Revelation 13:16

And he causeth all. both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in the forehead.

     Who will be protected through the seven last plagues?                                    

    Revelation 7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

      NOTE: Those who receive God's seal in their foreheads will be protected during the plagues (psalm 91:7-11).

     What is this "seal" the righteous have in their foreheads?                                

    Isaiah 8:16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

                   NOTE: God's seal is found in His law. A seal is what makes a document official, and it normally contains three characteristics: Name, Office, and Territory. An example would be "Cyrus king of Persia" in Ezra 1:1.

           

           

     Which of the Ten Commandments contains all the elements of a seal?          

    Exodus 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is ,

      The fourth commandment is the only one that contains all three elements of a seal:

          • "The Lord" - His name
          • "Made" - His office as creator
          • "Heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is" - His Territory.

    Example: United State of America

           1. "Bush" - His name

               2. "President" - Office

               3. "United States of America" His Territory

     

 

     What has God given as a special sign of His power?                                        

    Ezekiel 20:12  I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.

    Ezekiel 20:20  Hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.

    Exodus 31:13 Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.

      NOTE: God clearly states that He gave the Sabbath as a sign of His power to create and sanctify. It is His seal, or mark of authority. The words "seal," "sign,"mark," and "token" are used interchangeable throughout the Bible (compare Genesis 17:11 with Romans 4:11 and Revelation 7:3 with Ezekiel 9:4).

     What does the second beast of Revelation 13 force all to receive?                

    Revelation 13:16 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:

     What is the mark of the beast?                                                                          

       NOTE: We identified the first beast of Revelation 13. So what is its mark power and authority? Well lets ask the papacy directly. Notice the following section from a Catholic catechism:

    "Q. Which is the Sabbath day?

    "A. Saturday is the Sabbath day.

      "Q. Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?

      "A. We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday." 1

    Here Is another statement from a Catechism:

      "Q. Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?

      "A. Had she not such power, could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her-she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority."2

      So the papacy is saying that its mark of power and authority is making Sunday a holy day-a change that virtually the entire Christian world accepts.

      1 Peter Geiermann, The Convert's Catechism of the Catholic Doctrine(St. Louis: B Herder Book Co., 1957 edition), p 50.

      2 Stephen Keenan, A Doctrinal Catechism (New York: P.J. Kenedy & Sons, third American edition, revised, n.d.), p. 174

     Is either the mark of the beast or the seal of God visible?                               

    Hebrews 10:16 saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

    Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might

    Exodus 13:9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD' law may be in thy mouth:

    Isaiah 59:6 Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.. ..their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.

      NOTE: Neither the mark of the beast of the seal of God is outwardly visible. The forehead represents the mind, and the hand is a symbol of work. "On the hand" and "between the eyes" are consistent symbols in Scripture for a person's thoughts and actions (Exodus 13:16; Deuteronomy 6:8; 11:18). A person will receive the mark of the beast in his forehead by choosing to believe that Sunday is a holy day in spit of Bible truth. A person will be marked in the right hand by working on God's sabbath or by outwardly keeping Sunday laws for convenient reasons-such as a job, family, etc. Although the sign is invisible to men, God will know who has which mark (2 Timothy 2:19). In a sence, each person will mark himself. If I respect and regard God's holy Sabbath, He will mark ma as His own. If I regard the Beast's false Sabbath, He will mark me as belonging to the beast.

     Does anyone have the mark of the beast now?                                                 

    Revelations 13:17 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.

      NOTE: No person has the mark now. When it becomes a forced issue, only those who have received the mark of the beast will be able to buy or sell. At that time, people who keep God's holy Sabbath will do so at the risk of their lives Revelation 13:15), and those who choose to profane His holy day and officially cast their votes by placing the laws of men above the law of God will be marked as belonging to Antichrist. All who are loyal to Jesus abd His holy day will receive Jesus' glorious seal, thus making them His forever. Those who try to remain neutral will be counted for Antichrist (Matthew 12:30).

     What two things does the Antichrist power attempt to change?                      

    Daniel 7:25 He shall...think to change times and laws

      NOTE: Daniel 7 reveals an Old Testement description of the Antichrist power. It clearly predicts that the beast would attempt to change both God's laws and times. The papacy has tried to change God's laws by:

      1. omitting the second commandment against veneration of images.
      2. shortening the forth commandment from 94 words to just 8 in order to avoid mentioning which day is the Sabbath
      3. dividing the tenth commandment into two commandments.

      The papacy attempted to change God's times by:

      1. teaching people to recognize the first day of the week as the sabbath instead of the seventh day.
      2. adopting the pagan Roman practice of beginning each day at midnight instead of sundown.

       

        Times and Laws Changed, Quote:

       

      "The Pope has power to change times, to abrogate laws, and to dispence with all things, even the precepts of Christ." Decretal De Trnslat. Espiscop. Cap.

      The Rome Challenge: www.immaculateheart.com/maryonline.com

      "Sunday... is purly a creation of the Catholic Church."  Amarican Catholic Quarterly Review, January 1883

      "Sunday... It is a law of the Catholic Church alone..." Amarican Sentinal (Catholic) June 1893

      "...the observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay, inspite of themselves, to the authority of the Catholic Church." Monsignor Louis Segar, Plain Talk about the Protestantism of Today. P. 213

      "Reason and common sense demand the acceptance of One or the other of these alternatives: either Protestantism and the keeping holy of Saturday, or Catholicity and the keeping holy of Sunday. Compromise is impossible. "The Catholic Mirror. December 23. 1893."

      "Sunday is therefore to this day the acknowledged offspring of the Catholic Church, as spouse of the Holy Ghost, without a word of remonstrance from the Protestant world." Editorial, The Catholic Mirror (Baltimore). September 23. 1893.

      "You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, A day which we never sanctify."  (Cardinal Gibbons, The Faith of our Fathers - 92nd ed.rev. Baltmore, John Murphy Company, p. 89.

      "Of course the Catholic Church claims that the Change was her act...And the act is a MARK of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters." Letter, Oct. 28, 1895, from C. F. Thomas, Chancellor of Cardinal Gibbons

      *"Sunday is our mark of authority...The church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact." Catholic Record. September 1, 1923

 

     What was God's criticism of His ancient priests, or pastors?                          

    Malachi 2:8, 9 Ye have caused many to stumble at the law. ...Ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in law.

    Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowldge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten that law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

      NOTE: God is still hurt when His pastors are partial to eight or nine commandments and cause many to stumble over His command to keep the Sabbath holy. Virtually all churches admit in their official writings that there is no Scripture support for Sunday sacredness. Tragically, both Protstantism and Catholicism stand guilty before the judgment bar of God for throwing out the Bible Sabbath! God Himself gave the Sabbath as a sign, or mark, of His power to create and His pthis sacred sign, which represents the great God of power to sanctify and save (Exodus 31:17, Ezekiel 20:12). Dare any man tamper with this sacred sign, which represents the great God of heaven and all that He stands for.

     How did God's ancient leaders regard the great things of His law?                

    Hosea 8:12 I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

      NOTE: Times have not changed. God has placed the Sabbath, His great sign, in the middle of His law and begins that commandment with the word "remember." Yet many people today feel that keeping His seventh-day Sabbath is a strange thing.

     What specific, solemn rebuke did God give to religious leaders regarding His holy sabbath?

    Ezekiel 22:8 Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.

    Ezekiel 22:26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

      NOTE: God pointedly rebukes religious leaders who say that the Sabbath doesn't matter and who claim "Thus saith the Lord" when it is not true.

     What specific sin does God command His leaders to denounce?                    

    Isaiah 58:1, 13, 14 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression. ...If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable. ...Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD.

      NOTE: God charges spiritual leaders to call Sabbath-breaking a sin and to insist that His people keep His Sabbath day holy. As with the disciples of old, our only safty is in obeying God rather then man (Acts 5:29).

     When you decide to accept Jesus and fully follow Him, what happens?        

    Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

      NOTE: Glorious rest and peace enter heart at conversion. The Sabbath, which means "rest," is a symbol of the rest and peace that comes from the new birth (Hebrews 4:1-10). Those who are truly born again will keep the Sabbath as a blessed sign of that rest (notice verse 4, 9, 10). There is no joy like the joy that comes to a converted person who keeps God's Sabbath holy.

      Before you can say "no" to the mark of the beast, you must say "yes" to the seal of God. Jesus is waiting at the door of your heart for an answer. Take the Rome Challenge @ www.immaculateheart.com/maryonline.com and decide to follow truth and decide now to move under His glorious Sabbath banner as evidence that you have accepted Him as your Creator and saviour?

 

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