The Beast & The ‘Mark.’ 13:16-18 The Beast - Holy Roman Empire -

is to compel men to worship it. ‘Mark’ (Gr charakter : impress) to be made

in right hand or forehead - thinking & doing.

Without ‘mark’ cannot buy or sell. ‘Mark’ is symbol of impression on the mind

of the Beast’s teaching of blasphemy, its principles & practice - its unitary mind.

Contrast - The Mark of Faith.

In O.T. priest wore gold plate on forehead God’s words engraven - way of acceptance before God.

Reminded him that his thinking must be attuned to God’s holiness.

Faithful pictured as - having his Father’s name written in their foreheads 14:1

A state of mind which reflects His will.

Fulfilling Prophecy. The Beast is named - the name of

blasphemy -means to defame, speak evil of or slander.

Warnings of Apostles concerning apostacy - amply fulfilled by the Beast system.

Daniel foretold Roman beast to continue until coming of the Ancient of Days.

The mark of his name is a mind, character, disposition which defames, speaks evil of or slanders the Truth.

5 “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.” Rev 13.

Literal Mark of the Beast. Sign of the cross much used in Catholic

Church. This mark made on hands of priests at

ordination, on foreheads of babies when christened.

Worshippers at Mass make the sign on foreheads and bodies - indicates devotion.

Call it ‘the blessed cross’- Scripture links it with a curse, not a blessing (Gal.3:13)

Quotation from Edward Holyoake “The Doctrine of Life” died 1660.

“The Empire is described by one beast coming out of the sea, who hath seven heads and ten horns: yea also in this beast is comprised the Pontificality, being the reviver of the wounded head. This beast hath his arms from the four beasts in Daniel 7. For Rome having subdued all those countries that those beasts ruled, and being like them for idolatry and cruelty in afflicting the holy city is a monster compounded of all four….

…Boniface the third pope of Roma, obtained by the help of the murderer Phocas, to be called universal Bishop. And this universal supremacy did so increase until the tenth century. The Pope’s canon law telleth that none may live under the Empire but by yielding to the Pope’s laws, in his subscribing to his Imperial and Ecclesiastical supremacy, and oath of fidelity as a mark on the hand, and some open token of communion with him, and profession of his decrees, as a mark in the forehead.”

Buying and Selling. 13:17 Authority of Church essential to be

able to hold any office, exercise any trade, in church or state.

Rome recognises only its priests as being authorised to practice religion - its ‘spiritual merchandise’.

Literal trading also limited by papacy. Hence both literally and symbolically

papacy extended its power over minds and actions. Quotation Bishop Newton

Bishop Newton 1750’s

“Roger Horenden relates of William the Conqueror that he was so dutiful to the Pope that he would not permit any one in his power to buy or sell anything whom he found disobedient to the Apostolic See. So the decree of the Council of Lateran under Pope Alexander 111, made against the Waldenses and Albigenses…

…enjoins upon pain of anathema ‘that no man presume to entertain or cherish them in his house or land, or exercise traffic with them … so that in selling or buying, they being deprived of the comfort of humanity, may be compelled to repent of the error of their way.”

Bishop Newton 1750’s (cont’d)

Trade and Wealth. Cross became ‘Trade Mark’ as of

flourishing business. Church amassed fabulous wealth,

as the verse would lead one to expect.

One source of income - indulgences - paid to Church to remit debt of temporal punishment due to sin - after its guilt forgiven by Church.

The Number of a Man. 13:18 Number of the name of beast -

equivalent symbol to the mark of the beast.

To know name or number is to know what system is intended.

It is the number of a man (v.18) - when system represented by the name of the beast discovered, it is centred in a man.

v18 shows it a matter of wisdom and understanding to discover the enigma.

666. In Greek - original language of Revelation -

each letter associated with a numerical value. Verse could indicate numerical sum of value

of letters in name of system - to total six hundred and sixty six.

Gr. word ‘Lateinos’ (among others) answers to this numerical total and means LATIN.

In one word accurately describes character, origin, language of Roman Catholic system.

The Number of Flesh. In Bible numerology, six is number of

flesh, of mortality - represents man. A system, with authority and power in

one man, has number 666 - the number of flesh tripled.

This Latin system arose on basis of man’s ambitions, and of compromise with its pagan past.