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, the fastest 15 minutes on radio, as we talk about the Bible subjects that affect you today you right where you and we are tackling the big ones. I'm John Bradshaw, with me, Gary Gibbs. Hi Gary.
Gary Gibbs: Hi John. And the big one today is the Mark of the Beast.
John: This is the one, I mean the whole Bible kind of comes all the way down to the Book of Revelation, and this is the big subject, the big conflict, the big controversy. Who receives the Mark of the Beast? What's the Mark of the Beast? Who's the Beast? We've been talking about this a little, but there's a whole lot more to do.
Gary: And people have been contacting our resource line to get our Bible studies to learn more about this topic and so I want to remind people, stay tuned, because at the end of the program, you too can contact us and learn more about the Mark of the Beast and the Beast and all these other prophetic topics.
John: Sure. Get our phone number, get the email address. Write, email, call, whatever you want to do, you got to get this information, it is just powerful. Now, we've talked about the number of the Beast. 666 is not the Mark. It is the number of the Beast. No one is going to have three sixes tattooed on the top of their head, on the soles of their feet, anywhere else, there's no tattoo with three sixes, that's the number and it isn't the Mark.
Gary: And we've talked about the buying and selling, that is just a mechanism of the enemy to force people to get the Mark of the Beast.
John: Two separate issues, right? One is the Mark, another is whatever it is that's going to affect your buying and selling to coerce you, to move you to receive the Mark of the Beast. Two separate issues. We talked too about who's going to be here and who's not going to be here during the time of the Mark of the Beast. Whether anybody gets an early out, whether you need to know this because you think you may not be here. We found out that, wherever you'll be, God wants you to know and understand the truth of this important matter.
Gary: Now, because if you're alive, you'll be here.
John: Absolutely right.
Gary: We'll all be raptured out. Now John, I just want to paint the picture that, as I understand, that a lot of people have of what the Mark of the Beast time is going to look like, OK? And then you take us back to the Bible and show us if it comes out of the Bible or not. Show us what the Bible really says about this. But as I understand it, we're looking for a single individual who will be extremely powerful, politically and spiritually. And that he will go into Jerusalem, he will take control of the temple, they'll rebuild the temple there, and there will be wars around the world and all that, and he will force people to worship him as he sits and he rules from Jerusalem. And that's what the Mark of the Beast is all about, and of course that all happens after the Rapture takes place and the believers are taken out of here.
John: And my understanding is - well, now you're telling the story, what happens with this Mark, this 666 or whatever?
Gary: OK, so then the people have to make a choice if they're going to worship this Beast and if they want to be able, this Beast individual, if they want to be able to buy or sell, they have to receive this Mark, and this tattoo, 666, in the forehead or in the hand.
John: OK. Now that's interesting. Let's take this point by point, and then look at really what the key issues are here. First idea, the single individual. Now, if you take a look at church history, you don't even have to look very far, the idea of a single individual is a relatively recent idea that has no roots in history, doesn't have any roots in the Bible.
Gary: So wait a minute, so what you're telling me then, if you go back and you look at how people have interpreted the Mark of the Beast issue, only recently did people say this is the single individual like in the Left Behind series, Nicolae Carpathia?
John: Oh yeah, and what's so interesting about the single individual theory, no one knows who he is, no one knows where he's from, no one knows when he's coming, no one knows where... what a clever bunch of church theologians and teachers we have today. No one knows who, where, when, how, they don't know nothing. And they're the first to admit it. And that's one of the most... well, at Bible Talk, we're very polite about all of these things.
Gary: You sound like you're getting pretty vexed there.
John: I'm a little exercised about this, because if I wasn't so polite, I'd say this is one of the craziest ideas I've ever heard, that God would say don't worship the Beast, don't receive his Mark, but no one's going to have the foggiest idea who it is.
Gary: Well, they sound like they have some idea. They write entire books on it, and do movie scripts on it, and everything.
John: Fiction, fiction, fiction, fiction.
Gary: OK, so if it's not a single individual, what is it then? Who is the Antichrist?
John: OK, now, I'm going to paint this in broad strokes here. In Revelation 13, you read about a Beast. In Daniel, Chapter 7, you read about a little horn. Now, it will tell you in Daniel, Chapter 7, what a horn is and what a Beast is. Are you ready for this? I'm going to read it to you right out of the Bible.
Gary: And as I understand it, Daniel helps unlock and explain Revelation. Is that correct?
John: Absolutely. Daniel and Revelation go hand in glove. And without naming names, because I want to be as nice about this as possible, I recently saw on television where one of the best known prophecy teachers in the United States of America, with great confidence, declared that whenever you read about a Beast in prophecy, it's always talking about a man. Now, how about Bible verses did he use to back that up?
Gary: Probably zero.
John: Less than zero, Gary. Less than zero. Daniel seven and Verse 17, it's important that we paint this in stark colors because it's so important to know it. Talking about the Beasts that Daniel saw, it says these great Beasts which are four are four computers? No. Four individual human beings? No. They are four kings that shall rise out of the earth. Verse 23 the fourth Beast shall be the fourth kingdom that shall arise out of the earth. Verse 24 says that ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings, so when you're looking for a horn, little horn, you're looking for a kingdom. When you're looking for a Beast, you're looking for a kingdom. Not an individual human being at all, cannot possibly be that way.
Gary: So what are we looking for then?
John: Well, we're looking for a kingdom. You read the prophecy in Daniel, Chapter 7, it destroys three nations. You're going to have to look at this historically now.
Gary: So, we're going to see a brand new kingdom rise up and it's going to wipe out three nations and it's going to rule the world and take over Jerusalem, right?
John: Well, that's one way of looking at it. But when you go back and you look at, I don't think that's the Biblical way?
Gary: That's not it.
John: When you go back to Bible prophecy, you're going to take me deep into Daniel now. Daniel had a dream, he saw four Beasts: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome. The fourth Beast, the Roman Empire, had ten horns, which are ten nations that sprung out of it. And anyone worth their salt, who knows anything about history at all, will tell you that when Rome came to an end as a kingdom, it basically settled into ten nations.
Gary: And that was in about fifth century A.D., 476.
John: That's the date commonly given. It's right about that time. Rome divided into ten nations. And then the little, or ten horns, and the little horn would be a nation that would come out of that nation and would, therefore, destroy three nations and would be different. It would have eyes like the eyes of a man. It would persecute the people of God. It would reign for 1260 days, but wait a minute, in prophecy, a day equals a year. Oh, don't tell me that you hadn't heard that, everyone knows the seventieth week.
Gary: Seventy weeks is a day for a year. There in Ezekiel 4:06, as I've given thee, a day for a year, and it numbers 1434. So it's the same thing.
John: Day representing a year. So you've got 1260 days would be 1260 what?
Gary: Years.
John: We're not looking for an individual, not even Methuselah lived to be 1260 years old.
Gary: OK. So we're looking at a kingdom then that's going to last for 1260 years, and that's going to reach down to our day and it's going to have this powerful influence to do what? What's it going to do? Is it going to take over Jerusalem and rule there in the temple, or are they going to move their kingdom there? Is this the Palestinians maybe, taking over the temple, or the Jews taking over the Temple Mount, what are we looking for?
John: Revelation 13. Revelation 13 in Verse 3, I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death, his deadly wound was healed. So this thing that ruled 1260 years is going to have some kind of fracture of some kind. Some deadly wound. But then its wound is healed and the Bible says, "All the world wandered after or followed after the Beast." OK Verse 4, Revelation 13 and Verse 4, I'd like you to read this because I'm going to pick on a couple of very key words in Revelation 13:04.
Gary: OK, I'm reading here and it says, "They worshiped the dragon which gave power to the Beast, and they worshiped the Beast..."
John: They what the Beast?
Gary: "They worshiped the Beast."
John: They worshiped the Beast. Carry on now.
Gary: "Saying who is like unto the Beast, who is able to make war with him."
John: I'm going to read Verse 8, forgive me for not reading the whole thing, but we don't have time for every verse, just the most salient points here. All that dwell upon the Earth shall do what?
Gary: Worship him.
John: Worship him. So down here in the close of time, the question is worship. And the question is who are you going to worship, God or man? And there will be an issue brought to the forefront which will bring to every individual the question who are you going to worship, God or man, do you love Jesus enough to give Him your whole heart?
Gary: Now, we haven't gone into who this Beast is, because we really don't have time. And some of this is really sensitive material.
John: Yes it is.
Gary: But we do have a study guide on this topic and if our listeners will call in at the end of the program, we'll give the number, they can call in, or even write us, email us, we can enroll them in our Bible study course, it's free, and they can learn who the Beast power is.
John: Now, let's go on with this issue, this question, I want to show you something in Revelation, Chapter 14, are you ready to go there, Gary?
Gary: OK. Let's do that.
John: Revelation 14, Verse 6, this is important because it's the final gospel message for the world.
Gary: Would you like for me to read that?
John: Yeah, and let me preface this, not many people know this. God has an End Time gospel message, and it's in the Book of Revelation, and - I'm not getting this out of a code or anything, it's right there, please do, please read this.
Gary: So this is the message warning people and getting them ready for the End Time is what you're saying.
John: Absolutely.
Gary: And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach under them, that dwell in the earth, to every nation, and kindred, and tongue and people. You want me to keep reading?
John: Oh please do.
Gary: OK, so Verse 7. Saying with a loud voice, fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come and worship Him that made heaven and earth, the sea and the fountains of water.
John: In chapter 13, worship the Beast. Over here, in Revelation 14, what?
Gary: Worship He who made the sea, and earth, and heavens - the Creator, worship the Creator.
John: Worship the Creator rather than the creation. The Beast is an imposter for the land, you see. And in Revelation 14, God gives us the message to worship Him. And then you've got in Verse 8, Babylon has fallen. You talked about not long ago, Babylon representing spiritual apostasy and confusion. Verse 9, don't worship the Beast, don't receive the Mark of the Beast. Verse 10, Verse 11 says the same thing. Now, Verse 12. Focus on Verse 12. "Here is the patience of the saints. Here are they that..."
Gary: "... Keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."
John: Isn't that interesting. Now, these are the saints. Let me ask you. Would the saints be saved people or lost people?
Gary: Definitely saved people. They have the faith of Jesus.
John: OK, so being saved people. OK, being that they are saved, do they receive the Mark of the Beast then, yes or no?
Gary: No.
John: OK. Now, obviously, faith in Jesus Christ is what is going to prevent people from keeping the Mark of the Beast.
Gary: That's right. That's what it is.
John: But faith in Jesus is always expressed in a certain way. Jesus said if ye loved me...
Gary: Do my commandments.
John: Keep my commandments. John 14, Verse 15. And in Revelation 14 in Verse 12, you've got a group of saved people, the Bible says of them, the saints keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Very clearly the saints of God in the Last Days are people who keep the commandments of God, those who do not receive the Mark of the Beast, love Jesus enough to worship him and keep His commandments.
Gary: So the whole issue is over worship, and that really is the issue from Genesis to Revelation, from Cain and Abel, from Adam and Eve. Who are we going to worship? And you're saying it's going to boil down to this final event, right here in the Mark of the Beast.
John: If we loved the Lord, we'll give Him our hearts. If we give Him our hearts, we will yield him our lives, and our obedience. What a great study this is, call us, get more information on this, and whatever you do, don't miss joining us here next time on Bible Talk. [music]
Announcer: If you'd like more information on what we've been studying today, we have a comprehensive Bible study 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'd want to know. To receive this free informative Bible study guide, simply call, write or email and ask for BT128: "The Beast, Who will Worship It?" The toll-free number is 866-BIBLESAYS. That's 866-2425372. You can write to us at Bible Talk: P.O. Box 1058, Roseville, California 95678, or email us at bibletalk@amazingfacts.org. Bible Talk has been produced in association with Amazing Facts, in the studios of Life Talk radio.