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The Mark of the Beast
Revelation 13 Identifying the Beast with the Number and the Mark
By Ezra Celestin AuthorHouse
Copyright © 2014 Ezra Celestin
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4969-2384-4
CHAPTER 1
A Scriptural Foundation
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Before going into this lesson, it is very important to take time out to pray, giving the Holy Spirit permission to work within so the subject is not rejected simply on the basis that this is not how the church teaches it. It pleases the enemy of our souls for Christians to look in the opposite direction of a true event. They know the event, just like the Jews, in reference to the birth of Christ; yet like the Jews, they misinterpret the event.
Pray earnestly that the Holy Spirit will give you an open mind to embrace truth even if your positions have to shift. E. G. White said, "We have many lessons to learn, and many, many to unlearn. God and heaven alone are infallible. Those who think that they will never have to give up a cherished view, never have occasion to change an opinion, will be disappointed. As long as we hold to our own ideas and opinions with determined persistency, we cannot have the unity for which Christ prayed."
Before we address the subject of the mark of the beast, we must lay a scriptural foundation.
In Daniel 2, the image of Nebuchadnezzar's dream is brought into view.
This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. (Daniel 2:32–35)
Interpretation: Daniel 2:38–41
Four great kingdoms shall rise on the earth and a divided kingdom, and the saints will take the kingdom.
1. The head of gold represented Babylon (Daniel 2:37–38).
2. The breast and arms of silver represented Media and Persia (Daniel 2:39).
3. The belly and thighs of brass represented Greece (Daniel 2:39).
4. The legs of iron represented Rome (Daniel 2:40).
5. The feet of iron and clay represented the divided kingdoms, or what is known today as Europe (Daniel 2:41).
6. The next great event is when the saints will take the kingdom (Daniel 2:44).
Daniel 7 presents the same kingdoms, this time using four beasts coming up out of the sea.
1. The lion represented Babylon (Daniel 7:4).
2. The bear represented Media and Persia (Daniel 7:5).
3. The leopard with four wings and four heads represented Greece (Daniel 7:6).
4. The dreadful and terrible beast with ten horns represented Rome (Daniel 7:7).
5. The ten horns on the dreadful and terrible beast represented the divided kingdoms (Daniel 7:8).
6. The next great event is when the saints will take the kingdom (Daniel 7:18, 27).
The interpretations of these things are found in Daniel 7:17–18.
These four great beasts are four kings that will arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.
Daniel showed great interest in the fourth beast, the dreadful and terrible beast with ten horns, and asked for an interpretation of that beast. This is the interpretation the angel gave to Daniel, as found in Daniel 7:23–27.
Thus he said the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. (Daniel 7:23–24)
Daniel was also interested in the horn that came up after the ten horns and before whom three horns fell. He was interested in its special character, having eyes and a mouth that spoke great things. This horn's look was more stout than his fellows, and he made war with the saints and prevailed against them.
The angel that spoke with Daniel told him that this horn had a term limit to do as it pleased, and it would come to its end, never to rise again to persecute the saints of God.
The saints will be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. In prophetic terms, a time is one year; times, two years; and dividing of time, half a year. Therefore, that horn had three and a half years to do as it pleased.
In prophecy, a day is equivalent to one year. Therefore, three and a half years is equal to 1,260 days or 1,260 years in which that horn had to do as it pleased, and then it would come to its end. At the commencement of the sitting of the judgment, the European nations shall take away his dominion to destroy it unto the end. The scripture says, "But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end" (Daniel 7:26).
Fittingly, the papacy is seen by most theologians as that horn whose political dominion continued for 1,260 years, and he came to his end right on time when the judgment was set and the books were open.
It is said he will come to his end unto the end. No inference is made as to a reemerging of his power or dominion. His political dominion will be destroyed unto the end, and the next event is that of the saints taking the kingdom. "And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him" (Daniel 7:27).
Again, in Daniel 8, we learn of the ram and the he goat.
The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. (Daniel 8:20)
And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. (Daniel 8:21–22)
The nation of Greece will not remain unified but will divide into four separate and distinct kingdoms. Note, out of one of the horns of the kingdom of Grecia came forth as a little horn, and it became exceedingly great and did according to his will. Therefore, it is very important to consider the acts of that little horn. Observe closely that the scripture says a horn and not a beast. A horn is a political power, and a beast is a nation.
And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered. (Daniel 8:9–12)
One of the four horns of Grecia became the Roman Empire, and out of that empire came the little horn. Note that the little horn is to come to prominence in the last part of their kingdom, when the transgressors have come to the full. "And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up" (Daniel 8:23). It is also noteworthy that the little horn came up after the ten horns of the great and terrible beast or after the kingdom was divided.
Thus he said The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. (Daniel 7:23–24)
This rising political power in the figure of the little horn is not part of the Roman Empire but rather came to prominence after the kingdom was divided, represented by the ten kings that shall arise out of the Roman Empire. The acts of this little horn are the same as the acts of the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows and who made war with the saints and prevailed against them in Daniel 7, portrayed as the dreadful and terrible beast with ten horns. That little horn represents the papacy or the papal power embodied by the Roman Catholic Church. This is a Christian church that persecuted Christian believers.
Here again we see that this little horn, which represents the papal power, was given a term limit, but he will be broken without hand.
And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. ... And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. (Daniel 8:14, 25)
In other words, at the end of two thousand and three hundred days or twenty-three hundred years, this little horn's power will come to its end. No representation is given in this prophecy of a resumption of this little horn's power when it is broken.
Also in Daniel 7 we read, "I beheld, and the same horn [political power] made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom" (Daniel 7:21–22).
Here again we see that this political power would make war with the saints and prove to be stronger and in the position of greater influence and power against them — until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High. That little horn power was to persecute the saints of God until the Ancient of Days came and not one day more. There is no fundamental basis given in the scripture to support a resumption of the powers of the little horn or of this political power, except that we do not believe that the Ancient of Days has come and the saints are being judged right now.
In scripture the papacy is not represented anywhere as a beast. It is a horn power or a political power, though different from the political horns, yet it manages to wield mighty power among the political horns. This little horn functions both politically and as a Christian church, yet it claims to be protecting the oracles of truth. It persecuted and killed any Christian who disagreed with its dogmas. The Word says the saints will be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time, and he will come to his end unto the end, until the saints take the kingdom. Nowhere in scripture is it indicated that this horn power will regain its dominion to persecute the saints of God as it did for over twelve hundred years.
CHAPTER 2
Who Is the Ancient of Days?
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In the whole Bible, there are only three mentions of the Ancient of Days; they are all found in Daniel 7. The evil one wants to confuse the children of the Most High as to who the Ancient of Days is. The coming of the Ancient of Days is normally associated with the coming of the Son of Man or the return of Christ in the clouds of heaven. Herein lies the confusion: who is the Ancient of Days, and where is he coming to?
It is not safe to rest on our own opinion on such a significant matter to our salvation. Neither should we trivialize this by saying it is not relevant to being saved. These are all part of the deception or decoy of the evil one to keep a level of confusion. The evil one has made it seem like a high level of intelligence when some disputation of scripture comes up before we go to the Word to settle the matter, we hold on to our opinions and simply say, "We agree to disagree" or "We are saying the same thing in another way." We cannot settle by agreeing to disagree when the prayer of Christ for his children is that they become one even as He and his Father are one.
When we "agree to disagree," we cannot become one, because you believe you are right in your opinion and I believe I am right in mine. Therefore, there is no meeting of the minds; the Word of Truth is set aside for the opinions of man. When there is a disputation of the Word, the only safe course is to go to the Word to settle the issue and be very careful not to make the Word fit our opinions but rather measure our opinions by the Word.
In Christ's prayer he said the following:
And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one. ( John 17:11, 20–22)
In Daniel 7:9 the Ancient of Days is seen in a high court setting. A description of His appearance and the sanctuary is given in verses 9 and 10. The prophet said thousands attended unto him and millions stood in front of him. He opened the books and presided in judgment. In verse 13 one like the son of man (a reference used for Christ) came and stood in front of the Ancient of Days, and dominion and a kingdom were given unto him. Here the Ancient of Days is clearly understood to be God the Father presiding in judgment and the Son of Man (Christ) coming to the Father to receive the kingdom. This is not a reference to Christ coming to earth with the clouds of heaven but rather a coming that took place in heaven around the time the dreadful beast was slain and the horn that had eyes and a mouth lost its dominion.
CHAPTER 3
A Quick Review of Daniel 2
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Where are we today, and what ground needs to be covered unto the end? Where are we today?
Four great kingdoms will rise on the earth and a divided kingdom, and the saints will take the kingdom.
1. The head of gold represented Babylon; this kingdom has come and gone into the annals of history, defeated by the Medes and the Persians.
2. The breast and arms of silver represented Media and Persia. As did Babylon, the Media and Persia Empire came on the world stage and exited its way into the annals of history as the Grecian Empire defeated it.
3. The belly and thighs of brass represented Greece. This empire came on the world stage with fury, power, and speed to the point that the Media and Persia Empire had no idea what hit it; but it too gave way to Rome.
4. The legs of iron represented Rome; this empire held sway on the world as with a grip of iron. It stamped out any nation that appeared to pose a challenge to its dominance. No single nation was able to amass sufficient power to defeat the mighty Roman Empire. As the nations battled the Roman Empire, they won and held more and more territories. The mighty Roman Empire simply disintegrated into ten different nations. No single nation was powerful enough to defeat the Roman Empire. Just as the Bible said, Rome disintegrated, with some of the nations as strong as iron and some as weak as clay. As powerful as Rome was, it too went the way of the other kingdoms that went before it, into the annals of history, giving way to the divided kingdoms.
5. The feet of iron and clay represent the divided kingdoms. This is not history. We are there now. They are the European nations. The feet of iron and clay represents the present world.
Take a good look at the map below; do you recognize any of these territories?
Yes, they look very much like the European territories, but that is the map of the Roman Empire at its greatest extent. The Roman Empire disintegrated into what is today known as the European nations. Try as they may, the scripture says they shall not cleave one to another. The scripture also says that some of these nations will be very weak as clay and some as strong as iron.
And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. (Daniel 2:41–43)
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Mark of the Beast by Ezra Celestin. Copyright © 2014 Ezra Celestin. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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