By John Thiel
The sealing work differentiates contrasting marks. There will two types of marks received in the last days. One given by the beast and one given by God.
1And I stood upon the sand of the sea, 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. Revelation 13:1
This speaks of empires after the Roman empire. These empires now have horns which means they are governing powers. Not just conquering. The fall of the Pagan Roman empire was in 538 AD. The first pope had power. The beast means the papacy. But what happened in 1798?
3And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. Revelation 13:3.
The pope was taken captive and his deadly wound was healed. At the same time, what nation arose out of the earth?
11And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12And 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. Revelation 13:11-12.
The United States of America
God sends a warning:
9And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: Revelation 14:9&10.
The Sunday movement will arise. Gods people will be sealed at the same time. However, let’s examine, is the mark of the beast keeping Sunday only? Is it just a difference between Sunday and Sabbath worship? It says that Jesus will not come until that ‘man of sin be revealed’ or there be a falling away first in the Christian church.
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. II Thessalonians 2:1-4.
The Pope claims to be the vicegerent on earth or God’s representative. The Sabbath is a mark. It’s the Seal of God. There is also another mark. What does the pope attempt to do with Gods law?
And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. Daniel 7:25.
The pope says he is God. He changes times and laws.
But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. Daniel 7:26.
But the judgment shall sit and he will lose his full control for a while. Then the deadly wound is healed. Did Satan change times and laws? Take a look at the 10 commandments and how the Catholics have change them. They have removed the 2nd commandment:
Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: Exodus 20:3
And divided the 10th commandment into two;
IX Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife.
X Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours goods.
The fourth commandment has been changed to:
Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day. Exodus 20:8.
They have changed the laws.
He causeth all, the whole world to receive the mark;
16And 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: Revelation 13:16
What is this mark? Where is it located?
Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. Deuteronomy 11:18.
God writes his law in the heart. We are being sealed now. We need to receive the seal of God.
What are you doing, brethren, in the great work of preparation? Those who are uniting with the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before god and purifying their souls by obeying the truth-these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. When the decree goes forth and the stamp is impressed, their character will remain pure and spotless for eternity. Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of the ambitious, world loving man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of men or women f false tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive the seal must be without spot before God-candidates for heaven. TV5 page 216.
What does it really mean to be a Christian?
And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. 36For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Mark 8:34-36
We are to overcome the world, not be part of it.
2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
3And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 1 John 5:2-5.
To overcome the world is true Christianity. If we were living in the early Christian church, we would be urged not to go the way of the world.
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. th speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16And 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: 17And 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 13:3, 16-17.
He causes everyone to receive the worldly mould.
And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. Revelation 18:2&3.
What is behind all this? What does it mean for the nations to be drunk with her wine? Christmas and Easter, the new world order, socio-political atmosphere of the world. Jesus says have nothing to do with the world. We need to overcome the world.
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. Revelation 15:2.
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. Revelation 17:13.
Here is the real issue, we won’t be able to buy or sell unless we receive the mark or the worldly mould.
The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The mark of the beast will be urged upon us. Those who have step by step yielded to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will not find it a hard matter to yield to the powers that be, rather than subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death. The contest is between the commandments of God and the commandments of men. In this time the gold will be separated from the dross in the church. TV5 page 81:2.
There is the prospect before us of a continued struggle. We are to defend the law of God.
Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Psalm 60:4.
Amen.
