Last week I sent out Part 1 of "The Path to 666: 5 Signs of the Mark of the Beast." Today I'm sending out Part 2. I gave this message in September at a big prophecy conference at Edgewood Baptist Church in Rock Island, IL. I was one of six speakers. I'm happy to report that you can now view all the messages online. You can watch messages by Michael Rydelnik, Brian Bill, and other gifted Bible teachers.
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5 Signs of the Mark of the Beast--Part 2
Revelation 13
This is Part 2 of the message. In Part 1 I shared the first three signs of the Mark of the Beast:
Sign #1: Satanic Leadership
Sign #2: Open Blasphemy
Sign #3: One-World Religion
In Part 2 we will discuss the last two signs:
Sign # 4: Altered Reality
When John saw the vision of the two beasts in Revelation 13, he evidently saw something he couldn’t fully explain. One of the “heads” of the Beast from the Sea apparently died and then came back to life. I say “apparently” because John’s words leave us with some uncertainty. Either the Antichrist dies, or he appears to die, and then comes back to life. Either way, the whole world sees it and is amazed.
That leads us to these verses (Revelation 13:14-15):
"Because of the signs it was given power
to perform on behalf of the first beast,
it deceived the inhabitants of the earth.
It ordered them to set up an image
in honor of the beast
who was wounded by the sword
and yet lived.
The second beast was given power
to give breath to the image of the first beast,
so that the image could speak and cause all
who refused to worship the image to be killed."
This “False Prophet” performs miracles mimicking what Elijah did on Mount Carmel. He even calls down fire from heaven, deceiving the people of the world. Then he sets up an image of the Beast, gives life to it, and the image speaks. Whoever would not worship the image is put to death.
For a long time, no one could imagine what this meant. But today we live in the world of virtual reality, augmented reality, and the burgeoning field of AI: Artificial Intelligence.
Computers can be programmed so that they act, speak, and even appear to think like humans do. Recently I saw an eerie video of a young man who had been murdered. Someone produced a video purporting to be the young man speaking after his death.
Where is the line between real and fake?
It’s hard to tell anymore.
Check out this story from the New York Post: “Fake ‘Joe Rogan’ Interviews the Ghost of Steve Jobs in an AI-Engineered Podcast.” This isn’t a “Deep Fake” because the makers of this “interview” were up front about it. They used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to produce a fictional “interview” with Steve Jobs who died in 2011. It sounds amazingly real.
During a recent trip, I had an hour to spend in the Detroit airport. While walking through the shopping area, I saw a sign reading “Parallel Reality.” It was an exhibit of sorts sponsored by Delta Airlines. When I went to the counter to ask about it, the attendant told me to take my boarding pass and scan it in a machine. Then she had me stand at a certain spot in the concourse and look at an electronic sign that appeared to be blank.
I stood there for a second, and then looked at the large sign. It had my name, a greeting, and information about where to go for my next flight. There were other people standing nearby. “Can they see my information?” I asked.
The answer was no.
Each of them saw their information on the big sign. I was the only one who saw mine. But if you stepped to the left or right, all you could see was a blank electronic screen.
If you had 15 people standing there, they would see 15 different things on the sign.
So who’s seeing the “real” screen?
Everyone and no one.
That’s parallel reality.
And that’s child’s play in today’s world.
The Antichrist and the False Prophet will use some form of altered reality to convince millions of people to follow them.
Sign # 5: Global Control
To understand the final sign, read Revelation 13:16-17:
"He also forced everyone, small and great,
rich and poor, free and slave, to receive
a mark on his right hand or on his forehead,
so that no one could buy or sell
unless he had the mark,
which is the name of the beast
or the number of his name.”
There are many mysteries here, but the general thrust is clear. The last days will produce a globally linked economy in which one world dictator controls the means of commerce.
We aren't far from that situation today. Already there is talk of a cashless society and a digital currency. Already there are supercomputers with detailed files on everyone living in the United States. Every time you use your credit card, numbers are fed into a central computer. The computer then checks your credit record and either approves or disapproves your transaction.
It all happens in seconds and the only human hands involved are those that take your credit card at the point of sale.
Everything else is electronic.
Look at the back of one of your credit cards. Do you see that little brown strip? Do you see the chip? Those contain your name, your address, your phone number, your account number, your line of credit, and a detailed record of your purchases, along with other personal data.
If someone tampers with the information, or if the central computer refuses to recognize it, your credit card is worthless.
We already have Alexa and Siri who silently listen to all your conversations. When I gave this message online, I mentioned Alexa and Siri in passing. The next day I got an email from a friend watching in Nevada. He said when I mentioned Alexa, it answered from the other room. My words traveled via the internet from my home in Kansas to the world. Alexa answered me from my friend’s house in Nevada, which proves my point.
Someone is always listening!
It is only a short step to a system whereby you are admitted or denied access to the internet depending upon your approval by the folks who control the supercomputers.
We aren’t far from a “digital currency.” When that happens, all our financial transactions will happen online. Imagine a scenario where you wake up and your computer can’t connect to the internet, your cell phone won’t work, and your credit cards are refused.
What would you do then?
None of these things are directly prophesied by Scripture. But all of them fit with the general picture of a global economy linked by a global communications system under the control of a global dictator.
The first two are virtually in place.
only the last one remains unrevealed.
The current movement toward global communications, global banking, paperless banking, and computerized commerce paves the way for the Antichrist to take over in the last days.
What started with Social Security numbers has led to universal bar codes, debit cards, cashless banking, QC codes, and voice-recognition technology, all of it powered by the internet. In the last several years we’ve heard serious talk about vaccine passports.
Lest I be perceived as a Luddite, let me say that I partake in modern technology myself. I can’t imagine life without the internet. Like most people, I spend many hours on social media.
When Marlene and I travel, we take a little cash with us, but not much. Nowadays, a major credit card will pay for anything you want anywhere in the world.
We get paid online, and we pay our bills online. It’s all easy and convenient and invisible to us. I like it that way, but what happens when you are denied access to the internet?
Do you remember the case of the Canadian truckers who protested the draconian lockdown regulations? The Prime Minister of Canada froze over 200 bank accounts for several days in response to the protests. We will see more of that in the future as governments use “emergency powers” to penalize their political opponents.
Widespread crime and fraud will make the demand for universal identification persuasive.
Whoever controls the internet controls the world. The final days of the Tribulation will bring us one-world government, one-world religion, and a one-world economic system.
Those who resist will be summarily executed.
How close are we? Consider this. In March 2020, something happened for the first time in world history. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the whole world shut down in one week.
Think about that.
Mongolia shut down.
Finland shut down.
Bangladesh shut down.
Paraguay shut down.
Uganda shut down.
New Zealand shut down.
Read the list of 195 nations. Without exception, all of them shut down in just one week. Such a thing had never happened before in the history of the world.
But it happened!
Looking back, it was almost as if it were a dry run, a way of testing a system that could be used when Antichrist finally makes his move.
Satan’s Ultimate Joke
One final question.
Why Will People Follow Antichrist?
He is not an escapee from a mental institution. To the contrary, he will appear to be the very leader the world has been looking for.
I’m sure he will be well educated, urbane, witty, warm, and charismatic. He will claim to have your best interests at heart.
That’s why the world will welcome him.
He will be an appealing person, and his abilities will be extraordinary.
He will be the ultimate “angel of light” who leads his followers into eternal darkness.
This helps us understand how he comes to power.
Driven mad with fear, lawmakers around the world unanimously vote to give this man absolute power over their lives.
They vow to kill anyone who opposes him.
Many will follow him.
One by one they will stand in line to receive the mark. Those who do will be fed and clothed and find some tiny bit of comfort in a world that seems to have gone mad.
But not everyone will follow him. Certain brave people—the followers of Christ during the tribulation—those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life—they will remain strong and true to their faith.
They will say No to the Beast.
In other times perhaps no one would care. But in those desperate days, anyone who refuses the mark will be called a traitor.
They will be hunted down and put to death.
They will starve, hiding in backrooms, closets, attics, and in caves in the forest.
Antichrist will live up to his name. He will stand in place of Christ and will counterfeit his life, his miracles, his death, and even his resurrection.
No wonder the world will follow this man.
He will be so close to the real thing that people will think they have found the truth. Yet in the end, those who follow him will discover that he was the exact opposite of everything the real Jesus Christ stood for.
He is Satan’s Ultimate Joke on planet earth—a false Christ who deceives the world and leads millions to eternal hell.
Those who take the Mark of the Beast will be eternally disappointed.
Those who refuse face suffering and death.
They are the true “children of God.”
The stage is now set.
All the actors are in place.
The nations have come together just as the Bible predicted.
We have a worldwide, interconnected economy. The “Great Reset” is underway. Whether we like it or not, we live in a digital world where the internet instantly connects us to everyone else.
People around the world seek a man, a leader, someone who can make their dreams come true. We want someone to rise up and lead us to peace and safety.
Where is that man?
Perhaps he is waiting in the wings for the curtain to go up.
Let the audience be silent.
The final act is about to begin.
What Should We Do?
As I travel to various places to speak, I sense worry and uncertainty everywhere I go. During a question-and-answer session at Cannon Beach Conference Center in Oregon, I talked about trends that may be leading to the events of the Last Days. At one point a person in the audience raised her hand and said, “If all of this is going to happen, what can we do about it?” Excellent question.
If what I am saying in this message is true, how should we live? I have five suggestions to make.
1. Be Prepared
If we take Revelation 13 literally (as we should), then the worst is yet to come. Yes, the Bible ends in a blaze of glory as Jesus returns in great triumph to the earth, but we aren’t there yet.
As we look into the future, there are some things we can do to be prepared. We need to stock up. Everywhere I go Christians are making plans for an uncertain future. Now is the time to stock up on food and water and other necessities of life. We ought to be at least as smart as the squirrels who know enough to store acorns before the winter hits.
And get prepared spiritually. This is no time for casual Christianity. In the last days, all will be revealed. No one can sit on the fence forever. Now is the time to get your spiritual house in order.
2. Get Right with God!
There has never been a better day to become a Christian.
Eventually the whole world will have to make a choice—Christ or Antichrist.
Why not come to Christ now? If you believe Jesus is the Son of God, then run to the cross.
Lay your sins on Jesus.
Believe that he died for you and that he rose again on the third day.
Revelation 13:8 mentions the Lamb’s Book of Life. If your name is in that book, you will reign with Christ forever. If your name is not in that book, you will take the Mark of the Beast and be eternally condemned.
Make sure your name is in the book!
Don’t mess around.
Don’t delay.
Don’t flirt with the Antichrist.
Take your stand with Jesus.
Open your heart to him.
Trust Christ as your Lord and Savior.
Then no matter what the future holds, you will have nothing to fear.
3. Brace Yourself!
The worst evil is yet to come.
No matter how good the world seems to be in terms of technology, the moral compass is pointing in the wrong direction.
The Unholy Trinity of Tolerance, Diversity, and Pluralism is paving the way for an outbreak of evil beyond anything we have yet seen.
4. Stay Calm
Christians ought to be the calmest people on earth because we know the Lord, and he holds the future in his hands.
As we move forward from here, let this be our motto:
No fear.
No doubt.
No hesitation.
When Jesus warned his disciples about things to come, he mentioned spiritual deception, wars and rumors of wars, kingdom rising against kingdom, famines, earthquakes, and pestilence on the earth.
Those things are “birth pangs,” like labor pains before the baby is born.
Then he added, “See that you are not alarmed” (Matthew 24:6). But isn’t it “natural” to be afraid when you see the world collapsing around you? Yes, it is “natural,” but we are the children of a supernatural God.
When Jesus said, “Don’t be alarmed,” those are either the words of a madman, or they are the words of the Son of God.
Stay calm, friends.
Refuse to give in to fear.
Keep your eyes on Jesus.
5. Take a Stand!
It’s either Christ or the Antichrist
This is no time for compromise.
In the days to come we will see persecution grow worse as those who know Christ are ridiculed for their faith.
Just this week I saw an article stating that if you are a Christian in China, there is no safe place anymore. You will be hunted down by the government. That means the underground church will have to go ever further into the shadows to survive.
Don’t be surprised when that happens in the US.
What does the Bible say about the Antichrist? Here is the answer in just two sentences:
1. There is an Antichrist.
2. He’s going down!
The Antichrist will rise and fall and then Christ will return to set up his kingdom on the earth.
Even the Antichrist is an instrument in God’s hand.
He can do nothing without God’s permission. When his time on earth is up, he will be destroyed.
We are already on the Path to 666.
Fear not, friends.
These are amazing days to be alive.
Sleep well tonight because all is happening as God decreed thousands of years ago.
The words of Martin Luther fit our text:
“The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.”
I believe the coming of the Lord must be near. Many Christians before me have said the same thing. I’m taking my stand with them. I’d rather expect Jesus to come in my lifetime and be wrong than to be so in love with the world that I’m not ready to see him when he comes
Let’s believe all the Bible says about the Antichrist. Yes, he is coming and will one day rule the world for 3 ½ years. That day may be closer than we think.
But do not focus on him.
The Antichrist will not have the last word.
He will rise and fall and then be cast into the lake of fire.
No matter what happens around you, keep your eyes on the skies.
Look up. Your redemption is drawing near.
Hang on, friends.
Jesus is coming soon.
Heavenly Father,
we thank you for the Word of Truth
given to us many centuries ago.
We have seen it fulfilled before our eyes
and we believe that what is not yet fulfilled
will come to pass according to your good plan.
We thank you that the Antichrist will
not have the last word.
Strengthen our faith and make us
bold for Jesus Christ.
May we never be ashamed to live for him
or he was not ashamed to die for us.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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