Is the Bible specific concerning the choice to accept the Mark of the Beast and worship his image? Since the main purpose in the spiritual sense for our physical existence is to exercise that choice, the choice we make is of far greater importance than the physical existence that provides the opportunity to choose. Physical life is granted to us so that we can choose where we will spend eternity. Then there is God’s understanding of life. There is our understanding of life, under which one might be tempted to take the Mark of the Beast, say, to save one’s child. There are two distinct and separate understandings of ‘life’ at work here. “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” ( James 4:14) To the question of whether or not accepting the Mark to save a life is paradoxical, James answers that question with a question of his own: The Mark is a symbol of membership in the ‘church’ of antichrist, and among the privileges of membership under his rule is the right to life, a form of liberty and the right to pursue a form of economic happiness.īut the Bible makes plain that no man can serve two masters. “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.” ( Revelation 13:15) So now, we have crossed over from the material to the spiritual. The Mark of the Beast is first and foremost a worship system. If that were all there was to it, my correspondent’s paradox would be valid. The Mark of the Beast is not merely an economic medium of exchange, like a debit or credit card, although it will incorporate that function. At the same time, the answers themselves are among those ‘hard sayings’ of Scripture. Researching the answers was most illuminative, and I thank my correspondent for posing them. How can these two apparent “truths” occur coincidentally, and form a contradiction?”Īnother excellent question. “During the Tribulation, if a “believer” is threatened with the choice between either taking the Mark upon himself, or becoming “responsible” for a horrendous evil act otherwise aimed upon their child, doesn’t a feasible scenario present itself whereby a believer may choose to take the Mark. My correspondent framed his question around the acceptance of the Mark of the Beast and a ‘paradox’ he sees facing those who might accept it under coercion. I received an email from a member asking, “Upon what grounds will a believer be saved during the Tribulation Period?” It was an intriguing question, one that we’ve not touched upon in any great detail in previous discussions. Vol: 29 Issue: 29 Wednesday, November 29, 2017 Tribulation Saints and ‘The Mark’ By – Jack Kinsella
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