(November 4, 2021) Revelation 12:12 is a fascinating prophecy about Satan, and his interaction with mankind. It reveals that the Devil knows his time is short. “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
The Good News Translation renders the last part of this verse as follows: “For the Devil has come down to you, and he is filled with rage, because he knows that he has only a little time left.”
Continuing in Revelation 12:13, the devil, is characterized as “a dragon.” The term dragon appears 13 times in the New Testament, all in the Book of Revelation. The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary explains Dragon as; “a mythological sea monster symbolic of the forces of chaos and evil in opposition to God’s creative and redemptive work. In the NT Revelation develops sense 4, describing the dragon as a great, red monster with seven heads and ten horns. This dragon is clearly identified with Satan (the Devil) and is termed the deceiver and the accuser of the saints. As in the OT texts, the dragon is put under guard (Revelation20:1–3; Job 7:12) and later released for final destruction (Revelation20:7–10; Isaiah 27:1).”
The prophecy of Revelation 12 indicates a specific time of realization by the devil. He and 1/3 of the angelic realm who defected with him (Revelation 12:4) have been confined and marooned on Planet Earth! This passage, and others, could indicate that Satan and his demons realize their life span is limited! Note that Jude prophesied twice about the fate of the rebellious angels. Jude 6 says that “everlasting chains under darkness,” is to be their punishment. Chains are synonymous for punishment, and darkness is associated with death and blackness (Jude 13) 13 times throughout the Holy Bible.
Early in His ministry, Jesus met two demon possessed men, who, upon recognizing Him, asked Him, “Have you come here to torment us before the time?” (Matthew 8:29) What “time”? The time of their eternal punishment, or death!
When the devil knows his time is limited, he persecutes the woman, a symbol of the people of God, or the Church of God. It is to the Church that the message of the Book of Revelation is intended! The Book of Revelation was given to the Apostle John, by Jesus Christ, by angelic messenger, to present it to the Church. (Revelation 1:1-4)
Revelation 12:13-17 continues the story of the devil’s persecution. But how does he do it? Through human instruments! Revelation 13:1-4 depicts a dragon like creature emerging out of sea. This beast is a government, King and/or Kingdom. This symbol is also described and defined in Daniel 7:23-25 and the same action by this Kingdom is repeated as a theme in Revelation 13:7. This unholy government or kingdom will declare war on the saints — The Church of God. Revelation 12:17 shows that the devil will attack and make war on those “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
The Mark of the Beast
The final part of Revelation 13 describes the “mark of the beast.” (Revelation 13:16-17) What is it? This mark, and this mark alone, enables those who receive it to participate in economic commerce — to be able to “buy and sell.” This means that to have a job or be able to support yourself, one will need to “receive” “the mark.” (Revelation 13:16) The “saints” will not receive this mark, but the rest of the world will! The rest of the world will worship and marvel at the work, the power and might of a coming World Superpower that will have dominion over all mankind! (Revelation 13:3-4, Revelation 12:8, Revelation 17:8)
God’s people will not have this dreaded mark, and therefore will not suffer the wrath of God that will accompany those accepting this mysterious mark. (Revelation 14:12) So, again, we must ask — if we are to escape the wrath of God poured out on the rest of the earth — what is the “mark of the beast?” Is it a branding, a worldwide identification number or implantable device accepted by all mankind? To find the answer, let’s reverse engineer the problem by asking what is it that identifies the people of God who will not have this horrifying mark? But they do “keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Revelation 12:17)
In the Old Testament, God explained to the children of Israel, His chosen people, that His Sabbaths would be a sign between “Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.” (Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12, Ezekiel 20:20) So the people of God are identified by keeping God’s Sabbath days. Israel was commanded to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” But most of the Christian world celebrates the first day of the week — SUNDAY, while the 7th Day, or Saturday is thought by many to only apply to the “Jews.” But the New Testament Church kept the 7th Day, and all other Holy Days mentioned as “Sabbaths.” These days identify God’s people, or the true Church of God.
For hundreds of years after the establishment of the New Testament Church, the Church of God continued to keep the 7th Day. The decree of the Roman Emperor Constantine, in 324 mandated Sunday observance. His edict formalized a gradual drift away from Sabbath keeping as Christianity slowly was amalgamated and synchronized with other pagan beliefs, including the worship of the sun!
If the Sabbaths of God identify His people, and are “signs,” then the “mark of the beast” or sign between the dragon and the rest of the world, is the belief, acceptance and mandated worship of this horrendous combination of Church and State, on Sunday! The prophecy of Daniel 7:25 indicates the Beast will change “times and law,” meaning the enforcement of this decree. If one is not obedient to these LAWS and MANDATES of the time of the end, it will be impossible to hold a job, buy food at the supermarket, or buy gas for transportation.
Is this so hard to believe? Can you see a present-day application? In the age of Covid-19, governments have decreed employers must enforce the government mandate for vaccination. The Biden administration announced in the last few days that companies will be fined $14,000 per infraction. The Governor of California has issued a mandate for all school age children to be vaccinated! It is easy to see how governments will be able to coerce compliance. The fact is; we are not that far from the mark of the beast being enforced. How many people will compromise in order to function in society?
How will it be accomplished — this forced religious worship by the whole world? Angela Randall, a nurse interviewed several times by World News and Prophecy Review put the forced vaccine mandate in these terms; “The first step was the fear of the Covid-19 virus, equating getting the virus to a virtual death sentence, when the survival rate, with no treatment for all age groups is 99.995%, overall. The next step is bribery, by forcing you to do something you wouldn’t normally do, in order to keep your job. Finally, the last step to achieve their goal is forced coercion.” In some nations, laws have already been passed that allow children to be vaccinated without parental consent!
As in prophetic fulfillment, governments are able to identify and target individual citizens. In the last 22 months, governments and their police have arrested those who disagree with their mandates — in some cases arresting those who have disagreed with governmental mandates on social media!
Not all pieces of the prophetic puzzle are in place. But the forced compliance of free citizens around the globe, under the guise of defeating a virus, is a possible foreshadowing of what is coming!
World News & Prophetic Review
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