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about the mysterious " number"
and "mark" of the beast mentioned
in Revelation 13: 16-18. This bewil–
derment is totally unnecessary. The
Bible clearly reveals what these
things mean!
The number of the Beast is
666.
It
is described as the number of a
man (v. 18). And we are told to
count
it.
In Greek-the language of the
New Testament- letters of the
alphabet have numehcal values.
The same principie is found in the
use of Roman numerals (V
=
5,
X
=
10, L
=
50 and so on).
In the 2nd century A.D., I ren–
aeus, disciple of Polycarp, the apos–
tle John's disciple, explained that in
Greek the word
Lateinos-mean–
ing "Latín man" or Roman-adds
up to 666. (L
=
30; A
=
1; T
=
300; E
=
5; I
=
10; N
=
50; O
=
70; S
=
200.) This, he stated, was
the intent of the scripture.
The number
666
is thus ancient–
ly branded on the old Roman
Empire and its revivals.
But what of the mark of the
Beast? Sorne c lai m it is the swas–
tika. Others that it is the social
security number. Still others that
it is the universal product code.
These are all mere
guesses- and
wrong ones, at that! Notice what
the Bible says about this mark:
The mark of the Beast is
received in the right hand or in the
foreheads of those subject to him
(Revelation 13: 16). Without it, one
will be unable to conduct business,
to "buy or sell" (v. 17) .
Those who have the mark of the
beast in their hands or foreheads
wi ll suffer the corrective plagues of
God's judgment (Revelation 14:9-
10; 15: 1, 6; 16: 1-2). These individ–
uals are contrasted, in Revelation
14:12, with the saints who "keep
the commandments of God."
The mark thus has something
to do with commandment break–
ing. Those who have the mark
will suffer divine plagues; those
who keep the commandments
will not. One group is forced to
accept the mark; the other keeps
the commandments of God. The
mark involves obedience to hu–
man authority. lt is symbolic of
forced allegiance. ls there a spe–
cific commandmen t t hat is in–
tended?
ls
there a commandment
38
that can be considered a sign of
God's people?
A mark is a
sign
or a
brand
of
identification . What command–
ment does the Bible call a
sign?
There is only one: the
Fourth
Commandment!
Notice Exod us 3 1 : 12-17-
"Verily
my sabbaths
ye shall keep;
for it is a
SIGN
between me and you
throughout your generations...."
The keeping of God's Sabbaths is
the sigo identifying God's people!
This sigo of God is also received
symbolically in one's hand-sym–
bolizing work or labor-and fore–
head-representat ive of the mind
or intellect. See Exodus 13:9; Deu–
teronomy 6:1, 6-8; 11:18.
The mark of the Beast is clearly
revealed as an enforced counterfeit
~~
The Gospel or message
of the Bible is
clear: Jesus Christ is the
only hope
for this earth!
''
of the sign between God and His
people-specifically the observance
of man-made holidays in place of
those Sabbaths that God originally
ordained! Those who do not fall
into line and join in religious con–
formi ty- including participation in
its false religious days-wi ll not be
able to hold a job or earn a living.
And, as in centuries past, many
who refuse to receive the mark–
who refuse to submit body and
intellect to the Beast's domina–
tion- will suffer martyrdom.
For an in-depth look at this sub–
ject, request our free booklets,
Which Day ls the Christian Sab–
bath?
and
Pagan Holidays or
God's Holydays.:_Which?
Then, Armageddon
What will be the ultimáte fate of
th is satanic religious-political
union? The Bible provides a graph–
ic description.
The Beast and False Prophet will
together muster armies to fight the
ret urn i ng Christ ( R eve latio n
16:13-16; 17:13-14). They wi ll
undoubtedly have convinced much
of the world that Christ is really
the Antichrist. Because of this
deception, many will refuse to
repent and submit to
Chris~
at His
return (Revelation 16:9).
This final cl imactic battle, com–
monly, but incorrectly, referred to
as Armageddon, is called in the
Bible "the battle of that great day
of God Almighty" (Revelation
16:14). The fate of the Beast, False
Prophet and their armies in that
confrontation was seen in vision by
John (Revelation 19:11 , 14-16, 19-
20):
"And I saw heaven opened, and
behold a white horse; and he that
sat upon him was called Faithful
and True, and in righteousness he
doth judge and make war....
" And the armies which were in
heaven followed him upon white
horses, clothed in fine lineo, white
and clean.
" And out of his mouth goeth a
sharp sword, that with it he should
smite the nations: and he shall rule
them with a rod of iron: and he
tread eth the wi nepress of the
fierceness and wrath of Almighty
God.
"And he hath on his vesture and
on his thigh a name written, KING
OF KINGS , AND LORD OF
LOROS....
" And 1 saw the beast, and the
kings of the earth, and their armies,
gathered together to make war
against him that sat on the horse,
and against his army.
"And the beast was taken, and
with him the fa/se prophet
that
wrought miracles before him with
which he deceived them that had
received the mark of the beast, and
them that worshipped his image.
These both were cast a/ive into a
lake of jire burning with brim–
stone."
The Beast will
not
be stabbed by
a magic dagger in a lonely chape!
by a BBC correspondent!
It
will be
J esus Christ returned in
power
and
glory-not
as a reborn Christ
Child- who will decisively over–
throw the Beast and the False
Prophet. They will be cast into a
lake of fire and be
consumed!
Satan's rule over the nations will
be forever ended!
o
The PLAIN TRUTH