The world is approaching a crisis. Everyone can clearly see that, whether it is a student of prophecy or a worldly-minded person. The occurrences happening in our world today foretell that something big is about to take place… from the climate change, to the moral degradation, to the economic crisis, to the daily news reports all this proclaim a message; and only as we view it through the torch of God's word can we clearly understand what is going on. The Bible is not silent concerning what is going on. So what is all this about?
It is an unfolding of the great controversy theme, we are in the last scenes of this war between good and evil. The devil well knows that He has but a short time and so he is working with renewed zeal to make sure that his final move will be successful. What is his final move? The last great act in the drama will be the enforcement of the mark of the beast. But before we state what the mark of the beast is, it will be necessary for us to know what the mark of God is. For that is the only way we can avoid getting the mark of the beast. It's a two- way road, either you have the mark that God places upon His children or you have the mark that the beast places upon his followers. All the world will be split between those two groups, God's people and the followers of the beast, there is no middle ground.
The word mark is synonymous with the terms sign and seal in the scriptures (Romans 4:11). That is because they all signify ownership over something. A seal is attached to a document to legalize it. A legal seal contains three things
- The Name of the person issuing the seal,
- His title/position.
- His territory
Let us take for instance the seal of a country such as the United States of America, it will read:
- Donald Trump - Name,
- President – Title,
- of the United States of America- Territory.
Where is a seal mostly found? Seals are attached to laws in order make them binding upon the people in that territory. The seal of God is also found in His law, for the Lord through the prophet Isaiah declares "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." Isaiah 8:16. God's law is the ten commandments (Exodus 24:12); thus His seal is in the law.
Therefore, we need to look at the commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) and seek out the one that bears God's name, His title and His territory. That is the one that bears the seal of God.
A careful look reveals that God has attached His seal on the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8-11). The last part of that command states:
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. Exodus 20:11
- Name – The Lord ("I am the Lord: that is my name" Isaiah 42:8)
- Title/Position – The creator, He made (Jeremiah 10:10-11)
- Territory – Heaven and Earth and the Sea (Isaiah 66:1)
Thus we find that the Sabbath contains the SEAL which is within the ten commandments. It is the sign between God and His People.
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. Exodus 31:17
Moreover also 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 20:12.
God blessed and sanctified the Sabbath (Genesis 2:2,3) and to the one who will keep it holy, it is a sign, or seal, of God's power to sanctify him. True Sabbath observance is a symbol of our dependence upon God, that He is our owner, we are subjects to His will. There is a knowledge of God in the proper observance of the Sabbath.
Hallow My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God. Ezekiel 20:20.
But the seal of God has been hidden from the masses by the man of sin who has exalted a false Sabbath: Sunday. God seeks to repair the breach that has been made in His law; to re-instate the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday) to its rightful position. In order to accomplish this, He has sent us the sealing message. This is described in the seventh chapter of Revelation, where John beheld four angels holding the winds of strife and another angel having the seal of God saying:
Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. Revelation 7:3.
The forehead is the seat of the intellect; and when the honest in heart see and acknowledge the binding claims of God's law, they will keep holy the Sabbath. The seal placed in the forehead by the angel cannot be read by man, for God alone can read the heart. Simply resting upon the seventh day from all physical work will not place the seal upon the forehead of any one. The resting is necessary, but with the rest must be also the holy and sanctified life that is in harmony with the holy and sanctified day. 'The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of the ambitious, world-loving man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive the seal must be without spot before God–candidates for heaven' The Bible pointedly tells us Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, The Lord knows them that are his. And, let everyone that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity. (2 Timothy 2:19).
For us to receive the seal of God we must turn away from iniquity, we must gain victory over sin, we must bear the character of Jesus. The sealing time is very short and Satan is working with all his malice to prevent us from obtaining this seal. The messenger of the Lord in solemn tones pleads with us while asking this heart pricking question,
What are you doing, brethren, in the great work of preparation? Those who are uniting with the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. *
In a little while everyone who is a child of God will have His seal placed upon him. Oh, that it may be placed upon our foreheads! Who can endure the thought of being passed by when the angel goes forth to seal the servants of God in their foreheads?
It is your privilege today to make your standing with God sure, let Him have His way with thee. Put away the sin that you are still clinging unto, TAKE TIME TO BE HOLY, surrender fully unto the savior. Settle into the truth fully, not only intellectually but also spiritually. And when the sealing angel will pass by, you shall have God's mark upon your forehead. May we not neglect the needful preparation, the special work of putting away of sin. Lest the awful decree be made "Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting."
* Testimonies for the Church Vol 5 pp 216 par 1 by Ellen .G. White.
The Mark of the Beast (Part 2)