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« Last post by Hobie on Wed Jan 25, 2023 - 20:36:11 »
Now we look at the first part of Revelation...
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him to shew His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John, who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein; for the time is at hand." Revelation 1:1-3
The word "Revelation" or "Apocalypse" means to reveal and the book of Revelation is meant to reveal vital issues to the New Testament Church and the end-time church in particular.
The notion that the book of Revelation is a sealed book or one not intended for man to understand goes against that. Moreover, it must be understood the book is written "to show His servants" those things which they needed to know in order to come to terms with events as they would unfold. To understand the book of Revelation therefore requires an intimate knowledge of God and His word as well as the promised guidance by the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit was promised to those who obey God and He would lead God's people into all truth.
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come"John 16:13.
Now we have the verses that refer to the mark of the beast and also characteristics:
"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:
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." Revelation 13:16-17.
"9 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,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Revelation 14:9-12.
"And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God." Revelation 15:2.
"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." Revelation 16:2.
"And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." Revelation 19:20.
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worship the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." Revelation 20:4.
So both the Beast and its Image are worshiped.
Notice how many times worship is mentioned in connection with the Mark of the Beast, so we see it has importance.
We glorify and worship God in following his commandments and specifically worship is embodied in the forth. So Gods seal of authority are his commandments or law, the Mark of the Beast shows his authority with false laws and times he has changed, the verses also make clear he is worshiped and that those who follow him will receive his mark.
Now, not only are Gods seal of authority, the commandments, set aside but then they go the next step and to justify ignoring the Gods truths destroy the Sabbath. They say the Law is done away with and Christians do not have to keep the Sabbath, and that since Jesus Christ rose from the dead on Sunday, Christians have set aside Sunday as a day of rest and worship in honor of the resurrection. Yet none of that is scriptural or from Christ or the Apostles, but from 'tradition' of the Beast.
The Beast is clearly identified as political and religious power who will have a SIGN; an identifying label, a MARK, which it will seek to impose on all who will submit to its will. It will not be a "secret" sign, or mark, but has to be obvious, outward, easily recognized sign, which the whole system wears to show its allegiance!
The "little horn" of Daniel 7:8, which "has a mouth speaking great things," and which will "think to change TIMES and LAWS" is the key so you must look down through the centuries, to see what has changed Gods commandments! Have God's laws been changed; has anyone said to worship man in the place of God, or made and worshiped idols even though God says not to, or taken Gods name and blasphemed it, or abolished His divinely appointed Sabbath and replaced his holy days with pagan festivals. We can find and connect all the changes or introduction of false "times" such as the worship of festivals that are not scriptural or from God but from another source.
Listen to what God says in Amos 5:21-27, "I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies. 22 Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. 23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. 24 But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream. 25 Did you offer Me sacrifices and offerings In the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? 26 You also carried Sikkuth your king And Chiun, your idols, The star of your gods, Which you made for yourselves. 27 Therefore I will send you into captivity beyond Damascus, Says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts." Amos 5:21-27.
If you do a study on 'Sikkuth' and 'Chiun'. They are Molech and Ishtar, and Israel was warned about worshiping these Babylonian gods of the false eastern pagan religions. Thus we can see the festival days of paganism creeping in and being substituted for what God had given them to celebrate and worship Him........
The introduction of Pagan holidays into the church began about the fourth century A.D. when the Roman Emperor Constantine, in order to consolidate his rule, incorporated the Pagan holidays and festivals into the church ritual, attracting the Pagans, but he gave the holidays and festivals new "Christian" names and identities and Easter was one of the foremost. In order to introduce the feast of Easter into the calendar, the dates were changed by Dionysius, so that Easter was celebrated a month later than the original Jewish Pasch feast. This was to bring it in line with the ancient eastern festival dates for this feast, and the new date for Easter was then introduced by force. On this day, the ancients lit fires and baked cakes to the queen of heaven with the ancient pagan religions. Ancient Israel was constantly warned against these pagan day from the ancient Babylonian religion.
In Jeremiah 7:18, we read:
The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough to make cakes to the queen of heaven; and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger.
The ecclesiastical historian, Socrates, attributes the introduction of the festival of Easter into the church to the perpetuation of an old usage, 'just as many other customs have been established.' (Hist. Eccl. V. 22)
So we see why this entity is associated with changing the "Times and Laws" of God and its close association with Sun worship; and the evidence in history to the change of God's weekly Sabbaths for Sunday, (Dies Solis) the day of the sun. Basically putting the pagan festivals on unsuspecting believers, with holidays of another origin, not of God.
It will rise up at the end and war againts the saints, for observing Gods laws or his seal of authority. The Mark of the Beast will be its false edicts which will be backed up by force, enforcing the changing of "times and laws", and people will have to choose either to follow God or follow the Beast and take on its Mark.