Bible Prophecy and Inspiration

What is the Mark of the Beast that we hear about in society so much?

Revelation 13:15-17 –  ¹⁵ The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. ¹⁶ It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

The beast is the antichrist.  The other beast is known as the false prophet.  If people don’t worship the antichrist they will be killed.  Makes sense when you realize the antichrist is now the devil the second half of the tribulation, once he raises the antichrist from his fatal wound.  The devil has always wanted to be like the Most High God and be worshipped.

Daniel 11:36-38 – ³⁶ “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. ³⁷ He will show no regard for the gods of his ancestors or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. ³⁸ Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his ancestors he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts.

The king mentioned in Daniels 11^th chapter is Satan or the antichrist.

So what is the Mark of the Beast?  One will have it in their right hand or forehead to buy or sell.

Today you can have your animal or pet chipped.  It is a passive device that can hold information and when the decoder is shot at it a signal identifier comes back and identifies the animal.

That technology is really yesterday’s technology and with the problems of identity theft, theft, etc., a new type of device will be able to have much more important stuff in it.  Medical, finances, you name it, it will be a complete wallet or purse in a grain of rice sized chip.  Now is that technology bad?  No.  Actually in the name of convenience many people will be happy to have it.

Make no qualms about it.  The Mark of the Beast will not be a credit card under skin.  The devil is going to let you know you’re making the choice to worship him.  This won’t be an accident.  It’s serious business to God also, so there will be no mistake when you accept the 666 in the chip.

Revelation 13:18 – ¹⁸ This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.

Here is how plain God makes it for those who accept the Mark.

Revelation 14:9 -12- ⁹ A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, ¹⁰ they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. ¹¹ And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” ¹² This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.

By 2017 it is the goal of the one world government groups to have the whole world chipped. 

As a Pre-Trib rapture believer, I don’t expect that the people who have made Jesus Lord will have to go through this.  However, for those left on earth, they will be faced with this decision.  If you haven’t accepted as Lord, please do so now.  Up in the right hand side under pages you may click on that and it will run you through.

That’s no small task.  Bringing a world together with as many countries we have out there and having them agree to lay down their sovereignty.  It’s taken about 90 years of hard work of those with the money and the status to get us where were at today.

As I mentioned earlier God isn’t fan of a one world order when He’s not the head of it.  Man back in Genesis chapter 11 tried to build an empire as one people.

Genesis 11:1-9 –  ¹ Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. ² As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

 ³ They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. ⁴ Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

 ⁵ But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. ⁶ The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. ⁷ Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

 ⁸ So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. ⁹ That is why it was called Babel—because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

You see God is what the Bible states He is.  He doesn’t like man trying to run the show without Him.

I know many people in the world are confused by this, but that’s because they don’t know God.  God wants to be worshipped.  God wants to be served and have a relationship with us.  He’s not interested in creating humans and then having them running off doing things their own way.

Here’s another problem with man.  He’s a sinner and malfunctioned machine which has gotten away from the perfect Creator.  Without God man is a mess and is easily influenced by evil.

So there have been men influenced, and not by God to try and bring this world together.  Satan is up for it.  He wants to be the ruler of this earth.  Last three and half years of the Tribulation Mr. Destructo becomes just that.  At the end of the Tribulation, you have all the nations coming to take on the Antichrist.  If Jesus with His armies don’t come down from heaven no flesh would be saved.

Let’s just take a closer look at the one world coming together.  Even to this day America and China don’t see eye to eye.  Indonesia and Australia don’t have that much in common.  What do Christians, Hindus, and Muslims, have in common?  Nothing, accept by the world they are all called religions.  What do Atheists have in common with any of them?  Yet man thinks he can bring everyone together for the sole purpose of a one world peace.  Once again no small task, but because of the determination of others, most in the name of peace, economics, population control, etc., it’s coming together.

Now think about a one world currency.  Most people take it for granted.  For the world to have the ability for a one world currency, we needed a lot of new technology.  This new technology really has just come out in the last hundred years.  Daniel who wrote on end time events 2500 to 2600 years ago was given prophecy by God and it was mind blowing, as he was seeing a world that was difficult to describe.

Daniel 12:4 – ⁴ But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”

Daniel was told that in the end times, travel and knowledge would vastly increase.  For 5900 years man rode horses, carts, made some incredible construction out of mortar and bricks.  But really the explosion of radio, film, TV, computers, weaponry, has vastly increased.  You couldn’t have a one world economic system without super computers to run it.  You couldn’t keep people in line without being able to keep an eye on them they way it can be done now.

The will and the technology are present for both a new world order and a one world currency.  These are two very important things that the Tribulation has in it. 

So far we have hit hard on:

Israel becoming a nation again (most important on God’s time clock)
A One World Government establishing
A One World Currency coming together
The antichrist which will be the One World Ruler

These are four very important events in the end times.  I will continue to write on some others in the future.

2 Peter 3:3-4 – ³ Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. ⁴ They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”

As someone who loves Bible Prophecy and realizes the signs are quickly approaching of Christ’s second coming, I come across this quite a bit.  Sadly in many churches they aren’t even aware of what the rapture is or looking for His second coming.

Why is this the case?  I believe it’s because people are too busy building their kingdom here on earth to see or want to see the signs of His coming.  I’ve had a few people say it’s coming soon but not in our lifetime.  Is that a want of theirs?

I can tell you if you’re looking for Christ and living everyday for Him instead of your own specific wants, you’ll be ready to meet Him in the air.  Is it important that we look for the Lord to come back?

2 Timothy 4:8 – ⁸ Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

For 1,970+ years, if someone has been looking and longing for Christ to come back, they will receive a crown of righteousness.  It doesn’t matter if happens when there still here on earth.  You see God knows if you are anticipating His Son’s return.  He knows that if you’re excited about it, you’re trying to live for Him.

Scoffers are on both sides of the fence of course, but to belong to the church and state that the Bible is the guide you follow while scoffing, well, that’s not good.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 –  ¹ Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, ² not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. ³ Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. ⁴ He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

 ⁵ Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. ⁷ For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, ¹⁰ and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. ¹¹ For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie ¹² and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

Paul explains much on what we read in Daniel.  He enters into the temple on the last days, defiles it, and then proclaims himself to be God.

The man of lawlessness is another name for the devil’s last day’s man.  He’s better known as the antichrist.

We spoke about this in a Pre-Tribulation post already, but in verse seven it says he can’t be revealed until He is taken out of the way.  The only one strong enough that is present today of holding back the antichrist is the Holy Spirit.  When He goes, the church goes with Him.

Verses 9 to 12 explain that since people don’t want the truth and be saved, God allows them to be deceived.  Kind of a – If that’s what you want and not Me, here you go.

Those who do want God will call upon the name of the Lord.  It will cost most their lives on this earth during the tribulation.  When I read Revelation, I mean most.  It looks to be the biggest harvest in short period of time.

Revelation 6:9-11 – ⁹ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. ¹⁰ They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” ¹¹ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.

Revelation 7:9-10 – ⁹ After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they cried out in a loud voice:

   “Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”

We need to do our best to serve the Lord and get out there and reach others, so they may accept him now.  If you don’t know Him yet, I have a page on how to do so in the right upper column.

Daniel 8:23-26 – ²³ “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. ²⁴ He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people. ²⁵ He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.

 ²⁶ “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”

These verses are in the NIV.  In the King James Version he’s called the king of fierce countenance.

Once again we read that he will attempt to take a stand against Jesus, which to Daniel back then was the Prince of Princes in his vision.  He will be destroyed and by the mighty power of the Lord.

Daniel 9:27 – ²⁷ He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

Jesus in Matthew 24 is warning the Jewish people about this moment spoken of in Daniel.

Matthew 24:15-25 –  ¹⁵ “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— ¹⁶ then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁷ Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. ¹⁸ Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. ¹⁹ How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! ²⁰ Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. ²¹ For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.

   ²² “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. ²³ At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. ²⁵ See, I have told you ahead of time.

How do we know Jesus is talking to the Jewish people?  He is telling them to pray that this doesn’t happen on the Sabbath.  He is also warning them about the abomination that causes desolation.  That’s when the antichrist defiles the temple.    

The king of fierce countenance, the little horn, the antichrist, the man of lawlessness, all are names of the same guy.  This guy and his counterpart the false prophet get the honors of being the first two thrown into the lake of fire.  Even before Satan, which it was made for him and the angels that followed him.

Yesterday we started with the question, “Is God done with Israel?”

It’s a shame we even have to ask that, but since Christians and Jews don’t want to pay close attention to His word, that is why it is confusing to some.

We went over those “Kingdom to Come” verses from Isaiah yesterday and will continue now with Daniel.

Daniel 2:44 – ⁴⁴ “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.

Daniel 7:13-14 – ¹³ “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. ¹⁴ He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Zechariah 14:8-9 –  ⁸ On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter.  ⁹ The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.

There is this reminder in the New Testament.

Luke 1:32-33 – ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Then we can conclude all those with our look at the Revelation.

Revelation 20:1-6 – ¹ And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. ² He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. ³ He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

 ⁴ I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. ⁵ (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. ⁶ Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

The Church is raptured, then these which were killed for their faith during the tribulation will also come to life and help rule and reign with Jesus while he sits on His throne.  Who will Jesus and His bride rule?  Those who didn’t take the Mark of the Beast and the Jews that were not killed.

It’s man that keeps trying to change everything and its meaning.  God’s Word is completely in line with what’s happening and going to happen.  The Church is the Church and Israel is Israel.  Israel has one tougher go about three and half years into the tribulation, but after that, they will be ruled by their King.

No God is not done with Israel, God is true to His Word.

No my replacement theology friends, He is not.  According to God’s Holy Word, that would make Him a liar.  Our Lord is no liar.

God promised Abraham that his descendents would live on and He has promised others that He will be their King.  The Millennium and shortly after the tribulation that will happen.

Isaiah 9:7 – ⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.  He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.  The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Isaiah 2:2-5 – ² In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.  ³ Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.  ⁴ He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples.  They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.  Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.  ⁵ Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD.

Isaiah 11:1-10 – ¹ A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
   from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
² The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
   the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
   the Spirit of counsel and of might,
   the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—
³ and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.

   He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
   or decide by what he hears with his ears;
⁴ but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
   with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
   with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
⁵ Righteousness will be his belt
   and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

 ⁶ The wolf will live with the lamb,
   the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
   and a little child will lead them.
⁷ The cow will feed with the bear,
   their young will lie down together,
   and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
⁸ The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
   the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
⁹ They will neither harm nor destroy
   on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD
   as the waters cover the sea.

 ¹⁰ In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.

We see that Isaiah has a lot to say about the King that is to come.  I believe that he will have tremendous accuracy, since he hit all the other portions of Jesus when He came the first time.  Tomorrow we’ll continue in the Old Testament and work our way to the Revelation.