Which Mark Will You Accept? James Ginn The mysterious “mark of the beast” has fascinated generations of religious hobbyists and experts alike. Many have attempted to solve the mystery, reasoning their way to an assortment of colorful but erroneous ideas. Speculation has linked everything from currency to bar codes with the mark. But the Bible defines its own symbols, and what it reveals concerning the mark of the beast should get our attention in light of what is happening in Europe. The passage of scripture that talks about the “mark of the beast” is found in one of the least understood books of the Bible. “He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:16-17). The next verse speaks of the “number” of the beast (666), but this is a separate discussion from the “mark” of the beast. What is the mark of the Beast? Since the Bible interprets itself, it should provide this information. The Bible uses the same language referring to internalizing God’s law as is used to describe accepting the mark of the beast: “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes” (Deuteronomy 6:8). The Hebrew word for “sign” used here can be translated “mark.” God has a “mark,” or “sign,” that identifies His servants. It is a way of life symbolized by thought (forehead) and action (hand) adhering to His law. More specifically, God tells us that observance of His Sabbath is a “sign,” or mark, between God and His people (Exodus 31:13, 17). For those seeking a much more thorough explanation of the mark of the beast, please read our free booklet The Beast of Revelation Myth, Metaphor or Soon-Coming Reality? So, what does this have to do with events in Europe today? A movement is underway to pass a law that will mark Europe with a different identity. God identifies His people with the Sabbath, yet Europe is in danger of becoming identified with another sign—Sunday observance. Such observance hearkens back to the days of Roman Emperor Constantine, who demanded that Sunday be honored as the “venerable day of the [pagan] Sun.” The Roman Church persecuted those who refused to change from Sabbath observance to Sunday observance at Constantine’s demand. In our modern times, the influential Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) issued to European Union leaders a statement regarding the Europe’s social market economy. In that statement, COMECE remarked, “it is the task of government to provide guaranteed market-free times…. It is right that market activity is restricted on official public holidays and Sundays...” The European Union already has a law in place known as the Working Time Directive, which requires every state to “ensure that every worker is entitled to… a minimum weekly rest period of 24 uninterrupted hours for each seven-day period…” (European Commission, ec.europa.eu). Now, in addition to COMECE, the movement to require that the Working Time Directive be modified to require Sunday observance across Europe has become a popular movement among many Europeans. The European Sunday Alliance has been formed to promote legislation of a “work-free Sunday.” Both organizations are actively involved in pressuring European leaders to adopt the mark, not of God’s Sabbath, but of Sunday observance. Just as in the days of Constantine, the uneasy relationship of church and state is getting ready to stamp the mark of the beast on the citizens of Europe one last time. Will you accept that mark, or will you accept the mark of God? To learn more about the “sign” God gave for His people, please read our free booklet, Which Day Is the Christian Sabbath?
Posted on: Sat, 15 Jun 2013 00:51:05 +0000