The Mark of the Beast

Transcript

GR 1547
11/15/09
The Mark of the Beast
Revelation 13:16-18
Gil Rugh

We're in Revelation 13, a rather well known portion of the Word of God, primarily because of the end of the chapter where we come in our study to talk about the mark of the beast and significance of the number 666. Even in the world where there is little or almost no knowledge of the Bible, people are familiar with 666. It is seen in various places, movies have been made and so on. Significance in scripture is tied to when these events occur. We are in the middle of the 70th week of Daniel, that last seven-year period that will be concluded with the visible return of Christ from heaven to the earth. And all the peoples of the world will see Him return, He will come to earth and set up His throne on the earth, first to exercise judgment and to determine who will be going into the kingdom that He is establishing and who will not go into the kingdom. So obviously we are at a yet future event.

Come back to Daniel, just a couple of matters of review and to put things in their context. Go to Daniel 9, where we go many times. Your Bible gets worn to Daniel 9, and that's good. Verse 27, and he, and this is the first beast of Revelation 13, the man who we know as the Antichrist, he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, one period of sevens, and it's a seven-year period, not a seven-day period, as you are aware. In the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering, and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed is poured out on the one who makes desolate. That wing of abominations comes one who makes desolate, and that will be referred to as the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet in future references. This one who comes, the abomination of desolation, referring specifically to the image that he makes of himself and has it established, placed in the temple that has been rebuilt. And this is the first of a series of references that make reference to the existence of a Jewish temple in the middle of that coming seven-year period. We have discussion about the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. We don't know when it will be rebuilt. By the time we get 3½ years into the seven-period, the temple has been rebuilt, it is in operation, the sacrificial system has been reinstituted in Israel. And we've noted articles even from secular sources that talk about the preparations going on in Israel of making the items necessary for restored temple, of preparing priests who would be qualified to function in that temple. And there has been discussion, not so much in recent days, but in past days about the red heifer and the need to find this red heifer for the necessary purification for the reinstitution of the temple sacrifices. Well here is a reference to it. In the middle of the week he puts a stop to sacrifice and grain offering, the temple and priesthood must be in operation.

Before we proceed on that line come back to Daniel 2. In Daniel 2 there is the image that Nebuchadnezzar saw that shows the kingdoms of the world, beginning with Babylon. And that explanation begins in verse 36. You have Babylon, then you have Medo-Persia, then Greece, then you have Rome. And then in the final form of the Roman Empire the ten toes mixed with iron and clay, verse 43, so we're told it's a kingdom with strength and with weakness. And that's why we look to Europe and the European Union, some of the things going on there, because it will be the completion of the Roman Empire as the analogy is laid out in chapters 2, 7, and then in the book of Revelation.

Verse 44, in the days of those kings, those ten kings that he has just talked about in verses 42-43, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed. And we've noted this indicates this is yet future. Why so much difference in prophecy? Because some people say that when Christ came that changed everything, and now we go back and reinterpret the Old Testament in light of the fact Christ came. But Christ did not come to change the Old Testament prophecies and promises, He came to fulfill them and bring them to completion. Obviously He hasn't set up the kingdom that has replaced earthly kingdoms. And so His coming is yet future for that.

Come over to Daniel 3. Now in chapter 3 we have something that has happened in history, but it is a foreboding, a prefiguring of an event that is yet to come. Chapter 3 opens up, Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of which was 60 cubits and its width 6 cubits, a cubit about 18 inches, from the elbow to the end of the fingers. So that would be about 90 feet tall. This is a colossus. I mean, Nebuchadnezzar was not a man to do things on a small scale. Interesting, the number 6 involved here—60 cubits in height, 6 cubits in width. What he does then is have this set up on a plain and then he sends out all of his messengers and says, everybody when the music plays we will bow down and worship the image. Verse 6, whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. Therefore at that time when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, lyre and all these instruments, all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations, men of every language fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. And then there are some charges made. There are some Jews who are not bowing down when the music plays. And those three are known as Shadrach, Meshech and Abed-nego. They were three friends of Daniel, also known by their Jewish names and recorded in chapters 1-2. They come before Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar says, what's the problem here? He doesn't quite say it that way. He says in verse 14, is it true you don't bow down, serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? Now let me tell you, if you are ready to bow down now, all will be forgiven. But the middle of verse 15, if you do not worship you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire and what God is there who can deliver you out of my hand. You are doomed for destruction if you don't worship my gods and my image.

We love the response of Shadrach, Meshech and Abed-nego, oh Nebuchadnezzar we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. If it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He'll deliver us out of your hand. Even if He does not, let it be known to you oh king, that we are not going to serve your gods and worship the golden image you have set up. Our commitment to the living God and service of Him is not based upon whether or not He will deliver us from this particular trial. Under no conditions will we bow down and worship the image. Now He can deliver us if He would so choose, and in this context He does. And you can go on and read the account.

That is in anticipation, it gives you some idea of what is going to take place at a yet future time when the coming Antichrist will set up an image of himself in the very temple in Jerusalem and require all the world join in worship of that image. And in that context also receive an identifying mark that will identify them as worshipers of the beast. And thus qualify them to be able to buy food and other necessities of life.

Come over to Daniel 12. Some of you have studied the book of Daniel in some of the classes, some of you may be studying it right now. Great material for background of what is unfolded in Revelation. Verse 11, you have another reference to the fact that the temple is in operation in the middle of the 70th week of Daniel. Verse 11, from the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1290 days. Now we've talked about 1260 days being the last half, but you have 1290 days, we'll talk about the extra 30 days, then the extra 75 days total as the next verse brings up. But you see we're basically covering the last half of the tribulation. From that time we saw in Daniel 9:27 where the Antichrist puts a stop to grain offering and sacrifice until the end of that will be 1290 days.

When you come into the New Testament, Matthew 24:15, Christ speaking about the coming days. Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, that's what we saw in Daniel 9, on the wings of abomination comes one who makes desolate. Let the reader understand, then the Jews must flee for hiding. You'll note where this abomination of desolation is standing—in the Holy Place. That's in the temple. So you see the temple is in existence, and this abomination of desolation which we realize from Revelation 13, is an image of the beast that is placed in the very temple, in the Holy Place in the temple. The temple is in existence and in operation.

Come to II Thessalonians 2:4, we talk about the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction, other names for the Antichrist, the first beast of Revelation 13. Verse 4, he is one who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called God or object of worship so that he takes his seat in the temple of God. So you see the temple is in existence, it has been rebuilt. This couldn't happen today, and we wonder how will that 35-acre site up there, the Temple Mount with two significant Muslim mosques, now be the site of a new temple. I don't know. I do know it will happen because here we're told the temple will be rebuilt. And it is in existence and he takes his place in the temple. Isn't it amazing? Of all the places in the world, why not New York, or Paris, or Hong Kong? I mean, Israel, a land about the size of New Jersey. I'm from New Jersey, great place but not that big. I've driven from one end to the other and it's not that much. Now you have that place over there and final events focus there because that's where God has chosen His people and determined His temple and ultimately the capital of the world will be with His King, so Satan is at work to oppose God.

Stop in Revelation 11. We already looked at this, but a reminder here, another indication the temple is in existence in the middle of the tribulation. There was given me a measuring rod like a staff and someone said, get up and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship in it. Now this is anticipating a future event. How do we know? Verse 2, leave out the court which is outside the temple, do not measure it, it has been given to the nations. They will tread it underfoot for 42 months, 3½ years, during which time the two witnesses will be ministering for 1260 days, verse 3. So you see the temple becomes a focal point for these last day events.

Come to Revelation 13. There is some other material we may cover at a later time on that, but it gives you the context of where we are. In chapter 13 the first ten verses dealt with the Antichrist, the beast out of the sea. He received a deadly wound with a sword, evidently in a battle, but he is brought back to life. In verses 11ff, the focus is on a second beast, denoting their character. This man is called the false prophet also as we've looked at already in the book of Revelation. His purpose is verse 12, he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence and he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. Verse 14, he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given to him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. This image of the beast, that reference to the image of the beast we've noted in verse 14. That's the first of ten references in the book of Revelation to the image of the beast. So it becomes a focal point for what is taking place, because with this we are going to have the beast who has the political power in the world. He is the world ruler.

He also becomes the religious leader of all the world. For the first time the world is united with one focal point in its religion, in its worship. That is in this man. And then he is going to control the economic situation as well and the ability to buy and sell and so on is tied to your identification with him.

Verse 15, it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. That's where we have come in our study together. That reference we noted in verses 14 and 15, it was given to him. God is sovereign in this process and He is removing restraints. And it is within His plan that the devil proceeds in his operation to bring things to their final conclusion. It was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast. So this image that has been constructed, I would take it that it would be striking, very attractive. And it's an image of the beast. And then, at least for all appearance, it comes to life. And so you see this man that the world is called to worship has divine power it seems, yet supernatural powers. But they are not truly divine. But as we saw in II Thessalonians 2, he is showing himself to be God and thus deceiving the world that he is indeed God in the flesh, the Antichrist and Satan's greatest counterfeit.

Those who don't worship the beast will be killed. That's why we noted in Daniel 3 what happened in the days of Nebuchadnezzar. It gives you some idea of what we're talking about. What is going to happen in the future will be on a much greater scale, but similar idea. If you don't worship the image you die.

And he causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, the free and the slaves. And these repeated pairs here emphasize the fact that everyone in all walks of life is included here. There are no exceptions. No one too small and insignificant, no one too great and important; no one too wealthy, no one too poor; free and slaves. I mean, this power that he now has encompasses the world, as we've seen in previous portions of chapter 13. He is world ruler with world power, not just in name but in ability and power to enforce his will and require what he demands.

So he causes all to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. And through the book of Revelation receiving the mark, we call it the mark of the beast because this mark identifies you as a worshiper and follower of the Antichrist. He is in a position to cause all, in all positions of life, to be given a mark on their right hand or their forehead. Now look down in chapter 14 verse 9, then another angel, a third one followed them. And we'll get to the details of these future references, but just note the connection here of receiving the mark and being a worshiper of the beast. Then another angel, a third one followed them saying with a loud voice, if anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand. Those two go together. They will be consigned to an eternal hell. The receiving of this mark is an irrevocable action. There is no going back, there is no repentance from this decision. When you make the decision to receive the mark of the beast during this period of time, there is no repentance, there will be no way of salvation. Everyone who receives the mark of the beast is going to the eternal hell that is described in verses 10-11. Down in verse 11, the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. Who are we talking about? They have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image and whoever received the mark of his name. You see the connection again—worshiping the beast, receiving his mark.

Revelation 16:2, so the angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. They had the mark, they worshiped him. Chapter 19 verse 20, and the beast was seized and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. They received the mark of the beast, they worshiped his image. The mark and the worship, they go together all the time.

Revelation 20:4, then I saw thrones and they sat on them and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast nor his image and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand. These are the elect, the believers. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But those who had worshiped the beast, his image, received the mark. Consistent connection going through the rest of Revelation.

Come back to Revelation 13:17, he provides that no one will be able to buy or sell except the one who has the mark. The name of the beast or the number of his name. He has a complete hold on the world. I mean, he is the political ruler. He is the religious center and he controls all economic activity. This is world domination and world control like the world has never seen. Here you have Satan loosed to do what he has not been able to do up until this time. He has had different kingdoms, but he has never been able to take control of the world to this extent, as will happen at this period of time.

You have to get the mark, his name or his number. You have to get it either on your right hand or on your forehead. Required. What do you do? Well if you don't get it you'll be hunted down and executed. You want to go to the store and buy something. Where's the mark? I mean, this is amazing. This was written and you think of the centuries of time and people wonder how you would control all of this. Now we look at things and it's not so unimaginable, this kind of control exercised over the world. I noticed in today's paper Google in one of the countries, they are matching the streets and the country is opposing it because of the complete invasion of privacy going on with the camera. Where are you going to go to hide? What are you going to do? There will be no hiding place. We had a relative who had contact with a man on the East Coast that I've never personally met, although we came out of the same church on the East Coast. But in talking with him he said, I got on the internet, so where your relative lives, I looked at his house, I saw all about his house. He knows about as much about me and I've never met the man. No privacy anywhere, is there. I mean, you're thousands of miles away.

I've shared with you, one car I got had OnStar because it was free, it came with it. And I'm driving in California lost. Well I have OnStar, so I pushed the button and they came on, hello Rev. Rugh. How are you today? I'm not too good, I'm lost. You're lost, well you're driving down such-and-such a street and coming up on this intersection. Now I'm really spooked. Well, I'm trying to get to such-and-such. He says, well you can't get there the way you are going. I said, oh, really. What am I going to do? He says, I'll tell you how to get there. I said, wait until I get a pencil and a piece of paper. You know me, I'm back in the '50s. He says, you don't need to do that, I'll just stay with you until you get there. Now you're coming up on an intersection, make a right, then go two lights and make ........... He gave me all these instructions. I finally said, where are you? I'm in California. He says, I'm in Georgia. Really, that's spooky. I'm driving down the road, I don't know this guy. First thing he calls me by name, then tells me where I am. I don't know where I am and I'm there; he's not here and he knows where I am. I mean..........

At any rate, you have to have a mark, the back of your right hand or your forehead. This identifies you as a loyal follower of the beast. You say, well what about if you just want to fake it so you take the number. That's not an option. Taking the number means you have committed yourself to the beast. And that becomes clear as we move on in Revelation. You can't buy, you can't sell without it. There just is no activity, and you go into the store and you are immediately marked out. How are you going to get by? What are you going to do, wear a glove? You don't have it on your forehead and you're wearing a glove on your right hand all the time, people are going to get suspicious.

Here is the wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man and his number is 666. Before I tell you the answer come back to Ezekiel 9. You see a background for this identifying mark. Here you have the reverse of it. Those that God is going to spare from coming destruction are given a mark. So verse 4, the angel is told, the Lord said to him, go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are being committed. So those true, genuine worshipers of the God of Israel who are grieved over the sin of Israel, you go mark them. But to the others he said in my hearing, go through the city after him and strike. Do not let your eye have pity or do not spare. So you see here God is marking on the foreheads those who are His true followers. Then the angels coming after this angel will destroy all those who don't have the mark identifying them as belonging to the living God. Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, women, but do not touch any any man on whom is the mark. You start from my sanctuary with my elders who were before the temple, and so on.

So there you see an Old Testament background for what we're talking about here. There it's a genuine mark identifying believers, and it wouldn't be a visible mark in that case except seen by God and the angels. But you see the idea established of the mark identifying you as one belonging to the one whose mark you have. There they belong to God and are spared. Now we have the other side of that, if you will.

Back to Revelation 7 with the 144,000. Verse 2, and I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God. He cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea. Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond servants of our God on their foreheads. So you see again that seal of God marking them as belonging to Him.

In Revelation 9:4, they were told not hurt the grass of the earth or any green thing or any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And we get over to Revelation 22:3, there will no longer be any curse. We've now moved into eternity after the first phase of the kingdom which is a thousand years. There will no longer be any curse, the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it. And His bond servants will serve Him, they will see His face and His name will be on their foreheads. So you see what Satan is doing, he's imitating again what God is doing with His followers. And here it will be a visible mark, either on the forehead or the right hand. That will identify you as a follower and a worshiper of the Antichrist.

Interestingly in 217 B.C. the ruler of Egypt, who has come out of Alexander's empire that was divided among his generals and so on, Philopater. He forced the Jews in Egypt to be registered in a census and he required that they have an ivy leaf that identified them as a worshiper of Bachus, on their hand. And if they refused they were to be executed. So again you see something of an anticipation of what is going to take place on a worldwide scale.

Now you can see with what goes on in the world and the enthrallment with charismatic people. Now you have a man who is the most charismatic that the world has ever seen, the man with the greatest supernatural power the world has ever seen apart from Christ Himself, and the world will be willing to follow Him and line up. And why wouldn't you get his mark? Why wouldn't you want to be identified as loyal to him and a worshiper of him and a follower of him?

So we come to Revelation 13 again and we're told, here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast. You can get his name or you can get his number. And Hebrew, Greek, Latin, all connected numbers with the letters of their alphabet. So you could spell out the name by using letters. I thought it was interesting, I wrote down from Pompey they found some graffiti and one person had written in the graffiti, I love her whose name is 545. That's an example. What did he do? He didn't put her name down, he put the numbers. So if you connected the number with a certain letter like a=1, b=2, c=3, you could spell out the name. I love her whose number is 545. The number of the beast is 666. So you could have his name or you could have his number that represents his name.

There have been numerous attempts to resolve the 666. You think, here is wisdom, let him who has understanding calculate the number. The number is that of a man and 6 is identified with man from the beginning of creation, man created on the sixth day. And the number of man. Beyond that how do we figure out? I don't think it's possible at this time. II Thessalonians 2 tells us that the man of sin will not be revealed until after the rapture of the church. Certain things have to take place. Now I take it after the rapture of the church, people become believers, they will be studying Revelation 13 as we are and yet they will read it and say, 666, it's he. But he won't be revealed before that.

Now some have tried to go back and fit this to Caesar Nero and other Caesars. The problem is this man is going to be brought to his end with the return of Jesus Christ to earth in great glory. So you have to begin to rewrite biblical prophecy and spiritualize it and allegorize it to have some kind of fulfillment in the past because obviously the kingdom hasn't been established. I mean, if this refers to one of the Caesars, what happened? Christ didn't put an end to all earthly kingdoms. Well, it's spiritual. No, that doesn't fulfill what is required of the prophecies.

So the number is 666. Just how that identifies him I don't have any idea. I went back just for something to do and looked through numerous different writings on it, and I don't think anybody knows. I don't think it's possible to know now. So it's not that we have wisdom, we have understanding as God's people, but we don't have all we need to know to understand it yet now. But in the tribulation this man will be present, he'll be present from the beginning, but he's a little horn. He won't come to prominence in full display, and so it will probably be at the last half of the tribulation when he is really revealed with all his character that now the elect will be able to identify him as the one that Revelation 13 is talking about and they can have nothing to do with him.

Isn't it amazing how the devil works to pick up what God is doing, the brilliance of this man to be able to pull this off. I call him a man, an angel, this created being. Awesome power. I mean, all the details that he is putting together to put together a counterfeit system. I mean, there is tremendous power here, even down to marking them on their foreheads. God marks His people on their forehead, we'll go a step further and mark them with a visible mark. And then they will be seen as worshipers of me, because when you are worshiping the image you are worshiping the beast; and when you are worshiping the beast you are worshiping the devil. I Corinthians 10 tell us that all false worship is ultimately the worship of demons, and this is the ultimate demonic worship, the worship of the Antichrist and the worship of the devil.

We'll stop there but we'll proceed on when we pick up with chapter 14.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your Word, the details of what you have unfolded. Your sovereign power to direct even the rebellion of the angelic world, the rebellion of human beings, but in your sovereign control over all, even their rebellion ultimately is used to accomplish your perfect plan. Even their rejection of your Son, His crucifixion was marvelously planned by you that He might be the Savior. And we know He is coming again, He is coming for us as His church. Lord, may we be living every day as we look around the world and see so many things taking place that prepare the way for the very events we talk about. Lord, how alert and ready must we be as your people, being about your work, being faithful to you, sharing the gospel with a world that is in darkness and without hope without our Savior. May we live every day expecting His coming and the unfolding of the final events that will prepare the way for the kingdom that He will establish that will replace all earthly kingdoms. We praise you in Christ's name, amen.