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********************** THE MARK OF THE BEAST **********************

Revelation 13:16-17
     (16)and he caused all, both small and great, rich and poor,
free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their
foreheads:"
     (17) "And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the
mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."

Most churches today teach that the MARK OF THE BEAST is the number
666 imprinted in some manner on the foreheads and the hands of the
people who receive the mark. Therefore, people often refer to 666
as the "mark of the beast". However, even though IT MAY at first
glance appear that the MARK and the NUMBER (666) of the "beast" are
the same, I hope that you will be willing to study with us as we
prove that THEY ARE NOT THE SAME THING, and in fact the common
religious teaching which LITERALIZES the "mark of the beast" is a
"doctrine of devils". I am not saying that someone is OF the devil
because they believe such a false theory. I am saying that the devil
is the one who promotes such a doctrine. Please notice the
following:

     (1) If you will read again the scriptures given at the
beginning of this chapter, you will notice that the 17th verse of
Revelation 13 speaks of the following as THREE entirely different
things:      The MARK of the beast.
             The NAME of the beast.
             The NUMBER of the beast.
Surely it should be obvious that those three things are not likely
to all be the same thing. While that is not impossible, the manner
in which the statement is made gives us a picture of three entirely
different things, since they are to either have the mark OR the name
OR the number of his name (though it is possible to have them all).
This indicates that since the NUMBER of his name is 666, then that
number surely cannot be the MARK of the beast.

Does it really make any difference? I believe that it does, since
one of the reasons that most people today do not understand the MARK
of the beast is they do not study the subject enough to understand
it. It is extremely important that every true child of God know the
truth about the "MARK", the "NAME", and the "NUMBER" of the beast.
Revelation 14:9-11 shows the seriousness of the sin of receiving the
"mark of the beast".

     (9) "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud
voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive
his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,"
     (10) "The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God,
which is poured out without a 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:"

THIS TENTH VERSE TELLS US SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT. THIS TORMENT BY
FIRE AND BRIMSTONE DOES NOT TAKE PLACE IN HELL, SINCE IT IS IN THE
VERY PRESENCE OF JESUS AND HIS "HOLY ANGELS" OR MESSENGERS. THIS
WRATH OF GOD IS MANIFEST IN A SPECIAL MANNER AND AT A SPECIAL TIME.

In order that we might be able to understand the "mark", we need to
study the symbolism of the scriptures that describe what happens to
those who receive the mark! Revelation 13:16 shows us that one of
the places where the "mark" is received is in the right hand. The
hand symbol is used in the scriptures to represent a person's
actions or deeds.

For example, James 4:8 tells sinners to cleanse their hands! Surely
it is obvious to the reader that James was not just teaching them
to wash their PHYSICAL hands, but instead he was speaking
symbolically of their need of cleaning up the actions of their
lives!

Acts 17:24-25 tell us that God cannot be worshipped with men's
hands. This is NOT saying that men cannot worship God with their
"hands", but instead should worship him with their feet, their arms,
or some other portion of their body! Instead, the term "hands" is
used again in reference to man's physical actions! The scriptures
are simply telling us that man's physical actions are not the means
of worshipping God. Jesus makes it very plain in the 4th chapter of
John that we must worship God in "spirit and in truth"!

Revelation 9:20 talks about people who would not repent of the
works of their hands, and stop their worshipping of devils and
idols. Anyone who is familiar with the scriptures realizes that God
does not look at a person's hands as being the guilty "party" in
their life, but rather that which comes from their heart! However,
that verse of scripture is dealing with the thought that God wanted
them to repent of the actions of their life that were connected
with their false worship. When a person worships devils and idols,
they involve more than their hands in that worship. They not only
make use of their entire physical being, but also their heart as
well.

When the right hand is used in Bible symbolism, the scriptures
quite clearly demonstrate the fact that one's right hand is
symbolic of the greatest strength or power that one possesses.
Therefore, it is significant of the GREATEST or BEST of one's
ACTIONS, or the main strength or force of one's life! Since the
majority of people are RIGHT handed, and since the hand most
commonly used gets the most exercise, it is the STRONGEST hand
under normal circumstances. It is the hand that carries out most of
the tasks that a person will perform during any day. There are many
passages of scripture in the New Testament talking about the "right
hand" of God being the position where Jesus is (i.e. Romans 8:34,
Ephesians 1:20, Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 1:3 & 13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2,
1 Peter 3:22, Acts 2:34, etc.). This of course is in reference to
the best position in relationship to God (spiritually)!

In Revelation 1:16 the seven "angels" of the seven churches (the
seven trumpet angels...see earlier chapter for information) are
said to be in Jesus' "right hand". We have already studied enough
principles to prove that such a statement is NOT TRUE LITERALLY,
but it does symbolize the fact that the "seven angels" (messengers)
are in the very best position possible in relationship with Jesus
Christ. It also shows that Jesus is guiding their works by giving
them the BEST of his own "hands" (works  or actions).

When Jesus is spoken of as separating the sheep from the goats in
Matthew 25, the sheep (which are a picture of Christian people)
are placed on his RIGHT hand, while the goats (a picture of lost
people) are placed on his left hand. If we put all the symbolic
pictures together, we see that a "mark of the beast" in our
right hand would represent the beast's "mark" as having effect upon
the VERY BEST ACTIONS in our life. it is quite easy to realize that
our best actions are our deeds which pertain to spiritual things!
There are many things that we do in our life that are important
(such as washing our hands LITERALLY and brushing our teeth) that
have to do with PHYSICAL cleanliness, but the most important
type of cleanliness is SPIRITUAL CLEANLINESS. The most important
actions of our life are those that have to do with our spiritual
life. The "mark of the beast" is something that is imprinted upon
the very best of our actions; our spiritual activities!

If men and women could only understand the Biblical teachings
pertaining to this beast they would realize that it is a religious
power! It is a false religious system that has no concern for the
actions of our physical life. It is not concerned whether or not we
can buy bread at the grocery store, but instead is concerned with
preventing our consumption of uncontaminated SPIRITUAL BREAD (John
6:33-63)! This "beast" system wants us to take its "mark" so we can
"buy and sell" ITS BREAD. This beast wants to "mark" or blemish the
very best aspects of our life; our spiritual deeds!

Revelation 13:16 tells us that the beast also likes to "mark"
people in their foreheads. The forehead is also a symbolic picture,
and to understand it we need to look at two things:

     (1) What is "IN" the forehead LITERALLY and what it symbolizes
SPIRITUALLY. This of course is easy, since the "brain" or the human
mind is a symbol of the spirit (spiritual mind).

     (2) We must look at the meaning of the symbol of the
"forehead" as it is used in Revelation in other texts. Notice
Revelation 7:3, "Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor
the trees, till we have sealed the servants of God in their
foreheads". This scripture shows us that God wants to SEAL his
servants (which are TRUE Christians) in their foreheads! The word
translated "sealed" from the Greek means "to imprint with a mark of
ownership". From this we can gather the following facts:

     (a) The "beast" wants to "mark" its servants in the forehead.

     (b) God wants to "seal" (mark?) His servants in the forehead.

If we can determine what the "seal" of God symbolizes, we should be
able to find its counterpart in order to determine more about this
"mark of the beast". 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Ephesians 1:13, and
4:30 show us that God "seals" us by giving us the Holy Spirit in
our hearts. We must remember that the heart also is a symbol in the
word of God! God does not give us the Holy Spirit in the portion of
our physical body that pumps blood, but rather our "heart" is our
spirit within us. Since the LITERAL mind is a type of our spirit,
we need to realize that a mark "in" the forehead is a VERY GOOD
SYMBOL of our being "marked" by the HOLY SPIRIT within our "heart".
Ephesians 1:13 "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the
word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after
that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise."

Before we can really fully understand God's "mark" and the Beast's
"mark", we must study and learn how the HOLY SPIRIT is manifest in
our hearts. Then we will know THE RESULT of being "marked" by God,
and we can look at the "counterpart" of that experience in order to
understand what to look for as the "mark of the beast".

Revelation 22:4, "And they shall see his face; and his name shall
be in their foreheads".

Literalists would of course interpret this as being the writing of
a WORD (a "name" for God) LITERALLY on the foreheads of God's
people, even as they interpret the "mark" of the beast to be the
same except with the "name" or number of the beast. We don't want
to sidetrack from our main subject any more than necessary, but
let's look at the meaning of the word "name" as it is used in the
Bible.

When the Bible speaks of a NAME, the word comes from a root
meaning to "have knowledge of" or to "know" someone. This means
that YOU KNOW THEM, and not just the WORD by which they are called.
Lots of people KNOW the words "Ronald Reagan", and even know who
they are used to describe, BUT THEY DO NOT KNOW THE MAN.

The Hebrew word for "name" is the same word as is also translated
"SHEM." This is the "name" of the son of Noah who was the
forefather of Abraham and the entire Israelite nation. The word
itself means a description or identity which is peculiar to a
particular person, place, or thing. Today we use the English word
"name" much differently than its meaning in the scriptures. We say
for example, that two people who are called Joe have the SAME name.
That is not entirely true in the Biblical sense of the word. To
illustrate what I am saying, please read II Corinthians 11:4 in
your Bible. Paul the Apostle says it is possible for someone to
preach "ANOTHER JESUS." It is obvious from the context that he is
making reference to someone who is called by the WORD "Jesus", yet
who has an altogether different IDENTITY and therefore is not a
manifestation of the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE (John 14:6).

Today we think nothing of calling many different people by the same
word, but Paul was showing us that people can talk, sing, and
preach about Jesus (or even the Greek or Hebrew equivalents of the
word Jesus) and STILL NOT SERVE AND PREACH THE TRUE IDENTITY OF THE
SON OF GOD (They do not KNOW the TRUE "JESUS.")

Jesus Himself spoke in Matthew 7:13-23 and showed that even  false
prophets and phoney "Christians" would use THE WORD of His name TO
NO AVAIL! Notice, He DID NOT say they would use the wrong name.
This proves that simply speaking His name or doing good deeds in
His name will not prove nor provide salvation. Notice Matthew 7:

 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of
my Father which is in heaven.
 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils?
and in thy name done many wonderful works?
 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you:
depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

There is much confusion and even strife amongst many today as to
whether the Son of God should be called Jesus, Christ (or the
equivalent word from the Hebrew language, "MESSIAH"), IESOUS (the
word "Jesus", transliterated from the Greek  manuscripts) or even
Yeshua, Yahshua, or a direct transliteration from the Hebrew
language, Yehowshuwa  (pronounced  yehhoshoo'ah). Many people
almost make an idol out of the word, "JESUS," not  realizing that
His name is spoken differently in different languages (as is OFTEN
the case). As an example of the confusion this can bring to the
uninformed, please read Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8 in a King James
Version of the Bible. These passages speak of Joshua who led
Israel into Caanan after Moses's death. They call Him "Jesus". WHY?
Because the name "Jesus" is the SAME NAME (when translated from the
Greek  manuscripts) as the name Joshua translated into English from
the Hebrew text. If you had lived in the first century and  had
spoken the Hebrew language, you would have called Jesus,
Yehowshuwa. If you had spoken Greek you would have called him
IESOUS (pronounced  eeaysooce') because His name (IDENTITY) was to
be "Yahweh Saves" (Matthew 1:21). Therefore, you would have called
Him by the word which had such a meaning in your language.

Perhaps at this point you are wondering, "why don't people  speak
the name the same way in all languages?" The answer is  very
simple. By the very meaning of the term "NAME," it is  more
important to keep the MEANING of the word, when changing  from one
language to another, than it is to SPEAK or  pronounce it the same
in all languages. Remember, to "NAME"  means to describe one's
identity.

If you are familiar with any of the thousands of spiritual types
(allegories) in the Bible, you then should realize the importance
of TRANSLATING the original MEANING (identity) of ALL THE NAMES IN
THE BIBLE whenever you change from one language to another. THE
MEANINGS OF THE NAMES ARE WHAT IS IMPORTANT! NOT HOW YOU SPEAK OR
PRONOUNCE THEM. With all the fuss over pronunciations today, one
would think that in Matthew 1:21 the angel of the Lord must have
stressed the pronunciation rather than the MEANING of the name of
Jesus.

To better illustrate God's concern with the MEANING of names
(IDENTITIES), one should study in depth the reasons He CHANGED THE
FOLLOWING NAMES:

Genesis 17:5 Abram ("Lofty and exalted father") changed to  Abraham
("Father of Multitudes").

Genesis 32:28 Jacob ("heel grabber") changed to Israel  ("Prince of
God")

Genesis 17:15 Sarai ("domineering") changed  to Sarah ("lady,
princess, queen")

Acts 13:9 Saul ("desire, demand") changed to Paul ("stop,  cease")

Matthew 16:17-18 Simon ("hearing") changed to Peter ("large  rock")

Revelation 22:4 says: "And they shall see his face; and his name
shall be in their foreheads". Does that simply mean that the WORD
"JESUS" or the WORD "YASHUA," etc., is in their mind?  As we have
already mentioned, it certainly does not mean that they have the
word printed ON their forehead.

Notice Revelation 19:11-13: "And I saw heaven opened, and  behold a
white horse; and he that sat upon him was called  Faithful and
True, and in righteousness he doth judge and  make war. His eyes
were as a flame of fire, and on his head  were many crowns; and he
had a name written, that no man  knew, but he himself. And he was
clothed with a vesture  dipped in blood: and his name is called the
Word of God."

This symbolic description of Jesus states that He had a name that
no man knew, then it declares His name is called "THE WORD OF
GOD." The WORD OF GOD is not a single word (name), nor just a
phrase. The WORD OF GOD is as deep and as vast as ETERNITY itself.
It transcends all of space and encompasses all attributes and
characteristics of DIVINITY. Incorporated under the heading of
"THE WORD OF GOD" are tens of thousands of TYPES, SYMBOLS,
ALLEGORICAL PICTURES, PROPHECIES, MORAL INSTRUCTION, SPIRITUAL
LIFE GUIDELINES, and even HIDDEN KEYS THAT REVEAL ALL THINGS BOTH
NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL.

Someone might ask, "BUT WHAT DOES ALL THIS HAVE TO DO WITH THE
NAME?" Friend, that should be obvious at this point in our study.
THE NAME OF THE LORD IS HIS IDENTITY and that IDENTITY IS
EXPRESSED THROUGH HIS WORD! Notice the following thoughts which we
will not prove here in this chapter as they are covered in other
chapters of this book:

THE "WORD" CREATED ALL THINGS............................John 1:1-3

THE "WORD" IS THE SOURCE OF FAITH AND SALVATION.... Romans 10:13-17

THE "WORD" IS THE MEANS OF SPIRITUAL "CONCEPTION"....... James 1:18

THE "WORD" IS THE MEANS OF SPIRITUAL "BIRTH"...........John 3:3 & 5

THE "WORD" IS THE MEANS OF SPIRIT AND LIFE..........John 6:53-54,63

THE "WORD" IS THE WEAPON OF THE  Spirit............. Ephesians 5:17

THE "WORD" IS THE "SEED" WHICH PRODUCES SPIRITUAL LIFE IN HONEST
HEARTS. Luke 8:11 and context.

With these thoughts in mind, it should be obvious to us that when
the Bible says there is no salvation in any other "NAME," IT IS
SAYING THE SAME AS "THERE IS NO SALVATION EXCEPT THROUGH THE TRUE
WORD OF GOD (which was Jesus IDENTITY).

We should stress the fact that we are NOT saying that the BIBLE is
the NAME of Jesus. Although we use the Bible to OBTAIN the WORD OF
GOD, THE BIBLE IN ITSELF IS NOT THE WORD OF GOD (It must be given
SPIRITUAL MEANING and APPLICATION to become the WORD OF GOD). If the
BIBLE itself is LITERALLY the "WORD OF GOD" then:
1) Bibles "increased" in the first century A.D.  Acts 6:7

2) Saved people EAT BIBLES.  Hebrews 6:5, John 6:53-63

3) John 1:1 would mean, "In the beginning was the BIBLE, and  the
BIBLE was with God, and the BIBLE WAS GOD."

4) Since salvation is by the word of God, lost people would need
only to read the Bible to be saved. In that case, the greatest
work that could be accomplished would be to see that everyone has
a Bible. That is NOT the case!

5) I don't think I have to take the time here to prove the fact
that the Bible came to us as "holy men of God spake as they were
moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Peter 1:21). However, since the Holy
Ghost inspired the writing of the scriptures, IF RECEIVING THE WORD
OF GOD ONLY REQUIRES ONE TO RECEIVE A BIBLE, THEN EVERYONE WHO HAS
RECEIVED A BIBLE HAS RECEIVED THE WORD OF GOD. THAT IS
RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!! I base this statement on 1 Corinthians 2:14
which states that the "NATURAL MAN" or person who is in the FLESH
and NOT SPIRITUAL (lost) "receiveth NOT the things of the SPIRIT of
GOD". The subject matter of the entire context is about the WORD OF
GOD, and that is what Paul calls the "things of the SPIRIT of GOD".
If the WORD OF GOD IS A BIBLE, THEN PAUL IS SAYING THE "natural man"
or LOST PERSON CANNOT RECEIVE A BIBLE. Yet multitudes of LOST
people have Bibles.

The reader may be thinking by this time that we have forgotten our
subject is the MARK OF THE BEAST. NOT SO. I am a firm believer in
the process of determining the meaning of the scriptures by
examining all connecting truths and thereby "comparing spiritual
with spiritual". We CANNOT possibly KNOW for certain WHAT IS THE
MARK OF THE BEAST unless we also understand such things as the
"NAME" of the beast, etc. To understand the "name" of the beast, we
must understand how the Bible uses the term, "name".

Although there are many more proofs that we could offer, I hope
that by now the reader is at least able to CONSIDER these facts:

     (1) The Bible meaning of a "NAME" is one's identity (nature).

     (2) One's PHYSICAL IDENTITY or NATURE (characteristics) is
determined by influences of the LITERAL MIND ("type" of the spirit).

     (3) One's SPIRITUAL IDENTITY (spiritual "name") is determined
by one's spirit (i.e. saved or unsaved; living truth or error; etc).

     (4) The "forehead" is of course the location of the mind, and
therefore is a "TYPE" of the spiritual "NAME" (characteristics).

     (5) A "name" or a "mark" in the "forehead" would symbolize the
IDENTITY of the RELIGIOUS SYSTEM within the heart (spirit). This
would be as follows:
          (a) The "name" or "seal" (mark) of the Lord in (or "on")
the forehead would represent the WORD OF GOD firmly "WRITTEN" on the
heart (spirit). That is the very thing David was speaking of in
Psalms 119:11 when he said, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart that
I might not sin against thee". PAUL WAS SPEAKING OF THE SAME TRUTH
IN 2 CORINTHIANS 3:3, "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be
the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but
with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in
fleshy tables of the heart". Should someone disagree with this and
say, "but the Holy Spirit is the seal", I would only point you for
now to Jesus' teaching in John 6:53 to 63, and ask you to notice
very carefully what he is actually saying. John 6:63

"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the
words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life".

We have already proven in this book that we are QUICKENED (given
life spiritually) BY THE WORD OF GOD (James 1:18, 1 Peter 1:23,
Romans 10:13-17, etc.), AND HERE JESUS STATES THAT SPIRITUAL LIFE IS
GIVEN BY THE SPIRIT. DOES THAT TELL YOU ANYTHING???? JESUS IS THE
WORD OF GOD (JOHN 1) AND JOHN 6:53-63 IS SPEAKING OF "FEEDING" ON
HIS BODY (SPIRITUALLY). HE GOES ON TO SHOW THAT IS HOW THE SPIRIT
GIVES LIFE.........YOU CANNOT SEPARATE THE WORD OF GOD AND THE
SPIRIT OF GOD.

          (b) The "name" of the beast would represent the "WORD" and
"spirit" of the BEAST RELIGIOUS SYSTEM. This system is a counterfeit
of TRUE CHRISTIANITY and therefore will have what appears to the
unlearned to be the "word of God". They will preach out of the
Bible, and will pretend to serve the TRUE GOD. The "mark", "number",
and "name" of this "beast" are all CONTAINED in the hearts (spirits)
of those who follow after and serve such systems.

If the reader still finds it hard to believe that the "right hand"
symbolizes a person's strongest works (their religious life), and
that the "forehead" symbolizes a person's spirit, we would like to
look a little further into the the subject and see how this
symbolism is used in the Old Testament scriptures.

 Ezekiel 3:8 "Behold, I have made thy face strong against
their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads."
     (9) "As an adament harder than flint have I made thy
forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though
they be a rebellious house."

We need to realize that God did not speak in literal terms in this
passage. He was not saying that Ezekiel's forehead was LITERALLY
made out of a stronger material than the people he was preaching
to! God was symbolically letting us know that the spirit of Ezekiel
was stronger than the spirit of the Israelites, and although Israel
would try to resist the message of truth that Ezekiel would bring,
God had given him a stronger spirit so that he might stand firmly
against them. As a result of this God told Ezekiel not to be afraid
of their looks even though they rebelled against the word of God.

God is still working in the same manner today, and as a result
a lot of people accuse true preachers of being "HARD-HEADED"! False
preachers are often hard-hearted. This ought to help us understand
the meaning of the "FOREHEAD" symbolism! When we say that someone
is "hard-headed", we do not mean it in a LITERAL sense! Actually,
a person could LITERALLY have a "soft skull" and still be "hard-
headed".

To fully understand what God was telling Ezekiel, let's picture a
modern day example! We are admonished as Christians in Hebrews 13:

(7) "Remember them which have the rule over you, who
have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow,
considering the end of their conversation."
(17) "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves:
for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that
they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is
unprofitable for you.

I have never seen any of God's sheep get into much trouble as long
as they live according to these passages and keep a true (sheep
like) MEEK spirit that is easily led by their shepherd (pastor).
The Lord tests the submissiveness of his people by giving them a
leader to follow. If they rebel, God takes it personal (Matthew
10:40-41, etc.)! As long as they GENUINELY LOVE THE TRUTH, THEY
CANNOT BE LED INTO SUFFICIENT ERROR TO BE LOST (II Thes. 2:9-12
etc.). However, Satan's greatest tool is to try to turn the sheep
astray from following Paul's admonition in Hebrews, and even to
cause situations such as described in Galatians 4:16; "Am I
therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?"

It is in times when the sheep (spiritual Israel- God's children)
rebel that the Lord does the same thing for His ministry today as he
did for Ezekiel! God does not want His ministry to be discouraged or
to fear rebellious sheep. As a result, He gives the preachers a
"HARD-FOREHEAD", or in other words a spirit that is stronger than
that of the rebels. If it were not for this, Satan would destroy all
true preachers simply by causing sheep whom they love to rise up
against them. So we see that just as surely as God can "harden" the
"forehead", Satan can use his false religious system to "mark"
people in the forehead (ie: the spirit)!

Deuteronomy 6:6-8 tells us that the children of Israel were to use
the word of God and teach it to their children. It says they were to
bind the word of God for a sign on their hand, and also AS frontlets
between their eyes. We also find this in Deuteronomy 11:18,

"Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your
soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as
frontlets between your eyes."

The scripture shows us that the word of God was to be in their
hearts and in their souls, and was only symbolized "AS" frontlets
between their eyes! This same truth is given to us in Proverbs 7:2"
Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine
eye."
     (3) "Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of
thine heart."

The scripture shows us that the word of God was to be bound upon
their fingers and written upon their hearts! Our fingers are a part
of our hands which symbolize our actions. The word of God is also
to be written upon the table of our hearts, which is symbolized by
our "foreheads". To summarize our study so far, we see in Revelation
13 the beast trying to "mark" the best and strongest (religious)
actions of men and women, and trying to "mark" their spirits so
their spirits would be corrupted. They would have the "mark of the
beast" in their hearts (spirits), and manifest it through their
actions!

Most people in the religious world are running around worrying that
they will not be able to buy groceries or anything else out of the
stores unless they have some kind of a literal "mark" of the beast
(such as a computer number) printed on their head and on their hand.
The message Jesus preached in the sermon on the mount was that we
should not concern ourselves with what we will eat and drink
LITERALLY. Jesus was trying to teach us that our real concern ought
to be about the things of God; our spiritual food, our spiritual
drink, our spiritual "robes" of righteousness (garments)!

Amos 8 tells us about a famine that was not for food and water, or
the literal and physical things, but was a famine for the "hearing
of the word of God" (does not say "reading"). This is why our Lord
is concerned about the religious "beast" system that "marks" people
so that they CANNOT "buy or sell" the TRUE word of God!

Proverbs 23:23 tells us to "buy the truth and sell it not".
Someone might object and say that it is impossible for us to buy the
truth, and yet we find the scriptures again show us the thought of
"buying" truth (symbolically) in Isaiah 55:

(1) "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he
that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and
milk without money and without price."
(2) "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And
your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto
me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself
in fatness."

If you STILL have trouble with the thought of "buying" the truth or
"buying" the counterfeit of TRUTH (by having the "mark", "number",
or "name" of the beast), just consider how that term is used even in
today's ENGLISH. People often use the phrase "I'll buy that" in
reference to the fact that they are ACCEPTING AS TRUE something
someone has stated. It is just a form of speaking whereby one is
stating that they believe in something and will live or be
influenced by what they believe.

False preachers out to "sell" the truth are described in Revelation
18:11-15 where they are said to be dealing in "merchandise"
including the "souls of men". False preachers today are actually
"selling" SOME TRUTH mixed with MUCH ERROR, and they are causing
multitudes of people to be lost and doomed to an eternal hell. It is
obvious from Revelation 13 that the beast does not want anyone
"buying" the truth unless they have the "mark of the beast". This is
because the "mark" causes the truth which is "bought" or "sold" to
be perverted and MIXED with FALSE DOCTRINE.

What could this "mark" might be. The "beast" is described in
Revelation 13:2 as being like unto a leopard, and even though it has
some characteristics of other animals, it is primarily a beast like
a leopard. Since it IS symbolized as a LEOPARD we can depend of God
having inspired the symbolism in such a way as to convey to us a
PICTURE of the "MARK". Jeremiah 13:23 shows us that it is impossible
for a leopard to change his spots. This gives us an idea as to the
way God uses the leopard in Bible symbolism. The leopard is a
spotted creature, and anyone familiar with a leopard knows his spots
are black! Black is a symbol of darkness. DARKNESS IS ABSENCE OF
LIGHT, AND LIGHT IS A SYMBOL OF TRUTH. THEREFORE, THE MARK OF THE
BEAST WILL BE AREAS OF DARKNESS (BLACK SPOTS). These SPOTS or areas
of darkness are believed and taught by all churches who profess to
be a part of Christianity and yet do not teach the TRUTH.

Picture in your mind the simple symbolism that is conveyed to us in
Revelation 13. That scripture pictures a beastly system of false
religious worship that tries to have an effect on all people (every
person [other than babies] in our congregation has had to come out
of some form of it). Revelation 13:16 tells us that this beast
causes everyone to receive a mark in their right hand or in their
foreheads. This shows us a picture of false religion today causing
people to not be able to "buy" or "sell" the truth unless they have
the "mark of the beast"! This "mark" is the same markings that the
beast carries. SPOTS! BLACK SPOTS just like a leopard! It should be
obvious to the reader that the beast "marks" others with the same
kind of markings with which it is covered! His offspring are "after
his kind" (Genesis 1:24-25)!

These black spots represent darkness. The beast does not want
anyone to buy the truth unless they have the BEST (religious)
actions of their lives and their spirits spotted (mixed) with
darkness! The "beast" of false religion does not want anyone to
understand the truth clearly! Instead, the "beast" wants to
contaminate our understanding of truth by it's "spots" of darkness!
The beast does not want those who go forth to "sell" the truth (the
false preachers) to "sell" that truth unless it is contaminated with
the black "spots" of the leopard beast. Unless that truth has been
contaminated (mixed and perverted) with darkness, the beast does not
want it to be preached! Can TRUTH BE PERVERTED?? NOTICE GALATIANS 1:

 1:6  I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called
you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
 1:7  Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you,
and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
 1:8  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other
gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let
him be accursed.
 1:9  As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man]
preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received,
let him be accursed.

Surely the reader can see that the beast of Revelation 13 is a
system of false "Christianity"!!!!! A careful study of Revelation
13  will show you that the beast provides a system of worship.

     Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall
worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the
lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

All that dwell on the earth worship this false system unless their
names are in the "book of life." This shows us that everyone who is
not a TRUE Christian will be UNDER the influence of their flesh (ie:
"earth" or earthen vessel,  2 Corinthians 4:7) and will worship the
false system of religion. The reader should notice that even though
a second "beast" system of false "christianity" arises (THE IMAGE TO
THE BEAST), it is basically very similar to the first beast, and
causes people to worship it (Revelation 13:12)! THIS "IMAGE" HAS THE
SAME BASIC LEOPARD SPOTS, BUT THEY ARE JUST ARRANGED IN A LITTLE
DIFFERENT MANNER JUST LIKE ANY OFFSPRING OF A LEOPARD WOULD BE. This
"image of the beast"  causes people to be deceived by its working of
many great miracles and wonders. Multitudes are being deceived by
the "miracles and wonders" in Protestantism today. We have
thoroughly proven in other studies that the ORIGINAL "beast" is the
ROMAN CATHOLIC system, and the offspring is PROTESTANTISM, who
instead of really protesting, goes forth and builds an IMAGE to the
original "beast". In the next chapter of this book, we will give the
reader some of the means of proof which will identify this "BEAST"
and his "IMAGE" from the Bible teachings.

Remember friend, false religion takes the truth and contaminates it
with the black spots of darkness. Light is not pure light if it is
contaminated with dark spots. White is not purity if it is blemished
with the black spots of the leopard beast. Truth is not FULLY truth
if false religion has brought in its spots of darkness and mixed
them in! The more "spotted" a person's religion becomes, the more
they walk in darkness!

WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE READER IN CLOSING THIS CHAPTER; DO YOU HAVE
THE "MARK OF THE BEAST"?  If you do, God's call to you is in
Revelation 18:4, "come out of her MY people". God does not want HIS
people to be partakers of Babylon's sins and plagues. That is why,
BY HIS GRACE, He has been good enough to call us all out of her. I
had to leave about 14 years ago, and the Lord may very well be
calling to you right NOW. Consider the following questions:

(1) Does your church (denomination, fellowship, etc.) TRULY PROTEST
NEARLY ALL of the teachings of CATHOLICISM and PROTESTANTISM???

(2) Does your church teach MUCH, MUCH GREATER LIGHT than they did up
until the "TRUMPETS" began to sound about 1984???

(3) Has your Pastor and your church (because of this GREAT LIGHT of
this LAST HALF OF THE seventh seal age), had to CHANGE from many of
your past teachings in order to get rid of the "beastly spots" of
darkness (false teachings) previously taught??? Remember, greater
LIGHT dispels the darkness (spots).

(4) Does your church now teach from the THOUSANDS of "types"
presented in symbolic form in the Bible, and especially in the
historical accounts of the Old Testament period writings???

(5) Does your Pastor find that NOW, since the "TRUMPETS" have begun
to "sound", that there are very few scriptures in the Bible that are
still "vague" or "hidden" as to their TRUE SPIRITUAL MEANING.

Friend, If you cannot answer a genuine YES to all of the above
questions, you should be praying HARD for the Lord to direct you to
the TRUTH FOR THIS EVENING TIME OF THE GOSPEL (N.T.) AGE.