THE MARK OF THE BEAST 1
With the understanding derived from our meditation on the 'The
Language of Prophecy', we feel convinced that we can take on "THE
MARK OF THE BEAST." The subject is interesting and also very
important. Before going to this part one - the mainstream of our
meditation, we will want to establish the utmost importance of this
subject. Turn with me to Revelation 20:4
".And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given
unto them: and 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 its image, neither had received his
mark upon their forehead, or in their hands: and they lived and
reigned with Christ a thousand years."
So, partaking of the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ,
sitting with Him in His throne, coming to that blessed hope of
reigning with Christ a thousand years, requires the believer to have
victory over the beast, over his image, over the mark of the beast,
the name of the beast and the number of his name. The implication of
this is that the beast and its associated elements is something every
believer would have to contend with and seek to fully overcome. It
is as the believer is found to have overcome the beast and its
various marks that he is counted worthy of the honour of reigning
with Christ on His throne. Thus, the beast, its image, its mark, its
name and the number of its name are things that have always been.
Since the time the church was instituted by Christ in His first
advent, these beastly elements had been and would continue to be
until the kingdom of Christ is established upon the earth.
Overcoming these beastly elements is not something exclusively
required of the Lord's people at the time of the tribulation.
Neither would it be after the church has been 'raptured' away, as
some would have us believe. Let us understand that the mark of the
beast is not a physical mark (666) that men will be forced to take on
their foreheads and in their hands. If this is so, many, not wanting
eternal damnation, will starve to death since they cannot buy and
sell without the mark, as we had been taught. In addition, all
believers who lived before the tribulation and even the twelve
apostles would not be qualified to reign with Christ in His throne.
Since we know this cannot be true, then it should be very clear to us
that the beast and all the things revealed to us in Revelation 20:4,
the details of which we shall find in Revelation 13 are things that
have always been there throughout the church age. Paul, Peter, John
and the other apostles must have fought with the beast and overcame
him and his name and the number of his name. The Lord Jesus Christ
said to them in Matthew 19:28
".Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me (who have
forsaken all to follow me), in the regeneration when the Son of man
shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel..."
And again, in Luke 22:28, He said unto them,
".Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations, and I
appoint unto you a kingdom as my Father has appointed unto me."
And when in Revelation 21 the glory of the heavenly city was shown,
we are told that the name of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are
written in the foundations of the wall (verse 14). These passages of
scripture confirms to us that the apostles will reign with Christ,
showing them to have overcome. This is very important. Paul
recounting his experience said in I Corinthians 15:31-32,
".I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord,
I die daily. If after the manner of men I have fought with wild
beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? Let
us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die."
And in verse 33, he explains himself,
".Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake
to righteousness and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of
God.".
So, what we have done in introducing this important topic is to show
that the beast, its image, its mark, its name and the number of its
name are realities that have always been since the inception of the
church age. All who overcame since the beginning of the church age
are qualified to sit with Christ in His throne as we found in the
promise to the church in Laodecia. Again, if this is so, the mark of
the beast, received and retained disqualifying the believer from
attaining to the honour of reigning with Christ, cannot be a physical
mark. The number 666 imprinted all over my skin a thousand times
over, will not change what I am in the Lord Jesus Christ, it will
neither increase nor decrease my acceptance before God. Brethren,
this attempt by the church to mystify things that the Lord has spoken
so clearly in His word, is partly responsible for the sleep and
spiritual dullness we find in our assemblies. Please, take this to
mind the imposition of the number 666 upon you forcibly cannot make
you unacceptable in the sight of God.
What then is the mark of the beast? In Revelation 13, we are shown
four things, any of which could be sufficient to keep an individual
from favour with God. In other words, these four things attract the
fiercest judgement from the presence of God. The first is the image
of the beast, the second is the mark of the beast, the third is the
number of his name and the fourth is the name of the beast. Now, in
the closing verse of chapter 13, we are told,
".Let him that has wisdom count the number of the beast, for it is
the number of a man. And the number is 666."
We begin by saying that 6 is the number of man. Man was created on
the sixth (6th) day. And any Bible scholar worth his sort will know
that six (6) is the number ascribed to man. Thus six emphasised
thrice (666) will talk of the sovereignty of man, man in
self-enthronement having rejected the headship of God. So, man as
sovereign, man as god apart from God is the issue brought forth in
the number 666, and it has practical implication. You know that Adam
bequeathed a sour legacy to the human race: the sin nature. That
nature gaining ascendancy over a man's life is the entrenchment of a
condition that stands for an abandonment of the headship of God and
the installation of man's headship over himself. So, the first point
we are seeing is that 666 refers to a rejection of God through a
rejection of His word. We may describe this as that state of affairs
in a man's life or in the assembly of God's people when the Lord's
word and Spirit are set aside and carnality rules. This must be
noted carefully. Now what does this mean in practical terms?
We would realise that God has never hidden the things He approves
from His people, nor has He been vague in declaring the things that
He rejects. Take the ten commandments for example. We are told that
they are given to us in two tables of stones written by the finger of
God and handed over to Moses. In the first table is contained such
commandments that have to do with man's duty towards God. It begins
with this: ".thou shall have no other God before me." and ends with
this: ".remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." . So, all the
commandments in that bracket represent the first table and speak of
man's duty towards God. Then, from the commandment, ".honour thy
mother and thy father that thy days may be long in the land wither
the Lord thy God shall give thee." to ".covet not thy neighbour's
wife or property." constitute the second table and represent man's
duty towards his fellow man. These ten commandments represent
forever the things that God is looking for in His creation and which
only the power of Christ can reproduce in man. In Romans 8:1-4, we
find that Christ makes possible the fulfilment of the righteousness
of the law. The reference is to the ten commandments fulfilled in
those who believe in Him. It says:
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ
Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free
from the law of sin and death. For what the law (ten commandments)
could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His
own Son (taking on humanity) in the likeness of sinful flesh, and as
a sin offering condemned the power of sin.
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk
not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For to be ruled by the
flesh is death, but to submit to the rule of the indwelling Spirit is
life and peace." (Romans 8:1-6)
When we are talking about the things that God reacts against and
brings severe judgement upon, we are to have our minds clear that
they have to do with either disobedience to the first table, the
things that have to do with our duties towards God, or disobedience
to the second table, the things that have to do with how we relate to
our fellow men. Recall that in the seven letters, that the Lord
caused Apostle John to write to the churches, there is revealed the
things that the Lord Jesus Christ will not have in His church. So,
taking those things and listing them and looking at them carefully
will tell us the things that the Lord disapproves, things that brings
His fierce judgement upon a people. These instructions are very
plain. It is when the call to repentance from these things is not
heeded that there is the possibility of the flesh coming to
prominence and dominating a man's personality. This is taking what
the mark of the beast is in a general way.
The works of the flesh listed in Galatians 5:19-21 (of which it is
said a man who partakes of them cannot inherit the kingdom of God)
gaining gradual ascendancy over the believer's life is the gradual
taking on of the mark of the beast. The beastly nature has been
fatally destroyed in the believer at the point of salvation. When
the believer receives Jesus as Lord and Saviour, there is a death
blow struck on the nature of sin so that sin can no longer exercise
mastery over him. If the believer from that point takes on a life of
consecration, walking closely with the Lord and submitting to His
word and to His Lordship indeed, the sin nature will eventually be
utterly destroyed as he is brought into the perfection of life in
Christ. But when through earthiness, the believer begins to build an
image, an altar to sin, as it is said of Ephraim in Hosea 8:11, then
the sin nature will revive and gain dominion over his life. We are
shown in Revelation 13 that the beast had a deadly wound (which wound
was received on the cross of Calvary) but the deadly wound was
healed. And Roman 6:6 says,
".Knowing this that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body
of sin might be destroyed that henceforth, we should not serve sin."
In verse 2, it says,
".how shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein."
So, the mark of the beast represents the works of the flesh expressed
in man's life. This should be clear considering our examination of
the symbol of the beast. The beast is essentially an evil nature,
character or attribute. When such nature takes prominence in a man's
life or becomes characteristic, then the individual can be said to be
beastly, possessing character marks of a beast.
We are told the mark could be received on the forehead or else on the
hands. The forehead speaks of the mind, where the thoughts are
formed and the course of action determined. To write upon the
forehead or put a mark upon the forehead is to seal up a person unto
a nature (a way of behaviour) through continuous instructions,
teachings and doctrines. What a man is taught, what a man believes
and is instructed in, shapes his life and conduct. Paul says, ".evil
communication corrupt good manners.". Thus, to receive the mark of
the beast upon the forehead is to receive erroneous and false
teachings, which leads to worldliness, carnality and evil practices.
Such doctrines tell you that as a believer, you are free to relate
loosely with the opposite sex and you can engage in 'holy kiss' and
do all such things even when you are not yet married to the person.
Teachings that bring into your mind the evil knowledge that once you
are a believer, your faith is sealed in Christ Jesus and you need not
watch over your soul, you can in fact go on sinning that grace may
abound, marks those who receive them with the beast name. Equally
evil and of the same import are sermons that brings into your
consciousness that the Lord wishes above all things that ye should
prosper and so you can pursue this world riches without any moral
restraint. Such doctrines only make men worldly, sensual, carnal and
dull of hearing, so that they cannot pursue the matter of the upward
calling of God in Christ Jesus. A man who rejects the Lord's control
over his life loves to have and exercise dominion over others.
Revelation 2:20 says,
".thou sufferest that woman Jezebel which calleth herself a
prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication
and to eat things sacrificed unto idols."
It all begins with some teachings, some knowledge ministered to men's
mind. So was it at the Garden of Eden. The seed of evil entered
into the human race through some knowledge,
".hath God said., .ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in
the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall
be as gods, knowing good and evil."
And that seed, that knowledge began to work upon the mind, the
thoughts, the emotions, desires and will until it found expression in
physical act of disobedience.
When evil, erroneous principles are established in a believer's mind,
he has the mark of the beast upon his forehead. It will not be long
before it is revealed in the works of his hands. The hands stand for
services whether religious, social or economic. The Bible says,
".God shall bless the labour of our hands.". So, whatever we do in
the day-to-day living in our homes, in our offices, in our
businesses, in the midst of God's people, among unbelievers etc.,
reveal what is ruling over us in the inside. To receive the mark of
the beast in the hands is to express in moral conduct and services
that sin is a master over one's soul. It is to be found in sinful
living or to be involved in promoting a system of things that does
not represent God's interest, that does not glorify God. In Romans
6:6 that we read earlier, we are told we should no longer serve sin.
And again in John 8:34, Jesus said to the people, ".he that
committeth sin is a servant, a minister of sin.". So, dishonest
dealing in business is a proof that the mark of the beast is already
being formed in somebody's hands. Putting away God's rule in His
church and the imposition of carnal mindedness, promoting the rule of
man over the assembly of God's people is a clear sign that this
obnoxious thing is come upon the right hand.
Again, being a Christian employer and not paying those who work under
you their wages when due, and allowing that evil to be a growing
feature in your life, you may get away with it, but it is a sign you
are taking on the mark of the beast.
Now, in order to strengthen your confidence in the factualness of the
observations, we will draw attention to two things. First, Exodus
13:9 read and considered side by side with Deuteronomy 1:18, shows
that when the word of God comes to us, and we live in obedience to
Christ preached, we are taking on a mark upon our foreheads and upon
our hands. Again, in Ezekiel 9:1-4, and Revelation 7:1-4, this is
made all the more manifest. In Revelation 7:1-4, we are shown how a
people, said to be true servants of God are sealed on their
foreheads. We are later to learn in Revelation 14:1 that what is
sealed into their foreheads is the name of the Father. Truth
received and lived by brings into and upon us the name of the Father.
In the same way, error, false and evil thinking, moral failures are
elements in the mark of the beast. Truth ultimately produces life,
and, what we are shown in Revelation 7:1-4 is the ministration of
God's word empowered empowered by the Holy Spirit producing the life
of Christ in a body of people. While throughout the church age, the
greater majority of professed Christians have not allowed the nature
of Christ to be formed in them sufficiently, there are those who had
chosen to follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth, choosing a closer
walk with Him and submitting to Him in all things. And at this time
of the end, the nature of evil in man will be brought into full
expression through satanic incursion. In like manner, the
righteousness of God will be fully revealed in a people. Just as
there is going to be the manifestation of the sons of Satan, the
fullness of the mystery of iniquity revealed in and among a people at
this end time, so also there is going to be the manifestation of the
sons of God and the fullness of the life and power of God revealed in
a people. May God grant you understanding, in Jesus name.
In Revelation 14:6-8, are shown an angel flying in the midst of
heaven and announcing something. And, what was said is quite
important in understanding the symbolism of the beast from the sea,
the false lamb and the true Lamb treated in the preceding verses
beginning from Revelation13:1. Please note that the angel in
question is not a spirit being. Revelation 1 set a precedence that
the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and from a
proper consideration of that verse, we noted that the angels of the
churches are the ministries which God has set over the various
assemblies of His people. Now, the word 'angel' simply means a
servant, a messenger, and whereas the spirit beings under the service
and administration of God are generally referred to as angels (as we
find in Hebrew 1). The word can be enlarged to include the human
servants (messengers) of God. In the book of Revelation, the angels
referred to in almost all instances are human persons within the
church of Jesus Christ. This should be clear because spirit angels
cannot preach the gospel of Christ. In I Peter 1:12, we learn that
the angels desired to look into the details of the matter of
redemption, but it was not appointed unto them but to us. Anyhow, we
are told that this angel was flying in the midst of heaven and says,
".Fear God and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgement is
come: and worship Him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and
the fountains of water.".
And we are told that another angel followed saying,
".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.".
So, worship is in view. The claim of God to rulership over His
creation is the focus. Worshipping self, setting one self or
something else as lord over one's life, over one's home, over the
church of the living God, setting aside the principles of God's word
and enthroning one's ways and practices represents a rejection of
God's rulership. This must be taken to heart very seriously, and
must lead to a true examination of oneself.
Now, we move a bit further. What is the image of the beast? Recall
that the beast here referred to is the first beast, the beast that
came out of the sea. But the activities of the second beast (the
beast from the earth) made possible for an image to be raised to the
first beast. All that the first beast stands for we would read from
verse 3 through 10 of Revelation 13. Particularly, we find that it
blasphemes the name of God, wars against the saints and take on
dominion over the earth, ruling it as sovereign and asking ".where is
God if there is any God.". To make an image to this beast is to
raise up something that is an exact resemblance to what that beast is
said to be doing. But, in order to sponsor a proper consideration of
what we are saying, we will illustrate from every day life what
raising an image means.
Consider that musician, Bob Marley, he is now dead. Also consider
musicians like Fela Ransome (Anikulapo) Kuti. Now, they were
musicians that made great waves in the time they were physically
alive. But now, they are dead and gone. But there is seen in the
land efforts of music stars to create again the days of these
departed musicians. What they are simply doing is raising an image
to them. If you are to go to some musical concert, you will not know
that Bob Marley is dead. Musicians will be giving you the impression
that he is alive. That is image making, casting an image that is a
resemblance of that which was. Consider Mike Tyson, when he was a
boxing star, there is an hair style he was always making and when men
began to make the same hairstyle, people began to call it Mike Tyson.
So these persons are making an image, some kind of image of Mike
Tyson. But the image here in Revelation 13 is not anyone of these
things. Rather, it is taking on the character of the first beast.
Now recall that this beast from the earth is shaped like a lamb.
Ordinarily, nobody gets frightened when he sees a lamb. The lamb is
the young of a sheep. So, one does not get frightened. But when the
lamb begins to speak, we are told it speaks like a dragon. His
speech, character, betray its outward appearance.
The scriptures reveal clearly that this second beast is Christendom.
The term Christendom is not synonymous with Christian world. It is
rather an expression that signifies the counterfeit system that
results from habitual deviation from the principles of Christ, the
new testament revelation of Him and the institutionalisation of human
ideals, unholy living and other acts of unfaithfulness to God in what
was once the church of Jesus Christ. Dead orthodoxy and the varying
degree of confusing abominable signals of almost all of the visible
church system of our day answer to Christendom. It is an alternative
kingdom much more opposed to the plans and purposes of God in Jesus
Christ than it appears to be.
Thus, apostate pentecostalism can be said to be of this second beast.
The beast is said to be a prophet, capable of performing miracles,
but a false prophet. That the pentecostal movement has, in most of
her denominational churches deviated from God's purpose is clear.
This body is moving gradually and developing more and more of that
pattern of things that existed in that "kingdom of this world" and in
the Roman Catholic system. The things which men in the past stood
and preached against, they are gradually going back to. This beast
from the earth is already making an image to the first beast. It
will amaze you that men and women in Christendom, in the pentecostal
movement that have been great instruments in God's hand in speaking
against the errors and evils of the orthodox churches would be found
at this time of the end hands in gloves with them even becoming more
determined, more daring, in undermining the spiritual and moral glory
of Christ. We have already seen that moral failure and carnal
mindedness pave the way for the installation of man as god over the
Lord's house.
Now, if you will come with me to II Thessalonians 2, read in the
light of what is shown in Revelation 13, your understanding will be
more fruitful.
".Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come,
except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be
revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself
above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as
God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.".
(II Thessalonians 2:3-4)
Of course, the general understanding we have of Revelation 13, is
that the man of sin is one individual. So, we are looking for the
Antichrist to emerge from somewhere. But, John wrote the three
epistles (the first, second and third books of John) after his
encounter with the Lord on the Island of Patmos. His encounters are
given to us in the book of Revelation. And drawing his understanding
from those visions, he wrote,
".Little children, it is the last time: as ye have heard that
antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists."
(I John 2:18)
So, antichrist is a spirit and whoever crystallises in his life the
very effect of antichrist, a situation in which a man sets himself in
opposition to God, in opposition to His word, that person is allowing
the spirit of antichrist to rule through him or her. Antichrist is
lording it over men, men conducting themselves as gods. Now, you
will recall that we said right from the beginning that the seven
letters contained elements that God must flush out of the church.
And, two of the things shown there are moral failure and idolatry.
Bowing to a graven image may be evil, but we know that the same
considerations that make men bow down to graven images are present
when men bow down to worship their fellow men. Lordly control over
persons is something that is coming in the image of a beast. It may
have the shape of a lamb but when it speaks, it speaks as a dragon.
It is a subtle working, and may the Lord deliver His church from such
sovereign control and manipulation of men.
I want to draw your attention in this closing part to Genesis. You
will recall that which Satan told the first parents was that, ".look,
if you set aside God's word and eat that which He says you should not
eat, you will be as gods knowing good and evil.". And, this issue of
men carrying themselves as gods and others submitting to such
influences, has been an on-going issue throughout the church age.
The last verse of I John 5 says, ".little children, keep yourselves
from idols." .
The LORD bless you, the LORD cause His face to shine upon you. We
know that enough has been said to start you thinking. When the Lord
Jesus Christ is Lord over your life, and you allow Him to take over
the reins of your life so that the works of the flesh are taken out
of your life, and you receive Jesus as your Head and allow His
indwelling Spirit to have the rule over you, crystallising the fruits
of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23, you are already
delivering yourself from the mark of the beast and ye shall stand
acceptable in the sight of God. May the LORD bless you in Jesus'
name.
When next we meet, we shall be examining another aspect of this topic
- "THE MARK OF THE BEAST." (Part Two). We do earnestly covet your
prayers even now. Stay blessed in Him.
JESUS IS LORD!
Your Brother - 'Segun Ogunfile
The Writings of Segun Ogunfile 