Saturday, December 11, 2010

The Mark - Chapter 7




The Mark
by

Tom Wise

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7. The Antichrist.

An "antichrist" is described in 1 John and 2 John this way:

They went out from us, but they were not of us (1 John 2:19).

Who is a liar but he who denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist (1 John 2:22).

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God; and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now is it already in the world (1 John 4:3; cf. 2 John 7).

The spirit of antichrist is specific. It applies to those who have rejected that God's Word (Torah) became flesh (John 1:1). An antichrist is against Christ but, more importantly, an antichrist is against Torah itself. In this regard, some modern Christian doctrines can be included as being antichrist. This is a serious charge but, unfortunately, it seems to be true. Wrong doctrines and false teachings within Christianity which are anti-Torah allow the Mark of the Beast to be applied to Christians, even without their knowledge. Deceptions of wrong doctrines feed upon selfishness, and many eagerly grasp upon these fantasies rather than embracing the Truth. Does this sound too fantastic? Ask yourself: what is truly being taught in today's churches? How do their doctrines compare to the statements of Christ, as found in the Gospels? Didn't Christ warn the various churches of the world against not only apostasy but also every type of wrong doctrine (see Revelation, chapters 2-3)? The Church cannot claim ignorance.

The teachings of Christ are plainly and surely of Torah. If the Church will not teach Torah, then the flock must be willing to learn Torah for themselves. If you love God, you will try. You cannot refuse without consequences. Clearly, rebellion against God's Law is rebellion against God. Full circle, those who rebel against God’s Law rebel also against Christ; and such are “antichrist.”

As to the Antichrist (with a capital A), it is supposed by many that he will administer the Mark of the Beast, but the Book of Revelation does not state this. Instead, the implication of Revelation is that the Beast will offer the Mark, and many will willingly take it, and do so because the spirit of antichrist will be rampant at that time. As an added incentive (besides the threat of death), the Beast will control commerce (Revelation 13:17):

And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

How would this Antichrist apply this mark? Through technology? Would it be a chip? An ID card? A global currency? Actually, it doesn't matter. Predicting the method of control will not prevent the ascent of the Beast. In fact, nothing can really stop the Beast from coming. Throughout history, many Beasts have come: Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Genghis Khan.

We cannot stop the Beast from coming. However, we can stop the Beast from reigning. Human beings have always rejected their own slavery, and have eventually risen up to overthrow the Beast.

The Book of Revelation tells us that no one will take any Mark of the Beast unless they have already surrendered to the Beast. It might be argued that the Beast will lure us slowly to such a Mark (or financial system), without making us aware that we are succumbing, and that it is vital to resist that Mark well before the Beast makes himself known. This is flawed logic. If a person accepts a particular financial device, but no Beast has come, that person has not willingly surrendered to evil but to technological progress. Simply accepting a type of commerce does not mean that one has accepted the Mark of the Beast. How can it be shown that an implanted chip, for example, makes one to be practicing willful disobedience against God? I do not deny that there may be in the future a type of economic motivation to join the minions of Satan, but if one is not implicitly surrendering to evil then one has not truly taken the Mark. There must also be a particular state of mind, a willingness to receive the Beast, which makes the Mark itself damning (that said, I do not endorse accepting implants, or even global currencies).

Next >

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Copyright © 2009 by Tom Wise and Dennis Putnam, Jr.
All rights reserved

"The Mark" is available from Lulu Books: here.

http://www.universityoftruth.org

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