What does the Bible really teach about the mark of the beast? 00:00:08.20\00:00:12.04 You're about to find out on His Voice Today. 00:00:12.07\00:00:15.38 Welcome to another His Voice Today with Steve Wohlberg. 00:00:18.55\00:00:22.62 I grew up in Los Angeles, and I know that there is a nagging 00:00:26.42\00:00:30.09 fear among people that live in the area that someday 00:00:30.13\00:00:33.90 the big one will strike. 00:00:33.93\00:00:35.90 And what I mean by that is a big earthquake. 00:00:35.93\00:00:38.70 And the fear is valid, because the state of California has a 00:00:38.73\00:00:43.54 a fault line that runs right through Los Angeles, 00:00:43.61\00:00:47.81 and it's the San Andreas Fault Line. 00:00:47.84\00:00:49.61 And so the fears are real that the big one, someday, 00:00:49.64\00:00:53.05 will hit that city. 00:00:53.08\00:00:54.85 When it comes to Bible prophecy, there is a big one that 00:00:54.88\00:00:59.15 the book of Revelation predicts will one day hit this world. 00:00:59.19\00:01:03.46 And it's the biggest and the most controversial 00:01:03.49\00:01:06.66 issue in Revelation; and it is the issue of the 00:01:06.70\00:01:10.53 mark of the beast. 00:01:10.57\00:01:11.90 Now we don't know exactly when people will watch these 00:01:11.93\00:01:14.84 recordings, and it's very possible that as you watch this 00:01:14.87\00:01:17.41 right now, our world might be in the middle of the 00:01:17.47\00:01:20.51 mark of the beast crisis. 00:01:20.54\00:01:21.88 And if that's true, then the information that I'm going to 00:01:21.91\00:01:24.98 share with you is exactly what you need. 00:01:25.01\00:01:27.02 And if it's still coming, and if you're watching this before the 00:01:27.05\00:01:30.35 mark hits, then the information is still what you need, 00:01:30.39\00:01:33.49 because it will help you to understand what the big issues 00:01:33.56\00:01:36.62 are when they finally come upon planet Earth. 00:01:36.66\00:01:39.43 So we're going to go through fifteen facts 00:01:39.46\00:01:42.20 from the book of Revelation. 00:01:42.23\00:01:43.57 The mark of the beast is mentioned eight 00:01:43.60\00:01:45.03 times in Revelation. 00:01:45.07\00:01:46.40 There is a lot of speculation out there concerning this topic. 00:01:46.43\00:01:50.51 There's a lot of wild ideas, and strange and crazy theories. 00:01:50.54\00:01:54.21 But I'm not interested in any of these theories. 00:01:54.24\00:01:56.24 I'm interested in only what the facts are from the book. 00:01:56.28\00:01:59.91 And so I'm going to give you fifteen facts from Revelation 00:01:59.95\00:02:03.52 about the mark of the beast. 00:02:03.59\00:02:06.15 Fact 1. We're going to start with chapter 13 verses 16, 17. 00:02:06.22\00:02:12.26 Fact 1. is that the mark of the beast is going to come upon 00:02:12.29\00:02:15.80 the whole world, whether people live in China, or Russia, 00:02:15.83\00:02:19.30 or New Zealand, or LA. 00:02:19.33\00:02:21.64 It's a global event. 00:02:21.67\00:02:23.14 Revelation 13:16 says, 00:02:23.37\00:02:25.87 The word all shows this is global. 00:02:43.43\00:02:46.76 Fact 2. is that the mark of the beast will involve force. 00:02:46.80\00:02:50.60 And that is brought out by the word causes. 00:02:50.63\00:02:54.60 He causes, he forces all, all around 00:02:54.64\00:02:57.67 the world to get this mark. 00:02:57.71\00:02:59.84 And this is going to come to America as well. 00:02:59.87\00:03:02.31 The land of the free, and the home of the brave. 00:03:02.34\00:03:04.68 The mark is going to be enforced upon all during a time of great 00:03:04.71\00:03:09.68 final global crisis. 00:03:09.72\00:03:12.22 And that crisis is either coming, or we're in that crisis 00:03:12.25\00:03:16.76 right now as you're watching this. 00:03:16.79\00:03:18.43 I don't know, but I know I know that we're not far away 00:03:18.46\00:03:23.10 from these big events that are predicted in Scripture. 00:03:23.13\00:03:27.90 Fact 3. Fact 3. is that the mark of the beast is somehow tied 00:03:27.94\00:03:36.21 in to the economy, to global economic issues. 00:03:36.24\00:03:41.38 Because the Bible says in verse 16 and 17, that eventually no 00:03:41.42\00:03:46.32 man will be able to buy or sell unless he has the mark. 00:03:46.35\00:03:51.59 So buying and selling has to do with the world's economy, 00:03:51.63\00:03:54.96 with money issues, and how people survive, how people live, 00:03:55.00\00:04:01.10 how people pay for their food, how people get along 00:04:01.14\00:04:04.84 in this world of sin. 00:04:04.87\00:04:07.48 And so that's issue 3. 00:04:07.51\00:04:10.05 Fact 3. is the mark of the beast will involve the economy. 00:04:10.08\00:04:13.68 Fact 4. which is pretty obvious, but one that must be stressed, 00:04:13.72\00:04:17.85 is that the mark, whatever it is, has something 00:04:17.89\00:04:21.66 to do with the beast. 00:04:21.72\00:04:23.79 It comes from the beast. 00:04:23.83\00:04:25.86 Who is this beast? 00:04:32.93\00:04:35.97 Well, we'll put that ahead for a future program. 00:04:36.00\00:04:40.08 But we have one program coming called, Identifying the Beast, 00:04:40.11\00:04:44.31 and we'll get to that. 00:04:44.35\00:04:45.68 But at this point lets just notice that the mark 00:04:45.71\00:04:49.15 comes from the beast. 00:04:49.18\00:04:50.89 And it's important for us to know who that beast is. 00:04:50.92\00:04:54.09 So that's Point 4, Fact 4. 00:04:54.12\00:04:56.86 The next fact, verse 16, says that people will receive a mark 00:04:56.89\00:05:04.93 in their right hand, or in their foreheads. 00:05:04.97\00:05:07.84 The mark of the beast is enforced in two places: 00:05:07.87\00:05:10.47 here or here. And we'll discuss that, and go into great detail 00:05:10.51\00:05:13.78 about that in the days ahead. 00:05:13.81\00:05:16.41 Fact 6. is found in Revelation 14:9. The Bible says: 00:05:16.44\00:05:22.25 Fact 6. is that God has a special distinct warning 00:05:33.40\00:05:38.73 message for the whole world about the mark of the beast, 00:05:38.77\00:05:41.70 and it is the third angel's message. 00:05:41.74\00:05:44.84 It's the third angel that warns the world with a loud voice, 00:05:44.87\00:05:48.74 which means that God's message is going to be 00:05:48.78\00:05:51.31 very clear, very distinct. 00:05:51.35\00:05:52.78 It's not going to be difficult to understand. 00:05:52.81\00:05:54.68 It's going to be something that people around the world 00:05:54.72\00:05:56.48 can hear, and grasp, and then make a decision either for 00:05:56.52\00:06:01.76 the beast or for God. 00:06:01.82\00:06:03.16 And so that is a very important point. 00:06:03.19\00:06:05.19 6. Is that we need to be directed to the third angel's 00:06:05.23\00:06:08.96 message to try to understand what this mark is about. 00:06:09.00\00:06:12.20 And the third angel actually goes down through verse 12. 00:06:12.23\00:06:15.07 And we'll be looking at more of this as we go along. 00:06:15.10\00:06:17.67 So that's Fact 6. 7. is very clear, and very important, 00:06:17.71\00:06:23.55 and that is that the mark of the beast is a life or death issue. 00:06:23.58\00:06:28.25 As you keep reading, it says in verse 10, 00:06:28.28\00:06:32.25 that those who get the mark... 00:06:32.29\00:06:34.69 Now you can read from Genesis to Revelation and you will never 00:06:49.30\00:06:52.51 find a more solemn warning than Revelation 14:9, 10, & 11, 00:06:52.54\00:06:59.31 the warning about the mark of the beast. 00:06:59.35\00:07:01.15 If you get the mark of the beast, or if I get the mark 00:07:01.18\00:07:03.75 of the beast, we're lost. 00:07:03.79\00:07:06.52 Eternity is gone, as far as living forever with Jesus. 00:07:06.55\00:07:13.16 It's just not going to happen. 00:07:13.19\00:07:14.76 So we've got to make sure, what ever this mark of the beast is, 00:07:14.80\00:07:18.67 that if we're on earth when it strikes, 00:07:18.70\00:07:23.17 that we definitely don't get it. 00:07:23.20\00:07:25.64 So that is Fact 7. 00:07:25.67\00:07:31.01 Fact 8. is often overlooked, but it's right there in the Bible 00:07:31.05\00:07:36.58 that whatever the mark of the beast is, it has to do with a 00:07:36.62\00:07:39.72 sin against God Himself. 00:07:39.75\00:07:41.96 Verse 10 says, those who get the mark... 00:07:41.99\00:07:44.33 The wrath of God, which means that the mark of the beast 00:07:48.96\00:07:52.33 has something to do with going against Him; 00:07:52.37\00:07:55.10 going against the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. 00:07:55.14\00:07:58.87 So it has a deeply spiritual component. 00:07:58.91\00:08:02.24 It's not just a surface issue that God looks down, 00:08:02.28\00:08:06.68 and says, Oh yep, sorry, you've got the mark and so you're lost. 00:08:06.72\00:08:10.72 No, the mark of the beast has something to do with a deep 00:08:10.75\00:08:14.06 rebellion against the Lord Himself. 00:08:14.09\00:08:16.86 And that is something that we've got to understand, 00:08:16.89\00:08:20.10 the spiritual dimension to this subject. 00:08:20.13\00:08:23.03 So that is Point 8. 00:08:23.06\00:08:25.53 Point 9. is that those who get the mark will drink 00:08:25.57\00:08:31.47 a mixture that is in a cup. 00:08:31.54\00:08:34.68 And we're going to study this more a little bit later. 00:08:34.71\00:08:38.55 Verse 10 says: 00:08:38.58\00:08:39.91 When you study the New Testament there are actually three cups 00:08:47.16\00:08:51.13 that are described in Revelation and in Matthew. 00:08:51.16\00:08:54.06 The first cup we see right here is the cup of the wine 00:08:54.10\00:08:58.30 of the wrath of God. 00:08:58.33\00:08:59.67 That's a cup we don't want to drink. 00:08:59.70\00:09:01.04 That's a mixture we definitely don't want going into our souls. 00:09:01.07\00:09:04.77 And then the second cup is found in Revelation 17, 00:09:04.81\00:09:07.98 which we're not going to really elaborate on right now, 00:09:08.01\00:09:10.45 but it's the cup of the wine of Babylon, of Babylon's false 00:09:10.48\00:09:12.91 of Babylon's false teaching. 00:09:12.95\00:09:14.75 Revelation 17:4, 5 talks about this mysterious woman holding 00:09:14.78\00:09:19.19 a cup, and inside that cup is her brew, her wine, 00:09:19.22\00:09:23.06 which represents the false doctrines of Babylon. 00:09:23.09\00:09:25.29 So ultimately those who continue to drink the wine of Babylon 00:09:25.33\00:09:29.16 will then eventually drink the wine of the wrath of God. 00:09:29.20\00:09:33.37 So both of those cups are cups that we want to avoid for sure. 00:09:33.44\00:09:38.37 And then there's a third cup that Jesus offered His disciples 00:09:38.41\00:09:43.35 the night before He died when He said, Take this cup; 00:09:43.38\00:09:46.31 drink this cup, for this is the cup of My blood, which is shed 00:09:46.35\00:09:50.85 for many for the forgiveness of sins. 00:09:50.89\00:09:53.46 We want to avoid the cup of the wrath of God. 00:09:53.49\00:09:55.59 We want to avoid the cup of the wine of Babylon. 00:09:55.62\00:09:57.63 And we want to drink the cup of salvation that Jesus offers 00:09:57.69\00:10:01.80 His people freely, and without price, by the gift of His grace, 00:10:01.83\00:10:07.80 to those who choose Him instead of the beast. 00:10:07.84\00:10:11.27 Fact 10. If you look inside that cup carefully, there is a brew 00:10:14.94\00:10:24.52 that the Scriptures says is without any mixture. 00:10:24.55\00:10:29.79 Verse 10 says: The same shall drink the wine of the wrath 00:10:29.82\00:10:33.16 of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup 00:10:33.19\00:10:38.63 of His indignation. 00:10:38.67\00:10:40.64 Now we're going to talk about this cup, 00:10:40.67\00:10:42.54 especially in the next meeting, where this is actually a little 00:10:42.57\00:10:44.91 mini series within the regular His Voice Today programs, 00:10:44.97\00:10:49.04 where we're going to be going into great detail about this 00:10:49.08\00:10:52.71 mark; this is the mark section of His Voice Today. 00:10:52.75\00:10:57.19 So there we have inside the cup is wine, the wine of the wrath 00:10:57.22\00:11:03.49 of God without any mixture. 00:11:03.53\00:11:05.79 And I'll explain that, because there's a very deep, 00:11:05.83\00:11:08.43 powerful truth that we need to understand as we go 00:11:08.46\00:11:13.57 very carefully into an analysis of what 00:11:13.60\00:11:18.11 Revelation is talking about. 00:11:18.14\00:11:19.64 Okay, the next point, Fact 11, is a mega point. 00:11:19.67\00:11:27.88 It is extremely important, and it's found in the second part 00:11:27.92\00:11:31.45 of verse 10. It talks about those who get the mark, 00:11:31.49\00:11:34.79 that person will be... 00:11:34.82\00:11:36.16 Now I've studied this topic for years. 00:11:43.43\00:11:45.97 I'm not an expert in a lot of things. 00:11:46.00\00:11:48.84 I'm not a mechanic. 00:11:48.87\00:11:50.24 I don't know that much about what's under the hood of a car. 00:11:50.27\00:11:53.14 I'm not an expert in computers, although I use 00:11:53.17\00:11:56.71 my computer regularly. 00:11:56.75\00:11:58.08 I'm trying to improve as a father, and as a husband; 00:11:58.11\00:12:02.65 to be a better expert in marriage. 00:12:02.68\00:12:05.82 The Lord has blessed my marriage, and He's blessed my 00:12:05.85\00:12:07.96 children tremendously. 00:12:07.99\00:12:09.32 But I don't consider myself an expert in a lot of areas. 00:12:09.36\00:12:12.83 But when it comes to prophecy, when it comes to Revelation, 00:12:12.86\00:12:16.56 when it comes to the topic of the mark of the beast, 00:12:16.63\00:12:18.83 this is something that I have studied 00:12:18.90\00:12:20.24 for years, years, and years. 00:12:20.27\00:12:21.97 And I'm trying to share these facts with you. 00:12:22.00\00:12:25.91 And it's very clear to me as I look at verse 10, 00:12:25.94\00:12:29.74 and compare it with verse 9, when it says that those who 00:12:29.78\00:12:33.18 get the mark will suffer... 00:12:33.21\00:12:34.58 Now the word Lamb is a word, it's a word that is a symbol 00:12:36.82\00:12:42.12 not for a literal animal, but it's a symbol of Jesus Christ. 00:12:42.16\00:12:45.56 Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 00:12:45.59\00:12:49.70 We find that in John 1:29, we find that throughout the 00:12:49.76\00:12:53.27 book of Revelation. 00:12:53.30\00:12:54.64 And what this is trying to tell us, when Revelation surfaces 00:12:54.67\00:12:59.01 this message for us to think about and understand, 00:12:59.04\00:13:02.18 is that the final issue has to do with the beast on one side, 00:13:02.21\00:13:06.18 the mark of the beast, and on the other side it's the Lamb 00:13:06.21\00:13:09.98 the beast and the Lamb, or the Lamb, the beast or the Lamb. 00:13:10.02\00:13:13.66 So ultimately when the mark of the beast hits, people have to 00:13:13.69\00:13:17.29 make a choice between the beast or Jesus Christ. 00:13:17.33\00:13:21.73 Jesus is at the center of this issue. 00:13:21.76\00:13:24.90 The mark of the beast, those who get it are ultimately 00:13:24.93\00:13:27.97 going against Christ, and they're also going against 00:13:28.00\00:13:31.37 His sacrifice, because the word Lamb has to do with His 00:13:31.41\00:13:34.74 sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world. 00:13:34.78\00:13:38.71 And so these are issues that are just vital. 00:13:38.75\00:13:43.42 And just like we can know what the word Lamb means, 00:13:43.45\00:13:48.72 meaning that it points to a person, Jesus Christ, 00:13:48.76\00:13:51.19 we will find out in future programs that when the Bible 00:13:51.23\00:13:55.86 talks about the beast, we can also know who the beast is. 00:13:55.90\00:14:00.00 It just makes sense that we've got to be able to know who the 00:14:00.04\00:14:04.21 two sides are, so we can make the right decision, 00:14:04.24\00:14:06.91 and be on the Lord's side. 00:14:06.98\00:14:08.94 So that is Fact 11, that the mark of the beast, 00:14:08.98\00:14:14.68 whatever it is, has something to do with choosing 00:14:14.72\00:14:18.45 the beast above Jesus. 00:14:18.49\00:14:20.02 And I'm sure that when people are suffering in the presence 00:14:20.06\00:14:24.13 of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb, 00:14:24.19\00:14:26.66 that Jesus is not going to be happy. 00:14:26.70\00:14:28.83 He's going to be weeping, because that's the kind of 00:14:28.86\00:14:31.73 person that He is. 00:14:31.77\00:14:33.10 He loves the world, and He doesn't want anybody 00:14:33.13\00:14:35.17 to get the mark of the beast. 00:14:35.20\00:14:36.54 And so that's why He gives us this fiery message, 00:14:36.57\00:14:40.41 in verses 9, 10, 11, because as a loving parent, 00:14:40.44\00:14:44.25 who is concerned about His kids, He's warning us, 00:14:44.28\00:14:48.05 Don't go that way! 00:14:48.08\00:14:49.42 Don't get the mark! 00:14:49.45\00:14:50.79 Don't follow the beast! 00:14:50.82\00:14:52.15 Follow Me, Jesus, the Lamb who loves you. 00:14:52.19\00:14:54.39 That's what this message is all about. 00:14:54.42\00:14:57.53 So that is Fact 11. 00:14:57.56\00:15:00.50 Fact 12 takes us to the next verse. 00:15:00.53\00:15:05.80 Verse 11 says that for those who get the mark, 00:15:05.83\00:15:10.51 When we follow God, and choose Jesus, and do what's right, 00:15:24.55\00:15:27.99 follow His Word, the result is a blessed rest of soul. 00:15:28.02\00:15:33.43 It's a rest, it's a peace that we're on God's side, 00:15:33.46\00:15:37.77 and that we're doing the right thing. 00:15:37.80\00:15:40.14 In Matthew 11:28 Jesus said, Come to Me, 00:15:40.17\00:15:42.47 and I will give you rest. 00:15:42.50\00:15:44.54 Those who follow the beast, and get the mark deep inside their 00:15:44.57\00:15:49.11 souls, they know that they're going in the wrong direction. 00:15:49.14\00:15:53.68 It's an inner battle, you know, part of them, I think, 00:15:53.72\00:15:57.82 I got to do this; this is the right thing, 00:15:57.85\00:16:00.16 because they're deceived. 00:16:00.22\00:16:01.56 But as they go in that direction, deep, deep, deep, 00:16:01.59\00:16:05.43 deep inside their conscience they don't have any real rest, 00:16:05.49\00:16:10.27 and any real peace, because they're going the wrong way. 00:16:10.30\00:16:15.07 So that is Point 12. 00:16:15.10\00:16:19.44 There is no rest for those who get the mark. 00:16:19.47\00:16:23.14 Point 13. At the end of verse 11 it talks about whoever receives 00:16:23.18\00:16:29.85 the mark of his name. 00:16:29.88\00:16:31.92 And then verse 12, which is the conclusion of the message 00:16:31.95\00:16:35.16 of the third angel, Verse 12 says: 00:16:35.19\00:16:37.53 Point 13 is that God is going to have a people, 00:16:47.50\00:16:53.78 a special people in this world who don't get 00:16:53.81\00:16:58.48 the mark of the beast. 00:16:58.51\00:16:59.85 They look at the issues, they look at the beast, 00:16:59.88\00:17:01.95 they look at the image, they look at the mark, and they have 00:17:01.98\00:17:05.19 made a very firm and intelligent decision: No way! 00:17:05.22\00:17:08.56 They're not going that way. 00:17:08.59\00:17:10.19 They're going to be on God's side. 00:17:10.23\00:17:11.86 Verse 11 describes those who get the mark, 00:17:11.89\00:17:14.16 and verse 12 describes those who don't: 00:17:14.20\00:17:16.46 a group of people called saints. 00:17:16.50\00:17:19.50 And I want to be among those saints, don't you? 00:17:19.53\00:17:22.80 There's no doubt in my mind. 00:17:22.84\00:17:24.44 I don't want the beast, I want the Lord. 00:17:24.47\00:17:26.24 And that's why we're doing this program; is to share this 00:17:26.27\00:17:28.84 information with you right from God's book. 00:17:28.88\00:17:31.81 So that is Point 13. 00:17:31.85\00:17:34.95 Point 14. is that these saints have very 00:17:34.98\00:17:39.99 distinct characteristics. 00:17:40.02\00:17:41.72 They are described as people. It says, Here are they that... 00:17:41.76\00:17:46.90 They do two fundamental things. It says that: 00:17:46.93\00:17:50.37 They keep God's commandments, so the issue of the commandments 00:17:54.34\00:17:57.97 of God surfaces in the middle of this issue about the mark. 00:17:58.01\00:18:03.04 Those that get the mark break the commandments of God, 00:18:03.08\00:18:06.38 and those who don't get the mark, those who are part 00:18:06.41\00:18:09.28 of the saints, they are keeping the commandments of God 00:18:09.32\00:18:12.69 and, the Bible says, and also the faith of Jesus. 00:18:12.72\00:18:20.50 Faith of Jesus; so they're not just, 00:18:20.53\00:18:22.76 they're not one or the other. They do both. 00:18:22.80\00:18:27.17 The word Jesus, the name Jesus, is the last word before the 00:18:27.20\00:18:33.07 period at the conclusion of the third angel's message. 00:18:33.11\00:18:35.88 So Jesus is the center of the focus of the saints. 00:18:35.91\00:18:42.12 They love Jesus. They have faith in Jesus. 00:18:42.15\00:18:44.45 They know they're saved by the grace of Jesus. 00:18:44.49\00:18:46.55 They're trusting Jesus. 00:18:46.59\00:18:48.06 They're following Him 100%, but they do something else through 00:18:48.09\00:18:54.63 His grace, and through His power. 00:18:54.66\00:18:56.56 They also become commandment keepers. 00:18:56.60\00:19:00.27 And as I look at verse 10, it talks about the wine 00:19:00.30\00:19:03.57 of the wrath of God. 00:19:03.61\00:19:04.94 And then I look at verse 12. 00:19:04.97\00:19:06.41 It talks about the saints who keep the commandments of God. 00:19:06.44\00:19:09.91 The way to avoid the wrath of God, is to keep the commandments 00:19:09.94\00:19:13.75 of God, because we have faith in Jesus Christ, 00:19:13.78\00:19:16.45 and we love Jesus Christ. 00:19:16.48\00:19:17.95 So the... Just like there's no mixture in the cup that falls 00:19:17.99\00:19:24.39 upon those who get the mark, so there is a divine, holy 00:19:24.43\00:19:28.73 mixture in the hearts of the final saints. 00:19:28.76\00:19:32.40 And that mixture is that they are followers of Jesus Christ. 00:19:32.43\00:19:36.71 They have faith in Jesus Christ, but their faith in Christ leads 00:19:36.74\00:19:41.14 them to make a strong moral stand for the 00:19:41.18\00:19:46.55 commandments of God. 00:19:46.58\00:19:47.92 They follow God. They keep His law in the midst 00:19:47.95\00:19:51.75 of the mark of the beast crisis. 00:19:51.79\00:19:53.59 So we're going to unravel these things more as we go along. 00:19:53.62\00:19:56.99 But these are very, very important issues, 00:19:57.03\00:20:00.73 and we don't want to be Biblically illiterate concerning 00:20:00.76\00:20:03.63 what the Bible actually says concerning 00:20:03.67\00:20:05.43 the facts about the mark. 00:20:05.47\00:20:07.17 So the last fact, Point 15, is that all of these issues will 00:20:07.20\00:20:12.91 hit the world with blinding speed right before 00:20:12.94\00:20:19.01 the return of Jesus Christ. 00:20:19.05\00:20:21.18 The Third Angel's Message concludes in verse 12. 00:20:21.22\00:20:25.05 And then in verse 14, right on the heels of 00:20:25.09\00:20:27.82 verse 12, the Bible says: 00:20:27.86\00:20:29.62 So that's Fact 15 that the mark of the beast hits this world 00:20:40.47\00:20:44.54 right before the return of Jesus Christ. 00:20:44.57\00:20:48.21 And the Bible says that when Jesus comes, He is described 00:20:48.24\00:20:53.21 as coming with a sickle, a sharp sickle. 00:20:53.25\00:20:56.25 Now a sickle is an instrument that used to be used; 00:20:56.28\00:20:59.42 not so much as in this modern world. 00:20:59.45\00:21:02.09 Farmers now use big machines and combines. 00:21:02.12\00:21:04.89 But a sharp sickle is a sickle that used to be used in 00:21:04.93\00:21:08.60 Bible days to harvest crops, to harvest grain. 00:21:08.63\00:21:13.44 And the fact that it's sharp shows that Jesus, when He comes, 00:21:13.47\00:21:18.04 He's going to separate the two groups. 00:21:18.07\00:21:20.64 He's going to separate those who follow the beast, 00:21:20.68\00:21:22.88 and follow the Lamb. 00:21:22.91\00:21:24.25 He's going to separate those that are on His side, 00:21:24.28\00:21:25.91 and those who are on the side of the Devil. 00:21:25.95\00:21:27.38 Those who follow error as compared to 00:21:27.42\00:21:30.39 those who follow truth. 00:21:30.42\00:21:31.75 It's going to be very distinct: those who follow the beast, 00:21:31.79\00:21:34.99 and get the mark, and those who keep the commandments of God 00:21:35.02\00:21:37.86 and the faith of Jesus; a very clear distinction 00:21:37.89\00:21:40.60 between both groups. 00:21:40.63\00:21:42.43 And we definitely want to be on the side of the Lord, 00:21:42.46\00:21:46.87 Jesus Christ, and not on the side of the beast, 00:21:46.90\00:21:49.50 and we for sure don't want to get that mark. 00:21:49.54\00:21:53.24 I heard a story once about a man that belonged to a church, 00:21:53.27\00:21:57.15 and his pastor had a reputation that whenever his church members 00:21:57.18\00:22:00.55 had problems that he would council with them. 00:22:00.58\00:22:03.28 And he would say, after listening to their problems, 00:22:03.32\00:22:05.22 he would say, You know, that's pretty bad, 00:22:05.25\00:22:07.22 but it could be worse. 00:22:07.26\00:22:08.59 It could be worse. 00:22:08.62\00:22:09.96 Well one night one of his church members went to 00:22:09.99\00:22:12.16 bed and had a dream. 00:22:12.19\00:22:13.53 And this dream was amazing. 00:22:13.56\00:22:14.90 He dreamed that the final day of the Lord had come. 00:22:14.93\00:22:17.33 He dreamed that it was the day of the second coming. 00:22:17.37\00:22:19.33 He looked up and he saw the sky crack open. 00:22:19.37\00:22:21.37 He saw Jesus come down with billions of angels. 00:22:21.40\00:22:24.67 And as the trumpet sounded, and the dead were raised all around 00:22:24.71\00:22:28.14 him, and he looked up and he saw Jesus and the angels, 00:22:28.18\00:22:30.15 all of a sudden he had this horrible conviction that he 00:22:30.18\00:22:33.85 wasn't ready, he wasn't ready. 00:22:33.88\00:22:35.42 And so he woke up in a cold sweat. 00:22:35.45\00:22:37.82 And the next day he went to church, and he found his pastor, 00:22:37.85\00:22:41.22 and he said, Pastor, I've got to talk to you. 00:22:41.26\00:22:42.76 So he brought the pastor, or the pastor brought him into the 00:22:42.79\00:22:45.83 pastor's office, and the Pastor said, What's going on? 00:22:45.86\00:22:48.36 And so the man told him his dream. 00:22:48.40\00:22:49.73 He said, Last night, Pastor, I had an amazing dream. 00:22:49.76\00:22:51.40 It was a horrible dream. 00:22:51.43\00:22:52.77 I saw Jesus coming, and I realized when He came down, 00:22:52.80\00:22:57.07 when the sky cracked open, and the mountains sank, 00:22:57.11\00:23:00.28 and the islands disappeared, and it was the great day of God, 00:23:00.31\00:23:03.31 Pastor I realized that I, I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready. 00:23:03.35\00:23:09.62 I was lost! I was a lost man. 00:23:09.65\00:23:11.79 And he said, Pastor, what council can you give me? 00:23:11.82\00:23:17.19 And the Pastor leaned back, and he thought about that. 00:23:17.23\00:23:21.00 Wow! And then he leaned forward and looked at this church member 00:23:21.03\00:23:27.04 in the eye, and you know what he said? 00:23:27.07\00:23:28.84 He said, he said, Thank God, it could be worse. 00:23:28.87\00:23:34.84 It could be worse. 00:23:34.88\00:23:36.61 And the man was shocked by that. 00:23:36.64\00:23:38.61 He thought, Pastor, I know you have a reputation for saying 00:23:38.65\00:23:42.55 this, but what could be worse than seeing the Lord come, 00:23:42.58\00:23:46.35 and realizing that I'm not ready? 00:23:46.39\00:23:47.92 And that Pastor, he was a wise man, a wise man. 00:23:47.96\00:23:51.39 And then he put his arm around his parishioner, and he gave him 00:23:51.43\00:23:55.16 a hug, and then he said to him, he said, It would be worse 00:23:55.20\00:24:00.47 if it wasn't a dream. 00:24:00.50\00:24:03.61 And then he said, Thank God! 00:24:03.64\00:24:05.64 You still have an opportunity today to give your heart 00:24:05.67\00:24:09.81 fully to Jesus, and so that when Jesus does come, 00:24:09.84\00:24:12.55 that you will be ready to go to heaven, and you won't be 00:24:12.58\00:24:16.85 on the wrong side. 00:24:16.89\00:24:18.49 Friend, thank God that we still have time. 00:24:20.92\00:24:24.39 I don't know at what time period in Earth's history that you'll 00:24:24.43\00:24:27.70 be watching this, but I believe, by faith, hopefully, 00:24:27.73\00:24:32.10 the doors are still open for you. 00:24:32.13\00:24:33.70 Hopefully, it's not beyond the mark of the beast crisis, 00:24:33.74\00:24:36.77 and that you've already made the choice to get the mark. 00:24:36.81\00:24:38.91 No, hopefully, you still have time, you still have a chance, 00:24:38.94\00:24:42.88 you still have an open door in heaven where Jesus is talking 00:24:42.91\00:24:46.98 to you right now, and urging you to give your life to Him, 00:24:47.02\00:24:50.32 to trust Him fully, to trust His grace, His salvation, 00:24:50.35\00:24:54.32 His free forgiveness, and to build up your soul with a firm 00:24:54.36\00:25:00.36 decision that when the mark comes that you're going to be 00:25:00.40\00:25:04.53 on God's side. That nothing's going to move you, 00:25:04.57\00:25:07.04 nothing will shake you, nothing will, even if you can't 00:25:07.07\00:25:09.84 buy or sell, nothing will move you. 00:25:09.87\00:25:11.97 You're going to be one of the saints of God who is 00:25:12.01\00:25:17.21 prepared for heaven. 00:25:17.25\00:25:18.81 Revelation 14:9. The Bible says, 00:25:18.85\00:25:23.35 God's message must be clear during the final moments 00:25:29.42\00:25:34.26 of Earth's history. 00:25:34.30\00:25:35.63 Verse 12. 00:26:15.50\00:26:17.11 My friend, you have just heard, 00:26:28.88\00:26:32.89 without a doubt, His voice today. 00:26:32.92\00:26:37.66 We hope you've enjoyed this timely message from 00:26:38.53\00:26:40.93 Pastor Steve Wohlberg, and we want you to know that 00:26:40.96\00:26:43.93 White Horse Media is deeply committed to bringing you 00:26:43.97\00:26:46.74 many more simple messages, straight from the Bible, 00:26:46.77\00:26:49.64 designed to educate the mind, inspire the heart, 00:26:49.67\00:26:52.41 and help bring our viewers, and their families, closer to God. 00:26:52.44\00:26:56.11 To learn more about White Horse Media, or to watch more of 00:26:56.14\00:26:59.31 Pastor Steve's television programs online, including his 00:26:59.35\00:27:02.62 powerful new series of two minute talks, visit 00:27:02.65\00:27:05.65 If you have any prayer requests you can e-mail them to us at 00:27:10.09\00:27:13.50 If you would like a free copy of Steve Wohlberg's audio CD, 00:27:16.70\00:27:20.24 Behold the White Horse, you can call us at 1-800-78BIBLE. That's 00:27:20.27\00:27:25.54 We hope you will join us next time for another inspiring 00:27:28.78\00:27:32.05 His Voice Today presentation with Steve Wohlberg. 00:27:32.08\00:27:34.72 Today we have a special offer called, 00:27:35.52\00:27:37.45 This offer is for pocket books, 1 DVD titled 00:27:39.79\00:27:43.36 Earth's Final Crisis, and the classic Great Controversy. 00:27:43.39\00:27:46.86 Don't miss this opportunity to get these resources today. 00:27:46.90\00:27:50.37 To order your information packet call 00:27:50.40\00:27:52.83 or write to: 00:27:55.80\00:27:57.14 or order online at White Horse Media. com. 00:28:02.51\00:28:06.72