The Mark of the Beast is a sign of Satan's ownership over the world. Yes, Satan is soon to rule the world and he will try to force all people to obey him and to place the Mark of the beast either on their forehead or their right hand. This will be the sign that Satan has conquered them, they are his. In today's world the turmoil seems to be based on secular issues. But that will change and Satan's strategy can be understood from the Bible. But God's people will be loyal to God rather than Satan.

We are living in unsettling times. An atmosphere of war, bloodshed, and terror seem to be taking over much of the world and the governments of the world are becoming more unstable and corrupt. In addition, our liberties and freedoms are quickly eroding away and we face the prospect of a dramatic financial disaster and civil unrest sometime in the near future. Conditions are becoming so unstable that people are beginning to look ahead to the future with fear.

Could these conditions actually reach Biblical proportions in the near future? And are conditions to escalate to the point that the Mark of the Beast will soon be a reality?

I believe that we are indeed facing the very time spoken of in the Bible, especially as described in Daniel and Revelation. The Bible speaks of the time of the end as being a very serious time; "a time of trouble such as never was"!

1. And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. Daniel 12:1

Even though this time is projected to be worse than any time before, we are also told not to fear this trouble ahead of us:

6. "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7. "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
8. "All these are the beginning of sorrows. Matthew 24:6-8

The wars and rumors of wars will begin early in the time of trouble. So we are told to expect these things to come and yet we are not to fear them. This must mean that God will be with us so we do not have to fear. Yet, that does not mean we will not face any of the trouble that is coming?

God will have His hand over His people in many ways. But it will not be a complete protection. God's people will not be fully protected because God will allow Satan to attack them in certain ways. But, God's people are not to be troubled if they have been given the Seal of God. Even in death will God's people be protected. Because remember, God's people will be resurrected in the resurrection of the righteous!

To see why God's people will not fear this time and to also see how they will be prepared for this time of trouble with the Seal of God: Click on the link to the left (A new window will appear).

At the onset of this time of trouble, it will seem that there is no religious reason for any of the unrest. However, the primary cause for this trouble will really be religious in nature. The reason is simple: Satan is making his move. Satan wants to rule the world and to be worshipped as god on earth. So, he does not want to show his hand too soon. When the real God allows him, Satan will begin his final activities. It is then that he will initiate a religious war.

4. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. Matthew 24:4-5

Satan will deceive many! So, the anger of the nations will be directed toward God's people. Christians will be hated and killed for Christ's sake:

9. "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. Matthew 24:9

We can already see the beginnings of this kind of hatred against Christians and it will develop in very specific ways as outlined in prophecy. We will study these things on this page.

Lately, people came to a school in Oregon, and they asked each one: "Are you a Christian? If they answered: "Yes", they were shot!

However, the time will come when not all Christians will be attacked equally. Satan is mostly concerned with those Christians who strive to follow what the Bible teaches. So, Satan, the dragon, will especially attack those who keep God's commandments and have the testimony of Jesus. This point should make us take stock of our own future! The very group that we want to be a part of; That is the very group that Satan hates and he will set himself to attack them.

17. 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

At the time of the end, Christians will be divided into two main groups. One group will follow God who gave us the Bible. This group will keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The Saints at the end are pictured as being the ones who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus.

12. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14:12

But the other group will not follow what the Bible says. All the while they will think they are following Christ, but they will be led by various leaders to actually follow the dictates of Satan. Satan will force the world in various ways to follow his example rather than God's way. In the world, this group will be called Christians, but they will not be taught what the Bible teaches. Rather, they will be taught tradition as taught by various church fathers in the past. Also, there will be a world religion that all will be encouraged to join and follow.

However, the most serious and fearful warning found in the Bible is not just directed toward Christians. It is directed towards the great majority of the earth. It is directed to those who will accept the Mark of the Beast from Satan! Those people who will take the mark will be those who actually worship Satan. When they worship the beast and it's image, they will be giving honor and worship to Satan.

In Revelation 14, we can see what God will do to those who receives the Mark and who worships the beast and his image. We can see that God groups these three actions, on the part of the wicked, as being worthy of being tormented:

9. 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,
10. "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. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
11. "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

So, the Mark of the Beast must be connected with the actual worship that people will give to Satan and the Beast. Satan will especially use force to get all to obey and worship him. This is why he must rule the world. But, we are getting ahead of ourselves. Let's see what the Bible says about these topics.

Many of us welcome the soon coming of Jesus because we know that this will be the time when Jesus will begin to bless His people, those on His right side. After everyone does what he or she does in their life, then God will bless the righteous.

34. "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: Matthew 25:34

However, the wicked, those who are on His left side because they accepted the Mark of the Beast; They will later receive their punishment as well.

41. "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: Matthew 25:41

So we must make sure that we are one of the righteous, on Christ's right side, and not one of the wicked. Before this happens, we want to make sure that we are a sheep and not a goat. The sheep are on His right side but the goats are on His left side.

33. "And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Matthew 25:33

However, before we are blessed, we are warned that there will be a time where things will get bad; Really bad! There will be a falling away first when the man of sin, Satan, who will be revealed to all the people of the world as the son of perdition.

1. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2. That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3

The time of the end is obviously Satan's last chance to do what he thinks he must do to win. Thus, he has become extremely angry because his time is short and he can see that he is not getting done what he believes must be done.

12. "Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time." Revelation 12:12

Satan will be made to play his hand so that the evil he wants to do will be shown to the whole universe. This is the time when Christ's enemies will be made His footstool.

44. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? Matthew 22:44

All this time it will be the ones who keep the commandments of God and who have the faith of Jesus; These Christians will be the ones who will be patient. This means they will endure to the end because of their steadfastness!

12. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14:12

God's people will need to have the patience of the saints because they will be persecuted when Satan attacks. But their endurance and steadfastness will withstand the test because of their faith and trust in God to save them.

Satan has now lost access to heaven:

7. And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,
8. but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.
9. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. Revelation 12:7-9

The battle described above is often used by people to describe the time when Satan was first kicked out of heaven. Well, it may be a right interpretation. But because Satan has been able to accuse God's people before God day and night (Verse 10 in green); This shows that Satan had already been accusing people before God some time before he is finally cast out for the last time.

So, because Satan is finally thrown out of Heaven, the heavens are encouraged to rejoice. However, we the people of the earth are to face woe and persecution:

12. "Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."
13. Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. Revelation 12:12-13

Satan has come down to us and he has great wrath since he knows he does not have much time left. The time of the end is near!

In verse 17 below, we see that Satan, the dragon, is especially enraged at the woman. This is God's church and he is going to make war against God's people. These are the people who keep the commandments of God and they also have the testimony of Jesus Christ! We must remember that not all Christians keep all of the commandments of God. Most of those people will lose out by accepting the Mark of the Beast because they are not trying to specifically obey God in every way they can.

17. 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

So, Satan will talk against God and he will persecute God's people. But what is this about Satan being given authority to attack God's people?

25. 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 For a time and times and half a time. Daniel 7:25

Now look at this: The saints of God will be given into Satan's hand for three times and a half of a time. How long is that? A "time" in the Bible is a year.

16. Let his heart be changed from that of a man, Let him be given the heart of a beast, And let seven times pass over him. Daniel 4:16

For seven years King Nebuchadnezzar became like a beast of the field. In Daniel, those seven years were called seven times. So back to the vision above, it says that Satan will be allowed to persecute God's saints for 3 1/2 years.

15. 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. Revelation 13:15

Notice that the image of the beast will also be granted power. This beast will both speak and cause many who will not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

Not all of God's people will be killed. Remember that there will be a 144,000 righteous people, who survive till the very end, when Jesus comes in the clouds of heaven!

The beast will be so powerful during this time that people will wonder who would be able to war against this beast (below, verse 4). Notice this time, that the beast is seen as being given authority for 42 months. This also equals 3 and 1/2 years.

4. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"
5. And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.
6. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
7. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.
Revelation 13:4-7

During the 3 and 1/2 years (or 42 months) Satan is again pictured as making war against the Saints to overcome them. Authority is granted him over the whole world, over every tribe, tongue, and nation.

33. "And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. Daniel 11:33

In Daniel 11, God's people is seen as falling by sword, flame, captivity, and plundering. In Daniel 7 this horn is making war against God's people and he will prevail over them.

21. "I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, Daniel 7:21

The fourth beast of Daniel 7:7 is seen as devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue. The Remnant is many times referring to the remainder of God's people. The residue is the same thing as the remainder. So again, this verse is referring to the persecution of God's people, the remainder or remnant of God's people.

7. "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. Daniel 7:7

In Daniel 12 below, we now have a statement that shows when all this is to end. It says that when the power of God's people is finally completely shattered that all things will be finished.

7. Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished. Daniel 12:7

So, what is to happen will be very severe for God's people. But as we will find in other places, that a remainder of God's people, 144,000 in all the world, will survive this time. But these descriptions in Daniel and Revelation are the reality of the last days. It should be the basic understanding of the conditions of the last days when we start looking at the actual Mark of the Beast.

We should also realize that the time when God's holy people will be completely shattered will also be the end of the 3 and 1/2 years (or 42 months). This will be the time when the persecution will be finally finished.

	The 144,000 and the Seal of God. What does the Bible tell about God's people at the End of Time? See how Job's experience explains what the 144,000 will experience and how Satan will try to trick and force his way. Click on the link to the Left (A new window will appear).
	God does not ask the impossible. What God does is that He enables us so we can truly follow Him. Why is the 144,000 Righteous. Does God do something special for them? Click on the link to the Left (A new window will appear).

We have just seen that Satan is extremely wrathful against God's people and we have seen that God has given him authority to actually attack God's people. Also, you might have noticed, in this previous section, that the beast is not always the same beast but yet the same activities are described.

In Revelation 12 we see the devil and the dragon. Of course, the dragon is actually the devil. so these two are the same thing, the great deceiver. Satan is actually working through the beasts described in Daniel and Revelation.

9. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Revelation 12:9

In Daniel 7 we have four different beasts: a lion with eagle's wings that are plucked; a bear with three ribs in its mouth; a leopard with four wings; and the fourth is a dreadful and terrible beast that is extremely strong, it had huge iron teeth and it had ten horns. But then the fourth beast started changing. Another horn came up and plucked out three other horns.

3. "And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.
4. "The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
5. "And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: 'Arise, devour much flesh!'
6. "After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.
7. "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
8. "I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words. Daniel 7:3-8

Now in Revelation 13 we have two beasts. The first beast is like the Terrible fourth beast of Daniel except that this first beast of Revelation 13 actually has the attributes of all four beasts of Daniel 7. The second beast that had two horns like a lamb and yet it spoke like a dragon. It is different than any other beast described in the Bible. We will look at this second beast a little later and it does appear later in the vision.

This first beast in Revelation 13 has seven heads. Now if we count the heads of all four of the beasts in Daniel 7, we find seven heads as well. The Leopard had four heads and the other three beasts had one head, which makes seven heads all together. The fourth beast of Daniel 7 has seven horns, but the first beast of Revelation 13 has seven horns and seven crowns. So the crowns are new.

1. And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. Revelation 13:1-2

So, this first beast is the combination of the four beasts of Daniel 7. Thus, they are referring to the same power.

It is especially important to see that it is the dragon who gave this beast its power and great authority. It is Satan himself, the dragon who is controlling this beast. Of course, he would not be able to do that if God had not allowed him to do what he's doing. Thus, God is allowing Satan to play his hand so that he will fully show what are his "true colors".

Now in Daniel 7, some of the verses refer to the fourth beast in general as causing the killing of the righteous:

7. "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. Daniel 7:7

Verse 7 above and 19 below, both describe the fourth beast as trampling the residue with its feet. The residue can also be thought of as the remnant of God; God's people.

19. "Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet;
20. "and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.
21. "I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, Daniel 7:19-21

But verses 20-21 describe this new horn that comes up. It has eyes and a mouth which made war against God's people and actually prevailing against them. It looks like there will be many martyrs in the time ahead of us.

In verse 20 above we see that this little horn speaks pompous words. In addition, in verse 25 below, we find the little horn speaking great words against the most High. I think these accounts describe something very similar to the name of blasphemy, mentioned in Revelation 13:1 above.

24. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. Daniel 7:24-25

So, it looks like Satan will have some kind of world government set up for the time of trouble. I believe this world government is what we call the New World Order or Globalism today. It is probably one of the same thing. But as of now it has not yet taken charge of the world. But I believe it soon will do so. And it will cause great heartache to God's people and also to the world.

Revelation 13 is where the specifics of Satan's attack are described. It describes what Satan will do to try to take over the whole world. Satan will want all the world to follow and worship him. Of course, it is God's people, the 144,000, who Satan is especially angry with since Satan knows they will not follow his demands nor worship him.

On earth, we see that the whole world will worship both Satan, the dragon, and the beast:

4. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" Revelation 13:4

The beast is so strong that everyone considers it foolhardy to even think of going against what the beast says to do. They follow Satan's leading because they are afraid of being killed. That is why they exclaim: "Who is able to make war with the beast?"

8. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8

But it is only those who do not have their names written in the Book of Life that worship the beast! This includes all the wicked who are not sealed. So, it is only God's people, on earth, who will dare to disregard what the beast tells them to do.

11. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Revelation 12:11

But now a second beast comes up. And this second beast makes the situation even more forbidding.

16. 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,
17. 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

This second beast forces all to worship the first beast and it will cause all to receive a mark and whoever does not receive this mark will not be allowed to eat! They will not be able to buy nor sell anything so they will not be able to buy any food!

But if we think that only the righteous will have a hard time with persecution, we see that God has probably the strongest language found in the Bible for anyone who receives the Mark of the Beast:

9. 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,
10. "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. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
11. "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

If anyone worships the beast or receives his mark they will receive the wrath of God and they will have no rest day nor night! So, if anyone thinks they might avoid persecution or trouble by taking the Mark of the Beast, they will be mistaken. They will receive the worst punishment with no hope at all.

But God's people will not take the mark. But rather they will overcome Satan and his temptations by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. The battle will be very severe and God's people will be facing death, but they will not fail God because they will not love their lives to the death. They would rather die than to sin against God!

11. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death. Revelation 12:11

Their love for God will be very great.

Satan is angry because he knows that Jesus is coming again soon and he especially knows that his time is short to destroy the people of the earth.

12. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Revelation 12:12

We will see that Satan will try to convert or force all of God's people to worship him. That way there would be not one righteous person left for Jesus to pick up when He comes. So Satan will try to get all people in the very last days to worship him instead of God.

17. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 12:17

Now we know the Bible says that there will be 144,000 righteous people still alive at the end, and they will be waiting for Jesus when He actually comes. So, the Bible absolutely predicts Satan's defeat and God's victory. Because there will be a people at the end who will not obey nor worship Satan. They will only follow God! Thus Satan will not be able to force all to worship him.

Satan will try to bring up a change in the law that would seem even innocuous or harmless. Yet a person who obeys that seemingly small change, which is Satan's command, will be breaking God's commandment. Thus they will be made unfit for heaven.

Let's look for clues in Revelation 13 for what it is that Satan will try to force all to do.

3. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.
4. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"
5. And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.
6. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
7. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.
8. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:3-8

Above we see that the world worshiped both the dragon (Satan) and the first beast of Revelation 13. So, the world will be led to worship the beast. And by worshipping the beast, they are really worshipping Satan.

But in verse eight we see that everyone in the world is not actually worshipping this beast. Only those whose names are not found in the Book of Life. The names of all of God's people will be found in the book of life and they will be overcomers of sin:

5. "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. Revelation 3:5

Only those who are wicked and have given themselves to Satan; They are the ones who will worship the beast. So God's people will not be worshipping this beast at all.

9. If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
10. He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Revelation 13:9-10

The Greek word for patience means: a patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance. It also means steadfastness, constancy, and endurance. So God's people will have to endure this time with perseverance and patience.

Satan now has to hit harder since God's people are not following his laws. So he sends the second beast, which is another nation, to turn up the heat on God's people:

11. Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.
12. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15. 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.
16. And he causeth 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. Revelation 13:11-17

This new beast, the second beast, will try to force all people to worship the first beast (in Revelation 13). So he will cause great wonders or miracles to occur. Fire will come down from heaven so that he can deceive the people of the world. Also he will cause the image of the beast to become alive and to speak. Through all these actions, he will cause many who will not worship the image of the beast to be killed. Also a mark will be required by all and anyone who does not have this mark cannot buy or sell anything!

So, Satan will try to kill God's people and also to threaten them with starvation since they can no longer buy anything.

While Revelation 13 explains Satan's actions, Revelation 14 explains what God is going to do when he judges the wicked. Below God tells what he will do to those who follow Satan during judgement:

8. And another angel followed, saying, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."
9. 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,
10. "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. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. Revelation 14:8-10

The angel from God says: If anyone worships the beast and his image, and who receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, they will receive the worst of all the curses from God (verse 10). So, we notice that there are two actions that will warrant the punishment. 1) Worshipping the beast and his image; and 2) receiving Satan's mark.

16. And he causeth 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. Revelation 13:16-17

It is interesting that both God and Satan both have a Seal or Mark and they both accept worship. Those who follow Satan will have a mark, and maybe many are accepting the mark so that they can eat or survive. They will also worship Satan's beast and his image to escape death and persecution.

But as we saw in Revelation 14, it is the wicked who will face even worse torment with fire with no hope of any future. The righteous are all looking forward to Christ's soon coming and they are full of hope that keeps them going. They pray constantly that they will stay faithful and that they will not let God down.

Let's look at the mark and worship of God. Below is described when God's people will receive God's Seal:

1. After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.
2. Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea,
3. saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."
4. And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: Revelation 7:1-4

When probation is about to close; That is when there will be no further possibility of turning to God. Just before Jesus closes the door of probation, God will extend the period of time that the four angels will hold back the winds of strife, on the earth. They will hold the winds, on the earth, until all of God's people are fully sealed with God's seal. This means they are fully decided in following God and they cannot be moved. Only then will probation close and Jesus will stand and make His pronouncement:

11. "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still." Revelation 22:11

We must realize that God's seal is a mark of ownership. God's people are now fully God's people. In the same way, the Mark of the Beast is also a mark of ownership. That is why the wicked will be punished with fire if they receive the Mark of the Beast. It means they are followers of Satan. It is because they have fully decided to follow the commands of Satan and to worship him.

In much the same way, when we worship God or when we worship Satan, we are acting out what our decisions are, to whom we will follow.

1. Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying,
2. "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."
3. He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?

5. "But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" --
6. 'then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.

8. 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
9. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" Matthew 15:3, 6, 8-9

The Scribes and Pharisees wanted to trap Jesus. But the problem was that the Pharisees were pushing the tradition of men and the elders; and not the commandments of God. So all their traps were pointless and Jesus won every time because He both knew the truth and defended the truth as found in the Scriptures.

So, what is false worship? It is when we follow the doctrines and traditions of men and elders instead of God as found in the Word of God. Something else is here as well which is important. Jesus said: "in vain they worship Me". These people were very religious but what they did is that they tried to worship God with tradition, which are the teachings and doctrines of man.

We certainly do not want to worship God in vain. We want to be saved and to have the strength and happiness that God would have us have. So we must follow the commandments of God rather than man that we may be approved of God.

So, we can also glean from this that false religion and false worship is following the teachings of man instead of God. It is following tradition rather than the teachings of God's word as found in the Bible. That means, true worship is following the commandments of God which He has given to us in His Word.

In the last days God will start warning the whole world of the final judgement. At this time the people of the world will be told that now is the time to fear God and to give glory to Him because the hour of His judgment is here. So the people are to worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water. They are to worship the Creator of all things!

6. Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth--to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people--
7. saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water." Revelation 14:6-7

This last phrase, "worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea" is actually referring to the fourth Commandment of the Seventh-day Sabbath:

8. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9. Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
10. but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.
11. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11

So true worship is honoring God's commands. In this case it is especially honoring the commandment that reveals God as our Creator. If we are to worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and everything else we need to worship Him on His Sabbath day, the seventh-day of the week.

So, in the last days, God will say to all people that we need to worship God on His day of worship, the day that He blessed and hallowed, which is Saturday, the seventh day of the week. That is the Sabbath.

What God did on the seventh day of that first week, creation week, was to create a memorial of His creative acts. So the week is now seven days long. Let's look at what God said and did on that day.

1. Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.
2. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
3. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. Genesis 2:1-3

So, at the very beginning we can see that God set the seventh day apart from the rest of the days as a very special day! He not only rested and blessed that day but He Sanctified that day to make it holy. Thus the Sabbath was created and made holy in creation week itself.

God did not need to set aside a special day. The week could have been six days long, or He could have taken more time in His creative acts to make seven days. But He did not do that, He made the seventh day special. Why would He do that?

2. The works of the LORD are great, Studied by all who have pleasure in them.
3. His work is honorable and glorious, And His righteousness endures forever.
4. He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The LORD is gracious and full of compassion. Psalm 111:2-4

When we see that God made His wonderful works to be remembered, we are reminded of the fact that God is the one who actually created everything. He is our Creator. So, it is not too far of a stretch to realize that Satan might not want God's works to be remembered. That is a good reason right there for him to want to do away with the Sabbath. The Sabbath must be a day of remembrance.

8. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9. Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
10. but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.
11. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11

When the Israelites were in the desert, at Mount Sinai; God reminded His people again that it is because He made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything, that they are to worship God on the Seventh-day Sabbath.

So, God wants us to remember that He is our Creator by keeping the seventh-day as the Sabbath. But is there an additional reason why God would choose to memorialize the Seventh-day Sabbath and actually make it a part of the Ten Commandments?

Yes there is! The reason is so urgent that God has commanded all His followers to honor His Seventh-day Sabbath as a holy day.

20. 'hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.' Ezekiel 20:20

So, why does God want us to remember that He is the creator of all things? Why is the Sabbath a sign between God and us? Why is it needed?

The reason is very simple: "That you may know that I am the LORD your God."

In the Universe there is a rival power who does not believe that God should rule everything. Satan wants to gain the throne of God for himself and he wants all people to worship him!

12. How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!
13. For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;
14. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.
15. Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol (hell), To the lowest depths of the Pit. Isaiah 14:12-15

Satan has his mark which identifies his people who are worshipping him. What does God have? Or to say it another way: What is Satan combating against? Might there be a Mark or a Seal that God Himself had designed for His people? If so, might this be at least part of the reason why Satan actually issues a Mark for his followers as well?

Let's look and see what is the sign or the Mark of God"

3. saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."
4. And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: Revelation 7:3-4

We see that God's seal, the seal of the living God, must be placed on the foreheads of God's servants at the end when all the trouble occurs.

The forehead is the area of reason in our brains. It is the place where one decides to follow God or Satan. So it is interesting that the Seal of God is placed on the foreheads of His people.

12. "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. Ezekiel 20:12

Here is another seal that applies to the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a sign that it is God who sanctifies His people. So it's a sign that it is God who has authority over his people and the observance of the Sabbath shows who are His.

12. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14:12

Since the Sabbath is a sign between God and His people, pointing to the One who sanctifies them, we should think it would be important to the people of God who keep all the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

We have already surmised that Satan will try to bring up a change in the law that would seem innocuous or harmless. Yet a person who obeys that seemingly small change, would in fact be breaking God's commandment. Even though the change might seem harmless, they would in fact be following the command of Satan rather than the command of God. Thus they will be unfit for heaven.

What could be this act of worship that Satan will thrust on the world. It will have to be a tradition that is not found in the Bible. We have already seen that false worship is really following the teachings of men. So, what could it possibly be? Our clue comes from Daniel:

23. "Thus he said: 'The fourth beast shall be A fourth kingdom on earth, Which shall be different from all other kingdoms, And shall devour the whole earth, Trample it and break it in pieces.
24. The ten horns are ten kings Who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first ones, And shall subdue three kings.
25. 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 For a time and times and half a time. Daniel 7:23-25

This fourth beast in Daniel 7 is part of the first beast in Revelation 13 which is also described as having 10 horns. But we see that from verse 24 and 25 above, that it is the little horn that comes after the other horns, and the little horn is the one that destroys three of the 10 initial horns which represent 10 kings.

In our study, we need to make sure that this is all to happen at the end of time, the time of trouble. So let's look at a few other verses to help describe when these things are to happen. Verse 8 below, describes the same little horn even more.

8. I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words. Daniel 7:8

In the next few verses, we will notice that this horn will continue to speak pompous words until the court of God convenes in heaven and decrees that the beast is to be slain and put into the burning flames.

9. "I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire;
10. A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened.
11. "I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. Daniel 7:9-11

We see that a court is seated in heaven. Books are opened, and God, the Ancient of Days is seated. We can see that this little horn will speak its pompous words right up until the court declares it to be destroyed. So, at that time, the beast will be slain and destroyed.

So, we can see that this is all happening at the end of time when the court of heaven starts deciding what is to happen at the end. Also we might remember that this beast was given power over God's people for 3 1/2 times or 42 months, which is the same period of time.

25. 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 For a time and times and half a time. Daniel 7:25

4. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"
5. And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.
6. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
7. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.
Revelation 13:4-7

So, we can see that all these things happen within a very short time before the end and Satan will have authority over the whole world.

Now that we know when all this is taking place, let's get back to this one thing the horn does. This horn will intend to change times and law.

25. 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 For a time and times and half a time. Daniel 7:25

We have already seen that God accepts worship and He also has a day that He has blessed and hallowed. It is the Sabbath which is the seventh day of the week according to the fourth commandment. It was given to us to remind us that He is our Creator.

2. The works of the LORD are great, Studied by all who have pleasure in them.
3. His work is honorable and glorious, And His righteousness endures forever.
4. He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The LORD is gracious and full of compassion. Psalm 111:2-4

Which brings us to the fourth Commandment:

8. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9. Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
10. but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.
11. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11

This is the important point. The fourth commandment is the only commandment that is based upon time and it is also the only commandment that shows who God really is: God is the creator of all things and He made our world in six days.

So the statement: And shall intend to change times and law, from Daniel 7:25, shows that Satan will wage war on the Sabbath by enacting laws to force people to worship on another day. He intends to change the law to try to force all people to keep a different day.

But in all of this, the righteous will be victorious. They will not give in to the intense pressure:

11. "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Revelation 12:11

It is through the blood of Jesus Christ that they will gain the victory over Satan and his alternate day of worship.

In today's world, virtually the whole Christian world observes Sunday as the day of worship. Today the Pope is pressing hard to get Europe to observe Sunday as a day of worship. They are promoting it as a day for the family. However, so far, only Germany is having virtually all the stores close on Sunday. But still it is not a law that forces people to go to church. So, basically the church is not getting anywhere with the EU yet.

This and so much more, indicates to me that Sunday is Satan's day of worship. We must realize that there is nothing in the Bible that supports Sunday worship.

To see a more complete study on the Biblical Seventh-day Sabbath. Has the Biblical Sabbath ever changed? Are we still to keep it? What does the Bible Teach? Click on the link to the left (A new window will appear).

So, we can see that God has a day, Saturday, which is described all through the Bible. Satan also has a day, Sunday, which is tradition as described by the church fathers.

We have already seen what Jesus said:

8. 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
9. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" Matthew 15:3, 6, 8-9

Sunday, this alternate day of Satan, is really false worship. In the last days people will think they are worshipping God, but they will worship Him in vain because they will be following tradition, and since they are keeping Sunday, they will be breaking or transgressing the fourth Commandment of God to keep Saturday.

Now the world is not yet under this condemnation of keeping the wrong day because much of the world does not really know the truth about the Sabbath. So, God has chosen to overlook the breaking of His law:

30. "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, Acts 17:30

But it is clear that in the last days, as described in Daniel 14, the world will be made aware of the truth of God's Holy Sabbath:

6. Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth--to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people--
7. saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water." Revelation 14:6-7

This angel is calling out with a loud voice. So it must be important. And he says for all people to fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment has come, and we are to worship Him who made the heavens and the earth. Of course this is quoting the Fourth Commandment. But the Fourth Commandment is not the only place that declares God to be the creator:

6. You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You. Nehemiah 9:6

11. "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created. Revelation 4:8-11.

So, what is it that distinguishes the God in heaven from Satan and his evil angels? It is the fact that God is the one who has created all things. He alone has all the power and because of that, the demons tremble at the thought.

19. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. James 2:19.

These demons or devils were once angels in heaven. They know who God is and they know His strength. It is no wonder that they tremble as they think about their future.

33. Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice,
34. saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are--the Holy One of God!"
35. But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. Luke 4:33-35

The demons knew who Jesus was and they feared that they might be destroyed. These demons are not like God, they were created by God. So they are created beings like we are. Yet we find that people are worshipping them throughout the world.

10. But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.
11. Thus you shall say to them: "The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens."
12. He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, And has stretched out the heavens at His discretion. Jeremiah 10:10-12.

All the demons who have not created anything, they will eventually perish. They will be completely destroyed. But the God of heaven, He is the One who has created all things and He is all powerful.

The Sabbath specifically points to this fact that it is God who has made all things. All the others, like the evil angels, are only impostors! God has made us and because of that, He requires us to keep the Sabbath to remind us that indeed, He has made all things! In addition we need to remind ourselves that the Sabbath was made as a special sign between God and us, that we may know that He is the Lord, our God!

20. 'hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.' Ezekiel 20:20

This issue of what separates God from all others has been a major issue for some time. Ever since Satan, who God created, has been wanting to be like God and trying to have people worship him.

12. How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!
13. For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;
14. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.
15. Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol (hell), To the lowest depths of the Pit. Isaiah 14:12-15

Satan was once called Lucifer. It was in heaven that sin originated with him. He wanted to be like God. But God said He will bring Lucifer, now Satan, down to hell in the pit. In other words, Satan will be destroyed.

So, Satan is extremely active on the earth trying to turn the whole world against God. For most people, Satan has been victorious. However there has always been a small select group who has always obeyed God.

So, Satan has always tried to rule over God's people as well. In the Ezekiel text below, we can see how Satan was able to invade God's form of worship. In the very temple of God, in Jerusalem, Satan had people, the very leaders, who worshipped him instead of God. Now look at the kinds of activities which make God angry. We can see how these people were worshipping Satan:

13. And He said to me, "Turn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing."
14. So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the LORD'S house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.
15. Then He said to me, "Have you seen this, O son of man? Turn again, you will see greater abominations than these."
16. So He brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house; and there, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east.
17. And He said to me, "Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence; then they have returned to provoke Me to anger. Indeed they put the branch to their nose.
18. "Therefore I also will act in fury. My eye will not spare nor will I have pity; and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them." Ezekiel 8:13-18

Why would God be angry? It is because these people were converting to sun worship. They were worshipping Satan by this, and they were directing the whole nation of Israel against God. God had to do something to save those who were still true to Him else they might fall as well!

This is when the King of Babylon destroyed the city of Jerusalem. This is also the time of Daniel and his three friends. They were preserved in the fire since they were forced to serve Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon as eunuchs in his court. They became wise men but they remained true to God in spite of what they had to face. This is how we must be in the time ahead of us, the time of the end.

Tammuz was known as the "son of the sun god" Nimrod and Semiramis with their son was the first sun god trinity. Tammuz was actually born on December 25. This is where the date for Christmas came from. Tammuz was born too long after his father died so it was said that Nimrod, through the rays of the sun, had impregnated her. Tammuz was considered a holy child and was also considered to be a reincarnation of Nimrod.

But Tammuz was killed in a hunting accident which caused a mourning period of 40 days. So even today, a festival is held from that date for 40 days until Ishtar's (Easter) festival. Today this period is called the 40 days of Lent. Then comes the Easter sunrise service.

All these events are from sun worship and the women who were sitting in the temple weeping for Tammuz were observing these things. Of course, those who were facing the sun toward the east were actually worshipping the sun directly.

So, we can see that what was making God angry is actually connected with today's tradition. And those people started worshipping the Son instead of the God of Heaven.

This is exactly what is happening today. People are worshipping on Sunday which has been dedicated to the Sun god instead of the true Seventh-day Sabbath which was blessed and sanctified by God.

However, we must remember that the world is not yet under this condemnation of keeping the wrong day because much of the world does not really know the truth about the Sabbath. So, God has chosen to overlook the breaking of His law. But at the end, things will begin to change.

The main issue of the time of the end is that of worship. Satan will try to force the whole world to follow him and to have all people worship him on his special day of Sunday and to receive the Mark of the Beast which is the sign that they acknowledge and follow Satan. We saw the activities of Satan to try to obtain this objective in Revelation 13. However, we will see that Revelation 14 looks at God's side of the battle, showing what he will be doing.

God is not going to allow the world to fall into Satan's trap without letting the people of the world know what the issues are for their salvation. As the time approaches when Satan will try to force the whole world to worship him, to keep Sunday, and to accept the Mark of the Beast; God will have a special message that will be given to the whole world to warn all the people what they must do to live for eternity as God's people.

So, the purpose of the three angel's messages of Revelation 14:6-11 is to warn the people of the world, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. The three angels are pictured as warning the world of things the people must do and things which they must not do. They must worship God rather than Satan!

The purpose of the first message given by the first angel is to spread the good news, the everlasting gospel. Many believe that the gospel message must be similar to what Jesus said when He was on earth as a man. However this message seems very different and it is centered on worship as well. We must worship God rather than Satan. It does not seem positive as when Jesus was on earth, however He does seem positive to some people.

6. Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth--to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people--
7. saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water." Revelation 14:6-7

So, what is the everlasting gospel that is being preached? The angel is saying to worship God; To fear God, and give glory to Him, because now is the time of judgment. Judgement is finally here! So, we must worship the creator of all things!

Well, how is that good news?

The idea that Jesus is actually coming brings to our thoughts the notion that the wicked will now be destroyed, but that the righteous will be rewarded. Obviously to the righteous, this is good news. But what about the wicked?

If this message is actually good news, it must also mean that the wicked can still choose to follow God. Warnings can be a good thing because if we follow it, we can still be saved. So, this message is actually a plea from heaven, a last call to save the remaining people from eternal death! That means this call really is good news for those who accept it. For those who accept the message and change their life, they will inherit eternal life. God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Thus, even at the last hour before the final time of trouble, when no one can change their life and repent, God is giving the good news of salvation to anyone who is willing to accept it.

9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

God wants so much to save us, So He will definitely warn the world that they must follow God, because the end of the world is soon to come. I believe that many will be saved because of these messages.

11. Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Ezekiel 33:11

Let's study the first angel's message more closely:

6. Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth--to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people--
7. saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water." Revelation 14:6-7

The first phrase of the first message is to "fear God". So, we need to ask the question: What does it mean to fear God?

28. And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. Job 28:28

So, what does it mean to have the fear of the Lord? In this verse, Job says the same thing twice in trying to answer this question. The fear of the Lord is wisdom, but wisdom and understanding is basically the same thing. So, the fear of the Lord is to depart from evil. The verse from Proverbs below helps to confirm this idea:

13. The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. Proverbs 8:13

Job 28:28 and Proverbs 8:13 are both very clear. The fear of the Lord involves both to hate evil and to turn away from it as well. To depart from pride, arrogancy, and evil ways is what we must do. God hates the froward or perverse mouth.

If the fear of God means to depart from evil, it would also involve taking on righteousness and right doing.

13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. Ecclesiastes 12:13

To fear God is not only to respect God, but it also means to turn from sin and to honor or keep his law, the commandments of God. So, in Revelation 14:7, what "fear God" means is to turn from sin and to honor his law, the 10 Commandments, for the hour of His judgment has come!

Now who can get sin out of their lives? The only One who can do that is Jesus. (more on this later)

6. Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth--to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people--
7. saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water." Revelation 14:6-7

The next phrase of the first angel's message "is to give glory to Him"! God's people are to praise His name. When Jesus was born on earth, the angels appeared to the shepherds out over the hills. They were overjoyed and they gave glory to God in their singing:

14. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:14

Jesus entered Samaria and 10 men who were lepers, they cried out to be healed. Jesus healed them and the men went their way. But one, who wasn't even Jewish, he was to only one that came back to give glory to God.

18. There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. Luke 17:18

King Herod was being praised as if he were God. But he did not give God the glory and so an angel struck him with disease.

22. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.
23. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. Acts 12:23

We have already seen that God would have us worship Him on His special holy day and He also has a Mark, called the seal of the living God (Revelation 7:2) which we must have!

6. Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth--to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people--
7. saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water." Revelation 14:6-7

This second part of the message specifically points to the Sabbath: "and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water" We know this part is actually quoting the fourth Commandment. It is the God who made heaven and earth and the sea. That is why we are to worship Him on the Sabbath, the Memorial of creation. So, we are not being told just to worship God, but we are being told to worship the God who made all things on His holy Sabbath day.

From Revelation 13, we already learned that Satan wants us to worship Him instead of God and to accept the Mark of the Beast. We also saw that Satan will intend to change times and law. Thus, he will change the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday and he will want us to worship him on his day not God's day of worship.

So again, we will have a choice. Who are we going to worship? Of course, Satan is going to threaten the lives of all who choose God. Unfortunately, most will choose Satan to try to save their lives. But the righteous will choose God, even if it means they might lose their present life, so that they can save it for eternity. They will follow God no matter what happens.

23. Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
24. "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. Luke 9:23-24

We might wonder where the "good news" is in this kind of message. But the righteous are actually choosing to live forever, even if it means they might die in this evil world.

We must realize that all the killing, all the misery that you have experienced, all the evil that is in the world presently; It is about to come to an end. So, you have a choice, you can choose God and live happily and joyfully forever, or you can still choose Satan, which means you will ultimately be destroyed. This message will be carried to all the people of the world. Unfortunately most people will not follow God nor choose to live.

Now, The Second Angel's message given by the second angel tells the world that Babylon has finally and completely fallen:

8. And another angel followed, saying, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Revelation 14:8

Babylon has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. The wine and fornication are words that speak of false doctrines that have called all to sin against God. So, Babylon is the source of a host of sinful practices and false teachings that are based upon tradition and all the nations are following by doing the same things.

Let's insert another warning that is given in the first few verses of Revelation 18. It adds to the message of the second angel:

1. And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
Revelation 18:1-3

In addition to the fact that Babylon has fallen but now we understand that it has become the habitation of devils and foul spirits. We also find that the nations of the world have become rich because of Babylon.

But the next two verses give a warning not given in Chapter 14. The people who are in Babylon are to come out of her that they will not commit the same sins and that they will not receive the same plaques!

4. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Revelation 18:4-5

So, there will become a major call to come out of Babylon

Now the third message is probably the worst punishment described in the Bible:

9. 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,
10. "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. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
11. "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

If anybody worships the beast and his image and take the Mark of the Beast, they will be tormented with fire. This is the wrath of God and it is poured out in full strength. And they will have no rest day nor night till they die.

Hell Fire, does it last forever? What does the Bible say what will happen to the wicked? For additional information on the wicked dead click on the link to the right.

Do the wicked get tormented day and night for ever and ever? I have devoted a whole web page to this very problem. Click to see: Are we tormented day and night for ever and ever? (A new window will appear).

Another question is this: Often Satan is pictured as being in control of Hell where he tends the fires of the agonizing wicked. Thus Satan is pictured as tormenting the wicked. Is that truly what is going to happen? Is that happening now? Click to see: Is Satan in charge of Hell or is he and his angels destroyed in the fire? (A new window will appear)

All this time it will be the ones who keep the commandments of God and who have the faith of Jesus; These Christians will be the ones who will be patient. These are the ones who will be accepted by God and blessed. This means they will endure to the end because of their steadfastness!

12. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14:12

God's people will need to have the patience of the saints because they will be persecuted when Satan attacks. But their endurance and steadfastness will withstand the test because of their faith and trust in God to save them.

	The 144,000 and the Seal of God. What does the Bible tell about God's people at the End of Time? See how Job's experience explains what the 144,000 will experience and how Satan will try to trick and force his way. Click on the link to the Left (A new window will appear).
	God does not ask the impossible. What God does is that He enables us so we can truly follow Him. Why is the 144,000 Righteous. Does God do something special for them? Click on the link to the Left (A new window will appear).

Read these two pages above on the 144,000 and the seal of God. Learn how they become righteous. These two pages show what the experience of the 144,000 will be through the time when the Mark of the Beast will be urged by Satan to the whole world, when Sunday worship will be urged and forced over the whole world!

The Bible does not say anything about whether the mark will be visible or invisible. Or whether it will be some electronic thing or what it will be. We just don't know. So, we will have to wait and see when it actually happens for us to find out.

However, there are some things that we can figure out. In the process of taking the mark it seems that those who do take it will be giving themselves to Satan; Because, they will worship both the dragon and the beast:

4. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? Revelation 13:4

It does seem plain that most of the people of the world will think that it is hopeless to go against the beast because they say: "Who is able to make war with him?" So, many will not even try to fight it because they will think they have no choice in the matter but to worship Satan.

As time progresses, it will get even more scary:

11. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. Revelation 13:11-13

A second beast comes and it will use its muscle to force the people of the earth to worship the beast. It will actually use the authority of the first beast to force the world. So, it looks like there will be additional force needed by the beast. It should be evident that it takes the help of this second beast to try to force all to take the mark.

The reason for this is that some will not want to take the mark of the beast. I think that they will receive a choice, either you die or you will worship the beast and take its mark. This is the choice that God's people will face.

15. 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. Revelation 13:15

So, how will they try to kill them?

16. 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,
17. 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

So, all those who still say no, will not be able to buy or sell from then on. They will not be able to buy food or anything!

It looks like everyone will know what the mark will be because people will be forced to take the mark or name of the beast or to face the consequences. Satan will be telling them what they are to do.

So, we must make up our mind not to follow the crowd, but to search the Scriptures for ourselves to determine what God would have us do. I hope this helps,