Who or What Is the PROPHETIC BEAST?
Part Three
What Is the Mark of the Beast?
Better be sure whether this brand is upon you! Without it, no man will
be able to buy or sell! Without it, you may be tortured even to death!
But with it, you shall suffer the SEVEN LAST PLAGUES OF GOD!
The Good News is publishing, serially, Editor-in-Chief Herbert W.
Armstrong's new booklet Who or What Is the Prophetic Beast?
Some used to say this mystic "mark" was the fasces on the Old United
States dimes. During World War II many said it was Hitler's swastika.
During the Depression New Deal many said it was Roosevelt's NRA!
No subject has been more intriguing and baffling to our generation.
Thousands of sermons have been preached on it— by professed ministers
and evangelists who themselves did not know what it is! Millions have
been curious.
Only text usually read
The average sermon on this subject considers one text of Scripture only!
This is the sole passage ordinarily quoted by those trying to explain
this mysterious mark:
"And he [the second "beast"] 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"
(Revelation 13:16-17).
From this one passage the speaker customarily uses his imagination. One
might reason that since you will not be able to buy or sell without
this mysterious mark, and since we all wish to be able to buy and sell,
therefore we ought to do all in our power to receive this mark!
But here is an additional passage of Scripture they neglect to show
you: "And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven
angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the
wrath of God. . . . And the seven angels came out of the temple, having
the seven plagues . . .
"And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven
angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the WRATH OF GOD upon
the earth. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth;
and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the
mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image"
(Revelation 15:1, 6, 16:1-2).
If you do have the "mark of the beast," you will receive the seven last
plagues of God, and those plagues will be terrible beyond description!
How to tell what it is!
There are many more references to this subject in the Bible. Instead of
looking at one passage only, then turning away from God's own
revelation of this mystery, and using human imagination and fancy to
conjure up the many ridiculous conclusions being foisted upon a
deceived public by men devoid of understanding, let us see what GOD
says this MARK really is!
Make no mistake, God tells us plainly what it is! It is unmistakably,
clearly revealed and explained in the Bible! But to find God's answer,
we must have before us all of the scriptures referring to this subject!
First, from the text universally quoted (Revelation 13:16-17), notice
this: The mark is something that will be very popular —something the
majority of people will be in favor of, will seek—which custom will
approve as right.
Everyone wants to be able to "buy or sell." In this scriptural usage
the expression "buy or sell" more literally indicates being able to
buy—not that stores or those from whom one might make purchases of the
necessities of life would refuse to accept the person's money, but that
the one refusing the mark would actually not be able to buy, would not
be able to earn a living, to earn a wage or salary, or to engage
himself in business.
The mark of the beast, then, has direct bearing on ability to engage in
business, or to hold a job and earn a living.
But let's look at all the facts God reveals on the subject of the
mark—all the Bible scriptures bearing on it.
What is the beast?
First, then, the "beast" itself. The "mark" is the mark of the "BEAST."
This is described in the first verses of this chapter:
"And I stood upon the sand of the sea," records John, speaking of his
prophetic vision, "and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven
heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads
the name of blasphemy.
"And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were
as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the
dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority"
(Revelation 13:1-2).
The identity of this weird beast was revealed in previous installments.
We have clearly identified this wild animal—a composite wild animal
with the strongest characteristics of the four wild animals that are
symbolically described in Daniel 7 —as the Roman Empire.
Daniel 7 reveals that these beasts, or wild animals, symbolize civil
GOVERNMENTS, or world empires. Daniel's first beast was like a lion,
and it represented the Chaldean Empire of Nebuchadnezzar, called
Babylon. His second beast, like a bear, pictured the Persian Empire;
his third, with four heads, like a leopard, represented Alexander's
Greco-Macedonian Empire and its succeeding four divisions after his
death; and his fourth beast, unlike any existing wild animal, the Roman
Empire, which swallowed up and absorbed all the others, and embodied
the strongest physical and military characteristics of all its
predecessors.
This beast of Revelation 13 had the mouth, the strongest part, of the
lion; the feet, the strongest part, of the bear; the body of the
leopard. It included, in the ONE empire it represents, the strength of
ALL of Daniel's beasts.
Notice, the "dragon" gave this empire its seat and power, and great
authority. Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 both tell us in plain words this
"dragon" is Satan the devil.
This empire is, then, the political instrument of Satan in ruling and
deceiving the world.
WHOSE mark?
Note this well! The mark is the mark of the BEAST—and the beast is the
ROMAN EMPIRE. In Revelation 17 a later stage of this same wild beast is
pictured, and there a "woman"—a great CHURCH—sits astride it, guides
it, rules over it. But the MARK is the mark of the ROMAN EMPIRE—not the
Roman Catholic Church.
That is fact No. 1. Keep that in mind.
Now in Revelation 13:11 another beast is pictured. This beast had two
horns like a lamb, but spoke as a dragon.
This second beast of Revelation 13 is also pictured in Revelation 17 as
the harlot woman who rode the beast. This fallen woman or church is
different from all other churches in one respect. She is organized as a
civil government, as well as an ecclesiastical church. Nations of the
world send ambassadors to her, the same as they do the capitals of
other nations.
This church, just as the woman riding an animal guides and directs the
animal—like, for example, a woman riding a horse—took over, exercised,
wielded, all the power of the first beast—the Roman Empire. After A.D.
554, the church did do this for 1,260 years, as prophesied!
Notice, further, what is revealed in Revelation 13:15-16: "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 . . . to
receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads" (Revelation
13:15-16).
The brand of Rome
Now here is a deceived church—both herself deceived by, and therefore
used by, Satan the devil, and also deceiving the world. Notice, this
church does not actually herself kill these martyrs—she merely causes
them to be killed. And she it is, too, who CAUSES all under her
domination to receive the dread MARK of the beast.
Notice carefully what the above text tells us:
1) "He"—the leader who
originated human civil government, modeled after the government of the
Roman Empire, in the church.
2) "Causeth" all to receive this mark. It is the church, not the civil
government, which forces this brand on people.
3) It is the same power that caused the martyrdom of saints.
4) It brands on the people the mark of the "beast"—that is, the mark of
the ROMAN EMPIRE, not the mark of the church.
5) This mark is received in the right hand, or in the forehead.
So the MARK is that of the Roman Empire, which this CHURCH did cause or
shall cause the Western world to receive.
TWO martyrdoms
Next notice when these saints were killed. This will show us when the
mark of the beast is enforced.
"And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls
of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony
which they held: and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O
Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them
that dwell on the earth?" (Revelation 6:9-10).
Here we find pictured the martyrs of the Middle Ages already dead, at
the time of this vision—which is the approximate present.
They know "Vengeance is MINE, saith the Lord." They know God's
judgments against this persecuting, deceiving, false church, as
described in Revelation 18, are to be the seven last plagues, poured
out "in the presence of the Lamb" at the Second Coming of Christ. Read
of it in Revelation 18.
These dead saints are pictured as crying out to ask "HOW LONG" before
the Second Coming of Christ and the seven last plagues, which will
avenge their martyrdom. History tells us that in the Middle Ages more
than 50 MILLION were killed, many for the BIBLE faith and obedience to
God instead of obedience to this church government of man and the devil.
Notice, now, what must again happen before the seven last plagues and
the coming of Christ!
"And white robes [symbolizing righteousness and purity] were given unto
every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet
a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren,
that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled" (Revelation
6:11). Christ will not come to take vengeance on this great false
church UNTIL another great martyrdom has taken place!
Note it! There was one martyrdom. Those saints are already killed.
Their resurrection will occur WHEN Jesus returns to earth —WHEN His
judgments are poured out on this false BABYLON and her daughter
churches!
But there is yet to be another universal persecution and martyrdom of
saints, just prior to Christ's coming in vengeance against the forces
of evil! Here are TWO universal martyrdoms!
This coming great martyrdom is THE GREAT TRIBULATION (Matthew 24:9,
21-22). This tribulation is not the wrath of God—the last plagues. It
is the wrath of Satan (Revelation 12:12), inflicted at the behest of
HIS apostate church by the coming "United States of EUROPE" and against
the true people of GOD!
It is a persecution—a torturing—a martyring of the saints of God—the
very elect who cannot be deceived (Matthew 24:24). Except those days of
Great Tribulation be shortened, no flesh could be saved alive. But, for
THE SAKE OF GOD'S PERSECUTED SAINTS those days shall be shortened.
God shall intervene. Christ shall "come quickly."
Mark then, and now
Now compare with these scriptures:
In Revelation 17, picturing this same church as the woman riding the
beast, John writes: "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the
saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus" (verse 6). Also:
Revelation 20:4—"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and
judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were
beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which
had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received
his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and
reigned with Christ a thousand years."
Now we see WHY these many millions were, and shall be, martyred! It was
because they refused to receive this mark of the beast —refused to join
in this worship of church and empire! They obeyed God rather than man!
Their lives were governed by God. They were called out of this world—no
longer any part of this world. They were the children, the heirs, the
future citizens of His KINGDOM, not the kingdoms of men.
But—note it well!—they were, as God commands, subject to the government
of MAN. They did not resist—they yielded themselves subject to the
penalty. They were tortured —they were killed!
But they obeyed the government of God rather than man where there was
conflict. And, at Christ's coming to rule the world as KING of kings,
they shall all be lesser priests and kings under Him and rule the world!
Do you see what this plainly reveals? Those martyrs, more than a
thousand years ago, were killed BECAUSE they would not worship the
church, conform to its idolatry and pagan beliefs and customs, or
worship the so-called "Holy Roman Empire"—and BECAUSE they refused to
receive the MARK of the beast!
This means the MARK of the beast is something that was forced on
people, on pain of being killed, more than a thousand years ago! The
MARK of the beast was in full existence and enforcement more than a
thousand years ago!
BUT, since it is those who have the mark of the beast who shall suffer
the seven last plagues at Christ's coming, the dread mark is once again
to be enforced! And those who refuse it are those who shall be MARTYRED
in the coming GREAT TRIBULATION;
Now we begin to find real light shed on this baffling question!
Warning of third angel
Soon, now, the time is coming when gross spiritual darkness will cover
this earth—when no human will be permitted to preach Christ's true
Gospel. We must work while it is day—the night is fast drawing on when
no man can work for God.
At that time God shall send angels with His final warning to these
apostate nations under sway of this great deceiving church as a final
witness against them. Three such angel messages are foretold in
Revelation 14.
Notice the final warning of the third angel: "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" —the seven
last plagues, full force, unmixed with mercy (Revelation 14:9-10)!
This shows that although the MARK was branded on all but the martyrs
more than a thousand years ago, it is STILL the brand of traditional
Christianity today, and is ONCE AGAIN going to be enforced.
Once again those who refuse it shall be martyred. But those who receive
it shall suffer the wrath of God without mercy!
You must soon choose whom you will obey—this coming Roman Empire
resurrected by a United States of EUROPE, and ruled over by traditional
Christianity—or whether you shall OBEY GOD!
(To be continued)
by
Herbert W. Armstrong Good News January 1986
