Revelation Chapter 13
VERSE 16-17 continued “And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads, 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.” (KJV)
Some thoughts from the past on this subject.
“The time is hastening on when a religious, social, political and financial "boycott" will be waged against all who will refuse to worship either the "beast" or his Protestant "image." R1766:4
“It would not be surprising if a "strong government" would someday replace this Republic and one common standard of religious belief be deemed expedient, to teach outside of which will be treated and punished as a political offense.” B263
“Laws may be expected gradually curtailing personal liberty under the plea of necessity, eventuating in the formulation of some "simple law of religion" thus implementing church and state in governing the United States of America.” B361
“The declaration that all must worship either the beast or his image implies an agreement (a confederacy) between the original Papal beast and the Protestant image.” R1474:2
“The image will not be antagonistic to the beast, but sympathetic and cause that all shall be in harmony either with Catholicism, or with the Protestant system.” R5349:3
Before we move on to Verse 18, we should like to consider the “buying and selling” a bit more, and to whom it relates.
“The morning comes (the dawn of the new dispensation, the Millennial morning, which brings to light the hidden things of darkness. We have been in this Millennial dawn since the year 1874, which according to The True Bible Chronology, marked the end of the first 6000 years of the seventh day of creation), and also (or but first comes) the night (a night of clouds and thick darkness, the great time of trouble. When the religious liberty now enjoyed will be greatly restricted by the strong hand of combined civil and ecclesiastical power) …” Isa 21:12
Or as our Lord so states the matter:
“I (“We” the Church, Head and body, see the margin of your bible) must work the works of Him that sent Me while it is day; the night comes when no man can work.” John 9:4
This can be taken in several different ways:
1) We can take this literally as the majority is app to do implying that soon the great time of trouble will be upon us and all commerce and thus work will cease, most certainly a distinctive possibility.
2) Work “while it is day”, that is while you are alive, for the “night is coming” that is death wherein “no man can work” (Compare Eccl 9:10) This of course applying to everyone with the exception of the very elect for, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord henceforth yes says the Spirit that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them (that is to say the work in which they were previously engaged on this side of the Vail shall continue without interruption or hindrance even once they have passed beyond the Vail to the other side).” Rev 14:13
3) Lastly, “the night comes when no man can work”, that is no true man of God, the Christian in the fullest sense of the word, (the fully consecrated) can work (i.e., preach, teach, discuss the truth).
“Thus, the door of opportunity to engage, with Christ our Lord, in the work of the Gospel age, will be closed when "the night comes wherein no man can work." And all who have not previously by faithful service, developed the necessary character and proved their sympathy, devotion, love and zeal for the Lord and his truth (Matt. 10:37; Mark 8:38), will then be too late to do so. As represented in the parable of “The Wise and Foolish Virgins”, they will thus be proved to be "foolish virgins," for letting slip the great and glorious opportunity to suffer with and on behalf of him with whom they would gladly reign.
By that time, the full number predestinated by God to constitute and complete the Church will have been called, chosen, and by trial proved faithful--"copies of the likeness of his Son." (Rom. 8:29) The harvest will be past, the summer time of favor ended, and only the burning of the tares will remain, to clear the field (the world of mankind) and to prepare it fully for the much more extensive sowing of the millennial age.
The closing in on this night will evidently put a stop to any further labor to disseminate the truth, which, misunderstood by the public generally, (having been slandered and vilified by orthodoxy) will probably be accused of being the cause of much of the anarchy and confusion then prevailing, instead of being seen in its true light as a foreshadowing of the divine mind and revelation concerning coming troubles of the world and their true causes. Nor should we expect that the coming of night and the closing of the door will be sudden, but rather that it will be a gradual obstructing and closing down of the harvest work.”
Their accusers of course being orthodoxy, the nominally professing church at which they are in variance as to what is truth. And so, as Jezebel got Ahab to do her dirty work so too the church nominal will enlist the government (the dragon) to do its dirty work.
We will move on to Verse 18 with our next post.
