Sermon on

The Mark of the Beast

By Brian Pepper

Today we are dealing with a very solemn subject, the Mark of the Beast. It is a subject that I do not enjoy giving. There is always the danger that it might hurt someone's feelings and that is one of the last things that I would want to do. I do not like talking on any subject that might hurt someone, and the only reason I am presenting this message from the Word of God is that I do not know how I can be clear on the Judgment Day if I do not. Someone must give this warning. It is a commission from God and we cannot lightly set aside His commission. If I do not do what He commands me than I am held responsible for those who are lost because they did not hear the message. I would rather talk on the love of God or the saving blood of Jesus Christ, but there are certain warnings in the Word of God that we cannot evade in presenting and at the same time be clear in our duty.   Duty of the Preacher Isaiah 62:6 says, "I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem which shall never hold their peace day nor night ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence." If a minister is to stand with a clear conscience before God there are some messages of warning he must give, whether they might offend or not. The Judgment Message I would like you to turn with me to Revelation 14:6, "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." I am thankful that the Gospel is everlasting. I am glad that it does not keep changing. We ought to be preaching or teaching the same thing today as they were in the apostles' time, every doctrine should be the same. Verse 7 says, "Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come and worship Him that made heaven, and earth and the sea, and the fountain of waters." The judgment message is so important that it keeps on being repeated right through the Bible, especially in the Books of Daniel and Revelation. Verse 8 says, "And there followed another angel saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Third Angel's Message Here is pictured the downfall of the great Apostate Church Power - Babylon. And now we come to the Third Angel's Message which is the message for today. Verses 9 & 10 say, "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, if any man worship the beast and his image and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation." Then by way of contrast to those who have the Mark of the Beast is pictured a commandment keeping people in the last days. Verses 12 & 14 say, "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle." A Message for the Last Days There is one thing that is very important as a matter of fact: is imperative to understanding the Mark of the Beast. That is the warning regarding the Mark of the Beast is the very last message to go to the world just prior to the second advent of Jesus Christ. We need to keep this in mind for it is vital. The Mark of the Beast was not a test in Martin Luther's day, neither in John and Charles Wesley's time. No it is a message that is to be sounded immediately before the appearing of Jesus in Glory. A Commandment Keeping People In this chapter it is made very plain that there is going to be a commandment keeping people answering the call "to worship Him that made heaven, and earth..." of verse 7 in direct opposition to the Mark of the Beast. So you can see that the keeping of the Commandments is the final and great test in the last days. Seeing that this is the case we ought to study very carefully in order to understand just what the Mark of the Beast is. There is one thing that we do know, that it is a very serious issue, for St John says that the Beast will cause both small and great rich and poor, free and bond, to receive that Mark in the right hand or in the forehead. Consequences of Receiving the Mark In fact it even says that the death sentence will be pronounced upon all who do not accept the Mark. Revelation 13:15 says, "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." More than that we are told that when the Seven Last Plagues begin to fall that individuals who have the Mark of the Beast are to receive the judgments of God without mercy. Revelation 16:2 says, "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." From this text you can see that it is very important that we should understand this subject.   Beasts Representing World Powers However we ought to start with the Beast himself. It is important to realise that Daniel chapter 7 and Revelation 13 are almost identical in their subject coverage. In Daniel chapter 7 the prophet had a terrifying dream. He dreamed that he was standing there by the seaside and he saw beasts rise up out of the sea. Yes Daniel in vision witnessed the rise and fall  of empires, for the beasts represented world empires. In Daniel 7:4 the first animal was like a lion (Babylon). In verse 5 the second one was like a bear (Medo-Persia). In verse 6 the third was like a leopard (Grecia). And the fourth (Rome) was a hideous beast (verse 7). These were the four world empires that were to dominate the world. Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome. Rome the fourth beast is pictured as being the cruellest, the fiercest, the most dreadful of them all.   Roman Empire Daniel 7:7 says, "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns." This dreadful beast had ten horns. In verse 24 it explains what these ten horns represent, "And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise..." That is plain enough. The Roman Empire divided into ten kingdoms just as the prophecy said it would. Daniel goes on, verse 24 says, "And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings."   A Little Horn After the division of Rome another power was to rise and it would destroy 3 kingdoms. Verse 8 says, "I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were given eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things." Did you notice that this is not just a political power. There is a Man at the head of this organization and he has a mouth speaking Great Things. Verse 25 says, "And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of times." This same power speaks great words against the Most High. So it is a religious power. It is also a power that would interfere with God's laws and times. "...shall wear out the saints of the most High..." It would cruelly persecute and crush those who dared to oppose it. And that is the very power that is pictured in Revelation the 13th chapter. Revelation 13:1 says, "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, 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." John goes further than Daniel. He says it is a blasphemous power. Verse 2 says, "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."   Who is the Dragon? You will notice that this is a composite beast: lion, bear, leopard. And where did he get his power, seat and great authority? It says "the dragon". And what is the Dragon power? Using the Bible's own symbols it is easy enough to discover who the Dragon represents. Revelation 12:3 says, "And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads." Verse 9 says, "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceived the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." The Bible says that the Dragon and Satan, so primarily it was Satan who gave the Beast his power, his seat and great authority. However Satan works through political powers and religious ones as well. Notice verse 4, "And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born." A child was to be born into the world. The Dragon power stands ready to destroy him. What was the power that was ruling the world when Jesus was born? Why it was Rome. What kind of Rome? Why Pagan of course. This was Pagan Rome controlled by the Dragon. Revelation 13:2 last part says, "...and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority."   Papal Rome To whom did the emperors of Rome pass on their capital, their seat, their great authority? This is no doubt about it, to Papal Rome. There is only one power in history that fits the picture. Yes, it was Papal Rome that arose from the ruins of the old empire, and as she did she plucked up three other kingdoms. She went to war with other nations as she grew in strength. Revelation 13:6 says, "And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven."   Blasphemy There is no question that this power is a religious power. The Bible says that blasphemy consists of two things: 1. Claiming to be God 2. Claiming power to forgive sins It was Pope Leo XIII who made this claim "We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty." Ferraris Ecclesiastical Dictionary says, "The Pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were God..." "The Pope is called most holy because he is rightfully presumed to be such." "He is likewise the divine monarch and supreme emperor, and king of kings." "Hence the Pope is crowned with a triple crown" "as king of heaven and of earth and of the lower regions." That is exactly what the Bible says, "...speaking great words against the most High." The Bible also says that they will speak great things against the temple in heaven, by claiming power to forgive sins or to absolve from sin. One writer said, "If I were walking down the road and met an angel and a priest, I would bow down and worship the priest first as he is the greater."   Wear out the Saints However the prophecy goes on to say in Daniel 7:25, "...and shall wear out the saints of the most High..." We find the same thing in Revelation 13:7, "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." It has been estimated that during the Dark Ages 50 million so-called heretics were put to death. They felt that they were duty bound to destroy those who did not agree with them.   Deadly Wound was Healed Revelation 13:3 says, "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." It certainly was no accident that in 1798, exactly 1260 years from 538 A.D. that Bertier a French general from a Catholic country marched down upon the gates of Rome and took the Pope prisoner and inflicted that deadly wound. For 4 years there was no pope. But the amazing thing, it did not end this power for the Bible says, "...and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." This is one of the greatest clues to this prophecy. It was a Power that received a deadly wound exactly on time, 1798, but contrary to what you and I would expect the deadly wound was healed. In 1929 Mussolini called a meeting in Rome and he signed the famous concordant and the Pope was made king again, and ambassadors from 40 countries of the world met at the Vatican to pay homage to the Pope.   Beast Power has a Number But there is something else that is brought to our attention. This beast power has a number. Revelation 13:18 says, "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." The number is 666. Notice this statement from the official publication of the Church of Rome for the United States. 'Our Sunday Visitor', Sunday April 18, 1915, "What are the letters supposed to be in the Pope's crown, and what do they signify, if anything? Answer: The letters inscribed in the Pope's mitre are these: Vicarius Filii Dei, which is Latin for the Vicar of the Son of God." Back in the olden times they had a way of figuring a number in a man's name. Giving it a numerical value, for instance I stands for 1. V stands for 5 X stands for 10 The Bible says that this Beast power has a name, that the number is in his name, and that number is 666.   Number of His Name is 666 Now listen to this, 'Our Sunday Visitor', Sunday November 15, 1914, "It is true that the words of the Apocalypse in the 13th chapter 18th verse refer to the Pope? Answer: The words referred to are these: Here is wisdom. He that hath understanding let him count the number of the beast. For it is the number of a man; and the number of him is six hundred sixty six." The title of the Pope of Rome is Vicarius Filii Dei. This is inscribed on his mitre and if you take the letters of his title which represent Latin numerals (printed large and add them together, they come to 666. V I C ar I Vs f I L I I D e I 5 1 100   1 5   1 50 1 1 500   1 Add these together and the result will be 666." This was one of the most amazing things that ever went into print. I really believe that God had His hand in that being published as plainly as that. It is true that they tried to take this out of circularisation and to blot it out but there it is a matter of record.   Mark of the Beast Now I am going to ask you a question. What is it the Catholic Church has given to the world that the world has accepted? Whether it be governments, industry or business, there is only one thing that I know of and that is Sunday keeping. Dr Eck, in controversy with Martin Luther, said, "The church has changed the observance of the Sabbath to Sunday on its own authority, without Scripture." What a statement in the light of prophecy. Here is one more. "In keeping Sunday, non-Catholics are simply following the practice of the Catholic Church for 1800 years, a tradition and not a Bible ordinance."   God's Mark in the Sabbath Day In Isaiah 8:16 God says, "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." God tells us that His Mark is in the Sabbath. Ezekiel 20:12 says, "Moreover also I gave them My sabbaths, to be a sign (or Mark) between Me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them." But the Devil comes along and says, "We will know that fourth commandment out." Once the Church knocked out the Fourth commandment it threw wide open the door for Paganism and sun worship to come right in. They took that in place of the Holy Sabbath, which is a symbol of God's power and authority as Creator. His memorial of creation. So a decision has to be made. In these closing hours of time there are two choices: "..if any man worship the beast", or "here are they that keep the commandments of God." The decision is yours. It is either worship God or worship the Beast. One will take you into God's eternal kingdom. The other to final oblivion.