Announcer: It's time now for Bible Talk. Join our hosts, Gary Gibbs and John Bradshaw, speakers for the Amazing Facts Ministry, as they now open the Bible and discuss themes that affect your life today. Stay tuned because the next 15 minutes will deepen your understanding of God's word.
John Bradshaw: Hi friends, and welcome again to Bible Talk, where we talk about what the Bible has to say to us today. I'm John Bradshaw, and with me today, is Gary Gibbs. Hi there, Gary.
Gary Gibbs: Hi John. What are we going to talk about today?
John: Well, let's follow right along where we've been recently in Bible Talk, and carry on this subject of the Antichrist. You know, we discovered that this thing we call the Antichrist, just the same as the beast of Revelation 13 and 14.
Gary: We did, and you've pointed out, I think quite adequately, that the Antichrist is not a single individual as of yet, but it's actually a kingdom power that's currently here on planet Earth.
John: That's right. It's a religious system. Look in Daniel 7. It blasphemes, it persecutes God's people, it monkeys with God's Law. This is a system, it ruled already for 1260 years. So it's not an individual and it's a system religious in its nature, and we're going to see it again very prominently in this Earth, right in the end of time.
Gary: Now John, that's right, and you have shown us in the Bible where there are ten identifying characteristics that map out who this is. But we don't have time to go through that again, do we?
John: No, we don't really. If you want to get those, you know where our Bible study offer. You'll call our toll-free number at the end of this program and ask for "Antichrist is Alive Today". It's got all that information in there. But I think something we really want to address to do this subject justice is the question that you read about in Revelation 13, Revelation 14, so much confusion about this in the world today.
Gary: That' right, because when we talk, John, about the Antichrist, you really focus on the mark of the beast. That's what we don't want. You know I was at the grocery store one time and the teller rang it up, what I was buying, 666. And I said, "Could you just add another penny to that, please?"
John: You didn't do that?
Gary: I didn't want 666. I didn't want to pay 666. Have you ever gotten a phone number? You move to a new place, and your phone number, the last three digits are 666?
John: Yeah, I think I had a driver's license or something like that once with that on it.
Gary: Yeah, I don't think I'd want it, and I don't think most people would want it.
John: But you know 666 isn't an unlucky number now.
Gary: Well, it's the mark of the beast, that sounds pretty unlucky to me.
John: Hey now, wait a moment. Now this is something a lot of people say, but 666 is not the mark of the beast at all.
Gary: Wait a minute, John. You're saying that that goes totally against everything that every Christian knows.
John: Well, it doesn't go against the Bible.
Gary: Listen, even secular Hollywood knows 666 is the mark of the beast. You see these films on demonic spirits and 666 is right there, it's the devil's number and the mark of the beast. I've seen posters where it's imprinted in people's head and in their hands. What do you mean 666 is not the mark of the beast?
John: I'm not trying to split hairs here, but the Bible says something quite different. Are you ready, in Revelation 13.
Gary: You've got a hard sell on this with a lot of people, I tell you.
John: This is the simplest thing in the world if you just believe the plain Word of God. Revelation 13:17, now listen very carefully to this.
Gary: All right. You want me to read this one?
John: Yeah, yeah, go right ahead. Go right ahead.
Gary: All right. Says there in verse 17 that no man, well we ought to back up, verse 16, and he, the Antichrist beast, calls us both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads...
John: True enough.
Gary: ... and there's the mark of the beast. And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
John: There's a little word in there, but I want to point it out to you. Save he that he that had the mark, now what's the next word?
Gary: Or.
John: OK. Or. So that's one thing or the other thing.
Gary: All right.
John: All right. That is the mark, or the name, or, or the number. Three different things right there. The mark is not the number, and the mark is not the name. Those are three completely different things. Now verse 18 says, "Here is wisdom. Let him that has understanding count the number of the beast. It is the number of a man and his number is 666." Six hundred three score, that's sixty, and six. The mark of the beast and the number of the beast are two totally different things.
Gary: So the mark of the beast is not 666.
John: Absolutely not. 666 is the number of the beast.
Gary: Well how John, did everybody else, if it's that simple, how in the world did all of Christianity get it to be 666 to be the mark.
John: You know, I'm really not that sure how everybody could misread or ignore such plain testimony in the scripture. Now, you've got a lot of variations. All I can say is the devil is very crafty, and with the mark of the beast, he has caused the great majority of people to lose the correct focus and to look for something that isn't, and to look in the wrong direction.
Gary: But John, what does that mean then? Because in the Last Days, you have it right here, it says the beast is going to cause small and great, rich and poor to receive this mark, and they will not be able to buy or sell except they have the mark or the name or the number of his name. And so there's going to be this control of our buying and selling.
John: No doubt about it.
Gary: And so there may be a computer chip or something, that's implanted in our forehead or in our hand, and in that is programmed our unique ID code. And you know, they already have all the technology they need to do this.
John: There's no doubt about it. I think they're even doing similar sorts of things with animals, lost dogs and this kind of stuff. No doubt about it. But just wait a moment. Understand that there are two separate issues here. One is the mark of the beast. Now listen Gary, if I come to you and say, here's the mark, please take it. Do you think you're going to take the mark of the beast.
Gary: No. Even if I were not a Christian, I would not do it.
John: OK. So whoever's pushing the mark of the beast is going to need a mechanism to coerce people to take the mark of the beast.
Gary: What might that be?
John: Well, let's say someone said, "If you don't take this thing, you won't be able to buy and sell." Now someone's going to say, "I'd get mighty hungry if I couldn't buy and sell", they might be motivated to take the mark of the beast.
Gary: And what would that mark be then?
John: Well, now that's a separate question, we'll get to that in a moment.
Gary: Because right here it's saying you're going to have that to buy or sell. All the preachers I've listened to on TV and almost all of them, they say it's that VeraChip, it's that universal ID code that tells the computers, that their cash registers, that you've agreed to follow the beast and if you don't have that, you're going to be really hungry, man.
John: Yeah. Listen, all this is speculation. No one knows just what means will be used to enforce the mark of the Beast. But something like that, that's feasible. It could be. But even if someone were to implant something in your hand that you needed to buy and sell, that isn't the mark. The mark is something else. This thing that they may or may not stick in your hand on your head, that simply might be used to control your buying and selling, to coerce you one way or the other with the mark of the beast.
Gary: I remember when people said credit cards and social security numbers and all those were marks of the beast because then the government would be able to track your every move. Now it's true they can track our every move now.
John: Man..
Gary: Somebody can.
John: ...Man, let me tell you. If your bank manager wanted to stop you from buying and selling, he or she could very easily at the click of a mouse right there on his or her computer. And I think everybody's got to understand that.
Gary: Yeah but John, somebody's planning to say out there, "I don't plan to be here. I don't care if they can track my every move. I don't care if they have my credit cards numbers or anything else. I'm going up in the rapture. I will not be here. It's for the lost people to be worried about all those things."
John: I've had people say that to me. "Why do I need to worry about any of that for I'll be gone?"
Gary: So why are we even preaching on it? I listened to a radio preacher one time and he said, "You don't even need to worry about what the mark of the beast is."
John: Isn't it interesting that God would put all this information in the Bible and then a preacher would turn around and say, "Don't worry about any of it".
Gary: Yeah, it's just a note left over for those who are left behind in the rapture.
John: Right. Now let's look at how the Bible really stacks it up because this is Bible talk. Revelation 20 and verse 4. Revelation 20 verse 4. It says, "I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them and..." Now he's talking about a specific group of people here. "I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands."
John: This is a group who stood against the beast. Who stood for Christ and suffered as a result. Now some might say, Gary, "Ah these are the people who didn't go up in the rapture." Right?
Gary: That's right.
John: But why don't we consider what it says in Revelation 16. After the six plagues, you just read through the plagues. After the six Jesus says, "Behold, I come quickly." That's what he says right there. In fact he says, "Behold I come as a thief."
Gary: So he had not even come yet while the plagues started.
John: Oh yes, six plagues in and Jesus has not come back. And you'll remember, we read in second Thessalonians chapter two, right here on Bible Talk, that that day shall not come, that's the coming of Christ, except there be a falling away first, and then the antichrist be revealed. That is very, very clear. two Thessalonian two and three, antichrist comes, then, after that, return of Jesus Christ for the saints.
Gary: So then it is important for us to know what the mark of the beast is because we may be here if we live through that time.
John: Absolutely. And just come back to thinking common sensically. Why would God put all of these warnings about the beast and the mark right in the last book of the Bible and then say, "Hey you don't need to worry about that"?
Gary: Well you have us all boxed in then, John. You've told us we need to know what it is. We're going to be here. You've told us it's not 666. Then what is it? What is the mark of the beast?
John: OK. Let's look at Revelation chapter 14 and verse 12. Well even before verse 12. You know you've got the messages of the three angels and these constitute the final last days Gospel message to go to the world.
Gary: OK.
John: The third angel warns about the beast and worshipping the beast and receiving the mark of the beast. And that goes on verse 9, 10 and 11. And then verse 12 says, "Here is the patience of the saints." So let me ask, the saints, are they saved people or lost people?
Gary: Obviously they are the saved people.
John: All right. Then do they receive the mark of the beast?
Gary: Nah, there's no way that the saved people will receive the mark of the beast.
John: OK then. Now we've got this group of people who do not receive the mark of the beast. And look what the Bible says about them. It says, "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."
John: You see here those that don't receive the mark of the beast do keep the commandments of God. Therefore, we can know that those who do receive the mark of the beast do not keep the commandments of God. Now what this indicates is that those who receive the mark of the beast have not surrendered their hearts to Jesus fully obey him and to do his will.
John: Now remember when we studied earlier about the little horn, one of the identifying characteristics is that he would think to change times and laws. See, what the devil does is he inspires antichrist to change God's law and when people accept that change in the law of God, they're worshipping the beast and not the lamb, following antichrist and not Jesus Christ. So this mark of the beast is following man above following God. Now of course we can get a little more specific than that.
Gary: I wish we had time to, John, because I'd like to know more about who the beast is and what his mark is and how he has sought to change God's law and we don't have time in this program. [Background music fades in]
John: Unfortunately, we don't. But fortunately, we do have this Bible study, "Antichrist is alive today".
Gary: And our listeners can call in or write us or even email us and receive that free.
John: Friend, make sure you do that because its power packed. It's got so much in it that you really need and that I hope you'll get. And you know I want to invite you to join us here again next time for more, here on Bible Talk. [music]
Man 1: If you'd like more information on what we've been studying today, we have a comprehensive Bible guide we'd love to share with you that's absolutely free. This study includes many of the texts we've just discussed and expands on the subject including information you'll want to know. To receive this free informative Bible study guide simply call, write or email and ask for "BT115 - Antichrist is alive today". The toll free number is 866 - BIBLESAYS. That's 866-242-5372. You can write to us at Bible Talk, P.O. Box 1058, Roseville California, 95678. Or email us at bibletalk@amazingfacts.org.
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