LG 32.4 The Mark of the Beast

“He causes all to receive

a mark in their right hand

or in their foreheads, that none

may buy or sell except they

have the mark of the beast.”

Revelation 13:16, 17

■ CHOICES

Bible prophecy

exposes Satan’s last

desperate effort

to win in his war

against Christ.

BY BETSY MAYER

The book of Revelation presents

the mark of the beast

as the last drama in an epic

battle between Christ and Satan. If

we want to avoid the beast’s mark,

we need to understand this ancient

controversy. The conflict has waged

throughout history, with Satan

contesting God at every step.

The story can be found throughout

the Bible, but portions of Revelation

chapter 12 neatly summarize it.

WAR BEGAN IN HEAVEN

“And there was war in heaven;

Michael and his angels fought

against the dragon; and the dragon

fought and his angels. And prevailed

not; neither was their place found

any more in heaven.” Rev. 12:7, 8.

It’s hard to imagine, but the Bible

reveals that war, rebellion, and sin

started in heaven, not on earth.

What caused the war? Satan, also

known as Lucifer and the brightest

angel in heaven, actually sought to

unseat God from His throne: “I will

ascend into heaven, I will exalt my

throne above the stars of God: I will

sit also upon the mount of the congregation,

in the sides of the north: I

will ascend above the heights of the

clouds; I will be like the most High.”

Isa. 14:13.

He also convinced a third of the

angels to join his rebellion. Rev.

12:4. We can assume that Satan

used deception to do this, because

in verse 9 Satan is described as a

deceiver. Jesus also called Satan the

father of lies. John 8:44.

God’s government is based on

truth. Satan’s plan to take over

heaven was based on lies. The stability

of the universe was at stake.

THE WAR CAME TO EARTH

“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.” Rev. 12:9.

Unrepentant and seething with

hatred, Satan vowed revenge. If he

couldn’t have heaven, he would set

up his kingdom on God’s newly cre-

2

Last Generation

ated earth. But first, he must recruit

Adam and Eve to join his rebellion.

Because God respects the free will

of all His beings, He allowed Adam

and Eve access to the tree of the

knowledge of good and evil, while

warning them that eating its fruit

would result in their death (Gen.

2:26). Sadly, Satan convinced them

that God was a liar bent on keeping

them in naïve servitude.

We can assume that Satan hoped

God would overlook their disobedience,

giving him opportunity to press

for a second chance. But God could

not be just and excuse the disobedience

of Adam and Eve and they

were exiled from their dominion and

from the tree of life. Deprived of its

life-giving sustenance, death, decay,

and disease immediately set in. Even

worse, their moral natures became

aligned with evil.

Satan wasted no time in setting

up his government on Earth. He

then infused men and women made

in God’s image with his spirit of

rebellion and claimed the doomed

race as his rightful subjects.

THE LAMB REDEEMS

OUR FREEDOM OF CHOICE

But God could supply a remedy—the

Messiah. He could send

His Son as a human being who

would pass tests of loyalty much

harder than humankind would ever

encounter and then offer Himself

as a substitute for their sins—God’s

sacrificial Lamb. By accepting His

death in their place, they could

receive a new nature infused with

the Holy Spirit, putting enmity

between them and Satan. Gen. 3:15.

Satan then set out to make

humankind so evil that God would

give up on them. Except for eight

people, he succeeded in turning the

human race against God before they

were cut off by the Flood. Then he

led the descendants of Noah into

rebellion at Babel. God intervened

again by confusing their speech and

scattering them over all the earth.

God then raised up a people to

whom He could reveal His character

and the principles of His divine

government. He entrusted them

with His sacred oracles—which

recorded His dealings with humankind

and the revelation of His love,

mercy and justice. Through them He

would send the Messiah. They were

to share all this with the world.

Again, Satan bent every effort to

thwart God’s plan and to distress,

deceive, or exterminate the Hebrew

nation. Through apostasy, he

reduced them from 12 tribes to 2. He

The Lamb’s weapons are truth and love;

the dragon’s weapons are deceit and coercion.

inspired oppressive and successive

world empires to further reduce the

tattered remnant’s influence.

But the promised Messiah came—

right on time. Satan then bent every

effort to destroy God’s Son.

“And the dragon stood before

the woman which was ready to be

delivered, for to devour her child as

soon as it was born.” Rev. 12:4.

He plotted the murder of God’s

infant Son by the jealous King

Herod. He sought at every turn to

tempt Jesus to sin, so that the Son of

God and sinners would be separated

forever from heaven. But failing at

all these, he orchestrated the murder

of God’s Son, the Messiah, at the

hands of His own people.

Yet again, the devil and his

accomplices failed: “And she

brought forth a man child, who was

to rule all nations with a rod of iron:

and her child was caught up unto

God, and to his throne.” Rev. 12:5.

SATAN ATTACKS GOD’S

CHURCH

“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.” Rev. 12:17.

Since Satan can no longer attack

Christ, he now attacks Christ’s

church. He does this in two ways:

through deception and coercion.

If Satan can’t deceive and confuse

Christ’s followers through false

doctrine, false prophets, false

miracles and signs, or through compromise

with error, then he uses

hardship, persecution, and even

threats of death to intimidate and

silence their witness.

At some periods in history we

find the Christian church laden with

error and compromise. At other

times we find the church enduring

terrible and brutal persecution.

In fact, the more closely God’s

people have clung to truth, the more

vicious Satan has become.

The mark of the beast combines

both deception and coercion. Satan

is still promoting the lie that obeying

God keeps us from personal

fulfillment, or that we can alter

His law to suit our own agendas.

But if God’s law could have been

changed, Adam and Eve could have

stayed in Eden, and Jesus wouldn’t

have needed to die.

For those that won’t go along

with his end-time deception,

Satan will use a global collusion of

religious and political leaders to

enforce his mark so universally and

thoroughly that God’s people will

no longer be welcome anywhere

in the world. Rev. 13:15. It will take

supernatural loyalty to refuse the

mark of the beast and honor God at

this crisis hour.

THE LAMB WINS!

Even though a vast majority

joins Satan’s side in the war, Bible

prophecy assures us that the Lamb

and His followers win! “And the

Lamb will overcome them, for He is

Lord of lords and King of kings; and

those who are with Him are called,

chosen, and faithful.” Rev. 17:14.

Through God’s grace, we may

choose to be on the winning side.v

Betsy Mayer is the managing editor of Last

Generation magazine.

Vol. 32 No. 4 3

■ LIFE OF FAITH

“Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret

to His servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7

BY ANTONELLA PEDLEY

Whenever world events

become troubled,

people instinctively

search for explanations. But searching

for answers today could lead

you down rabbit holes or into

heated political debates. There’s

also an endless supply of shadowy

conspiracy theories to explore.

The problem with conspiracy

theories is that they are highly

unprovable since they describe

events happening behind the

curtain of open society. How do we

decide which one is true?

Unlike conspiracy theories, the

Bible makes an extraordinary claim

about its source of information:

“Surely the Lord God does nothing,

unless He reveals His secret to His

servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7.

God reveals His actions through

biblical prophecy. Because many

Bible prophecies have already been

fulfilled, studying them gives us

clues about how future prophecies

will be fulfilled.

THE PURPOSE OF PROPHECY

One very important reason God

gave us biblical prophecy is to

strengthen our faith in Him and the

reliability of His Word. After telling

His disciples about future events

in His life, Jesus explained: “Now I

have told you before it comes, that

when it does come to pass, you may

believe.” John 14:29. As we see Bible

prophecies fulfilled in the past, we

can know that God and His Word

can be trusted for the future.

Jesus emphasized another

purpose for Bible Prophecy when

He said: “But take heed; see, I have

told you all things beforehand.”

Mark 13:23. We are to “take heed”

because we must choose a side.

Understanding the background

of world events helps us be on

the right side of the controversy

between good and evil.

RIGHTLY DIVIDING

Jesus also warned that one of the

signs of the end is deception. Just

as conspiracy theories are a form

of deception, so also are wrong

applications and false interpretations

of prophecy. Satan uses these

to obscure the truth.

One such idea is that the

COVID-19 vaccine is the mark of

the beast, or that an individual

here or there in history is the

Antichrist. Randomly attaching

prophetic labels to events or

individuals does injustice to God’s

Word and fails to arrive at truth.

In contrast, Bible prophecy correctly

and carefully studied will

give you the key to truth. The right

principles of prophetic interpretation

are themselves found in the

Bible. One such principle was

highlighted by Jesus: prophetic

fulfillments follow the course of

history. Yet they are neither solely

reflecting the past, nor should they

all be projected into the future.

Jesus’ explanation to the two

disciples walking towards Emmaus

illustrates how He applied prophecies

to His recent death and resurrection:

“And beginning at Moses and

all the prophets, He expounded to

them in all the Scriptures the things

concerning Himself.” Luke 24:27.

On another occasion, Jesus

applied prophecy to the future

destruction of Jerusalem: “Therefore

when you see the ‘abomination of

desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel

the prophet, ‘standing in the holy

place’ (whoever reads, let him

understand), then let those who

are in Judea flee to the mountains.”

Matt. 24:15, 16.

In both instances, Jesus was using

the historicist method of interpreting

prophecy, the same method

used by Jews and early Christians to

understand Old Testament prophecies.

Historicism associates biblical

prophecies with actual historical

events and identifies symbolic

beings with historical persons or

societies. This results in a progressive

and continuous fulfillment of

prophecy from the Old to the New

Testament and puts the Bible student

in harmony with the prophets,

the apostles, and Jesus Himself.

We will use this method as we

examine the important prophecies

about the mark of the beast.v

All Scriptures quoted from the New King James

Version.

Antonella Pedley writes from Sweden and is a

lifelong student of Bible prophecy.

4

Last Generation

■ CURRENTS

“I…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.”

Revelation 13:1

If we would know the truth about

“the mark,” we must first identify “the beast.”

BY DAVID SYMONS

Interest in the topic of the “beast”

and his “mark” has always

surged during times of peril and

uncertainty. As people grapple with

a lingering pandemic coupled with

worldwide economic and political

insecurity, their anxious search for

what the future holds has once

again ignited fear and wild speculation

on the subject.

The phrase “the mark of the

beast” originates in God’s Word,

specifically in its last book—

Revelation. 1 And it is the Bible that

holds the key to unlock the meaning

of the mysterious symbols of

this vital prophecy. 2

So where do we begin? Logic tells

us that if we are going to understand

the mark of the beast, we

must first understand who or what

the beast itself is.

A CLOSER LOOK

AT THE BEAST

Revelation 13 tells us the story

of the beast, beginning in verse

1: “I…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.”

At first glance, this might sound

like something out of popular fiction.

But no, this is indeed the Bible. So

what’s up with all this strange imagery?

Is the Bible telling us that we

need to beware of a creepy-looking

sea monster at the end of time?

The very first verse of the book of

Revelation tells us that its message

was “signified,” or “put into symbols.”

In other words, Revelation

reveals vital truths about the future

through rich symbolism. Thus,

Vol. 32 No. 4 5

when John saw a beast rising up

out of the sea, we can assume it was

symbolic. As we’ve learned already,

the Bible itself holds the key to

unlocking the symbol’s meaning.

The Beast: The book of Daniel—

the “twin sister” of Revelation—

explains that in prophecy, a beast

(i.e. an animal) represents a nation.

See Dan. 7:23. Thus, in Revelation

13, John is being shown the rise of a

mighty nation.

The Sea: What about the “sea”

from which the beast arose?

Revelation 17:15 tells us that it

represents a large concentration

of people. This mysterious nation

arose from a highly populated area

in the world. Just where that area

was will soon become obvious from

further clues.

The Heads, Horns, and Crowns:

What else do we know about this

beast? For one thing, it has “heads,”

which have horns with crowns as

well as blasphemous names on them.

The heads, horns, and crowns all

point to the kind of government this

nation has and the extent of its influence.

In the Bible, heads are usually

associated with rule and authority.

For example, Christ is referred to as

“the head of the church.” Horns can

represent power and authority, especially

the power held by kings. 3 And

crowns symbolize kingly power,

suggesting that the beast would

have an autocratic system of governance,

as well as great influence

over the nations among which it

arose. Its leadership would demand

unquestioning obedience, and its

decrees would be strictly enforced in

all nations under its dominion.

Revelation itself tells us where

this power comes from. The beast

inherited it from “the dragon.” Rev.

13:2. This dragon, mentioned first in

chapter 12, has several identities—

either the devil himself, 4 or nations

he uses to accomplish his evil

purposes. 5 In verses 1–4, it refers to

the Roman Empire which, through

its vassal King Herod, sought to kill

Jesus (the “man child” in verse 5)

around the time of His birth. 6

Thus, this nation received its

power from the Roman Empire.

The Greek word translated as

“power” suggests military might,

meaning that this new nation and

its leaders would hold sway over

vast armies, just as the ancient

Caesars did. And what would it

do with this great military power?

For 1,260 years, 7 it would persecute

God’s people. Rev. 13:4, 7.

Furthermore, the Roman Empire

gave to this new nation its “seat”—

that is, the place of its throne. The

rulers of this mysterious new nation

assumed the very position of the

Caesars of Rome, including their

titles, political authority, privileges

(including being regarded and

worshiped as gods on earth), and

even the same capital city—Rome

itself—located in central Italy.

This new nation arose in the populated

region of Western Europe, in

which Italy is located.

The Names of Blasphemy:

Names in the Bible often suggest

character or mission and purpose. 8

Since the heads display a blasphemous

name, the leaders of this

nation have a blasphemous purpose

and character.

What exactly is blasphemy? In

the simplest sense, it is to show

great disrespect for the name of God

by the way we use it in our conversations.

More than this, though,

we find that blasphemy refers to

the false claims of a man to be God,

such as claiming the authority to

forgive sins. 9 It also refers to the

false profession of Christianity. 10

PUTTING THE PIECES

TOGETHER

So, who or what is this mysterious

“sea beast”? From what we

have learned, it is a nation located

in Rome, Italy, where it received

the titles, territory, and political

clout of the Caesars. It also is a

nation that claims to be Christian,

but whose leadership showed this

to be false by its persecution of

God’s people (and whoever else

that challenged its decrees) and

by its blasphemous claims to be

as God on earth, including the

authority to forgive men’s sins.

As we candidly consider history,

it becomes plain that the

beast refers to none other than

the Roman Catholic Church State,

which officially received political

power to control the Western

portion of the Roman Empire in

ad 538 from Emperor Justinian,

whose capital was in the eastern

portion of the empire.

At that time, its leadership took

the titles of “Pontifex Maximus”

and “king of kings” among others

and quickly began using its new

political and military might to persecute

all who would not accept its

claims or its many and increasing

The book of Revelation uses

symbols to convey vital

truths about the future. The

Bible itself holds the key to

unlocking these symbols.

6

Last Generation

false doctrines. This reign of terror

became known as “the Dark Ages”

and lasted until 1798, at which time

its political power was stripped

from it, and its pope, Pius VI, was

forced to abdicate by the French

armies of Napoleon.

Despite this loss of political

power, its religious claims and

nature have never changed. It still

claims that it holds “on this earth

the place of God Almighty,” 11 and

to this day it still offers “pardon”

through various means. 12

A Disclaimer: We must be

clear that we are not condemning

individual Catholics, who are often

as sincere as any other believer in

Christ. Nor do we negate the good

work Catholic charities have done.

Rather, the issue is the system and

its claims, which include placing

man’s traditions above God’s

commands and a priest or a pope

between the sinner and his Savior.

THE FINAL CRISIS AND THE

LAMB’S BOOK OF LIFE

The loss of political power in

1798 is referred to in Revelation 13

as a “deadly wound.” Verse 12 tells

us that some day in the near future,

this will be “healed,” meaning that

the Roman Church’s political power

will be restored and that the world

will experience another “dark age.”

Revelation tells us that the entire

world, under the threat of persecution,

will worship the beast (obey

its laws) except those whose names

are written in the Lamb’s “book of

life.” Who are they that are written

in this book? Those who belong to

the Lamb of God—Jesus Christ.

Very soon this world will be

plunged into the greatest crisis in

history, and those alone who have

given themselves—heart, body, and

soul—to Jesus will have strength

to endure. How is it with you,

reader? Have you invited Jesus

into your life? Have you given Him

your sins? He loves you and longs

to have you come to Him to find

life and peace for the present and

strength for the future.v

REFERENCES

1. See Rev. 13:16, 17; 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20;

20:4.

2. See 1 Cor. 2:13.

3. They can also represent kings themselves.

See Ps. 89:17; Hab. 3:4; Dan. 7:24; 8:20, 21;

Rev. 17:12.

4. Verses 7–9.

5. A dragon/serpent is a beast or animal and

thus represents a nation(s).

6. See Matt. 2:3–16.

7. A day in Bible prophecy is equal to a literal

year. Num. 13:34; Eze. 4:6. Forty-two months

refers to 1,260 prophetic days or 1,260 literal

years.

8. Jacob’s name meant “supplanter,” well

describing the way in which he overtook

his brother and the firstborn’s privileges by

deception. Gen. 25:26. Matt. 1:21 shows that

the name “Jesus” was given to our Lord as it

described His mission to save.

9. See John 10:33; Mark 2:7.

10. See Rev. 2:9. It uses the word “Jew,” which in

New Testament times, referred to believers

in Jesus. See Rom. 2:28, 29. Also compare

Rom. 9:6–8 with Gal. 3:7, 26–29.

11. This claim can be found in Praeclara

Gratulationis Publicae (The Reunion of

Christendom), an apostolic letter of Pope

Leo XIII, promulgated on June 20, 1894.

12. We can be sure of this because of Rome’s

doctrine of “papal infallibility,” which means

that the pope can never be wrong in what

he says. Rome’s teaching that priests and

the pope himself can offer forgiveness is still

authoritative to this day.

David Symons is a pastoral evangelism graduate

of Hartland College. He now serves as a Bible

teacher at Purelight Missions in South Africa.

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calculate the number of the beast,

for it is the number of a man: his

number is 666.” Revelation 13:18.

This mysterious verse has baffled Bible students for centuries.

Yet Revelation 13:8 informs us that it is possible to identify

both “the beast” and his strange “number.” This book will

help you crack the code. More importantly, discover what

“the beast” and his “number” have to do with you!

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Vol. 32 No. 4 7

Last Generation 7

Is America in Bible Prophecy?

What role, if any, will the United States of America play

in the final events of Bible Prophecy?

Let’s explore this question, starting with Revelation

13:11–15: “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. 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.... 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.”

We have already identified the first beast as the

Roman Catholic Church-State that controlled Western

Europe for 1,260 years. (See “The Beast behind the Mark”

in this issue.) To identify this second beast, we must note

the contrasts between them. The first beast arose from

the sea, which is said to represent “peoples, and multitudes,

and nations, and tongues.” Rev. 17:15. The Mediterranean

world, where the medieval Papacy arose, was densely

populated. By contrast, this new “lamblike nation” was to

arise from “the earth,” or a region not densely populated.

A NEW NATION RISES

ON THE WORLD STAGE

The lamblike beast was also to rise around the

time that the first beast, the Papacy, received her

deadly wound. Many Protestant Reformers shared the

understanding that the Papacy’s 1,260-year period of

political power (also known as 42 prophetic months)

was to end sometime in the latter part of the 18th

century. As early as 1754, John Wesley, founder of

the Methodist movement and a brilliant Bible scholar,

began looking for the rise of the second beast. In his

comment on Revelation 13:11, he stated, “He is not yet

come, though he cannot be far off. For he is to appear

at the end of the forty-two months of the first beast.”

(For an understanding of how to calculate the end of

the first beast’s reign in 1798, see “The Beast Behind

the Mark” in this issue.)

In the latter part of the 18 th century, the United

States of America emerged as a new world power.

One historian, speaking of the birth of the American

8

Last Generation

nation, describes “the mystery of her coming forth

from vacancy” and “like a silent seed” growing into

an empire. America commenced young and gentle.

Though compared to a lamb, the same symbol used

to portray Jesus Christ, she nevertheless had power,

represented by her two horns. The fundamental principle

of the First Amendment is separation of church

and state—affording both civil and religious liberty.

Properly understood, this principle is quite Christlike.

Jesus presented the distinction between civil and

religious authority when He said, “Render therefore

to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the

things that are God’s.” Matt. 22:2l.

Rightly applied, the state was not to control the

church, nor was the church to control the state. The role

of the church was to foster public morality through the

unrestricted (but not publicly funded) teaching of God’s

Word. The role of the state was to protect the rights of its

citizenry—including the right to worship or not to worship.

The American Bill of Rights was established on the premise

that the peaceful assembly for worship is never to be forbidden

and worship is never to be coerced—because God

desires only the voluntary act of true devotion.

THE LAMB WHO

SPEAKS AS A DRAGON

Although the prophecy first describes this beast as a

gentle lamb, it undergoes a drastic change and speaks “as

a dragon.” A nation “speaks” through its laws or official

decrees. Revelation 13 depicts an ultimate union of

church and state within this nation. By enacting religious

legislation, the lamblike beast will enforce some form of

worship and will do so in contrast to its original nature.

So, at some point in the future, this country’s principles

of the separation of church and state will be repudiated.

In fact, Bible prophecy reveals that the US will one day

be foremost in enforcing the mark of the beast upon the

whole world. Rev. 13:12, 16, 17. (See “The Mark of the

Beast” in this issue for what constitutes the mark.)

When America enforces worship through its official

laws and persecutes those who cannot conscientiously

participate in legislated worship, then this nation will “speak

as a dragon.” In the face of this country’s historical legacy of

constitutional freedom of worship, it has seemed hard

to believe that one day these liberties will be denied.

However, freedom in America has been on a steep

decline since September 11, 2001, when the United States

declared war on terrorism. Americans have been trading

their constitutional freedoms for the promise of increased

security and protection. What they’ve gained by the trade

is the rise of surveillance technology in everyday life, the

erosion of the writ of habeas corpus along with the use

of extrajudicial detainment and trials, and the freezing

of assets of those suspected of funding terrorism (even

without evidence). Even the definition of terrorism has

evolved and can now include anyone who questions the

official narrative or a government mandate.

The COVID-19 pandemic further eroded freedoms.

In many states, religious gatherings were banned.

In some states where church bans were enforced,

casinos and bars were allowed to remain open. Big

tech corporations colluded with the government to

suppress any voice that questioned the official COVID

narrative, including the voices of prominent scientists

and medical practitioners. The economic freedoms

of local businesses and individuals have been severely

limited. Refusing the vaccine has cost some their livelihoods

and denied others their opportunity to fulfill

their academic goals. Travel has been seriously limited.

These developments with civil and religious liberty

have created a climate ripe for persecution and for

the future enforcement of the mark of the beast by

the United States.

REFERENCE

1. G.A. Townsend, The New World Compared to the Old, 1869, p. 462.

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AMERICA IN BIBLE PROPHECY

Recommended for

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This beautifully designed study

guide in magazine format provides a

clear and balanced overview of what the

Bible says about the final superpowers

on Earth and how you can prepare for

these apocalyptic events.


■ CHOICES

“He causes all to receive a

mark in their right hand

or in their forehead, so

that no one may buy or

sell, except they that have

the mark of the beast.”

Revelation 13:16, 17

BY STEVE WOHLBERG

What is the mark of the

beast? Is it a tattoo,

credit card, microchip,

or genetic material inserted by a

vaccine? The speculations on this

topic are endless, but they mainly

stem from one passage in the Bible:

“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:

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.” Rev. 13:16, 17.

Make no mistake about it; this

mysterious “mark” is definitely on

the horizon. God’s Word predicts

it. But let’s set speculations aside

and explore its meaning in light of

the Bible. 1 Brace yourself. It would

be good to pray, too, for the information

you’re about to discover is

highly controversial. Yet it is biblical

and supported by solid facts.

IDENTIFYING THE BEAST

IS THE KEY

First of all, it is absolutely

essential that we grasp one very

simple, yet oft-overlooked, point:

the mark of the beast comes from

the beast described in Revelation

13:1–10. Using the prophetic

keys we learned about in the first

article, “The End-Time Beast of

Revelation,” we saw how the

Bible clearly identified the beast as

the Roman Catholic Church. The

mark is her mark.

As we uncover what the mark is

and who will get it, it is helpful to

understand who does not get the

mark; it’s mentioned in Revelation

14:9–12, at the end of God’s final

10

Last Generation

warning against the mark of the

beast. Don’t miss this: those who

“keep the commandments of God”

and “the faith of Jesus” don’t get the

mark. These people, identified as

“saints,” have faith in Jesus (like Jesus

had faith in His Father), and through

His grace and power, they also “keep

the commandments of God.” 2

Could this be the core issue in

avoiding the mark?

GOD’S LAW UNDER ATTACK

We are now ready to face the

heart of the matter. Are you ready?

Church history tells us that as the

Roman Catholic Church grew in

power, it developed a peculiar hostility

to the Ten Commandments.

This was also foreshadowed in

Daniel 7:25, which speaks of the

Catholic Church as a power that

would “think to change times

and laws.” If you closely examine

the Ten Commandments, there

is only one commandment that

specifically deals with “times.” It is

number four, which states:

“Remember the Sabbath day,

to keep it holy. Six days you shall

labor and do all your work, but the

seventh day is the Sabbath of the

Lord your God. In it you shall do

no work…. 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.” Ex. 20:8–11.

You have just read what

was “written with the finger of

God” on solid stone. Ex. 31:18.

By contrast and as a direct challenge

to God’s supreme authority

as Creator, notice this quote from

the Roman Catholic Convert’s

Catechism of Catholic Doctrine:

“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, in the Council of Laodicea

(ad 364), transferred the solemnity

from Saturday to Sunday….

“Q. By what authority did the

Church substitute Sunday for

Saturday?

“A. The Church substituted

Sunday for Saturday by the plenitude

of that divine power which

Jesus Christ bestowed upon her.” 3

Here is another stunning statement

from a Catholic priest, Father

Thomas Enright:

“I have repeatedly offered $1,000

to anyone who can prove to me

from the Bible alone that I am

bound to keep Sunday holy. There

is no such law in the Bible. It is a

law of the holy Catholic Church

alone. The Bible says, ‘Remember

the Sabbath day to keep it holy.’ The

Catholic Church says, ‘No. By my

divine power I abolish the Sabbath

day and command you to keep holy

the first day of the week.’” 4

Shocking, isn’t it? Here, Father

Enright says the “command” to

“keep Sunday holy” isn’t in the

Bible, but it is actually “a law of

the holy Catholic Church alone.”

Not only does the Church

openly claim to have changed the

Bible Sabbath to Sunday, but she

has even asserted:

“Of course the Catholic Church

claims that the change [from

Sabbath to Sunday] is her act, and

the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical

authority in religious things.” 5

Now that you have read what

the Roman Catholic Church says,

let’s take a closer look at what the

Holy Bible says.

At the close of Creation week,

“God blessed the seventh day and

sanctified it, because in it He rested

from all His work which God had

created and made.” Gen. 2:3. Because

God rested on the seventh day, this

fact can’t be changed. It’s like a

person’s birthday or anniversary. It is

unmovable and unalterable.

The seventh day is the Sabbath

of our magnificent Creator. It is a

sign of His power, love, and care

for all He has made. A careful

study of the New Testament also

reveals that Jesus Christ is the One

who created all things. 6 Thus the

seventh-day Sabbath is His day—

the Lord’s Day. 7 Jesus affirmed,

“The Son of Man is Lord even of

the Sabbath day.” Matt. 12:8.

Back to prophecy and the mark

of the beast.

For the record, no one has the

mark of the beast today—not until

it is universally enforced by law.

See Rev. 13:16. I also realize that

millions of true followers of Jesus

exist today in Sunday-keeping

churches, including the Catholic

Church. Most Christians have

never taken a close look at the

sandy foundation Sunday rests on.

But it is now time for these facts to

be uncovered for all to see.

Here is what is looming on the

horizon.

THE SOLUTION TO A

GLOBAL EMERGENCY?

Deadly disasters and diseases,

civil unrest, chaos, and moral

mayhem will steadily increase.

Someday soon—none know how

soon—a tipping point will be

reached. As the world descends into

a global emergency, Bible prophecy

indicates that one primary human

will emerge as the world’s foremost

moral authority, counselor to kings

and politicians, advisor to the

United Nations.

“The mark” will be presented as the

solution to a global crisis far greater

than we’ve yet experienced.

Vol. 32 No. 4 11

That man will be the pope, falsely

called “His Holiness” and “The

Holy Father”—which are titles that

belong to God alone. He is also the

spokesman for “the Holy See” (the

Vatican government), which is far

from holy.

God’s Word predicts: “And all the

world marveled and followed the

beast…. And authority was given

him over every tribe, tongue, and

nation. 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.” Rev. 13:3, 7, 8.

It’s no secret that Pope Francis

has strongly recommended to

world leaders that the planet

observe Sunday as a universal day

of rest as part of the solution to our

global mess. In his monumental

papal encyclical, Laudato Si’, the

Pope said:

“Sunday, like the Jewish

Sabbath, is meant to be a day

which heals our relationships with

God, with ourselves, with others,

and with the world.” 8

But the pope’s arguments are

unbiblical and deceptive. He’s a

flawed advisor.

First, keeping Sunday is not the

answer to the world’s woes. Jesus

Christ is. He is our true Creator.

Second, the seventh-day Sabbath

is no more the sole possession of

the Jews than is marriage—both of

which come to us from the beginning

of time. 9

LIVING BY THE WORD

OF GOD

Jesus taught that we should

live “by every word that proceeds

from the mouth of God” rather

than by man’s opinions, which

include papal opinions and traditions.

Matt. 4:4. When the Jewish

leaders had a sneaky way of

getting around the fifth commandment,

Jesus told them, “Thus you

have made the commandment of

God of no effect by your tradition.”

Matt. 15:6.

According to Jesus, we must

never choose tradition over the

commandments of God. This

principle plainly applies to the

Sabbath-versus-Sunday controversy.

God’s commandment points

to the seventh day, while keeping

Sunday is a tradition of men.

Regardless of whether the pope

is sincere or not, and his advice

that world governments enforce

Sunday-keeping will prepare the

way for the mark of the beast.

When this mark of Rome’s false

authority is finally enforced by

law during a time of global emergency,

then God’s last warning will

sound. Read it again:

“If any man worship the beast

and his image, and receive his

mark in his forehead, or in his

hand.” Rev. 14:9, 10.

The “forehead” represents the

mind. The “hand,” the actions. See

Deut. 6:6–8. In contrast, God says,

“Remember the Sabbath day, to

keep it holy…. In it you shall do

no work.” Ex. 20:8–10. Thus the

Sabbath commandment also deals

with the forehead (we “remember”

in our minds) and with our actions.

Don’t forget—the little horn will

“think to change times and laws.”

During the final crisis, if people

settle into Sunday-keeping and

“think” like the beast, they thereby

receive his mark in their heads.

Notice once again that God’s

special warning in Revelation 14:9–

12, urging us to avoid the beast,

his image, and his mark, closes

with a definite appeal to each of us

to take a stand with His “saints…

who keep the commandments of

God and the faith of Jesus.” In the

midst of global confusion, this is

the Word of the Lord.

And in the time of their greatest

need, God won’t let His people

down. To counter Satan’s false

fire, the Lord will pour out His

true Holy Spirit upon them not

only to encourage them, but to

give them great power to proclaim

with “a loud voice” His last message

of mercy to a dying world.

See Rev. 14:6–12. Those who heed

God’s last warning will embrace

Jesus Christ as their Lord and

Savior, taking their stand for the

Ten Commandments (including

His Sabbath).

I want to be on the side of Jesus

Christ and Bible truth when these

momentous issues finally shake

the world.

Don’t you?v

REFERENCES

1. See also Rev. 14:9–11; 15:2; 16:2; and 19:20.

2. See “How to Escape the Mark” and “God’s

Seal Vs. the Beast’s Mark” in this issue.

3. Rev. Peter Geiermann, C.Ss.R., 1946, p. 50.

4. Priest Thomas Enright, C.Ss.R., Feb. 18,

1884.

5. C. F. Thomas, Chancellor for Cardinal

Gibbons, in a letter dated Nov. 11, 1895.

6. John 1:3, 10; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:16.

7. Ex. 20:10; Is. 58:13.

8. Laudato Si’, section 237.

9. See “Sabbath Before Sinai” in this issue.

Steve Wohlberg is the speaker/director of

White Horse Media. This article is excerpted

with permission from the chapter “The Mark

of Rome” in The Bloody Woman and the

Seven-Headed Beast. See also his book,

The Truth About the Sabbath, to study

further into this topic. Find these books and

more at whitehorsemedia.com.

No one has the mark of the beast today—

not until it is universally enforced by law.

12

Last Generation

■ MILESTONES

It’s a question of human versus Divine authority.

BY BETSY MAYER

The Roman Emperor

Constantine had a problem—

how to maintain unity across

his far-flung empire. Despite centuries

of persecution, Christianity

was still growing. Admittedly,

Christians were peaceable citizens

who worked an honest day and

paid their taxes. Who wouldn’t

want an empire filled with such

good people?

But the pagans feared that the

growing Christian population

might revolt and take over the

empire. So, they barred Christians

from many occupations and

opportunities for advancement. In

defense, Christians developed their

own communities where they could

control their lives. Constantine

believed this tension was fostering

instability in his empire.

Then the wily emperor hit upon

an idea that changed the history of

both Christianity and the Roman

Empire. Why not combine the

best features of both religions? In

essence, form a new religion, one in

which both pagans and Christians

could find common ground.

Constantine’s idea won the day.

The old pagan gods became Christian

saints, pagan festivals were changed

to religious holidays, pagan rituals

were given Christian explanations,

and pagan concepts were blended

with Christian doctrines. In the

process, Constantine’s catholic, or

universal, church was born.

Because the new church was

not established on strictly biblical

principles, when differences arose in

doctrine or practice, they could not

be resolved by appealing to Scripture.

Instead, Christians appealed to

church councils. This eventually

became a significant distinction

between Constantine’s church

and groups considered heretical.

“Heretics” were always appealing

to the Bible as the final authority in

spiritual matters. A safer course lay in

trusting a council of experts trained

to oversee such matters.

Vol. 32 No. 4 13

In regards to the Ten Commandments,

the church council felt it prudent

to modify them. Because pagan

temple statuary across the Empire

was now representing Christian

saints, the second commandment

was a bit of an embarrassment, so

it was omitted. Then, there was the

obvious problem of the fourth commandment

with its specific mention

of the seventh-day Sabbath.

In ad 321, Constantine had

decreed that all city dwellers should

rest on the day dedicated to the

worship of the sun god. Although

not specifically a command to worship,

Constantine’s intent was to

foster a spirit of harmony between

his pagan and Christian subjects.

Yet, the majority of Christians

still observed the Bible Sabbath

of the seventh day. But by ad 364,

the Church Council of Laodicea

forbade the observance of the Bible

Sabbath: “Christians shall not

Judaize and be idle on Saturday

[Sabbath, original], but shall work

on that day; but the Lord’s day

[Sunday], they shall especially

honor, and, as being Christians,

shall if possible, do no work on that

day. If, however, they are found

Judaizing [observing the seventhday

Sabbath], they shall be shut out

from Christ.” Logically, the fourth

commandment had to be modified

to reflect this new Sabbath.

Because the council had eliminated

the second commandment, only

nine commandments remained;

the awkwardness of “a missing

commandment” was resolved by

splitting the last commandment into

two parts, restoring the count to ten.

Compare the two versions of

God’s Law in the box below: one, as

given by God; the other, as changed

by man.

HUMAN AUTHORITY VS.

DIVINE AUTHORITY

The Catholic Church honestly

maintains and teaches that her authority

supersedes the Bible. Speaking of

the fourth commandment: “Sunday is

a Catholic institution…. From beginning

to end of Scripture there is not a

single passage that warrants the transfer

of weekly public worship from the

last day of the week to the first.” 1

The Bible prophesied that a world

power known as the “little horn”

would “think to change times and

laws.” Dan. 7:8, 24, 25. This is the

same power that John identified as

“the beast” in Revelation 3:1–3. 2 v

REFERENCES

1. The Catholic Press, Sydney, Australia, Aug. 1900

2. See also “The End-time Beast of Revelation,”

and “The Mark of the Beast,” in this issue.



As Given by God

Exodus 20:3–17

1. Thou shalt have no other gods

before Me.

2. Thou shalt not make unto thee

any graven image, or any likeness

of any thing that is in Heaven

above, or that is in the earth

beneath, or that is in the water

under the earth. Thou shalt not

bow down thyself to them, nor

serve them: for I the Lord thy

God am a jealous God, visiting

the iniquity of the fathers upon

the children unto the third and

fourth generation of them that

hate Me; And shewing mercy unto

thousands of them that love Me,

and keep My commandments.

3. Thou shalt not take the name of

the Lord thy God in vain; for the

Lord will not hold him guiltless

that taketh His name in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep

it holy. Six days shalt thou labour

and do all thy work: but the seventh

day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy

God: in it thou shalt not do any

work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy

daughter, thy manservant, nor thy

maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy

stranger that is within thy gates: For

in six days the Lord made Heaven

and Earth, the sea and all that in

them is and rested the seventh day:

wherefore the Lord blessed the

Sabbath day and hallowed it.

5. Honour thy father and thy mother:

that thy days may be long upon the

land which the Lord thy God giveth

thee.

6. Thou shalt not kill.

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

8. Thou shalt not steal.

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness

against thy neighbour.

10. Thou shalt not covet thy

neighbour’s house, thou shalt not

covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his

manservant, nor his maidservant,

nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any

thing that is thy neighbour’s.

The King James Version of the Ten Commandments is

taken directly from Hebrew manuscripts, preserved

for thousands of years by the Jews.

As Changed by Man

Exodus 20:3–17

1. I am the Lord your God: you shall

not have strange Gods before Me.

2. You shall not take the name of the

Lord your God in vain.

3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s

Day.

4. Honor your father and your

mother.

5. You shall not kill.

6. You shall not commit adultery.

7. You shall not steal.

8. You shall not bear false witness

against your neighbor.

9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s

wife.

10. You shall not covet your

neighbor’s goods.

A catechetical formula of the Ten Commandments

from the 1997 Catechism of the Catholic Church,

modified and promulgated by John Paul II, 2nd English

Edition. The catechetical formula is used to teach

Catholics the official positions of the Catholic Church.

The Ten Commandments as quoted in the Catholic

Douay-Rheims edition is not widely different from

that found in the King James Version. It should be

remembered, however, that Catholics are taught that

church tradition is equal or even superior to Scripture,

and that the abbreviated, modified catechetical form of

the Ten Commandments is binding upon them, not the

Law as it reads in their Bibles.

14

Last Generation

Honest Questions About

the Seventh-day Sabbath

Wasn’t the seventh-day Sabbath given at

Sinai for the Jews?

“Thou shalt not kill” was also given

at Sinai. Does that mean that Cain did not sin

by killing his brother? Did God just introduce

some commandments early and reserve others

to be introduced along with the Sabbath at Sinai?

Hardly, for the Bible states that if you break one,

you break them all. James 2:10. Thus, God shows

that the law is one complete whole and not ten

stand-alone rules independent of each other.

Before Sinai, Pharaoh had a knowledge that the

worship of Jehovah included a day of rest. When

Moses relayed God’s message to Pharaoh, “Thus

saith the Lord God of Israel, Let My people go, that

they may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness,”

Pharaoh responded harshly: “Ye make them rest

from their burdens.” Ex. 5:1, 5. While this is a correct

translation, it does not give the revealing phrasing

of the Hebrew, which is literally translated: “Ye

cause them to sabbatize.” Pharoah had no desire to

allow his slaves to worship Jehovah by observing

His weekly Sabbath, or to leave Egypt to do this. He

knowingly defied both Jehovah and His Sabbath

before it had been commanded at Sinai.

The Hebrews also knew about the Sabbath before

Sinai because God gave them an interesting test

of loyalty shortly before. Exodus 16 describes God

sending bread from heaven, which they called

manna, and commanding the people to gather a

double portion on Friday so they would not have to

gather on Sabbath, the seventh day. Remember, this

was before Sinai.

But there’s even stronger evidence of the Sabbath

before Sinai. Genesis 2:2, 3 says: “And on the seventh

day God ended His work which He had made; and

He rested on the seventh day from all His work

which He had made. And God blessed the seventh

day and sanctified it.…” There were no Jews in the

Garden of Eden. Furthermore, while He was on earth,

Jesus stated plainly that the Sabbath was made for all

humanity, not merely for the Jews. Mark 2:27, 28.

When the saints are redeemed and living in the

new earth, whether Jew or Gentile by origin, they

will worship the Lord on His Sabbath day. Isa. 66:23.

Wouldn’t I be denying Christ’s death and

resurrection if I worshiped on the seventh-day

Sabbath instead of Sunday, the day Christ rose

from the dead?

If the Bible is your rule of faith, there is a simple

answer: Christians have been given wonderful memorials

of Christ’s death and resurrection—the Lord’s

Supper and baptism. Matt. 26:26–28; Rom. 6:3–11.

Nowhere in Scripture do we find Christ or the

apostles transferring Jehovah’s weekly Sabbath from

Saturday to Sunday, nor do we find them changing

the original purpose of observing God’s holy seventh

day. The Sabbath was given as a memorial of

Creation and redemption. Ex. 20:8–11; Eze. 20:12.

Doesn’t Paul teach in Colossians 2:16, 17 that we

are not to make an issue of “sabbath days” in this

Christian age?

The seventeenth verse of this chapter reveals

the subject of Paul’s concern. These were Jewish

feast days that fell on a variety of weekdays which

God had commanded Israel to keep as they would

the weekly Sabbath. These feast days were merely

shadows of things that met their fulfillment through

the Messiah.

Jesus never gave the impression that the Ten

Commandments, specifically the Sabbath, would be

abolished through the work of the Messiah. On the

contrary, He upheld the law of God and declared

that heaven and earth would pass before the law

would be changed. Matt. 5:18.

Vol. 32 No. 4 15

■ PROFILE

BY GILLIAN BETHEL

Desmond T. Doss, the only conscientious objector to receive the Congressional

Medal of Honor, clearly understood that God’s authority comes first.

Exhausted, Private Desmond

T. Doss sank to his knees on

the barracks floor next to his

bunk and began talking to God

like he always did before sleeping.

The day had been overwhelming,

and he needed strength to cope

with his new, rough companions—their

cursing, tempers,

filthy jokes, and bullying.

Thud! A military boot narrowly

missed his head and landed next to

him on the floor.

“Look, guys! We have a Holy Joe

in our group!” Raucous laughter

filled the room and more boots

came flying. One scored a direct hit.

“Oh, Lord,” Desmond prayed

silently, “please give me a chance to

serve these men the way You would.”

So ended his first day in the United

States Army, 77th Infantry Division.

In 1942, when Desmond joined

the US army, he had a deep personal

faith in God and understood that

invincible strength came from Him

through prayer and Bible study.

Strongly patriotic, he wanted to be

what he termed a “conscientious

cooperator,” defending his country

and its religious freedom, but

without taking life. So he signed

up to be a combat medic with one

caveat: he wouldn’t carry a gun.

This put him at serious odds with

his fellow soldiers and commanding

officers. Desmond didn’t view

their disfavor as his problem. His

convictions, settled early in life,

weren’t up for negotiation.

PREPARATION FOR SERVICE

Desmond was raised in a poor

family during the Depression. Those

desperate times brought out the

strength of his mother’s character

and religious faith. One of the qualities

she modeled for Desmond was

perseverance. Desmond’s brother

Harold later remarked that Desmond

“didn’t know how to give up!”

Desmond took all ten of the

commandments seriously, especially

the fourth, “Remember the Sabbath

day, to keep it holy,” and the sixth,

“Thou shalt not kill.”

Desmond’s refusal to carry or

even touch a weapon was shaped

by a childhood incident. His mother

had intervened when his father

pulled a gun on Desmond’s uncle

during an argument. She gave the

gun to Desmond to hide. A framed

picture of the Ten Commandments

hung in his childhood home with

a picture of Cain killing Abel, illustrating

the sixth commandment, and

he realized there could have been a

similar tragedy in his own family.

As a soldier, he later said, “I

wanted to be like Christ, saving

life—not taking life. I couldn’t

picture Christ out there with a gun

killing people. I like to think of Him

out there with an aid kit like me.”

16

Last Generation

THREATENED IN TRAINING

The US army made provision for

noncombatants, and soldiers of all

religions were permitted to practice

their faith. But Desmond soon

found that despite these provisions,

many of the officers and men felt

otherwise. Keeping God’s commandments

became a battle.

The Bible taught Desmond that

while no unnecessary work was

to be done on the seventh day, he

should follow Christ’s example of

ministering to the sick and saving

lives. During training, no lifesaving

was needed, so every week

Desmond requested a pass to attend

church on Saturday. This was very

unpopular with both the men and

officers, but Desmond persisted. The

men sneered, “You get more passes

than the general, Doss.” And the

commander of the medical attachment,

Captain Statman, eventually

refused to sign them, even though

Desmond worked hard on Sundays

to make up the time.

Finally, the chaplain took

Desmond’s appeal to headquarters

where it was determined that he

could have his Sabbaths off like

other men had Sundays. But the

commander was not happy and tried

(unsuccessfully) to get rid of him.

Not only were Sabbath exemptions

a source of friction, but several

officers attempted to force Desmond

to carry a gun. Captain Jack Glover

from company command told

Desmond that everyone, including

medics, must carry a gun. Desmond

was respectful to the officers, but

never intimidated by them—no

matter their rank. He told Glover,

“Captain, don’t ever doubt my courage

because I will be right by your

side saving life while you take life.”

Glover retorted, “You won’t be at my

d____ side if you don’t carry a gun.”

Glover eventually went all

the way to the assistant division

commander with a request that

Desmond be removed from the

army. In Glover’s words, the

unwanted verdict was “not only

was he going to stay in the army,

but he was going to stay with me!”

The harassment from the officers

continued. Desmond wrote to his

wife, “Colonel Hamilton…tried to

shame me into taking a gun. He said

that I was letting others do my fighting

for my religious rights. I told

him…I was willing to go to the front

lines to save life, but not to take

life.” Desmond remained immovable

on his principles, even when

challenged by military authorities.

DECORATED IN ACTION

In July 1944, Desmond’s company

entered combat in the Pacific islands

of Guam, Leyte, and Okinawa. He

proved himself to be a fearless and

self-sacrificing medic who would

rescue wounded men no matter the

risk, and the opposition to Desmond

melted away! At the Maeda

Escarpment in Okinawa (Hacksaw

Ridge), he famously stayed for 12

hours under heavy enemy fire to

rescue between 75 and 100 wounded

men after the rest of the company

withdrew. (Desmond thought it was

only 50; his commanding officer was

sure it was 100. His record states 75.)

He refused to give up until the last

American was off the ridge.

For this, and other heroic actions,

he received his nation’s highest

award, the Congressional Medal of

Honor. Desmond gave all the glory

to God: “If the Lord hadn’t performed

on my behalf, I don’t know

how I would ever have got the men

off that escarpment.”

Four exhausting days of combat

after this miraculous rescue, orders

came from headquarters for a

concerted island-wide push against

the Japanese. For Desmond, it was

a much-needed Sabbath. He was

studying his Bible when his company

commander, Frank Vernon,

approached him respectfully. “Doss,

you don’t have to go on this mission,

but the men would like to have

you with them, and so would I.” By

now, Desmond’s prayers and presence

no longer received abuse.

Desmond agreed but asked to

finish his Bible study first. Vernon

passed the request to Colonel

Hamilton (who’d previously tried to

shame Desmond), and Hamilton held

up the entire 77th Division advance

in Okinawa for one medic. Desmond

kept that Sabbath holy by rescuing

wounded men and saving life rather

than taking it—like Christ. For him,

it was God first, others second,

and himself last—the true spirit of

Sabbath-keeping and of God’s love.

Commander Jack Glover later took

back what he said about not fighting

For Desmond, it was God first,

others second, and himself last—the true

spirit of Sabbath-keeping and of God’s love.

alongside Desmond: “The irony is,

he ended up saving my life! He was

one of the bravest people alive.” Yet

Desmond stayed very humble even

when honors were heaped on him.

He said that the smiles of gratitude

from those he saved were his reward.

On returning from the nightmare

of war, few can say, “I have no

regrets.” But in spite of the misunderstanding

and persecution Desmond

endured for his beliefs, in spite of the

hardships and risks, he could smile

and say he had no regrets. Why?

All through his war service, he kept

God’s commandments, trusted in His

protection, and persevered in doing

his duty to his fellow man.v

SOURCES

• “Hacksaw Ridge (2016),” History vs.

Hollywood, historyvshollywood.com.

• The Conscientious Objector. Directed by Terry L.

Benedict. Cinequest, 2004.

• B. Herndon, Redemption at Hacksaw Ridge

(Coldwater, MI: Remnant Publications, 2016).

• “This Is Your Life—Desmond Doss,”

YouTube video.

Gillian Bethel taught college Bible classes for

many years. She is passionate about making

Christianity practical for daily challenges.

Vol. 32 No. 4 17

■ SEARCH THE WORD

“I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts;

and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Jeremiah 31:33

Yolanda Beavers urgently needed a miracle.

After struggling for years with dilated cardiomyopathy,

an irreversible heart condition where

the heart enlarges and weakens, Yolanda’s doctors

told her they had exhausted all their medical options

to keep her alive. She would need a heart transplant

soon, or she would die.

Organ donors are few and far between—usually

one available organ is needed by at least 10 people.

Yolanda was placed on a waiting list to receive a

donated heart. Then, her condition grew so serious

that she was placed in an intensive care unit while

she waited.

On day 30, Yolanda heard the phone ring at the

nurses’ station. “I just knew that call was for me,” she

recalled. Even before she heard the details, she sensed

a heart had been found. “I knew I was going to get

better, and there was a reason for me to live.”

Within six days of the transplant, Yolanda was up

and walking around the unit with a new heart.

Three years later, Yolanda met the family and

friends of her donor, Kristen Corbett. It was bittersweet

for Kristen’s family, who lost a precious 20-yearold

daughter in a fatal car accident. But meeting

Yolanda and seeing how much she treasured her new

lease on life was a healing moment for them.

“If Kristen were here right now and God asked her

if she would give up her life so someone else can live,

she would say ‘yes,’” Kristen’s father said through

tears as he hugged Yolanda.

One of Kristen’s close friends embraced Yolanda

and wouldn’t let her go. Then through tears she

asked Yolanda if it was OK if she pressed her hand to

Yolanda’s chest to feel her friend’s still-beating heart.

Yolanda says her life is not her own. “Someone had

to die so I could live.”

18

Last Generation

Yolanda’s story contains many spiritual lessons. We

are born with defective spiritual hearts that are naturally

selfish and rebellious. Because of what we lost at

the Fall, our hearts (minds) are at enmity with God’s

law, which is the path of life and peace for the whole

universe of sinless beings. In fact, our defective spiritual

hearts influence us so strongly that we would find

heaven, where purity and selflessness reign supreme,

a miserable place to be.

Our only hope is to receive a new heart.

Good news! God promises to give us a new heart—

an unselfish, pure heart that looks like His. But the

process of receiving it involves the death of His dearly

beloved Son. And, in a sense, it involves our death, as

well.

Join us in studying how to receive God’s promise of

a new heart!

SOURCE

“Heart Transplant Recipient Meets Relatives, Friends of Crash Victim,”

Boston Globe, bostonglobe.com, Oct. 7, 2012.

OUR HEARTS’ NATURAL CONDITION

FROM BIRTH

1. How does the Bible describe the condition of

our natural hearts?

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things,

and desperately wicked: who can know it?

The expression “heart” used throughout the Bible refers

to the whole of the innermost part of humans, made up of

the mental processes, the emotions, and the will.

2. How did Jesus describe our natural state

from birth?

John 3:3, 6 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily,

I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot

see the kingdom of God.… That which is born of the flesh

is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

The New Testament also equates the “the flesh” with

“the carnal mind.” See the next question.

3. What kind of mind is incapable of pleasing

God or keeping His law?

Romans 8:7, 8 Because the carnal mind is enmity

against God: for it is not subject to the law of God,

neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh

cannot please God.

We may see great wisdom and beauty in God’s law, but

unless we are born of the Spirit and converted, we will find

ourselves powerless to live up to all that the law of God

demands.

WHAT GOD WANTS TO DO IN YOUR HEART

1. What core principle are all God’s commands,

including His moral law, based on?

Matthew 22:37–40 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love

the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your

soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and

great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You

shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two

commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

2. What would God do for disobedient Israel

so that He could be their God and they, His

people?

Jeremiah 31:33 “But this is the covenant that I will

make with the house of Israel after those days,” says

the LORD: “I will put My law in their minds, and write

it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall

be My people.”

Having His law of self-denying love as their principle of

action would enable them to appreciate, love, and obey Him

as well as treat others, even their enemies, with love and

respect.

3. Was this covenant only for the Israelites?

Galatians 3:29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are

Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

God’s covenant to give a clean heart filled with unselfish

love is for anyone who wants to belong to Jesus and have a

changed life.

HOW HE WILL DO IT

1. In what ways does God link our lives with

Jesus so that we can experience God’s

covenant?

Ephesians 2:4–6 But God, who is rich in mercy, because

of His great love with which He loved us, even when

we were [spiritually] dead in trespasses, made us

alive together with Christ (by grace you have been

saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit

together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Vol. 32 No. 4 19

God will count Christ’s perfect life, death for sin, and

resurrection to eternal life as ours if we give ourselves to

Him. The biblical term for this is “justification.” It sets us

right with His law as if we’d never broken it.

2. What else does God do for us when He

makes us “alive with Christ”?

2 Corinthians 5:17–18 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,

he is a new creation; old things have passed away;

behold, all things have become new. Now all things are

of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus

Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation….

Being changed from “glory to glory” and becoming more

and more like Jesus in character is called “sanctification.” It’s a

lifelong process. It happens as we read about Him in the Bible,

think about Him, and give ourselves unreservedly to Him daily.

2. What will remembering we’re “alive with

Christ” help us to do?

Romans 6:11, 12 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to

be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus

our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal

body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

When we accept Jesus into our life, our old life “dies”

and we receive new attitudes and motives. This is what it

means to be born again. We are no longer alienated from

God; we are reconciled to God and His law of love. We will

also want others to experience the same.

3. What is God’s main purpose for uniting us with

Jesus and re-creating our hearts and minds?

2 Corinthians 5:15 He died for all, that those who live

should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who

died for them and rose again.

Remembering we’re alive to God with Christ helps us

choose to live Jesus’ way: resisting temptation to sin and

obeying the law of love that God has put in our hearts.

3. When the apostle Paul prayed for the

Colossian believers, what did he ask for?

Colossians 1:10, 11 That you may walk worthy of the

Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work

and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened

with all might, according to His glorious power, for all

patience and longsuffering with joy.

God does not live for Himself—He is love. When He

enables us to stop living for ourselves, we’ll find the greatest

happiness in lovingly obeying all of God’s commands and

sharing His love with others in acts of service.

4. Who specifically places the love of God in

our hearts?

Romans 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because

the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by

the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,

peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith….

The Holy Spirit is Christ’s representative. When we

accept Jesus and invite Him into our life, He sends the

Holy Spirit to abide in our heart, bringing all the beautiful

aspects of Christ’s character with Him.

WE HAVE A PART TO PLAY

1. What does the Holy Spirit do for us when we

keep our focus on Jesus’ life and Word?

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face,

beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being

transformed into the same image from glory to glory,

just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

If we ask, we’ll be strengthened by Christ with all the

power we need to live for God instead of ourselves. We

need to ask this for one another, too.

4. What special sign has God asked us to

observe to show that we accept His covenant

of grace in our lives?

Exodus 31:13 “Speak also to the children of Israel,

saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for

it is a sign between Me and you throughout your

generations, that you may know that I am the LORD

who sanctifies you.’”

When we’re in Christ, we are part of “Abraham’s

seed”—spiritual Israel. Gal. 3:29. Keeping the Bible Sabbath

shows that we belong to Christ and accept the Spirit’s

power to change us into God’s holy people.

COMMITMENT

I would like to experience God’s new creation in my life

daily so that I can love others like He does and obey His

commandments through the power of His indwelling Spirit.

Signed

20

Last Generation

God’s Seal Vs. the Beast’s Mark

Before God sends His end-time judgments upon the earth, He will seal

and protect all those who choose to remain loyal to His holy law.

In Revelation 7:1–3 we read about the “seal” that

identifies and protects God’s people when His

judgments are poured out on the world: four

angels are about to “hurt the earth” and its inhabitants

with the seven last plagues when another angel with

“the seal of the living God” tells them to wait until

God’s servants are sealed in their foreheads. Vss. 2, 3.

Rulers or heads of state use seals as distinguishing

marks of authority and domain. Seals can also show

ownership or validation. Found on official correspondence

such as decrees and laws, they usually contain

the ruler’s name, title, and area of jurisdiction.

In Revelation 14:6–12 we find clues about what

makes up God’s seal. Three angels bring a worldwide

messages for every nation, tribe, tongue,

and people. In the first message, an angel calls all

peoples to “worship Him who made heaven, and

earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters”

(vs. 7). In other words, worship God as Creator.

This message contains a nearly direct quote from

the fourth commandment of God’s ten-commandment

law: “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it

holy.… For in six days the Lord made the heavens

and the earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and

rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed

the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Ex. 20:8, 11.

Did you notice that the fourth commandment

contains God’s name (the Lord your God), position

(Creator), and jurisdiction (heaven and earth)? The

seventh-day Sabbath is the “seal” on God’s law,

showing His ultimate authority over heaven and

earth. Worshiping the Creator on His holy day

according to His command demonstrates that we

want to be “marked” with His name and “sealed”

as one of His loyal, commandment-keeping

people. See Rev. 14:12.

But those who receive God’s seal will have

rejected the beast and his mark and will keep the

Sabbath day holy. They will have separated themselves

from all known sin. 2 Cor. 6:17–18. Through

the power of the Holy Spirit, they are experiencing

the new covenant as God writes His law of unselfish

love on their hearts and minds. 2

In Revelation 14:1, John sees this group standing

with Jesus before God’s throne, “having His Father’s

name written in their foreheads.” Like an artist who

signs a masterpiece, God places His name on those

who truly reflect His loving and holy character.

Many of God’s people still worship on Sunday in

ignorance; therefore, God can’t seal them yet, and

Sunday hasn’t yet become the mark of the beast.

But Bible prophecy tells us that one day the whole

world will be forced to choose which side they are

on in this battle of authority between Christ and

Satan (and his puppet power, the beast). 3

In the meantime, God’s commandments are

for all humanity right now, just as they’ve always

been. His blessing is already on the day He made

for worship—the seventh day. Wouldn’t we want

to experience all of God’s blessings now and show

our loyalty today, even before the crisis at the end?

REFERENCES

1. See “The Mark of the Beast” in this issue.

2. See “Write Your Law on My Heart” in this issue.

3. See “The Mark of the Beast” in this issue.

A QUESTION OF LOYALTY

Notice the contrast between God’s seal and the

beast’s mark. As the beast rises in power and influence,

the world is compelled under pain of death

to worship him and receive his mark. 1 The beast’s

mark or “seal” includes the inscription of his name

placed on his worshipers. And what’s the symbol of

his authority? It’s a man-made replacement for God’s

Sabbath—Sunday. 1 The beast sets himself up as a

rival god with a rival day of worship and a rival seal!

Vol. 32 No. 4 21

■ CURRENTS

The pope promotes

the observance of

universal Sunday rest

to heal our broken

environment.

BY BETSY MAYER

Earth, our home,

is beginning to look

“The

more and more like

an immense pile of filth,” said

Pope Francis I in his famous 2015

encyclical, “Laudato Si’: On Care for

Our Common Home.” He continued

ominously: “We can see signs that

things are now reaching a breaking

point…. If we scan the regions of

our planet, we immediately see

that humanity has disappointed

God’s expectations.”

A papal encyclical is a pastoral

letter to the pope’s worldwide

flock. But in this letter, Pope Francis

addressed his urgent message to

“every person living on this planet.”

The summary of Francis’s urgent

message is this: as members of

the human family, we must all

acknowledge the harm we are doing

to the earth through pollution, the

shameful destruction of ecosystems

and loss of biodiversity, and the

immense peril of climate change.

We must also realize that when

we hurt the earth, we also hurt the

poor—those least able to adjust their

living and working conditions.

“Everything is connected….

Concern for the environment thus

needs to be joined to a sincere love

for our fellow human beings and an

unwavering commitment to resolving

the problems of society.”

FRANCIS’S SUNDAY

SOLUTION

Many of Pope Francis’s concerns

are justified, and some of his solutions

are admirable. They appeal to

both secular and religious people.

Global leaders praise his encyclical

as a moral masterpiece of climate

advocacy. But one of his primary

solutions includes the observance

of Sunday as a universal day of rest,

and this should sound an alarm

to students of Bible prophecy. (See

“What Is the Mark?” in this issue.)

“Sunday, like the Jewish Sabbath,

is meant to be a day which heals

our relationships with God, with

ourselves, with others, and with

the world.… The law of weekly rest

forbade work on the seventh day,

‘so that your ox and your donkey

may have rest, and the son of your

maidservant, and the stranger, may

be refreshed’ (Ex. 23:12). Rest opens

our eyes to the larger picture and

gives us renewed sensitivity to the

rights of others.”

Here, Francis implies moral

authority for the observance of

Sunday by equating it with the

unchangeable seventh-day Sabbath

of the fourth commandment.

He wrongly designates the Bible

Sabbath as the “Jewish Sabbath,”

which was founded at Creation

before the existence of the Jews. (See

“Honest Questions about the Bible

Sabbath” in this issue.)

Sunday rest, he continues, “protects

human action from becoming

empty activism; it also prevents that

unfettered greed and sense of isolation

which make us seek personal

gain to the detriment of all else.”

But then his message takes a

startling turn: “And so the day

of rest, centered on the Eucharist,

sheds its light on the whole week,

and motivates us to greater concern

for nature and the poor.”

Do not dismiss his argument

here. His promotion of Sunday rest

centers on the Eucharist—the heart

of Roman Catholic worship. By

implication this includes elevating

papal authority as the only true

22

Last Generation

medium of salvation. Here’s why.

During the weekly Eucharist, an

ordained priest claims to recreate

Christ’s very body and blood from

the wafer and the wine. This is

foundational to Catholic faith, and

taking part is believed to be essential

for salvation.

The Eucharist is totally dependent

on a hierarchy of priests under

the authority of one man—the

pope—making his church the

mediator of salvation for the whole

world. The Roman Church can also

“excommunicate” you, thereby cutting

you off from God’s grace.

THE PAPACY’S

GLOBAL AMBITIONS

The Protestant Reformation rightly

rejected the Papacy’s unbiblical view

of spiritual authority and its usurped

role as the dispenser of salvation. This

set in motion political events that

led to the Papacy’s “deadly wound”

when its power and authority were

removed nearly three centuries later

when Pius VI was captured and

exiled by Napoleon’s armies in 1798,

thereby ending the Holy Roman

Empire. Bible prophecy predicts

that this wound will be healed. (See

“The Beast Behind the Mark” in this

issue.) Despite its historic setback, the

Papacy has never lost its ambitions

to restore all that the Roman Church

has lost and to go even farther—to

position her as the dispenser of God’s

heavenly grace to all nations.

In essence, “Laudato Si’: On Care

for Our Common Home” is Pope

Francis’s assertion that the healing

of Planet Earth can only take place

as we accept the authority of the

Roman Church to dispense spiritual,

economic, environmental, and

social remedies. An examination of

its 184 pages shows that it promotes

the theory of papal social justice as

the solution to our environmental

and social crises. It ignores the

Bible’s teaching about redeeming

the earth from the Fall, which

includes God’s plan to cleanse the

earth from sin and from those who

cling to it before recreating our

planet. The encyclical never calls for

repentance from personal sin, only

from environmental and social sins,

and places man’s works as central to

the climate solution.

Our best charitable acts and climate

activism can never fix the sin

problem and all its results on earth.

While Christians should be involved

in works of charity as Jesus has

instructed us, we do so while looking

for His soon coming to deliver

us from this world of sin. Serving

others helps us deal with the selfishness

inherent in every heart and to

prepare for God’s heavenly kingdom

where no selfishness dwells.

Others may also be drawn to Jesus

through our unselfish acts of love.

Leading others to a saving relationship

with Jesus is more important

than recycling, using fewer fossil

fuels, or adopting sustainable practices,

as important as these may be

in our stewardship of creation.

UNITING TO PROTECT

CREATION

Recently, Pope Francis, who

presents himself as the head of all

Christians, along with the heads of

the Eastern Orthodox and Anglican

churches, issued “A Joint Message

for The Protection of Creation” ahead

of the COP26 climate summit in

November 2021. The statement

appealed to people of good faith

everywhere to “listen to the cry of

the earth.”

“This is the first time that the

three of us feel compelled to

address together the urgency of

environmental sustainability, its

impact on persistent poverty,

and the importance of global

cooperation. Together, on behalf of

our communities, we appeal to the

heart and mind of every Christian,

every believer and every person of

good will. We pray for our leaders

who will gather in Glasgow to

decide the future of our planet and

its people….

“This path requires an ever-closer

collaboration among all churches in

their commitment to care for creation.

Together, as communities, churches,

cities and nations, we must change

route and discover new ways of

working together to break down the

traditional barriers between peoples,

to stop competing for resources and

start collaborating.”

The combined memberships of

these three churches make up 1 in 5

people on the planet. Their collaboration

brings us closer to the day

when the deadly wound is completely

healed and “all the world

wondered after the beast. And they

worshiped the dragon which gave

power unto the beast: and they

worshiped the beast, saying, Who is

like unto the beast?” Rev. 13:3, 4.

The mark of the beast—Sunday

worship enforced by law—will

be implemented as a solution to a

global emergency. Opposing it will

seem selfish and uncaring. Only

those who allow nothing to eclipse

their view of Jesus as their true

Mediator and Lord and who accept

only the Bible’s truth about the

restoration of this earth as well as

the authority of God’s unchanging

law will be able to withstand these

masterful deceptions. May God help

us be in that number.v



Opposing an environmental Sunday

worship law will seem selfish and uncaring.

Vol. 32 No. 4 23

■ LIFE OF FAITH

When the vast majority is worshiping the beast, only a remnant will escape

his mark and the plagues that follow. How can we be among them?

BY GILLIAN BETHEL

No one that I’ve talked to

who’s “in the know” wants

the mark of the beast, even

if they hold differing opinions

on what it is. They don’t want it

because the Bible is plain that those

who receive it experience the undiluted

wrath of God against sin and

will be destroyed along with it.

But according to the Bible,

the vast majority of the earth’s

inhabitants will receive the mark

of the beast, and only one group

of people won’t—not a variety of

groups, but ONE! Who are they?

What does the Bible say about

them? How can we ensure that we

are in that group?

The book of Revelation describes

these people immediately after the

warning about receiving the mark:

“Here is the patience of the saints;

here are those who keep the commandments

of God and the faith of

Jesus.” Rev. 14:12.

This verse gives us four characteristics

of people who don’t receive

24

Last Generation

Those who resist the mark of the beast will

continually ask Jesus for His own endurance

to sustain them through the crisis.

the mark: (1) they have patience

or endurance; (2) they are saints

or holy ones; (3) they keep God’s

commandments; and (4) they keep

the faith of Jesus. We’ll look at each

of these attributes and then explore

how these people get them and

how we can be in this group.

ATTRIBUTES FOR SUCCESS

Who are the saints? The literal

translation of the word rendered

saints is “holy or sanctified ones.”

Notice how the apostle Paul greets

the Corinthian believers: “To the

church of God which is at Corinth,

to those who are sanctified in

Christ Jesus, called to be saints,¹

with all who in every place call

on the name of Jesus Christ our

Lord.” 1 Cor. 1:2.

Paul often calls church members

who are in Christ “saints.” True

believers will have a living connection

with Christ, and it’s this

connection that makes them sanctified

or set apart. They “call on the

name of Jesus Christ our Lord,”

meaning they communicate with

Him and rely on Him. Paul writes

that if the saints spend time looking

at Jesus, they will increasingly

reflect His holy character—His

glory. See 2 Cor. 3:18. Not all the

Corinthian church members lived

up to this, but those who escape

the mark will.

What exactly is the faith of Jesus?

It’s both the kind of faith He had

and a personal belief in Jesus as

a powerful, loving Savior. Jesus’

faith was anchored in what the

Scriptures say; it was not affected

by any circumstances. He trusted

His Father and obeyed Him in

everything. Jesus gives this kind of

faith to His followers as they study

the Bible. With it, they understand

the significance of His life, death,

resurrection, and work for them

in heaven before His return.

Embracing these truths transforms

their lives. End-time Christians

keep this faith and refuse to compromise

it under any circumstances.

Are these last-day Christians

legalists because they obey God’s

commandments? No. They are

obeying Jesus and the Father out of

love and loyalty rather than fear or

self-dependence. As they read the

Bible, they’re reminded that their

own sins made Jesus’ crucifixion

necessary, and they grieve that

they have caused Him such pain.

Understanding that “sin is

lawlessness” (1 John 3:4), they ask

for power from Jesus to obey God’s

law. Their loyalty eventually develops

to the point where they would

rather die than knowingly disobey

and dishonor God.

And finally, they definitely need

endurance! Those who resist the

mark of the beast are willing to be

patient through a time of difficulty

and suffering without taking the

easy way out. They’d rather stay

faithful to Jesus. Their attitude is

like the apostle Paul’s: “I also count

all things loss for the excellence of

the knowledge of Christ Jesus my

Lord, for whom I have suffered the

loss of all things and count them as

rubbish that I may gain Christ and

be found in Him.” Phil. 3:8, 9. They

continually ask Jesus for strength,

and they receive His own endurance

to sustain them through the crisis.

JESUS PROVIDES A GIFT

Can we really become such strong

Christians? It sounds hard, and our

past shortcomings sometimes haunt

us. We may question our ability to

withstand bullying from powerful

groups pushing the beast’s mark.

But Jesus has made provision for our

weakness by giving us a huge gift—

the Holy Spirit. We don’t always

realize how much the Holy Spirit

wants to do for us, so let’s look.

Remember the change in Jesus’

disciples? Before the Last Supper,

they were still bickering about

who would be the greatest when

Jesus became king. They deserted

Him in Gethsemane; and after His

crucifixion, they were hiding in the

upper room, afraid they’d suffer

the same fate as Jesus. They were

often dominated by pride, fear, and

misunderstanding. Yet they became

a united team of world-changers,

fearlessly proclaiming the truths of

the gospel. It was the Holy Spirit

who made the difference.

On His last night, Jesus told His

disciples about the Spirit of truth

who would guide them into all

truth. John 16:13. He later promised

that the Holy Spirit would give

them power to share this truth and

be witnesses for Him. Acts 1:8. And

He promised that when the Holy

Spirit came to them individually,

He Himself would also come and

live in them. John 14:16‒18. The

Holy Spirit would form a close, living

connection between them and

Himself, like that between a branch

and a vine stem. John 15:5.

This union with Christ through the

Holy Spirit is vital for His followers.

Through it, they may share all that

is Christ’s. Not only are His life and

death credited to them,² but a continuing

connection to Jesus through

the Holy Spirit is what enables them

to reflect His character traits and

live for Him. They can also share in

Vol. 32 No. 4 25

the faith, peace, and endurance He

showed when under pressure.

HELP FOR END-TIME

BELIEVERS

How will the gift of the Holy

Spirit specifically help Christians

facing the turbulent end times?

As Jesus promised, the Holy

Spirit will guide those who are

searching for truth amid confusion.

He’ll help them study and understand

the promises and prophecies

in the Bible. He’ll also help them

see the need of obeying all of God’s

Ten Commandments, and they’ll

realize that the Sabbath commandment

is especially important. It’s

God’s seal on His law, identifying

whose law it is and His authority

as the great Creator.

Under the guidance and conviction

of the Holy Spirit, truth

seekers will honor their Creator by

worshiping Him on the specific day

He has set apart as holy time—the

seventh day, not the first. The

issues of the last days will make

this a dangerous choice, but the

true believers’ deepening loyalty

and love for Jesus, given to them

through the Holy Spirit, will override

fear of consequences. They’ll

proclaim and obey the truth in the

power of the Spirit, even at risk of

their lives.

HOW WE CAN BE READY

You and I can have the courage

and conviction needed to join

these faithful Christians if we start

preparing now. The Holy Spirit will

teach and empower us, too. Our

part is to spend time in the Bible,

getting to know more about Jesus

and the Father, their commands,

their prophetic messages, and their

sustaining promises. These need

to be the foundation and compass

of our lives. We cannot rely on

our feelings or what people, even

religious leaders, say. To identify

and avoid the appealing errors and

deceptions at the end, we must

know for ourselves what the Bible

says. Then, we must live by it and

share it. Jesus will be with us, giving

us His wisdom and strength

through the Holy Spirit.

Most crucially, we need to

submit our lives fully to Jesus each

day, interact with Him constantly,

and seek His power for obedience.

He will become a joy and anchor

in our lives like nothing else.

All this will prepare us to make

momentous future choices which

honor Him.

Paul said, “When I am weak,

then I am strong.” 2 Cor. 12:10.

He discovered that real strength

is moving forward and doing

what’s right in spite of weakness,

depending completely on Jesus

and the Word of God. The first

humans failed a test of loyalty

and obedience because they didn’t

trust God. There’s a final test of

loyalty and obedience coming to

humanity, and only those in Christ

will pass it. God’s true children

will obey steadfastly in spite of

their weakness because they are

receiving faith, love, and courage

from Jesus.

At the end, God will place an

invisible seal of His possession

and protection in the foreheads of

those who remain faithful to Him.

Rev. 7:3. It won’t be seen by human

eyes, but their loyal obedience to

the fourth commandment—the

seal of their Creator’s law—will

be. This will bring persecution, but

enduring to the end will be worth

it! We can’t even imagine the wonderful

future prepared for God’s

people, but you and I can reach it

in Christ. The good news is that it’s

not about how strong we are, but

how strong Jesus is!v

REFERENCES

1. A literal translation is “called-out saints.”

The to be is not in the Greek.

2. The wonderful basis for our salvation.

Gillian Bethel taught college Bible classes for

many years. She is passionate about making

Christianity practical for daily challenges.

Searching for Bible answers

to your spiritual questions?

Sign up for online Bible studies at lastgen.net.

Or receive Bible studies through the mail.

Email: biblestudies@lastgen.net

Phone: (540) 672-5671

Write: Last Generation Ministries, 444 Hartland Oak Dr.,

Rapidan, VA 22733

(We mail only to US addresses.)

Kids! We have Bible studies just for you, too!

26

Last Generation

What happens to those who receive

the Mark of the Beast?

Will they be tormented in the lake of fire forever?

The warnings given in the Bible against receiving

the mark of the beast are some of the most

solemn and fearful ever sent by God to man.

The Bible sets them forth in plain and direct language:

“If any man worship the beast and his image,

and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God,

...and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone

in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence

of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment

ascendeth up for ever and ever.” Rev. 14:9–11.

This text is often used to prove that God punishes

sinners forever in an eternally burning hell. The

doctrine of eternal torment has led vast numbers

to hate and fear God—or to give up their belief in

God altogether. But is this doctrine biblical? If we

allow the Bible to be its own interpreter, a different

picture emerges.

The first mention of God using fire to punish

sinners is with the wicked inhabitants of Sodom and

Gomorrah. Jude 7 describes it as “the vengeance of

eternal fire.” But when God overthrew those cities

with fire, He destroyed them. See Genesis 19:24–29.

So what, then, is eternal fire? Other Bible passages

give us further understanding: “It [the land of

Judah] shall burn, and shall not be quenched.” Jer.

7:20. “The flaming flame shall not be quenched.”

Eze. 20:47. “Eternal” or “unquenchable” fire is a fire

that burns until there is no more fuel to burn, and

while it burns, nothing can put it out.

Isa. 34:10 adds, “It shall not be quenched night

nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever.” But

forever doesn’t always mean for eternity. In Ex. 21:6

and 1 Sam. 1:22, 28, it means “as long as he lives.”

Speaking of those cast into the lake of fire, Rev.

20:9 reads, “Fire came down from God out of

heaven, and devoured them.” Devoured means

destroyed. See also Jer. 17:27.

Before we come to a conclusion, let’s discuss the

fate of Satan. Like those who receive the mark of

the beast, he, too, is cast into the lake of fire. What

happens to him? “And the devil that deceived them

was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, ...and

shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

Rev. 20:10. But again, does the Bible’s expression “for

ever and ever” used here mean for eternity?

The prophet Ezekiel was shown God’s plan for

Satan’s demise: “I will destroy thee, O covering

cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.... It [fire]

shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes

upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold

thee.... Thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be

any more.” Eze. 28:16, 18, 19. The devil burns until

he’s destroyed, until he no longer exists.

Likewise, for those who receive the mark of the

beast, to burn forever means as long as they are

alive or until they die in the fire. “The day that

cometh shall burn [the wicked of all ages] up, saith

the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither

root nor branch.…for they shall be ashes under the

soles of your feet.” Mal. 4:1, 3.

God’s Word clearly teaches a temporary lake of

fire, which will cleanse this earth and eliminate sin

and sinners from the universe. No devil or sinner

will be tormented throughout eternity. Only the

righteous will inhabit eternity.

It is not God’s desire for any of us to perish

in the lake of fire. While Jesus clearly taught the

destruction of sinners by fire (see Matt. 25:41),

He assured us, “For God so loved the world that

He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever

believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting

life.” John 3:16.

Vol. 32 No. 4 27

■ TELL OF HIS POWER

Choosing to obey God’s Sabbath commandment isn’t always easy, but Johnny

White and Ron Sutton both found that God honors those who honor Him.

BY CRYSTAL EARNHARDT

The Bible describes those who

obey and delight in God’s

commandments as trees—

beautiful, strong, and productive.

“And he shall be like a tree planted

by the rivers of water, that bringeth

forth his fruit in his season; his leaf

also shall not wither; and whatsoever

he doeth shall prosper.” Ps. 1:3.

I found two modern-day trees

with a story. Both found that following

God was an uphill path, a

journey with an uncertain end and

possible financial disaster. Yet both

knew that God’s blessings lay at the

end of the journey.

TREE #1

Johnny White sighed as he

tabulated the neat numbers in his

account book. While his figures

proved a marked increase in the

shoe repair business, somehow his

success brought little satisfaction.

The old dream of owning a fullscale

shoe store had resurfaced.

But how could he? Saturday was

the main day for sales in Cambridge,

Maryland. He had long since

pledged his life to follow Christ and

His ten-commandment law. The

fourth commandment plainly stated:

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep

it holy. Six days shalt thou labour,

and do all thy work: but the seventh

day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy

God: in it thou shalt not do any

work.” Ex. 20:8–10.

How could he compete with

larger shoe stores if closed on the

main shopping day?

But then a verse with a promise

popped into his mind: “If thou turn

away thy foot from the Sabbath,

from doing thy pleasure on my holy

day; and call the Sabbath a delight,

the holy of the Lord, honourable;

and shalt honour Him…I will cause

thee to ride upon the high places of

the earth.” Isa. 58:13, 14.

A growing conviction took control.

With God as chief consultant, he

could not fail. Johnny decided to

offer his customers orthopedic shoes,

particularly for children. He took a

course at Ball State College on orthopedic

footwear and proper fitting.

His shoes must be representative of

quality and fair prices, with the good

of the customer always in mind.

After careful planning, he decided

to close his shop on Friday afternoon

and open after sundown on Saturday

night. When people inquired about

the strange hours, it would give him

a witnessing opportunity.

Johnny’s Shoe Store in downtown

Cambridge, Maryland, sells more

shoes on Saturday night than most

similar stores sell all week. “The

shop stays open until 10:30 p.m.,” he

says with a smile, “and sometimes

we have to fudge a bit in order to

serve everyone. God has truly been

a faithful partner.”

28

Last Generation

TREE #2

Ron Sutton listened intently

as the evangelist read text after

text proving that God’s tencommandment

law was important

to humanity today. The fourth

commandment, however, filled

him with turmoil. He loved his job

as a mail carrier. But the U.S. Postal

Service had a motto that despite

rain, sleet, or snow, the mail would

be delivered. He had never heard

of a carrier receiving Saturdays

off. What was he to do? For weeks

he prayed for this cup to pass. His

wife and two

small children

depended on him

to make the house

payments and

provide food and

clothes. Was poverty

the reward

for obedience?

As he agonized on his knees, a

parable came to his mind. A man,

leasing a field, found treasure buried

in the ground. He sold all that

he had to purchase the field so

that the treasure could be lawfully

his. Matt. 13:44. In Ron’s mind,

the Sabbath was the treasure and

he would have to sell everything

to keep it. How could God cause

this mailman to “ride on the high

places of the earth,” as Isaiah

58:13, 14 promised?

Ron approached his superior

and informed him of his decision to

honor the Sabbath.

“If you don’t work on Saturdays,

you’ll lose your job,” came the tart

reply.

Silently, Ron went home to pray.

On Friday, he reminded his boss that

he would not work the following day.

“Sutton, you know that mail

has to be delivered on Saturdays,”

he answered. “You’ve delivered

mail faithfully for thirteen years.

Why are you forcing me to dismiss

you now?”

“Sutton, you know that mail has

to be delivered on Saturdays. Why are

you forcing me to dismiss you now?”

Ron spent the next three weeks

using vacation time so he could

worship on Sabbath. He fasted and

pled with God to intervene. He and

the evangelist phoned the postmaster

general, who arranged a district

meeting to decide Ron’s case. At the

end of the meeting, he was asked to

appear before the committee.

He entered the room thirty pounds

thinner, but filled with indescribable

peace. “Your records show

that you’ve been faithful with your

work,” the chairman began. “But as

you know, mail must be delivered on

Saturday. We’ll have to find someone

to take your place. I’m sorry, but this

is one job that you can’t keep if you

keep your Sabbath.”

“I understand.” Ron held his

head high and breathed deeply. So it

had come to this.

The chairman cleared his throat

and smiled. “There is a little post

office in the western part of the state

that needs a postmaster. It won’t

require Saturday work. We’d be honored

if you’d accept that position.”

“And all these blessings shall

come on thee, and

overtake thee, if

thou shalt hearken

unto the voice of

the Lord thy God.”

Deut. 28:2.

Your test with

Sabbath observance

may be more severe than others; but

all may be assured that obedience to

God, trust, surrender, and a willing

heart will bring an experience and a

reward that’s too precious to miss.v

Crystal Earnhardt is the author of several children’s

books. She is married to John Earnhardt,

who used to race with his cousin, the late Dale

Earnhardt of NASCAR fame. John left racing

and eventually became an evangelist. Read his

conversion story in Victory Lane: The John

Earnhardt Story. Check out the Earnhardts’

ministry website at victorylaneministry.com.

Beautifully designed

color magazine. 32 pages.

New

Illustrated

Edition

GOD’S GIFT OF REST

In-depth study guide

on the Bible Sabbath

Feeling frazzled and harried

in a world that never stops?

Explore the day of rest gifted

to us by God at Creation! Trace

its history from Eden through

time. Learn how the seventhday

Sabbath will soon become

significant in world events.

Vol. 32 No. 4 29


■ BODYWISE

“And I saw…them that had gotten the victory over

the beast, and over his image, and over his mark,

and over the number of his name.” Revelation 15:2

Those who are determined not to receive the mark of

the beast understand the need for crisis preparation.

BY SABRINA PETERSEN

Hollywood has conditioned us to believe that

to survive an apocalyptic crisis we need to be

superheroes with hulking bodies or geniuses

capable of cracking sophisticated codes—or maybe one

of their friends!

If that’s what it will take to survive the end-time crisis

ahead, few of us have the bodies, the minds, or the connections

to make it!

Thankfully, that’s not what the Bible portrays. By

examining the stories of Bible characters who survived

great crises, we find principles that will help average

people like you and me to survive as well. The story

of Daniel and his three friends who were taken into

Babylonian captivity seems especially relevant for those

who will face the mark of the beast crisis.

Because they were from the Jewish royal line, the

Babylonian king wanted these four young men to join

his team of “wise men.” Surrounded by idolatry, they

had to choose either obedience to the king or death. But

they wouldn’t compromise, and God intervened to save

them as witnesses for His truth and power. See Daniel,

chapters 1–3.

One primary character trait laid the foundation for

their success. Recent research shows why this character

trait is the cornerstone for your success too.

On arrival in Babylon, the Jewish captives were

given food from the king’s table—no doubt contrary

to their lifestyle principles (Leviticus 11). Daniel 1:8

records that Daniel “purposed in his heart that he

would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s

meat, nor with the wine which he drank.” His three

friends joined him in this resolve.

The character trait they demonstrated is known

as self-control—“restraint exercised over one’s own

impulses, emotions, or desires.” Self-control is essential

to the Christian walk. “Do you not know that those who

run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? …And

everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all

things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but

we for an imperishable crown.” 1 Cor. 9:24, 25, NKJV.

THE NEED FOR SELF-CONTROL

Psychologists now recognize that a lack of self-control

is central to most of the personal and social problems that

plague our societies—crime, relationship struggles, underachievement,

and financial problems, as well as health

issues such as sexually transmitted diseases, heart disease,

type 2 diabetes, stroke, drug addiction, and alcoholism.

On the other hand, people with high levels of selfcontrol

experience better health, greater satisfaction in

their lives, and the ability to take responsibility for their

actions. Self-control is vital to optimal mental, physical,

and spiritual health.

But what if you don’t feel very strong on the “selfcontrol”

front? Here’s the good news! Self-control comes

from having the Holy Spirit in our lives as we give ourselves

to God. Gal. 5:22, 23. The Holy Spirit then cooperates

with us and guides us to make lifestyle choices that

can strengthen our ability to practice self-control.

Because self-control takes place in the frontal lobe

of the brain, we need to keep this part of our brain in

good working order. Let’s explore some brain-boosting

lifestyle choices that can strengthen our frontal lobe and

our self-control.

30

Last Generation

DIET

Because of self-control, Daniel and his friends were

able to say no to the king’s wine and meats and choose

foods that would nourish their bodies and minds, as

well as maintain a pure conscience before God.

Their decision resulted in more than physical health.

God honored them by giving them “knowledge and

skill in all learning and wisdom.” Dan. 1:17. When

the king tested them, “he found them ten times better

than all the magicians and astrologers that were in

all his realm.” V. 20. Our minds don’t only determine

our dietary choices. Our dietary choices determine the

strength of our minds!

People today still talk about the “Daniel Diet”—a

completely plant-based diet. How does this diet impact

our ability to have self-control?

The food we eat has a powerful impact on brain function.

A diet of plant foods, particularly grains, beans,

nuts, and seeds, increases beneficial brain chemicals that

regulate our moods and help us control our impulses.

These were largely the childhood foods of Daniel and

his friends, and the ones they requested.

On the other hand, the foods that were on the king’s

table, like meat and wine, fuel inflammation and

negatively impact mood. Other “brain drains” are corn

syrup, sugar, refined foods, and margarine. Researchers

suspect that caffeine may also suppress the brain’s ability

to regulate our moods.

EXERCISE

Exercise increases circulation to the brain, lowers

inflammation, decreases stress hormones, grows new

brain cells, and thickens the cerebral cortex, the part

of the frontal lobe that houses the will, our decisionmaking

processes, and our self-control—all things that

make up our moral character. Exercise also helps boost

our mood regulators.

Though they aren’t sure why, scientists have also

found that regular physical activity seems to boost the

ability to delay gratification—another important aspect

of self-control.

SLEEP

Did you know that pulling an “all-nighter” or losing

even a couple of hours of sleep here and there over time

can have a similar or worse impact on the brain than

being drunk? The various stages of sleep are extremely

important for brain rejuvenation. When we are sleepdeprived,

frontal lobe activity slows down, preventing

us from making good decisions and having optimal

use of our executive functions. Lack of sleep also causes

greater emotional responses in the brain and lowered

capacity for self-control. Aim for seven to nine hours of

sleep each night for optimal brain function.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

Stressful situations like encountering a hostile

coworker or an angry dog sets us up for emergency

mode, decreasing all unnecessary functions. Stress

hormones send messages to our bodies that help us act

reflexively. The amygdala, or the emotional center of the

brain, is heightened, suppressing the frontal lobe. This

means that self-control is suppressed too.

Scientists found that people who showed this kind of

brain activity under stress made unhealthy choices instead

of healthier ones. This might explain why people who are

chronically stressed find it hard to form healthy habits.

If you’re struggling with self-control, check your

stress levels. Set healthy boundaries, manage your time

wisely, and provide yourself with opportunities for rest

and recreation.

A MIND PREPARED FOR CRISIS

Daniel and his three friends all faced decrees to

either worship heathen deities or lose their lives.

They chose to only honor and worship God, despite

the consequences. In the final crisis of earth’s history,

God’s people will be faced with decrees to worship

the beast. See Revelation 13 and 14. Do you have what

it takes to be faithful to God in the face of persecution

and possible death?

Yes! When pressured to accept the easy way out and

turn away from the truth, we can cooperate with the

Holy Spirit and exercise the highest level of self-control.

Just like Daniel and his friends, who chose habits of

self-control and were thus prepared for greater challenges,

we too can choose a temperate lifestyle today.

We may build our habits of self-control and obedience

to God now, so that when we face the crisis of the last

days, we will be prepared to stand firm.v

Sabrina Petersen is a certified plant-based nutritionist through the

American Fitness Professionals Association. To access a version of this

article that includes scientific references, please find the digital edition

at lastgen.net. We also recommend the Optimize Your Brain program

from optimizeyourbrain.com.

Managing Editor Betsy Mayer | Editorial Assistants and Copyeditors Rachel Bourque, Christian Charles, Rachel Perry, Joan Reichard, Vanessa Sosa,

Kevin Wahl | Creative Services Ink of Light Print Design | Subscription Services Teresa Hargreaves

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notice. Visit www.lastgen.net; e-mail sales@lastgen.net; call 540-672-5671; or write to address below. Last Generation magazine is published bi-monthly by

Hartland Institute of Health and Education to share God’s truth in a troubled world. We believe in the soon coming of Jesus Christ and in the authority of His Word, the Bible, to prepare a generation to

meet Him in peace. LAST GENERATION ISSN 1091-9821 is published bi-monthly for $19.95 per year by Hartland Institute of Health and Education, 444 Hartland Oak Dr, Rapidan, VA 22733. Periodicals

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Vol. 32 No. 4 31

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