THE MARK OF THE BEAST by R. C. P.

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Aug 24, 1915

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 42, No. 33.

THE MARK OF THE BEAST

By R. C. P.

His Authority Set in Opposition to God—Charges Made Against Protestants—The Conflict Is On

This is the third of four articles by Elder Porter on the general theme of the seal of God contrasted with the mark of the beast, as presented in the prophecy of Rev. 14:9-12. In his first article, he showed what the beast symbolizes. In his article last week, he considered the seal of the living God, which is set in contrast to the mark of the beast depicted in his article this week. Next week, he will conclude the series by presenting the stirring appeal that God makes to a lost world, in view of the conflict that is confronting us, and the great climax that is soon to be realized in the second coming of Christ. EDITOR.

HAVING found that the fourth commandment contains the seal, sign, or mark of God, which, under the third angel's message, shall be restored in the foreheads of His people, while they, through the faith of Jesus, keep the commandments of God, it will not be difficult to learn what the mark and worship of the beast is. The beast is further identified by the number of his name. The revelator says: "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six." Rev. 13:18. The pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church. He wears a tiara, or crown, as the symbol of his authority, and has assumed the title Vicarius Filii Dei—a substitute for the Son of God, or "instead of the Son of God."

THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST

We are asked to count the number of the beast, and we are told that it is the number of a man. The one man who represents the papacy is the pope. As we are dealing with Rome, we naturally turn to Roman notation in our endeavor to count the number of the beast. In Roman notation, certain letters express numerical value. For example: D equals 500, M equals 1,000, and so on. Taking the title Vicarius Filii Dei, and selecting the letters having numerical value, we have the exact number of the beast as given in the prophecy.

With astonishing accuracy, the title Vicarius Filii Dei, worn by the head of the papacy, counts the number 666, which identifies the papacy as the beast of the prophecy of Revelation 14, against which the warning of the third angel's message is borne.

VICAR OF THE SON OF GOD

The following correspondence was addressed to Cardinal Gibbons's secretary, on the question of the use of the words Vicarius Filii Dei:

"Baltimore, Md., Jan. 18, 1904. "Wm. T. Russut, "Cardinal's Residence, City. "Dear Friend: I have received your answer to my letter to his eminence, for which favor I feel indebted; but it did not contain the answer to the main question, which was, Does the inscription Vicarius Filii Dei appear on the crown or miter of the pope, or has it at any time in the past appeared on the crowns or miters of any of the popes? "Trusting you will pardon me for troubling you again, I beg to remain, "Yours sincerely, "H. S. Weaver."

In answer to the above, the following reply was received:

"Baltimore, Md., Jan. 26, 1904. "Mr. H. S. Weaver. "Dear Sir: In reply to yours of the 18th inst., I beg to say that I cannot say with certainty that the words Vicarius Filii Dei are on the pope's tiara. But the words are used by the cardinal who imposes the tiara at the coronation of the pope. "Yours truly, (Signed) "Wm. T. Russut, Secretary."

Since the papacy bears the number of the beast, we next inquire, What is the mark of his authority by which he claims the right to enforce his commands upon the people?

THE BEAST'S MARK AND GOD'S SEAL CLASH

It is clear, from the foregoing study, that the "mark of the beast" is a counterfeit of God's seal, which is the Sabbath. In Dan. 7:25, it is plainly prophesied that the papacy shall think to change the times and the law of God.

That is what paganism did long before. It changed the day of worship from the Sabbath to the Sunday, thus substituting a workday for God's holy day. At the same time, it turned from the worship of God to the worship of the sun. The prophet says: "Her priests have violated My law, and have profaned Mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them." Eze. 22:26.

This change made a breach in God's law, which He sought to repair to save the people. "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." Verse 30.

CHARGED WITH INCONSISTENCY

The papacy has done the same work. The following from editorials in the Catholic Mirror of November 18 and 25, 1893, shows what the mark of the Catholic power and authority is: "The Protestant world has been from its infancy, in the sixteenth century, in thorough accord with the Catholic Church in keeping holy not Saturday, but Sunday. To add to the intensity of this unscriptural and unpardonable blunder, it involves one of the most positive and emphatic commands of God to His servant man: 'Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.' No Protestant living to-day has ever yet obeyed that command, preferring to follow the apostate church referred to, than his teacher, the Bible, which from Genesis to Revelation, teaches no other doctrine."

The following is to the same point: "The Bible says, 'Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.' The Catholic Church says, No! by my divine power I abolish the Sabbath day and command you to keep holy the first day of the week. And, lo, the entire civilized world bows down in reverent obedience to the command of the holy Catholic Church!'—Father T. Enright, C. S. S. R. of Redemptorist College, Kansas City, Missouri.

From a Catholic work entitled "Plain Talk for Protestants," page 213, we take the following: "The observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay in spite of themselves to the authority of the [Catholic] Church."

The Catholic Mirror of December 23, 1893, speaking editorially, says: "The arguments contained in this pamphlet are firmly grounded on the word of God, and having been closely studied with the Bible in hand, leave no escape for the conscientious Protestant, except the abandonment of Sunday worship, and the return to Saturday commanded by their teacher, the Bible; or, unwilling to abandon the tradition of the Catholic Church, which enjoins the keeping of Sunday, and which they have accepted in direct opposition to their teacher, the Bible, consistently accept her in all her teachings. Reason and common sense demand the acceptance of one or the other of these alternatives, either Protestantism and the keeping holy of Saturday, or Catholicity and the keeping of Sunday.

Compromise is impossible."

The Douay Catechism says: "Q. How prove you that the church hath power to command feasts and holy days? "A. By the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of; and therefore they fondly contradict themselves, by keeping Sunday strictly, and breaking most other feasts commanded by the same church."

THE MARK OF HER AUTHORITY

Here is clearly set forth by the papacy itself the mark of its authority and power. God gave the Sabbath to direct the attention of man ever to Him as the true God, who, by virtue of being the Creator, is worthy of man's worship. This is the mark, sign, or seal of His power and authority.

The papacy claims that without divine authority, it has changed the Sabbath into Sunday, and by this very act it now demands worship. The world was compelled by force, during the supremacy of the papacy, to accept its dictum or die the martyr's death. A large majority therefore followed the beast in its change of the day. Rome now exults in her triumph, and appeals to this act as a sign, or mark, of her authority and power. Enforced Sunday observance is therefore the sign, or mark, of the power and authority of the beast, the papacy.

COUNTERFEIT SABBATH OBSERVANCE

This is the counterfeit of voluntary Sabbath observance, which is the mark, sign, or seal of God's power and authority. Some may say, "It makes no difference which day you observe, so long as you observe one day." God says it makes the difference between following and worshiping Him, and following and worshiping the beast. Paul says, "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Rom. 6: 16. The difference between Sabbath and Sunday observance is that of being servants of God or servants of the beast. Obedience is the highest form of worship. Therefore those who obey God, worship Him; while those who obey the beast, worship him.

Those who receive the Lord's Sabbath, receive the seal of God in the forehead; while those who, in the face of light and knowledge that Sunday observance is an institution of the beast, follow him in Sunday observance, knowingly casting behind their backs God's Sabbath, receive the mark of the beast. These are the vital issues involved in the warning given in the third angel's message. Sealed with the seal of God, and having the Father's name written in their foreheads, the children of God shall enter the mansions prepared for them, and stand before the throne of God, upon the sea of glass, when the conflict is ended. Rev. 14: 1, 2. The worshipers of the beast, and those who receive his mark, shall receive the unmingled wrath of God as it is visited in the seven last plagues. Rev. 14: 9-12.

Photo by Underwood and Underwood, N. Y. This photograph shows Mrs. Pankhurst, who is said to be leading fifty thousand women in a demand for the opportunity to work in the munitions factories in order to save England.

Every apostasy covered by history has begun in apostasy from a true sense of the import of the true Sabbath as a memorial of God as man's Creator. Every world-wide apostasy movement has reached its climax in enforced observance of a spurious worship day in place of the creation Sabbath. Hence the voluntary observance of the true Sabbath stands as the seal, or sign, of loyalty to God; and the great mark of apostasy is enforced Sunday observance.

THE CONFLICT IS ON

This is no theory or delusion. The conflict is raging. The beast is arising to claim the worship of all people throughout the world, and impose the mark of its power and authority on them, by enforced Sunday observance. The third angel's message presents, in the fourth precept of the commandments of God, His seal. It warns against the worship of the beast, and obedience to enforced Sunday observance as the mark of its authority, under penalty of the unmingled wrath of God. This message is now being heralded throughout the world. The people of the world stand to-day where the people addressed by Elijah and the prophets of Baal stood anciently, when he appealed to them in these words: "How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him." 1 Kings 18: 21. So now, if the Lord be God, follow Him; but if the beast, then follow him. God commands the observance of the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath, as a sign, seal, or mark of His power as both Creator and Redeemer. The papacy commands the observance of Sunday as the mark of his power and authority to exalt himself "above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." To which shall we render allegiance? "His servants ye are to whom ye obey." Rom. 6: 16.