Sermon on
The Mark of the Beast
By Brian Pepper
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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.
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