To understand the mark of the Beast, we have to first understand who the Beast is and what the Bible tells us the issues are at the end of time. In previous articles, we’ve learned through 13 individual characteristics described in the Bible that only one power can meet the description of this Beast (also known as the Antichrist)—papal Rome. The mark of the Beast, therefore, is a mark that belongs to and is enforced by the Antichrist (papal Rome) itself.
Revelation describes the last great conflict between Christ and Satan as a conflict of authority. The devil has always been in rebellion against the authority of God. We see in Revelation 12:7 that the Dragon makes war on those that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ—those who submit to the authority of God alone. There are thus two issues that the enemy will target in the final conflict: the commandments of God, and the testimony of Jesus.
The law of God is the issue that touches the authority and government of God:
And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail (Revelation 11:19).
In John’s vision in Revelation 11, the seventh angel’s trumpet sounds, and momentous events begin to take place. One of these events is the temple of God opening in heaven. Inside the temple is the Ark of the Covenant. In ancient Israel, a replica of this heavenly Ark stood in the earthly sanctuary. The earthly Ark of the Covenant held two tables of stone on which God had written the law with His own finger.
Is John’s vision of the temple opening, with its focus on the Ark of the Covenant, telling us that the issues in the last great controversy will center on the law of God? It certainly would fit with the devil’s desire to attack God’s authority. If we choose to obey God’s law, God is our authority (Romans 6:16). But the Enemy of God will challenge the authority of the Creator and try and establish his own sign of authority.
Claiming Authority
Revelation 13 identifies the powers that would be involved in the final challenge to God’s authority. You can read a verse by verse expository of the book of Revelation 13 here. We know that papal Rome and the United States of America will play pivotal roles in this conflict. Moreover, the sea beast, or papal Rome, speaks with the mouth of a lion, which in Daniel’s prophecy represented Babylon. In other words, there would be a Babylonian component to the Papacy, especially concerning its speech.History tells us that during the fall of Babylon, its priesthood fled to Pergamum, and the Babylonian religion, rites, and rituals, as well as its hierarchy, were maintained there. The last pontiff king of Pergamum, King Attalus, bequeathed his title, the structure of the Babylonian priesthood, and vestments to Rome.i Initially, only the pagan high priest of Rome used the title Pontifex Maximus, but when pagan Rome fell, this Babylonian title was transferred to the Pope.
Interestingly, the statue of Pope Gregory XIII shows not only this title, but also shows the Pope on top of a dragon. According to Revelation 13, it is the Dragon that gave his power to the sea beast, the Papacy. In a special sense, the Roman Pontiff is thus the spokesman of the Dragon and it is through the Papacy, the heir of the Roman Empire, that the Dragon exercises his authority.
The Papacy claims to possess extraordinary powers in both moral and civil matters, even to the point of asserting its authority over the precepts of God.
Read about papal infallibility or some of the Roman Catholic Church’s statements about papal power.
Ahead to Understanding the Context of the Mark
i Roy Allan Anderson, Unfolding the Revelation - Evangelistic Studies for Public Presentation (California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1953).
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This article is adapted from Truth Matters by Professor Walter J. Veith, an international speaker who has studied Biblical issues in-depth in his quest for truth. His popular series Genesis Conflict brings the debate between Creation and evolution to a new climax as he dissects the arguments with a scientific eye. His highly-acclaimed series Total Onslaught sheds light on the state of the world today as we move to a one-world government and an anticipated apocalypse.
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