Endtime Beast

Our topic, the mark of the beast, has inspired a great deal of speculation, and a flurry of strange ideas. Some people are so afraid of it they try to avoid having a social security number. Some people think about it whenever they go through the grocery store check out. That machine scanning those bar codes, permitting them to buy groceries, what could be behind it all? Some people worry about it whenever they use their credit cards. They feel like they're giving personal information to some super computer.

But the fact remains it's one of the vital subjects in the book of Revelation. Intense interest in the subject has been building for decades. We see the phrase "mark of the beast" and the mysterious number associated with it, 666, displayed everywhere, from movie marquees to paperback book covers.

And we have many questions. Is the beast a person? Is the beast a system or some organization? Who is the beast? What's the mark? What does 666 mean? And how can I avoid that mark? God does not leave us in the dark. The book of Revelation will give us some clear answers. John wrote:

[Slides 11-14] "Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name" (Revelation 13:1).

Although this beast is frightening, remember we're dealing with symbols. Today we speak of America as an eagle and Russia as a bear. Those are symbols that represent nations, powers in the world. Revelation is describing here a great power which rises up out of the sea. We learned last night that Revelation 17:15 says that the "sea" or "waters" represent nations, or people.

There is something very familiar about this beast with seven heads and ten crowns on its horns. The description continues:

"Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion" (Revelation 13:2).

Here is pictured a composite beast. John uses the same symbols that Daniel used in his description of great world powers. He symbolized Babylon as a lion, Medo-Persia as a bear, Greece as a leopard, and the Roman Empire as a dragon-like beast. This beast of Revelation 13 brings all the characteristics of Daniel's beasts together in one, end-time power. Tonight, we're going to look at seven clues which identify the beast power. Remember what I've been saying all along about the "mark of the beast" YOU CAN'T KNOW WHAT THE MARK IS UNTIL YOU KNOW WHO THE BEAST IS!

Clue Number One

Look at the last part of Revelation 13:2.

"And the dragon gave him his power, his throne and great authority."

Whoever the beast is of Revelation 13, where does he get his power from? The dragon. Where does he get his throne of government from? The dragon. Where does he get great authority from? The dragon. And who does the dragon represent? Revelation 12:9 identifies the dragon as Satan. But Satan works through human agencies:

"And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born" (Revelation 12:4).

In Revelation 12, the dragon working through pagan Rome, attempted to destroy Jesus, the man child. Remember, a Roman official tried to kill baby Jesus. A Roman governor condemned Jesus. A Roman executioner crucified Jesus. A Roman emblem sealed Jesus' tomb. And a Roman guard watched that tomb. So, in Revelation 12, the dragon represents Satan working through pagan Rome to destroy Jesus.

After pagan Rome fell apart, pagan Rome gave its government or its seat of authority to somebody. Who did the pagan Roman government give its seat of authority to?

Professor Labianca, professor of history in a university in Rome says: "To the succession of the Caesar's came the succession of the pontiffs in Rome. When Constantine left Rome he gave his seat to the Pontiff."

Constantine, saw the writing on the wall for the Roman Empire and he moved his headquarters to Constantinople. And he gave his seat of government in Rome to the pope of Rome. Arthur P. Stanley describes the shift from a political power to a religious hierarchy:

"The popes filled the place of the vacant emperors of Rome, inheriting their power, prestige, and titles from paganism . . . The papacy is but the ghost of the deceased Roman Empire, sitting crowned upon its grave" (Stanley's History, page 40).

The beast is not a person. It is a religious-political system. Pagan Rome gave its authority over to papal Rome. That's the first clue identifying the beast.

Clue Number Two

This power in Revelation 13 would become primarily a worldwide religious power, as well as a political power. Revelation 13:8 says,

"All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

All who dwell on earth will worship him-it's a universal power that initiates worship. This is a universal religious power that transcends geographical boundaries. This is the second clue to the identity of the beast.

Clue Number Three

The power is described in Revelation 13:5, "has a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies." How does the Bible define blasphemy? Remember that Christ himself was accused of blasphemy. Why? Because he claimed to be one with God (John 10:33). If Jesus hadn't been divine he would have been guilty of blasphemy. Compare the following documents:

"The Pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were God, and the vicar of God" (Extracts from Lucius Ferraris, "Papa II" (art.), Prompta Bibliotheca, vol. 6 pages 25-29).

Ferraris is quoting an encyclical letter:

"We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty" (Encyclical Letters of Leo XIII, page 304).

There's another way blasphemy is defined: When Jesus said he forgave a certain man's sins, the Pharisees were furious. They claimed that Jesus spoke blasphemy. Mark 2:7 records their response:

"Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

For a change, the Pharisees were correct! Only God can forgive sins. The Pharisees just couldn't grasp the concept that God, in the person of Christ, was among them. Read for yourself the claims of the Roman Church:

"Seek where you will, through Heaven and earth, and you will find but one created being who can forgive the sinner . . . That extraordinary being is the priest, the Catholic priest" (The Catholic Priest, pages 78, 79).

"God Himself is obliged to abide by the judgment of His priest, and either not to pardon or to pardon, according as they refuse or give absolution . . . The sentence of the priest precedes, and God subscribes to it" (Dignity and Duties of the Priest, Vol. 12, page 2).

According to Biblical definitions this is blasphemy, a counterfeit system of forgiveness. It's not the gospel of grace. It's putting something between us and the one true mediator, Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). Only God can forgive sins. It was true then. It is true now. No earthly religious leader has the right to interpose himself between us and God.

Clue Number Four

Revelation 13:7, again, speaking of the beast:

"And it was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them."

Making war with the saints, sounds like persecution. Has the Roman church ever persecuted dissenters? Here's a conservative estimate. Christians martyred by the state church during the Dark Ages number over 30 million. Whole communities were wiped out for no other crime than "heresy." They dared to believe something other than what the church taught. Interestingly enough, the Roman Church admits to the persecution:

"The Church has persecuted. Only a tyro (novice) in church history will deny that" (Western Watchman, December 23, 1908).

But even more disturbing is a statement from a Catholic textbook:

"The church may by divine right confiscate the property of heretics, imprison their persons and condemn them to the flames . . . In our age the right to inflict the severest penalties, even death, belongs to the church . . . There is no graver offense than heresy. . . therefore it must be rooted out" (Public Ecclesiastical Law, vol. 2, p. 142).

It's possible to believe in our hearts that we are carrying out the work of God-and yet do terrible things to other people. But this is not the work of Christ. This is the work of the beast who makes war with the saints.

Clue Number Five

This clue relates to a time prophecy:

"And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months" (Revelation 13:5).

Forty-two months. Remember that a day stands for a year in Bible prophecy (Ezekiel 4:6); thus, 42 months, or 1260 days, equals 1260 years.

Does this period of time fit in with the history of the Roman Church? We know from history books that 538 AD is an important date for Catholics. In that year the three powers in conflict with the papacy were conquered, securing the pope's position as a religious-political leader-You may remember that the little horn of Daniel 7 uprooted three of the first horns in its rise to power (Visigoths, Ostrogoths, and Herali).

In that same year the decree of Justinian, the Emperor, went into effect making the bishop of Rome the head of all the churches, the definer of doctrine, and the corrector of heretics. This decree marked the beginning of papal supremacy in 538 AD.

Let's add 1260 years to 538 AD. That's when we should expect to see as foretold by John's description of the end of this period of papal supremacy, one of the heads of the beast that had been "mortally wounded." Adding 1260 years to 538 AD we come to the year 1798. What happened to the papacy in that year?

Papal power was indeed seriously wounded, in 1798. Napoleon sent General Berthier to Rome in not such a friendly visit! He took the pope captive. Notice the historical account:

"The murder of a Frenchman in Rome in 1798 gave the French an excuse for occupying the Eternal City and putting an end to the Papal temporal power. The aged Pontiff himself was carried off into exile to Valence . . . The enemies of the Church rejoiced. The last Pope, they declared, had resigned" (Church History, page 24).

The 1260 years fit. Had Napoleon consulted Scripture, however, he would have realized that the papal system was not finished only wounded:

"And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast" (Revelation 13:3).

Everything we've been talking about has been well documented. It has all been solidly grounded in authentic history. Is anyone old enough to remember this? Here's how the San Francisco Chronicle reported it,

"All the world would marvel at its healing and follow the beast. That event set the stage for the dramatic role of the papacy in the last days."

Clue Number Six

Look at Revelation 13:18:

"Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666."

In the Bible the number seven represents perfection, completeness. The number six, on the other hand, is a symbol of imperfection, representing human error, incompleteness. The number six stands for rebellion rather than obedience.

"Here is wisdom. Let him that had understanding count the number of a man, and the number is 666."

Here is something fascinating. The official symbol of the papal authority is the papal tiara. This triple-crown indicates the belief the pope is the lord of heaven, earth and lower regions. An inscription once found on the papal tiara is VICARIUS FILII DEI. The Catholic publication, Our Sunday Visitor, says: "The official title of the papacy is Vicarius Filii Dei or Vicar of the Son of God."

Since this is a Roman title, we would expect to use Roman numerals to calculate it.

V = 5 F D = 500 112
I = 1 I = 1 E 53
C = 100 L = 50 I = 1 501
A I = 1 501 666
R I = 1
I = 1 53
U = 5
S___
112

Clue number six, the official title of the papacy, adds up to 666.

Clue Number Seven

This clue relates to how the beast will use his power to force compliance. Look at Revelation 13:16,17:

"And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."

This is the mark, of course, that has been the focus of so much attention, and a lot of wild speculation in the past few years. Is it related to bar codes or to driver's licenses? Is someone going to try to plant a computer chip in your head?

Remember, that Revelation is a book of symbols. The mark of the beast is a symbol of rebellion against God. Revelation 13 and 14 make it clear that those who ally themselves with the beast will receive this mark. That's one group. But another group emerges in the end-time. They receive a very different kind of mark. Look at Revelation 7:2, 3:

"Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, 'Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads'."

This group receives the protective seal of the living God. Who are they? You may remember that Cain received a mark of identification: Genesis 4:15

God's people received a mark of identification as well: Deuteronomy 6:4-8

After Moses repeats the Ten Commandments to the people, he gives them the greatest commandment of all! Notice Isaiah 8:16: "Seal the law among my disciples." God's stamp or seal is His law. Now notice Ezekiel 20:12:

"Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me'"

Revelation 14:12 points them out as well:

"Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."

There will be two groups in the last days with two different marks-- the seal of God and the mark of the beast.

What's the issue here? They are both signs of who we worship, and who we are loyal to. The focus of the controversy in the last hours of this earth's history will center on humanity's response to God's commands. It's the seal versus the mark. God's true sign of authority versus Satan's counterfeit.

Let me illustrate it for you: Government seals usually contain three essentials-name, title and territory of ruler and government. We know the seal of the president of the United States, for example, and what it looks like. George Bush stands behind his title and the territory.

The crucial components of God's seal are the same-the Person, title and territory. And those components are found in God's law, in the very heart of the Ten Commandments:

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work . . . For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it" (Exodus 20:8-11).

Notice the components of God's seal, right here in the heart of his law:

1. He gives his name - the Lord your God.
2. He gives his title - Creator
3. And He gives his territory - heaven and earth.

In this way, the Sabbath command serves as a seal, a seal of God's authority.
The final controversy between Christ and Satan will center on God's creatorship and ruler ship. Satan has refused to acknowledge God as sovereign over creation. And that hostility has contaminated planet Earth. Satan has tried to get men and women to reject God's ruler ship in their lives.

The Sabbath command plays a key role in this controversy. It is a symbol, a seal, of God's authority over us as Creator and Redeemer. It has been a special sign for God's people since the beginning of time. It will be a special sign in the end-times.

God calls the Sabbath his sign, his mark of authority. Now think about this: We now know who the beast is. We have covered all seven clues. What does the beast power claim as its mark of authority? Let's look at some Catholic publications for an answer:

"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, Sept. 1, 1923).

Father Enright, former President of Redemptorist College:

"The Bible says, remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day. The Catholic Church says, No! By my divine power I abolish the Sabbath day, and command you to keep holy the first day of the week. And lo! The entire civilized world bows down in reverent obedience to the command of the holy Catholic Church."

Someone once said to me, "That's old information. No one thinks like that anymore. We're all trying to come together as Catholics and Protestants." Well, here's something recent then: Saint Catherine Catholic Church Sentinel, 1995.

Do you see what the issues are? The issue in the final days focuses on worship: true worship or false worship. Worship on the true Sabbath or accepting a counterfeit Sabbath.

Now let me be very plain. The mark of the beast is the mark of papal authority in the changing of the Sabbath from Saturday the seventh day to Sunday the first day. But nobody has the mark of the beast today. The mark of the beast is something enforced under penalty of death.

Some day soon church and state will unite as it has in the past. No one will receive the mark of the beast until religious legislation is passed enforcing Sunday observance. People everywhere will be forced to make a decision.

In the days of Noah, God invited His people to take a stand for truth. In the days of Daniel, � In the days of Jesus, " In the days of early Christianity, " In the Dark Ages, ". In the last days, "

We just finished up some national elections last year. Many of those races were close, but none is as close as the decision anyone makes about their relationship with Jesus. Jesus has already voted "yes" for each and every one of us. He want us to take a stand for truth, to have a closer walk with Him. Satan has already voted "no" for each and every one of us. He doesn't want any of us to take a stand for truth. He wants to mark us his.

The deciding vote is in your hands. You have the evidence and you can make a well-informed decision. You have the appeal from Jesus, "Come out of her, my people" (Revelation 18:4).

You are free to make your own decision. Don't waste your freedom.