Mark of the Beast
So many are questioning what the Mark of the Beast is in Revelation. We have to go back to prophecy, in history where the beast began and where he received his power. The “Mark” is the mark of the beast, and the “Beast” is the Roman Empire. In Revelation 17, a later stage of this wild beast is pictured, and they’re a “Woman”- a great church- sits astride it, rules over it, and the mark of the Roman Empire. Now in Revelation 13:11, another “Beast” is pictured.
This beast has two horns, like a lamb, but speaks as a Dragon. The Bible plainly reveals this second “beast” to be the Roman Catholic Church. This Church is an Ecclesiastical World Empire - a Government. It took over, exercised, and wielded all the power of the first beast, the Roman Empire. After 554 A.D., the Roman Catholic Church did do this and rules for 1260 years as prophesied!
Now here is a deceived Church, both herself deceived by, and therefore used by the Devil, and has deceived the whole world. This Church did not actually herself kill these martyrs; she merely caused them to be killed. She is then the one who causes all under her domination to receive the dreaded Mark of the Beast.
The Brand of Rome, “He”, the Catholic Church that formed the Papacy and originated human Church Government modeled after that of the Roman Empire. “Causeth” All to receive this Mark. It is the Church, not the civil government, which forces this brand on people. It is the same power, which caused the Martyrdom of the Saints. It brands on the people the mark of the “Beast” that is, the Mark of the Roman Empire, not the Mark of the Church.
This Mark is received in the right hand, and in the forehead. So the Mark is that of the Roman Empire, which the Roman Church did cause or caused the whole world to receive.
One of the main ways that Satan deceives is by getting Ministers and followers of Christ to ignore God’s time elements, or to misunderstand them in prophecy. This is especially true about the beast, the Image of that beast in Revelation 13, this 42 months is the same as the time given the “Little Horn” of Daniel 7:7-8, 24-26. A “Time” is one year, “Times”, plural, is two years, and the “Dividing of Time” is ½ year. The total is 3 ½ years, or 42 months, as in Revelation 13:5. This same 3 ½ years is mentioned in Revelation 12:14, and in verse 6, it is reduced to days, 1260 days. God’s time element as He outlined world history in Bible prophecy in Daniel 2 and 7 gives no place for such a world ruler in these last days. Are the Beast, Two-Horned Beast and Image of the Beast yet future? Many are teaching and believing this! What does the beast, sea, head, horns, symbolize? Beast= Kingdoms, Nations Sea= People, multitudes, Nations, tongues (Revelation 17:15).
Heads=Governments, Horns= Nations, and Kingdoms, Little Horn= the Catholic Church. (Revelation. 13:1) Having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns (Daniel 7:1-8, 23-27). Four great beasts rise up out of the sea. The Lion was Babylon, the Bear was Media-Persia, the Leopard with four heads was the Grecian Kingdom, and that fourth great and terrible beast with ten horns was Rome. Rome, that fourth Gentile Kingdom, was to be the last before God’s Kingdom (Daniel 2:43-44, 7:27). This fourth beast with ten horns in Daniel 7 is the symbol of the Roman Empire, and so is the ten-horn beast of (Revelation 13:1-2).
Revelation 13:2, the Beast, which I saw, were like a leopard; the dragon gave him his power. (Daniel 7:2,7). The fourth beast, (winds), deceptive and destruction, (sea-people) (Revelation 12:9). That old serpent, called the devil, and Satan. This one beast, or kingdom, had a body like a leopard beast of Dan. 7:3-6. It also had feet like a bear, and a mouth like a lion. These were all found in that one beast, or Roman Empire, and that old serpent called the Devil; gave him power, and great Authority (2 Thessalonians 2:1-11).
(Revelation 13:3) One of his heads were wounded, and healed: and all wondered after him. This Beast represents the Roman Empire, in Revelation chapter 13 verses 5-7. The Little Horn of Daniel 7:23- 26 is used to represent the Papacy rule in Rome, the same as the Mouth in Revelation 13:5-7. This Little Horn of Daniel 7 was not the Beast, but was “Given” power by the Beast for a stated time. The Roman Empire was Anti-Christian but not the Anti-Christ, and the Roman Empire in the west was wounded to death in 476A.D.
The destruction of the Roman Empire in the West by the German barbarians is one of the most momentous events in history. This was the head of that Roman Beast, or Government, that was wounded to death and after 300 years was restored to Life when the Pope crowned Charlemagne Kind of the Roman Empire and successor of Caesar on Christmas Day, 800 A.D. This started the succession of emperors in the West, and this continued for 1,000 years. Crowned by the Pope, these “World Kings” ruled with the Papacy in a great “Ecclesiastic Empire” called “The Holy Roman Empire” which ended in 1806 A.D. (Revelation 13:4).
And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast Revelation 12:9). Dragon, which deceived the whole world (Revelation 13:3), and the entire world wonder after him (2 Thessalonians 2:3) that man of sin (Revelation 18:11). The merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her.
Everyone was required to join in the worship of the emperor, because he stood for the majesty of the Roman dominion. Early Christians refused to comply with such worship, or required veneration of the government and this brought punishments. “All good citizens were obliged to join in the official sacrifice to the defied head of the state. The emperor was the “Pontifex Maximus” of the heathen religion of the State. Rome, the Imperial seat of government, was called the “Eternal City.” (Revelation 13:5) A mouth speaking great things and blasphemies (Daniel 7:25) he shall speak great words against the most High (Matthew 24:24).
They shall fool the very elect. This mouth or, the little horn in Daniel 7:8, speaking great things and blasphemies, and power was given him, this man, the Popes, to continue forty-two months or 1260 years.
Revelation 13:6-11 Blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and them that dwell in Heaven (2 Thessalonians 2:4). So that he as God setting in the temple of God. The Papacy was given power to rule the Roman people in religious matters as head of the Sate Church, the Apostate Church that was the Roman Catholic Church. All who refused to obey his Papal power and laws of the Church were heretics and treated as outlaws in Rome. He and this Apostate Church of Rome claimed power to make Divine Laws and to Forgive sins, power that belongs to God and Jesus Christ only. This power ruled and persecuted the true Saints of God; “was given unto him to continue 42 months, 1260 years (Revelation 13:9-10). Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints (Revelation 14:12-13). Here are they that Keep the Commandments of God (Revelation 12:17). And went to make war with the remnant of her seed that first beast, Rome, in Revelation 13:1-10 carried us through the rule of the Papacy and Beast, or Roman empire, until Rome was not an empire any more. Daniel, the little horn, the Papacy, made an image of the Beast, the Roman Empire, and he, papacy, exercised all the power of the first beast, emperor of the Roman Empire, before him. Revelation 13:11-13 Beast with two horns, and he doeth great wonders (Deuteronomy 13:1-4; Matthew 24:24). Shall show great signs and wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9) after the works of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.
This Beast, or Kingdom, came up out of the earth. The original Beast came up out of the sea, which represented people, multitudes, tongues (Revelation 17:15 and Daniel 7:2), says that the four winds strove upon the great sea, and those four beasts, or kingdoms, came up. In short, those kingdoms came into power out of storms, or wars among the people. But this two-horn beast, or kingdom came up out of the earth, not as a result of wars among the people. The earth here clearly refers to the Civilized World under Roman dominion. This two-horned beast represents another kingdom rising up in Roman territory (Daniel 7:8). So here we have a kingdom rising up in Roman territory with two kings, the Emperor of the Roman Empire and the Emperor or Pope of the Catholic Church.
“He exerciseth all the power of the First Beast before him.” He ruled in the same Roman territory, for the Roman Empire was that First Beast. The Pope had his Papal States and was also a Temporal King there. This two-horned empire is where the Papacy rules and works, along with the Scarlet Colored Beast, Roman Empire, which the woman, Catholic Church. Rome was the one who caused the whole earth to worship the first beast the Catholic Church. “Even him; whose coming, is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders (Revelation 13:14-15). That they should make an image to the beast, or be killed (Revelation 12:9). Which deceiveth the whole world (Revelation 19:20). This false prophet that wrought miracles before him (2 Thessalonians 2:9), with all power and signs and lying wonders (Revelation 13:7), and to make war with the saints (Revelation 6:10). Does thou not judge and avenge our blood on them? “The two horns like a lamb.” We believe this represents the union of a Church and State under the garb of Christianity, the Church making laws and the state enforcing them. This system developed after the downfall of the Beast’s Pagan system, and the Papal System made an image to the pagan system of religion, by adopting and perpetuating the rites and ceremonies of heathenism.
Did the Papacy imitate pagan Rome in this respect? During the long reign of the Church and State union, the number that suffered martyrdom will not be fully known until that day when God, Himself, reveals the secrets of men’s hearts (Revelation 7:9). Some has set the least estimate at fifty million, others as high as one hundred fifty million (Revelation 13:16-17. To receive a mark in their right hand, or in their forehead (Exodus 13:9), a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes (Deuteronomy. 6:6-8). Sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes (Proverbs 7:2-3). Keep my commandments and live (Revelation 7:3-4). Until we have sealed the servants of God in their foreheads.
A “Mark” is a brand of identification,” Sign”, is also a badge of identification; in the Bible they are interchangeable. Another identifying mark of this two-horned beast is the method and cruelty with which he treated his subjects that did not believe as he did. All must receive the “Mark of the Beast” no man might buy or sell, and finally died if he refused to accept the Mark. This the Papacy did throughout the 1,260 years. Therefore, the plain conclusion is that the “Mark” is something enforced by the Roman Catholic Church.
(Revelation 13:18), the number of a man; and his number is 666 the number of the Beast, 666, as translations of the Bible vary. It has been applied to both the Papacy and the Roman Empire; also to individuals. However, it is the number of the Beast, also the number of a man.
According to Revelation 13:1-3, this mystery man with the mysterious number 666, is a power connected with the Beast with seven heads and ten horns. We have learned that the seven heads and ten horns always identify the Roman Empire. Clearly, here is a Church power that has been associated with this Empire, and that did blaspheme God’s Sanctuary. There can be no doubt about the identity of the Mystery Man with the Mysterious Number 666.
(Revelation 13:18), what is the name? Catholic paper: “Our Sunday Visitor,” Nov. 15, 1915, “The title of the Pope is: VICARIUS FILII DEI, this is inscribed on his crown.” V=5 Y=No Value D=500I=1 I-1 E=No Value C=100 I=50 I=1A=No Value I=1 Total: 501 R=No Value I=1 I=1 Total: 53U=5S=No Value 112+53+501= 666 Total: 112
We begin now to see that the Mark of the Beast involves a point of obedience whether we shall obey God, or reject the commandments of God and obey man’s rule. It has something to do with the Commandments of God.
Therefore, the inevitable and plain conclusion is that the “Beast” is something enforced by the Roman Catholic Church, originating in the paganism of the Roman Empire, which cunning, deceiving devil would seize on as means of cleverly deceiving people into breaking God’s Ten Commandments. And it involves a direct connection with holding a job, engaging in business, earning a living.
There is only one possible commandment, the one regarded by the large number as the “least” of the commandments, and that is the fourth commandment, “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it Holy.” The Seventh Day is the Sabbath of the Eternal God. Where did Sunday originate? It originated with Constantine; Emperor of the Rome Empire, who made Sunday the official so-called “Christian Day of rest.” But it was enforced; people were caused to accept it universally, by the Catholic Church. Sunday observance, Christmas, New Years, Easter and other Holidays, are all the Mark of the Beast. (Meyers History, 1904 Edition) God’s last warning is this: “Come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues!”
Sunday observance is the mark of the beast and Saturday observance is a mark (sign) between you and me throughout your generation that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore, for it is holy unto you. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever: for in six days the Lord made the heavens and earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed (Exodus 31:13-17).
“Come out from her” the last warning God has given you, are willing to keep the Sabbath Day Holy?