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Well, just a thought on the 666 thing, scripture does say if I remember correctly, that if you take the mark of the beast, you will NOT be in heaven. So I think it's a little more definite and specific and I would say "literal" than being materialistic etc. Those would be "forgivable" sins which could be repented of. If I read it correctly, taking the mark of the beast is irrevocable. Does that make sense? I don't have a Bible here to look any of this up right now. Just some thoughts and comments...
This is the mark of the beast:
"And 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, The 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 Who will be protected through the seven last plagues?
Revelation 7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servantsof our God in their foreheads.
NOTE: Those who receive God's seal in their foreheads will be protected during the plagues (See Psalm 91:7-11).
What is this "seal" the righteous have in their foreheads?
Isaiah 8:16 Bind up the testimony; seal the law among my disciples.
NOTE: God's seal is found in His law. A seal is what makes a document official, and it normally contains three characteristics: Name, Office, and Territory. An example would be "Cyrus king of Persia" in Ezra 1:1.
Which of the Ten Commandments contains all the elements of a seal?
Exodus 20:11 For in six days the Lordmadeheaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is.
NOTE: The fourth commandment is the only one that contains all three elements of a seal: (1) "The Lord"--His name, (2) "made"--His office as Creator, (3) "heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is"--His territory. 4. What has God given as a special sign of His power?
Ezekiel 20:12 I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.
Ezekiel 20:20 Hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.
Exodus 31:13 Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.
NOTE: God clearly states that He gave the Sabbath as a sign of His power to create and sanctify. It is His seal, or mark of authority. The words "seal," "sign," "mark," and "token" are used interchangeably throughout the Bible (compare Genesis 17:11 with Romans 4:11 and Revelation 7:3 with Ezekiel 9:4).
5. What does the second beast of Revelation 13 force all to receive?
Revelation 13:16 And 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:
6. What is the mark of the beast?
NOTE: We already identified the first beast of Revelation 13. What is its mark of power and authority? The best way to discover its mark of authority is to ask the papacy directly. Notice the following section from a Catholic catechism: (For review see: The Little Horn, The Beast of Revelation 13, and Protestant Beliefs)
"Q. Which is the Sabbath day?
"A. Saturday is the Sabbath day.
"Q. Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
"A. We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday."1
Here is another statement from a catechism:
"Q. Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?
"A. Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her--she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority."2"Protestants ... accept Sunday rather than Saturday as the day for public worship after the Catholic Church made the change... But the Protestant mind does not seem to realize that ... in observing Sunday, they are accepting the authority of the spokesman for the Church, the pope." Our Sunday Visitor, February 5th, 1950. See This Rock
So the papacy is saying that its mark of power and authority is making Sunday a holy day--a change that virtually the entire Christian world accepts. (See supplement entitled "What Important Question Does the Papacy Ask Protestants?") 1Peter Geiermann, The Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine (St. Louis: B. Herder Book Co., 1957 edition), p 50. 2Stephen Keenan, A Doctrinal Catechism (New York: P.J. Kenedy & Sons, third American edition, revised, n.d.), p. 174.
Is either the mark of the beast or the seal of God visible?
Hebrews 10:16 Saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.
Exodus 13:9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the Lord's law may be in thy mouth.
Isaiah 59:6, 7 Their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. ... Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.
NOTE: Neither the mark of the beast nor the seal of God is outwardly visible. The forehead represents the mind, and the hand is a symbol of work. "On the hand" and "between the eyes" are consistent symbols in Scripture for a person's thoughts and actions (Exodus 13:16; Deuteronomy 6:8; 11:18).
A person will receive the mark of the beast in his forehead by choosing to believe that Sunday is a holy day in spite of Bible truth. A person will be marked in the right hand by working on God's Sabbath or by outwardly keeping Sunday laws for convenient reasons--such as a job, family, etc. Although the sign is invisible to men, God will know who has which mark (2 Timothy 2:19). In a sense, each person will mark himself. If I respect and regard God's holy Sabbath, He will mark me as His own. If I regard the beast's false Sabbath, He will mark me as belonging to the beast.
How does Jesus determine if we are His servants?
Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey.
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Does anyone have the mark of the beast now?
Revelation 13:17 No man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
NOTE: No person has the mark now. When it becomes a forced issue, only those who have received the mark of the beast will be able to buy or sell. At that time, people who keep God's holy Sabbath will do so at the risk of their lives (Revelation 13:15), and those who choose to profane His holy day and officially cast their votes by placing the laws of men above the Law of God will be marked as belonging to Antichrist. All who are loyal to Jesus and His holy day will receive Jesus' glorious seal, thus making them His forever. Those who try to remain neutral will be counted for Antichrist (Matthew 12:30).
What two things does the Antichrist power attempt to change?
Daniel 7:25 He shall ... think to change times and laws.
NOTE: Daniel 7 reveals an Old Testament description of the Antichrist power. It clearly predicts that the beast would attempt to change both God's laws and times. The papacy has tried to change God's laws by: (1) omitting the second commandment against veneration of images, (2) shortening the fourth commandment from 94 words to just eight in order to avoid mentioning which day is the Sabbath, and (3) dividing the tenth commandment into two commandments. The papacy attempted to change God's times by: (1) teaching people to recognize the first day of the week as the Sabbath instead of the seventh day, and (2) adopting the pagan Roman practice of beginning each day at midnight instead of sundown. God's timing for the Sabbath is from sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night (Leviticus 23:32). No mortal should ever dare to tamper with God's sacred law or times (Matthew 5:18).
What was God's criticism of His ancient priests, or pastors?
Malachi 2:8, 9 Ye have caused many to stumble at the law. ... Ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law. Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
NOTE: God is still hurt when His pastors are partial to eight or nine commandments and cause many to stumble over His command to keep the Sabbath holy. Virtually all churches admit in their official writings that there is no Scripture support for Sunday sacredness. Tragically, both Protestantism and Catholicism stand guilty before the judgment bar of God for throwing out the Bible Sabbath! God Himself gave the Sabbath as a sign, or mark, of His power to create and His power to sanctify and save (Exodus 31:17; Ezekiel 20:12). Dare any man tamper with this sacred sign, which represents the great God of heaven and all that He stands for?
How did God's ancient leaders regard the great things of His law?
Hosea 8:12 I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.
NOTE: Times have not changed. God has placed the Sabbath, His great sign, in the middle of His law and begins that commandment with the word "remember." Yet many people today feel that keeping His seventh-day Sabbath is a strange thing.
What specific, solemn rebuke did God give to religious leaders regarding His holy Sabbath?
Ezekiel 22:8 Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.
Ezekiel 22:26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane ... and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
NOTE: God pointedly rebukes religious leaders who say that the Sabbath doesn't matter and who claim "Thus saith the Lord" when it is not true.
What specific sin does God command His leaders to denounce?
Isaiah 58:1, 13, 14 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression. ... If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord honourable; ... Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.
NOTE: God charges spiritual leaders to call Sabbath-breaking a sin and to insist that His people keep His Sabbath day holy. As with the disciples of old, our only safety is in obeying God rather than men (Acts 5:29).
When you decide to accept Jesus and fully follow Him, what happens?
Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
NOTE: Glorious rest and peace enter your heart at conversion. The Sabbath, which means "rest," is a symbol of the rest and peace that comes from the new birth (Hebrews 4:1-10). Those who are truly born again will keep the Sabbath as a blessed sign of that rest (notice verses 4, 9, 10). There is no joy like the joy that comes to a converted person who keeps God's Sabbath holy.
Before you can say "no" to the mark of the beast, you must say "yes" to the seal of God. Jesus is waiting at the door of your heart for an answer. Will you decide now to move under His glorious Sabbath banner as evidence that you have accepted Him as your Creator and Saviour?
What Important Question Does the Papacy Ask Protestants?
Protestants have repeatedly asked the papacy, "How could you dare to change God's law?" But the question posed to Protestants by the Catholic church is even more penetrating.
Here it is officially: "You will tell me that Saturday was the Jewish Sabbath, but that the Christian Sabbath has been changed to Sunday. Changed! but by whom? Who has authority to change an express commandment of Almighty God? When God has spoken and said, Thou shalt keep holy the seventh day, who shall dare to say, Nay, thou mayest work and do all manner of worldly business on the seventh day; but thou shalt keep holy the first day in its stead?
The following scriptures should clear up the confusion over the 1000 years, it is in deed a 1000 year reign, check this out:
The plan for mankind began with creation - God created the heavens and the earth and everything in it in 7days, and God rested on the seventh day,
4th commandment God commanded men to do all their work in 6 days then rest on the seventh day. And finally 2 Peter 3:8 - But do not let this one {fact} escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day.
(6-day week = 6000 years of men’s self-rule)
the seventh day, the day of rest = the 7000th year (or 1000 year reign) when Christ comes to rule and reign on earth, the day (or 1000 years) of peace and rest. We are nearing the 7000th year since creation. Genesis 2
[SIZE=3]1Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. [/SIZE]
2And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
[SIZE=4][CENTER]The Fourth Commandment[/CENTER][/SIZE] [SIZE=4][/SIZE]"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a Sabbath to The Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; for in six days The Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore The Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." (Exodus 20:8-11 RSV) The Only Day Of The Week That Is Holy
The Sabbath Day, and only the Sabbath Day, was made Holy by God at the time of Creation.
"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all His work which He had done in creation." (Genesis 2:1-3 RSV) (see The Seven Days Of Creation)
The Sabbath Day is God's Holy Day; it is not the invention, or property of, Jews or Sabbath-keeping Christians. It is God's Holy Day:
"If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My Holy Day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the Holy Day of The Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways [see I Did It My Way...], or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in The Lord, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of The Lord has spoken." (Isaiah 58:13-14 RSV)
The Sabbath Day is an identifying sign; it identifies the only true God, the Creator, and it identifies His true people (although Sabbath-keeping alone is not enough - there are many who are Sabbath keepers who are notThe Elect):
"I gave them My statutes and showed them My ordinances, by whose observance man shall live. Moreover I gave them My Sabbaths, as a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I The Lord sanctify them." (Ezekiel 20:11-12 RSV)
The Sabbath Day is not the "Jewish Sabbath," it is God's Sabbath. Jesus Christ, the greatest "Christian" of all, observed the Sabbath Day, and only the Sabbath Day (the pagan Roman "sun day" did already exist at that time, but Jesus Christ, and the apostles, and the early church, were all Sabbath keepers - they would never have observed the heathen "sun-worship day"):
"And they went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught." (Mark 1:21 RSV)
"And on the Sabbath He began to teach in the synagogue; and many who heard Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to Him? What mighty works are wrought by His hands!" (Mark 6:2 RSV)
Christians continued to observe the Sabbath after Christ's sacrifice:
"As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. And when the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered together to hear the word of God." (Acts 13:42-44 RSV)
The seventh day never stopped being God's Sabbath. It has always been observed by Christians who base their Christianity on the Word of God, the Holy Bible, and it will always be observed into the future. After The Return Of Jesus Christ, all people, of all nations, will learn (the easy way, or the hard way - their choice, and yours) to observe God's weekly Sabbath:
"For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me, says The Lord; so shall your descendants and your name remain. From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, says The Lord." (Isaiah 66:22-23 )
So if Christ isn't reigning now, who is?
Why are his servants given power in his name rebuke evil spirits?
Here it is officially: "You will tell me that Saturday was the Jewish Sabbath, but that the Christian Sabbath has been changed to Sunday. Changed! but by whom? Who has authority to change an express commandment of Almighty God? When God has spoken and said, Thou shalt keep holy the seventh day, who shall dare to say, Nay, thou mayest work and do all manner of worldly business on the seventh day; but thou shalt keep holy the first day in its stead?
Mark 2:24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? 25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? 26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him? 27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
"And 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, The 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
Who will be protected through the seven last plagues?
Revelation 7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servantsof our God in their foreheads.
NOTE: Those who receive God's seal in their foreheads will be protected during the plagues (See Psalm 91:7-11).
What is this "seal" the righteous have in their foreheads?
Isaiah 8:16 Bind up the testimony; seal the law among my disciples.
NOTE: God's seal is found in His law. A seal is what makes a document official, and it normally contains three characteristics: Name, Office, and Territory. An example would be "Cyrus king of Persia" in Ezra 1:1.
Which of the Ten Commandments contains all the elements of a seal?
Exodus 20:11 For in six days the Lordmadeheaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is.
NOTE: The fourth commandment is the only one that contains all three elements of a seal: (1) "The Lord"--His name, (2) "made"--His office as Creator, (3) "heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is"--His territory. 4. What has God given as a special sign of His power?
Ezekiel 20:12 I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.
Ezekiel 20:20 Hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.
Exodus 31:13 Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.
NOTE: God clearly states that He gave the Sabbath as a sign of His power to create and sanctify. It is His seal, or mark of authority. The words "seal," "sign," "mark," and "token" are used interchangeably throughout the Bible (compare Genesis 17:11 with Romans 4:11 and Revelation 7:3 with Ezekiel 9:4).
5. What does the second beast of Revelation 13 force all to receive?
Revelation 13:16 And 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:
6. What is the mark of the beast?
NOTE: We already identified the first beast of Revelation 13. What is its mark of power and authority? The best way to discover its mark of authority is to ask the papacy directly. Notice the following section from a Catholic catechism: (For review see: The Little Horn, The Beast of Revelation 13, and Protestant Beliefs)
"Q. Which is the Sabbath day?
"A. Saturday is the Sabbath day.
"Q. Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
"A. We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday."1
Here is another statement from a catechism:
"Q. Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?
"A. Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her--she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority."2"Protestants ... accept Sunday rather than Saturday as the day for public worship after the Catholic Church made the change... But the Protestant mind does not seem to realize that ... in observing Sunday, they are accepting the authority of the spokesman for the Church, the pope." Our Sunday Visitor, February 5th, 1950. See This Rock
So the papacy is saying that its mark of power and authority is making Sunday a holy day--a change that virtually the entire Christian world accepts. (See supplement entitled "What Important Question Does the Papacy Ask Protestants?") 1Peter Geiermann, The Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine (St. Louis: B. Herder Book Co., 1957 edition), p 50. 2Stephen Keenan, A Doctrinal Catechism (New York: P.J. Kenedy & Sons, third American edition, revised, n.d.), p. 174.
Is either the mark of the beast or the seal of God visible?
Hebrews 10:16 Saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.
Exodus 13:9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the Lord's law may be in thy mouth.
Isaiah 59:6, 7 Their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. ... Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.
NOTE: Neither the mark of the beast nor the seal of God is outwardly visible. The forehead represents the mind, and the hand is a symbol of work. "On the hand" and "between the eyes" are consistent symbols in Scripture for a person's thoughts and actions (Exodus 13:16; Deuteronomy 6:8; 11:18).
A person will receive the mark of the beast in his forehead by choosing to believe that Sunday is a holy day in spite of Bible truth. A person will be marked in the right hand by working on God's Sabbath or by outwardly keeping Sunday laws for convenient reasons--such as a job, family, etc. Although the sign is invisible to men, God will know who has which mark (2 Timothy 2:19). In a sense, each person will mark himself. If I respect and regard God's holy Sabbath, He will mark me as His own. If I regard the beast's false Sabbath, He will mark me as belonging to the beast.
How does Jesus determine if we are His servants?
Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey.
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Does anyone have the mark of the beast now?
Revelation 13:17 No man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
NOTE: No person has the mark now. When it becomes a forced issue, only those who have received the mark of the beast will be able to buy or sell. At that time, people who keep God's holy Sabbath will do so at the risk of their lives (Revelation 13:15), and those who choose to profane His holy day and officially cast their votes by placing the laws of men above the Law of God will be marked as belonging to Antichrist. All who are loyal to Jesus and His holy day will receive Jesus' glorious seal, thus making them His forever. Those who try to remain neutral will be counted for Antichrist (Matthew 12:30).
What two things does the Antichrist power attempt to change?
Daniel 7:25 He shall ... think to change times and laws.
NOTE: Daniel 7 reveals an Old Testament description of the Antichrist power. It clearly predicts that the beast would attempt to change both God's laws and times. The papacy has tried to change God's laws by: (1) omitting the second commandment against veneration of images, (2) shortening the fourth commandment from 94 words to just eight in order to avoid mentioning which day is the Sabbath, and (3) dividing the tenth commandment into two commandments. The papacy attempted to change God's times by: (1) teaching people to recognize the first day of the week as the Sabbath instead of the seventh day, and (2) adopting the pagan Roman practice of beginning each day at midnight instead of sundown. God's timing for the Sabbath is from sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night (Leviticus 23:32). No mortal should ever dare to tamper with God's sacred law or times (Matthew 5:18).
What was God's criticism of His ancient priests, or pastors?
Malachi 2:8, 9 Ye have caused many to stumble at the law. ... Ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law. Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
NOTE: God is still hurt when His pastors are partial to eight or nine commandments and cause many to stumble over His command to keep the Sabbath holy. Virtually all churches admit in their official writings that there is no Scripture support for Sunday sacredness. Tragically, both Protestantism and Catholicism stand guilty before the judgment bar of God for throwing out the Bible Sabbath! God Himself gave the Sabbath as a sign, or mark, of His power to create and His power to sanctify and save (Exodus 31:17; Ezekiel 20:12). Dare any man tamper with this sacred sign, which represents the great God of heaven and all that He stands for?
How did God's ancient leaders regard the great things of His law?
Hosea 8:12 I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.
NOTE: Times have not changed. God has placed the Sabbath, His great sign, in the middle of His law and begins that commandment with the word "remember." Yet many people today feel that keeping His seventh-day Sabbath is a strange thing.
What specific, solemn rebuke did God give to religious leaders regarding His holy Sabbath?
Ezekiel 22:8 Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.
Ezekiel 22:26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane ... and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
NOTE: God pointedly rebukes religious leaders who say that the Sabbath doesn't matter and who claim "Thus saith the Lord" when it is not true.
What specific sin does God command His leaders to denounce?
Isaiah 58:1, 13, 14 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression. ... If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord honourable; ... Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.
NOTE: God charges spiritual leaders to call Sabbath-breaking a sin and to insist that His people keep His Sabbath day holy. As with the disciples of old, our only safety is in obeying God rather than men (Acts 5:29).
When you decide to accept Jesus and fully follow Him, what happens?
Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
NOTE: Glorious rest and peace enter your heart at conversion. The Sabbath, which means "rest," is a symbol of the rest and peace that comes from the new birth (Hebrews 4:1-10). Those who are truly born again will keep the Sabbath as a blessed sign of that rest (notice verses 4, 9, 10). There is no joy like the joy that comes to a converted person who keeps God's Sabbath holy.
Before you can say "no" to the mark of the beast, you must say "yes" to the seal of God. Jesus is waiting at the door of your heart for an answer. Will you decide now to move under His glorious Sabbath banner as evidence that you have accepted Him as your Creator and Saviour?
What Important Question Does the Papacy Ask Protestants?
Protestants have repeatedly asked the papacy, "How could you dare to change God's law?" But the question posed to Protestants by the Catholic church is even more penetrating.
Here it is officially: "You will tell me that Saturday was the Jewish Sabbath, but that the Christian Sabbath has been changed to Sunday. Changed! but by whom? Who has authority to change an express commandment of Almighty God? When God has spoken and said, Thou shalt keep holy the seventh day, who shall dare to say, Nay, thou mayest work and do all manner of worldly business on the seventh day; but thou shalt keep holy the first day in its stead?
Whatever the mark of the beast WAS, it took place in the first-century A.D. John was to be shown those things which were in his day to SHORTLY take place because the time was THEN NEAR (Rev. 1 and 22)--that includes the mark of the beast. We will never understand what it was unless and until we put it in its proper historical setting--pre-A.D. 70!
I'm of the position that we're in the 1000 year period now, and that this period that we're in is coming to a close. I think what we need to do now is to continue studying, and praying to God to allow us not to be deceived by the great deception coming over the earth during the end times. Only a supernatural level of discernment will enable one to determine Truth from error during those times. Study, pray, fast - and continue to seek the Lord with all of your heart so that you'll be approved.
I'm of the position that we're in the 1000 year period now, and that this period that we're in is coming to a close. I think what we need to do now is to continue studying, and praying to God to allow us not to be deceived by the great deception coming over the earth during the end times. Only a supernatural level of discernment will enable one to determine Truth from error during those times. Study, pray, fast - and continue to seek the Lord with all of your heart so that you'll be approved.
I agree... it seems like deception is growing rampantly... I believe this is part of Satan being loosed. I don't think that God is loosing him necessarily, rather because of unbelief and the hatred for the truth, Satan has alot more room to work. God's grace is being trampled on, so Satan is not held back. We need to all seek God's face.. and He will be there!
I agree... it seems like deception is growing rampantly... I believe this is part of Satan being loosed. I don't think that God is loosing him necessarily, rather because of unbelief and the hatred for the truth, Satan has alot more room to work. God's grace is being trampled on, so Satan is not held back. We need to all seek God's face.. and He will be there!
Actually, God is building His Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. We are on the winning team. Why all the doom and gloom?
I agree... it seems like deception is growing rampantly... I believe this is part of Satan being loosed. I don't think that God is loosing him necessarily, rather because of unbelief and the hatred for the truth, Satan has alot more room to work. God's grace is being trampled on, so Satan is not held back. We need to all seek God's face.. and He will be there!
12But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name--
it/says/he/gave/power/to/become/the/sons/of/god.to/those/who/believed/they/we/were/not/yet/sons/of/god/although/they/had/already/believed
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