The question of when the Mark of the Beast will be implemented is of great concern to a number of people. They see it as the final stage of prophetic fulfilment before the return of Christ. Thus, for those who look hopefully to the second advent, they look for the turn of world events which would signal that the Mark of the Beast is about to be implemented.
To understand when will the Mark of the Beast be implemented, we need to know a little bit about the two beasts described in Revelation 13 and their roles.
Identifying the Beasts in Revelation 13 which will see the Mark of the Beast Implemented
The First Beast: The Roman Catholic Church
Revelation 13 introduces two beasts. The first beast is the Roman Catholic Church. This interpretation hinges on the church’s fulfilment of the prophetic descriptions of the historical role of the church as a powerful religious system intertwined with secular governments and powers. Throughout history, the Roman Catholic Church has exercised considerable influence over political entities, seeking to enforce religious conformity and wielding power over secular authorities. It continues to exercise that power today.
The Second Beast: The United States of America
The second beast, described in Revelation 13:11 as having “two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon,” is the United States. The characteristics of this beast include:
- Rising from the Earth: Unlike the first beast that arises from the sea (symbolizing densely populated areas (Revelation 17: 15)), the second beast comes from the earth, indicating it arises from a sparsely populated area.
- Lamb-like Appearance: The horns like a lamb suggest a nation founded on principles of freedom of religion with the separation of church and state.
- Dragon-like Speech: Over time, this nation begins to speak like a dragon, symbolizing the exercise of oppressive power with a particular emphasis on the religious powers overriding the authority of the secular powers.
The U.S. fulfils the criteria given in Revelation 13 regarding the earth beast. It rose to power in a sparsely populated area. Furthermore, it matches the description in Revelation 12 of not only being associated with the earth (limited population) but also of helping God’s church escape the persecution of the Roman Catholic church.
Moreover, the founding fathers of the U.S. established a constitution that was firmly ensconced in the protestant principles of separation of church and state. They fought the war of independence to not have a king which had historically given their allegiance to the Pope.
Finally, in recent times, there have been movements within the United States of America to blend religious authority with political power, resembling the dragon-like speech mentioned in the prophecy.
The Image of the Beast will Cause the Mark of the Beast to be Implemented
In historical context, when the early church departed from the simplicity of the gospel and adopted heathen rites and customs, it lost the Spirit and power of God. To control the consciences of the people, it sought the support of secular power, leading to the establishment of the papacy. This church-state union used political power to enforce religious conformity and punish heresy.
According to Revelation 13: 15-18, the image of the beast must first be set up before the Mark of the Beast can be enforced. If the first beast of Revelation 13 was characterised by the church dictating to the state and secular powers, its image would have to have the same features. This would mean ‘Christian’ religious authorities of the second beast (the U.S.) gaining control over civil government, using state power to enforce religious observance and policies
This time, instead of it being secular powers that are overtly controlled by the Roman Catholic church, it will be brought about by what Revelation calls the ‘false prophet.’
Revelation 13: 13-14 indicates that the second beast will perform miracles which will deceive the world into worshipping the first beast. In Revelation 19:20 also says that the false prophet will perform miracles that will deceive the world into false worship. So essentially, protestant America and the false prophet are one and the same.
America – which was founded on protestant principles – will take on the spirit of the first beast (the Roman Catholic church), but will still be considered to be a part of Protestantism. They will manifest the same characteristics however as Roman Catholicism.
It is when we see American Protestantism manifesting the characteristics and strategies of the Roman Catholic church that we know that the Mark of the Beast is soon to be enforced. When those who have once stood for the freedom of conscience (Protestants) succeed in compelling the consciences of men through government legislation, we know that the image of the beast has been set up and the Mark will soon follow.
The Mark of the Beast
The implementation of the Mark of the Beast, symbolized by the number 666, is linked to the enforcement of Sunday worship.
The early Christian church was following the Bible as closely as they could. Thus, for at least a century the entire Christian church was known to worship on the seventh-day Sabbath. However, with the increasing persecution of Jews who also worshipped on seventh day, some church leaders wanted to distance themselves from the Jews. Thus they sought to change the day of worship from the seventh day to the first day of the week in commemoration of Christ’s resurrection.
As the years went by, the mainstream church moved further away from the purity of scripture, and the first Sunday law was enforced by the supposedly Christian Emperor Constantine in AD 321. This set the precedent for the Roman Catholic church to use its ‘ecclesiastical authority’ to ‘transfer’ the solemnity of the seventh-day Sabbath to the first day of the week. Thus, through a false claim to divine authority, the Roman Catholic church attempted to change the law of God (specifically the fourth commandment).
Protestantism sought to protest against the apostasy of the Roman Catholic church and re-establish the truth found in the Bible as foundational to our Christian walk. They also sought to ensure that reliance on faith in Christ alone.
Despite these tenets of their belief, the majority of protestants failed to return to the truth regarding the seventh-day Sabbath which was to be a sign of faith in Christ alone. Thus, the Roman Catholic church has ever referred to the protestant churches as its daughters and herself as the mother (Revelation 17: 5; see also a recent statement made by Cardinal Ratzinger*). Through the ongoing observance of Sunday sacredness, the protestant churches have continued to acknowledge the Roman Catholic church’s authority that is in opposition to God’s authority.
The prophecies regarding the Mark of the Beast tell us that those who receive it are in contrast to those who “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14: 12).
Christ gave a summary of the Ten Commandments in His statement, “You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength …and…you shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31). The purpose of the summary was not to do away with any of the Ten Commandments. The summary was to emphasise that half of the commandments are focused on love towards God and the remaining ones are focused on love towards our fellow man.
It is the fourth commandment, which stands in the middle of the Ten Commandments, that encapsulates both principles. When we spend time with God on the day He has set aside to spend with us, we are showing that we love Him. When we allow others who are under our influence to also rest on the Sabbath day, we are demonstrating love towards them.
Moreover, the only command that is most clearly linked to the faith of Jesus is the seventh-day Sabbath commandment. It is the only commandment of which God says, “Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you” (Exodus 31:13). The process of sanctification is one in which we have to trust by faith in Jesus Christ to complete. We have no work to do and must rest. The Sabbath points to the rest we can have in Christ.
The prophecies of Revelation indicate that there will come a time when Sunday observance (which breaks the law of God to love God with all our heart and love our neighbour as ourselves) will be enforced by law. It will be a test of allegiance between God’s commandments and human traditions. When this happens, the Mark of the Beast is implemented.
Conclusion: When will the Mark of the Beast be Implemented – When a Sunday law is enforced
The implementation of the Mark of the Beast is intertwined with the rise of a religio-political system facilitated by the United States and Protestant Christianity that mirrors the historical power dynamics of the papacy. The enforcement of Sunday worship, underpinned by legislative power, will be the crucial indicator of this prophetic of the implementation of the Mark of the Beast. While the exact timeline remains uncertain, the recent rapid convergence of religious influence and political authority in America points towards the very soon realization of this prophecy.
*“It must be always clear that the one, holy, catholic and apostolic universal church is not the sister, but the mother of all the churches.” Cardinal Ratzinger who shortly after this statement was written became Pope Benedict.