The Mark of the Beast
In Daniel chapter 7, God shows us the big picture in verses 1-7. Then in verse 8 God laser focuses on the horn that has destroyed 3 of the 10 Kingdoms: Vandals, Ostrogoths, and Hurlei.
Daniel 7:1-8
Vision of the Four Beasts
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.
2 Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.
5 “And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’
6 “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
7 “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.
In Daniel 7 verses 20-21 and 24-25, God repeats what was stated in earlier verses which stresses the importance of understanding. It is easy to identify the Little Horn.
20 The ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.
21 “I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them.
24 The ten horns are ten kings
Who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shall rise after them;
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings.
25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time.
1. Comes up Among 10 Kingdoms
2. Arises after 476 AD
3. Speaks great words – Blasphemes – Has ability to forgive sins
4. Subdues 3 Kingdoms/Horns
5. Different
6. Eyes like a man (Human) singular leadership
7. Persecutes
8. Rules for a Time, Times, and 1/2 Time ( 1260 Years )
9. Change Time and the Law
History of the world is revealed in the Bible in Daniel’s dream. The Little Horn power is Papal Rome. There are only 2 totally worldwide churches today. One is Catholic. In Revelation Chapters 12 and 17, the woman mentioned represents the church.
There was much persecution during the Dark Ages. You either became Catholic or you were executed. In 508 AD, the Vandals were stamped out by Papal Rome. In 538 AD, the Ostrogoths were destroyed. This persecution went on for over a thousand years. When the Pilgrims came in the early 1600’s, they were trying to get away from persecution from Papal Rome. In 1798, the beast received a wound when the Pope was put in prison by Napoleon’s General Berthier.
Jesus was accused of blasphemy by the Scribes and the Pharisees. The Pope claims the ability to forgive sins which is blasphemy.
Revelation 13:1-3
The Beast from the Sea
1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.
There are seven hills at the Vatican. In Revelation 13:4-10, the Bible is once again repeating what was already said in Daniel 7.
Revelation 13:4-10
4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
Remember the Bible is exposing the beast ( Papal System ) not the Catholic people. There are fine Catholic Christians all over the world and there will be many Catholics in God’s Kingdom.
The Pope is the King of the Vatican. The Vatican has ambassadors from over 105 nations of the world. The United States has 2 ambassadors to the Vatican. All Bishops, Cardinals, Priests, and Nuns must swear allegiance to the Pope.
Revelation 13:17-18
17 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.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.
What is 666? It is the Identity of the Beast – A Man’s Number. Now we can compare Daniel 7 and Revelation 13.
1. Out of the Sea ( Multitude of Nations Revelation 17:15 )
2. Deadly Wound Healed ( 1929 Mussolini recognized Vatican as its own power )
3. Speaks Great Words – Blasphemy
4. Rules for 42 months ( There are 30 days per month in Jewish calendar – 42 x 30 = 1260 )
5. Makes War with the Saints
6. World Worship
7. Leads Into Captivity ( Dark Ages )
Knowledge of the Scriptures were lost during the 1260 years. God raised up Martin Luther who was a Catholic Bishop. Luther unlocked the Bible, studied it and read it. Luther proclaimed: ” The Just will live by Faith”.
Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 reveal the same thing and reveal the Identity of the Beast. Pagan Rome turned into Papal Rome.
Genesis 4:15
And the LORD said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.
God put a mark on Cain. It is not a visible mark. The whole issue about the mark of the beast revolves around worship. Jesus cannot come until the man of lawlessness has been revealed.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-6
The Great Apostasy
1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.
John 17:17
Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
There are over 285 denominations saying they have the truth. You find the truth in the Bible. Study Your Bible!
Ezekiel 20:11-12
11 And I gave them My statutes and showed them My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’ 12 Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
God’s sign is the Sabbath. Once again, it is all about worship.
Verses 19-20
19 I am the LORD your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; 20 hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.’
If God has a sign, does it make sense that Satan also has a sign? A counterfeit?
Exodus 31:12-18
The Sabbath Law
12 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’” 18 And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.
Romans 4:11
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also.
A sign is the same as a seal. The counterfeit has to look like the original. In the Catholic Catechism there are two questions to explore.
Question: What day is the Sabbath Day? Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath Day.
Question: Why do we observer Sunday as the day of worship? Answer: The Catholic Church had the solemnity to transfer the worship day from Saturday to Sunday.
Sunday worship is the Mark of the Beast. The letters on the Mitre of the Pope are:
Vicarius Filii Dei which means the Vicar of the Son of God. If you take the Roman Numeral for each of the letters of the Latin for Vicarius Filii Dei, the total adds up to 666.
V – 5
I – 1
C – 100
A – 0
R – 0
I- 1
U – 5 (same as V)
S – 0
F – 0
I – 1
L – 50
I – 1
I – 1
D – 500
E – 0
I – 1
——–
666
Revelation 14:6-7
The Proclamations of Three Angels
6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— 7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”
This was our Wednesday night Bible study at church this week.