April 4, 2024 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Ted N.C. Wilson, President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Hello, friends. As you may know, we are currently going through the book, The Great Controversy, and are currently finishing Chapter 25, titled “God’s Law Immutable.”
Last week, we looked at the foundation for what is known as the “Mark of the Beast.” We saw how the chaos of end time events will lead up to the development and enforcement of this symbolic mark. Today, we will look specifically at what this mark is and how to avoid it.
In Revelation 13:16, 17 we read that the “lamblike” beast that “speaks like a dragon” “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.”
This is very serious, as indicated by this warning in Revelation 14:9, 10—“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. . .”
We read in The Great Controversy, “’The beast’ mentioned in this message, whose worship is enforced by the two-horned beast, is the first, or leopardlike beast of Revelation 13—the papacy. The ‘image to the beast’ represents that form of apostate Protestantism which will be developed when the Protestant churches shall seek the aid of the civil power for the enforcement of their dogmas” (p. 445).
But, what is this “Mark of the Beast?” Well, if we keep reading in Revelation 14, verse 12, we gain a clue by looking at a group that does not receive this mark: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”
In The Great Controversy, we read: “Since those who keep God’s commandments are placed in contrast with those that worship the beast and his image and receive his mark, it follows that the keeping of God’s law, on the one hand, and its violation, on the other, will make the distinction between the worshipers of God and the worshipers of the beast. The special characteristic of the beast, and therefore of his image, is the breaking of God’s commandments” (pp. 445, 446).
Going further in our study, we gain another clue in Daniel 7:25, where, speaking of the “little horn” which represents the papacy, we read: “He shall think to change times and the law.”
Has the papacy attempted to change God’s law? History shows this to be the case. In the Roman Catholic version of the 10 Commandments, the second commandment, forbidding image worship, has been dropped from the law, with the tenth commandment being divided into two, so the end result is still 10. In addition, the actual fourth commandment becomes the third commandment in the Roman Catholic version, where it mentions the Sabbath, but does not identify it as the seventh day of the week. The papacy sees as its special mark of authority its claim to have changed the seventh-day Sabbath to Sunday,
We read, “It is a fact generally admitted by Protestants that the Scriptures give no authority for the change of the Sabbath . . . Roman Catholics acknowledge that the change of the Sabbath was made by their church, and declare that Protestants, by observing the Sunday, are recognizing her power. In the Catholic Catechism of Christian Religion, in answer to a question as to the day to be observed in obedience to the fourth commandment, this statement is made: ‘During the old law, Saturday was the day sanctified; but the church,instructed by Jesus Christ, and directed by the Spirit of God, has substituted Sunday for Saturday; so now we sanctify the first, not the seventh day. Sunday means, and now is, the day of the Lord” (The Great Controversy, p. 448).
We understand from the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation that there will come a time when everyone will need to choose for themselves whether to follow what is in the word of God, or what has been created by man. We read that those who “choose to observe the false instead of the true Sabbath are thereby paying homage to that power by which alone it is commanded. But in the very act of enforcing a religious duty by secular power, the churches would themselves form an image to the beast; hence the enforcement of Sundaykeeping in the United States would be an enforcement of the worship of the beast and his image” (The Great Controversy, p. 449).
As we study this topic, it is very important to understand that at this time no one has the mark of the beast. For many generations Christians have observed Sunday, thinking they were keeping the Bible Sabbath, and there are many Christians in every church, including the Roman Catholic communion, who honestly believe that Sunday is the Lord’s Day.
We are told, “God accepts their sincerity of purpose and their integrity before Him. But when Sunday observance shall be enforced by law, and the world shall be enlightened concerning the obligation of the true Sabbath, then whoever shall transgress the command of God, to obey a precept which has no higher authority than that of Rome, will thereby honor popery above God. . . . He is worshiping the beast and his image. As men then reject the institution which God has declared to be the sign of His authority, and honor in its stead that which Rome has chosen as the token of her supremacy, they will thereby accept the sign of allegiance to Rome—“the mark of the beast” (The Great Controversy, p. 449).
Then, the inspired author continues with this very important point: “. . . it is not until the issue is thus plainly set before the people, and they are brought to choose between the commandments of God and the commandments of men, that those who continue in transgression will receive ‘the mark of the beast’” (The Great Controversy, p. 449).
Friends, this is a very important message to understand. Again, let us keep in mind that no one at this time has received the mark of the beast. However, now is the time to study and learn for ourselves what that mark is and how to be part of the group described in Revelation 14:12 where we read, “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”
To learn more about this vital topic, I again encourage you to download your own copy of The Great Controversy at the bottom of the screen [Insert: greatcontroversyproject.org].
In our next video we will continue in our journey through The Great Controversy, learning more of these vital biblical truths for this time.
As we end our time together now, I invite you to pray with me as we consider this very important message.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, you have given to us in the Word of God a clear understanding of what your law and precepts are. Lord, I ask that each one of us may fully comprehend what the truth is, especially about the biblical seventh day Sabbath. That you will help each one who has been watching or listening to truly make a decision for Bible truth and not for human error. Lord bless, as each of us understand more fully your plans for each of us as we enter into a time in the near future when all we’ll have to make a decision for Christ or for Satan. Lord, help us to make the right decision to follow you completely and your holy word. Thank you for hearing us in this prayer. In Jesus name we ask it. Amen.