10/30/05 - “The Image to the Beast - Part 2” 31L
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Hello!  This is Richard Vaughn

This Week: “Prophecy – The Image to the Beast – Part 2”

Before we begin, let us seek God’s guidance, “Heavenly Father, as we study this most important subject regarding the image to the beast, I pray that You bless those listening today with the guidance of the Holy Spirit as 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.”
Right now, I continue to keep 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.

Last week we identified the United States as the lamblike two horned beast described in Revelation 13:11 as “coming up out of the earth” that later “spoke like a dragon.” It rose up out of the earth about the time the beast of verse 1 & 2 (Papal Rome) ended it's period of rule in verse 5, (which was in 1798 as we have previously studied), and was due to receive a deadly wound, verse 3. 

Also we were able to show that no other country but the United States can fit this prophecy. In 1776, the United States of America declared her independence. The two horns of the lamblike beast represented the two principles that formed the basis of this government, civil and religious liberty.

We also discovered that this Nation ends up speaking like a dragon in  Revelation 13:11 "Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon."

God has warned us in this book of Revelation that the United States is going to repudiate the liberties it was founded on, pass a national Sunday law forcing obedience to the mark of the beast, and violators will be subject to punishments starting with their loss of the right to buy and sell, then they suffer imprisonment and ultimately the death penalty.  

 Revelation 13:12,16, 15 "And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.” “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:" “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.”  

Also in our previous studies we were able to show that the mark of the beast is Sunday sacredness created by the Papacy in the 4th century. God’s Seventh Day Sabbath was literally cast out and today is trampled upon.

Keeping God's fourth commandment Sabbath will become the focal issue and heaven is watching how we take our stand. Listen, if we are not a commandment keeper, we will receive the mark of the beast and be lost. America will lead out in forcing people to receive the mark of the beast. 

A thorough understanding of the light that God has been pleased to shine on this book of Revelation, can keep you from forfeiting eternal life. God said through the prophet Hosea, "My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge...." Read all of Hosea 4:6. He's not talking about world loving hopeless sinners, He's talking about believers. "My People" And here in the time of the end, He is calling His people to come out of Babylon.

Babylon in Revelation is describing the apostate churches that teach false doctrine and embrace traditions of the church over the plain spoken word in scripture. How do you know whether or not you’re in Babylon? The churches today that are identified as Babylon, uphold the man made pagan day of worship Sunday. God is giving a last call message to what He calls, “My People”, to come out of Babylon and repair the breech made in God’s law by keeping His seventh day Sabbath holy.

What can I do to make certain that I will not receive the mark of the beast? Revelation 14:12 "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."

Let’s look at Revelation 14: 9-11 and brothers and sisters listen carefully. These verses apply to the very generation we are living in now. This is the last generation before probation ends. Verse 9-11 "Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”" Verse 9 warns against receiving the mark of the beast. Verse 12 tells what the victorious saints do to avoid the mark. They keep the commandments of God, all ten of them, and have Jesus' faith. It is Jesus' faith that makes the miracle of commandment keeping possible.

GOD'S LAST WARNING MESSAGE TO THE WORLD is given in the three angels messages of Revelation 14: 6-12 Quote: "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."

Note - In verse 6 John saw that a special gospel message, had to be preached in a loud voice to the whole world. It is an end-time JUDGEMENT HOUR message that says we are to, "Fear God and give glory to Him", and we are told to worship the Creator in verse 7, which means I keep the sign or mark of His creatorship, His Sabbath. To fear God is to show Him respect and honor. Note that verse 7 for emphasis, even quotes part of the Sabbath commandment: "made heaven and earth and the sea", Ex 20:11 It's time for those who are God's people to step out and respect His Sabbath and honor Him with the obedience that is the evidence of our love for Him.

The second angel's message, verse 8, warns us that Babylon is fallen. Babylon comes from Babel and means confusion. The Babylon here is the beast, the religious system of Papal Rome, which created the false Sabbath. The third angel's message, verses 9 & 10, gives the solemn warning, that if anyone worships the beast and his image, (apostate Protestantism that embraces false worship of the beast) they receive the mark of the beast and will drink of the wine of the wrath of God's wrath.

Worship by definition is the act of showing respect, honor or reverence to God or a god or something considered sacred. Friend, if you defend Sunday, your worship is given to the system whose authority comes from Satan.

When you decide to accept Jesus and follow Him ALL the way, what happens? Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”"

The word Sabbath means "rest" and deciding to follow Jesus fully and to accept His holy sign, brings rest, joy, happiness and blessings, as well as release from the burdens of life.

Jesus waits at the door of your heart, Revelation 3:20. Have you heard His voice? The Holy Spirit has brought the marvelous truth on this subject home to your heart. While your heart is soft, accept and receive God's seal. Indecision is dangerous as it gives Satan time to harden the heart which leads to rejection and loss. In Hebrews 3:7,8 it reads, "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,"

Now I will read Hebrews 4:4 and verses 7-11 "For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.” For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience."

There you have in the New Testament God’s call for His people to keep Holy His seventh day for God has never spoken of another day.

This is serious business friends. Not to be treated lightly. You may say my parents kept Sunday and their parents kept Sunday. Well in times of ignorance God winked and they were not accountable for what they did not know. But this generation, God is calling to accountability. Everyone has time and opportunity to learn of God’s seventh day Sabbath. If they choose to reject this important message, they have indeed chosen to reject God’s explicit teaching and do thereby forfeit eternal life. Failure to follow Jesus all the way is what broke the heart of Jesus on the cross. 

Well the clock says we’re out of time for this week. Remember, you are always welcome to worship with us each seventh day Lord’s Day at the Victory Seventh Day Adventist Church located at 117 W. Danville Street in the center of South Hill

Next Week:  We will study another wonderful topic from God’s word.

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”. Come Lord Jesus.