Truth Matters 12 13 21: The Mark of the Beast

This is Truth Matters!

Daily Devotion with Dr. Cheryl Davis. Truth Matters is a ministry of The Truth Project whose mission is to empower men and women in the Christian faith to teach Biblical truth in the culture and the marketplace of ideas, using the Bible as a sacred trust of truth in sharing the message of Jesus. Learn more about the ministry of The Truth Project at www.projecttruthmatters.com. In this edition, the mark of the Bible. If you remember, in Revelation chapter 7 verse 3, I'm going to read that, saying, Do not harm the earth, the sea, and the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. The Lord caused the mark to be put on the foreheads of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists. We see that also in Revelation chapter 14 verse 1.

But what God does, Satan also imitates. It's his way of counterfeiting. It's a form of control to mark those who are loyal to the beast. Those without the mark will be deemed traitors and boycotted by the commercial system that the beast controls. Those without the mark will die from exposure or starvation or illness as a result of not being able to purchase what they need. We tend to think that only those without the mark will suffer, but really those with the mark will suffer as well. We can see that in Revelation chapter 14 verses 9 through 11. People really are going to face a choice. One, to reject the mark and suffer at the hands of the beast, or to accept the mark and suffer at the hands of God.

I'm all about getting the temporary suffering here on earth so that I can spend an eternity at peace and prosperity with God. Verse 18, this really presents the most complex issue regarding the beast and his mark as found in verse 18 where we are told that the number of the beast is 666. You know, we know that six is the number of man, the Bible tells us that. If you remember Goliath was six cubits tall, his spear's head weighed six shekels, and he had six pieces of armor.

Nebuchadnezzar's statue in Daniel was 60 cubits tall, six cubits wide, and six musical instruments surrounded the worshippers. These are all observations. I'm not saying that they mean anything, but there is a correlation. We do not know what 666 means or how it will be used, but we know that this is the number of man and that it will be calculated for the false prophet. But like we've said before, these prophetic events cast a shadow before them. Remember when we began studying revelation, I taught about when reading prophetic portions of the Bible, every prophetic event casts a shadow. That means while the event itself happens in a moment of time, there are shadows of that event which touch those who live prior to the event. Think about it. While the church will not be on earth to experience the difficult days of the tribulation, the storm clouds of that period will gather long before it actually begins. What I'm trying to say is I believe that storm is brewing on the horizon.

This is really how I know. I was around a group of people recently when they asked, what is the most pressing issue in the world today? I would want to ask you that. What do you think the most pressing issue in the world is today? This group of people answered, that is the pandemic. This conversation was about mandating vaccination as a condition of employment. And I think not that the vaccine is wrong as I have.

I'm a physician myself, was vaccinated myself. But I think this concept will be very similar to the concepts of how the Antichrist and the false prophet will be able to control people. You've been listening to Truth Matters with Dr. Cheryl Davis. Truth Matters is a ministry of the Truth Project, a North Carolina-based ministry dedicated to teaching biblical truth and sound theology to those inside and outside of the church. If you'd like to listen to these messages on demand, go to projecttruthmatters.com and click on the podcast link. Dr. Davis is also available to speak to your ministry group or church function. She can be reached by email at CherylDavis at projecttruthmatters.com. Or if you'd like to send a letter, the address is Project Truth Matters, Post Office Box 159, St. Paul's, North Carolina 28384. You can hear Truth Matters weekdays on this radio station at 8 20 a.m. and 5 20 p.m. for the full length teaching program on Saturday afternoon at 12 30. Until next time, let's all work together to teach a biblical truth, to assist, equip, edify, and encourage one another, and bring the Gospel to the world, because truth matters.