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The Beast,
the Dragon
and the Woman
by Joe Crews
Page 2
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II. THE DRAGON AND THE WOMAN
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At this point, we are prepared to ask another question concerning this appropriation of power on the part of the beast. Where did she receive the authority to rule over the world for 1,260 years and to persecute so many millions of people for their faith? The answer is found in Revelation 13:2, "And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." Notice that the power comes from the dragon. But who is the dragon? Revelation 12:7-9: "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."
The dragon, of course, is Satan himself. But when did Satan deceive the whole world? When he was cast out of heaven, there were only two people on the earth, and they represented the entire world. By deceiving Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, Satan led all the world astray and came into temporary possession of the earth. The great controversy between good and evil, which had started in heaven, was now transferred to this planet.
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After the fall of man God pronounced a curse upon each participant in that original transgression. In Genesis 3:15, we read of the curse which was placed upon the devil or the dragon. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Here is a prophecy of the age-long struggle that would exist between the dragon and the woman, and between the seed of the dragon and the seed of the woman.
But who is the woman referred to in this prophecy? A woman, in Bible prophecy, always represents the church. In Jeremiah 6:2 we read, "I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman." Who is Zion? Isaiah 51:16, "And say unto Zion, Thou art my people." So the great controversy has been going on ever since Eden. There have been two sides from then until now. The dragon and his followers are arraigned against God and His followers. Truth versus error, and Satan versus the church.
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Satan and God have been contending for the control of every living human being. Even in the children of Adam the two sides were represented. Cain was on the dragon's side and wanted to substitute his own way instead of the way God had commanded him. Abel belonged to God's side and was so righteous that Cain finally killed him. Do you remember how God told each one of them to bring a lamb, but Cain substituted fruit or vegetables for that which God had commanded as a sacrifice? This, you will discover, will always be the mark of the dragon. He tries to substitute, or make a counterfeit, for the exact truth of God.
Through the descendants of Cain the earth was so corrupted that God finally had to destroy it with the flood. But after the deluge the two sides appeared once again. The dragon's followers concentrated in Babel and tried to defy God by building a great tower that was to reach up to heaven. The plan failed, of course, and that site of the tower of Babel later became Babylon, which in 606 B.C. began to rule as the first world empire.
During those early years of confusion God called Abraham out of Babylon and sent him over into Canaan. Abraham had grown up right there in Mesopotamia, near the place where the great tower of Babel was attempted, and where the empire of Babylon developed. God's plan has always involved a call of separation from the confusion of falsehood.
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The Dragon And Sun Worship
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Briefly, let us study the history of the dragon's side. The city of Babylon was the first capital of the dragon on this earth. A pagan system of religion developed there in the form of sun worship. It was a blasphemous idolatry, filled with immoralities, licentious ceremonies and degrading rites. But soon the dragon's followers quarreled among themselves, and Medo-Persia came into power. But it was still the dragon's headquarters. Baal worship continued to predominate as it did in the previous kingdom. Then Greece took over, and she also subscribed to the same pagan sun worship. Finally, Rome began to rule the world. But there was no change in the religion. Mithraism, or sun worship, was the universal religion of the pagan Roman Empire. From Babylon to Rome, the dragon held control through heathen sun worship.
But during the Roman rule, a great thing happened! It was time for the seed of the woman to appear. Remember, the prophecy spoke of enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the dragon. The seed of the woman appeared in the days of the Roman Empire. Let's read about it in Revelation 12:1, "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars." Do not forget that a woman in prophecy represents a church. A pure woman stands for the true church, but a fallen woman symbolizes a false religious system.
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This woman in white, described in Revelation twelve, represents the true church, the apostolic church, with its pure doctrines. The twelve stars on her head are the twelve apostles. "And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns... and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne." Revelation 12:2-5. Now, who was this man child? There has been only one man child who was destined to rule all nations and who was finally caught up to God's throne. It is none other than Jesus Christ. But who tried to kill Jesus as soon as He was born? You answer, "Herod, the Roman king." And so it was. Herod tried to put all the boy babies to death in Judea in an attempt to destroy Christ.
The Roman Empire, then, is symbolized in Bible prophecy by the same red dragon as is the devil himself. Because Satan worked so closely through that nation to destroy Jesus, pagan Rome is represented by the same symbol in prophecy as the devil. But Herod did not succeed in his attempt to destroy the man child. Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt and escaped the terrible decree. The master stroke of Satan to destroy Jesus on the cross was foiled on that Sunday morning when the Crucified One broke the bonds of death in the resurrection. Forty days later He was caught up to heaven in perfect fulfillment of the words of the prophecy.
When the dragon saw that he was not able to destroy Christ, he turned his wrath against the early church. According to Revelation 12:13, "When the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child." At this time there was only a small
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number of Christians in all the world, and Satan felt that he could completely obliterate them by persecution. Thousands and thousands of Christians were martyred under the terrible persecutions of the cruel Roman emperors. But the gospel continued to grow and spread. The blood of the martyrs seemed to become the seed of the church. When one died a hundred more sprang up to take his place. Paul preached his gospel right up to the very gates of Rome. The old dragon became worried. It was now time for the seed of the dragon to appear.
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For centuries Satan had tried to destroy God's people through the violent opposition of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. Through violence and persecution he had failed to stamp out the truth. So what he could not do through force, the dragon would now attempt by strategy and deception. He would organize his own counterfeit religious system. He would bring in pagan doctrines and philosophy from the old empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome and combine them with Christian teaching. Thus he attempted to destroy millions through deception.
In what form did the seed of the dragon appear? It was brought forth as the beast of Revelation 13. It is very significant that the beast is actually made up of parts of the lion, the leopard, the bear and the non-descript animal of Daniel 7. God's illustrative depiction of the papacy reveals that she was made up of parts from all those old pagan kingdoms. In particular did she draw her strength from the pagan Roman nation. According to Revelation 13:2, the dragon gave the beast his power and seat and great authority. We have learned that the dragon actually symbolizes the pagan Roman Empire, as well as the devil himself.
Did the pagan Roman Empire actually bestow any authority upon the papacy? The fact is that in 330 A.D., Constantine, the Roman emperor, turned the whole city of Rome over to the Pope as the seat of his authority. History uses almost the words of the prophecy in describing it. I shall quote from one Catholic source and one history book on this point: "When the Roman Empire became Christian, and the peace of the Church was guaranteed, the Emperor left Rome to the Pope, to be the seat of the authority of the Vicar of Christ, who should reign there independent of all human authority, to the consummation of ages, to the end of Rights and Privileges, pp.13, 14.
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"The removal of the capital of the empire from Rome to Constantinople in 330 A.D., left the western church practically free from imperial power, to develop its own form of organization. The Bishop of Rome, in the seat of the Caesars, was now the greatest man in the west, and was soon forced to become the political as well as the spiritual head." The Rise of the Medieval Church, p. 168. How clearly these statements show that the papacy received her seat and power from pagan Rome! But where did Rome get it? From Greece. And where did Greece get her power? From Medo-Persia. And where did Medo-Persia get hers? From Babylon. And where did Babylon get it? From the dragon. So we begin to understand why God has given such fearful warnings against the beast power. The dragon is actually behind it all.
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Counterfeits In Pagan Dress
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Let us consider for a moment how pagan doctrines were able to find a place in this counterfeit religious system which Satan introduced. Because a mark of the dragon power is to counterfeit and substitute, we will be able to see in this religio-political system the operation of Satan at his infernal best. Just as was the case with Cain, substitutes were fashioned to meet the commandments of God. Many relics of sun worship actually came to be accorded Christian status. A whole set of counterfeit doctrines was added so that the papacy could gain prestige with the pagan peoples of that age. Pagan idols were left at the door, but idols of Peter, Mary and the saints took their place.
As an example of the way in which pagan concepts came into the church, consider the example of Christmas. Do you know where the observance of Christmas originated? Christmas, as a festival, existed long before Jesus was born into this world. December 25 was actually celebrated hundreds of years before Christ was born. The pagans worshiped the sun, and they noticed that in December the days were becoming shorter and shorter and the sun was getting farther away from them. Fearing that the sun would leave them altogether, they prayed and offered sacrifices. Then on December 25, for the first time, they could tell that the sun was coming back closer; the days were beginning to lengthen out again. So these people said, "The sun is reborn to us." They called December 25 the birthday of the sun or sun god. It became a great religious festival with them.
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The day was celebrated only by the pagans until the counterfeit papal system was taking form. At that time, the day was adopted by the papacy and called the birth of the S-O-N, instead of the birthday of the S-U-N. Dr. Gilbert Murray, M.A., D. Litt., LL.D., F.B.A., professor of Greek at Oxford University, has written this: "Mithraism had so much acceptance, that it was able to impose on the Christian world its own Sun-day in place of the Sabbath; its Sun's birthday, 25th of December, as the birthday of Jesus." History of Christianity in the Light of Modern Knowledge, Chapter III; cited in Religion and Philosophy, pp. 73, 74. New York: 1929.
Actually, we do not know the date of Christ's birth. As you can readily see, the adoption of December 25 was based purely upon the heathen observance of the festival of sun worship. Please take note how easily a pagan institution can slip into Christian churches and can even be passed along in Protestantism.
And what about Easter? It is a well-known Christian observance in our modern churches. Yet, it was also celebrated by pagans long before the resurrection of Christ. All Christian groups recognize that Easter Sunday is often as much as five weeks apart from one year to the next. Few know that it is all governed by the heavenly bodies. Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the equinox.
The pagans of long ago noticed that everything seemed to take on new life in the early spring, as soon as the sun crossed the equinox. So they designated a day in the spring to honor the goddess of reproduction. That day was dedicated to Ishtar, the goddess of reproduction, because of the new life and growth in nature. The very word Easter has been transliterated from the name of the goddess Ishtar, whose worship was memorialized by the adoption of Easter.
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Many times Christian laymen have asked just what the bunny rabbit and Easter egg have to do with the resurrection of Christ. Of course, they have nothing to do with it. The rabbit was chosen by those pagans as a symbol of Ishtar's day because it was the most prolific reproducer. The egg was also chosen because it was a symbol of fertility. Among the heathen the day was associated with the most licentious practices.
During the time the papacy was developing, Ishtar's day was adopted by the Church and called Easter. Even the symbols, the bunny rabbits and eggs, are retained as reminders of its pagan origin. These examples have been presented merely to show how easily the devil was able to impose pagan ideas upon that church. As the papacy developed, it was open to the reception of unbiblical customs that marked it clearly as the real counterfeit power described by God in Revelation 13.
The question comes to our minds at this point: Are we really following the Bible in all our doctrines? If tradition and heathen custom have crept so easily into the church, what about other doctrines? The things mentioned so far have not been opposed to the direct commandments of God. We do not have any commandments concerning the observing of Christ's resurrection or His birth. We can think of His resurrection and birth at any time and on any day of the year. In the next chapter we shall discover, though, that other pagan doctrines were introduced which strike at the very heart of true Bible religion. We are not so concerned, except for those things which contravene a plain command of God.
The growing power of the papacy continued its program by counterfeiting some of the most vital truths contained in God's Word. May our eyes be opened to recognize these counterfeits and to remain loyal to the exact truth in its original form.
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III. THE NUMBER AND MARK OF THE BEAST
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Two of the most important aspects of the beast's power are brought to light in Revelation 13: "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: 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. 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." Revelation 13:16-18. So far in our study we have described nine identifying marks of the beast power and its application to the papacy. Right here we will add the tenth point to our list by explaining the number of his name.
According to Revelation 13:17, the number of his name will also be the number of a man. Undoubtedly this refers to the man who heads the beast power. The ancient method of deriving the number of a name is to take the numerical value of all letters and add them up to get the sum. If we want to apply this test to the papacy, we must find the official name of the pope, who is the head of his church. If this is the number of a man, it would naturally be the man who is the head of the organization.
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It is interesting to note that there is an official Latin title for the pope, a title which has been granted by the Church itself. This title is found repeatedly in the publications of Rome. But in the weekly Catholic newspaper, Our Sunday Visitor, of April 1915, we have the interesting statement that the letters of the official title are inscribed in the pope's miter. Here is the actual quotation: "The letters inscribed in the pope's miter are these; Vicarius Filii Dei, which is the Latin for ÔVicar of the Son of God.' Catholics hold that the Church, which is a visible society, must have a visible head; Christ, before His ascension into heaven, appointed St. Peter to act as His representative. Hence, to the Bishop of Rome as head of the church, was given the title, ÔVicar of Christ.'" At present the pope's miter does not contain the Latin title, but the words are incorporated into the coronation ceremonies of each newly crowned pope.
So with this official name of the pope in hand we can proceed to apply the test of the Scripture. How do we derive the number of his name? By getting the numerical value of the Roman numerals of the title Vicarius Filii Dei, we actually come to a definite number 666. Notice how it is worked out below as each letter is given its numerical value:
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V =
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5
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F =
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0
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D =
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500
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I =
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1
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I =
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1
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E =
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0
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C =
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100
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L =
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50
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I =
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1
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A =
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0
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I =
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1
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R =
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0
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I =
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1
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I =
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1
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U or V =
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5
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S =
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0
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112
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+
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53
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+
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501
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=
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666
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Someone might object that this could be a coincidental occurrence. We grant that it is possible for such a thing to be a mere happenstance if we had only this one mark of identity to lean upon. But the fact is that this is the tenth of a long list of characteristic marks which the Bible uses to identify the beast power. It only adds weight and strength to that which has already been said in making the application to the papal power. It is the capstone proof in conjunction with all the other marks laid down so clearly in the Scripture.
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The Mark - A Master Counterfeit
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We are now prepared to consider the climax of counterfeits as far as the beast power is concerned. We have already learned that this power was to counterfeit many of the great truths of God. It was a combination of pagan ideas with Christian doctrine which formed a conglomeration of confusion, well designated as "Babylon" in the Scripture.
A few of the counterfeits might be listed as follows: instead of the word of God, tradition; instead of the Holy Spirit, the pope; instead of baptism, sprinkling; instead of communion, transubstantiation; instead of the eternal law of God, the changed law; instead of tithe, taxes and indulgences; instead of death, purgatory; instead of the seal of God, the mark of the beast.
Here we are especially concerned about the mark of the beast. In Revelation 14:9, 10, we read, "If any man worship the beast ... 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." This is a matter of life or death. We must know exactly what this mark is and how we can avoid it.
We first of all notice in the Bible that the mark is always opposed to the seal of God. In Revelation 7:2, 3, we learn that the seal of God is placed in the forehead, just as the mark of the beast is set in the forehead. The two things seem to be in direct contradistinction to each other. Both are received in the forehead. Now we ask, "What is the seal?" If we can establish this point, it will help us to identify the mark.
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A seal is something which has to do with legal affairs. Official documents are always stamped with the seal of the governing body. Every government has a seal which is placed upon its legal documents. Its purpose is to show that there is authority behind the document. This is especially true of the laws of the country. Every new law has a seal to show that there is power and authority to back up the law.
Notice that each seal has three things in it. It must contain the name of the authority, the office or title of the authority, and the territory over which he has power. The seal of America's president contains the following words: Bill Clinton, President, United States of America. When that seal is placed upon a law or an official document, it shows that the president's authority is supporting that declaration.
Does God's seal have to do with His law also? If so, how and where is it impressed? Let's read Isaiah 8:16, "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." This proves that the seal is connected with the law. In fact, His law is sealed among the disciples of God. But where is the law actually placed upon those who are faithtul? The answer is found in Hebrews 10:16, "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them."
This, then, is how the Lord's seal is placed on the disciples. It is written on their minds or, symbolically, on their foreheads. Proverbs 7:2, 3 makes it even plainer: "Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart." The law, you see, is observed both by the hand and in the mind; thus, it is spoken of as being applied to the hand and forehead.
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The Sign of God's Authority
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We want to search in God's law to see which part actually does constitute the seal. But first, let's find out what constitutes God's power and authority. The President exercises authority by virtue of his office as President. God claims power based on His office as Creator of the universe. Notice the words found in Jeremiah 10:10-12: "But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: ... Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. He hath made the earth by his power." Again, Psalm 96:5, "For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens." Put with these texts one more found in Isaiah 40:25, 26: "To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things."
We are impressed that the great thing which distinguishes the true God is His creative power. He bases His claims of authority as the true and only God upon His power to create. But what is the sign or memorial of His creation? Genesis 2:2, 3 gives the answer: "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." The Sabbath is a memorial of the creative power which distinguishes Him from the false gods.
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We are now prepared to search God's law to determine what His seal of authority really is. Remember that a seal must contain the name, office and territory of the authority. One by one we study through the ten commandments of the Decalogue. Gradually all are eliminated except one. The three requisites of a seal will be found only in the one which includes name, title and territory of God.
Right in the heart of the law is the memorial of His creative power, and behold, in that fourth commandment we find also the three components of the seal. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God (name): ... For in six days the Lord made (office - Creator) heaven and earth(territory), the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day." Exodus 20:8-11. In other words, the Sabbath is the seal of God - the mark of the only one who can create and who is authorized to rule the earth. And to make His law authoritative, He has placed the seal in it, showing that He stands behind every single commandment in that law.
You may ask, "Is the Sabbath really the seal of God?" Let's look at Ezekiel 20:12, "Moreover also 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." Here the Sabbath is called the "sign" of God. Is that the same as a seal? Romans 4:11 reveals that "seal" and "sign" are the very same thing, being used interchangeably in the Scripture. "And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised."
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Seal And Mark In Competition
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Let us see what the relation is between the seal of God and the mark of the beast. The two things are in competition with each other. In Revelation 14:9, 10, the third angel's message portrays those who have the mark: "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; and he shall be tormented with flre and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb."
In verse twelve we have another group identified by these words, "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." In other words, those who keep the commandments of God do not have the mark of the beast and those who have the mark of the beast do not obey the commandments of God. The Ten Commandments, containing the seal of God, are set up in competition with the mark of the beast. The seal is the Sabbath, therefore the Sabbath is opposed to the mark. Then what is the mark?
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For more information:
The Mark of the Beast - Exposed
P.O. Box 727
South Hill, VA 23970-0727 US
Email: pastorvaughn@meckcom.net
© Copyright 2008 The Mark of the Beast - Exposed. All Rights Reserved.
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