THE MARK OF DISOBEDIENCE
What sign, or mark, reveals allegiance to God? "Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always . . . Therefore you shall keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land which you cross over to possess . . . Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes." Deuteronomy 11:1,8,18.
People look at outward marks, but where does God look? "For a man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7b.
Everyone will one day receive a mark. What mark will God’s people receive? "Then I looked, and behold, a lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, have His Father’s name written on their foreheads." Revelation 14:1.
Anciently a name represented one’s character. God wants to write His name¾ or character¾ in us. God’s character is described in His law. Where will God’s character, or law, be written? Will this writing be visible to mankind? "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them." Hebrews 10:16.
Which one of God’s laws especially identifies God’s people, marking them as those who accept His authority? "Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them . . . Hallow My Sabbath, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God." Ezekiel 20:12,20.
Will the Beast power acknowledge God’s authority? "Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." 2 Thessalonians 2:4.
What will the Beast boast that he can do to God’s law? "He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand." Daniel 7:25.
What is it that identifies and marks the Beast power? "Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition . . . For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders." 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 7-9.
When Jesus comes, all will have accepted God’s mark or the Beast’s mark. How are those who have received the mark of the Beast described? "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’" Matthew 7:21-23.
How are those who receive God’s mark (Revelation 14:1) described? "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." Revelation 14:12.
What will Satan do to those who refuse to receive the mark of the Beast’s authority by keeping Sunday? "And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Revelation 12:17.
How will Satan make war with them? "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." Revelation 13:16, 17.
In 321 A.D. the Roman Emperor Constantine passed the first Sunday law forcing all men, pagans and Christians, to worship on Sunday.
The Roman Emperor Constantine passed the first Sunday law forcing Christians and pagans to worship on the same day. "All judges and city people and the craftsmen shall rest upon The Venerable Day of the Sun." History of the Christian Church states, "Constantine reverenced all the gods as mysterious powers, especially Apollo, the god of the sun."
Pagan Rome then changed to Papal Rome which embraced the same idea of Sunday worship.
The Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine states: "Q. Which is the Sabbath day? A. Saturday is the Sabbath day. Q. Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday? A. We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday." "Sunday is our mark of authority. The church is above the Bible, and this transference of sabbath observance is proof of that fact." The Catholic Record, London Ontario, Sept. 1, 1923. "The observance of Sunday by Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the [Catholic] church." Monsignor Segur, Plain Talk About the Protestantism of Today, 213
The Bible mentions this religious/political power that would attempt to change the law of God.
"He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law…." Daniel 7:25. The pope is said to claim to be God on earth and have the power to forgive sins. For 1260 years, from 538 A.D. when the papacy took over Rome, to 1798 A.D. when the pope was imprisoned, 50-100 million faithful Christians where burned at the stake, tortured, and beaten to death for refusing to follow the papacy. The papacy changed God's Ten Commandment Law. "For that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition; who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." 2 Thes. 2:3,4. Also read Rev. 13 and 17.
While God’s followers receive God’s name in their foreheads, the Beast’s followers receive the Beast’s name (his character of lawlessness), signified by a number. What is the number of the Beast? "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." Revelation 13:18. The official title of the pope is VICARIUS FILII DEI. When you add up the Roman numeral equivalents to each letter in his title, it adds up to 666.
What warning has God given against receiving the mark of the Beast? "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.’ " Revelation 14:9-11.
GOD SAYS THAT THE SABBATH MARKS HIS PEOPLE AS HIS, , and that the Beast would make war on them. The Beast is that "lawless" one who would try to "change" God’s law; specifically the law involving "times"-i.e., the Sabbath. Thus, when Sunday-keeping is enforced by law it will constitute the mark of the Beast. "You are that one’s slaves whom you obey." Romans 6:16. Today God is calling us to receive His mark (or seal). Will you acknowledge His authority by keeping His Sabbath?