6-19-05 - “THE MARK OF THE BEAST” Part 8
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Hello!  This is Richard Vaughn

My brothers and sisters in Jesus, we are continuing our study on the mark of the beast, and this is part 8. 

Before we begin, let us seek God’s guidance, “Heavenly Father, we are studying what you have identified in your word as the source of the mark of the beast. If we receive the mark it will cause us eternal separation from God. Father, most Christians aren’t aware that Satan has almost the whole world confused on this issue, and that most will be lost if they don’t understand your revealed truth. So again we ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit and we pray for wisdom, knowledge and understanding so that we may live in the center of Your revealed will, as we ask in Jesus Name, Amen.”

I am going to repeat my pledge to cry aloud and spare not, to lift up my voice like a trumpet and to show God’s people where they are transgressing God’s law.

Over last 7 weeks, I have stated that the first beast of Revelation 13 and the little horn power in Daniel 7 is the same antichrist beast power, the Papacy. Last week I listed 9 points of identification from Revelation 13, verses 1-5.
Point #1. It comes up into power in existing nations.
Point #2. It is geographically located in Rome. 
Point #3. It is a corrupt church government. 
Point #4. This religio-political power is a blaspheming power. It’s a blaspheming power because it claims to be God on earth. Listen to these claims:
       	  “The pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ Himself, hidden under the veil of flesh.”
	–the Catholic National, July of 1895.
	“We hold upon this earth the place of God almighty.”  Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical Letter, June 20, 1894, (The Great Encyclical Letters of Leo XIII, p.304.)
	“The pope is the supreme judge of the law of the land. ...  He is the vicegerent of Christ, and is not only a priest forever, but also king of King of kings and Lord of lords.”  La Civila Cattlica, March 18, 1871.
"All names which in the Scriptures are applied to Christ, by virtue of which it is established that he is over the church, all the same names are applied to the Pope.
–"On the Authority of Councils," –Bellarmine (R. C.). book 2, chap.17 (Vol.II, p.266), ed.1619.
Friends, a man claiming to be God is Blasphemy.
Point #5. Papal Rome receives its power seat and authority from Pagan Rome, who got it from Satan,
Point #6. Papacy receives a deadly wound.
Point #7. The deadly wound is healed.
Point #8. The whole world wonders after or worships the Papacy.
  	Point #9. Ruled for 1,260 years.
Now we will continue this week with Revelation 13:6-10
13:6 “And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 
The fact that it is a blaspheming power we discussed in Point #4.
13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
  Point #10 – It will persecute God’s people, and this is a matter of history. During its 1,260 year reign of terror, it is estimated that the armies friendly to the Papacy, by Papal decree, tortured and killed anywhere from 50 million on the low side, to 120 million on the high side. They called anyone who would not submit themselves to worship the Papal church heretics worthy of death. Pope Innocent III, 1198-1216 was responsible for thousands of martyrs.  
The Spanish Inquisition, the Massacre of St. Bartholomew, and the history of slaughter of the Waldensian people are just a few examples.  
	Every conceivable method of torture was used without mercy. We do not cite this for the purpose of sensationalism, however we must discuss them to see the fulfillment of prophecy.
	Point #11 is also in verse 7. “Power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” The rulers of all nations had to yield to the authority of the Pope, and if there was any rebellion by a national ruler, it was dealt with swiftly. 
13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.  This is covered in Point #8.
13:9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.  (God says pay attention!!)
13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword.” This is enlarging on Point #6, where the Papacy receives the deadly wound in 1798.
Verses 11-17 are the second beast of Revelation 13 that forms an image to the Papacy. We will cover that second beast in an upcoming broadcast. Right now I want to go to the 12th Point of identification of the Papacy. The other 11 makes it unmistakable as to who the beast is. But because it is there, it must apply. It deals with the mystical number 666, which so many people concentrate on and speculate to its meaning, without identifying the beast first. Does 666 apply to the Papacy. Let’s read 
Revelation 13:18 “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”  
666.  6 is man’s number. 3 is God’s number. 666 is man in God’s place.   Ultimately, 666, a triple six, would be the symbol of the worship of the creature rather than the worship of the Creator God, and represents continually falling short of God's ideal, represented in the number 7.
Once inscribed in the pope’s mitre are the words Vicarius Filii Dei, which is the Latin for Vicar of the Son of God." which means “in the place of God.”
 “count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man”
The ancient method of deriving the number of a name is to take the numerical value of all letters and add them up to get the sum.  To apply this test to the papacy, we must find the official name of the pope, who is the head of his church.  According to the official Roman Catholic weekly magazine called Our Sunday Visitor, here's what it says:  
 	April 18, 1915, the question was asked, "What are the letters inscribed in the pope's crown, and what do they signify if anything."  
The answer given according to the Catholic magazine itself, "The letters inscribed in the Pope's miter are these:  Vicarius Filii Dei, which is the Latin for Vicar of the Son of God." 
 	The word vicar is the Latin word from which we get the expression "vice", such as "vice president," a substitute president, or one who acts for the president.  Thus the pope claims to take the place of Christ as the vicar, the Son of God. 
The Latin alphabet is used by the Church of Rome.  Roman letters have numerical value.   Every person's name had a number because of the Roman alphabet having numerical value. Many of the Caesar's and kings, as you look back at the old Roman records, sealed their official documents with their name and their number. The number 666 was very popular because it was actually the mystical number given for the sun.   
So, with this official name of the pope in hand, Vicarius Filii Dei, one of the most exalted titles of the Roman pontiff, we can compute the value of the Roman Numerals, and discover another amazing fact. If you add up the numerical value, you'll find out Vicarius, V=5, I=1 C=100, A & R no value, I=1, U and V =5, S no value, so Vicarius = 112, Filii, F no value, I=1, L=50, I=1, I=1, so Filii = 53, then Dei, D=500, E no value, I=1, so Dei = 501; you add 112, 53 and 501 and it equals the number 666. 
Seeing the 666 application only adds weight and strength to that which has already been said in making the application to the papal power.  It is the capstone proof in conjunction with all the other marks laid down so clearly in the Scripture.
Remember, God is talking about the religio-political system, the Vatican City, which ruled the world for so many years.  
This power would continue until Christ’s second coming.  
2 Thessalonians 2:8 “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:” 
	So recapping now the 12 points of the identification of the Antichrist Papacy as the first beast of Revelation 13, they are as follows:
Point #1. It comes up into power in existing nations.
Point #2. It is geographically located in Rome. 
Point #3. It is a corrupt church government. 
Point #4. This religio-political power is a blaspheming power.
Point #5. Papal Rome receives its power seat and authority from Pagan Rome, who got it from Satan,
Point #6. Papacy receives a deadly wound.
Point #7. The deadly wound is healed.
Point #8. The whole world wonders after or worships the Papacy.
  	Point #9. Ruled for 1,260 years.
Point #10. It will persecute God’s people.
Point #11. Has power over all nations.
	Point #12. The number of the Papacy is 666.

Now that we have clearly identified the little horn power of Daniel chapter 7, as being the same antichrist power as the first beast of Revelation 13, and since we showed 12 points of identification in Daniel and 12 points of identification in Revelation, now we can identify the mark of the beast. Understand now that you can never identify the mark without knowing who the beast is.
	We will now read the most fearful warning in the entire Bible. Revelation 14: 14:9-11 “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,  
  14:10   The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:  
  14:11   And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.  

You don’t want this mark because everyone who receives it will be lost and will suffer the plagues and next week I will prove with scripture what the mark is and why most Christians will get it. You need to listen.

Time is up for this week, so be listening to Awesome Truths and Amazing Facts next Sunday at 8:45 am. Tell your friends to listen in.

God bless you friends and study your Bibles daily,

Until next week, Jesus said in John 5:39, “Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me”. Even so, Come Lord Jesus.