2/25/18 – Eph 6:11, The Angelic Conflict, Pt. 21, The Enemy, Pt. 18, The False Prophet, Pt. 5. Lesson # 18-022 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFCYLqxYlhI&t=2884s

Grace Fellowship Church

Pastor/Teacher, Jim Rickard

www.GraceDoctrine.org

Stand in Warfare – Eph 6:10-20.

Outline of Eph 6 :10-24

1. The Empowerment, vs. 10.

2. The Enemy, vs. 11-12. 

3. The Equipment, vs. 13-17. 

4. The Energy, vs. 18-20. 

5. The Encouragement, vs. 21-24.

2. The Enemy, vs. 11-12 - The Beast and The False Prophet, Rev 13, (continued).

The Second Beast, the False Prophet, Rev 13:11-18.

From vs. 15, we see that a countless multitude will be martyred for not worshipping the Antichrist, Rev 7:9-17. Thus, in the name of liberty and security, comes an absolute dictatorship and imperialism. In the name of freedom, comes complete and universal enslavement. In the name of the higher reasoning that tramples on religion and revelation, comes a great consolidated system of gross idolatry. In the name of a charitable liberalism that disdains allegiance to any creed, comes a bloody despotism that leads men to worship the wicked image of a lawless man, or die. There is always a price to pay for believers who do not worship the idols of this world. Life is not and will not be easy in this world when you fight the idolatry of this world.

4. All are Required to Receive the Mark of the Beast, Rev 13:16-17.

Rev 13:16, “And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the freeman and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, ¹⁷and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.”

This regulation is issued by the False Prophet in that all classes of people who worship the beast are to receive some form of a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads.

By the series of three contrasting pairs, the Bible emphasizes that all classes of people are included:

1. The small and the great, referring to political status.

2. The rich and the poor, alluding to possessions and referring to economic status.

3. The free and slave, re­ferring to their societal status.

Therefore, regardless of socio-economic status, including the other world leaders under the Antichrist, all are required to receive the first beast’s mark. Everyone, no matter what his wealth or social position, will be forced to submit. 

It is interesting that in this list we have three grouping of six categories. Three being the number of Divine completeness, and six being the number of man, tells us that this list completely encompasses all of mankind as being required to receive the mark.

With this identifying mark, people will be able to participate in the commerce and trade of that day, i.e., “buy or sell, AGORAZO E POLEO.” Interestingly, POLEO is sometimes used in the NT for being “redeemed,” i.e., purchased from the slave market of sin, Rev 5:9; 14:3. Therefore, we see a counterfeit redemption. People will choose to have their sins purchased by God and Jesus Christ for salvation and not receive the mark of the beast, or they will choose to buy the things of this world and receive the mark of the beast. Which is more important to you?

As we noted in vs. 15, from the Greek for “worship,” PROSKUNEO, this mark is not going to be a subliminal marking, but an overt action and marking that demonstrates and proves allegiance and worship of the Antichrist.

There will be no exceptions to this law, as the penalty for refusing to receive it will be death. Therefore, while we do not know exactly what the mark is, which we will discuss below, we know that its design marks people as belonging to the Antichrist, so that they might be able to do the things necessary to live here on earth.

Not content to control people through religious deceit, the False Prophet will institute strong economic measures as well. Everybody, except believers, Rev 14:9; 20:4, will receive a special mark in order to buy or sell; but the only way to get that mark is to submit to “the beast” and worship him. The mark is simply a token that they are beast worshipers, and it serves as an identification necessary to conduct business and to purchase the necessities of life. It is another device to force all people to worship the beast.

Given that the Caesars placed their image on the currency of their day, and no one could buy or sell without using that currency gives us a strong allusion in John’s writing to the Caesar worship in the Roman Empire, but this same policy has been used by political leaders throughout history. Therefore, it is something more than coins or currency, cf. Mat 22:21; Mark 12:7; Luke 20:25.

From a religious standpoint, the mark of the beast is a counterfeit to the seal of the Holy Spirit on the true believers during the Tribulation, the 144,000 sealed to identify them as belonging to the Lord. The beast counterfeits the mark, the seal, of God in Rev 7:3; 14:1; 22:4.

Rev 14:1, “Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.”

The mark itself seems to vary according to vs. 17, as in some cases being the name of the beast and in others the number of his name.

The word “mark” is the Greek Noun CHARAGMA, χάραγμα that means, “mark or impression.” This term does not occur in the Septuagint, and its use by the early church fathers is insignificant. Other than one instance in the book of Acts 17:29, for the “graven image” of an idol, it is used only for the “mark of the beast” in the book of Revelation, Rev 13:16-17; 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4.

In Greek literature, it was used of a mark or stamp, which could be engraved, etched, branded, cut, or imprinted. In the broadest sense, it refers to a stamp, an impression, an engraving, a mark, or a symbol. It was used of brands on camels and stamped marks on documents, as well as impressions on coins. Interestingly, in ancient Greek, it originally denoted the bite mark of a snake, as the mark of the beast is surely the serpent’s venomous piercing. But as its use developed historically, it came to mean an inscription, (i.e., on wood, stone, brass, casting dies, minting coins), a writing of any nature, or a stamp of personal identity, (e.g., a brand to mark camels). Eventually, it denoted an official seal of attestation, validity, and authority.

CHARAGMA is well attested to have been an imperial seal of the Roman Empire used on official documents during the first and second centuries. Yet, in regard to the worship of the Caesars, no such mark of loyalty was placed on those who submitted to the worship of any of the emperors of Rome.

A more common term for “mark or brand,” is STIGMA in its noun and verb forms. Branding was practiced in the ancient world, and even in relation to religious concerns. Religious tattooing was observed. 3 Maccabees 2:29, records an incident in which Jews were branded by Ptolemy Philopator I, 217 B.C., with the Greek religious Dionysian (Bacchus) ivy-leaf symbol. The “mark” on Cain in Gen 4:15, is rendered by SHEMEION in the Septuagint, the term for “sign.”

The nature of the mark of the beast or the method by which it will be applied is not described. However, once it is applied it is permanent and cannot be removed. Those who accept it will do so because they have rejected Christ and His righteousness and are wholly and willfully deceived by the Antichrist and his False Prophet, Rev 14:9-11. No one will receive it unknowingly. All will know exactly what they are doing. Believers will face economic boycott and social alienation in that day. Unbelievers will be able to live in society but forfeit their true eternal life.

Rev 14:9-11, “Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, ¹⁰he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. ¹¹And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”

Therefore, taking the mark will symbolize submission to both the Antichrist and the False Prophet, and thus to both the government and world religion of the Antichrist. And as noted from vs. 15, if anyone refuses to take the mark of the beast, he will be sought out, potentially discovered, and martyred. The result will be complete control of the entire world by the Antichrist.

“To believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and to be baptized into His name, for the washing away of sin, and the securement of eternal life, is too much for some people. It is to them a humiliating nonsense, to which their superior dignity cannot stoop. But when the Devil-Messiah comes, in him they will believe and trust; to him they will sell themselves, and to his branding-irons they will submit as helpless slaves and cattle, with no choice but to yield or die; and yielding, to perish everlastingly.” (Joseph A. Seiss, The Apocalypse: A Series of Special Lectures on the Revelation of Jesus Christ.)

5. The Number of the Beast, Rev 13:18.

Rev 13:18, “Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.”

Special attention is given in vs. 18 to the number of the beast, 666. This will be the sign of the Antichrist. The number is introduced by the phrase “Here is wisdom,” SOPHIE, with an appeal to those “who have understanding,” NOUS, “to calculate, count, or figure” PSEPHIZO, “the number” ARITHMOS, “of the beast,” THERION, “for the number is that of a man,” ARITHMOS GAR ANTHROPOS EIMI. Throughout the Bible, the number of man is 6. This secret characteristic will be a means of identifying who the Antichrist is during the Tribulation for everyone who has wisdom, i.e., Bible doctrine in their soul, Rev 13:18.

“Calculate or count” is the Verb PSEPHIZO, ψηφίζω in the Aorist, Active, Imperative. It is only used here and in Luke 14:28. In Luke 14:28, Jesus challenged His disciples to consider the implications of following Him. Any decision to follow Jesus that does not consider the costs associated with it, may result in the humiliating discovery that the cost is too great to continue, e.g., the rich young ruler. This humiliation will come not only in this life, but in the judgment to come. During the Tribulation, the cost will be the life of the individual to truly follow Jesus Christ.

In our verse, John gives a clue to discover the identity of the beast by “calculating” the number of the beast. This would be made possible by following the common practice of assigning numbers in Greek/Hebrew to the letters, (e.g., a=1, b=2, c=3, etc.). Before the invention of Arabic numbers, (1, 2, 3, etc.), the Jews and Greeks often used letters of the alphabet for numbers. The first 10 letters were used for the numbers 1 through 10, the next letter, 20, the next, 30, and so on.

The ancient Hebrew game called GEMATRIA recognized that letters could stand for numbers. Hence a series of letters could form a word and at the same time indicate a number. Hence the 666 of vs. 18, has given us various identifications of the antichrist.

This verse indicates that God-given wisdom is necessary for understanding the meaning of the mark, and the “name” of the beast. In the Bible, the number of man is six. Since man was created on the sixth day, he is to work for six days, a Hebrew slave was to serve six years, for six years the land was to be sown, there are 24 hours to a day, (4 x 6) and 12 months to a year, (2 x 6), etc., six is the number of man.

Irenaeus notes that the image set up by Nebuchadnezzar was 60 cubits high by 6 cubits wide. The number 666 could well personify the imperfection of man, even implying in the triple number the unholy trinity of the Dragon, Antichrist, and the False Prophet, although the Dragon is Satan, who is not a man but an angel.

In contrast, seven is the number of spiritual perfection and fullness, but six is the “human number,” of incompleteness, just short of perfection.

John then tells us what this number is, “his number is six hundred and sixty-six.” 666 is made up from the Greek CHXS, χξς. It is only used here in Scripture.

The CH (chi) standing for 600, the X (xi) standing for 60, and the S (sigma) standing for 6. In fact, the “sigma” was originally what was called a “stigma” that was shaped like a cross and used for numbers that became obsolete. It came between the 5^th and 6^th letters of the Greek alphabet. The spelling looked like this χξϝ ᾿

Therefore, it is 666. An alternate translation has it written in full, HEXAKOSIOI HEXEKONTA HEX, ἑξακόσιοι ἑξήκοντα ἐξ. In addition, some ancient texts even have it as 616. Many think it was change to reflect the name of Marcus Aurelius 161-180 AD, or Caligula (Gaius Caesar), 37-41 AD, as the Antichrist, the notorious or hated emperors.

Many ancient languages utilized the letters of the alphabet for their numerical systems. The letter and number ratio was known by all. This existing process was used in enigmatic statements to conceal the identity of the person under consideration. An often quoted graffito from Pompeii, (about A.D. 79) reads, “I love her whose number is 545.” Only those who knew the name or the pool of candidates could work out the riddle. The apocalyptic Sibylline Oracles used “888,” the numerical equivalent of IESOUS, Greek letters for Jesus, as an indirect reference to Jesus as the incarnate God. Therefore, John could have expected his audience to solve the riddle, but only if there was a shared pool of understanding concerning the enigmatic nature of the reference.

There has been endless speculation concerning the meaning of this number. In attempting to solve the riddle of this verse, some have considered the phrase to represent Caesar, others Nero, 54-68 AD, or Caligula, Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin, and even in our day that of Bill Gates, various past presidents, the Pope, or other world leaders. Yet, there is nothing in the Book of Revelation that specifically tells us to add up the numbers in the name of the beast. The key, however, seems to be the phrase that says “it is the number of a man or mankind.” With the number 6 being the number standing for mankind, and 3 the number of the Trinity, the threefold repetition, 666, could simply mean the Antichrist is a man who believes he is a god or who declares himself to be a god, cf. Rev 13:8; 2 Thes 2:4.

The beast is the greatest man but still a man. He is a six, not a seven. He, along with Satan and the False Prophet, is a 666, a trinity of imperfection. Not now or ever will they be a 777. As such, this triple six is the fullest, highest development of man under direct satanic control. It is the combination of civil, religious, and political power satanically inspired. It is, so far as man can do it, the complete setting aside of God as the Supreme Ruler. The Antichrist is the best man can produce, but he is still just a man. He is “the completeness of sinful incompleteness,” the ultimate in “coming up short.” He is good enough to deceive many, but he is nowhere close to good enough to displace Jesus.

As such, it has been a popular pastime to add up the letters in names to try to come out with a total of 666. Those who have taken Nero Caesar, put it into Hebrew letters, (Neron Kaisar, which is not the normal way of spelling it), and have obtained a total of 666. However, the Book of Revelation is Greek in the original, so this system is incorrect. Thus, there are no real grounds for applying it to Nero. The funny thing is, if you work at it hard enough, almost any name will fit.

“The endless guesses and experiments with which expositors have occupied themselves and their readers on this point can be of very little practical worth to us. When the monster comes, "the righteous shall understand." Our business is rather to reckon up the number of the Beast as to his moral identification.” (The Apocalypse: A Series of Special Lectures on the Revelation of Jesus Christ.)

This much is sure: In recent years, we have seen a worldwide increase in the use of numbers for identification. In the United States, a person’s Social Security number is indispensable. In fact, numbers are more important to computers than names. Perhaps this is an advance warning of what will happen on earth when “the beast” is in control.

Below are some images as to what some of the current thinking is in regard to what the “mark” might be, from a tattoo of a bar code, to a microchip placed in the hand or forehead, to the scanning of the retina, etc. have been hypothesized. Yet, the real mark is not going to be a subliminal marking, but an overt mark that demonstrates and proves allegiance and worship of the Antichrist. So, retina or facial scans don’t quite cut it, nor does the chip.

Interestingly, the following are “seals” of both the United States Transportation Department, as well as several of the state’s Transportation Departments. Notice, that in all you see the revolving number 6 6 6.

    

In addition, the University I attended, Southeastern Massachusetts University, before it was combined with the University of Massachusetts, had a similar symbol.

 

Yet, despite all of man’s imaginative calculations and suppositions, we must confess that no one knows the meaning of this number and name. No doubt believers on earth at that time will understand it clearly. The “satanic trinity” cannot claim the number seven; it must settle for 666.

Our faith and confidence should be put in the kingdom of God, a bloody cross, and an empty tomb. We should put our trust in King Jesus and His gospel. Tragically, the world would rather believe a lie than the truth. They would rather align with antichrist than Jesus Christ. They are quicker to follow a false prophet than a true prophet of God. Do not be deceived! Follow Him who is the way, the truth, and the life, John 14:6.