"The Mark of The Beast Part 1" - Pastor Stephen Bohr

[Music] let's bow our heads father in heaven this day we're going to study a very important subject we're going to speak about the mark of the beast and we need your divine guidance not only do I need your guidance but I also ask that you will be with those who are watching this presentation on television or listening to a CD I ask Lord that you will open minds and hearts that people will be tender-hearted to receive the truth as it is in Jesus I ask Lord that you will help people not to be offended but to study these things out for themselves that they might see the truth and embrace it and I thank you Father for hearing my prayer or I ask it in the precious name of Jesus amen in our studies together we have already identified the beast we've noticed that the beast is the same as the little horn as the harlot the abomination of desolation the man of sin of second Thessalonians chapter 2 and basically all of these symbols represent a worldwide system and that system is the Roman Catholic papacy now I'm not speaking about the individuals who are within this system there are many people who are very sincere they love Jesus and they don't know about these things so don't take this personally I'm not talking about you I'm talking about the system of Roman Catholicism now we've identified the beast as a Roman Catholic system and so it should not be too difficult to identify the mark of this system or what is known as the mark of the beast now we're going to approach our study from three perspectives I want you to imagine throwing a pebble into a lake when you throw a pebble into the water you have I want you to imagine that you have three ripples you have a small one a larger one and you have the largest one now what we're going to do is we're going to study the end time conflict and we're going to notice first of all what is the broadest issue in the final controversy and we're going to notice that that broadest issue is a controversy over the law of God over the Ten Commandments but then we're going to specify a little bit more we're going to look at the inner circle and that inner circle is going to show us that God's Ten Commandment law has two tables the first table describes our duty towards God the second table describes our duty towards our fellow human beings and we're going to notice that the end time controversy has to do with the law of God but more specifically it has to do with the first table of God's holy law and then we're going to go to the innermost circle and we're going to notice that the end time controversy has to do with one specific commandment in the first table of the law so we're going to go from the broadest God's holy law the Ten Commandments to a little bit smaller circle which is the first table of the Ten Commandments and then we're going to go to the smallest circle which is one specific commandment in the first table of the law so we're going to notice first of all the broadest circle the great controversy at the end of time has to do with God's holy Ten Commandment law which the devil hates go with me to Revelation chapter 12 and verse 17 where we find a description of the end time controversy and what the issue is it says there in Revelation 12:17 and the dragon which is Satan according to verse 9 was enraged with the woman the woman represents the church and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring or as the King James says with the remnant of her seed and now notice why the dragon or the devil hates the remnant of the woman's seed it says they keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ so Satan hates two things about the endtime remnant first of all they keep the commandments of God he hates the commandments of God that's what the final controversy is about now we're going to study the testimony of Jesus Christ a little bit later on for now I want you to notice that Satan's hatred against God's people at the end of time will be because they keep the commandments of God the Ten Commandments as we will study later on in this series we're going to study that phrase the commandments of God and we're going to notice that it refers to the Ten Commandments now I also want you to notice that the end time controversy has to do with two marks the mark of the beast and the seal of God and I want you to notice where the seal of God and the mark of the beast are placed the Bible says that they are placed on the forehead now notice Revelation chapter 7 and verse 3 where it speaks about God's endtime remnant 144,000 we're going to notice later on in this series that these are those who will be alive when Jesus comes who will be able to stand in the midst of the wrath of God when it's being poured out upon the earth it says in Revelation 7 verse 3 do not harm the earth the sea or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads so notice that the servants of God are sealed on their foreheads now why are they sealed on their foreheads let me ask you what is behind your forehead behind your forehead I would hope there is a brain and your brain is the organ of the mind in other words the forehead represents the mind now what is it that God in our minds notice Hebrews chapter 8 and verse 10 Hebrews chapter 8 and verse 10 for this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days says the Lord now notice this I will put my laws in their mind what does God place in the mind or on the forehead he places his laws in the mind and he says and write them on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people so the sign of God on the forehead has something to do with his laws generally speaking and of course the mark of the beast must be some counterfeit having to do with the law it must be human laws in contrast to God's holy law which is placed on the forehead and then I want you to notice Isaiah chapter 8 in verse 16 once again the seal is identified with God's law notice Isaiah chapter 8 and verse 16 it says there bind up the testimony seal the law among my disciples what do God's disciples have sealed among them God's what God's holy law is sealed among God's disciples so you notice once again the seal that is placed in the forehead is connected with the commandments of God or with the law of God another thing that I want you to notice that shows that this end time controversy has to do with the law of God is what we find in 2nd Timothy chapter 2 and verse 19 2nd Timothy chapter 2 and verse 19 here the Apostle Paul is speaking about the followers of Jesus Christ and he says this nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands having this seal notice that God has a seal the Lord knows those who are his and let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from what iniquity those who name the name of Jesus what do they do they depart from iniquity that's the seal of God it has to do with departing from iniquity now the question is what is it that defines righteousness and iniquity what distinguishes between the two folks it's God's holy law Ecclesiastes chapter 12 and verse 13 says the sum of the whole matter is this fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of man for God will bring every work into judgment whether it be good or whether it be evil notice that the law of God defines what is good and what is evil so if you're going to depart from iniquity it must be that you keep what God's holy law in fact there's an interesting messianic Psalm in Psalm 40 verses 6 through 8 where we're told that Jesus when he would come he would love righteousness and he would hate iniquity and of course iniquity we're going to notice is the transgression of God's holy law in fact let's go to that point right now go with me to Matthew chapter 7 and verse 23 by the way the word iniquity that's used in 2nd Timothy chapter 2 verse 19 is the greek word aditya 2nd Timothy chapter 2 19 the Greek word is Adi Kia iniquity but now I want you to notice Matthew 7 verse 23 and then we're going to go to Luke and notice a parallel verse it says there and then I will declare to them these are professed Christians because you know they cast out demons in the name of Jesus they perform miracles in the name of Jesus they prophesied in the name of Jesus but Jesus is going to declare to them I never knew you depart from me you who practice what you practice lawlessness the word there is a no mia's which literally in greek means to be opposed to the law of God because the greek word for law is normals and when you put an A next to it it means against or contrary to so here Jesus is saying to those who professed his name depart from me you who practice lawlessness but then I want you to notice Luke chapter seven Luke chapter 7 and verse Ashley chapter 13 and verse 27 Luke 13 and verse 27 but he will say I tell you I do not know you where you are from once again these are people who profess the name of Jesus depart from me all you workers of iniquity is that the same declaration we read in Matthew chapter 7 the same expression only the word that's used here is a dakea so let me ask you is a dakea and also anemias are they synonymous they most certainly are synonymous so when the Apostle Paul is saying that those who have the seal of God depart from iniquity he is saying that they depart from what from law lest nests so once again those who have the seal of God at the end of time are they going to be keepers of God's holy law they most certainly are I want you to notice one other aspect of this broadest circle revelation chapter 14 verses 9 through 11 has the third angels message and of course later on we're going to study the third angels message in detail particularly verse 12 but what I want you to notice now is Revelation chapter 14 and verse 11 it's speaking about the punishment upon those who worship the Beast and receive his mark notice what it says and the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever and they have no rest day or night who worship the Beast and His image and whoever receives the mark of his name so upon who is the wrath of God going to fall it's going to fall upon those who worship the Beast and His image and receive the mark that's revelation 14 verse 11 now I want you to notice revelation 14 verse 12 the very next verse presents another group that contrasts with those who worship the Beast and His image and I want you to notice the one of the main characteristics of this group it says in Revelation 14 verse 12 here is the patience of the saints here are those who are who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus do you see the contrast you have one group in the third angels message who worship the Beast and His image and receive the mark immediately in the next verse it speaks about a remnant who keep the commandments of God so let me ask you is the worship of the Beast and His image related somehow to keeping God's commandments there's one group that keep them which means that the other group who worship the Beast and His image and receive the mark must be against God's commandments or must break God's commandments because the contrast is clear between revelation 14:11 and revelation 14 and verse 12 now we want to go to the other circle a smaller circle we notice the largest now we're going to notice a smaller circle and then of course we're going to go to the smallest circle the final conflict is not only going to be over God's law the final conflict is going to have also to do with the first table of God's holy law the first four commandments that describe our duty towards God now notice what we find in Deuteronomy chapter six and verse four Deuteronomy chapter 6 and verse four by the way this is the central confession of Judaism and it says this here o Israel the Lord our God the Lord is one you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your strength is this the summary of the first table of the law do you remember that Jesus quoted this when he said that this is the first and Great Commandment it actually summarizes the first four Commandments our duty towards God you see if you love dot God you're not gonna have other gods if you love God you're going to you're not gonna have idols if you love God you're gonna respect his name if you love God you're gonna keep his holy Sabbath then the last six commandments have to do with a horizontal relationship between us and our fellow human beings now I want you to notice something very interesting immediately after giving this quotation where it says that we should love God above all things then God says where these words are supposed to be written notice beginning at verse 6 of Deuteronomy chapter 6 and these words which I command you today shall be in your heart you shall teach them diligently to your children and shalt talk of them when you sit in your house when you walk by the way when you lie down and when you rise up those other words that we read the summary of the first table of the law the first four Commandments where were they supposed to be placed notice verse 8 you shall bind them as a sign where on your hand and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes I want you to notice that this table of the law the one that has to do with our duty towards God is to be placed in two places it doesn't say on your forehead or on your hand it says in your forehead and in your hand we're going to notice in Revelation that the mark of the beast is placed on the forehead or under hand here God says you need to place these words which we quoted between your eyes which is the forehead and also on your hand that's a very important distinction so you'll notice that it's the first four commandments that are placed where that are placed as frontlets between your eyes and also on your hand I want you to notice something else that is very interesting in Revelation the final controversy has to do with worship time and again in Revelation we find that the final issue will be concerning worship let me ask you which table of the law has to do especially with worship that's the first table of the law see if you worship God you don't have other gods if you worship God you don't have images of God if you worship God you don't take his name in vain if you worship God you keep the Sabbath as the sign of the creator the first table of the law has to do with worship so if revelation says that the end time controversy is concerning worship it must be that the final conflict has to do with which table especially it has to do with the first table of the law let me read you some of those statements that speak about the issue of worship as being the main point of contention revelation 13 verse 4 it says so they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the Beast and they worshipped the Beast saying who is like the Beast who is able to make war with him let's go down to verse 8 and all who dwell on the earth will worship Him that is the Beast whose names have not been written in the book of life of the lamb slain from the foundation of the world verse 12 and he exercises all the authority of the first beast this is the beast that rises from the earth in its presence and causes the earth and those who dwell in it - what to worship the first beast whose he wound was healed notice verse 15 he was granted power to give breath to the image of the Beast that the image of the Beast should both speak and cause as many as would not what worship the image of the Beast should be what should be killed notice time and again the issue is worship and worship has to do with the first table of the law notice Revelation chapter 14 verses 9 and 10 again the idea is that the final conflict has to do with worship it says there in Revelation 14 verse 9 and then we'll read verse 11 it says then a third angel followed them saying with a loud voice if anyone worships the Beast and His image and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand and then let's go to verse 11 and they have no rest day or night who worship the Beast and His image and whoever receives the mark of his name I think the word worship is used enough times for us to know that the end time controversy has to do with worship and worship is related to the first table of the law now I want you to notice another text that speaks about worship in the end time but this is the positive perspective this is the verse that tells us that we're supposed to worship the Creator in the end time notice Revelation chapter 14 verses 6 & 7 revelation 14 6 and 7 then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation tribe tongue and people saying with a loud voice fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment has come and now notice and worship Him who made heaven and earth the sea and springs of water why do you suppose God calls upon the world to worship the Creator in the end time folks it's because the Beast and the image of the Beast are claiming the right to be worshipped in other words here we have a contrast between worshipping the creator of the heavens and the earth and worshiping the Beast the issue once again is between true worship and false worship and once again the table of the law that has to do with worship is the first table of the law now it's very interesting as you examine Revelation chapter 13 and 14 that the issue involves as I mentioned the first table of the law but there are specific examples in these chapters that show how the Beast and His image violate the first table of the law let me just mention these quickly does the beast demand worship Revelation 13 verse 4 now if he demands worship would this be a violation of the first commandment that says thou shalt have no other gods before me absolutely secondly does this beast raise up an image and command everyone to worship the image yes which commandment is that a violation of the commandment that says don't make any image and don't worship it that's the second commandment the third commandment is also involved because we're told in Revelation chapter 13 and verse 6 that the Beast blasphemes the name of God which commandment does that violate thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain does the conflict also involve the fourth commandment yes because the first angels message calls us to worship the Creator which means that the Beast must claim to be the Creator but he is the counterfeit which commandment of the law of God has to do with worshiping the Creator it is the fourth commandment of God's holy law and so we notice that the second circle the smaller circle shows that the end time controversy is going to be over the first table of the law but now we're going to notice that the end time controversy is going to have to do with one particular commandment of the first table of the law this is the smallest circle or the smallest ripple go with me to Psalm 95 and verse 6 Psalm 95 and verse 6 it says here o come let us worship and bow down let us kneel before the Lord our maker why do we worship God according to this verse we worship God because he is alright he is our maker he is our Creator we worship because he is the creator notice Nehemiah chapter 9 and verse 6 I want this principle to be clear we were supplying 9 verse 6 you alone are the Lord you have made heaven the heaven of heavens with all their hosts the earth and everything on it the Seas and all that is in them and you preserve them all the hosts of heaven what worships you do you notice once again that worship is connected with the idea that God is the creator now notice revelation 14 6 and 7 we've already read this this passage let's read it again I want to show you that worship is connected or is linked with creation it says there then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation tribe tongue and people saying with a loud voice fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment has come and worship Him who made heaven and earth the sea and the springs of water is the idea of worship once again linked with creation absolutely and by the way the language of the first angels message actually comes from the fourth commandment notice Exodus chapter 20 and eleven Exodus 20 and verse 11 the conclusion to the fourth commandment 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 do you see the similarity of language in the fourth commandment to what we read in Revelation chapter 14 and verse 7 they're very very similar so you'll notice that we worship the creator and the sign of the creator is what the sabbath according to what we read in Exodus 20 and verse 11 so you can't separate the Sabbath from worshiping the Creator because the sign of worship to the Creator is his holy Sabbath and by the way do you know that we will worship the Creator when he makes a new heavens and the new earth and we will worship Him on the Sabbath notice Isaiah chapter 66 and verses 22 and 23 Isaiah 66 22 and 23 for as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me says the Lord see God is talking about making new heavens and new earth so shall your descendants and your name remain and it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another or it could be translated from one month to another and from one sabbath to another all flesh shall come to worship before me says the Lord so let me ask you when God makes a new heavens in the north he creates a new heavens and a new earth are we gonna go worship before him yes what day are we going to worship before him the Sabbath you see when the fourth commandment says worship the Creator it's saying worship the Creator by keeping the Sabbath so you cannot separate the Sabbath from worship so is the endtime issue going to have to do specifically with the commandment that has to do with the Creator with the Sabbath absolutely by by the way do you know that the book of Genesis also tells us that God established the Sabbath to commemorate creation he instituted the Sabbath to be kept to remember the event of creation see you can't separate creation worship and the servant notice Genesis chapter 2 and verses 2 & 3 the Sabbath identifies the creator it says and on the seventh day God ended his work which he had done and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it he rested from all his work which God had created and made question did God bless the Sabbath for himself folks God is the fountain of all blessings God doesn't have to bless a day for himself did God make the Sabbath holy for himself no everything connected with God is holy he was obviously blessing the Sabbath and he was actually sanctifying the Sabbath because he expected man to keep the Sabbath in commemoration of his work of what of his work of creation furthermore do you know that the Bible links to words it uses interchangeably the words sign and seal notice Romans chapter 4 and verse 11 Romans chapter 4 and verse 11 speaking about here circumcision here the circumcision of Abraham but I want you to notice particularly two words that are used synonymously it says about Abraham and he received the sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had while uncircumcised our sign and seal used interchangeably in this verse they most certainly are now Revelation speaks about the seal of God being on the forehead but you could also say that the sign of God is on the forehead now the question is what is the sign of God notice exodus chapter 31 and verse 17 exodus 31 and verse 17 it's speaking about the sabbath and it says it is a sign between me and the children of israel forever some people say see it's only for israel no it doesn't say it's only for israel God gave it to Israel but he didn't say it's only for Israel furthermore the Apostle Paul defines Israel as those who have received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord if you are Christ's you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise and so it says it is a sign interchangeable with the word seal by the way between me and the children of Israel forever and then it explains why it's a sign for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and on the seventh day he rested and what was refreshed what is it that made the Sabbath the sign the fact that he made it when at creation notice also Ezekiel chapter 20 and verse 12 Ezekiel 20 and verse 12 here God says hallow my Sabbath's and they will be a what a sign between me and you that you may know that I am the Lord your God how do we know that God is our Lord because we have his sign and what is his sign his sign is the Sabbath and the word sign is used interchangeably with what seal and the endtime generation has the seal or the sign of God on the forehead now there's something else very interesting that I want you to notice in Ezekiel chapter 8 we have a description of the apostasy of Israel shortly before Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city of Jerusalem now we don't have time to study this whole chapter so I'm just going to synthesize basically chapter 8 speaks about abominations that God's own people were committing within the city of Jerusalem these were not the pagans that were committing these abominations God's own people were committing these abominations and the greatest abomination we're going to read this in a moment was that they were worshipping the Sun that was the greatest abomination that God's people were committing with out within the city but do you know that it says that there was a group of people that were not committing this abomination of Sun worship in fact it says there in Ezekiel chapter 8 that they were sighing and crying because of the abominations that were being committed in the city and God said go through the city and put a sign or a mark on the foreheads of those who sigh and cry because of the abominations that are being committed in the earth notice that there's a contrast between those who have the sign or the seal of God and those who are worshiping what those who are worshiping the Sun which are practicing this terrible abomination let's read Ezekiel eight verses 16 and 17 so he brought me into the inner Court of the Lord's house this is God's own people folks and they're at the door of the temple of the Lord between the porch and the altar were about 25 men by the way these are the religious leaders these are the preachers of the people about 25 men with their backs toward the Temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east and they were worshiping the Sun toward the east and he said to me have you seen this O son of man is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit these what these abominations which they commit here for they have filled the land with violence then they have returned to provoke me to anger indeed they put the branch to their nose which means that they just flaunt this in God's face so what was the greatest abomination they were worshipping the Sun interesting but there was a contrasting group who sighed and cried who had the seal of God the sign of God on their foreheads it must be that they are opposite to those who were worshipping what to those who were worshipping the Sun interesting who were they worshipping then they must have been worshiping the Creator notice Ezekiel chapter 9 and verse 4 and the Lord said to him go through the midst of the city through the midst of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it and by the way it says after all of God's people are sealed go in the midst of the city destroy all of those who are practicing the abominations and do not spare a single person because the wrath of God was going to be poured out upon Jerusalem not everyone was destroyed though let me ask you was Jerusalem destroyed because Israel was desecrating the Sabbath that's what Ezekiel chapter 8 and 9 seems to indicate but we don't have to guess some people saying oh you're saying that that the city of Jerusalem was destroyed simply because they were breaking the Sabbath that that's why every was slain according to ezekiel chapter 8 that's exactly what i'm saying because the bible says notice jeremiah chapter 17 and verse 27 Jeremiah 17 verse 27 here God says but if you will not heed me to hallow the Sabbath day such as not carrying a burden when entering the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day then I will Kindle a fire in its gates and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and it shall not be quenched was Jerusalem destroyed because they were desecrating the Sabbath absolutely and what were they worshiping they were worshiping the Sun is it just possible that this scene is going to be repeated in the book of Revelation absolutely does the book of Revelation speak about a harlot who brings all kinds of abominations upon the earth absolutely does revelation speak about a group of individuals who have the mark of the beast in contrast to those who have the seal of God absolutely are those who have the seal of God is God going to protect them absolutely is he going to pour out his wrath upon those who have the mark of the beast absolutely you see once again just like in Ezekiel you have two signs one that is received although it doesn't say so explicitly is received by those who are worshiping the Sun because they're marked for destruction it says there in Ezekiel chapter 8 if they're not marked with the seal of God and you have that group that are marked with the seal of God and those who are in apostasy against God they are worshiping what they are worshiping the Sun and somebody says but pastor Bohr are you saying that it's the same to worship on the day of the Sun as it is to worship the Sun my answer is in principle yes you say how is this well let me put it this way who created the Sun God created the Sun right did he create the Sun for worship No so what happens if you turn it into an object of worship what does that call idolatry now I miss you who created the first day of the week God did did he create it for worship no so what happens if you turn it into a day of worship what does that call idolatry it doesn't matter whether it's the Sun an object or a day whatever man makes work for worship that God did not make for worship is what idolatry you see the devil knows that Christians at the end of time are not going to be dumb enough to worship the Sun but what he does is he leads them to worship on the day of the Sun which by the way came into Christianity directly from paganism in the days of Constantine Constantine was a pagan he called Sunday the day of the invincible Sun the venerable day of the Sun he called Sunday and he introduced it into the Christian Church an abomination for sure and Christians embraced it and adopted it and they worship on Sunday a day which has been created for worship by man which is the same kind of idolatry in principle as was being practiced in Jerusalem now we can also look at the law of analogy you know you look at the presidential seal of the United States it has to have three things right it has to have the name the office and the territory of the person who possesses the seal for example the seal these days would say Barack Obama president that's his office of the United States of America so in other words the seal has to have three characteristics the question is what is the seal of God in the Ten Commandments that shows that the Ten Commandments are authentic folks there's only one commandment in the Ten Commandments that has these three characteristics sorry for a seal and that is the fourth commandment of the law of God Ellen White in the book patriarchs and prophets page 307 said this the fourth commandment is the only one of all the ten in which is found both the name and the title of the law giver it is the only one that shows by whose authority the law is given thus it contains the seal of God affixed to his law as evidence of its authenticity and binding for but somebody will say well pastor Bohr but how do you know that you can apply the three characteristics of the presidential seal today back to biblical times well the fact is that were helped by archaeology at this point you know they've discovered tablets where ancient kings used to make treaties with other kings and I want to share the interesting characteristics of these treaties or these covenants of course first of all it was a covenant between a great king and a lesser king these covenants were written on tablets of clay interestingly enough on the tablets both sides were written in other words the same material that was written on the front of the tablet was written all over again on the back of the tablet you say now why would they do that why would the right the same thing on the front and on the back the reason why is because these tablets that have been unearthed and I have pictures of many of them by the way what they would do while the tablet was still wet and the clay was soft the great king who was making the Covenant would take a great big seal and he would impress the seal right in the middle of the tablet and of course when he would impress the seal in the middle of the tablet it would obliterate part of the writing on the tablet so in order to be able to read the full covenant all they would do is turn it to the other side they could read the full covenant but the side with the seal showed that it was authentic interesting the seal was in the middle of the tablet and I bet you you can't guess what three characteristics were always in the seal the name of the great king who was giving the Covenant his title King and the territory over which he governed so this idea of three aspects of the seal does not come from the presidential seal of the United States it comes from the period when the Ten Commandments were given by the way do you know that the Bible says that the Ten Commandments were also a covenant notice Deuteronomy chapter 4 and verse 13 so he declared to you his covenant which he commanded you to perform the Ten Commandments and he wrote them on two tablets of stone what was the Covenant of God God gave his covenant which are what the Ten Commandments where did he write them it says here that he wrote them on what on tablets of stone see it wasn't uncle' it was on stone because the Ten Commandments are eternal like stone they don't pass there they don't break up they don't dissipate and disappear by the way on how many sides of the tablets were the Ten Commandments written you know many people don't realize this was the Ten Commandments were written on both sides of the tablets because they were written at the same time as the other covenants notice Exodus 32 15 and 16 and Moses turned and went down from the mountain and the two tablets of the testimony were in his hand that tablets were written what on both sides on the one side and on the other were they written now the tablets were the work of God and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets question where would you expect to find the seal in the tablets that were written on both sides where would you expect to find the seal right in the center of the tablet do you know which commandment is right in the center of the holy law of God his covenant with man it's the Sabbath commandment and it's the only commandment that has the three characteristics let's read Exodus 20 verse 11 for in six days the Lord there's his name the Lord made there's his function he made his creator the Lord made now made what what's his territory 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 so where is the seal of God to be found it's to be found in the fourth commandment of the holy law of God the commandment that has to do with the Sabbath with the Creator which is in contrast to worshiping the Sun or in principle on the day of the Sun but we also have the testimony of history we're going to talk about this a little bit more in our next lecture when we deal with part two of the mark of the beast the Bible speaks of a little horn this little horn as we've studied represents the Roman Catholic papacy the same thing as the Beast and the interesting thing is that this little horn according to the Bible would think to change something notice Daniel chapter 7 and verse 25 see history tells us that a power was going to arise to attempt to change God's holy law it says there he shall speak pompous words against the Most High shall persecute the Saints of the Most High and shall intend to change times and what and law then the Saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time what would this little horn try to do he would think to change the times which we're not going to discuss and what else the law of God does the Roman Catholic papacy claimed to have changed God's law historically I'm going to read you a series of statements and will read as many as we can before our time is up here's the first one John Gill Mary Shea who was an important Roman Catholic historian of his time this is what he said for ages all Christian nations looked to the Catholic Church and as we have seen the various states enforced by law her ordinances as to worship and cessation of labor on Sunday interesting that they use the state to enforce the observance of Sunday we've already studied that Protestantism he continues saying in discarding the authority of the church has no good reason for its Sunday theory and ought logically to keep Saturday as the Sabbath that's - do you say the state in passing laws for the due sanctification of Sunday is unwittingly acknowledging the authority of the Catholic Church Savin the state is recognizing the authority of the Catholic Church by doing what the Catholic Church says so it says is unwittingly acknowledging the authority of the Catholic Church and carrying out more or less faithfully it's prescription the Sunday as a day of the week set apart for the obligatory public worship of Almighty God is purely a creation of the Catholic Church this is Roman Catholic theologian our Sunday visitor which was the most famous Roman Catholic journal in the United States for many many years stated this once Protestants accept Sunday rather than Saturday as the day for public worship after the Catholic Church made the change this is this is a Roman Catholic publication they're saying who made the change the Roman Catholic Church and so the article continues saying but the Pradas that mind does not seem to realize that in accepting the Bible in observing the Sunday they are accepting the authority of the spokesman for the church the Pope here's another one by Lewis G Segal who was a French Roman Catholic prelate and apologist and by the way later on he was a diplomat and very important in the city of Rome this is what he had to say question what Bible Authority is there for changing notice the word the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day of the week who gave the Pope the authority to change a command of God was the word change again answer it was the Catholic Church which by the authority of Jesus Christ so they say has transferred this rest to the Sunday and here comes the scary part thus the observance of Sunday by the Protestants is a homage they paid homage what does homage mean it means honor it means respect and so it says thus the observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay in spite of themselves to the authority of the Catholic Church notice what the Catholic Encyclopedia says question what is the third commandment by the way they say the third commandment but it's really the fourth commandment because they take out the second commandment that says don't worship images that one doesn't appear in the catechisms it disappears because their Catholic Church is full of vim images and so they refer to the fourth commandment the Sabbath commandment as the third notice question what is the third commandment answer the third commandment is remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day question which is the Sabbath day answer Saturday is the Sabbath day question why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday answer the Catholic Church after changing the day of rest from Saturday the seventh day of the week to Sunday the first day made the third commandment refer to Sunday as the day to be kept as the lord's day once again the word changing the little horn thought that it could change God's law history bears it out I want to read you another statement this is Thomas Enright a priest of the Roman Catholic Church for several years he was president of Redemptorist College in Kansas City Missouri this is what he said proved 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 knows that the church claims to have divine power by my divine power I abolished the Sabbath day and command you to keep holy the first day of the week and lo listen to this the entire civilized world bows down in reverent obedience to the command of the Holy Catholic Church not written by a Protestant written by a Roman Catholic priest once somebody wrote the Office of Cardinal James Gibbons of Baltimore weather was true that the Roman Catholic Church claimed to have changed the day and the from the from his office actually Chancellor H F Thomas who wrote in name of Cardinal Gibbons wrote this of course the Catholic Church claims that the change was her act and now listen to this and the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical power what is the mark according to Cardinal Gibbons through his Chancellor H F Thomas he says the change of the Sabbath is the mark of our ecclesiastical power well let me ask you if the church could really change God's law wouldn't the church be God on earth it would to be now we're going to study about the number of the name of the beast and what we study the number of the names of the beasts which is a very interesting lecture we're going to notice that it bears a very close relationship to this quotation where it says that the act of changing the day is a mark of her ecclesiastical power we're gonna notice that the Pope has a particular name and that name he says shows that he has the right to exercise the powers of Jesus Christ on planet Earth even to the point of changing his law if necessary I want to read one quotation in closing once again another Roman Catholic theologian a word about Sunday God said remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day the Sabbath was Saturday not Sunday why then do we keep sunday holy instead of Saturday is what this Catholic theologian writes notice this the church altered the observance of the Sabbath to the observance of Sunday Protestants who say that they go by the Bible and the Bible only and they they do not believe anything that is not in the Bible must be rather puzzled by the keeping of Sunday when God distinctly said keep holy the Sabbath day the word Sunday does not come anywhere in the Bible so without knowing it they are obeying the authority of the Catholic Church and Protestants think that they're keeping Sunday in honor of the Resurrection because the Bible says so but Sunday came into the church long before there was any Protestant the Protestant reformers felt that it would be practically impossible to change the practice in the Christian Church and so they continued with it and some of the reformers like Luther and Calvin actually tried to rationalize the observance of Sunday and they tried to prove the observance of Sunday from Scripture but failed miserably because the Bible is clear it says the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God so what is the mark of the beast' the mark of the beast is the change in God's holy law from Sabbath to Sunday and everyone who observed Sunday knowingly will receive the mark of the beast [Music]

Channel: Aaron

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Id: IACdT2uNEW0

Length: 57min 7sec (3427 seconds)

Published: Tue Oct 15 2019