down to Armageddon
and the Second Coming of Christ! In Revelation 16:13-16 are described three
foul spirits. They come from the dragon which is the devil; from the beast,
which is the civil Roman ruler; and from the mouth of the false prophet
associated with him. "For," continues verse 14, "they are the
spirits of devils [demons], WORKING MIRACLES, which go forth unto the kings of
the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great
day of God Almighty." And they are gathered, finally, at Armageddon! Note
it! Yet future, the Roman ruler, as the
Now notice the last battle of "the great day of God Almighty." In
Revelation 19:19-20 is pictured the beast -- "and with him the false
prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had
received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image."
Note it! Compare with the two-horned beast of Revelation 13:11-17:
(1) Both perform miracles.
(2) Both perform them before, or in the sight of, the beast.
(3) With them, both the false prophet and two-horned beast deceive them that
have the mark of the beast -- cause them to receive that mark (Rev. 13:16).
Certainly, then, this two-horned beast, the false prophet, the man of sin and
the woman that rode the beast are all picturing a counterfeit Christianity.
Did the two-horned beast deceive the very ones who have the mark of the beast?
He did! Continue in Revelation 13:
"And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth" -- how? “... saying to
them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast,
which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life
unto the image of the beast that the image of the beast should both speak, and
cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be
killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,
to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man
might buy or sell [trade, earn a living, hold a job], save he that had the
mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name" (verses 14-17).
So, notice: This two-horned beast not only caused people to receive the mark of
the beast (compare Rev. 19:20), but also perpetrated the forming of an image
that caused the martyrdom of saints. As many as would not worship this image
were caused to be killed. This false church did not kill them -- she caused
them to be killed. History shows that the civil government martyred millions
who were declared "anathema from Christ" or "heretics."
Compare with the woman who rode the Beast in Revelation 17: "And I saw the
woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs
of Jesus" (verse 6).
Certainly these are one and the same.
Now this ecclesiastical organization, which is a twofold government, deceived
the people by saying they should make an image of the beast. Note it (Rev.
13:14) -- that is how it deceived people. What is an image? Dictionaries define
it as a "likeness," or a "copy, representation, model,
semblance, counterpart." So here is a church saying, "Let us make a
model, or counterpart, of the civil Roman government" -- for that is what
the beast is.
Jesus Christ proclaimed the Kingdom, or government of God -- divine government
by will of God and by God's law -- not paganized human government by will of
man and man-made laws. His Church includes all Spirit-begotten saints who have
and are led by the Holy Spirit. Christ is its only Head, and His Kingdom is not
of this world!
Where, then, did human church government derive its present form? "The
first pope, in the real sense of the word, was Leo I (440-461 AID.)," says
the Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, volume
7, page 629. To him the form of government of the
This church government or organization is the image of the beast.
Says Myers' Ancient History: "During the reign of Leo I, the Church set
up, within the
The Britannica calls it an ecclesiastical world empire!
This image -- man-designed and man-ruled church government -- compelled people
to worship the church! And since the church was organized into a worldly
government, this was worship of the image -- false worship -- idolatry!
But this church became a mother, and daughter churches came out of her in
"protest," calling themselves "Protestant." And all have
worldly, political church government. "Upon her forehead was a name
written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS (Rev. 17:5). Her
daughters are called "harlots." Together they are called "
Yes, human-organized churchianity, not Bible-designed spiritual-organism
government, is the image of the beast. It is the pagan political counterfeit of
God's government.
"Come out of her," God says (Rev. 18:4). God help us to heed!
PART TWO — THE MARK OF THE BEAST
The MARK of the BEAST ... It Is Here, NOW!
Better be sure whether this brand is upon you! Without it, no man will be able
to buy or sell! Without it, you may be tortured even to death! But with it, you
shall suffer the SEVEN LAST PLAGUES OF GOD!
SOME used to say this mystic "mark" was the fasces on the old
No subject has been more intriguing and baffling to our generation. Thousands
of sermons have been preached on it -- by professed ministers and evangelists
who themselves did not know what it is! Millions have been curious.
The average sermon on this subject considers one text of Scripture, only!
Only Text Usually Read
This is the sole passage ordinarily quoted:
"And he [the second "beast"] causeth all, both small and great,
rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a MARK in their right hand, or in
their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark,
or the name of the beast, or the number of his name" (Rev. 13:16-17).
From this one passage the speaker customarily uses his imagination. One might
reason that since you will not be able to buy or sell without this mysterious
mark, and since we all wish to be able to buy and sell, therefore we ought to
do all in our power to receive this mark!
But here is an additional passage they neglect to show you:
"And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels
having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God ....
And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues ... And I
heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways,
and pour out the vials of the WRATH OF GOD upon the earth. And the first went,
and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous
sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which
worshipped his image" (Rev. 15:1, 6, and 16:1-2).
If you do have the "mark of the beast," you will receive the seven
last plagues; and they will be terrible beyond description!
How to Tell What It Is!
There are many more references to this subject in the Bible. Instead of looking
at one passage only, then turning away from God's own revelation of this
mystery, and using human imagination and fancy to conjure up the many
ridiculous conclusions being foisted upon a deceived public by persons devoid
of understanding, let us see what GOD says this MARK really is!
Make no mistake, God tells us plainly what it is! It is unmistakably, clearly
revealed and explained in the Bible! But to find God's answer, we must have
before us all of the scriptures referring to this subject!
First, from the text universally quoted (Rev. 13:16-17), notice this: The
"mark" is something that will be very popular -- something the
majority of people will be in favour of, will seek -- which custom will approve
as right.
Everyone wants to be able to "buy or sell." In this scriptural usage
the expression "buy or sell" more literally indicates being able to
buy -- not that stores or those from whom one might make purchases of the
necessities of life would refuse to accept the money, but that the one refusing
the "mark" would not be able to buy, would not be able to earn a
living, to earn a wage or salary, or to engage himself in business.
The "mark of the beast," then, has direct bearing on ability to
engage in business, or to hold a job and earn a living.
But let's look at all the facts God reveals on the subject all the scriptures
bearing on it.
What Is the Beast?
First, then, the "beast" itself. The "mark" is the mark of
the "BEAST." This is described in the first verses of this chapter:
"And I stood upon the sand of the sea," records John, speaking of his
prophetic vision, "and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven
heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name
of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet
were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon
gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority" (Rev. 13:1-2).
The identity of this weird "beast" was revealed in Part One of this
booklet.
Daniel 7 reveals that these "beasts" or wild animals symbolize civil
Governments or world empires. Daniel's first "beast" was like a lion,
and it represented the Chaldean Empire of Nebuchadnezzar, called
This "beast" of Revelation 13 had the mouth, the strongest part, of
the lion; the feet, the strongest part, of the bear; the body of the leopard.
It included, in the ONE Empire it represents, the strength of ALL of Daniel's
"beasts." It is the ROMAN EMPIRE.
Notice, the "dragon" gave this Empire its seat and power, and great
authority. Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 both tell us in plain words this
"dragon" is Satan the devil. It is, then, the political instrument of
Satan in ruling and deceiving the world.
WHOSE Mark?
Note this well! The "mark" is the mark of the sustained the
"beast" is the ROMAN EMPIRE. In Revelation 17 a later stage of this
same wild beast is pictured, and there a "woman" -- a great CHURCH --
sits astride it, guides it, rules over it. But the MARK is the mark of the
ROMAN EMPIRE -- not the Roman Catholic Church.
That is fact number one. Keep that in mind.
Now in verse 11 (Rev. 13) another "beast" is pictured. This beast had
two horns like a lamb, but spoke as a dragon.
This second beast of Revelation 13 is also pictured in Revelation 17 as the
harlot woman who rode the beast. This fallen woman or church is different from
all other churches in one respect. She is organized as a civil government, as
well as an ecclesiastical church. Nations of the world send ambassadors to her,
the same as they do the capitals of other nations.
This church, just as the woman riding an animal guides and directs the animal
-- like, for example, a woman riding a horse -- took over, exercised, wielded,
all the power of the first beast -- the
Notice, further, Revelation 13:15-16:
"And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image
of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the
image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all ... to receive a mark
in their right hand, or in their foreheads" (Rev. 13:15-16).
Now here is a deceived church -- both herself deceived by, and therefore used
by the devil, and also deceiving the world. Notice, this church did not
actually herself kill these martyrs -- she merely caused them to be killed. And
she it was, too, who CAUSES all under her domination to receive the dread MARK
of the beast.
The Brand of
Notice carefully what the above text tells us:
1) "He" -- the leader who originated human civil government, modelled
after that of the
2) "Causeth" all to receive this mark. It is the church, not the
civil government, which forces this brand on people.
3) It is the same power which caused the martyrdom of saints.
4) It brands on the people the mark of the "beast" -- that is, the
mark of the
5) This mark is received in the right hand, and in the forehead.
So the MARK is that of the
TWO Martyrdoms
Next notice when these saints were killed. This will show us when the mark of
the beast is enforced.
"And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of
them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they
held: and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and
true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the
earth?" (Rev. 6:9-10).
Here we find pictured the martyrs of the Middle Ages already dead, at the time
of this vision -- which is the approximate present. They know "Vengeance
is MINE, saith the Lord." They know God's judgments against this
persecuting, deceiving, false church, as described in Revelation 18, are to be
the seven last plagues, poured out "in the presence of the Lamb" at
the Second Coming of Christ. Read of it in Revelation 18. These dead saints are
pictured as crying out to ask "HOW LONG" before the Second Coming of
Christ and the seven last plagues which will avenge their martyrdom. History
tells us that in the Middle Ages more than fifty MILLION were killed, many for
their BIBLE faith and obedience to God instead of obedience to this church
government of man and the devil. Notice, now, what must again happen before the
seven last plagues and the coming of Christ!
"And white robes [symbolizing righteousness and purity] were given unto
every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet a
little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should
be killed as they were, should be fulfilled" (Rev. 6:11).
Christ will not come to take vengeance on this great false church UNTIL another
great martyrdom has taken place!
Note it! There was one martyrdom. Those saints are already killed. Their
resurrection will occur WHEN Jesus returns to earth -- WHEN His judgments are
poured out on this false
This coming great martyrdom is THE GREAT TRIBULATION (Matthew 24:9, 21-22).
This tribulation is not the wrath of God -- the last plagues. It is the wrath
of Satan (Rev. 12:12), inflicted at the behest of HIS apostate church by the
coming "United States of EUROPE" and against the true people of GOD!
It is a persecution -- a torturing -- a martyring of the saints of God -- the
very elect who cannot be deceived (Matt. 24:24). Except those days of Great
Tribulation be shortened, no flesh would be saved. But, for THE SAKE OF GOD'S
PERSECUTED SAINTS those days shall be shortened.
God shall intervene. Christ shall "come quickly."
The MARK Then, and Now
Now compare with these scriptures:
In Revelation 17, picturing this same church as the woman riding the beast,
John writes: "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints,
and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus" (verse 6).
Also: Revelation 20:4 -- "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and
judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded
for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped
the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their
foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand
years."
Now we see WHY these many millions were, and shall be, martyred! It was because
they refused to receive this mark of the beast -- refused to join in this
worship of church and Empire! They obeyed God rather than man! Their lives were
governed by God. They were called out of this world -- no longer any part of
this world. They were the children, the heirs, the future citizens of His
KINGDOM, not the kingdoms of men. But -- note it well! -- they were, as God
commands, subject to the government of MAN. They did not resist -- they yielded
themselves subject to the penalty. They were tortured -- they were killed! But
they obeyed the government of God rather than man where there was conflict.
And, at Christ's coming to rule the world as KING of kings, they shall all be
lesser priests and kings under Him and rule the world!
Do you see what this plainly reveals? Those martyrs, over a thousand years ago,
were killed BECAUSE they would not worship the church, conform to its idolatry
and pagan beliefs and customs, or worship the so-called "Holy Roman
Empire" -- and BECAUSE they refused to receive the MARK Of the beast!
This means the MARK of the beast is something that was forced on people, on
pain of being killed, more than a thousand years ago! The MARK of the beast was
in full existence and enforcement over a thousand years ago!
BUT, since it is those who have the mark of the beast who shall suffer the
seven last plagues at Christ's coming, the dread mark is once again to be
enforced! And those who refuse it are those who shall be MARTYRED in the coming
GREAT TRIBULATION!
Now we begin to find real light shed on this baffling question!
Warning of Third Angel
Soon, now, the time is coming when gross spiritual darkness will cover this
earth -- when no human will be permitted to preach Christ's true Gospel. We
must work while it is day -- the night is fast drawing on when no man can work
for God.
At that time God shall send angels with His final warning to these apostate
nations under sway of this great deceiving church as a final witness against
them. Three such angel messages are foretold in Revelation 14. Notice the final
warning of the third angel:
"If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his MARK in his
forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of
God" -- the seven last plagues, full force, unmixed with mercy (Rev.
14:9-10)!
This shows that although the MARK was branded on all but the martyrs over a
thousand years ago, it is STILL the brand of traditional Christianity today,
and is ONCE AGAIN to be enforced. Once again those who refuse it shall be
martyred. But those who receive it shall suffer the wrath of God without mercy!
You must soon choose whom you will obey -- this coming
A Mark of Obedience
We begin now to see that the MARK of the beast involves a point of OBEDIENCE --
whether we shall OBEY GOD, or reject the commandment of God and obey MAN'S
rule.
It has something to do, then, with the COMMANDMENT OF GOD!
Notice, there are, in general, two classes -- one has the MARK, the other
rejects it and is martyred. Notice now the description of those who refuse this
evil MARK:
"Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the
commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" (Rev. 14:12).
There it is! In verses 9- 11 of this chapter the third angel warns that those
who have the mark of the beast shall be punished by the plagues of God. In the
next verse, the 12th, the saints who do not have the mark are those who KEEP
THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD. Those who have the mark, therefore, are those who
refuse to keep the commandments of God. The MARK of the beast, therefore,
involves a rejection of the COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, or of one of them, for if we
break one we are guilty of all (James
So, one class of people accepts the MARK of the beast.
The other class keeps the commandments of God.
A Mark of Disobedience
Hence, whatever the mark of the beast may be, it means disobedience to GOD'S
government -- to the Commandments of God.
Here's further proof -- here are they who get victory over this mark:
Revelation 15:2-3: "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire:
and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and
over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass,
having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God,
and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God
Almighty; just and true are THY WAYS, thou King of saints."
This corresponds to the children of
They sing the song of Moses, and the song of the Lamb (Christ). Moses pictures
law and God's commandments; the Lamb (Christ) pictures faith and salvation from
sin.
Remember, the beast is the human civil organization of the devil. In Revelation
12, we find Satan stirred to great wrath "because he knoweth that he heath
but a short time" (verse 12). He then starts a great PERSECUTION, or
TRIBULATION against the
"And the dragon [Satan] was wroth with the woman [Church], and went to
make war with the remnant [last generation] of her seed, which keep the
commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ [the Bible]"
(verse 17).
There it is again! Those keeping God's COMMANDMENTS -- those yielding
themselves to God's RULE, and living by every Word of Goodbye the BIBLE --
which is the written testimony of Jesus Christ -- they are the ones the devil
will persecute and martyr through his false church and his reborn Empire!
But Satan knows his own. He will brand his own with a mark, so they shall not
receive this persecution and martyrdom, even as God put a mark on sinning Cain
lest men finding him slay him (see Genesis 4:15). Those in the world who do not
receive Satan's brand -- the MARK of the BEAST -- will suffer Satan's wrath in
the Tribulation.
Thank God, those days shall be cut short, for the elect's sake!
Class on Whom Plagues Fall
There are TWO classes of people. That class which receives the MARK of the
Beast is the class upon whom the PLAGUES OF GOD will fall. So if we can further
identify those who shall receive this WRATH OF GOD, and why God will thus punish
them, we shall further identify what the mark is.
In Ephesians 5 Paul is telling Christians to flee fornication, covetousness,
idolatry -- transgressing the TEN COMMANDMENTS. Then he says: for because of
these things [transgressing God's LAW] cometh the WRATH OF GOD [last plagues]
upon the children of disobedience" (Eph. 5:6).
How plain! The wrath of God -- the seven last plagues -- is coming on those who
DISOBEY God, by violating the Commandments. The plagues fall upon those who
have the mark of the beast!
Those who receive the plagues are breakers of God's commandments, and also at
the same time receivers of the MARK! It becomes more and more plain that the
mark of the beast represents COMMANDMENT-BREAKING.
Notice this again in Colossians 3:5-6: "Mortify therefore your members
which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil
concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry [transgressions of some of
the Ten Commandments]: for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the
children of disobedience."
Notice it also in the prophecies of the Old Testament: "The great day of
the Lord [time of God's wrath -- the last plagues] is near .... That day is a
day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress.... And I [God] will bring distress
upon men that they shall walk like blind men [the plagues! But why?], because
they have sinned against the Lord ... " (Zeph.
What is sin?
"Sin is the transgression of the law" (I John 3:4) --
Commandment-breaking.
The TRUTH Becomes Plain
Now, let's recapitulate! The truth is becoming plain!
1) The mark plainly means the rejecting and breaking of God's commandments. And
in James 2:10-11, God says if we break only one of the commandments, we are
GUILTY of breaking the Legality of all!
2) The
3) The church caused people to be deceived into receiving this mark.
4) Satan gave this
5) Those who refuse this mark are prohibited from "buying or
selling," engaging in commerce, trade, or holding a job.
6) Many of those refusing this mark were, and shall again be, martyred because
of their refusal -- because they keep the Commandments of God!
7) Therefore, the inevitable and plain conclusion is that the mark is something
enforced by the church, originating in the paganism of the Roman Empire, which
a cunning, deceiving devil would seize on as a means of cleverly DECEIVING
people into breaking God's Ten Commandments. And it involves a direct
connection with holding a job -- engaging in business -- earning a living.
Satan is clever -- cunning -- a deceiver. He palms off counterfeits, which look
like the genuine! Naturally he would select the one commandment of God which he
can counterfeit with a substitute -- one in which by human reason alone no man
could see where it would make any difference! He would select the one which
would seem of least importance to the carnal human mind!
He would not try to deceive men on idolatry, profanity, or on stealing, lying,
murder, adultery -- though he has led people into all of these.
But WHAT commandment could it be -- what commandment affecting a man's job or
his business?
There is only one possible commandment -- the one regarded by the largest
number as the "LEAST" of the commandments -- and that is the fourth
commandment, which says: "REMEMBER the Sabbath day, to keep it holy ...
The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God."
No carnal mind can see, without the special spiritual revelation of God through
His Word, where it makes any difference WHICH day man observes.
WHERE DID SUNDAY ORIGINATE? Not with the church, but with the pagan religion of
the ROMAN EMPIRE! It is the day on which the ancient pagans assembled at
sunrise, faced the east (as they do Easter Sunday morning today) and worshipped
the rising SUN. It was Constantine, emperor of the
Why Saints Were Martyred
It was for obeying God's FOURTH Commandment -- keeping the Sabbath- -that
millions were put to death. The local Council of Laodicea, about A.D. 363,
passed this decree: "Christians must not Judaize by resting on the
Sabbath, but must work on that day, resting rather on Sunday. But, if any be
found to be Judaizing, let them be declared anathema from Christ."
The church caused them to be killed. When the church branded one
"anathema" (a heretic), the state police of the Empire began
torturing him. Unless he recanted, he was tortured until he died!
Laws became so strict no man could hold a job, or engage in business, unless he
worked on Saturday and rested on Sunday. And the world will be so geared that
it will be almost impossible for one to "buy or sell" except he
receive this MARK OF THE BEAST!
This is the ONLY COMMANDMENT which was altered by the
What Is a Mark, Anyway?
Now what is a "mark"? In Bible usage it is virtually synonymous with
a "sign," and in one or two places used interchangeably. There is
merely this difference: A "mark" is a brand of identification, forced
on one. Cattle raisers put by force their mark on their cattle -- their brand.
A "sign" is also a badge of IDENTITY, but one voluntarily accepted
and used. A druggist hangs a sign in front of his store. It may say, "JONES
& CO., DRUGS." It identifies. It tells what kind of store, and who
owns it.
Now the beast, in association with the church, used FORCE to brand the Western
world with their MARK. Those who obeyed God and kept His Sabbath were martyred.
They were unable to "buy or sell." But God does not force anyone. God
lets us make our own decision about obeying Him, accepting Christ and becoming
His obedient children.
But is the Sabbath God's SIGN that we are Christians, belonging to HIM?
God's SIGN
Yes, indeed!
It was after God had made, and ratified, the covenant with
It was forty days after that ratification that God made a new, separate,
different covenant between Himself and all who should be His people, to last
forever. This was no temporary covenant, but for all generations, FOREVER.
It is found in Exodus 31:12-17:
"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying ... Verily MY SABBATHS ye shall
keep: for it is a SIGN between me and you throughout your generations."
These generations of
Now WHY is it a sign? Does it IDENTIFY God to us? Does it identify us as HIS?
" ... that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you."
Get the powerful meaning of those words!
It is a SIGN, that we may KNOW that the Eternal is the true God. It identifies
who God is. How? Notice verse 17: "It is a SIGN ... for in six days the
Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was
refreshed." It is the memorial of God's rest from CREATION. Always, in all
parts of the Bible, God identifies Himself as CREATOR. How can we distinguish
who is the TRUE God, from all the false gods?
The true God created everything that is, including everything from which people
have made false gods. Some worshipped the sun. But the Eternal, the true God,
created the sun, and rules it. Some worship idols carved out of stone, or wood,
or marble. But the true God created that from which they were made, and even
the human beings who made them. The Sabbath is GOD'S Sabbath, not the Jewish
Sabbath. Never does the Bible call it the "Jewish Sabbath." It
identifies GOD as the CREATOR.
The Sabbath was made FOR MAN. So said Jesus (Mark
It was for SABBATH-BREAKING GOD SENT BOTH ISRAEL AND JUDAH INTO SLAVERY!
But back to Exodus 31:17-18. It also is the SIGN by which we are identified as
belonging to GOD. We BELONG to whom we obey -- so we read in Romans 6:16! It is
the sign by which we know He is the ETERNAL ... "that death sanctify
YOU." To sanctify is to set apart for spiritual use. The SABBATH sets one
apart from the world, and always did -- as OBEYING and belonging to GOD. Can
you think of ANY REASON why anyone would EVER keep the Sabbath, except to OBEY
GOD? Would any man defy human custom and invite persecution, and be set apart
as different, through human reason? Could any atheist be a Sabbath keeper? THE
SABBATH IDENTIFIES GOD'S PEOPLE!
God's people, we have seen above, are identified as they who KEEP THE
COMMANDMENTS. The world acknowledges all the other nine commandments. The only
one the world rejects is the fourth. The only one that sets one apart from the
world -- that IDENTIFIES one as belonging to GOD -- that is a SIGN of God -- is
the SABBATH.
Notice, verse 16, it is a "PERPETUAL COVENANT." It is a covenant! It
is no part of the Old Covenant -- no part of the law of Moses! It was made with
Notice verse 17: "It is a SIGN between me and the children of Israel
FOREVER." There it is! It is a COVENANT. It Is FOREVER!
When given to physical, flesh-born
"He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three
witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought
worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God ...?" (Heb. 10:28-29).
On Right Hand and in Forehead
God says the penalty for SIN is DEATH! Sin is the transgression of the law. If
we break only this one commandment, we are guilty. The penalty is DEATH!
The Roman church caused people to receive the MARK of pagan
The Sabbath commandment is the ONLY commandment the world will not accept in
its MIND (forehead) and OBEY (by work, or rest, with the HAND). It is the ONLY
commandment that can distinguish between those who have the MARK of the BEAST,
or the SIGN OF GOD.
Now the book of Revelation is written mostly in symbols. The right hand
symbolizes work or labor -- the forehead, the intellect or mind. It has to do
with what we BELIEVE, in the mind, and whether we OBEY, with the hand.
How ABOUT GOD'S SIGN? It also was received in the forehead, and the hand!
Regarding one of God's annual Sabbaths, we read: "... it shall be for a
SIGN unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes
[forehead], that the Lord's LAW may be in thy mouth" (Ex. 13:9).
Deuteronomy 6:1, 6-8: "Now these are the COMMANDMENTS ... and these words
which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart ... and thou shalt bind
them for a SIGN upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine
eyes."
Deuteronomy 11:18: "Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart
and in your soul, and bind them for a SIGN upon your hand, that they may be as
front lets between your eyes."
Also see Proverbs 7:2-3 and Revelation 7:3-4; 14:1.
There is absolute proof! Yes, the truth is very plain!
The Sabbath is God's SIGN, standing, more than any commandment, for OBEDIENCE.
It was symbolically in the HAND and in the FOREHEAD, just as the MARK of the
Beast -- the pagan SUNDAY- -was in the right HAND and in the FOREHEAD!
SUNDAY observance -- Christmas, New Year's, Easter, etc. this is the MARK of
the BEAST!
The church did cause all under the "
Has she stopped?
Just at present she has not the POWER to enforce this mark on everyone. But
there will be a United States of Europe union of ten nations. It will be a
UNION OF CHURCH AND STATE -- and the church once again will sit astride
"The BEAST."
Now notice Daniel 7:21-22: "I beheld, and the same horn [papacy] made war
with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of days came
[Second Coming of Christ] and judgment was given to the saints of the most
High."
Yes, the MARK OF THE BEAST once again will be enforced! No one will be able to
hold a job or engage in business without it. Those refusing will once again be
tortured and martyred -- probably by the secret police of the political state
-- but at the behest of the church!
Today, ALL NATIONS are deceived by this paganism masquerading under the name
"Christianity."
Today,
God's last warning is this: "COME OUT of her, my people, that ye be not
partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of HER PLAGUES" (Rev. 18:4)!
IF you are branded by this MARK rejecting the SIGN of God in your forehead and
hand, you shall be tortured by God's plagues without mercy! Yes, You!
But if you OBEY God -- if you are watching, praying without ceasing -- you
shall be accounted worthy to ESCAPE -- and come under GOD'S PROTECTION (Luke