Presented by Evangelist Wendell Stover

I prayed a prayer just a few minutes ago. I prayed, "Lord, please let me speak tonight as if this were the last night I ever speak." I hope it isn’t the last time I ever speak. But my heart’s desire is that before the meeting tonight is finished Jesus as the Chief Cornerstone will stand higher and more firmly in its place in a way, perhaps, that you have never thought of before. Our subject tonight involves a lot of history, much detail and controversy in some circles. I cannot imagine why there is controversy, because the Bible presents it so wonderfully clear. It’s beautifully presented, it’s not just logical it’s backed up by a record of history. I think tonight we will be convinced as to who the beast is, what the mark of the beast is, but I don’t want to place the emphasis on the Mark of the beast and the number 666, because to me the more important place is upon the Seal of the Living God. The Seal of God is diametrically opposed to the mark of the beast. If you have the Seal of God you will not have the mark of the beast.

Turn with me tonight to Revelation Chapter 14. We have been making reference to this chapter and I invited you to read this in preparation for tonight’s class. There are three main divisions here separated into what Bible scholars call the messages: The First Angel’s message, the Second Angel’s message, and the Third Angel’s message. This evening we are studying the Third Angel’s message. Revelation 14 beginning with verse 9 says, "And the Third Angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, if any man worship the beast and his image and receive his mark in his forehead or his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation." This means that whoever worships the beast power, and that’s the only way to receive the mark of the beast, whoever worships that beast power shall receive the mark of the beast, he does not go to heaven, and will be punished in the fires of hell. No wonder that much of the Christian community is so concerned about the mark of the beast and how they can possibly avoid receiving the mark of the beast. Well, God’s plan is very simply stated. Receive Christ Jesus, receive the Seal of God and you do not receive the mark of the beast. If you have Jesus you have Life. Now, let’s extend that just a little bit further. Different denominations place a label on that experience—some refer to that experience as being saved or getting saved. Others prefer for us to describe it as being converted or born again. When someone makes a profession of faith for Christ—let’s assume a young person comes to the alter and kneels to have their sins forgiven, to invite Jesus into their hearts for the first time—that’s the event. It does not stop with the event, There is a process that’s to follow called growing in Christ that will last for a lifetime. Now that may be just a little different than you’ve heard. There is the event and then a process. If we have only the event, then as one man said to me, "Wendell, because I was saved forty years ago, I am now free to murder, I can commit adultery, I can do anything I want to do because I am saved. " That is a very wicked teaching, it actually robs God of the privilege of allowing that person to be truly converted and to enjoy that wonderful, day-by-day process of sanctification, of living a holy life.

This evening’s subject also involves holy living. If you have not yet made a decision for Christ, at the end of tonight’s meeting I hope that you will choose, and choose this day, choose tonight that you will serve the Living God and receive the Seal of the Living God. Now this mark of the beast—before we can identify what the mark of the beast is we must first identify who the beast would represent. Last evening we spent an hour reading from Revelation 12 and Revelation 13 identifying three special characters. We identified the Woman dressed in white representing the movement of God upon the earth. We saw that the Bible represents Satan as the Dragon. But the beast power. In Revelation 13 and in Daniel 7 and Daniel 8 we find at least ten or twelve points of identification that allow us to identify the beast power in Revelation 13, the same beast power now who will work in the last days to bring about a marriage between themselves and the world’s strongest political power. We identified that system as that of the papal power or that system of the papacy. And I wanted to be sure last evening that no one here misunderstood what I was trying to say. I was trying to identify that beast power in the Book of Revelation, chapter 13, as the anti-Christ power, not as members of the Roman Church, but as that system of the papacy. That’s what the Scripture teaches. And you should be cautioned as to how you would use the information God gives you the privilege of learning out of the Scriptures. God never allows us to use the Bible as a tool to hit someone over the head with or to verbally beat them up because of what they believe. And yet there is a spirit of truth in the Book of Revelation that all of us need to follow. If the Bible says it, if the Bible teaches it, then that’s the truth. We need to take a stand for truth if there is error and falsehood and false teaching, even though it may come in an innocent way or from well-meaning people. There is a right way to say, "Why don’t we just see what the Bible says. Why don’t we stay just with the Bible." Now this evening that’s our plan.

Revelation 13 last evening identified for us the beast power as that system of the papacy. I said geographically we know that it would come up among a certain number of nations—it did that. It would even come on time, and we would know the sequence of that. The Book of Daniel in Daniel 2, Daniel 7, Daniel 8, overlapping into Daniel 9, Revelation 12, Revelation 13—all help us to identify that when certain world powers came and left we would be able to look back on that record and identify that the pagan Roman empire would eventually, not overnight, but would eventually be taken over by what historians refer to as the Holy Roman Empire. Now, what about the mark of the beast. Most people say, "Oh, that refers to the number 666." As if there would come a time when we could perhaps be placed in some type of reclining position, and a large tattoo or a branding iron like we use on cattle and horses could be placed on our forehead, branding and searing into our skin those mystical numbers of 666! I was in the market the other day and it just happened the lady in front of me making her purchase was told the total of her bill was $6.66. I could not resist it! I said, "Lady, does this mean you have the mark of the beast?", and we all chuckled.

Notice with me in Revelation Chapter 13 the biblical reference made to this number 666. In verse 18 the Bible says, "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man and his number." Did you notice that? Stay just with the Bible, his number is six hundred, three score, and six. I understand that an even better translation says that instead of counting up we should add it up. Debby placed something on the board that Pastor Turner referred to. These are words in Latin. A bit of humor here—I went to a man who was an authority in Latin, and I said, "Sir, I do public speaking. These are three Latin words, could you teach me how to pronounce these three words correctly." And when he was finished I don’t know if he really knew any more than I did! But under his authority he said, "This should be pronounced as vicarious felei dei." Now, what does that mean? This is not the mark of the beast, but is one of those identifying qualities that point the finger of identification back to the papal church and especially to the Pope of Rome. When he is crowned on coronation day he wears a triple mitered crown, and I’ve seen that. Around that crown are written these words in Latin, and since we are dealing here with the history of Romanism, it is true that certain letters in the alphabet have a numerical value under that system. When we count this or when we add this up, this should come to 112, this should add up to 53, and this over here would be 501. When we add this up, we come out to the number 666 as another one of those identifying marks, pointing us back to the papal power.

But what about this idea that the deadly wound of the papal power would be healed in the last days, and that a marriage would take place. You have heard me refer to this marriage often, haven’t you? In the Book of Revelation as we consider the coming New World Order, it seems to me that as the papal power’s influence is being revised it will join up with the world’s strongest political power and we shall have a combination of politics and religion like the world has never seen. Notice Revelation 13:11. It introduces for us here the second half of the story. Last evening we were identifying the first beast as that system of the papacy and I read no further here than verse 11 last evening. He says, "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb and he spake as a dragon." The more you study this, the more firmly convinced you will be that the Scriptures have been preserved by a divine act of God. No human invention could devise the Scriptures, much less even the Book of Revelation. You can search through history and see that the only nation that was coming up in power just about the same time that the Roman Church was losing some power or receiving the deadly wound in 1798, as we explained last evening. The only nation coming into power was that of the United States of America. Now, I love this country, and it is a privilege to be born a citizen here. For those who wish to burn the American Flag, the loyalty that it represents and the freedom that we all enjoy., for those who wish to burn the flag, I would be the first to suggest let’s take up some funds, let’s buy them a one-way ticket to wherever they want to go and get them out of here. I appreciate all the efforts of our Military men and women, both together, who have fought and died for our freedoms—we sometimes take it too lightly.

Interesting is the role that the United States is currently playing on the global scene and the historical background that America brings with her. We have now truly become the world’s strongest political power. I think I mentioned the other evening about the new Golden Rule—that whoever has the gold now rules! And we always somehow are able to work things around with our influence so that we get our way when it comes to foreign policy. Already we have a global judicial system. Working through the United Nations we have a global military force. How long has it been since one nation alone, at least those fighting for freedom, took a stand all by themselves--I cannot recall that in my lifetime. Now all the policies go through screening and committees in the United Nations, and it’s a composite force made up of the military representatives from many different nations that go to a place of conflict. The future has now arrived! But this idea that a nation would be born out of the earth you see in Revelation 13:1the papal power would originate out of a populated region of the country. That’s where the definition of sea or water comes into play. This mighty nation would be born out of the earth or an unpopulated region of the country. John said he had two horns like a lamb—that in itself involves much symbolism, because you have never seen and neither have I, a lamb with two horns. Some have suggested that those represent those two fundamentals that the United States was built upon and guaranteed in our constitution, supposed to be guaranteeing to every citizen freedom of worship and freedom of representation. Now I am very much aware that it has taken a long time for women to be allowed to vote, for racial prejudices to be dealt with—I know all of that. But in the beginning we can be very thankful that our country was founded on those two principles, at least in theory. Those great principles of acceptance and of love, John said would be turned into fury—something would happen to the lamb. He would have those very loving and accepting qualities, but eventually, verse 11 says, he would speak as a dragon. Wouldn’t it be something if a world crisis or something of that nature were to come about to cause a lot of things in our constitution to be changed not just for the welfare of American citizens but also the welfare of the global community. That’s the direction we are going.

If it is true that the United States is prophesied in scripture here, that they are going to join their forces together, it makes a lot of sense for the next few verses to take place. Notice verse 12: "And he exercises all the power of the beast before him." You see, if we know when the first beast received a deadly wound, this one would be coming up about that same time. There doesn’t have to be a question as to how this is going to come to pass. He says, "And he exercises all the power of the first beast before him and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed." I’m praying in my ministry, "God, please give me the ability of giving a message that is so simply stated that even the youngest child there can learn something from it." This whole story right here involves how we worship. And for any of us ever to take the position, "Oh, it doesn’t matter how you worship." That’s a very dangerous position to take. That is the devil’s ground, and don’t you believe it! The Book of Revelation testifies, it speaks, it cries so loudly that it does matter how we worship! Someone came to me one evening a little disturbed over some information that I had presented in one of our Bible studies. That individual said, "You know the Bible so well you can make it say anything!" Was that a compliment? I don’t want us as a class to just sit there and think to ourselves, "Now this sounds good, but that is for someone else." If God wants us to grow—God doesn’t change, we have to change. And when it comes to worship let me tell you something—the devil has ingrained religious prejudice in every one of us. I’ve had people say to me, "I was raised such-and-such and it doesn’t matter what you show me from the Bible, I’m going to stay there!"—as if it were more important the church that we are a member of than to take a stand for what Jesus would stand for. Don’t you believe it! Does it matter what we believe—yes, it does. It is commonly taught that if you are saved, then it doesn’t matter what you believe. I have pastor friends who stand in the pulpit and they tell their people, "If you are saved, nothing else matters." Now, that is a half-lie—if you look at it affirmative, that is half-truth. I’m simply suggesting to you that if we are converted then we will grow more and more to be like Jesus. Not only trying to stop doing the things that we should not do, but earnestly wanting him to give us a hatred for that sin. And when it comes in our study tonight, I prayed, "Lord, this is one of the most difficult subjects in all the Book of Revelation to teach." It can be presented in such a way that it places authority on God’s Word, elevates Christ as the Cornerstone, or we could uplift Satan and all he stands for, and I refuse to go that direction.

If the United States is represented here by the lamb-like beast, those two horns representing religious freedom and civil freedom, if everything is coming together and fitting together so perfectly into this puzzle, then we need to pay attention to what the rest of this chapter tells us is going to happen. If you’re not interested in Bible prophecy the easiest way out of this is simply to say, "Oh, I’m not worried about the mark of the beast, I’m saved and I shall be raptured out of here before any of this ever takes place." I would be happy to take the time to discuss this with anyone here with an interest in that area. If the Church of God leaves here before the mark of the beast is brought about, there is no reason, there is no need for the Seal of God to be given! If the Church is removed out of here before any conflict happens, then what John saw in the 15^th chapter is a lie! Because John said he saw people just like us standing on the Sea of Glass, having the harps of God, who had gotten the victory over the beast and over his image and over the number of his name. God has blessed you so abundantly. He is giving you the opportunity now to receive the Seal of the Living God because He is very soon to come!

Notice this in Revelation 13:13, speaking about the growth of the United States in power, "He doeth great wonders so that He maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men." Now, we need to be careful here, but have you ever seen the "Mushroom Cloud"? It doesn’t stop there, but we’re getting close. "And he deceives them." Notice verse 14—"He deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast which had the wound by a sword and did live. 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." Now, there’s an easy way out of this—we can say, "Oh, I’m not worried about that, I’m not even interested in knowing about the mark of the beast because I’m going to be gone out of here." Or we can just simply say, "This is all symbolism. You have your opinion, I have mine." Again, a half-lie and a half-truth. One of the clearest teachings in the Book of Revelation is that God really cares what you believe. It was so precious to Him in the Plan of Salvation that, defying all the odds against Him, Divinity became blended with Humanity to prove that it makes a difference what you believe.

If the United States is to give some type of collective power to the Roman Church, we’re in a perfect set-up right now for all that to happen. We are sheltered here in North America. My wife and I are privileged, God has been so good to us—our children are healthy, we have a nice rural home. It’s not completed yet, but it’s nice. We have nice automobiles, our pantry is stocked. We have money in our pockets. Things look so positive for us, so far removed are we from the rest of the world that when the news flashes each evening about earthquakes in China, of almost 20,000 people killed in Turkey and many left homeless—we have heard it so many times our minds are callused to all the bad things that are happening to somebody else! We have it made here in North America! But the rest of the world is crying out for a Savior. A Savior who will bring them housing and food and jobs and medical attention and education for their children. To drink water out of a sewer in the Twentieth Century—what is wrong with the world! Over a 100,000 people will be dead from starvation in just this one day! For a religious power to arise with any type of world influence at all must recognize that the timing today is very important. And if I were a strategist in the devil’s army I would have my attention focused on the next few months very boldly.

Do you recall when Gorbachev came to visit the United States of America, President Reagan was in office. We were involved in a Cold War with the Soviet Union, spending millions of dollars out of our budget for military and research purposes. So frightened were we of the second largest world power. But when Gorbachev came to the shores of North America—here he was the Premier of the world’s second largest nation. President Reagan could not find time in his busy schedule to fly on Air Force One to fly to the Miami Airport to meet him. He sent then Vice-president George Bush. Not too long after that the world’s most influential religious leader , Pope John Paul decided to make a visit to North America. Interesting in commentary is the reason why that then President Reagan could find the time to fly to the Miami Airport to welcome the Pope of Rome to America. Those who provide marketing are very sharp. There is a reason that as you stand in line at BiLo or Winn Dixie the tabloids are just at eye level. You’ve seen them, haven’t you? I was looking there at Star and Globe and all the rest of them, and I saw Time Magazine—I wish I had brought it with me tonight. After the downfall of the Soviet Union Time Magazine ran an article on the front cover. It showed three men—President Reagan on the left side, Gorbachev in the middle, and Pope John Paul on the other side. And coming out of secular print was the headline—"How the United States and the Church of Rome brought about the downfall of the Soviet Union!" It’s so interesting—an exact fulfillment of Bible prophecy. There used to be three big world powers—now there are two. The Book of Revelation proclaims that the end result of this combining effort will be to compel people to worship a certain way.

I used to think that the word worship meant we had to believe exactly the same way. When it says, "And all the world wondered after the beast and all the world worshipped the beast, I sort of had that idea that we would all have to agree—don’t you believe it! You can believe that Santa Claus—now, I have to be careful here—you can believe anything that you want to believe. But if you do not take a stand for Truth, with the biblical definition in mind you are actually worshipping the beast power! That to me is so interesting. This morning we spoke here of those three young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who refused to bow down before that golden image—even under a death penalty. They said, "If God chooses to deliver us, fine. If not, we still refuse to sin against our God.!" There’s part of the story left out of the Book of Daniel—this morning we didn’t have time to get into it. What about all those other people there who did believe in the Ten Commandments, but they gave in under pressure and bowed down and worshipped that statue, violating their own conscience, breaking the Ten Commandments of God. We don’t have their story given to us. Likewise it is the devil’s intention in the last days for us to be ingrained with the idea—"Oh, it doesn’t matter what you believe—stay the way you are!" And I’m telling you that if we all stay the way we are, unless we are truly converted we will wind up worshipping on the wrong side. You don’t have to do much to be lost, but you must do something significant in order to be saved! That significant event is to invite Jesus into your heart, and if you invite Jesus into your heart you can receive the Seal of the Living God. He tells us in Revelation Chapter 7, and in the context of Revelation 7 it describes for us a movement—that’s what these angels represent, tremendous movement flying in the air, going to every nation and kindred and tongue and people. But giving us here that wonderful story that in the last days God will in a certain way seal His people in their foreheads. Now John tells us that the mark of the beast is received in the forehead or the wrist or the hand of the wicked people. But God’s people receive the Seal of the Living God. Did you know you cannot purchase that Seal? Nowhere on the Internet can you make a bid for it. No store in the Chattanooga or Cleveland area sells it. You cannot borrow it from someone who has it But it is given to all freely.

Revelation 7 says that before the last great waves of war and destruction and calamity come upon the earth God will have a people who shall be sealed. There must be a reason for God’s people being sealed. The reason for this sealing, at least one of them is, that is the protective, shielding power that God gives to His people. Some may be tested for their faith, yes. But this is God’s identifying mark. And you cannot have it if you believe that it does not matter how you worship! Would you be baptized and join a church that taught that Santa Claus is the Messiah?--no, that would be ridiculous. It does matter what we believe, and it’s God’s great plan to have a remnant people of God who understand their greatest need is to be like Jesus, and then to allow the power of Jesus to meet that need. He wants us to grow up and truly be converted through the event and through sanctification. We used the idea the other evening that if we are going to talk the talk we need to walk the walk! This Seal of God—we don’t have to debate this. But notice Revelation Chapter 7:2. He says, "And I saw another angel ascending from the East having the Seal of the living God." Why is it so important to identify the source of this? Because there is an identity crisis here—the devil wants your worship and God wants your worship. And the Seal comes from God. It says that he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea. Read verse 3 out loud with me please. "Saying hurt not the earth neither the sea nor the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

There are many definitions for the sealing. But I like the Bible definition the best. The Bible definition allows us to be settled into the Truth to such a degree that we cannot, shall not, will not be shaken from it! I want that, and God’s promised that I may have it, and I want to claim that. You see, God’s Seal is opposite the mark of the beast. No wonder Jesus declared, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might." It seems to me that from the mind or the heart we begin to love the things Jesus would love and we would hate the sin as Jesus would hate. Actually, sin originates in the mind, doesn’t it? If we can hate the sin then perhaps we can have victory. The Seal of God, I believe is summarized here in the Book of Hebrews. Now, if you identify the Seal of God, you are well on your way to understanding what the mark of the beast is because the Seal of God is opposed to, is opposite the mark of the beast. Hebrews Chapter 8:10—will you turn there with me this evening. He says, "For this is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days sayeth the Lord. I will put my Laws into their minds and write them in their hearts, and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me"—what?--"a people." When does this take place? Are we to wait until some significant event happens in the future, and suddenly in some mighty blast like a lightening storm the Shekinah glory of God will invade the earth and suddenly our minds will be filled with the presence of the Law of God, and then we shall all be truly converted. No! No! No! Sometimes conversion can carry emotion with it, but sometimes conversion comes in a very quiet, reverent way, as well. God does not reveal everything to us at one time. As a matter of fact, truth is progressive. I look back on my own spiritual life—I never dreamed that I would become a Bible teacher or a pastor! If God had shown me in panoramic vision the places he would take me and the people I would be in contact with, I don’t know if this little, redneck, country boy could have taken it! God reveals truth a step at a time—but it’s all truth. And no matter how much truth we have, if our cup is full—hear what I’m saying? If our cup is full we are accepted of the Beloved—I promise you. He is assuring us here that in this conversion process He will place His Law in our minds and in our hearts. He will give us clear understanding of what is required of us to be saved. And He will give us the inward desire to be obedient to that. It is a sin simply to say that when you are converted nothing happens to you! God is proclaiming here that He will write His Law in our minds and within our hearts and within the Law of God is found the Seal of the Living God. If you want the Seal of God, then pay attention to the Law of God. As a matter of fact, right within the Ten Commandment Law of God is found the Seal of the Living God. We are not to take anything away from the Ten Commandments, and we are certainly not supposed to add anything to them. We have already been through that idea that when Jesus died on the cross the Old Law was fulfilled and done away with. But the Old Covenant did not include the Moral Law of God, which actually is a transcript of God’s character. If when Jesus died on the cross the Ten Commandments were destroyed, as some will teach, that violates the intention and purpose of Jesus being sent. Because now we would have no standard of sin. It would be left up to each of us to determine our own opinion of the Bible and our own opinion of what is right and what is wrong. But Jesus in His loving wisdom inspired these Bible writers years and years ago to take their pens and write this down, that He wants to write within us the symbol, He wants to write within our hearts His signature. That’s found right within the Law of God and the Seal of God.

I’ve sort of picked on the Sabbath commandment a little bit here in these meetings simply because that’s the only one that a lot of Christianity can willfully and purposefully break and still claim to be a Child of God—I don’t understand it. Turn with me if you will to the Book of Exodus. Inside the Ten Commandments, almost in the center, we find the Fourth Commandment. The Fourth Commandment says that we are to remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. Just something for you to think about tonight. The Seal of God is found in the Law of God, and a biblical Seal, well, even a modern-day seal, contains the name and title and territory of the authorized person giving the seal. We find God’s title here as the Creator, we find His name as the Lord thy God, and we find His territory as the heaven, earth, the sea, and all that in them is. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy," it says in verse 8. "Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work." Well, why not? Verse 11 says because in six days the Lord became the Creator. The Lord made heaven and earth and the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day. Wherefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. When John in the Book of Revelation now begins to write that in the last days there will be a conflict over how we worship and over the Seal of the Living God and over the mark of the beast, could he have prophetically been looking down through that tunnel vision , could he have seen that in the last days there would be a direct attack upon the Law of God, the Ten Commandment Law, and even an attack on the Fourth Commandment, which reveals to us the authority of the Seal of the Living God—I think he did. That’s the reason that over and over again he refers in the possessive sense in the Book of Revelation. He talks about those that keep His Commandments. What’s so important about His Commandments? His His His commandments HIS COMMANDMENTS ARE IMPORTANT Hi His Commandments are important because the devil says the Commandments are no good, the devil says the Commandments have been done away with. But John writing there says that in the last days God will have a people who will honor His Commandments, and receive His Seal. If the Law of God is planted in a person’s mind or in their brain through this event and process of growing in Christ, then right now you and I are receiving the Seal of the Living God. Now, you agree with that, don’t you. If we refuse, can we have the Seal of the Living God? What if our attitude is so selfish, what if we like to rob from our neighbors. One of the Commandments says, "Thou shalt not steal." What if we kept all nine of the Commandments but we were to say that Jesus dying on the cross did away with the Law, I really don’t mind keeping nine of them, but I’m still going to steal from people." Could you have the Seal of the Living God? Let’s take another Commandment—how about murder. Let’s say that when it comes to outward acts of behavior you are keeping nine of the Commandments except the one that says Thou shalt not kill. And every once in a while you slip off and go murder someone—God forbid this should ever happen! But while willfully, purposefully breaking one of the Commandments can you then receive the Seal of the Living God? You see, John understood all this. This is the reason, dear people, that over and over again he upholds God’s standard above Man’s standard. Now, if in the course of history we were to find something that the Roman Church did that was diametrically, diabolically opposed to the Law of God and to the Seal of God we just might be able to discover what the mark of the beast is. The mark of the beast does not mean a branding iron or some microchip placed in your forehead or something of that nature. The mark of the beast is the emblem of the power standing as this system opposed to the Almighty God. We know something that has happened. It didn’t happen by chance, it happened by design. A long time ago there was a deliberate attempt to change the Law of God—you can read it in Daniel 7:25—how that the beast power or the papal church would seek to change times and laws. I look back on this and I want to weep because almost before any great revival it’s like the devil wants to throw something in the works ahead of time. In the fourth century, in the third century, why, as a matter of fact, through several centuries, there was a deliberate attempt to change the teachings of Scripture and many, many false teachings arose. But one of them in particular stands out in my mind this evening on this subject—if we could find something that the Roman Church did that had something to do with the Law of God, that had an emphasis upon the Sabbath Day, and it would be opposite the idea of the Sabbath Day. But it’s also got to have another characteristic—all the world would have to be interested in that. It would have to be a mark or a symbol of her authority. If we could find something that fits all of those qualifications, then we could know what the mark of the beast is.

I would like to give you something to think about tonight. There was a deliberate attempt to change the Sabbath Day from Saturday to Sunday. What their motives were does not change the story. And even today I see a rise of influential power giving the same commercials, singing the same songs, placing an emphasis on Sunday as a day of worship instead of the Bible Sabbath. I realize some of you right here in this meeting heard that Bible study, how that the seventh day Sabbath is Saturday instead of Sunday, and you are in the Valley of Decision right now as to whether or not you will honor God and keep the Sabbath Day or whether you will just say that it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t make any difference—I realize that. I want you to receive the greatest blessings that God can give you in receiving the Seal of the Living God. This story is true. There was a counterfeit Sabbath that was substituted for the true Bible Sabbath, and it is still being taught to this very day as a symbol or a mark of the authority of the Roman Church. This is all out in the open—it is much easier to explain this to our Catholic friends than it is to my new Protestant friends. The Catholics are very open and honest –they say, "We changed the Sabbath Day." They say, "There is no scriptural authority for observing Sunday as a holy day. But because we are a living church we have that authority and if we were not the Mother Church we would not have the authority under which all these other churches that observe Sunday give us." Now that is something to think about.

I would like to suggest tonight that there are movements in place right now to bring about a rebirth of interest in North America towards Sunday as a holy day. Just this week I was reading a magazine published by the Lord’s Day Alliance, headquartered not far from where I live in Atlanta, Georgia. The supreme intent of that organization is to bring a sanctity and honor and recognition to Sunday as a day of worship and rest in America. You would not believe some of the main contributors to that cause. The only way to bring it about, of course, is through legislative action. But just as the rest of the world is crying out for some leadership organization to take over and provide them with the necessities of life, we even here in North America are getting fed up with the way things are being run. A criminal breaks into your home and robs and plunders, and if you’re not careful you will get sent to jail and he goes free!--that’s no justice! It’s almost as if we are being forced to let everything go to its very worst and then the great masses of people can rise up and say, "We want a change! Look how far away from God we have grown!" I could give you a speech tonight, you could take this home with you, sleep on this speech a little bit tonight. Never in the history of North America have we been in such trouble. Our economy is shaken, we’ve taken prayer out of public schools. We can pass out condoms but cannot distribute New Testaments! Our divorce rate is the highest it has ever been. We could talk about violent crime. We could talk about how our educational system has been lost to humanism. Never in the history of America has the family been in such trouble. Let’s do something for our little ones, for our children! Let’s turn America back to God!--what do you say?! This is a good speech—right? And I could raise my hand and say, "That man has good ideas." Ah, but the speech does not end there. The way being proposed to bring that about is through legislative action. "Let’s make a law in North America giving everyone a day to worship. Let’s command it through industry and home, that everyone can have a day to worship. Why, this would put mothers and fathers and little babies back together, we could have Mom and apple pie and Six Flags and everything all together in one package if we do this.

Now, the day that is being suggested as the holy day contains no debate. Would you care to guess which day is to be honored as the Lord’s Day?--the Bible Sabbath endorsed by the Apostles and Christ Jesus? No, the day being chosen is not the Bible Sabbath that Jesus kept, that Daniel observed, that John and the Book of Revelation predicted the people would be observing in the last days. Through a legislative act the plan is to bring about a Sunday Law that will compel people to worship. I’m just so thankful tonight that God has held back all that is going to happen for a little while. It makes the most sense to me in the world that if we are going to be a Christian we should honor all the Ten Commandments. When you pause to think about it, what righteous person would even want to willfully break God’s Law that He promises to write in our minds and our hearts? Someone says, "Oh, Wendell, that’s the Law of Love, that’s the eleventh commandment. Because Jesus said, "A new commandment I give you." Let me tell you something—Jesus never violated His own principles or His own Law. He told that man questioning Him there that day, He said, "Upon these two divisions, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and all thy might." That was a certain definition to the first four Commandments. And Jesus said, "The second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself ." Then Jesus said, "Upon these two hang all the Law and the Prophets." He agrees with every other Bible writer. We don’t take anything away from the Ten Commandments and we do not add anything to them. They are perfect in the way that God gave them.

Notice something from the Book of Revelation—I have to share this with you tonight. I’m suggesting that the mark of the beast is not here yet, no one has the mark of the beast tonight—but God is giving away the Seal of God freely. I would like to suggest that if a law is enacted through legislative means, commanding we worship a certain way, whether that law be given in time of a natural disaster or in peace and prosperity does not matter. When that combination comes of politics and religion I want you to be very much aware—that will be the continuing mark of the beast. When a law is enacted making Sunday the holy day of worship there will be thousands of people who will exclaim with joy, this is what we need to turn America back to God! But how mistaken, how mistaken they shall be.

Notice with me if you will Revelation Chapter 22. If you have never thought seriously about keeping the Commandments of God, I want you to choose tonight. Revelation Chapter 22—I want you to read aloud verse 14 if you will. He says, "Blessed are they that do His Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the gates into the City." Jesus is telling us here that for those who will enter in through the gates into the City they will have recognized that God’s Law is more important than Man’s law. I heard a pastor one time explain it this way, he explained it very bluntly, very boldly—but this was the truth. He said, "We either keep the Lord’s Day, we either keep God’s Day, or we keep a day designated by Man, by the Pope of Rome." I believe that pastor was correct. The Lord would want us to choose today to obey Him and to receive the Seal of the Living God.

Let’s pray, "Father, God in heaven, how we have been reminded this evening of the importance of following Your way and not Man’s way. As we are closing this meeting tonight, Lord I would pray that if anything has been said here in a way that should not have been said, that forgiveness may come. If there are things that should have been said, I pray that they might be revealed to me as a speaker. Lord, most of all we want the loveliness of Jesus to be revealed to us in our character. We love You, we want to be Your men, Your women, your boys & girls. So please, dear Lord, take our lives as we offer them to You that we might be obedient to Your law, and that we might rejoice in that eternal gift of our salvation. May we have that blessing, I pray in Jesus name. Amen.

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Copyright 1999 by Wendell Stover and McDonald Road SDA Church