Those Who Receive the Mark and Those Who Don’t.
“…If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger;… Here is a call for the patience of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and hold fast to the faith of Jesus”. – Revelation 14:9-12.
Firstly, remember that if you are a believer and follower of Jesus then according to scripture you belong to that group who are labelled ‘saints’ – the Greek word means ‘set apart for a holy use.’ This verse forms a contrast with those who receive the mark of the beast (vs’s 9-11) and those who don’t. This is the group that receives the Seal of the Living God. (c.f. 12:17)
The Greek word for patience here used is; “integrity in the midst of personal pain.” It is one thing to maintain integrity when things are going well. It’s another thing to do so in the context of personal pain or opposition. Integrity is about being who you really are, even when no one’s looking or when the consequences are severe. Integrity is the opposite of image. Integrity is about being consistent and being real no matter the outward circumstances.
Integrity is often lost in the little things.
A man says, “I love my wife,” and then flirts with the girls at work. A woman acts like a saint at church but flies into a rage at the kids when she gets home. A husband’s primary goal should not be to be respected on the job or with his friends, but respect from those who know him best. It takes a lot of integrity for a man to retain his family’s respect year after year.
Like God’s people of Revelation 14:12, integrity happens when we keep ourselves constantly aware of God’s kingdom and His presence. “Who will know if I do this?” Joseph in Egypt knew the answer to that. God will know! But when we lose that sense of God’s presence, little impurities come into our lives and integrity is compromised. And without integrity disaster is just around the corner.
The sinking of the titanic in 1912 was eventually traced to the quality of the steel plating and rivets in the hull. The steel when analysed contained high levels of impurities, compromising and making the hull weaker than it should have been.
When God’s people pass through the icebergs of the end-time, they will have an integrity that is not shaken by opposition or even personal pain.
So, how will the mark of the beast be implemented? In recent years the Covid lockdowns should have given us a wakeup call as to how these things could play out in the end. We have read in Revelation 13:17 about the no buying and selling order. However, you cannot boycott a person so long as they have money in the form of currency. As the saying goes “if you can’t get it at the front of the shop, you can get it at the back.” Today we can shop through the internet. All we do is supply our credit card details. Cash is slowly disappearing. But by giving you a number, it becomes possible to boycott you, and thus enforce the mark of the beast.
I’m sure you watched, as I did, as the covid crisis that began in 2019 became a ‘pandemic.’ Legislation was put in place for those who would not submit to the vaccine. All they would have had to do was add supermarkets to the list and living would have been very difficult for these people. To me this was a wake-up call to the church and those of us who understand Revelation 13. While I am not against vaccines, I felt I witnessed a dry run for what is coming in terms of the mark of the beast scenario.
Let me be clear – no one yet has the mark of the beast.
The two points that divide those who receive the mark of the beast from those who don’t have been changed by the beast (papal) power – the gift of free grace has been adulterated with human effort and all the world follows after the beast in keeping Sunday in violation of God’s commandments.
Sunday sacredness came from paganism, was incorporated into the worship of the Catholic church, and was accepted by Protestantism during the reformation. Why is this so important? Because it is a matter of worship and worship is a key issue in Revelation 13 and 14. The beast desires worship, ”they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?” Revelation 13:4
Changing God’s law places the beast in the position of being greater than God, and thus in line to receive worship. When Jesus was being tempted by the devil in the wilderness at the beginning of His public ministry one of the things he countered the devil with was “You should worship the Lord your God, and Him only should you serve.” Matthew 4:10.
After giving power to the beast the Bible says that the mark will be enforced by law. “And he causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, (13:16) V15 states this will be accompanied by a death decree.
Until this takes place, no one has the mark of the beast. But the decisions we make now could determine the side we will take then.
Today, there are strong indications that Europe and America are headed this way. Australia, of course, follows everything America does. This will take place at the very end of earth’s history, just before Jesus comes back. Remember, Jesus said, watch and be ready! (Matt 24:43-44)