"The beast out of the earth is the religious system that arises out of the soulical nature of man. While we once looked about for a laser-tattooed identification number, or a microchip in the forehead to be the “mark of the beast” — was it not truly there for us to see all along, for John plainly told us, “HERE IS WISDOM. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the NUMBER OF MAN and HIS NUMBER IS SIX HUNDRED, THREE SCORE AND SIX.” Now, I am aware that the King James Bible says that “it is the number of a man,” but the indefinite article “a” is supplied by the translators and is not necessarily included in the Greek, since that language has no indefinite article. It can quite well be translated without an article at all, as in Psalm 8:4, “What is man (not a man), that thou art mindful of him?” In our text the word for “man” is not Adam, but anthropos, meaning “a human being; humanity; human-kind.” It denotes the human race as against any other species of being. The Concordant New Testament correctly translates it, “for it is the number of mankind.” Anthropos is the word used in II Timothy 3:17 wherein we read, “That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” “Man of God” is not referring to a particular man, or one single man, but rather to every man of God. It is a corporate expression denoting a company of men. Likewise, the number of the beast is not referring to one man; it’s every man who possesses a soulical nature capable of spawning religious attitudes, actions, traditions, and systems! Thus we see that the number of the beast that is called the number of a “man” is the number or nature of a “corporate man” or set of men and not one man we are to look for. This “man” is already here and has been here from the dawn of history! He has found a unique expression since Christ birthed His church in the earth, bringing forth in the midst of the Lord’s people another system, a beastly religious system calling itself “the church” and which bears a striking resemblance to the Lamb of God but speaks words which sound like the voice of the dragon!"
Much more in the full study:
Thats what I always thought. The Seal of God and the Mark of the Beast are not physical, as the body can always be changed, corrected, or degraded and torn apart. Both signals (chiragma in greek) are imprints on the soul, easily seen in the final judgement to distinguish the righteous the persecuted faithful from the wicked, the haughty and the opressors
That said, avoid the vaxx because of the blood clots and myocarditis, fight back against the digital ID's to not let the State put you on a leash and muzzle, but rest assured that your soul is safe with the Lord
Great post.
Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Romans is the 6th book of the new testament, the 6th chapter and the 6th verse has the word man being the 6th word in that verse. Interesting.
That is awesome. Our old man, our imperfect man, is crucified, and in the new being, restored man, we serve Christ. Love it.
Don't take scripture out of context;
15 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.
Those who suffer through the wrath of God will be forced to worship the image or be killed if they don't. Your soul is already lost by the time the mark is given.
Confess of Jesus Christ now and be taken out of this awful world together with the Holy Spirit, before the tribulations.
15 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.
It's symbolism, it is not out of context. Being killed is symbolism, it is not talking about killing the flesh and blood man, it is a cutting off from the world's, the best's, culture, a total cancelation of the saint, but it is not a physical killing. The link covers this in preceding chapters, here's the index:
https://www.godfire.net/eby/
I'm not of this world. The world is awful but don't be mistaken, God loves the people who are taken captive by this world, we are the light that shows the way to victory over the world system that is without God. Our hope is one day "God all in all".
Awesome thoughts brother.
Romans 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Hope doesn't erase this fact
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Your heart/soul can be redeemed now, circumcised away from the flesh by the Spirit, cleansing it of sin so that God may dwell within it. But the sinful flesh still surrounds you. Even Paul, an Apostle of Christ, who was taken up into and shown Heaven, still groans about it.
Yes, the hope, seeing the future promise of complete restoration is for this whole creation. We have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we have perfection in us, we have the glory in us, we are being transformed by that glory as is the whole creation! That is our hope laid out in Romans 8. We are ambassadors for Christ, be reconciled to God!
21 Because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption
That is the proclimation. That is what the word of God by Paul's pen says is our full and complete hope, the whole creation, every bit of it swallowed up in victory. It is truly glorious.
We await patiently, believe me.
Another fun fact that supports your short essay, is the number of man in scientific terms. The primary element of the body is carbon, or, the carbon atom. A carbon atom has 3 parts. It's atomic number is 6.
There are:
Thus I never bought in to ONE MAN being the antichrist. It is my thinking that "antichrist" refers to any who rebuke God, whether it be one man or 1 billion men. Those who do not follow God are "antichrist".
...and there's a lot of antichrist running around these days...
Very cool.
Although there is going to be a figurehead of the Antichrist, we don't know who yet but it has to be a "public" figure that commands the nations before Jesus's return.
"Thank God that is not the end of the story! I earnestly pray that God will give a spirit of true humility to all who read these lines, for we recognize the weakness and uncleanness of our outer man, the flesh. I know, as all honest hearts know, that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. But our Father has the remedy! Not only does He heal the lame by the Pool of Bethesda, causing him to stand tall and walk in the strength of manhood, but He heals every member of His body from all the impotency, blemishes, and corruption of the Adamic consciousness and raises up within us the image of God and the glory of Christ that we may walk tall and confident as God-men in the earth. Any man who sees the glory of God and longs to be rid of the filth of his flesh and the wretched defilement of the bestial system of the world will certainly cry with the Psalmist, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:23-24). The same Isaiah who made the humble and honest confession quoted above went on to reveal God’s goodness and greatness to usward. “Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: and he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me!” Thus has the Lord revealed that when His purging process is complete in His apprehended sons, the hour of their sending forth will quickly follow. Even in the darkness of this dread day all creation is standing on tiptoe to see the wonderful sight of God’s sons coming into their own! And truly we ourselves do groan within ourselves, waiting for the hour of unveiling, the manifestation of the sons of God!"
"We have only to read carefully and prayerfully the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of the Revelation to see the close and inspired connection between them. They are constructed on the same lines. They run parallel in their emphasis. Consider some of the similarities and contrasts. “I saw a beast coming up out of the sea.” “I saw a Lamb standing on mount Zion.” The worshippers of the beast celebrated his greatness in a hymn of praise: “Who is like unto the beast? and who is able to make war with him?” And over against this earthly song there is an heavenly: “And I heard a voice from heaven as the voice of many waters…and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: and they sung as it were a new song…and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth” (Rev. 14:2-3). It is clear that in the fourteenth chapter the Holy Spirit is drawing a companion, yet contrasting, picture to the events of the thirteenth. He sets the two companies — the followers of the beast and the followers of the Lamb — in strong and vivid contrast."
From the next study:
https://www.godfire.net/eby/rev-159.html
"The book of Revelation is full of wonderful and striking contrasts which cannot but excite the spirit of all who have ears to hear and eyes to see! The Revelation deals with the mightiest contrast that ever existed — the contrast between Christ and Adam, between spirit and flesh, between truth and error, between spirituality and carnality, between the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness, and between God and the devil. We meet, furthermore, with the contrast between the company of the overcomers and the carnal church systems of man, between the two witnesses and the beast, between the manchild and the dragon, between the Lamb and the beastly system, between God’s Christ and the kings of the earth, between the saints and the world, and between Mystery Babylon and the holy city, New Jerusalem. Again and again this mighty contrast is painted for us in brilliant hues and vivid scenes of divine revelation!"
"Let us note that in chapter fourteen we have a continuation of the symbolism begun in chapter thirteen. The fact that this has been generally overlooked has led to many dreadful errors in the interpretation of the scenes of this portion."
"In the case where a number is used to denote the characteristics or the nature of a thing, the article is unnecessary. With this understanding the statement, instead of being an insoluble puzzle, becomes perfectly clear. The number of the beast is the nature of the beast, and the number 666 is shown to be the NATURE OF MAN! Not “a” man, but MANKIND — ALL NATURAL MEN! It signifies the measure of man, that is, his inward state of being manifested by his outward actions, and how these are perceived by those about him. As the wise man wrote, “I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, that they might see that they themselves are beasts” (Eccl. 3:18). “Here is wisdom — let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast.” The one who is wise is the one who within himself has this living understanding that the nature of the beast is also the nature of man! Therefore, the nature or character of “religion” and the carnal church system is — FLESHLY!"
"And I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father’s name written in their foreheads” (Rev. 14:1).
"Mountain peaks have often been used as a scaffold, lifting high many glorious experiences between God and man. On mount Moriah God met with Abraham in the greatest revelation of his life. On mount Sinai God appeared and gave the law to Moses. Mount Carmel was the scene of God’s power sending fire to consume Elijah’s sacrifice and judging the prophets of Baal. On the heights of mount Hermon the firstborn Son of God was transfigured, and from mount Olivet He ascended. In the Song of Solomon the Shulamite was called by her Beloved to come away with him to mount Bether, the mount of separation. There are numbers of other mountain-top experiences. The last to be mentioned in the scriptures is John’s vision of mount Zion. On this ultimate elevation God paints the symbol of a lamb and one hundred forty-four thousand companions, with the Father’s name in their foreheads. There have been a lot of “mountain-top experiences,” but there is no mountain that can compare with THIS MOUNTAIN, for it is a STATE OF BEING, a condition IN CHRIST. As Peter discovered on mount Hermon, the Lord never intended for us to build tabernacles and camp on any of these other mountains. We are not to settle for anything less than HIS DIVINE PERFECTIONS and HIS ULTIMATE PURPOSE. We are to be conformed to the image of His Son, we are to share His glory and sit with Him in His throne, and He brings us to that mountain. Truly this is the highest and ultimate mountain-top experience!"
https://www.godfire.net/eby/rev-159.html
"I can hardly wait for that new identity chip because, you see, the joke will be on them — it will represent a mistaken identity, for they don’t know my true identity, because I have been born of God, God is my Father, and I am a son of God, a new creation species of Christ! A chip in old Adam’s forehead can in no way affect my true identity of the Christ-life that I am! I’ve already had my identity change. For me to live is Christ, for Christ is my life. You can put all the chips you want to in my fleshly forehead, or tattoo, or laser any mark you choose and it will not change one iota who I really am. The mark of the beast is already in the forehead of the old natural human identity. The moment we fall back into the old carnal, earthly, natural, human, Adamic way of thinking about ourselves and the world, and act out of that mind-set, the nature (mark) of the beast is manifest. Does this not show that any literal mark applied by man has no power whatever to either add to, or take away from, that which is already there?"
"In dealing with issues so vast and extensive as those we have considered in these messages on THE BEAST OUT OF THE EARTH, I am well aware that I have passed over many wonderful truths of overwhelming importance. As the beastly spirit has been uncovered, and the beastly religious system unmasked, my great concern has been that beyond it all men might truly, as never before, SEE THE LORD! My deepest desire is to know Christ, not antichrist. I want to know not just about Him, I want to intimately and fully KNOW HIM! The deepest cry of my heart is that the Holy Spirit will take the things of Christ and make them real to me. Therefore I am more interested in CHRIST than I am in the beast, and I am more concerned about the MARK OF GOD than I am with anything that pertains to the mark of the beast!"
"The power that initiates this marking of all mankind with the bestial nature is the dragon — that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan. Can we not see by this that it was in Eden that the mark was first impressed upon mankind! The terrible truth is that a man with no God-consciousness, having never been quickened by the washing of regeneration, walking only in his own carnal understanding and perceptions, obeying the animal instincts that lurk in his members, that man, I say, in the quality of his life is no better than a beast! If you don’t believe that, then you have not come to an understanding of the truth. Remember this — not all beasts are wild! Some beasts are domesticated. Some of these domesticated beasts have degrees behind their names and teach in our schools, universities, and seminaries. Others of these likeable, loveable, domesticated beasts run for political office and hold positions in our government! Others have attained to positions in the church systems of man and are called “Father” or “Reverend.” There are good beasts, smart beasts, cute beasts, entertaining beasts, cunning beasts, wise beasts, hard working beasts, faithful beasts, but they are still beasts. I do not hesitate to say that we are living in a world of beasts! That’s the mark of the natural man, of the human nature, of the Adamic consciousness. A man apart from union with God, for better or for worse, is no better than a beast."