t h e K e y o f D av i d R e p r i n t S e r i e s
A rt ic l e n u m be r 504
The mark of the
B EA S T
R e pr i n t e d f rom t h e P h i l a de l ph i a Tru m pet, Ja n ua ry 19 95
By Stephen Flurry
What is the mark of the beast? No other question
today could receive so many different answers! Why
is there so much confusion in the religious world
over this mysterious mark? If we carefully examine
Scripture and allow the Bible to interpret itself, we
can know what this mark is!
T
he biblical “scholars” of this world generally
refer to one particular passage of Scripture when
discussing the mysterious mark of the beast. That
passage can be found in Revelation 13:16-17: “And he
causeth all, both small and great,
rich and poor, free and bond, to
receive a mark in their right hand,
or in their foreheads: And that no
man might buy or sell, save he that
had the mark, or the name of the
beast, or the number of his name.”
Some assume the mark is some-
thing people should definitely
have since it will enable you to buy
and sell; and after all, everyone
wants to buy and sell, right?
Few people realize the mark
is spoken of in several other scrip-
tures. Furthermore, the beast is The beast of
mentioned in many other Bible
passages as well. This is important because of the distinct
relationship the mark has with the beast. After all, it is
a mark of the beast. For us to begin to understand this
important subject, we first have to go back to the beginning
of Revelation 13 and get the background.
Who Is the Beast?
“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise
up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and
Copyright © 2004 Philadelphia church of God
upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of
blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leop-
ard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth
as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power,
and his seat, and great authority” (verses 13:1-2). The latter
part of verse two says the dragon is behind this ferocious
beast. You can see from Revelation 12:9 that Satan the devil
is referred to in Scripture as a dragon. Satan is the deceitful
being behind this end-time beast.
This beast in Revelation 13 has seven heads and 10 horns.
It has the strongest characteristics of all the beasts mentioned
in Daniel 7:1-7. This is significant because the four beasts in
Daniel represent four great, world-ruling empires that began
at the time of Daniel and were
Trumpet
to continue on until the return
of Christ. (See Daniel 7:17, 23 for
proof that these four beasts rep-
resent four kingdoms.) History
proves that to be true.
The four t h k ingdom in
Daniel was prophesied to be even
more dreadful and powerful than
the previous three. That explains
why the beast in Revelation 13 has
the strongest characteristics of the
previous three—because it repre-
sents the fourth and final beast.
Revelation 13 When Daniel wrote his book, the
world at that time was under the
rule of the first beast, or kingdom—the Chaldean Empire
(625-538 b.c.). When John wrote the book of Revelation
during the last part of the first century, the first three king-
doms had already come and gone. The world at the time of
John was under the rule of the Roman Empire (31 b.c. to
a.d. 476)—the greatest empire this world has ever seen. With
the first three empires already gone by the time John wrote,
it only makes sense that John wrote specifically about the
fourth and final world empire.
But doesn’t this fourth empire continue until the return
of Christ? The fourth beast of Daniel 7 and the beast of
 Th e M a r k of t h e BE A S T
Revelation 13 both represent the Roman Empire. Both beasts
are seen as having 10 horns. The late Herbert W. Armstrong
wrote, “The ten horns symbolize the same thing—the 10
stages of government continuing out of the Roman Empire
after its fall (a.d. 476)” (Who or What Is the Prophetic Beast?).
Mr. Armstrong then quoted Daniel 7:24, 27 to prove this.
“The 10 horns,” he continued, “are 10 kingdoms to arise out
of the fourth kingdom, the Roman Empire. These kings, also
called kingdoms, continue from a.d. 476 until the time when
the Stone, Christ and His Kingdom, smashes the image [of
Daniel 2] …” (emphasis mine throughout).
The first three of these kingdoms were foreign barbar-
ian kingdoms—the Vandals, the Heruli and the Ostrogoths.
Finally, in a.d. 554, the Roman Empire was restored by
Justinian and was to continue through seven resurrections
which were dominated by a great church. The empire became
known as the “Holy” Roman Empire.
Mr. Armstrong warned for many decades of the final
resurrection of the Roman Empire. After World War ii, he
boldly proclaimed that Germany would rise again and lead
a group of 10 united nations in Europe. For this to be accom-
plished, communism had to crumble in Eastern Europe. Mr.
Armstrong also predicted this. And that is exactly what has
happened! Communism has fallen in Eastern Europe and
now a group of nations is very quickly pulling together to
form a powerful combine economically and militarily.
Those familiar with Mr. Armstrong’s writings, many
of which were written in the 1950s and 1960s, know he
prophesied of these events! Mr. Armstrong was preaching
it at a time when it looked impossible. And now it is hap-
pening—precisely as he said. We need to know WHY! It is
because of these very prophecies concerning the beast and
the mark of the beast!
Let’s continue in Revelation 13: “And I saw one of his
heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was
healed: and all the world wondered after the beast” (verse 3).
Here is what Mr. Armstrong wrote concerning this deadly
wound in his booklet Who or What Is the Prophetic Beast?:
“The deadly wound, then, was the one administered to the
Roman Empire, when, in its last decaying stages, the barbar-
ians overran it, ending its government in a.d. 476. …
“But when the seventh head of this great beast received
its deadly wound in a.d. 476, was that the end? No, the
prophecy says ‘his deadly wound was healed … and
power was given unto him to continue forty and two
months’ (verses 3, 5). The 10 horns represent 10 successive
kingdoms to follow out of this kingdom. …
“The text says one of his heads was wounded to death.
The beast included the seven heads and the 10 horns.
John sees the beast living in the days of its seventh head,
the Roman Empire. And when that head of the beast was
suffering from its deadly wound, his—the beast’s—deadly
wound was healed. The horns now reign, one by one.”
And that is exactly what has occurred in history. To
this point, there have been nine kingdoms that have ruled
since the Roman Empire fell in a.d. 476. Six of those nine
have been the resurrected Holy Roman Empire. The seventh
resurrection is now forming in Europe.
“And they worshipped the dragon which gave power
unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is
like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?”
(verse 4). The Roman Empire is the greatest war-making
key of david reprint series • page two
power this world has ever known. That proves this beast is
not a great religious organization as some people believe. It
refers to a great war-making nation. Verses 5-7 show that
this evil beast will 1) speak great things, and 2) make war
with the saints, or God’s people.
Th e S e c on d B e a s t
There is a second beast mentioned in Revelation 13 that has
a heavy influence on the first beast. Notice: “And I beheld
another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two
horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon” (verse 11).
Notice this beast is motivated by Satan also. But it is differ-
ent in that it has the appearance of a lamb. We know that
Jesus Christ is referred to as the Lamb of God in Revelation
17:14. So this second beast looks very religious! It looks
like Jesus Christ. But it speaks like Satan the devil. This
beast represents a great religious organization that has been
and will be closely related to the affairs and policies of the
Roman Empire.
“And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast
before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell
therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound
was healed” (verse 12). Notice the word cause. This second
beast causes people to worship the first beast. You could
say this great religious organization is the power behind
the Roman Empire.
In verse 15, we again see the cause behind the killing
that the first beast does. The great religious body is actu-
ally responsible for the killings. She causes the saints to be
killed by the Roman Empire, the first beast.
This brings us back to the verses we quoted at the begin-
ning of this article. If you read verse 16 again, you will see
that it is the same power that causes the martyrs to be killed
that also causes the vast majority to receive the mark. The
mark will be very popular. The Bible says the “small and
great, rich and poor, free and bond” will receive the mark.
In verse 17, it says those who refuse the mark won’t be
able to “buy or sell.” In other words, those refusing the mark
won’t be able to make a living or to engage in business.
So how does this mark relate to the two beasts we read
about in Revelation 13? First, it is the mark of the beast, or
the Roman Empire, not the great false church. But it is the
great false church that causes all to worship the first beast
and receive its mark. And those who don’t receive the mark,
the same church causes to be killed. So the mark, simply put,
is that of the Roman Empire which the Roman church did
cause or shall cause the Western world to receive.
Tho se w ho R e f use t h e M a r k
We have already seen how the great false church causes those
who refuse the mark to be killed. Other scriptures add a few
details. “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and
judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them
that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for
the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast,
neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their
foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with
Christ a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4).
 Th e M a r k of t h e BE A S T
A little more background is necessary at this point.
The Bible reveals two groups of God’s people extant dur-
ing the Great Tribulation (the time of Satan’s wrath upon
the whole world). Revelation 12:14-17 show that one of these
groups is protected during the Tribulation while the other
group must experience it. Numerous pieces of Philadelphia
Church of God literature prove these two groups to be the
Philadelphia and Laodicean churches (Revelation 3:7-22). The
Philadelphians are protected (verse 10) while the Laodiceans
are punished in the Tribulation (verse 19).
The mark of the beast will be enforced during the
Tribulation (Revelation 13:5; notice “forty and two months”—
or 31/2 years). So those who are beheaded because they reject
the mark are none other than the repentant Laodiceans who
go into the Tribulation. They lose their lives physically, but
will be resurrected to rule with Jesus Christ a thousand years.
Revelation 15:1-4 give more details concerning the reward of
those repentant Laodiceans who refuse the mark.
Revelation 17:6 also shows the woman (the same as
the second beast of Revelation 13, picturing the great false
church) drunk with the blood of the saints. There is a great
martyrdom prophesied to come upon God’s people in the
very near future. That is not a message you hear much about
in the churches of this world. But let the Bible be true and
those who refuse to believe it wrong! Those who refuse the
mark in the Tribulation will be martyred.
Tho se w ho R e c e i v e t h e M a r k
The last year of the 31/2-year Tribulation is referred to in
Bible prophecy as the Day of the Lord. The Tribulation will
be Satan’s wrath on mankind while the Day of the Lord
will be God’s wrath on those who still refuse to repent.
Revelation 16 explains what is to happen at the very end
key of david reprint series • page three
The beast of Revelation 17 has a woman riding
it. In the Bible, a woman symbolizes a church—
in this case, the great false church. The woman,
or great church, is drunk with the blood of the
saints. There is a great martyrdom prophesied to
come upon God’s people in the very near future!
of the Day of the Lord when God unleashes the seven last
plagues. Notice verses 1-2: “And I heard a great voice out
of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways,
and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth;
and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men
which had the mark of the beast, and upon them
which worshipped his image.” So, without this mark, you’ll
be tortured to death in the Tribulation. But with this mark,
you will be subject to the great wrath of Almighty God
during the Day of the Lord!
Revelation 14:9-11 also explain what is to happen to those
who accept the mark. They will have to deal with God. We
can now clearly see two very different and distinct groups:
1) Those who refuse the mark will be martyred in the
Tribulation and will lose their physical lives, but be given a
wonderful reward beyond that; and 2) those who receive
the mark will live through the Tribulation, but will have to
come face to face with the wrath of God in the Day of
the Lord.
D i f f e r e nc e R e volv e s
Around the Commandments
We referred to Revelation 14:9-11 earlier showing how those
accepting the mark will experience the wrath of God. But
in verse 12, the subject shifts back to those who refuse this
mark: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that
keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”
Those who refuse the mark are those who keep the com-
mandments of God.
On the other hand, Zephaniah 1:14-17 (see also Ephesians
5:6; Colossians 3:5-6) show that God’s wrath during the Day
 Th e M a r k of t h e BE A S T
of the Lord falls upon those who sin, or those who break
God’s law (1 John 3:4). Notice Zephaniah 1:17: “And I will
bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind
men, because they have sinned against the Lord: and
their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as
the dung.” Those who are subject to the Day of the Lord, as
we have already seen, are those who accept the mark. Those
who receive the mark, then, are those who refuse to keep
God’s commandments!
Prophecy is Dua l
We have seen the differences between the two distinct
groups of people—those who receive the mark and those
who refuse it. The difference revolves around command-
ment-keeping. So the mark, then, has something to do with
God’s commandments. At this point, we need to go back in
history to accurately prove what this mark is. We know the
mark is prophesied to be enforced in the end time before
Christ returns, but prophecy is dual and we should be able
to look back in history and see when this mysterious mark
was enforced and find out who enforced it. The beast, as we
have already seen, is the Roman Empire.
Notice Daniel 7:24: “And the ten horns out of this
kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another [refer-
ring to another horn, or the little horn in verse 8 that plucks
Those who are subject to the Day of the
Lord, as we have already seen, are those
who accept the mark. Those who receive
the mark, then, are those who refuse
to keep God’s commandments!
up the first three horns by the roots] shall rise after them;
and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue
three kings.”
The little horn in verse 8 refers to a great religious orga-
nization that speaks great things. Here is a quote from a
book titled The History of Roman Catholicism (1836, page
524): “The Roman Church has adopted as its fundamental
principle that it can never err, and the body of the civil law
when once chosen by the church, as the basis of its system of
ecclesiastical jurisprudence, partook at once of its infallibil-
ity, and unchangeableness and became one of its prominent
features. To change it in one of its most unimportant [details],
would be to acknowledge that the church had erred, which
is impossible. … Thus the Roman pontiff is clothed with
supreme authority, and combines at once in his own sacred
person all the functions of the legislative, the judicial and
the executive powers. He has no constitutional restraint, he
is absolutely unlimited and without control. … Those surely
are fallacious reasoners, who argue that because the pope
has never yet exercised the power that he really possesses,
with evident political effect, that he will never exercise it;
they cruelly and fatally deceive themselves who indulge in
pleasant slumbers when the voice of the past calls upon them
to rouse to ceaseless watchfulness.”
Remember, this powerful church was prophesied to
speak great things. Throughout history, the pope has
key of david reprint series • page four
been referred to as the vicar of Christ. Vicar does not mean
Christ’s representative as some assume. It means “in place
of” Christ. Those truly are “great words.” The author of the
above-mentioned book urges readers who assume a pope
would never really exercise his full power to remember the
“voice of the past.”
C h a n g i n g Ti m e s a n d L aw s
Let’s continue with Daniel 7:25: “And he shall speak great
words against the most High, and shall wear out the
saints of the most High, and think to change times and
laws ….”
Who has changed times? In this Western society, how
do we mark time? Where do we get our calendar? Who
changed the beginning of a day from sunset to midnight?
In Bible times, months were divided according to new
moons—a very simple, logical and godly way of dividing
time. Today, months are divided according to the Roman
calendar. And who changed the beginning of the year
from the spring, when everything is new, to January—the
middle of dead winter? These are all changes instituted by
the Roman Empire as influenced by this little horn, or the
Roman Catholic Church.
And the biggest change of all? Who changed the seventh-
day Sabbath to the first day of the week? Here is what Mr.
Armstrong wrote in Who or What Is the Prophetic Beast?:
“Where did Sunday originate? Not with the church, but
with the pagan religion of the Roman Empire! It is the day on
which the ancient pagans assembled at sunrise, faced the east
(as they do Easter Sunday morning today), and worshipped
the rising sun. It was Constantine, emperor of the Roman
Empire, not a pope, who made Sunday the official so-called
Christian day of rest. But it was enforced—people were caused
to accept it universally—by the church!” History proves
Mr. Armstrong to be absolutely correct!
Sunday observance was initiated by Constantine, not a
pope, but it was enforced by the Roman Catholic Church.
According to The History of Roman Catholicism, “The acces-
sion of Constantine the Great to the throne of the Caesars,
and his subsequent conversion to Christianity, forms a
most important era in the history of the church.”
It is important, as the writer points out, because this began
the intimate relationship the Roman Empire was to develop
with the Roman church—a relationship that was to last
for many centuries.
Changing the official day of worship to Sunday was
made by Constantine during the Nicean Council of a.d. 325.
Here is what he said: “At this meeting the question con-
cerning … Easter was discussed. … First of all, it appeared
an unworthy thing that in the celebration of this … feast we
should follow the practice of the Jews. … Let us then have
nothing in common with the Jews. … It has been determined
by the common judgment of all, that the … feast of Easter
should be kept on one and the same day.”
In other words, Easter was to be kept on Sunday and the
Passover, one of God’s seven annual festivals, was expressly
forbidden!
Constantine continued, “Forasmuch, then, as it is no
longer possible to bear with your pernicious errors, we give
warning by this present statute that none of you henceforth
 Th e M a r k of t h e BE A S T
presume to assemble yourselves together. We have directed,
accordingly, that you be deprived of all the houses in which
you are accustomed to hold your assemblies: and forbid the
holding of your superstitious and senseless meetings, not
in public merely, but in any private house or place whatso-
ever …. Take the far better course of entering the
Catholic Church …. From this day forward none of your
unlawful assemblies may presume to appear in any public
or private place. Let this edict be made public.”
And there you have it—historical proof of the enforced
observance of Sunday. To assemble together on any other
day for a religious observance was considered unlawful.
This was confirmed at the Council of Laodicea almost 40
years later in a.d. 363. At that conference, it was determined,
“Christians must not Judaize by resting on the Sabbath,
but must work on that day, resting rather on Sunday. But, if
any be found to be Judaizing, let them be declared anathema
[cursed and excommunicated] from Christ.”
Daniel 7:25 prophesies that this beast, as led by the
little horn, was to “change times and laws.” That is, it was
to change God’s law in respect to time—the time for the
Sabbath! The Sabbath is one of God’s Ten Commandments
(Exodus 20:8-10). Today, the most universally disobeyed
command of God, the one most people don’t really believe
matters, is the command to “remember the sabbath day”
and to “keep it holy”! That is because for most people, that
law, in respect to time, has been changed.
Today, many Sunday-observing “Christians” even admit
the Sabbath was changed. Notice the question posed to the
Catholic Church in the book Catholic Doctrinal Catechism:
“Question: Have you any other way of proving that the
church has power to institute festivals or precept? Answer:
Had she not such power, she should not have done that in
which all modern religionists agree with her—she could
not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first
day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the sev-
enth day, a change for which there is no scriptural
authority.” As Christians today, are we to heed what a
great church has admittedly changed or what is divinely
inspired in the Bible?
Here is a quote from the Theological Dictionary,
by Charles Buck, a Methodist minister: “Sabbath in the
Hebrew language signifies rest, and is the seventh day of
the week … and it must be confessed that there is no law in
the New Testament concerning the first day.”
And finally, here is what Isaac Williams wrote in
Plain Sermons on the Catechism: “And where are we told
in Scripture that we are to keep the first day at all? We are
commanded to keep the seventh; but we are no where com-
manded to keep the first day … the reason why we keep the
first day of the week instead of the seventh is for the same
reason that we observe many other things, not because the
Bible, but because the church has enjoined it.”
The Bible prophesied it would happen. History con-
firmed it. Back to Daniel 7:25. This same little horn that
changed the law of God with respect to time was also proph-
esied to “wear out the saints” for “a time and times and the
dividing of time”—or 31/2 years. This 31/2-year period, or 1,260
days, is to occur in the very near future. But according to a
day for a year in prophecy (Ezekiel 4:6), we can also look for
a 1,260-year period in history to see where this great church
did actually “wear out” the saints. This principle of duality
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in Bible prophecy is vital in proving exactly what is the mark
of the beast, because to know what it will be in the future,
all we must do is find out what it was in the past!
G o d’s C h u rc h D u r i n g
the Middle Ages
Since it was Constantine who enforced Sunday observance in
the Roman Empire, we should expect this 1,260-year tribula-
tion period to begin when he made his decree in a.d. 325. And
that is exactly what happened. With his decree, those saints
who remained faithful to God’s Sabbath command were
forced to flee into hiding for fear of their lives. Persecution
against these people set in almost immediately.
Revelation 2 and 3 outline the history of God’s Church
from its beginning in the New Testament all the way to the
return of Jesus Christ. Seven Church eras were prophesied to
come and go. Today, we are in the midst of the seventh and
final era, Laodicea. (Write for your free copy of Malachi’s
Message for a more thorough explanation.)
There were two eras of God’s true Church that spanned
the 1,260-year tribulation that began with Constantine. They
were Pergamos and Thyatira (the third and fourth eras). Of
the Pergamos era, John was inspired to write, “thou dwellest,
even where Satan’s seat is” (Revelation 2:13). Satan’s seat
of government at that time was where the Roman Empire
was located. And that is where you will find those of the
Pergamos era—scattered within the Roman Empire.
Concerning this group of saints, the booklet A True
History of the True Church stated: “This partially preserved
record [referring to a book called The Key of Truth by Fred
C. Conybeare] of God’s people proves that they preached
the gospel of the Kingdom; that they believed the Church
was founded not only upon Jesus Christ, but also upon the
apostles and prophets (Ephesians 2:20); that they baptized by
immersion; that they laid on hands for the ‘reception of the
Spirit.’ They not only ‘continued to keep the Passover on the
14th of Nisan,’ but they also observed the Sabbath and
the festival of Unleavened Bread.” Yes, they were Sabbath-
keepers! In secular sources, those of the Pergamos era
became known as the Paulicians. Many in Pergamos began
to compromise with God’s truth once persecution set in.
In Revelation 2:16, God warned them to either repent,
or be faced with the sword. Most did not repent. So they
had to suffer the sword, just as God said. According to A
True History of the True Church, over 100,000 of them were
martyred. The Pergamos era was virtually wiped out.
However, because of the teachings of the Paulicians,
there was a small band of followers that remained faithful to
God in the Alpine regions of southern Europe. Thus began
the next era—Thyatira. Concerning this era of God’s people,
the Lutheran historian Mosheim noted that these congrega-
tions held “a notion that the observance of the law of Moses,
in everything except the offerings of sacrifices, was obliga-
tory upon Christians. … They abstained from those meats
the use of which was prohibited under the Mosaic economy,
and celebrated the Jewish Sabbath. The second tenet
which distinguished this sect was advanced in opposition to
the doctrine of three persons in the divine nature.”
Here is a group which observed the Sabbath and rejected
 Th e M a r k of t h e BE A S T
the pagan trinity belief! They were severely persecuted for
what they believed. A crusade against these people was
instituted in Southern France. Once again, many thousands
were martyred.
Around the time of a.d. 1,000, it looked as though this
era of God’s Church had come to an end. This is significant,
because concerning the Thyatira era, God said the last
works would be more than the first (Revelation 2:19). That
is exactly what happened in history. The era was revived
during the last half of the 12th century by a man named
Peter Waldo. He was to do an even greater work. After
much study of the Scriptures, Waldo claimed that nowhere
was the apostolic life observed as commanded by Christ.
He quickly amassed thousands of followers. The Catholic
Church considered him a great threat.
It was around this time that Pope Alexander iii made
this stunning decree at the Council of Tours in a.d. 1163:
“Whereas a damnable heresy has for some time lifted its head
in the parts about Toulouse, and already spread infection
through Gascony and other provinces, concealing itself like
a serpent in its folds; as soon as its followers shall have been
discovered, let no man afford them refuge on his estates;
neither let there be any communication with them
in buying and selling: so that, being deprived of the solace
of human conversation, they may be compelled to return
from error to wisdom.”
Notice that people were forbidden to buy or sell with
these “heretics” because of what they believed. Remember,
Revelation 13:17 says those who refused the mark would not
be able to buy or sell.
The Waldenses grew nonetheless. Waldo devoted his life
to making more copies of the Scriptures. Back then, very few
people owned their own Bibles. If the Catholic priests taught
it, it must have been true because most people didn’t have a
Bible to check up on it. With the rapid spread of Scriptures
came the increase of dissension. Many Waldenses began to
meet privately in homes to discuss the Bible.
Pope Innocent iii ruled the Catholic Church in the early
1,200s. Though he admitted it was all right for the common
people to study the Scriptures themselves, he nevertheless
warned, “It is not proper for you to hold your meetings in
private, nor to act as preachers, nor to ridicule the priests.
Remember that men must have a special training before
they can understand the deep things of Holy Scripture. The
priests are trained for this purpose. Listen to them. Respect
even the most ignorant of them. Beware of thinking that you
alone are correct, and despising those who do not join you”
(History of the Christian Church, 1879).
As dissension grew, those who were reading the
Scriptures for themselves began to be persecuted. The
author of History of the Christian Church then continued,
“They were called Waldensians, as if that were a hard name.
Force was applied to them. They were routed; their versions
were burnt, so far as possible; their opinions rooted out. The
priests of Metz breathed freely again, and went on in their
old ways of ignorance, idleness, and vicious selfishness.
Like cases seem to have occurred at Auxerre, and various
towns in France, until the Council of Toulouse, in 1229,
forbade the laity to possess the books of the Old and
New Testaments in any language ….”
That’s history. A great church actually forbade people
to read the Bible. Throughout history, this church has
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spoken “great things.” In any doctrinal controversy, we
must believe the Bible, NOT MEN!
The followers of Peter Waldo and those of the Pergamos
and Thyatira eras were persecuted by the Roman Empire.
The cause behind it was the Roman church. God’s people
were persecuted to the point that they were literally worn
out just as Daniel prophesied (Daniel 7:25).
Tw o M a r t y r d o m s
As mentioned earlier, prophecy is dual, and this is crucial
to proving what is the mark of the beast. Notice Revelation
6:9-10: “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under
the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word
of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they
cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and
true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them
that dwell on the earth?” When the fifth seal is opened, the
prophesied Great Tribulation begins (Matthew 24:21-22).
And notice, we find the martyrs of God already dead when
the Tribulation begins. Why were they killed? Because of
the Word of God, or because of what they believed.
Verse 11 continues, “And white robes were given unto
every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they
should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants
also and their brethren, that should be killed as they
were, should be fulfilled.” There is another martyrdom yet
to take place during the soon-coming Tribulation! Prophecy
is dual! The same mark that will be enforced in the near
future has already been enforced in history. With all
the background covered up to this point, we come to seven
clear points concerning this mark:
1) The mark plainly means the rejection of God’s com-
mandments.
2) Refusing the mark plainly means one is keeping the
commandments of God.
3) It is a mark OF the beast. So the Roman Empire is the
author of this mark.
4) But Satan gave this empire its power. So Satan is the
real author of the mark.
5) Furthermore, it is the Roman church that deceives
people into accepting this mark. She causes all to receive
the mark.
6) If you refuse this mark, you are prohibited from
buying and selling—prohibited from holding a job. So it
must revolve around a commandment of God that has to
do with work.
7) History and Revelation 6:9-10 prove that God’s people
have been slaughtered already for refusing the mark.
It should be clear to all now just what this mysterious
mark is. Here is what Mr. Armstrong wrote in Who or What
Is the Prophetic Beast?, “[T]he mark is something enforced
by the church, originating in the paganism of the Roman
Empire, which a cunning, deceiving devil would seize on
as a means of cleverly deceiving people into breaking
God’s Ten Commandments. And it involves a direct con-
nection with holding a job—engaging in business—earning
a living.
“Satan is clever—cunning—a deceiver. He palms off
counterfeits, which look like the genuine! Naturally he would
select the one commandment of God that he can counterfeit
 Th e M a r k of t h e BE A S T
with a substitute—one in which by human reason alone
no man could see where it would make any difference! He
would select the one which would seem of least importance
to the carnal human mind!
“He would not try to deceive men on idolatry, profanity,
or on stealing, lying, murder, adultery—though he has led
people into all of these.
“But what commandment could it be—what command-
ment affecting a man’s job or his business?
“There is only one possible commandment—the
one regarded by the largest number as the ‘least’ of the
commandments—and that is the Fourth Commandment,
which says: ‘Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy …
The seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God.’
“No carnal mind can see, without the special spiritual
revelation of God through His Word, where it makes any
difference which day man observes.”
Sunday observance, as Mr. Armstrong thoroughly
proved, is the mark of the beast that will be enforced in the
near future. Most of the world has willingly accepted this
mark for many centuries now. But God’s people still keep
the Sabbath. And those saints who have become lukewarm
in these last days will be tested on this very command!
Th e S a b b at h I s G o d’s S i g n
In realizing that Sunday is Satan’s mark, it is also important
to know that Saturday, or the Sabbath, is God’s sign. Mark
and sign are often used interchangeably in the Bible. But there
is one clear distinction between the two as Mr. Armstrong
pointed out. A mark is forcefully branded on someone while
a sign must be voluntarily accepted.
God entered into a Sabbath covenant with the ancient
Israelites in which they voluntarily accepted God’s sign
of the Sabbath. “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily
my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and
you throughout your generations; that ye may know that
I am the Lord that doth sanctify you” (Exodus 31:12-13).
Notice first that it says sabbaths, plural. God’s sabbaths
are a sign. That means the weekly Sabbath as well as the
annual sabbaths—God’s holy days. Leviticus 23 is com-
monly referred to by God’s people as the holy day chapter
of the Bible. But a quick review of the chapter shows that the
very first holy day to be observed is God’s weekly Sabbath
(Leviticus 23:3). God commanded us to keep the Sabbath
day holy. The annual holy days were added as statutes of
God’s law. They go hand in hand with the weekly Sabbath.
Together, they are a sign.
Sunday, Satan’s mark, goes hand in hand with the
popular customs and beliefs of this world: Christmas, Good
Friday, Easter, etc.
But how does God’s Sabbath command identify God?
Exodus 31:13 says, “that ye may know that I am the Lord.”
It identifies God because it points back to creation! Notice
the last part of verse 17: “[F]or in six days the Lord made
heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and
was refreshed.” The Sabbath was created when man was
created (Genesis 2:1-3). It was made for man (Mark 2:27). It
was made for man to point man back to God—the Creator!
That is how it identifies God.
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But Exodus 31:13 also says God sanctifies those who
obey the Sabbath. Sanctify means “to set apart for a holy
use or purpose.” Just try obeying God’s Sabbath command
along with His annual holy days and see if it doesn’t set you
apart in this world! It was for breaking the Sabbath that both
“There is only one possible
commandment—the one regarded by
the largest number as the ‘least’ of the
commandments—and that is the Fourth
Commandment, which says: ‘Remember the
sabbath day, to keep it holy … The seventh
day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God.’
“No carnal mind can see, without the
special spiritual revelation of God through
His Word, where it makes any difference
which day man observes.”
Herbert W. Armstrong
Who or What Is the Prophetic Beast?
Israel and Judah went into captivity, anciently (Ezekiel 20:5,
11-13, 17-21).
Why did Israel go into captivity and eventually become
known as the “lost 10 tribes”? Why do people of the United
States and British nations today not realize they are in fact
Israel? Because they lost God’s Sabbath sign! They lost the
sign that identifies them. So they became lost.
But the Sabbath was done away with once the New
Covenant came, people might argue. Let’s continue in
Exodus 31: “Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the
sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their genera-
tions, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me
and the children of Israel for ever …” (verses 16-17). This
was a different and separate covenant made by God and the
people of Israel. This occurred after the Old Covenant was
given. If it was not part of the Old Covenant, then it was not
abolished in the New Testament!
It was to be a sign forever. Lose the sign and you lose
your identity. Why do people today call the Jews Israel?
Because they still observe Saturday as the Sabbath! And
so people identify them as Israel. They are actually Judah.
But Judah was one of the 12 tribes of Israel. The rest of
the tribes can be found primarily in Western Europe, the
United States and the nations which were once part of the
British Empire. They remain unidentified today because
of losing the sign. (Please write for your free copy of The
United States and Britain in Prophecy for proof of where
Israel is today.)
We have already seen how those who refuse the mark
of the beast will be martyred. When we put the scriptures
together it becomes clear: By holding on to God’s Sabbath
commandment you are rejecting the mark of the beast,
which is Sunday observance, and all of the pagan, worldly
customs that go along with it.
 Th e M a r k of t h e BE A S T
S a t a n ’ s C o m i n g Wa r
In the end time, Satan was prophesied to be cast down to
this Earth after an attempt to overtake God on His throne
(Revelation 12:9). This undoubtedly occurred around the
time of Mr. Armstrong’s death in 1986. Looking at what has
happened to God’s Church since that time proves this. Satan
was to be cast to this Earth and it says he would be filled
with great wrath (verse 12). He would focus his attention on
persecuting the woman, or God’s Church (verse 13). That has
happened. The Church split is proof of that!
But in verse 14, it says the woman is taken to a safe place.
This occurs at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. The
Philadelphians will be protected. But notice verse 17: “And
the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make
war with the remnant [or rest] of her seed, which keep the
commandments of God [like the Sabbath], and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ.”
Satan is going to make war! He is doing everything he
can to deceive Philadelphians today to keep them from this
place of protection so they will go through the Tribulation.
Then, once the Tribulation begins, Satan will make war with
those saints who are not protected in an attempt to destroy
their eternal lives. That war will consist of him trying to
force his brand, or mark, upon God’s people.
There is not much time left to prove where you stand
with God. Are you accepting this mark of the beast today?
Will you accept it in the Tribulation? Those who do, will be
subject to the wrath of God. But for those who reject this evil
mark, the greatest possible reward you could ever imagine
awaits you! ■

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