.: Mark of the Beast
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This article is one of a 15 part series on a lot of the main end time events that will be occurring - leading up to the visible return of Jesus Christ back to our earth. This article will be on the extreme importance that any Christian who is still living during the time and rule of the Antichrist - that he or she not take the mark of the Beast.
In the first article on this series I did titled "Basic Overview of Main End Time Events", I gave you the verse on how the False Prophet will set up a system on how he and the Antichrist will try to get everyone to receive the mark of the beast on either their foreheads or their right hands. The verse then goes on to say how no one will be able to buy or sell anything without this mark. The verse also says that anyone who will not worship the Beast will be killed.
Due to the importance on this one issue, I'm going to go ahead and restate this verse. I will then give you the verse on God's warning regarding this specific event. This verse is talking about the False Prophet and what he is going to do. Here is the verse:
He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and 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. 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." (Revelations 13:15-18)
Now here is the real scary part. God Himself says in Revelations that none of His people are to receive this mark of the beast. If they do, they will end up coming under His wrath that will be released upon the earth during the latter part of the Tribulation.
God then pronounces what is the most dire warning imaginable if any of His people receive this mark. He flat out says that in addition to suffering His wrath that will be poured out during these last days - that they will also end up in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone where the Antichrist, the False Prophet and Satan will eventually go.
In other words, you will go straight to hell when you die - no if, ands or buts about it!
Let these words sink in to your memory banks and don't ever forget them in the event that there is no Rapture and the Tribulation takes place in our lifetime. Here is the verse giving all of us this dire warning:
Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."
Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." (Revelations 14:9-11)
Notice the very graphic warning that God gives in reference to ending up in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone. You will end up in this place and the smoke of your torment will ascend forever and ever with no relief ever. This horrible torment will last day and night forever and ever!
Bottom line - all Christians who get caught up in this predicament will have to be willing to lay down their lives for God and Jesus. In other words, you will be martyred for your faith. This will be the ultimate test for any Christian to pass. I really believe that God put this warning in writing in His Word because he knows a lot of His people may get weak and scared if they are approached with this choice by the Antichrist.
But each Christian will simply have to override any fears or doubts that they may have, believe what the Word of God has to say about the matter and be willing to die for their faith in Jesus. If they do not, their eventual end will be too horrible for any human words to describe.
I have already done an article on the possibility of a Rapture. Hopefully, there is going to be a Rapture of God's saints before the Tribulation starts, and we will not have to go through any of these horrible events. If there is a Rapture, then the saints that the Bible mentions that will be persecuted will be the people that get saved after the Rapture occurs.
It's almost as if God may be saying to the ones that get saved after the Rapture - "You all had your chance to accept My salvation before the Rapture and turned it down. Now that the Rapture has taken place, you now know that My people were telling you the truth about My message of salvation. Now I will accept any and all who willing to come to Me, but you will have to prove yourself to Me by being willing to die for your faith in Me by refusing to worship or receive the mark of the beast."
If all of these events occur in our lifetime, I believe God will use all of us to get the message out to as many people as possible in order to save as many people as He possibly can from all of these horrible events. If their is going to be a Rapture, then it obviously is going to be the first train out, and God will try and get as many people warned, saved and on that first train as He possibly can.
But the sad reality is that there are a lot of stubborn people out there who will not accept God's free gift of salvation the first time around and they are going to have to suffer the consequences for not doing so.
Hopefully, they will accept God's gift of salvation through His Son the second time around after all of the saints have been Raptured - but then it will cost them their physical lives by being martyred for refusing to accept the mark of the Antichrist.
Pray that none of your loved ones miss the first train out if there is going to be a Rapture.
If by chance they miss the Rapture, let them know they are NOT to take the mark of the beast if they are ever faced with having to make this choice.
God the Father could not make things any more clear than by the way that he has the above verses worded out. Do not tempt your eternal fate with Him if you get caught in this predicament.
He means exactly what He is saying with that verse - and there will be no second chance to right this wrong once you die and cross over. Your fate will have already been sealed by that time. Heed the words of this verse - and do not take the mark of this blasphemous creature if you are faced with having to make this choice.
Article keywords: mark of the best, revelations, end times
Article Source: http://www.articles32.com
Article written by Michael Bradley of Bible Knowledge Ministries. Their website is a resource of commentary, teaching on the Bible. They currently have over 115 in depth Bible articles. All free of charge. You can sign up for their free newsletter which will alert you of new articles, which are being added on a weekly basis at www.bible-knowledge.com/newsletter.html
The above article, Mark of the Beast - Do Not Take is part of a 15 part series of end time events.
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