The Mark of the Beast
What is it?
And
I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he
had two horns like a lamb,
and he spake
as a dragon.
And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and
causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first
beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so
that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight
of men, And deceiveth
them that dwell on the earth
by the means of
those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast;
saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make
an image to the beast,
which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to
give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast
should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the
image of the beast should be killed. 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. (Rev 13:11-18)
The
symbolic meanings of Revelation 13
The
lamb with two horns that speaks like a dragon is code for the
anti-Christ. The anti-Christ operates or gets its power,
its words of deceit
(Doctrines
See 1st
Tim. 4:1)
from the devil. (See Rev.
12:9)
The anti-Christ works miracles to deceive mankind. The image men
worship is one that represents everything God is not. In their right
hand or forehead is symbolic code. The right hand represents strength
(Isaiah 48:13) and the forehead represents thoughts or attitudes and
beliefs. Simply put to receive a mark on your right hand or forehead
means that what you think or believe is what you will do or how you
will act or live. Your words and deeds shall be judged by comparing
them to God's Son Yeshua who lived the pure unleavened (not added to)
Word of God the Father.(See
John 1:14)
Those that follow the false anti-Christ image are actually following
a false messiah, a false god and or a religious system. Look around
you and see for yourselves which religions have created a false image
of God and His Holy Ways. Which faith(s) teach men to live a lawless
lifestyle. Judge for yourself who the real Son of God is. Judge for
yourself who it is today that: Keeps the Holy Commandments of God
which is the testimony of Yeshua. Yeshua's entire life, everything He
said and did right up to dying on the cross was a testimony to God
the Father. So too should our lives be a living testimony of who we
serve, that is, God! Simply said: If we love Him we will keep His
Commandments.
And
the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the
remnant of her seed, which keep
the commandments of God,
and have
the testimony of Jesus Christ.
(Rev
12:17)
What
was Yeshua's (Jesus') testimony?
For
I
have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me
a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
And I
know that his commandment is life everlasting:
whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I
speak. (John
12:49-50)
Common
false teachings
There
are common false teachings found in Christianity that the mark of the
beast is a physical mark being something like a tattoo. The Bible
does not support this. Many teach another common doctrine that pairs
with the mark of the beast doctrine. This second doctrine is called
the 'rapture'
of the Church. This is simply a misunderstanding of the scriptures
based on the doctrines of unlearned men. The 'catching
away'
Paul speaks of is actually a fulfillment of a prophecy. The prophecy
that God would regather the
dispersed of Israel
at the end of the age. (See
Ex. 23:16, Isaiah 11:1-12)
There is yet a third doctrine that teaches that God's Laws are done
away with in spite of what Yeshua says in Matthew 5:17. Many teach
that he fulfilled ALL the Law and the prophets so there fore the Law
is no more. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is true
Yeshua has kept the Law perfectly as an example for we who are His
true followers but the scriptures tell us to walk as He (Yeshua)
walked. (See
1st
John 2:6)
But consider carefully the words of our Lord and Savior. He said :
Think
not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not
come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till
heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass
from the law, till
all be fulfilled.
(Mat
5:17-18)
Have
heaven or earth passed away? Has ALL prophecy been fulfilled? The
obvious answer to these questions is No! So then by Yeshua's own
words we must conclude that the Laws of God are not
done
away with. Are we who believe and obey under the Law? No not if we
love God and willing try to obey God's Holy Laws. If our heart is
humble, contrite and willing we are forgiven for the sake of Yeshua.
We stop being condemned when we confess Yeshua as our Lord and begin
to be taught to obey the Laws and Commandments of God that apply to
us. All others who deny Yeshua are condemned and will suffer the
wrath to come.
These
doctrines should be looked at very closely in light of what the Holy
Bible actually
says and
not what men wish it (the
Bible)
to say.
First
things first:
To
start with it is necessary to have a common ground of understanding.
Fact: the only Bible that existed in the days of Yeshua (Jesus'
Hebrew name), Paul, James, John and Peter was what is now called the
'Old
Testament'.
It was and still is this wrongly titled 'Old
Testament'
that had the ability to: “thou
hast known the
holy scriptures,
which are able to make thee wise
unto salvation
through faith which is in Christ Jesus”
Who
will suffer for the Kingdom of God?
Those
that truly follow Yeshua (Jesus) will at times suffer persecution and
even death. Paul states the following:
Yea,
and all
that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall
suffer
persecution.
(13) But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse,
deceiving,
and being deceived.
(14) But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and
hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
(15) And that from a child thou
hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise
unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
(16) All
scripture
is
given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness: (17) That the man of God may be
perfect, throughly furnished unto all
good works.
(2nd
Ti 3:12-17)
The
Holy Scriptures Paul is speaking of to Timothy are the so called 'Old
Testament'
books that existed in his day. Scholars agree that the so called 'New
Testament' did
not actually exist as we know it today until well into the 2nd
century AD/CE. Paul is believed to have been put to death in the year
67. This would mean that Paul's letters all had to have been written
before the year 67 and for obvious reasons.
Consider
too that Paul tells Timothy that “ALL” (not
some)
that will
live godly
in Christ
WILL suffer persecution. Paul is very clear and his words agree
perfectly with Yeshua's Words found in Matthew 24. Paul clearly
states that these selfsame Scriptures (The Old Testament) “are
able to make thee wise
unto salvation
through faith which is in Christ Jesus”.
Consider that
salvation
through faith in Yeshua the Messiah (Christ) is based upon hearing
His Words and doing them. Know also and understand that Yeshua's
Words were not His Words but the Father's (See
John 12:44-50)
Yeshua
says:
And
why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do
not the things which I say?
(Luke
6:46, See also Matt. 19:16-22)
In
short Yeshua says keep the Commandments of God if you want to have
eternal life. There is a catch which many readers may miss. This
catch agrees perfectly with what Paul states in 1st Cor. 13:1-8.
Yeshua tells the young man that asked Him what he had to do to
inherit eternal life to keep the Commandments. The young man replied
which and Yeshua names off several important ones. The young man
replies all these I have done from my youth but Yeshua tells him that
he (the young man) lacks one thing and must go and sell what he has
and give it to the poor. The one thing the man lacked was true love
for others expressed through acts of loving kindness like charity to
the poor. (See also Matt. 25:31-46,
Luke 19:1-9).
Yeshua
clearly makes the case that whoever will follow Him and be saved
will not only suffer persecution but also obey His Commandments which
in fact are not His but the Father's Commandments. (John
12:44-50)
God's two great Commandments are to love God with all we are
including our wealth and to love what He loves, namely, our fellow
man also created in the image of God! (See
Matt. 22:36-44)
Continuing
on:
It
is crucial that you hear the
very
Words of Yeshua and understand them so that you will not be lulled
into a false sense of security for this is exactly what the great
deceiver Satan wants.
Then
shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and
ye shall be hated
of
all nations for my name's sake. (10) And then shall many be
offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
(11) And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
(12) And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax
cold. (13) But he
that shall endure unto
the end,
the same shall be saved.
(14) And this
gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a
witness unto all nations; and then
shall the end come.
(15) When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation,
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso
readeth, let him understand:) (16) Then let them which be in
Judaea flee into the mountains: (17) Let him which is on the
housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: (18)
Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his
clothes. (19) And woe unto them that are with child, and to them
that give suck in those days! (20) But
pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the
sabbath day:
(21) For then
shall be great
tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to
this time, no, nor
ever shall be.
(22) And except those days should be shortened, there should no
flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be
shortened.
(23) Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is
Christ, or there; believe it
not. (24) For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets,
and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it
were
possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (25) Behold, I have
told you before. (26) Wherefore if they shall say unto you,
Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he
is
in the secret chambers; believe it
not. (27) For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth
even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
(28) For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be
gathered together. (29) Immediately
after the tribulation
of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give
her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of
the heavens shall be shaken: (30) And then
shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven:
and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see
the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great
glory. (31) And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a
trumpet, and they
shall gather together his elect
from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Mat
24:9-31)
Paul
and Yeshua both say essentially the same thing, that is, believers
will suffer persecution. (See
Rom. 8:17, Col. 3:4, 2nd
Tim. 2:12)
Yeshua goes on to also include the time of the great tribulation,
which as we all know has not yet occurred. Yeshua will descend to
Jerusalem where He will re-establish the throne of David and He
(Yeshua) will rule with an iron fist (no
greasy grace: See Psalm 2:8-9, Rev. 2:27)
for a thousand years. Since believers will suffer through the great
tribulation and be caught up to Yeshua on His way to Jerusalem there
will
not
be found one resurrected soul nor any that remain alive at His coming
in Heaven. We that believe and endure
to the end
will rule with Him from Jerusalem. (See
2nd
Tim. 2:12, Rev. 20:6)
Again this 'catching
away'
is speaking about the regathering of the dispersed of Israel not the
rapture of the Church!
So
the doctrines of the rapture and the Laws of God being done away with
are simply myths contrived through wishful thinking having no real
substance nor support from what the Scriptures actually say. Our
flesh always wants to have things easy. Remember God tests us through
fiery trials (See
1st
Peter 4:12)
of our faith not
easy greasy grace.
Yeshua said “broad is the way, that leads to destruction” (Matt.
7:13) The doctrine of the mark of the beast is equally misunderstood
because most that read the book of Revelation don't have a firm
understanding of the Law and the prophets nor the other historical
writings. Why? because most have been told that the Law and prophets
don't matter that much anymore, being done away with and all. Most
Christian ministers only teach church doctrines based on the New
Testament and only include the occasional quote from the 'Old
Testament'
when it seems to support the New Testament doctrine they wish to
teach.
The
Mark of the beast:
In
Revelation 13 we read:
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. (18) 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.
(Rev 13:16-18)
Let's
start off by understanding that many believers will be killed because
they do not have the mark of the beast. (Rev. 13:15) Unbelievers
won't care will they? So it is clear that believers will be those
that suffer persecution and even death. (See Rev. 6:9) If believers
are the only ones being persecuted by the beast it follows that the
Church
will not
be raptured during
the great tribulation.
So
what does it all mean? What kind of mark is spoken of here? What
about the number? It is the number of a man the Bible says. Some
believe this means that the man's name has a numerical value. This is
called gametria
which is a mystical religious practice that has no basis in
scripture. So what then can the statement “the number of his name”
the number of a man” possibly mean?
Biblical
Numbering
To
understand this Hebrew thought concept that John is using we must
understand that all through the Bible when men were numbered the
number of their name meant the number of male descendants they had.
Examples
of this are:
Then
the tribe of Zebulun: and Eliab the son of Helon shall
be
captain of the children of Zebulun. (8) And his host, and those
that were
numbered thereof,
were
fifty and seven thousand and four hundred. (Num
2:7-8)
These
are
the families of the Reubenites: and they that were numbered of them
were forty and three thousand and seven hundred and thirty. (Num
26:7)
The
children of Adonikam, six hundred sixty and six. (Ezra
2:13)
These
three examples are but a few of the many that exist all throughout
the Scriptures. So understanding these examples understand that
Revelation 13:16-18 is really referring to the Scriptures that John
had read and studied all his life, namely, the Old Testament. Anyone
that knew the Bible would know who's number was 666. We read that the
number of the beast is the number of a man and that number is 666.
When you know who Adonikam is you will begin to see why John uses his
number of male descendants that return after Judah's seventy year
captivity in Babylon.
Adonikam
is the Babylonian name for King David's 4th
eldest son Adonijah. Compare these verses found first in Ezra's
book and then in Nehemiah's book and you will see that Adonikam and
Adonijah are one and the same man.
The
children of Bani,
six
hundred forty and two. (11) The children of Bebai,
six hundred twenty and three. (12) The children of Azgad,
a thousand two hundred twenty and two. (13) The children of
Adonikam,
six hundred sixty and six. (14) The children of Bigvai,
two thousand fifty and six. (15) The children of Adin,
four hundred fifty and four. (Ezra 2:10-15)
Bunni,
Azgad,
Bebai,
(16) Adonijah,
Bigvai,
Adin,
(Neh 10:15-16)
Perhaps
you have already made the connection between the two differing names.
Adonikam as recorded in Ezra's account and Adonijah as recorded in
Nehemiah's account. Nehemiah uses both names, that is, Adonikam (Neh.
7:18) and Adonijah (Neh. 10:16). In Nehemiah 10:14 Adonijah and those
listed with him are identified as leaders
of the people
or of the other tribes that came out with the priests and Levites,
namely, Judah and Benjamin. It should be noted that Nehemiah numbers
Adonikam at 667 whereas Ezra numbers his male descendants at 666.
There is an explanation as to why the two verses differ. In Ezra's
account Adonijah was not numbered but Nehemiah includes Adonijah in
his account thus a difference of one man. So now that we have
established who Adonikam was we can see that John used him and the
number of his returning male descendants to describe the mark of the
beast. In short the number 666 is a clue to a secret message encoded
into John's writings found in the book of Revelation. So why use
Adonijah and the number of his name?
A
short history of Adonijah
Adonijah
is the fourth eldest son of David.
Then
Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted
himself,
saying, I
will be king:
and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run
before him. (1st
Ki 1:5)
How
art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how
art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For
thou
hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven,
I
will exalt my throne above the stars of God:
I
will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of
the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will be like the most High.
(Isa 14:12-14)
Adonijah
decided to overthrow the will of God and take the kingdom by force.
Satan likewise has the same intentions. Adonijah was under Satan's
influence.
But
God had said:
But
the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood
abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house
unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my
sight. (9) Behold, a
son shall be born to thee,
who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his
enemies round about: for his
name shall be Solomon,
and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days. (10)
He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I
will
be
his father; and I
will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for
ever.
(1st
Ch 22:8-10)
Adonijah
after losing out in his attempt to overthrow his father David and
thwart God's will devised another scheme to destroy Solomon. Adonijah
came to Bathsheba and said:
And
he said, Thou
knowest that the kingdom was mine,
and that
all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the
kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's: for
it was his from the LORD.
(16) And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said
unto him, Say on. (17) And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto
Solomon the king, (for he will
not say thee nay,) that he give
me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.
(1st
Ki 2:15-17)
Abishag
was King David's last wife. (See
1st
Kings 1:1-4)
For Solomon to give their father's wife to Adonijah would have been a
great sin!
And
it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went
and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it.
Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: (Gen 35:22, See also Gen. 49:3
and 1st
Chron. 5:1-2)
So
you see Adonijah's plan was much like the devil's plan revealed to us
in Matt. 4 and Luke 4. In fact it seems likely Adonijah's plan was
inspired by the devil. Adonijah wanted to destroy Solomon's rule
just as Satan the devil wanted to destroy Yeshua's rule. In Matt. 4
Satan tried to twist the Word of God to entice Yeshua into committing
the sins of pride and lust.
For
all that is
in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and
the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1st
John 2:16)
Yeshua
overcame Satan the devil with the Word of God just as we are to
overcome him.
The
nature of the beast
Adonijah
acted like any animal, that is, he acted only in his self interest. A
beast cares only for its own needs. There is only one thing that
matters to a beast and that is to kill or be killed. A beastly person
will commit every sin in the book of the Law in order to satisfy the
lusts of their heart. In the last days man will be very corrupt as
he was in the days of Noah. Consider these verses as proof:
Speaking
of the end time Yeshua says:
And
as it was in the days of Noe,
(Noah)
so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. (27) They did
eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage,
until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and
destroyed them all.
(28) Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat,
they drank, they
bought, they sold,
they planted, they builded; (29) But the same day that Lot went
out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed
them all.
(30) Even thus
shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
(Luke 17:26-30)
Speaking
of the End time Paul has this to say to Timothy:
This
know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2)
For men
shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud,
blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3)
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers,
incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, (4)
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of
God;
(5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:
from such turn away. (2nd
Ti 3:1-5)
These
characteristics are the true mark of the beast. People who walk after
the flesh and not the Spirit of God are as good as dead. These folk
are all spiritually dead. They that have the mark or characteristics
of the beast/Satan will be cast into the lake of fire on judgment
day.
Buying
and Selling
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. (Rev 13:17)
Three
distinguishing features all related to the beast. The Mark of the
beast. The name of the beast. The number of his name. All three are
really one. Having any one of the three will allow you to buy and
sell. Buying and selling is really what we all do to live. If we do
not buy things we starve and go homeless and if we do not sell things
or work we have no way to buy the things we need to live. This buying
and selling is symbolic of doing what you have to in order to stay
alive. This means compromising the keeping of God's Laws and
Commandments or bowing down and worshiping Satan the devil. Many
believe buying and selling refer to actual trade or commerce. Those
that don't have the mark will not be able to buy groceries or even
have a job. I think that this is exactly what Satan would want you to
believe. It
is my opinion that this buying and selling is symbolic for redemption
or salvation.
Consider this verse:
The
faithful will not compromise when it comes to being obedient to God
and for this act of faithfulness they will be killed. The
only ones left will be the small remnant ordained to be alive by God
and those that compromised and took on themselves the mark of the
beast by putting their lusts and desires above love for God.
And
he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the
image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as
many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
(Rev
13:15)
Verses
15-17 tell us that believers will be killed because they will not
bow down and worship this false god even though he works many
miracles. What is the difference between the real Messiah and the
anti-Christ? One obeys and teaches the Torah or Laws and Commandments
of God and the other does not. Many but not all true believers will
suffer and die rather than take upon their foreheads and or right
hands the mark of rebellion. The mark of the beast.
The
anti-Christ gives those that follow his ways (Lawlessness)
a false sense of salvation. Many teach falsely that the laws of God
do not matter any more. Many teach that just saying you believe that
Jesus is the Son of God will save you. Many teach that asking Jesus
to be your Lord will save them. All of these teachings are false
doctrines! The devil and his angels/demons believe Yeshua is the Son
of God but their belief will not keep them out of the lake of fire.
(See
Rev. 19:20, 20:10)
Just confessing Jesus is your master does not make you a true
follower of His. A
true follower does what Yeshua commands.
Yeshua says if you love me you will keep my Commandments. (Ex.
20:6, John 14:15, 23)
Loving one another is at the heart of God's Laws and if we truly
love God we will try to learn and do His Holy Commandments just as
our Master Yeshua did.
Consider
these verses:
And
whatsoever
we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments,
and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his
commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus
Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. (1st
John 3:22-23, Compare
to Deuteronomy 28:1-13)
By this we know that we love the
children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. (3)
For this is the love of God, that
we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
(4) For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this
is the victory that overcometh the world, even
our faith.(1st John 5:2-4)
Our
faith in Yeshua is verified by our obedience to Him and His
Commandments which according to what Yeshua Himself says in John
15:10 are God the Father's Commandments. Yeshua is our Savior
because faith in Him is actually love for and obedience to Him. This
is exactly how He defines love. He has bought our means of
atonement. He has paid the price of our salvation with His own
righteous blood. So if we sin we have His blood as a sign or mark
that keeps the wrath of God from us. We who truly believe are not
condemned but those that say and do not are walking the broad path
that leads to destruction. Many false prophets, teachers and
preachers have come and gone over the centuries deceiving great
multitudes. The devil is so slick and crafty that even the very
elect are almost deceived. (See
Matt. 24:24)
If such a thing can happen to the elect of God where does that leave
all others?
Salvation
of old
While
the Temple stood animals were bought and sold at the Temple for
atoning sacrifices. Most people were not shepherds so the majority of
Jews in the days of Yeshua had to buy unblemished animals to offer
for atoning sacrifices.
And
Jesus went into
the temple of God,
and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and
overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them
that sold doves,
(Mat 21:12)
Only
those that have the mark of the beast will be able to buy and sell.
So what is the mark? Simple really. The mark of the beast is the
exact opposite of the mark of God. Remember how does a beast act? A
beast cares only for itself. A beast is selfish and will do anything
to survive. A beast is ruled solely by its instincts and desires. A
man of God is not. A man of God is one filled with God's Holy Spirit.
The fruit of the Spirit of God tells us what kind of tree a man is. A
good tree bears good fruit and a bad tree bears bad fruit. (See
Matt. 7:16-21)
Now
the
works of the flesh are
manifest, which are these;
Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, (20) Idolatry,
witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions,
heresies, (21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and
such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you
in time past, that they
which do such things shall
not inherit the kingdom of God.
(22) But
the fruit of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
(23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (24) And
they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections
and lusts. (25) If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the
Spirit. (Gal
5:19-25)
Do
you see the simple comparisons that Yeshua and Paul give us? The mark
of the beast is living a selfish, lawless and unloving life. The mark
of God is having the Word and the Spirit of God alive inside your
body. Alive in a way that others can see by the way you live your
life. God's Mark is selfless love, even sacrificial love. (John
15:13)
So
true unbelievers are those that either deny Yeshua outright or verify
their disregard for Him by the way they live their lives and even if
they say He is their Lord their actions betray their true nature.
These are they who worship the beast and have his mark.
The Lamb's book of life
How
does one get their name written in the Lamb's book of life? (Ex.
32:32-33, Ps. 69:28, Mal. 3:16)
Then they that feared the LORD spake
often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book
of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and
that thought upon his name. (17) And they shall be mine, saith the
LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare
them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. (18) Then shall
ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him
that serveth God and him that serveth him not.(Malachi 3:16-18)
And
now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear
the LORD thy God, to walk in all
his ways,
and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with
all thy heart and with all thy soul,
(Deu 10:12)
He
hath shewed thee, O man, what is
good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and
to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?(Mic 6:8)
In
summary let
me repeat that the mark of the beast is not a physical visible mark
on your hand or forehead but rather it is the way you live your life.
If you have God's Holy Spirit and Word living inside you then you
will be known as a loving, kind and charitable person who loves God
by loving your fellow man. You bear the mark of God. You have His
mark or Name written upon your forehead. If you don't have God's Holy
Spirit and Word living in you then most likely you will not live a
godly life and you already bear the mark of the beast you just don't
know it yet.
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. (Rev
15:2)
In
closing
I humbly ask you to pray about all that has been presented to you
here. Search out every word written and see if what is said be true.
Search your own heart and if you find that you are not what you
thought you were (a true believer) there is still time to repent by
confessing your sins and asking God's pardon. Be diligent to find the
truth and then live it. Don't let your mind be deceived by false
doctrines that will lead you down the path of destruction.
Shalom,
Avi