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Series Code: RAD
Program Code: RAD170022A
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00:01 What does the future hold?
00:02 Where can we find certainty in a world of uncertainty? 00:05 The Book of Revelation provides hopeful answers for today, 00:09 tomorrow and forever. 00:11 Join Mark Finley, 00:12 author and world renowned speaker 00:14 on a journey into the future 00:16 with Revelation's Ancient Discoveries. 00:23 When you look at the Book of Revelation, 00:26 one of the major topics in Revelation 00:28 is this conflict over worship, 00:31 conflict between righteousness and unrighteousness, 00:35 conflict between truth and error. 00:38 And at the heart of that conflict 00:40 is a crisis over worship. 00:43 There are two signs in the Book of Revelation, 00:45 the seal of God and the mark of the beast. 00:49 And in this presentation, we're going to probe both, 00:52 what is the mark of the beast, what is the seal of God. 00:56 And how can we avoid the mark of the beast. 00:59 Let's pray as we enter into this most significant, 01:03 vitally important presentation. 01:05 Father in heaven, 01:07 reveal to us clearly Your truth. 01:12 Help us to see the truth of Your Word 01:15 and may it make a difference in our lives in Christ name. 01:19 Amen. 01:21 The title of this program 01:22 is Revelation's Mark of the Beast Exposed. 01:26 This is part of a series of telecasts called 01:31 Revelation's Ancient Discoveries aired here 01:35 on Three Angels Broadcasting. 01:38 When I was asked to do this series 01:40 on the Book of Revelation, 01:42 I knew that one of the key topics was the one 01:46 we're going to be presenting right now, 01:48 Revelation's Mark of the Beast Exposed. 01:51 Many people are quite confused about the mark of the beast. 01:54 They have the idea that it is 666 branded 02:00 on somebody's forehead. 02:02 And so, they've often said as I've lectured 02:04 on the Book of Revelation. 02:06 I don't want anybody, 02:07 I'm not gonna let anybody brand 666 on my forehead, 02:10 much more subtle than that. 02:13 Some have felt that maybe it's the bar code on cans 02:18 or that which we scan on consumer goods. 02:21 And they have said, you know, that has to do with 666, 02:25 a time when you cannot buy or sell. 02:28 But we need to go to Revelation itself 02:31 and discover some basic things like who is the beast, 02:35 what is the mark of the beast, 02:38 and how can you avoid the mark of the beast. 02:42 The Book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ. 02:46 So as we study this issue of the beast power 02:49 and discover who the beast is, 02:51 we want to be sure that Jesus is central. 02:53 Whoever the beast is or whatever the beast power is, 02:56 whatever that antichrist power is, 02:59 it's something opposite of who Christ is. 03:02 It teaches teachings not in harmony with Jesus. 03:07 So Jesus is always front and center 03:10 in the Book of Revelation. 03:12 But Revelation reveals Jesus' truth 03:15 and exposes Satan's deceptions. 03:19 If there is a pathology or sickness in the human body, 03:23 it's not always pleasant to have a diagnosis 03:26 by a physician that you are sick. 03:28 Let's suppose you had cancer and let's suppose 03:33 that you need a diagnosis before treatment 03:36 which of course you would. 03:38 And let's suppose in that diagnosis, 03:40 the cancer was worse than you thought but the physician said, 03:44 "If you have a very painful operation, 03:48 I know that cancer can be removed. 03:51 We can get it. 03:53 It has not yet metastasized, the growth is growing. 03:56 We need to cut it out." 03:58 You and I wouldn't look forward to surgery, 04:01 but we would look forward to saving our life. 04:04 Sometimes in life, you have to go through things 04:07 that are quite painful for the ultimate result 04:11 of saving your life. 04:13 So the subject of the mark of the beast 04:15 is not a pleasant one at times to discuss 04:18 because we're looking 04:20 at some long cherished religious opinions. 04:23 And I want to do this as kindly, as lovingly as I can, 04:27 but wouldn't you expect me as a preacher of the Word of God 04:31 to share truth with you even at times if that truth 04:35 were painful if it could save your very life. 04:41 Revelation 13:1 says, 04:43 "Then I stood on the sand of the sea. 04:45 And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, 04:48 having seven heads and ten horns, 04:51 and on his horns ten crowns, 04:53 and on his heads a blasphemous name. 04:57 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, 05:01 his feet were like the feet of a bear, 05:03 his mouth like the mouth of a lion." 05:07 "The waters which you saw..." Now water... 05:11 You see, this beast comes up out of the water, 05:13 so let's pause here for a moment. 05:14 We have to let Revelation describe its own symbols. 05:18 So remember the beast comes up out of the water, 05:20 what do the waters represent? 05:22 Revelation 17:15, "The waters which you saw, 05:26 where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, 05:28 nations, or tongues." 05:30 We've studied about that harlot, 05:32 that false religious system in Revelation 17. 05:35 But what do the waters represent? 05:37 They represent peoples. 05:38 So a beast coming up out of the sea, 05:42 like we saw in Revelation 13 that we just read, 05:45 represents something, a power coming up 05:49 out of the peopled area of the world, 05:52 out of a population based, not of an area 05:54 that is not populated. 05:57 So in Bible prophecy, we look at the symbols 06:00 and the symbols explain themselves. 06:02 Waters represent people. 06:04 We sometimes use the expression 06:06 "the great sea of humanity", 06:09 and so it's a very common symbol. 06:12 Now in the Book of Revelation, not only in Revelation 06:15 but throughout Bible prophecy, what does a beast represent? 06:20 A beast represents a king or a kingdom. 06:23 Daniel 7:23, "Thus he said, 'The fourth beast 06:28 shall be the fourth," what? 06:29 "Kingdom on earth."' 06:32 When you read these prophetic symbols, 06:34 they are quite common throughout scripture 06:38 and they are consistent. 06:40 You read about a beast representing 06:42 a king or a kingdom in the Book of Daniel, you carry that over 06:47 to the Book of Revelation, a beast represents 06:49 a king or a kingdom. 06:51 So the beast coming up out of the sea 06:54 represents a kingdom 06:56 arising in a populated area of the world. 07:01 So a beast represents a political power 07:04 or it could represent a political religious power 07:07 but something that has authority. 07:10 Now where does this new power get its authority from? 07:13 Revelation 13:2, "The dragon gave him his power, 07:18 his throne, and great authority." 07:21 So his throne of rulership comes from the dragon. 07:25 This is Revelation 13. 07:27 If you go back to Revelation 12, 07:31 you'll notice something about this dragon. 07:36 In Daniel 7, you have four beasts. 07:40 You have lion with eagle's wings, Babylon. 07:43 You have a bear with three ribs, Medo-Persia. 07:46 You have a Greece with the leopard like 07:49 beast describing Greece. 07:52 And then you have this really non-descript 07:54 dragon like beast representing Rome. 07:57 So back in Daniel 7, 08:00 the fourth beast represents Rome. 08:03 The beast that comes up in Revelation 13 08:05 is this composite beast. 08:07 You remember how it read, 08:08 "I stood upon the sand of the sea, 08:10 saw another beast come up out of the sea 08:12 having seven heads and ten horns. 08:14 Upon his horns ten crowns, 08:15 upon his head the name of blasphemy. 08:17 The beast which you saw was like," unto a what? 08:19 "Leopard," there you see it, 08:20 "feet like the feet of a," what? 08:22 "Bear, mouth like the mouth of a," what? 08:23 "Lion and the dragon." 08:25 See again, it's describing the Babylon, 08:28 Medo-Persia, Greece, pagan Rome of Daniel 7. 08:33 There is another interesting aspect of this dragon's work. 08:38 You look at Revelation 12:4-5, 08:42 "The dragon stood before the woman 08:45 who was ready to give birth," 08:46 So now this is the dragon in Revelation 12. 08:49 Who do they represent? 08:51 "To devour her Child as soon as it was born." 08:54 So the dragon to devour the Child. 08:57 Who is the Child? Child is Jesus, of course. 09:00 And who is the dragon in Revelation 12? 09:05 It says the dragon which you saw is Satan. 09:07 So how do you harmonize the dragon being Satan 09:09 and the dragon being pagan Rome? 09:11 Satan always works through some earthly power. 09:15 So in Revelation 12, the dragon is working 09:19 through pagan Rome to destroy Jesus. 09:23 In Revelation 12, 09:25 the dragon Satan is bent on destroying Christ. 09:29 Now remember, it was a Roman official Herod 09:32 that passed a decree that all male children be killed. 09:37 The dragon, Satan working through pagan Rome 09:41 to destroy Jesus. 09:43 It was a Roman governor Pilate that sentenced Christ to death 09:46 and ordered His crucifixion. 09:48 Again, the dragon, Satan 09:51 working through pagan Rome to destroy Jesus. 09:54 You look again, it was a Roman emblem that sealed Jesus' tomb 09:59 and Roman soldiers that guarded it. 10:01 Again, the dragon working through pagan Rome 10:04 to destroy Jesus. 10:06 So when you come to Revelation 13 10:09 and you see the dragon gave the power 10:13 and great authority to this beast coming up, 10:17 this new power that's rising in Revelation 13. 10:20 You have to raise a question, 10:21 since in Daniel 7, the dragon-like beast, 10:24 non-descript beast is pagan Rome. 10:27 Since in Revelation 12, 10:29 the Satan works through pagan Rome. 10:34 Who did pagan Rome give its power, 10:36 throne, and great authority to? 10:38 Let's go to history. 10:39 We'll find six identifying characteristics 10:43 of this beast power that leave no question, 10:47 no shadow of a doubt what the beast power is. 10:50 First, it gets its authority from pagan Rome. 10:54 Professor Labianca, the Professor of History 10:58 in the University of Rome said this, 11:00 "To the succession of the Caesar's 11:02 came the succession of the Pontiffs in Rome. 11:07 When Constantine left Rome..." 11:10 Now this is Professor Labianca, 11:12 Professor of History, University of Rome. 11:13 "He gave his seat to the Pontiff." 11:16 What did Revelation 13 say? 11:19 That this beast power would get its seat of government, 11:23 its authority from pagan Rome. 11:27 So who got its authority from pagan Rome? 11:29 It was, of course, papal Rome or the Pontiff. 11:33 So the beast power identified here in Revelation 13 11:39 would have to be papal Rome 11:41 because it got its seat of government from pagan Rome. 11:45 The Pontiffs sat there in the throne of the emperors 11:50 or the Caesars. 11:52 Stanley's History, page 40, 11:55 again we go to history says this, 11:57 "The popes filled the place of the vacant emperors of Rome, 12:02 inheriting again their power, prestige, 12:06 and titles from paganism. 12:10 The papacy is but the ghost of the deceased Roman Empire, 12:14 sitting crowned upon its grave." 12:17 This is not a preacher, this is Stanley's History. 12:19 Now let me assure you, the beast is not a person. 12:24 The Bible doesn't say the beast is a person. 12:26 The beast is always a power, 12:28 a political power or a religious power. 12:32 It is a religious- political system. 12:35 Let me pause as well here. 12:38 In our Ancient Discoveries series 12:42 on the Book of Revelation, 12:44 in our Revelation's Ancient Discovery series, 12:46 it's not our goal to condemn, 12:49 blaspheme any religious organization. 12:54 There are many wonderful, wonderful godly people 12:59 in the Roman Catholic community. 13:01 I was brought up in a lovely Catholic home. 13:04 My mom was Roman Catholic, 13:06 and I was educated by the priest 13:08 and the nuns for much of my life, 13:11 the first eight years of my education. 13:13 And I look back at that with deep thanks giving. 13:16 One of the things that I really appreciate is learning 13:20 to memorize my Roman Catholic teachers, 13:24 my nuns really taught me how to memorize a great deal. 13:26 So I thank God for that, and I remember the first time 13:29 I heard a message like this. 13:31 It really tore me apart inside. 13:33 But, you know, when you look at Scripture, 13:36 you have to say, "I don't want to go the easy way." 13:40 We have to say, "What is truth? 13:42 And if this is clear truth, I want to follow it." 13:45 So let's look at the identifying characteristics 13:48 of this beast power. 13:50 Then let's look at the mark of the beast, 13:52 let's look at the seal of God, 13:53 and try to put all that together tonight. 13:55 The Beast of Revelation 13 13:56 describes a religious political power system 13:58 that would grow up out of Rome 14:00 after the fall of the Roman Empire. 14:04 Now notice another characteristic. 14:06 Revelation 13:8, 14:07 "All who dwell on the earth will worship him..." 14:10 In other words, it is a system of religious authority 14:15 or worship. 14:17 It talks about all over the world, 14:20 there would be this worldwide religious power. 14:22 So whoever the beast power is in Revelation 13. 14:25 It can't be something done in a corner. 14:27 It's not an individual. 14:29 It's a political, religious system that spans the globe. 14:34 There's another characteristic of this power as well. 14:38 Revelation 13:5 said, 14:40 "He was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies." 14:44 According to the Bible, what is blasphemy? 14:48 How does the Bible itself define blasphemy? 14:53 What does the Bible say that blasphemy is? 14:55 Jesus was charged with blasphemy, 14:58 He certainly wasn't a blasphemer. 15:01 But John 10:33, 15:03 "The Jews answered Him, saying, 15:05 'For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, 15:09 and because You being a Man, make Yourself God.' 15:12 So any human being that claims the authority of God 15:18 is indeed a blasphemer because blasphemy 15:22 is what a human being claims authority of God. 15:25 Does the Roman Church make that claim? 15:29 One must be fair with history. 15:31 And so let's go to the original sources. 15:36 In Encyclical Letters of Leo XIII, 15:39 of course, pope, 15:40 "We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty." 15:46 Another aspect of blasphemy is found in Mark 2:7, again, 15:50 the Pharisees, Scribes say, religious leaders of Judaism, 15:55 "Why does this Man, Jesus, speak blasphemies like this? 15:58 Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 16:01 So they are claiming Christ as a blasphemer, why? 16:05 Because He has the power to forgive sins. 16:07 Was Jesus a blasphemer? 16:09 No, not at all. Why not? 16:11 Because He was God 16:13 and therefore could claim the power to forgive sins. 16:18 But yet, any earthly power that would claim 16:21 the power to forgive sins 16:23 would enter into what the Bible calls blasphemy. 16:26 In the book The Dignities and Duties of the Priest, 16:30 we read this sentence, 16:34 and this is volume 12, page 2, 16:36 Dignities and Duties of the Priest 16:38 is a book that priests get to study their responsibilities 16:43 as a priest for the priesthood. 16:45 "God Himself," this is amazing, 16:48 "God Himself is obliged to abide 16:49 by the judgment of His priest, 16:52 and either not to pardon or to pardon, 16:55 according as they refuse or give absolution... 16:59 The sentence of the priest precedes, 17:02 and God subscribes to it." 17:04 Again, I'll let you judge for yourself. 17:08 The Bible says blasphemy is claiming 17:10 to be equal with God. 17:12 Does the church do that? They claim to. 17:15 The Bible says blasphemy 17:17 is claiming the power to forgive sins. 17:19 You've seen the clear statement. 17:20 I need not comment on it. 17:23 Honest hearted people 17:25 guided by the Spirit hear the call of God 17:28 to their hearts and want to step out 17:32 from falsehood and tradition. 17:34 Jesus is our only priest. 17:37 And I remember a time 17:39 when my mother was sitting in the backyard of our home 17:43 there in Norwich, Connecticut. 17:46 And I came out in the back, it was a hot sunny July day, 17:50 I had come to Jesus, 17:51 I had heard and understood these truths 17:54 that I so wanted to share them with mom, 17:56 my dad had already accepted them, 17:58 came out in the back porch and I said, 18:00 "You know, mom..." 18:01 When I was taught in catechism, 18:03 I was taught that I needed a priest 18:06 because the priest would be a mediator between God and me, 18:10 that I was not good enough to approach God, 18:12 but mother let me read your Bible text. 18:14 And I read here 1 Timothy where it says, 18:17 "There is only one mediator between God and man, 18:19 the man Jesus Christ." 18:21 And I noticed tears coming out of her eyes 18:23 because she began to understand, 18:25 maybe for the first time in her life, 18:27 the all supremacy of Christ. 18:29 We are not good enough to appear before God, 18:31 we need a priest. 18:32 But Jesus is our priest. 18:34 So here are three characteristics 18:36 of the beast power. 18:37 They have authority, 18:39 the beast power gets its authority from 18:40 pagan Rome, papal Rome did. 18:41 It is a worldwide religious power, 18:43 papal Rome is. 18:44 It claims equality with God, papal Rome does. 18:48 But notice, Revelation 13:7, 18:50 "It was granted to him 18:52 to make war with the saints and to overcome them." 18:53 In other words, during the Middle or Dark Ages, 18:56 church and state would unite and this power would become 18:59 a persecuting power. 19:01 Did church and state unite under Rome 19:03 and persecute those 19:05 that didn't go along with its teachings? 19:06 There is only one answer to that. 19:08 You look at history 19:09 and certainly the answer is yes. 19:12 This would be a persecuting power 19:15 during the Dark or Middle Ages. 19:18 There is a fifth characteristic. 19:21 It says, Revelation 13:5, 19:23 "He was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies." 19:26 In other words, the power to forgive sins, 19:28 exalting one's authority above the authority of God. 19:32 "And he was given authority to continue for 42 months." 19:35 Now what's that all about, 19:37 authority to continue 42 months. 19:41 Here is mathematical proof of this identity. 19:46 In Bible prophecy, one prophetic day 19:49 equals one literal year. 19:50 You read that in Ezekiel 4:6, Numbers 14:34. 19:57 He says, "I have given you one day for a year." 19:59 Now every time you read about a day 20:01 in Bible prophecy, 20:02 in the Bible, rather, it's not a year, 20:04 but when you read about it in Bible prophecy, 20:07 it is a symbol. 20:08 You have symbolic prophecy. 20:10 You have beast coming up out of the sea, 20:12 you have like a lion with eagle's wings, 20:13 nothing like that in natural phenomenon. 20:16 You have a bear raising itself up on 20:19 one side with three ribs in its mouth. 20:21 You have these symbols, 20:23 you have the leopard with four heads, 20:24 and the wings, and this dragon-like beast. 20:27 And then you have time prophecy 20:29 in the context of those symbols. 20:31 And so where you have symbolic prophecy, 20:35 you have symbolic time prophecy as well, 20:37 so one prophetic day equals a year. 20:40 So in the Bible, 20:42 there are 30 days in a prophetic month. 20:44 So this power would reign for 42 months, 20:47 or 1260 prophetic days, 20:50 or 1260 literal years, 20:53 what is that all about? 20:55 The papal power rose to its ascendancy. 21:00 When Vigilius II was crowned by Justinian, 21:06 the pagan Roman emperor, there in 538 A.D. 21:10 Now before that time, 21:11 the last of the Barbarian or the Arian tribes 21:14 are driven out of Rome and here the significance 21:18 of this day is papal authority 21:22 is given at this point. 21:24 The papacy ruled for 1260 years, 21:28 certainly there was the reformation 21:30 during this time with Luther, and Zwingli, 21:33 and Hus, and Jerome, and the other reformers, 21:35 but if you take 1260 years and you add it to A.D. 538, 21:39 you come to A.D. 798. 21:42 What happened in A.D. 798? 21:44 The Bible is very, very plain. 21:47 Napoleon looking down to the South 21:51 sees the pope of Rome as a rival. 21:53 And so he sends his General... 21:54 He actually sent him the year earlier 21:59 but the General came back empty-handed. 22:01 He goes down in 1798, it's Berthier, 22:04 exactly in that year that Bible prophecy predicted. 22:08 General Berthier enters Rome, 22:10 takes the papacy captive during that time, 22:14 takes the pope captive. 22:16 The pope eventually dies in captivity. 22:18 There are a number of rivals that battle for the papacy 22:23 and that's an interesting history in itself. 22:25 But here is the point that in 1798, 22:29 the pope is taken captive. 22:31 What does history tell us about these remarkable events? 22:34 Church History, page 24, 22:37 "The murder of a Frenchman in Rome in 1798 22:41 gave the French an excuse for occupying the Eternal City 22:44 and putting an end to the Papal temporal power. 22:48 The aged Pontiff himself 22:50 was carried into exile into Valence... 22:53 The enemies of the Church rejoiced." 22:55 They fought of course, 22:56 "The last pope, they declared has resigned." 22:59 So 538 A.D. French put a crown on the king. 23:05 Their emperor Justinian, enables the king, 23:10 rather enables the pope to sit upon his throne 23:15 and gives him civil authority at that time. 23:19 Then 1798 occurs, what takes place? 23:24 Napoleon sends his French General down. 23:27 He overthrows Rome, takes the pope captive. 23:31 So from 538 to 1798, 23:33 the receiving of authority, 23:35 the removing of authority 23:36 exactly like the Bible says in that 1260 year period. 23:42 Now what does the Bible say about this. 23:43 Let's look at it, very carefully. 23:46 "And I saw one of his heads 23:47 as if it had been mortally wounded..." 23:49 In fact, that's what many people thought 23:51 that the papacy was mortally wounded. 23:53 "And his deadly wound would eventually, 23:55 of course, be healed. 23:56 And all the world would marvel or follow the beast again." 24:00 So the Bible predicted 24:01 that the pope would go into captivity, 24:03 it would be a deadly wound, 24:05 but that deadly wound would be healed 24:07 and the pope eventually would achieve 24:09 worldwide prominence or authority again. 24:12 So here are five characteristics, 24:15 five identifying characteristics 24:18 of the beast power of Revelation 13. 24:20 It would get its authority from pagan Rome, it did. 24:24 It would be a worldwide religious power, it was. 24:27 It would claim equality with God, it indeed did. 24:30 It was a persecuting power 24:32 during those Dark Ages, it was. 24:34 It would reign for 1260 years, exactly, 24:37 historically like the Bible says. 24:39 But there is another identifying characteristic 24:41 found in Revelation 13:18. 24:44 It says, "Here is wisdom. 24:45 Let him who has understanding calculate," 24:48 or compute, "the number of the beast, 24:50 for it is the number of a man and His number 24:54 is six hundred and sixty-six." 24:56 So when you look at that, it says let's calculate. 25:00 Now I want to, here, be sure we understand, 25:03 666 is not the only identification of the beast. 25:08 In fact, if we didn't have 666, 25:10 we could still easily identify the beast from those 25:13 five characteristics outlined in Revelation 13. 25:17 But it does help to confirm that identity. 25:20 Now in the Bible prophecy, of course, 25:22 seven equals perfection, 25:25 the six equals apostasy or rebellion 25:28 throughout Scripture. 25:30 One of the official titles of the papacy 25:33 is Vicarius Filii Dei or Vicar, the Son of God. 25:37 This is one of the very authoritative, 25:41 one of the official titles of the papacy, 25:44 Vicarius Filii Dei. 25:47 In fact, it's one of the most exalted titles 25:49 because it means Vicar, the Son of God. 25:52 If you take Vicarius Filii Dei 25:56 and you compute that in Roman numerals. 26:00 And, of course, in the days of John, 26:04 you had the use of these Roman numerals 26:07 and Roman numerals are very common symbol 26:10 or common system of computation. 26:13 V would equal 5, I would equal 1, 26:16 C would equal a 100, A would equal 0, 26:19 R would equal 0, I would equal 1, 26:24 U, that's same as V, that would equal 5, 26:26 S would equal 0. 26:28 So you just have 5, and 1, and 100, 1, 26:30 and 5 that is 112. 26:34 Then F, Filii, would equal 0, 26:37 I would equal 1, L would equal 50, 26:40 I would equal 1, and I would equal 1 again. 26:42 You've got 53. 26:44 D in the Dei, Vicarius, Vicar, the Son of Filii Dei, God. 26:50 D would equal 500, E will equal 0, 26:53 and I would equal 1. 26:54 That's 501. 26:56 If you add them up, 112, 53, and 501, 27:00 here's wisdom that human would have understanding, 27:03 calculate or compute the number of the beast. 27:05 It's the number of its name 27:08 and that is the number of a man. 27:10 So notice the name or title of the papacy, 27:13 Vicarius Filii Dei, you'll get 2, and 3, and 1, 27:15 that's 6, 1, and 5, and 0, that's 6, and 5 and 1 is 6. 27:19 So you have 666. 27:21 So the beast power outlined 27:23 in Revelation 13 is a religious power. 27:28 It's a power that would rise out of Rome 27:31 and assert religious authority. 27:34 Now notice what Scripture says. 27:38 Each of these identifying characteristics 27:40 must be present. 27:42 They are, of course, in the papacy. 27:45 "He causes all, both small and great, 27:47 rich and poor, free and slave, 27:51 to receive a mark on their right hand 27:53 or on their foreheads, 27:55 that no one may buy or sell 27:57 except the one who has the mark or the name of the beast, 28:00 or the number of his name." 28:02 What is this talking about? 28:05 The mark of papal authority, 28:08 the mark of papal authority that would be 28:10 enforced at a time of universal crisis, 28:14 famine, fire, flood, 28:17 earthquake, hurricane, 28:19 natural disaster, war, conflict, 28:23 strife, economic disaster. 28:26 So around the world, the Bible teaches 28:29 that before the coming of Jesus, 28:31 there would be great disaster. 28:32 And the human race would look for 28:34 a single world-ruling authority 28:37 to bring human beings together 28:40 to bring peace back to the world 28:42 under the auspices 28:44 of the sign or mark of that authority. 28:47 Now in Bible prophecy, 28:50 what is indeed this mark of the beast? 28:54 To understand the mark of the beast, 28:56 we must first understand God's sign, seal, or mark. 29:01 In the Book of Revelation, 29:03 you have both the mark of the beast and the seal of God. 29:07 So you can't fully understand the mark of the beast 29:11 unless you understand the seal of God. 29:13 So in Revelation 7:2-3, it says, 29:17 "Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, 29:21 having the seal of the living God." 29:24 So what is this seal of the living God? 29:27 "Then the angel says, 29:28 'Hurt not earth or the sea until we have sealed 29:32 the servants of God in their foreheads."' 29:36 Now notice, "He cries with a loud voice 29:38 to the four angles to whom it was granted 29:40 to harm the earth and the sea..." 29:41 In other words, 29:43 hold the strife back, hold the destruction back, 29:46 hold the calamity, the conflict back 29:49 until something happens, 29:51 till we've sealed the servants of God, where? 29:53 In their foreheads. 29:55 "saying, 'Do not harm the earth, 29:57 the sea, or the trees 29:59 till we have sealed the servants of God 30:01 in their foreheads."' 30:02 'Did you notice something interesting? 30:03 The mark of the beast is received either in the forehead 30:05 or in the hand, 30:07 the seal of God only in the forehead. 30:09 We will understand that why shortly. 30:11 So what is God saying here? 30:13 He is saying, "Before the mark of the beast 30:14 goes forth, 30:15 I want My people to receive My seal, 30:17 the seal that they are mine, the seal that I own them, 30:21 the seal that they belong to me, 30:23 the seal that they are the creators." 30:27 The mark of the beast is enforced either in the hand 30:30 or in the forehead. 30:32 The forehead is a sign of the brain. 30:35 It's a sign of conscience, reason, and judgment. 30:38 It's a symbol of the intellect, the forebrain. 30:42 So the devil either deceive people 30:45 by the millions into following him 30:46 in their mind, 30:48 whereas the hand is a symbol of force, 30:51 coercion, power. 30:53 So the devil doesn't care 30:54 if he deceives you like the serpent, 30:57 or he forces or coerces you like the dragon 31:01 and since you can't buy or sell 31:03 and there's this economic boycott 31:05 or there's this death degree. 31:06 The devil doesn't care which way he gets you. 31:09 God never appeals to us through force or coercion, 31:14 but He only appeals to us through truth and love. 31:19 The devil can use force and fear. 31:23 Jesus only uses love and truth. 31:27 Forehead means you're convicted it's right. 31:30 The hand means you're conversed to go along, 31:33 you're coerced to go along with it. 31:36 Jesus only appeals to our logic. 31:40 God never ever use His force. 31:43 He wins us by love. 31:45 Now what is this seal? 31:47 What's another name for the seal? 31:48 Romans 4:11, talking about Abraham, 31:51 "He received the sign of circumcision, 31:54 or a seal of righteousness..." 31:56 In the Bible, a sign or a seal 31:59 is the same thing. 32:02 A seal authenticates a document. 32:06 Where do we find God's eternal code of conduct? 32:09 Of course, in His law. 32:11 So the Holy Spirit which is the sealing agency. 32:14 The Bible says in the Book of Ephesians, 32:16 "Grieve not the Holy Spirit," Ephesians 4:30, 32:19 "Whereby you're sealed until the day of redemption." 32:22 So the Holy Spirit seals 32:23 in your heart loyalty to Christ, 32:26 seals in your heart commitment to God's law. 32:29 The Holy Spirit places within you that power, 32:32 that strength, that desire to serve Christ 32:34 and Him alone. 32:35 Look, Isaiah 8:16, 32:37 "Seal the law among my disciples." 32:41 So God's seal is found in His law. 32:44 The Holy Spirit seals the law in our hearts or in our lives. 32:50 What's another name for seal? 32:51 It's sign. 32:53 Ezekiel 20:12, 32:55 "Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, 32:58 to be a sign between Me and them..." 33:00 So God's Sabbath is His sign or His seal of ownership 33:06 and authority. 33:08 In all of the Ten Commandment law, 33:11 there's only one commandment that tells us 33:13 why we keep the commandments. 33:16 You read the commandment, 33:17 it says, "Honor your father and mother." 33:19 Why you should that? 33:20 I mean, it's the right thing to do, yes. 33:22 Thou shall not kill, why not? 33:23 Thou shall not steal, why not? 33:24 Don't commit adultery, don't covet, why not? 33:26 Don't have any other gods before you, why not? 33:28 Don't take the name of the Lord, 33:30 your God in vain, why not? 33:31 No images, why not? 33:33 Why not? 33:34 Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 33:36 "Six days shall thou labor into all thy work 33:38 but the seventh day is the Sabbath 33:40 of the Lord, thy God. 33:42 In it, thou shalt not do any work. 33:44 For the Lord made the heaven, the earth, the sea, 33:47 and all that in the midst." 33:48 Why not? 33:50 Because God created you, because God fashioned you. 33:54 Revelation 4:11, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, 33:57 to receive glory, and honor, and power, 33:59 for You created all things." 34:01 So the Sabbath is the symbol of the Creator God. 34:05 It's the symbol that we belong to Him. 34:07 It's the symbol of His ownership. 34:10 So the seal of God is really the Holy Spirit 34:14 placing within our heart and mind 34:16 the desire to be loyal to Christ. 34:18 "666 symbolizes man's rebellion in changing God's law 34:24 which is His sign, His seal, or His mark of authority." 34:29 Now, royal seals were commonly used 34:33 throughout the Old and New Testament period. 34:36 Royal seals always would have the name of the sealer, 34:41 the title of the sealer, and his territory. 34:43 So if you have a royal seal for Constantine, 34:46 for example, it would say name, Constantine, 34:48 title, Emperor, and territory, Roman Empire. 34:52 If you had a seal of the United States 34:55 for say Abraham Lincoln, 34:56 it would say name, Abraham Lincoln, 34:58 title, President, 35:00 his domain or territory, United States. 35:03 So seals were commonly used to authenticate a document. 35:07 Even now if you go down to a justice of the peace, 35:13 if you go down to a notary public, 35:15 you have a seal. 35:16 You have an important document bring it down to the notary, 35:20 and the notary will put their seal on it. 35:21 The seal will have the name of the notary, 35:24 it'll have the titlen of the notary, 35:27 and it will also have the territory of that notary. 35:32 Now God's seal in His law, the Sabbath, 35:36 has His name, His title, and His territory. 35:39 It says, "Remember the Sabbath day 35:41 to keep it holy." 35:42 "Six days shall thou labor and do all thy work, 35:44 but the seventh day is the Sabbath 35:46 of the Lord, thy God." 35:47 So what's His name? 35:48 It's the Lord, thy God. 35:50 What is His function? 35:52 It is Creator, the one who made. 35:55 And what's His territory? Heaven and earth. 35:58 Look, "For in six days the Lord," 36:00 that's His name, "made," that's His title. 36:03 He is the maker, the creator, "the heavens and the earth, 36:06 the sea, and all that is in the midst," 36:08 that's His territory, 36:09 "and He rested the seventh day." 36:11 So the Holy Spirit leads us to conversion. 36:15 The Holy Spirit is the sealing agency. 36:19 The Holy Spirit writes the law of God in our mind, 36:22 so we know it in our heart, so we love it. 36:25 The Holy Spirit then places within our dis-hearts 36:29 the desire to follow Christ. 36:31 The Sabbath becomes the visible symbol 36:35 that we desire through 36:36 His grace to be loyal and committed to Him. 36:39 "He has blessed the Sabbath day and He's hallowed it." 36:43 It is His divine seal 36:45 in the last days of earth's history. 36:48 At a time when there is war, terrorism, conflict, 36:51 strife on every hand. 36:53 God has a group of people that will stand for Him. 36:55 On the other hand, 36:57 there will be this mass ecumenical movement 36:59 to bring people together to have world peace. 37:04 God's seal His name, the Lord your God, 37:07 His, title the Creator, His territory, 37:08 heaven and earth. 37:09 He is gathering men and women under His banner to serve Him. 37:14 He says in Ezekiel 20:20, " Hallow My Sabbaths, 37:18 and they shall be a sign between Me and you, 37:20 that you may know that I am the Lord your God." 37:22 Just as the Sabbath is the sign of God, 37:26 just like a seal was the sign of the ancient king, 37:30 the ancient emperor, the ancient ruler, 37:32 the Sabbath is God's sign of loyalty, 37:35 God's sign of faithfulness, 37:37 God's sign that He indeed is the creator, 37:41 and we want to worship Him. 37:43 The central issue 37:45 regarding the mark of the beast is worship. 37:48 Whose shrine will we worship at? 37:51 Will we worship at the shrine of man or the shrine of Jesus? 37:55 Whose authority will we accept? 37:57 The authority of man, the authority of Jesus. 38:00 It's not a matter of days, my friends, simply, 38:04 it's a matter of allegiance, it's a matter of loyalty, 38:07 it's a matter of a conflict over the law of God, 38:11 a conflict between the seal of God 38:14 and the mark of the beast. 38:16 Now what does the church of Rome claim 38:19 is the sign of its authority. 38:22 What does the Church of Rome claim 38:24 that it's the sign of its authority? 38:26 Notice. 38:27 In the Catholic Record, September 1, 1923, I read, 38:31 "Sunday is our mark of authority... 38:34 The Church is above the Bible, and this transference 38:39 of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact." 38:42 So what does the church itself claim? 38:45 That it's his mark of authority, 38:47 of course, Sunday. 38:48 Now somebody says, "Pastor, Mark, 38:50 please make this plain." 38:52 Does everybody who keeps Sunday have the mark of the beast? 38:56 Not at all. 38:58 Let me repeat that. 38:59 Everyone who keeps Sunday 39:01 does not have the mark of the beast. 39:04 There are so many conscientious Christians, 39:08 they are Catholic Christians, they are Baptist Christians, 39:11 they are Pentecostal Christians, 39:13 they are Lutheran Christians, 39:15 they are non-denominational Christians. 39:17 I meet them everywhere. They love Jesus. 39:20 They are totally committed to Chris 39:23 and they do not have the mark of the beast 39:25 by keeping Sunday. 39:26 But look, in the future, church and state will unite. 39:32 In the future at the time of crisis, 39:34 when this world appears to be falling apart, 39:37 in an attempt to unite all the world, 39:40 a decree will be passed leading people to worship 39:43 on the first day of the week. 39:46 Denominational differences will be dropped 39:49 for the sake of political unity 39:52 and the sake of trying to save the world. 39:54 Now that doesn't mean 39:56 that each religious denomination 39:57 is going to blend into one, 39:59 but they will find at least two points in common. 40:03 One, Sunday worship and second, 40:05 the idea of the soul being immortal, 40:08 and they'll be led on those two points 40:11 in this great unity movement. 40:13 But God will have other people, a people that are loyal to Him, 40:18 a people that are faithful to Him, 40:20 a people that will never give up their conscientious 40:25 convictions to Him. 40:27 God has a mark and that mark is the divine Sabbath. 40:32 The Roman Church has a mark of its authority, Sunday. 40:37 And the church claims that its authority 40:40 is above the authority of the Bible. 40:42 If you read Peter Geierman Catechism, 40:46 it says, "Which day is the Sabbath day? 40:50 Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day. 40:52 Why then do we keep Sunday instead of Saturday?" 40:55 Geierman Catechism says, 40:57 "Because the church changed the day 40:59 from Saturday to Sunday." 41:01 Why did the church do this, because of its authority. 41:04 If you look at The Convert's Catechism, 41:07 very similar statements. 41:08 Catholic encyclopedia, very similar statements. 41:12 You'll get the statements of Edward Hiscox, 41:15 author of the Baptist Manual, points out 41:17 that Sunday came into the church 41:19 through pagan sources, adopted by the papacy, 41:24 and that it then has come into Protestantism. 41:27 So the Roman churches are a mark of its authority, 41:31 not based on biblical authority but based on its claim 41:35 that it can exalt the Sunday Sabbath 41:39 above the true Sabbath of the Bible. 41:41 In Saint Catherine's Catholic Church Sentinel, 41:45 May 21, 1995, 41:47 they were discussing the issue of the Bible Sabbath. 41:52 And why the Catholic Church keeps Sunday 41:54 rather than the Sabbath. 41:56 And look at what this Catholic journal said, 42:00 May 21, 1995, 42:02 "Perhaps the boldest thing, 42:04 the most revolutionary change 42:07 the Church ever did happened in the first century." 42:11 Not quite historically accurate, 42:12 it happened in about the third or fourth century. 42:15 "The holy day, the Sabbath, was changed 42:17 from Saturday to Sunday... 42:19 not from any directions noted in the Scriptures..." 42:22 Now note, 42:24 this is Saint Catherine's Catholic Church Sentinel, 42:27 May 21, 1995 and what's it say? 42:30 What's it talking about? 42:32 It says that the church changes 42:34 the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday 42:37 not based on Scripture. 42:39 What's it based on? 42:40 We go on, 42:41 "But from the Church's sense of its own power... 42:47 People who think that the Scriptures 42:49 should be the sole authority, 42:51 should logically become Seventh-day Adventists, 42:54 and keep Saturday holy." 42:56 Isn't that amazing? 42:58 Isn't that an incredible statement 43:01 from the monastery, 43:03 from the Catholic Church saying people 43:07 that want to keep Sabbath 43:09 should become Seventh-day Adventists? 43:11 A friend of mine, I don't know about you, 43:13 but I want to follow Jesus. 43:15 And I know that's why you are watching this telecast 43:19 because deep within your heart, you want to follow Jesus. 43:23 Deep within your heart, you want to hang on 43:27 to the truth of Scripture. 43:28 Deep within your heart, you know that Jesus indeed 43:33 is your Lord, Jesus indeed is your savior, 43:37 and that the Bible is your only guide. 43:40 You see, the final issue is one of loyalty. 43:44 The final issue is one of commitment to Christ, 43:48 and the final issue will deal about worship. 43:52 The issue in heaven 43:54 had to do with worship and loyalty. 43:56 The issue in the Garden of Eden had to do 43:58 whose voice would you listen to 44:00 with Adam and Eve had to do with loyalty. 44:03 Down through the centuries, 44:05 the human race has been tested on this area 44:08 of obedience, tested in this area of loyalty, 44:12 tested in this area of worship. 44:14 When men and women come to Jesus, 44:16 when they are saved by His grace, 44:19 when they are redeemed by His love, 44:21 they long to be obedient to Him. 44:24 You see, in every age, 44:26 God has had called men and women to take a stand. 44:32 In the days of the early Roman Empire, 44:36 Perpetua Vibia took a stand for Christ. 44:40 It was not popular to take that stand in those days, 44:44 not common to take that stand. 44:46 But she took a stand for Christ. 44:49 This young woman in her 20s 44:52 would not burn incense to Caesar. 44:54 Christ was her Lord. 44:57 As the result of that, she was cast into prison. 45:01 She had just borne a baby and the Roman authorities, 45:05 the pagan Roman authorities took that baby 45:09 and held it outside of the prison bars, 45:15 and she could hear her baby crying for milk. 45:18 And they said, "If you renounce Christ, 45:21 we will open the doors of the prison, 45:24 open the gates of the prison, and we will give you your baby 45:28 and you can nurse it." 45:30 She could not renounce Christ. 45:33 They did everything they could 45:35 from starving her, beating her, 45:38 and one day they came in and they said, 45:39 "You are foolish. Why won't you renounce Christ?" 45:42 Perpetua Vibia pointed to a clay pot 45:45 and she said, "What's that?" 45:46 They said, "A clay pot." 45:48 She said, "If we call it by any other name 45:51 than a clay pot, 45:53 will it make it anything else?" 45:56 They said, "No, it's a clay pot." 45:58 She said, "If I am called by any other name 46:00 than a Christian, I can't change who I am, 46:06 I'm still a Christian." 46:07 She died because of her faith. She took that courage. 46:12 And God is calling men and women 46:14 in this crisis hour of earth's history 46:18 to take a stand. 46:20 In these last days of earth's history, 46:22 God invites His people to take a stand. 46:27 I've spent many weeks, months, years 46:31 traveling in Eastern Europe, 46:33 traveling in the former Soviet Union. 46:36 I've talked to scores of men and women 46:40 who have been imprisoned for their faith. 46:43 I've talked to people 46:45 who have suffered for their faith. 46:48 I remember my dear friend, Mikhail Kulakov, he's died now. 46:52 This great man of faith, 46:54 this tremendous man of God 46:57 who told me about his father's trial, 47:00 his father was a Sabbath keeping Adventist minister. 47:03 He was tried by the communist government 47:06 for what they called 47:07 counter revolutionary activities. 47:09 He had baptized some young people at night. 47:12 One of them was a communist informer 47:13 who told on the father, said he was coerced, 47:16 he wasn't of course. 47:17 But he was often manipulated, this young man 47:21 was by the government to do that. 47:23 Pastor Mikhail Kulakov's father was imprisoned for his faith. 47:28 He was tried, falsely accused after the trial 47:32 which none of the family could be in. 47:34 Pastor Kulakov told me, I went down to his cell. 47:36 There was a young Russian guard about his age in his early 20s 47:40 guarding the cell. 47:42 Pastor Kulakov said, "Can I talk to my father?" 47:45 The guard looked one way, the guard looked another way, 47:47 he said, "I'll give you five minutes." 47:49 Pastor Kulakov when he said, "My father embraced me. 47:51 We cried and cried together. 47:53 I didn't know if I'd ever see him again." 47:55 I said, "What did he say to you?" 47:57 He said, "Oh, son, how much I love you. 47:59 Be faithful to Christ." 48:01 Then he took his hand, he ran it through my hair. 48:03 He said, "Look, the court records indicate 48:06 they are going to come and arrest you next. 48:08 The court records indicate 48:10 that you too will be sent to prison. 48:13 But don't worry, they will cut-off all your hair 48:15 but it'll grow again." 48:16 Pastor Kulakov was sent to five years in prison. 48:19 When I talked to him after that, 48:22 his father was in one prison, he was in another prison, 48:25 his brother was in another prison, 48:26 his brother never made it out of prison, he died in prison, 48:29 but I said to Pastor Kulakov, 48:31 "Pastor Kulakov, how did you survive in prison?" 48:33 He said, "I knew there was something beyond. 48:35 I knew that I was going to a land 48:37 where there is no sickness, suffering, or death. 48:39 I knew that God would get me through." 48:41 And he said, "By the way, 48:43 in prison there were many Jewish rabbis. 48:45 And, you know what? 48:46 I took those five years and I learned Hebrew in prison 48:48 and God worked it out for good 48:50 because now I've been able to translate 48:52 the old Russian Bible into modern Russian 48:56 because I learned Hebrew and I could translate it 48:57 from the original languages." 48:59 My friend, this moment, 49:03 God is calling you to take a stand. 49:05 This moment, God is calling you to follow His truth. 49:08 This moment, God is calling you to look beyond what He is 49:11 to what will be, to look beyond time to eternity. 49:14 And God is calling you to follow Him. 49:18 Jesus says to you just now, 49:20 "Do you like to live in a land where there is no sickness, 49:22 suffering, and death, a land where there is no more night?" 49:24 Listen as Celestine sings about that glorious land, 49:28 about that marvelous land, 49:30 about that time 49:32 that all of our trials will be over, 49:34 all of our sufferings will be over, 49:36 all of our heartache will be over, 49:38 there will be no more night. 49:44 The timeless theme 49:47 Earth and heaven 49:50 Will pass away 49:54 It's not a dream 49:56 God will make all things new 50:02 That day gone is the curse 50:08 From which I stumbled and fell 50:15 Evil is banished 50:19 To eternal hell 50:27 No more night 50:32 No more pain 50:37 No more tears 50:42 Never crying again 50:47 And praises to the great 50:53 I Am We will live 50:59 In the light 51:01 Of the risen 51:05 Lamb 51:18 See all around, now the nations 51:25 Bow down to sing 51:29 The only sound 51:31 Is the praises to Christ, 51:37 Our King Slowly 51:42 The names from the book 51:46 Are read 51:50 I know the King, so there's no need 51:57 No need to dread 52:02 No more night 52:06 And no more pain 52:12 And no more tears 52:16 Never crying again 52:22 And praises to the great 52:28 I Am We will live 52:34 In the light of the risen 52:40 Lamb 52:41 See over there 52:44 There's a mansion oh 52:47 That's prepared just for me 52:51 Where I will live with my savior 52:57 Eternally 53:03 So there will be no more 53:06 Night 53:13 And no more pain 53:18 And no more tears 53:23 Never crying again 53:27 And praises to 53:31 The great I Am 53:35 We will live 53:38 In the light 53:40 Of the risen Lamb 53:45 And praises 53:47 To the great I Am 53:53 We will live 53:56 In the light 54:03 Of the risen Lamb 54:17 The risen Lamb 54:26 It will be worth it on that day, my friend. 54:32 Whatever sacrifice you have to make now, 54:35 whatever commitment that God is calling you to make, 54:40 whatever stand He's inviting you to take, 54:44 whatever decision He's leading you to, 54:47 it'll be worth it on that day. 54:49 No more night, no more heartache, 54:53 no more pain, no more suffering. 54:56 You know, when I heard a message like this 54:59 for the very first time, 55:01 it really steered me to the depth of my soul 55:04 because as I mentioned, I was brought up 55:06 in a very lovely Roman Catholic home. 55:10 My father had become a Seventh-day Adventist, 55:13 my mother educated us in Catholic schools 55:17 but yet I began to study the Bible. 55:20 I knew there was something missing in my life. 55:23 I knew there was a deep down longing within 55:25 that wasn't being satisfied 55:27 by the traditions of the church. 55:30 And I came to a point 55:32 where I heard a message 55:34 just like the one you've heard that really gripped me, 55:37 that really moved me. 55:38 And I knew I had to do something with it. 55:41 I had to make a decision, to make that decision 55:44 meant to step out from my friends, 55:47 to make that decision meant to step out 55:49 from much of my family, 55:52 to make that decision meant to step out 55:55 from everything that was comfortable for me. 55:59 But I sensed the conviction of the Spirit of God. 56:03 I sensed the moving of the Holy Spirit 56:06 and I knew that for me, personally, 56:09 to be faithful to Christ, 56:12 I needed to make that decision. 56:14 I'd like you to pray about what God wants you to do. 56:17 Just forget about the influence of others, 56:21 forget about your legacy, your past, 56:25 forget about how you've been brought up, 56:28 and just say, 56:29 "Jesus, whatever You want me to do, 56:33 that's what I want to do." 56:35 Ask Jesus to bring deep conviction to your heart. 56:39 Be honest with Christ. 56:41 Listen for His voice speaking through His Word. 56:46 Play fair with God. 56:48 Tell Him, "Lord, whatever You want me to do, 56:52 make it plain to me and I will do it 56:54 because I'm dedicated to following You 56:56 and Your Word." 56:57 Why not make that decision as we pray. 56:59 Father in heaven, thank You so much 57:02 that You are faithful to Your Word. 57:06 You'll never let us down. 57:08 You'll guide us, You'll strengthen us 57:09 for the decisions ahead. 57:11 And we thank You for that, in Christ name, amen. 57:15 Thank you for joining us 57:16 for Revelation's Ancient Discoveries. 57:19 God has an amazing plan for your life 57:23 as you continue in Christ, 57:26 to follow Him now and forever. 57:29 Amen. |
Revised 2018-06-18