The mark of the beast is the counterfeit of God’s seal
Knowing the mark of the beast is a step away from being deceived. We learned from a previous study that this mark cannot be the microchip nor barcodes nor anything that is literally marked on the forehead or hand.
Jesus Himself said that deception in the last days is great so that even the very elect will be deceived. And so identifying this mark will give us confidence that we are not serving and worshiping the beast, his image, and his false prophets.
Because the consequence of receiving this mark is eternal death, it will be selfish not to share this truth to others.
Please read Revelation 13:1-8, 16-18, and 14:9-12. These are the verses where this mark, its owner, and the outcome for its recipients were mentioned. Please pray for the Holy Spirit for an honest and understanding heart.
Identifying God’s seal can uncover the mark of the beast
There can be two ways to identify this mark of the beast. First is to idenitfy who the beast is, and then knowing his mark will be easy. Secondly, because the devil has counterfeit for every God’s foundational truth, then identifying God’s seal can lead us to easily unmask the devil’s mark. This is what this article will do.
In the previous article, we learned that God has the identifying sign for His people. It is not the proper name of the church displayed in church facades where Jesus’ or God’s name is inscribed. It is not an object where one can wear around the neck like a rosary or an ID. It is not a logo that can be printed on clothing to be worn publicly, nor a symbol to be written literally on the forehead.
God’s sign or seal for His people, the seventh-day Sabbath-keeping as written in Ezekiel 20:12, 20, can be seen through the actions of the ones who keep it. Their obedience to this fourth commandment from God’s law emanates from a careful study of Biblical evidences.
The obedience to the fourth commandment is only the ‘tip of the iceberg’ so to speak. In the end times, those who keep the seventh-day Sabbath must be obedient to the rest of the God’s words. They do this not to be saved but as a result of God’s saving grace towards them.
In the end times, this seventh-day Sabbath keeping will be the public distinction between those who are on God’s side and those who follow the false system of worship. Anyone can safely declare that they follow the other nine from the Ten Commandments of God, but not anyone can say that they truly obey the fourth commandment.
The keeping of the seventh-day Sabbath of God must be the product of the working of the Holy Spirit in each believer’s life. It is an act of worship to the true God.
“Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.” Ezekiel 20:12 KJV.
God’s seal directs one to the worship of the Creator
Those who keep the Sabbath the way God wanted it to be observed is constantly reminded of His love and mercy as the Creator.
In the end times, worship is the ultimate issue. If one worships the beast then he has the beast’s mark. If one worships the true God then he has God’s seal. The call to worship the true God as the Creator is explicitly stated in one of the messages of the three angels before the pouring of God’s wrath to fallen Babylon.
“…Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” Revelation 14:6 NIV
“If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God” Revelation 14:9-10 NIV
The seventh-day Sabbath is the only commandment among God’s Ten Commandments that tells about God as the “Creator of heaven and earth”.
“For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Exodus 20: 11 KJV
As prophesied, the keeping of the real Sabbath versus the counterfeit will be a major issue in the end times since it shows one’s allegiance to the authority he or she is obeying. If one is a true worshiper of God, then he or she should keep the real Sabbath.
If God’s sealing mark or sign is the keeping of the seventh-day Sabbath, what is the mark of the beast then?
What is the mark of the beast?
The counterfeit shouldn’t be far from the legit, otherwise, it will make no sense and will not be deceitful.
If the Holy Spirit’s sealing produces obedience to God’s commandments as highlighted in the keeping of the Sabbath, then the devil’s mark is the obedience to his authority which will ultimately result to the keeping of a counterfeit Sabbath.
There is only one earthly power in these last days who is calling all nations to respect and observe the counterfeit Sabbath, that is the Sunday-keeping. Papacy’s Dies Domini reveals this.
The Papacy is making her round around the globe convincing leaders and major influencers to make Sunday a holy day of rest. She argued that this is for the benefit of the planet earth and the family, and thus a blessing for all humanity. Ironically, she uses the same Bible verses applied for the real Sabbath to justify the “sacredness” of her counterfeit Sabbath.
But she knows from the very start that the changing of the Sabbath to Sunday has no Scriptural authority and is only a product of her own power. Here is an excerpt from Catholic catechism:
“Question: Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?
Answer: Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her—she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority.” – Stephen Keenan, A Doctrinal Catechism [FRS No. 7.], (3rd American ed., rev.: New York, Edward Dunigan & Bro., 1876), p. 174.
The Papacy is saying that the changed is by virtue of her “power”, not from God nor the Bible. Here is another statement:
“Question: Which is the Sabbath day?
Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day.
Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.” – Peter Geiermann, The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine (St. Louis, B. Herder Book Co., 1957 ed.), p. 50.
“The Church is above the Bible and this transference of Sabbath observance from Saturday to Sunday is proof positive of that fact.” – The Catholic Record (London, Ontario, Canada, Sept. 1, 1923).
If the change from Sabbath to Sunday has no Biblical authority as claimed by the papacy, then why is there a call for all “nations, tribes and tongues” to observe it? Because by following her counterfeit Sabbath means that one’s allegiance and worship is to hers, not God’s.
Are Sunday-keepers now have the mark of the beast?
Absolutely not. This keeping of Sunday as a holy rest day will be put into law in the near future, so people are forced to follow it. Others will agree (mark on forehead), others will simply let it happen and follow (mark on the hand). Those who will not accept it will be persecuted.
“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.” Revelation 13:16-17 KJV.
Anyone can still buy or sell these days, so no one has the mark of the beast yet. But God is now calling all those who are still in Babylon to come out.
“Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4 NKJV
The mark of the beast is not a microchip. It is the counterfeit of Gods’ seal.
There is peace that passeth understanding if we follow God’s command instead of men however unpopular it may be these days.
(Photo: PaladinPainter)