What Is the Mark of the Beast?

When fully reading God's Word, and in the Church of God community, we always look at God's Word being all of the testament between the front cover and the back cover, we come to one inescapable conclusion. And it's a beautiful and it's a wonderful conclusion that when we read the end of the book, we know when it's all said and done that God wins. And if God wins, then all of us win. And we're looking forward to that final victory of God through Jesus Christ, as mentioned at the end of the book of Revelation. But between now and that victory, and between now and that time, there are some bumpy roads to go over as far as people of faith. In fact, there are some life-altering details and events that are prophesied in the book on your lap, in the words that are in front of you that I think it's very important that we go over today as people of faith. And, you know, we just had those eggs in the back. I think, other than church events, they're called deviled eggs. I think they're just here called stuffed eggs because it's church time. But some of the information that we're going to be going through right now is there's an old expression that the devil is in the details? Well, the devil is in some of the details. But when we go through the details that I'm about to mention to you, we must always remember and always have the confidence that Christ is victorious. And that's why the book of Revelation was given to that early church community around 85 or 90 AD, especially what they were going through. And recognizing that down through time and down through the ages, we would share those same challenges. And so we have to get our eyes and we have to get our hearts stuck in the Word of God and to recognize that God is bigger, greater than anything that's going to come our way in the future. So what we want to deal with, let's get right to it this afternoon, is probably there is no term in the Scripture that sends, shall we say, more shock waves or chills down the human spine than the collective phraseology of the mark of the beast. And if that's not enough to get you, then there's also the accompanying phrase associated with that, and that is the number of the beast. These terms, the number of the beast and or the mark of the beast, will be the focus of this class. This is what the class is going to be about. Novels have been written and movies have been made and horror films have been produced and on demonic themes and oftentimes the aspect of 666, the number of the beast, all of that kind of comes into play. But what we want to realize this afternoon is more than simply what's on a film screen is what is in the Bible.

Because this number and what is associated with it is real. It is very real. And there are things that are coming about that we need to be aware of. It's not just a filler for scary thrillers. There are things in the Bible that we need to understand about this number because when we deal with the mark of the beast, it is in part going to be a part of those headlines of tomorrow. And we don't need to be afraid of that. As Mr. McNeely brought out in his lecture that those that are watching and those that are using wisdom will understand these things coming about. So as we begin, let's appreciate, friends, that the book of Revelation at the end of the Bible is a book that is designed by God and it's crafted and sculpted in what is called apocalyptic-style literature. Let's understand what that means.

That was a style of literature that was popular from about 200 B.C. to about 200 A.D. And that might sound like a fancy Greek term. Allow me to give you a definition of that.

Apocalyptic literature is a type of Jewish literature that uses symbolic imagery towards communicating a message of hope. And that's what we want to remember. Probably the two most famous books of that style in the Bible are the Book of Daniel. A lot of imagery in the Book of Daniel. Last time we read this morning or this afternoon. And also the Book of Revelation, which oftentimes is called the New Testament Daniel. So we need to understand that. But beyond the imagery, there's something that I can't want to put into your minds for a moment about the Book of Revelation. Many of you that have been in the Church of God community for 20, 30, 40, or 50 years have often heard the book of Revelation offered in the context of, say, a blueprint, a prophecy. And when you think of it that way, you're thinking of facts and events, date lines, personalities. But the Book of Revelation is offered in another context as well. And allow me to share that with you, may I? That's when you're supposed to start nodding. Thank you. The Book of Revelation is a book of wisdom.

It's not just a blueprint of Bible prophecy. Because you can have a road map in front of you, but if you don't have the wisdom as how to use it, then you and I are going to have problems, especially on some of these roads up in the big northwest and or as we go over the Cascade Mountains. We need to recognize that the Book of Revelation is also a book of wisdom. Allow me just to throw out a few verses for a moment. You can jot those down as students in this class. I'll allow you to look them up later. But Revelation 17 verse 9 says, here is a mind that has wisdom. In Revelation 3 and verse 22, it says, "...he that hath an ear." And when we bend our ear, that hopefully is bending it towards wisdom. Also in Revelation 13 and verse 16, it says, here is wisdom. So wisdom, let's understand this, and or insights, is that which moves beyond simply facts and timelines and personalities. And also wisdom, if I can make a comment as I introduce the subject, begs humility. And any time that we are touching on the subject of prophecy, as people of faith, we must approach it in humility. I think that has hopefully been demonstrated in the messages this morning, the messages this afternoon. As I mentioned this morning, and I'd like to reiterate it again, that in the Church of God community, we have a doctrine. And the doctrine is what is loud and clear and dynamic that comes out through the Bible is that Jesus Christ is coming back to this earth. That is sealed in spiritual cement. The rest is understanding as we look at Daniel, as we look at all of that prophecy, as we look at the book of Revelation, as we might look at the book of Zechariah. And that understanding will move towards a point where God will give us enough to consider. And then at that crucial moment when we need it in the future, or the Church of God needs it in the future, God will grant us the full consideration and the full impact of what these verses mean. A little bit like in Top Gun. Can you see that? Anybody seen Top Gun here? Just like to see what the audience is watching. Confession is good for the soul. Testimony time. Don't pull out your jet. We don't have room in this room. Remember when Tom Cruise is there and there's that oval in front of him and, you know, and it's like, doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo.

Mr. McNeely never liked it when I do this in a presentation. Now, I am the PowerPoint.

Don't have that, okay? So that, doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo. And there's that lock on. And then there's lock on. Well, that's a little bit like as Christians as we consider the words of God and are led by His Spirit. That as that doo doo doo doo doo doo comes in, there's going to come a lock on point. Because God said He will never leave us. He will never forsake us. He will bring that wisdom to mind exactly when we need it.

So let's move into this subject with some of these ground rules established as we approach the Mark of the Beast. We understand that we're going to be dealing with imagery. Number two, we're going to be having to deal with wisdom. And number three, we need to approach the subject in humility. And so we wanted to find what the Mark of the Beast is as well as what are the responsibilities of the saints of God at that time. Let's appreciate that the Book of Revelation, some call it the Book of the Apocalypse, is a layered message. The Book of Revelation was truly written for its time when it was written. The Book of Revelation is probably written about 85, somewhere between 85 and 95 A.D. And when this was written, and when the scroll was received by the churches in Asia Minor and other places, it was indeed for real time. For if you had been a part of the people of faith at that time, you would have thought that you were living under the beast. Apostles were being killed, the church was being scattered, Christians were being persecuted. There was this Emperor of the Flavian line, the younger brother of Titus, who now assumed the throne Domitian, who was literally a monster, was literally a beast, literally thought of himself as a god. So when they were reading this, the Book of Revelation was written for their encouragement. And in that sense, they were, at that time, under a mark of the beast. But Bible prophecy so often is written not only for the time when it was first given, but when you read Scripture, if you want to become an effective student of the Bible and understand prophecy, there is oftentimes a tension, a tension between the present and that which is going to occur in the future. And sometimes it has not completely been fulfilled. Oftentimes we have called it dualism, type and anti-type. I tend to like to utilize the term layered. If you'd like to jot that down to students. The term is layered. In other words, like in the streams up here, we just saw the beautiful Spokane River last night. And there's layers and the deposits come down from the mountains and a little bit here and then it gets fuller and that's a little bit like prophecy. It layers up and it's always true to where it started, but then there's a greater fulfillment down the line. And in that sense, we have that with the book of Revelation. Let's understand that the future and the final assault on the faithful saints of God is given some structure in Revelation 12. Join me. We now move beyond 90 AD. We're going to move into the future in Revelation 12. And in Revelation 12, actually Revelation 12 through 14, we developed some structure. And this conflict is destined to dominate the world stage. It's not here yet as Mr. McNeely honestly communicated with you as a class, but it is moving towards that time in what the Bible calls the last days.

And what Revelation 12 through 14 bring to us is literally a battle to the death between two spiritual forces. Remember this morning when we were talking about the two witnesses?

To understand the Bible, it is often best understood as a message of contrast, a message of contrast. And that is culminating now in Revelation 12 through 14 where there are two spiritual forces that vie for humanity's unquestionable and unswerving allegiance. It's very important if you want to jot that down and stay in the flow of what I'm going to bring to you this afternoon as an instructor. Unswerving, unquestionable allegiance. And it's all going to come down to two ways. You know, it's really interesting when you go through the Bible that I've often called it that there is a thread of two that weaves through the Bible. I'm glad it's not three or four. My little Dutch mind would get too complicated on that. God basically deals with twos. When you think about it, when you go from Genesis to Revelation, you have two gods. There's the God of creation and there's the God of this age as Paul calls it. We also then recognize that those two gods are represented by two ways. There is the way of give and there is the way of get. Those are represented by two trees, the tree of life and the tree of good and evil. Then we also recognize that beyond that there are two cities. There is Jerusalem above and as has been mentioned, there is Babylon down below that we need to consider. We also recognize that this is given extension through two women.

There is that faithful woman of Revelation 12, of which I hope that we in this room are a part of. There is also the woman that is mentioned in Revelation 17 and verse 3 that rides the beast. These women represent two churches, two churches that ultimately have two different seals. We're starting to get to the seals now. You start from Genesis to Revelation and as you move into Revelation, you're going to have the aspect of two different seals. Those seals represent who you are moving your allegiance towards. Ultimately, when you look at the threat of two, those two seals ultimately produce two different outcomes. One is destruction, the other is salvation. Join me if you would in Genesis 3 and 15. For those of you that are just awakening to the Bible and becoming serious students of the Bible and or prophecy, Genesis 3 and verse 15 is the very first prophecy in the Bible. What is amazing about this, and I love to talk about prophecies of hope, is to recognize that this is when man was going out of Eden and had blown it, Adam and Eve. They were about to be cast out of Eden and then this conversation is picked up between God and the serpent, the adversary. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, in between your seed and her seed, and he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

What this is talking about here, speaking to the serpent, is that the serpent would get a bite. And for that moment, it would seem as if the serpent had won, especially when Jesus Christ died and was buried for three days and three nights. But then what you notice here, it says in Genesis 3.15, and he, speaking of the seed of Eve, will bruise your head and, or as Paul says in Romans 16.20, will crush the head of the serpent.

All prophecy in the Bible, hence, from Genesis 3.15 to the end of Revelation 22, is a personification of what is mentioned here in Genesis 3.15. And God knows that he's going to win, and I'm here to tell you this afternoon that he is going to win, and we can have encouragement and hope as we go through this subject of the seals. Now, with that spoken, let's understand some of the key players here in Revelation 12. Let me take my Bible back here a moment.

In Revelation 12, there is a key earthly player. The key earthly player is identified in Revelation 12, beginning in verse 1. Now, a great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon, under her feet, and on her head, a garland of twelve stars. And then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. And another sign appeared in heaven, Behold, a great fiery red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns, and seven diadem on his head.

And his tail drew a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman, who was ready to give birth, to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she bore a male child, who was to rule all nations, speaking of Christ, with a rod of iron, and her child was caught up to God and is thrown. And then the woman, and the term woman in Scripture, in this kind of literature of imagery, the woman represents a church.

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that she should feed there for 1,260 days. There is a woman that is associated with God that is going to be under persecution during this time and during this age. Now, let's understand that's a key earthly player. Beyond that, we have the true antagonist, Revelation 12, in verse 7. Join me there, please. We're going to introduce the players. And war broke out, Revelation 12 and verse 7, and Michael and his dragons fought with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought.

Dragon, again, is symbiology for none other than Satan, the adversary. And his angels fought. But they did not prevail, nor was the place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, the serpent of old called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. And he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now salvation and strength of the kingdom of God and the power of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

Then let's pick up the song in verse 12. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them, and woe to the inhabitants of the earth and to the sea, for the devil has come down to you having great wrath, because he knows that his time is short. And this is what's going to happen in the future as Mr. McNeely was just bringing out right now what we're seeing on the world stage, seemingly with some of the players, at least in the temporal vein, it seems quiet, especially with Europe.

But when this happens, when Satan is cast down, and he is put down on this earth, we need to recognize that things are going to heat up very, very rapidly. And we need to recognize sometimes, and I remember hearing this as a young boy, that so often in newspapers we get caught up with headlines and date lines down here below. We look in our newspapers and we'll see headlines Spokane, or headline Seattle, or headline LA, or Washington, DC, or New York, or Berlin, or Bonn, or Baghdad. As an audience, we need to recognize that the big headlines are not being made down here below, but up in heaven.

That there is a spiritual world, that there is a spiritual world that, apart, is now in turmoil. And that is going to be cast down, which then leads us into what's happening down here in Revelation 13, because the key antagonist, Satan, is going to be cast down, but there is a temporal force. That means an earthly force that's really already been spoken on this afternoon, so I don't want to spend too much time on it. But this force that comes up, which is called the Beast. And we need to look at that. That there is a system of church and state that is developing.

But I want you to notice verse 4. So they worship the dragon who gave authority to the beast, and they worship the beast, saying, who is like the beast, and who is able to make war? When this system develops, and we believe in the Church of God community that it is going to develop as a resurrection of the Roman Empire on the Eurasian landmass.

So it's going to put it out there. That is where all the indicators are as we understand the Scripture. But as these things develop, whether there's an axis between Berlin and Paris, or whatever that axis must be, humanity is going to, in a sense, be tied to what they see with their eyes, or what they read in their newspapers. But we've got to, as the spiritual community of God, recognize what is behind that power. And there's a source, and it's demonic, and it's satanic. And we recognize as the world gives its allegiance to this rising superpower, God calls it worship of none other than Satan.

We also recognize in Revelation 13 and verse 11 that there's another beast coming up out of the earth. And he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. Seems to be a mixed personality, a religious force. Speaks like a lamb but has the voice of a dragon. Seems godly but is not godly. And all of this is going to come into play. I think it's very interesting what my colleague, Mr.

Rhodes, brought out – often I bring it out, but he brought it out today – is that when all of this begins to develop around the world, we've got to recognize that the newspapers are not going to say, today the beast does this, or tomorrow the beast does this.

Beast comes to New York to meet with the United Nations. What we need to recognize in the language of the Bible, which is imagery, is also to recognize that we worship an honest God, and God calls things for what they are. So often the names in the Bible just spell it out, don't they? Just think of the name like Jacob, usurper, heel grabber. God's very earthy, very plain. He may say something. In 2007, he's not politically correct.

He calls it like it is. You're right. He says there's a beast. That can go back to the book of Daniel, Daniel 5 and verse 16, where here's this guy walking around walls that were 100 feet high and 60 feet wide and was building ziggurats and building hanging gardens and had half the world conquered.

God says, you know what? I'm going to make you really look like you are on the inside.

I'm going to change your heart from the heart of a man to the heart of the beast. I'm just going to show the world what's really underneath that skin of yours. I'm going to go below the epidermis, into the endodermis underneath, and I'm going to get right in there. I'm going to unveil what you are because everybody says, oh, what's like Babylon? Babylon just held the world in awe. God stripped that all off of Nebuchadnezzar and says, you're going to go down, boy, for seven years and you're going to be a beast. I'm going to show the world what's really behind this system. That's going to happen once again. Now, let's understand the framework. That's just background now as we move to Revelation 13, verse 16. Join me there because now with all of this occurring, we come into the mark of the beast. Speaking of this system, this system of church and state, it speaks that he causes all both small and great, rich, and poor, free, and slave to receive a mark on their right hand and 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, notice, of his name. So here we see a speaking of the mark and the number of the beast. First, let's look at the mark. In just this brief description, we find that it is all-encompassing. He causes – are you ready with your pen of students? Got your textbook in front of you? – he causes all. Last time I saw all, you know what it meant? All. He causes all, both small and great, so there's going to be no class distinction. The whole world is going to come under this way. And we notice that to buy or to sell. So we sense that this has something to do with the economy, but also to both physical and spiritual in intent, because come with me down to Revelation 14 verse 9. Then a third angel follows them, saying with a loud voice, If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark, it is the beast mark. His mark goes back to discussing the beast on his forehead or on his hand. He himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of indignation.

Thus we recognize, as we're dealing with the mark of the beast, we are not only dealing with the last week from the stock stock down in Minnesota, a little bit. It's a little mumble jumble that happened on Wall Street. But this is dealing with more simply money and the economy. It's more than the economy's stupid. Maybe that's right some 10 or 15 years ago. This is going to be a spiritual issue. This is going to be an issue for some, do I dare say it? May I? Of salvation. Because it's going to be coming down to the aspect of where is your unswerving allegiance and devotion. Is it to the God of this age or is it to the God of creation? Is it to Jerusalem above or is it to the Babylon below? It's just simply going to come down to that. What can we learn from history to understand the future? Sometimes you have to go back that away to know where we're going this away.

Did I lose you? I'm watching some eyes. Okay, stay with me. Let's allow me to render some thoughts out of Barkley's commentary on Revelation, Volume 2, pages 99 through page 102. Grant some insight. Barkley mentions that this mark of the beast at times was thought of as a cultural or religious parody. That's a fancy word. It just means a mimic, a mimicking that would be understood in its original day, be it by Jew and or by Gentile. This mark of the beast is the grim opposite of the Jewish custom of wearing phylacteries on the left arm and on the forehead. Perhaps you've seen that when observant Jews are in front of the Wailing Wall and you've noticed that little leather, looks like a little leather box that's on their forehead and they'll have their phylacteries and you know they're going up and down like this. I'm not going to do this too much. I don't want to get you dizzy, but they're going up and down like this and you'll notice that little phylacteries.

What is interesting, and this is the power of this parody, a part of what is in that little leather box is in part a parchment of scripture and in that parchment of scripture is the Shema, Deuteronomy 6, 4 through 9. You might want to write that down. This will make this study of the beast very relevant to you. Deuteronomy 6 and verse 4 says, Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is one.

It is an unswerving allegiance to the God of creation, the God that rescued them out of Egypt.

Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is one, symbolizing the true God, true worship, and unswerving devotion. Let's understand beyond that the term mark from the Greek.

The term there is shiragma, and the term mark shiragma means to stamp or to impress.

Some of you may have done that. Some of you ladies sometimes like to seal your letters with a little wax and you have a little stamp and you kind of do that and you put it in.

Okay, that's a shiragma. Let's understand how that played out in history. These shiragmas were used in different ways back in history. Slaves that were at time branded by their owner, but not always. But runaway slaves were branded with a brand and or a stigma. That's where the term stigmatized comes from. H. H. Skaggs in The Greatness of Babylon in his book shares these thoughts. Slaves were identified by some kind of mark either tattooed or branded on face or on the back of the hand. With all of this, we connect a future reality. No one seemingly escapes.

All who worship the beast are his property. Important. The shiragma or the mark denotes property of the beast. Allow me to take it another step. At times, in Roman times, and this is when it was being written, soldiers of the legions would brand their general's name on their bodies.

If the mark is connected with this, it means a faithful following devoted to the beast.

As the empire emerged, soldiers were no longer really devoted to the danger but more than their own generals who were a constant civil war going on in the Roman Empire. Rome who ruled the world could not be more than a cell. How many of you have seen the movie Glad on its journey? He's going like that. That was the shiragma. That was his mark of allegiance to the emperor, Marcus Aurelius. And he becomes so disgusted with what is happening that he said, I'm no longer going to be devoted to that and spread it off. That's what that scene is happening.

That's our mark. That is a shiragma. And he's saying, I'm no longer going to be devoted to Rome, just simply for Rome's sake. Let's take it a step further. Shiragmas, these impressions, were also used with dealing with contracts of buying or selling. There is a shiragma, an imprint with the date and the emperor's name attached. Such a concept might depict a future people that accept the beast's official authority, especially when it comes to buying and selling. Another way that the shiragma was used in the past was that all official coinage of the Roman Empire had a Caesar's likeness impressed on its surface to show that it was his property. Such a connection, again, of dealing with shiragma from the past to the future can denote men and the economy being in the possession of one that is known as the beast. Now, you say, yeah, but I'm not in the economy. Let's take it one step further of how the shiragma was used.

Most importantly, to people of faith. I presume that's why you're all here this afternoon.

When offerings of incense were offered to the deity of Caesar or to the worship of the genius of Caesar, a certificate was granted to state for the record the action that was taken. Such a mark could signify recognition of worship that one who has been called to follow Christ could only do by denying his faith. To be able to walk away because people of the empire were expected to give their devotion to Caesar, you had to have that shiragma. If you did not have that mark of the beast, if you did not have that mark of devotion to the emperor, your life was at stake. And we know that did occur in 85 to 95 AD. And we know that it occurred later on down through the ages.

So what is the picture that we gather together as we go through these different uses of shiragma where the mark and the Roman Empire? Allow me to write this down for you, please. You might want to write this down. The mark, the shiragma, denotes domination like a beast, devotion to the beast, and the devastation of an inner man's value. To live in that system, one must have the mark.

One must have the shiragma. Thus, we find a stranglehold on the emotion and the emotions of man, be it emotionally and or be it spiritually. Now, let's take a next step and consider what is the number of the beast. This way down in our books for a moment, please. 666. Ever heard that before?

It's probably the best. Just jot it down so it's in front of you. That's your own little personal powerpoint in front of you, okay? Go ahead and do it. 666. If you don't know what it comes after, 555. Okay? So 666. It's probably the best known and most studied verse in the Bible about what that is. Let's look at it. And no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name. And here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast. And verse 18 forward is the number of a man and his number is 666.

Like I said, it's probably one of the most studied verses in the Bible.

Let's understand that ancient people did not have figures for numbers as we do today. That comes out of the Arabic world. That's why we call them Arabic numerals. In the world of antiquity, they used letters. And letters were assigned to numeric value. For we that were in the American public education system, we learned a little bit of that when we were either in elementary or junior high school. We think of Roman numerals like let's shot down C for a moment. That equals 100. And or V in victory equals 50. And or L equals 50. So now I'm going to have you...

This is the interactive part. You're going to write down the number of the beast.

Please write... Let's do this in all caps like you're on a computer. Please write down D for dog, C for cat, L for Los Angeles, just teasing, and for LA, X, V is in victory, and like an I for one. That is how 666 would appear.

Now over the years, and you've read books like that and so have I, people have gone through history and figured out that especially people that they don't like, somehow it always comes up to 666. Notice that? Hopefully that's none of your mother-in-law's just teasing, just teasing.

I told you this morning I'm surrounded by women. I love women. Don't take that personally. For those of you that were out here this morning, I have three daughters, five granddaughters, a wife, a mother, and a mother-in-law. I love women, so don't take that personally. And I love my mother-in-law.

But let's understand this. People at that time, when this was initially written in real time in 1985-95, they would have considered, they would have thought of Domitian. They would have thought of Nero. But here's a question, and one we must answer to be frank and honest with this discussion.

Is this an esoteric code? Is it a coded calculation involving numerology?

Or I beg you to think, is it really dealing with spiritual discernment? Because again, remember, the book of Revelation is not just simply a book of imagery. It is a book of wisdom.

And it is a book of wisdom that is basically given to us to understand the contrast between the things of God and the things of man. I suggest in my reading that these numbers are given to us to incorporate wisdom when these matters come down the line of recognizing the source and the dimension of the events that are going to unfold in the future. That's how I look at it.

I don't look at it that, you know, I get into computer and I scramble all these numbers, all of a sudden it all kind of comes up coded, and X marks the spot, and you have these.

Why do I say that? Consider for a moment. In the Bible, you might want to drop this down, three represents completion. Let's think of that in the line of Jesus Christ being in the grave for three days and three nights representing completion. Six is the number of man. That is normally determined because man was created on the sixth day. Seven represents perfection.

Now, where am I going to? If three times seven equals complete perfection and God, then three times six, six, six, six, equals completely man. And even with all of the lying wonders that are going to be performed by that, one that is called the false prophet in the future, even with all of that, it is going to fall far short of the perfection of God, which would be seven and seven and seven. I suggest in an understanding and a thought that God asked us to consider the future of where the source and the power and the devotion or the strength of people and personalities in the future comes from. And we, as the people of God, students of the Bible, people of faith are going to have to know by their fruits and by keeping close to God and reading the Bible and understanding and having a graph of prophecy, which is God sharing his heart with us to understand the contrast and to make sure that we stay devoted to God.

That's where I think it's going. Here's a point that I want to share with you as we begin to conclude. So do I know what the Mark of the Beast is and its corresponding number? No, I do not. I know I already disappointed you this morning when I said I don't know who the two witnesses are.

And I do know who the two witnesses are. They're God's witnesses. So let's go with this. No, I don't know exactly what the Mark of the Beast is. And neither do you. I don't think anybody does.

Over the years, books have been written. There's been articles that have been published.

Could it be a multinational identity card or a number granted by a government? I remember back in the 30s when Social Security came out, a lot of people thought that Social Security numbers were going to be the number of the beast. Could it be an implanted microchip? Have any of you ever ever heard that one? Got into that thing? You start looking at people like, they're a zombie.

They got the mark. Could it be a microchip? I don't know. Could it be a national identity card?

I don't know. Could it be the euro as it is emerging on the European landmass? Perhaps.

Could it be the imposition of a day of worship? Perhaps. Could it be the forced renouncement of another day of worship because of the ever-present demand to sustain the buying and selling that comes under the domination of the beast? Possibly. But here's what I want to leave you with.

Identifying the mark or its correspondent number is not near as vital as determining the purpose of the mark. I think too often, even in the community of the church, we put too much weight and worry on the mark of Satan rather than focusing on what God wants us to do and be prepared to give our devotion to him. When that time comes, if we're close to God, we're going to know what the mark of the beast is. We have enough in history, this element of shuragma, to give us an understanding that there is a system that's coming that is going to want to dominate like a beast, that is going to desire our emotion, that is going to put a stranglehold on spiritual emotions and spirituality. We need to know that. But beyond that, we need to determine what are we going to do about it. I'll tell you why. May I? Because we, as people, either now or in the future, do not take our values... Excuse me. We don't find our values in the trial. We take our values into the trial with us. We have to know what we're going to do before we get there. And that is why God gives us the book of Revelation to understand that and to recognize that even if it's going to get rocky for a while, even if it gets challenging for a while, that when we read the end of the book, we know that we win because God wins. Refusing the mark in the future means to commit yourself to God.

Preferring death rather than compromising of one's faith. You say, but a lot of this has to deal with the economy. Allow me to take you back 65 years ago in the time of Germany. And I think we'll remember that there was that time that night in Germany when all the windows were broken of all the Jewish storefronts in Germany about 1932 or 1933. It only took six to seven years of going from closing down businesses, dealing with the economy, to marching those people into gas ovens. It doesn't take that long to change things and to see things turn literally on a dime.

I think that as we look at the future, I think it's going to be an incredibly short period of time that all of this is going to happen. We also recognize, join me in Revelation 17 in verse 1, that for some it's going to be martyrdom because they don't accept the mark of the beast.

Then one of the angels who had the seven bowls came and talked, saying to me, Come, and I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, that religious system that couples itself with a temporal system. With whom the kings of the earth committed fornication and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit of the wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, which was full of names that blasted me, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, which are the symbols of the ancient Roman Empire, with gold and precious stones and pearls having in her hand a golden cup of abominations in the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written, mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots, and of the abominations of the earth. And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.

And I believe that these are people that during that time in the fifth seal, which represents the tribulation, the time of Satan's wrath, that there are people that, as it says in the book of Revelation, did not love their life but unto death. And that these are people that are not going to receive that future charagma but are devoted to God. And understand that as a Christian we always bring more than what is coming our way and are going to have that strength through God's Spirit to overcome those things. Now, what I want to finalize here is this. And it's something about human nature that we always kind of look at one thing when God wants us to look at another. And, like I mentioned, there are two seals that are mentioned in the book of Revelation. Most of the time we're looking at the mark of the beast, but there's another seal that's mentioned. Join me in Revelation 7. In Revelation 7, and let's pick up the thought in verse 1.

And after these things, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or any tree. And then I saw another angel standing from the east having the seal of the living God.

We might say the shorogma, the imprint, the impress of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was granted, to harm the earth and the sea, and said, do not harm the earth and the sea or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God.

Notice again, where is it? A lot like the mark on the forehead. See, so often we get worried about what Satan is doing. Why is that as human beings? Rather than what God is doing. And God has his own seal. See, God has a purpose for you. And that purpose is then manifested by a plan for you.

And then that plan is manifested by promises that he gives us. And he promises that in the future, he's going to care for those that love and keep his commandments. And then he makes provisions, and he's going to give that seal. What is that seal? I think the Bible kind of tells us, come with me to Ephesians 1. You say, don't often think of the book of Ephesians as being prophetic, but the Bible interprets the Bible. Come with me if you would for a moment to Ephesians 1.13, because it's interesting in a discussion of the Holy Spirit that it says in verse 13, In him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also have and believe you were sealed with the Holy Spirit a promise.

I suggest to you in an understanding, because we want to approach this with humility, some considerations that I believe the seal that God is going to use for his saints in the future is none other than his Holy Spirit. When you understand that the Holy Spirit is of God, and it is Holy, are you with me? And it is Spirit, who can ask for anything more?

And God is going to seal his saints in the future. And what is interesting, yeah, but you say, but it's an inward seal. That's right. What is it about man? Are you with me? What is it about man that man always wants to work from the outside in? And that's God works exactly the opposite.

God works from the inside power, and God is going to put his seal in his service, his saints at that time, to preserve a holy seed and a holy remnant for his glory and for his honor.

And that's why a Christian always brings more to life than what's coming his and or her way now.

And that seal and that Spirit, whether it's now in Spokane or whether in the future, it's going to give us two things. The seal of God, the Spirit of God, always gives a person of faith two things. Are you ready to write? Number one, it gives us wisdom. It gives us wisdom beyond numerology.

It gives us the wisdom to look beyond those things that are humanly spooky.

It gives us the spirit of wisdom. Number two, maybe you've never thought about it this way, it gives us spiritual backbone. And that is what the saints of God need now in Spokane or in the future whenever this comes to fulfillment. So allow me to conclude by simply saying this.

So who knows the number of the beast or exactly what the mark of the beast is?

Perhaps for now, these are the wrong questions. We say, well, Weber, why didn't you start out that way?

Because I have a 50-minute class. I'm sorry. The greater and the more important question is simply this to ask. What are you and I doing to be numbered among the saints? The answer lies within you inside, not on the outside, because God gives all his works itself from the inside out.

Mark of the beast, seal of God. What we need to understand in the book of Revelation, friends, is simply this. There is going to come a time in the future.

And you and I as human beings don't like this. We like to always have a third option.

We always like to have a third option, kind of like triangulation. Let's kind of mix it all together.

I'm sorry. That's not the message of the Bible. That's the message of man. The message of the Bible is that there are two gods, two ways, two trees, two women, two churches, two ways of life, two cities, two outcomes. And it's going to come to a time in the book of Revelation that it says you're only going to have two choices. Allegiance to this world that is actually worshipping the dragon or allegiance to God. May I say something to all of you as a people of faith?

May your allegiance and the seal that is upon you always be that which is from above. Good being with you.