Test

There is an ever widening confusion and misunderstanding among our separated people over the identification of the mark of the Beast as well as the Image of the Beast. First we will examine the issue dealing with the mark.

Many, especially in the Evangelical and Protestant ranks, but also a growing number of our Home Church brethren, believe that the mark of the Beast of Revelation 13:16, 14:9, 11, 20:4, which is received in our hand or in our forehead, is to be identified as being a credit card, or lazar mark, or a chip implant, or National Identification Number, or giant computer, or some other literal thing. Connected with the above is the belief that if any of God's people possess or are in any way connected with the above items, then they have received the "mark" of this beast and are lost.

But what exactly is this "mark" of the Beast? The Greek word used for "mark" is "Charagma" (#5480 in Strong's Concordance), and it translates "stamp (as a badge of servitude), mark." So the mark of the Beast is a stamp or sign or seal or badge of servitude to some power or being. But what is the mark of the Beast, and how do we receive it? In order to know this, we must know whom the Beast represents.

The Beast which is connected with this "mark" refers to the Roman Catholic Church. So the "mark" has something to do with the papacy. As worship is the main issue listed in connection with this Beast (see Revelation 13:4, 8, 12, 15, 14:9, 11, 20:4), so the "mark" of this Beast is connected with the issue of worship. Then what could this "mark" of Catholicism be?

"Protestants...accept Sunday rather than Saturday as the day for public worship after the Catholic Church made the change...In observing the Sunday, they are accepting the authority of the spokesman for the church, the Pope." Our Sunday Visitor, February 5, 1950.

"It is well to remind the Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and all other Christians, that the Bible does not support them anywhere in their observance of Sunday. Sunday is an institution of the Roman Catholic Church, and those who observe the day observe a commandment of the Catholic Church." Priest Brady, in an address, reported in the Elizabeth, N.J. "News" of March 18, 1903.

"It was the Catholic Church which...transferred this rest (Saturday as the Sabbath) to the Sunday....Thus the observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the (Catholic) Church." Monsignor Louis Segur, "Plain Talk about the Protestantism of Today," p 213.

"Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change (from Saturday to Sunday) was her act. It could not have been otherwise, as none in those days would have dreamed of doing anything in matters spiritual and religious without her, and the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters." Letter from H.F. Thomas, Chancellor of Cardinal Gibbons.

So the Catholic Church changed the original day of worship from Saturday to Sunday, which is the mark or seal or sign of the Beast's authority and power! As this is true, then Saturday must be the mark or sign of authority and power to someone else! But to whom? The God of heaven states:

"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....And hollow My sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God." Ezekiel 20:12, 20.

Saturday is the Sabbath day of the Lord God, the seventh-day which He has blessed and made holy (see Genesis 2:2-3), and which is the mark or seal or sign of His authority and power. God has chosen this memorial day of creation above all the rest for all His people to worship Him on, and He even told His people not to forget this fact, but to remember it.

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 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 hollowed it." Exodus 20:8-11.

Here we see the difference between the mark or seal or sign of God, and the mark or seal or sign of the Beast. The God of heaven states that "the seventh-day [or Saturday] is the sabbath [or worshiping day] of the Lord thy God" Exodus 20:10. But the Beast states:

"The Catholic Church for over one thousand years before the existence of a Protestant...changed the day from Saturday to Sunday." Catholic Mirror, September 23, 1893.

"Sunday is a Catholic institution, and its claims to observance can be defended only on Catholic principles...From beginning to end of Scripture there is not a single passage that warrants the transfer of weekly public worship from the last day of the week to the first." The Catholic Press, Sydney, Australia, August, 1900.

"...prove to me from the Bible alone that I am bound to keep Sunday holy. There is no such law in the Bible. It is a law of the Holy Catholic Church alone. The Bible says `Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.' The Catholic Church says, No. By my divine power I abolish the sabbath day and command you to keep holy the first day of the week. And lo! The entire civilized world bows down in reverent obedience to the command of the Holy Catholic Church." Priest Thomas Enright, Redemptorist Catholic College, Kansas City, Mo., lecture "Sunday in History", p 56, February 18, 1884.

So the mark or seal of the God of heaven is worshiping the Lord on Saturday--His Sabbath--according to God's fourth commandment. In doing this, it is a sign that we show that we love, serve, and worship God. While the mark or seal of the Beast is worshiping on Sunday--the day of the sun or of the Blazing Star or Lucifer, his sabbath--after it is enforced. In doing this, it is a sign that we show that we love, serve, and worship the Beast and Lucifer.

Thus the mark of the Beast is not a literal mark, not a lazar mark, not a credit card, not an implanted chip, not a National ID Number, and not a giant computer, but it is a symbolic mark! Although all of the above items may be used to coerce and force us to bow and worship on Sunday, yet they are not the mark of the Beast. This symbolic mark will be either in the forehead--signifying mental acceptance, or that you believe Sunday is the sabbath. Or in the hand--signifying service, or that you may not necessarily believe Sunday is the sabbath, but you will go along with it anyway.

It is a fact that the papacy claims the power to change God's fourth commandment law from worshiping only on Saturday to worshiping only on Sunday as God's special Sabbath day. Thus anyone who knows this truth, and yet choose to worship on Sunday instead of Saturday as God's true Sabbath day, especially after it is enforced by law, are bowing to and worshiping the papacy instead of the God of heaven. Thus they will receive the mark of the Beast which destines them for the seven last plagues and the lake of fire (see Revelation 14:10-11, 19:20.

In like manner with the mark of the Beast, there is an ever growing confusion and misunderstanding among our separated people over the identification of the Image of the Beast. Those in the Evangelical and Protestant ranks identify this "Image" to be Satan himself or the Anti-christ. While many in our separated ranks identify this "Image" to be the Sunday Law.

Who represents the Leopard-like Beast? The Bible clearly identifies this Beast to be the Roman Catholic Church or the papacy (see Daniel 7, in connection with Revelation 13:1-8). So Roman Catholicism, an ecclesiastical body clothed with civil power, represents the Leopard-like Beast.

Who represents the Lamb-like Beast with two horns? The Bible clearly identifies this Beast to be the United States, "coming up out of the earth" instead of the sea. So the United States with its civil government and powers based upon the principles of Republicanism and Protestantism, represent the Lamb-like Beast. But this Beast does not remain peaceful for ever, because in Revelation 13:11, 15 it states that he will speak with the voice of a dragon, and declare that an image to the papacy should be formed.

Now who could represent this Image of the Beast or this Image to the papacy? We can see that the "Image" would be a Protestant religious ecclesiastical power united with the civil power of the United States to force obedience to the rules and commands of the church--just like Catholicism.

So when the Protestant churches waive their differences in doctrinal beliefs, unite upon the same common points of faith, and shall call upon and influence the civil government to enforce their rules and commands, then will the different churches of Protestantism have formed themselves into an image of the Beast.

Thus, the "Image" of the papacy is not Satan, or the Anti-christ, or the Sunday Law, but it is "another religious body"--the various Protestant churches--following in the footsteps of the Roman Catholic Church.

So all the different churches of Protestantism, whose leaders form their church and its organization into a replica of Romanism, will be represented by the Image of the Beast. And the great test for the people of God will be upon these different churches of Protestantism who have formed themselves into the Image of Roman Catholicism.

Now, what if I were a member of one of these Protestant churches whose leadership had chosen to form my church into an image of Romanism; then upon whom would my great test be centered? Would it be centered on another Protestant church that I was not a member in? No, that would not be a very great test, because my affections and emotions would not be tied to that other church or its leadership, and besides I would not listen to them or their commands anyway. Then my great test would be centered on my very own church! My eternal destiny would be decided upon whether I would follow the rules and decrees of my church and its leaders whom I have been taught and led to respect and to obey as the voice of God to me, or whether I would follow the God of Heaven and His rules and decrees.

My great test would be whether I would remain a part of my corrupt church system, obeying their commands and teachings above God, being one with and of them, or whether I would show myself completely distinct from my apostate church system, refusing to obey their commands and false teachings, being at enmity against them. And my eternal destiny would be decided on whom I worshiped more, my church or God!

But before any of the Protestant churches can form themselves into an image of the Beast they must first refuse to obey God's light and truths and choose apostasy and Satan's darkness instead. And the greater the light they reject, the greater the apostasy and darkness they will be under. And the greater the apostasy, the more closely will that church resemble Rome.

How many Protestant churches resemble Roman Catholicism today? About the only thing that is different between the churches of today and Roman Catholcism is that they have a different name for the church! The churches of today are not the same churches they were in their beginning. From what they once were, the churches of today are only a mere brittle shell with the same name on it. But oh, how many of our people will continue to cling to this empty brittle shell, still believing that it is the true church of God because it uses the same church name! Oh how many will be willing to go down to hell with this worm eaten and deceptive ship just to uphold the church name!

The churches of today are in no way the church of God. These images of the Roman Catholicism are not the true church at all in any feature or in any sense! And as such, then this solemn message of God comes home to every single church member:

"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, which is poured out without mixture 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 ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the best and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." Revelation 14:9-11.

What is the wrath of God? The seven last plagues! So how do SDA's escape from the seven last plagues which are going to fall upon their church? They must obey the rest of the third angel's message, which states:

While anyone knowingly chooses to remain in or connected with the SDA church--an image of the beast, then they are sharers in and "partakers of her sins". This means that they are corporately responsible for the sins of their church because they choose to remain connected with her! (see the study on Corporate Responsibility).

As this is true, that every church member is corporately responsible and is considered a sharer and partaker in all the evil and wickedness of their church, then the seal of God can never be placed upon them while they are in this state. The only way that a member of any of the churches which make up the image of the beast, could ever obtain the seal of God and eternal salvation is to obey the command of God to "come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."

Oh friends, this message of separation is a message of love and mercy from God, and it is not a message from the devil as the church and it's hirelings are constantly saying. God along with his true followers are urging you to separate completely from every church which images Rome--for your soul's salvation, looking alone to Jesus, so that you may save your soul from eternal destruction (see Jeremiah 51:6).

All the churches have been formed into an image of the beast, and this great test will face every single church member! And each will decide for themselves their own eternal destiny.


	"LET THERE BE LIGHT" Ministries home \| Written Sermons DO NOT FAIL YOUR TEST ! There is an ever widening confusion and misunderstanding among our separated people over the identification of the mark of the Beast as well as the Image of the Beast. First we will examine the issue dealing with the mark. THE MARK OF THE BEAST Many, especially in the Evangelical and Protestant ranks, but also a growing number of our Home Church brethren, believe that the mark of the Beast of Revelation 13:16, 14:9, 11, 20:4, which is received in our hand or in our forehead, is to be identified as being a credit card, or lazar mark, or a chip implant, or National Identification Number, or giant computer, or some other literal thing. Connected with the above is the belief that if any of God's people possess or are in any way connected with the above items, then they have received the "mark" of this beast and are lost. But what exactly is this "mark" of the Beast? The Greek word used for "mark" is "Charagma" (#5480 in Strong's Concordance), and it translates "stamp (as a badge of servitude), mark." So the mark of the Beast is a stamp or sign or seal or badge of servitude to some power or being. But what is the mark of the Beast, and how do we receive it? In order to know this, we must know whom the Beast represents. The Beast which is connected with this "mark" refers to the Roman Catholic Church. So the "mark" has something to do with the papacy. As worship is the main issue listed in connection with this Beast (see Revelation 13:4, 8, 12, 15, 14:9, 11, 20:4), so the "mark" of this Beast is connected with the issue of worship. Then what could this "mark" of Catholicism be? "Protestants...accept Sunday rather than Saturday as the day for public worship after the Catholic Church made the change...In observing the Sunday, they are accepting the authority of the spokesman for the church, the Pope." Our Sunday Visitor, February 5, 1950. "It is well to remind the Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and all other Christians, that the Bible does not support them anywhere in their observance of Sunday. Sunday is an institution of the Roman Catholic Church, and those who observe the day observe a commandment of the Catholic Church." Priest Brady, in an address, reported in the Elizabeth, N.J. "News" of March 18, 1903. "It was the Catholic Church which...transferred this rest (Saturday as the Sabbath) to the Sunday....Thus the observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the (Catholic) Church." Monsignor Louis Segur, "Plain Talk about the Protestantism of Today," p 213. "Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change (from Saturday to Sunday) was her act. It could not have been otherwise, as none in those days would have dreamed of doing anything in matters spiritual and religious without her, and the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters." Letter from H.F. Thomas, Chancellor of Cardinal Gibbons. So the Catholic Church changed the original day of worship from Saturday to Sunday, which is the mark or seal or sign of the Beast's authority and power! As this is true, then Saturday must be the mark or sign of authority and power to someone else! But to whom? The God of heaven states: "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....And hollow My sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God." Ezekiel 20:12, 20. Saturday is the Sabbath day of the Lord God, the seventh-day which He has blessed and made holy (see Genesis 2:2-3), and which is the mark or seal or sign of His authority and power. God has chosen this memorial day of creation above all the rest for all His people to worship Him on, and He even told His people not to forget this fact, but to remember it. "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 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 hollowed it." Exodus 20:8-11. Here we see the difference between the mark or seal or sign of God, and the mark or seal or sign of the Beast. The God of heaven states that "the seventh-day [or Saturday] is the sabbath [or worshiping day] of the Lord thy God" Exodus 20:10. But the Beast states: "The Catholic Church for over one thousand years before the existence of a Protestant...changed the day from Saturday to Sunday." Catholic Mirror, September 23, 1893. "Sunday is a Catholic institution, and its claims to observance can be defended only on Catholic principles...From beginning to end of Scripture there is not a single passage that warrants the transfer of weekly public worship from the last day of the week to the first." The Catholic Press, Sydney, Australia, August, 1900. "...prove to me from the Bible alone that I am bound to keep Sunday holy. There is no such law in the Bible. It is a law of the Holy Catholic Church alone. The Bible says `Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.' The Catholic Church says, No. By my divine power I abolish the sabbath day and command you to keep holy the first day of the week. And lo! The entire civilized world bows down in reverent obedience to the command of the Holy Catholic Church." Priest Thomas Enright, Redemptorist Catholic College, Kansas City, Mo., lecture "Sunday in History", p 56, February 18, 1884. So the mark or seal of the God of heaven is worshiping the Lord on Saturday--His Sabbath--according to God's fourth commandment. In doing this, it is a sign that we show that we love, serve, and worship God. While the mark or seal of the Beast is worshiping on Sunday--the day of the sun or of the Blazing Star or Lucifer, his sabbath--after it is enforced. In doing this, it is a sign that we show that we love, serve, and worship the Beast and Lucifer. Thus the mark of the Beast is not a literal mark, not a lazar mark, not a credit card, not an implanted chip, not a National ID Number, and not a giant computer, but it is a symbolic mark! Although all of the above items may be used to coerce and force us to bow and worship on Sunday, yet they are not the mark of the Beast. This symbolic mark will be either in the forehead--signifying mental acceptance, or that you believe Sunday is the sabbath. Or in the hand--signifying service, or that you may not necessarily believe Sunday is the sabbath, but you will go along with it anyway. It is a fact that the papacy claims the power to change God's fourth commandment law from worshiping only on Saturday to worshiping only on Sunday as God's special Sabbath day. Thus anyone who knows this truth, and yet choose to worship on Sunday instead of Saturday as God's true Sabbath day, especially after it is enforced by law, are bowing to and worshiping the papacy instead of the God of heaven. Thus they will receive the mark of the Beast which destines them for the seven last plagues and the lake of fire (see Revelation 14:10-11, 19:20. For anyone to then claim that the "mark" of the beast is anything other than Sunday worship, is deceived and is leading souls to destruction. THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST In like manner with the mark of the Beast, there is an ever growing confusion and misunderstanding among our separated people over the identification of the Image of the Beast. Those in the Evangelical and Protestant ranks identify this "Image" to be Satan himself or the Anti-christ. While many in our separated ranks identify this "Image" to be the Sunday Law. In Revelation 13, three powers are listed in symbols. The Leopard-like Beast, the Lamb-like Beast, and the Image of the Beast. Who represents the Leopard-like Beast? The Bible clearly identifies this Beast to be the Roman Catholic Church or the papacy (see Daniel 7, in connection with Revelation 13:1-8). So Roman Catholicism, an ecclesiastical body clothed with civil power, represents the Leopard-like Beast. Who represents the Lamb-like Beast with two horns? The Bible clearly identifies this Beast to be the United States, "coming up out of the earth" instead of the sea. So the United States with its civil government and powers based upon the principles of Republicanism and Protestantism, represent the Lamb-like Beast. But this Beast does not remain peaceful for ever, because in Revelation 13:11, 15 it states that he will speak with the voice of a dragon, and declare that an image to the papacy should be formed. Now who could represent this Image of the Beast or this Image to the papacy? We can see that the "Image" would be a Protestant religious ecclesiastical power united with the civil power of the United States to force obedience to the rules and commands of the church--just like Catholicism. So when the Protestant churches waive their differences in doctrinal beliefs, unite upon the same common points of faith, and shall call upon and influence the civil government to enforce their rules and commands, then will the different churches of Protestantism have formed themselves into an image of the Beast. Thus, the "Image" of the papacy is not Satan, or the Anti-christ, or the Sunday Law, but it is "another religious body"--the various Protestant churches--following in the footsteps of the Roman Catholic Church. So all the different churches of Protestantism, whose leaders form their church and its organization into a replica of Romanism, will be represented by the Image of the Beast. And the great test for the people of God will be upon these different churches of Protestantism who have formed themselves into the Image of Roman Catholicism. Now, what if I were a member of one of these Protestant churches whose leadership had chosen to form my church into an image of Romanism; then upon whom would my great test be centered? Would it be centered on another Protestant church that I was not a member in? No, that would not be a very great test, because my affections and emotions would not be tied to that other church or its leadership, and besides I would not listen to them or their commands anyway. Then my great test would be centered on my very own church! My eternal destiny would be decided upon whether I would follow the rules and decrees of my church and its leaders whom I have been taught and led to respect and to obey as the voice of God to me, or whether I would follow the God of Heaven and His rules and decrees. My great test would be whether I would remain a part of my corrupt church system, obeying their commands and teachings above God, being one with and of them, or whether I would show myself completely distinct from my apostate church system, refusing to obey their commands and false teachings, being at enmity against them. And my eternal destiny would be decided on whom I worshiped more, my church or God! But before any of the Protestant churches can form themselves into an image of the Beast they must first refuse to obey God's light and truths and choose apostasy and Satan's darkness instead. And the greater the light they reject, the greater the apostasy and darkness they will be under. And the greater the apostasy, the more closely will that church resemble Rome. How many Protestant churches resemble Roman Catholicism today? About the only thing that is different between the churches of today and Roman Catholcism is that they have a different name for the church! The churches of today are not the same churches they were in their beginning. From what they once were, the churches of today are only a mere brittle shell with the same name on it. But oh, how many of our people will continue to cling to this empty brittle shell, still believing that it is the true church of God because it uses the same church name! Oh how many will be willing to go down to hell with this worm eaten and deceptive ship just to uphold the church name! The churches of today are in no way the church of God. These images of the Roman Catholicism are not the true church at all in any feature or in any sense! And as such, then this solemn message of God comes home to every single church member: "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, which is poured out without mixture 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 ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the best and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." Revelation 14:9-11. What is the wrath of God? The seven last plagues! So how do SDA's escape from the seven last plagues which are going to fall upon their church? They must obey the rest of the third angel's message, which states: "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Rev 18:4. While anyone knowingly chooses to remain in or connected with the SDA church--an image of the beast, then they are sharers in and "partakers of her sins". This means that they are corporately responsible for the sins of their church because they choose to remain connected with her! (see the study on Corporate Responsibility). As this is true, that every church member is corporately responsible and is considered a sharer and partaker in all the evil and wickedness of their church, then the seal of God can never be placed upon them while they are in this state. The only way that a member of any of the churches which make up the image of the beast, could ever obtain the seal of God and eternal salvation is to obey the command of God to "come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Oh friends, this message of separation is a message of love and mercy from God, and it is not a message from the devil as the church and it's hirelings are constantly saying. God along with his true followers are urging you to separate completely from every church which images Rome--for your soul's salvation, looking alone to Jesus, so that you may save your soul from eternal destruction (see Jeremiah 51:6). All the churches have been formed into an image of the beast, and this great test will face every single church member! And each will decide for themselves their own eternal destiny. What is your decision going to be? Please, I plead with you all, in the Great and Holy name of God, DO NOT FAIL YOUR TEST !