I’m seeing some speculation among those who study Eschatology (the end times) about something big possibly happening in 2024, which prompted me to write this. Even if something “big” doesn’t happen in 2024, it is beneficial for all of us to be mentally prepared ahead of time for whenever it does happen.
The warning in this writing is DO NOT TAKE THE MARK- whenever it is rolled out because this is UNFORGIVEABLE and will absolutely separate us ETERNALLY from God. Here is the scriptural proof of this statement:
9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, 10 they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” 12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
Revelation 14:9-13
I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Revelation 20:4
THE MARK DESCRIPTIONS
So what is this “Mark”? It’s best to NOT SPECULATE, but simply know what scripture tells us and then apply this criteria to anything you may question in the future! Here’s the criteria:
15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.
18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[e] That number is 666.
Revelation 13:15-18
Here is another thing that will happen to the people who take the mark:
The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
Revelation 16:2
THE SECOND BEAST DESCRIPTIONS
This second beast is symbolic in description as “the beast” but scripture clarifies who this second beast is here:
But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
Revelation 19:20
The second beast is a “false prophet” who will be working in tandem with the “first beast.”
It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.
Revelation 13:12
And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people.
Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
Revelation 13:13The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.
Revelation 13:15It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,
Revelation 13:16so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.
Revelation 13:17
THE FIRST BEAST DESCRIPTIONS
Who is the first Beast? Scripture gives us criteria to look for on that as well! Here it is:
The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings.
Daniel 7:24
Notice that there are 10 kings but that 1 of them subdues (3) kings. 10 – 3 = 7 remain…now look at what Revelation describes:
The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.
Revelation 13:1
Coming out of the “sea” in Greek is: ”thalassa” and the biblical use of this word is:
- the sea
- used of the sea in general
- used specifically of the Mediterranean Sea or the Red Sea
This Beast was seen by Daniel as the last entity to rule the earth, and it will have control over the entire earth. Does this make anyone think about “global governance”? Here is the scriptural support:
“He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it.
Daniel 7:23
It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.
Revelation 13:7
One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast.
Revelation 13:3
People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”
Revelation 13:4
All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.
Revelation 13:8
Jesus (Yeshua) is the “Lamb” who was slain and from this scripture above, we see that it it HIS “book of life”- Does this make more sense of why Jesus said:
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6
THE ANTI-CHRIST DESCRIPTIONS
My understanding is the Anti-Christ is a member of the first beast.
This king that subdues (3) kings is what has been described as “the AntiChrist.” Again don’t speculate on WHO this is, but know what scripture tells us about this one. Here are the scriptural references:
“While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.
Daniel 7:8
The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.
Revelation 13:5
Note: 42 months is 3 1/2 years!
It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.
Revelation 13:6
But this one will eventually be destroyed. We know this from scripture:
“Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire.
Daniel 7:11
As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them,
Daniel 7:21
He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
2 Thessalonians 2:4
9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-10
15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’[a] spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.
22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Matthew 24:15-27 (the words of Jesus)
14 “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.
20 “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. 21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.
Mark: 13:14-23 (words of Jesus)
20 “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. 22 For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. 23 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Luke 21:20-28 (words of Jesus)
He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.
Daniel 7:25
This time, times and half a time has become understood through Bible scholars as 3 1/2 years, it’s confirmed by scripture too. Here is the confirming scripture:
The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach.
Revelation 12:14
The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
Revelation 12:6
And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
Revelation 11:13
1260 days divided by 360 days in a year from biblical times = 3.5 years
The use of the 360-day year for accounting and administration lasted until the Old Babylonian period. The same number was used in cuneiform literature for astronomical calculations even later, throughout the first millennium BCE.
Cambridge University
THE DRAGON DESCRIPTION
He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:2
From this scripture, we know that the dragon is Satan, the devil. Satan is the spiritual force empowering the First and Second Beast. (Good to understand if you’re wondering why are world is becoming so corrupt in every way: Is the first Beast forming now?)
The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
Revelation 12:9
THE FINAL OUTCOME
But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
Revelation 19:20
And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Revelation 20:10
As I was preparing to write about “the mark” I noticed the prophet Ezekiel wrote about similar events. After studying the bible for the past 5 years, I learned that some earlier events in history are sometimes the “foreshadowing” of future events. I definitely see a connection between Ezekiel’s visions and John’s visions (found in the book of Revelation).
In Summary, someday in the future, there will be a global governing authority who will rule the world and there will be a false prophet who will deceive many people into taking “the mark” – be aware of this. It is in Bible Prophecy, it will happen someday. Know what scripture says so you are not deceived because you will loose your inheritance in God’s kingdom, if you accept and take this mark. Please share this with others to warn them too.
S.A.I.L. 