The Beasts Mark
Elect Must Remain Fervent, Vigilant
Back to 1The Bible’s Greatest Prophecies Unlocked!
Now understand this basic point. The mark is plainly identified as one pertaining to the Beast. It is the “mark of the Beast.” We have identified the Beast as the Roman Empire. But the Revelation 17:1-18 Beast exists at and just before Christ’s Return. We have seen that this is the Holy Roman Empire. Therefore, the mark of the Beast is the mark of the seventh and last head of the (Holy) Roman Empire.
The mark of the Beast is not the mark of the Roman Catholic Church. This is because the woman is the large church that rides the (Holy) Roman Empire. The Bible does not speak of the “mark of the woman,” but rather again of the “mark of the Beast” the woman rides. Get this clear!
Certainly the woman is also a small organized civil kingdom, or government, as well as being a church—and she does guide, direct and lead the far greater kingdom that she rides. But, while the Beast has much greater power than she has, like any large animal would always have greater power than its rider, the rider—in this case, the “woman”—steers the animal to do its bidding.
Keep firmly in mind what we read, now with more context: “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads” (Rev. 13:15-16).
We can summarize in this way: This great false church steers, guides and directs—“causes”—others to receive the mark. She does not directly administer it herself, but rather causes all in the empire to accept—“receive”—the mark. She is the same woman that caused the martyrdom of saints throughout the ages. The mark is received in the right hand and the forehead—and it is a kind of brand of the (Holy) Roman Empire, not of the church. This mark will be brought—imposed—upon the entire civilized Western world!
Martyrdoms—Past and Future!
We revisit Matthew 24:1-51 where Christ, in answer to a question by His disciples about when He would return, spoke of and clarified events that would precede “the great tribulation” (Mt 24:21-22). We saw this, followed by the wrath of God, comprises the three and a half years preceding His Second Coming.
A few verses before explaining the Tribulation, we also saw Christ explained that a final martyrdom lay ahead for true Christians at the end of the age: “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and you shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake” (Matt. 24:9). It is obvious that Christians will be doing something that identifies them as different from all those around them. Some will be hated with such intensity that they will be tortured (“afflicted”) and martyred in great numbers (“killed”).
It is critical at this point that we review elements of what was learned concerning Revelation 6:1-17 —the precise parallel of Matthew 24:1-51.
In Revelation, John, in vision, was shown a preview of future events (“hereafter,” Rev. 4:1). Since John was “in the spirit” as the seals were opened (Rev 4:2), the events he witnessed were not actually occurring when he saw them. They were heavenly previews of things that would happen later on Earth.
Revelation 6:9-11 contains a description of the fifth seal, which we now understand to be the Great Tribulation and future martyrdom of saints. Upon the opening of the fifth seal (Rev 6:9), John “saw under [at the base of] the altar the souls of them that were slain.”
Here again was John’s full description of the fifth seal: “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, do You not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled” (Jn 6:9-11).
We saw that some cite these verses to validate both the pagan immortal soul doctrine and the belief that the saved go to heaven (which is not true)—and thereby miss the whole point of what Christ is revealing. And we saw this description is not literal, but rather symbolic.
More basic review is now essential.
The fifth seal portrays the martyrdom of true saints (along with vast numbers from national Israel and Judah). This occurs during the Tribulation. The context develops with the already-martyred souls asking God a question: “How long, O Lord…” (Jn 6:10). Jn 6:11 is a symbolic instruction to these martyrs of the Middle Ages to await this latter martyrdom of the end time.
Remember, in the vision, John was shown the future. A long period of martyrdom, at the hands of the “woman,” who was “drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” (Jn 17:6), will have already taken place. And recall that Revelation 12:1-17 describes the true Church. There, this period is described as “a thousand two hundred and three score (1,260) days”—or 1,260years, from 325 to 1585. (This does not parallel the 1,260 years of the healed Beast.)
Revelation 12:6 describes how the Church had to flee “into the wilderness” to escape. Accounts from history indicate that more than 50 million human beings were killed during this time because of their unwillingness to compromise beliefs that were contrary to the Roman church! (Most of these were not true Christians striving to hold to all of God’s doctrines, but were “protestors” holding to some few areas where they disagreed with Rome.)
Again, a later martyrdom (the Great Tribulation) is yet to happen in our time. The “souls” who were already “slain” were previously martyred Christians from past ages. These earlier martyrs were told to “rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled” (Rev 6:11).
I repeat for emphasis: The Tribulation is not God’s wrath. God’s wrath is the seven trumpet plagues. The Tribulation is Satan’s wrath on God’s true servants—and on the modern descendants of ancient Israel and Judah. This wrath will be perpetrated by the final empire of 10 kings in Europe, united under one powerful leader—and done at the behest of Satan’s universal church system. Matthew 24:22 shows that God will have to cut “short” this persecution “for the elects’ sake.”
The “souls under the altar” are now awaiting God’s punishment of—His “vengeance” on—the great governmental power that persecuted them. God said that He would “avenge [their] blood” through the seven last plagues on those who carry the mark of the Beast. God will pour His vengeance on this false Babylonish murderous woman and her daughter churches. But this cannot take place until the second great and final martyrdom is past.
Elect Must Remain Fervent, Vigilant