Those who do NOT receive the mark of the Beast

Few things have titillated prophecy junkies more than solving the identity of the famous Beast of the book of Revelation and speculating about what his "mark" might be. And few prophecy junkies have gone to the lengths that Sabbatarian Millerites have engaged in to solve the riddle! For those, like me, who emerged from the trainwreck of Armstrongism, they will remember Herbert Armstrong's speculation about a United States of Europe in the role of the beast. Likewise, other Sabbatarian Millerites (Seventh Day Adventists and the folks from the Churches of God Seventh Day) will also remember the near certainty among their people that the "mark" of the Beast would be centered on the forced observance of Sunday as a day of worship. More recently, some have even speculated that mandates for the Covid-19 vaccinations might be the "mark" of the Beast! What about these things? Do these notions represent profound spiritual insights into the prophecy of the Bible or are they so much "pissing in the wind?"

As longtime readers of my writings know, I rarely venture into the realm of prophecy. There are many reasons for this, but the obsession of my former affiliations with the subject are probably among the most important for my silence. You know - the old adages about being gun-shy or once burned.

Nevertheless, after recently listening to part of a sermon offered by one of the pastors allied with one of the many ACOG splinter groups on the obligations of Christians to come out of Babylon, I was inspired to offer some of my own thoughts on the subject. In short, the rank deception and outrageous speculation which some folks have been subjected to regarding this matter makes me sad for them and has pricked my conscience about offering them some hope and clarity on the subject.

First, I wish to plainly state that I believe that no other book in the Bible has been abused and misrepresented more than the book of Revelation. Moreover, it is now very plain to me that this book was meant to encapsulate the entire experience of humankind and Christians since Christ's resurrection and ascension to heaven. In other words, it should NEVER have been regarded as a road map to the proper sequence of events leading to the Great Tribulation and the return of Jesus Christ to this earth! Please, don't misunderstand me, the book most assuredly does discuss the return of Jesus Christ; but it was originally intended to contrast the history of the folks who belong to this world's system with those who belong to God's system!

Indeed, when we take a fresh look at the highly symbolic language of the book, the contrast between the two ways becomes very apparent. The Beast and Babylon are obviously manifestations of this world's system (militarily, economically, politically, socially and religiously) as influenced and empowered by the Dragon (or, as he's more popularly known, Satan the Devil). Indeed, from the very beginning, the image of the Beast with its horns and crowns, and the fact that it derived its "power and throne and great authority" from the dragon, all points to the human system which would stand in opposition to God's system down through the ages. We are also informed that the whole world marveled at the Beast and said things like "Who is as great as the beast?" and "Who is able to fight against him?" In other words, in this world, man's system would be supreme!

Moreover, the contrast to God's people and system is made even plainer in the verses which follow. We read there: "And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast." Indeed, this work of harassment and persecution against God's people hearkens back to the Dragon's persecution of the Church (the woman) in the twelfth chapter of the book. Even so, God tells his people to endure the Beast's persecution and remain faithful to his system, and God assures them that they will triumph in the end!

And then we come to that all important scripture which has provoked so much speculation and angst on the part of so many Christians. We read that the Beast "required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead." And, for anyone with even a passing familiarity with the Torah, what does that imagery bring to mind?

The Jews call it The Shema. In their article on the topic, https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-shema/ informs us that the Shema is an acknowledgement of God and his kingdom and is based on a scripture in Deuteronomy. Indeed, we read there: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day. Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead, inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Notice how this declaration of one's allegiance to God and his system was to appear on the hand and forehead! Hence, it is clear to this blogger that the mark of the Beast is a kind of anti-Shema - a profession of allegiance to (whether consciously or by participation in) this world's system! Indeed, this allegiance to/worship of the Beast (and his system) is reiterated over and over again in the scriptures that follow.

Thus, we are forced to conclude that ALL of the military, economic, political, social and religious systems of humankind are part of the Beast system, and that they ALL stand in opposition to God's system! Hence, for those who profess to belong to God and his system, participation or glorying in the brilliance, power and authority of the Beast's system(s) is unthinkable.

What is the Beast's system? We've already discussed how the fact that this human system encompasses ALL areas of human activity (military, economic, political, social and religious). Hence, we could say that nationalism, patriotism, capitalism, socialism, authoritarianism, democracy could ALL be considered to involve activities which COULD be characterized as participation in the Beast's system! In other words, what is your Shema? Is your Shema "that all men are created equal" and "that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights?" OR Is your Shema "from each according to his ability, and to each according to his need?"

Hence, I'm thinking that it might be a good idea to reevaluate our thinking about the Beast and his "mark." If we truly want to be accounted among those who have "not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands," we may want to be more careful with what we participate in and where our allegiances lie!

*****************This work is intended to comprehend Revelation chapters 12-20 for those who might be interested in following along in your own Bible**********************************

The Two Ways of Life

"There are two Ways, one of Life and one of Death, and there is a great difference between the two Ways. The way of life is this: First, you shalt love the God who made thee, secondly, thy neighbor as thyself; and whatsoever thou wouldst not have done to thyself, do not thou to another." The Didache 1:1-2

"But the Way of Death is this: First of all, it is wicked and full of cursing, murders, adulteries, lusts, fornications, thefts, idolatries, witchcrafts, charms, robberies, false witness, hypocrisies, a double heart, fraud, pride, malice, stubbornness, covetousness, foul speech, jealousy, impudence, haughtiness, boastfulness. Persecutors of the good, haters of truth, lovers of lies, knowing not the reward of righteousness, not cleaving to the good nor to righteous judgment, spending wakeful nights not for good but for wickedness, from whom meekness and patience is far, lovers of vanity, following after reward, unmerciful to the poor, not working for him who is oppressed with toil, without knowledge of him who made them, murderers of children, corrupters of God's creatures, turning away the needy, oppressing the distressed, advocates of the rich, unjust judges of the poor, altogether sinful; may ye be delivered, my children, from all these." The Didache 5:1-2

This early Christian teaching known as The Didache (or The Lord's teaching to the heathen by the Twelve Apostles) nicely summarizes the teachings of Jesus Christ and concisely teaches us what it means to be a Christian. In addition to discussing the foundational principles of the religion by contrasting the ways of life and death, the book also contains a great deal of practical information regarding Christian morality and practices. The Didache outlines Christian practice relative to baptism, worship, prayer, fasting, the Eucharist, and Church governance. Hence, it is little wonder that many early Christians felt that this book should be included in the canon of the New Testament.

For those interested in further exploring this early Christian catechism, you may do so here:

The Didache (pronounced did-a-key or did-a-kay)

Ignatius of Antioch on the Nativity of Jesus Christ

"How, then, was He manifested to the world? A star shone forth in heaven above all the other stars, the light of Which was inexpressible, while its novelty struck men with astonishment. And all the rest of the stars, with the sun and moon, formed a chorus to this star, and its light was exceedingly great above them all. And there was agitation felt as to whence this new spectacle came, so unlike to everything else [in the heavens]. Hence every kind of magic was destroyed, and every bond of wickedness disappeared; ignorance was removed, and the old kingdom abolished, God Himself being manifested in human form for the renewal of eternal life." -from his epistle to the Ephesians

The Ancient Origins of Christmas

The Anglican Bishop of Durham recently penned a piece (The Seeds of Christmas Were Planted Long Before Jesus' Birth) which explored the ancient roots of the New Testament narrative about Christ's nativity. In the article, N.T. Wright recounted the story of his recent pilgrimage to his family's ancestral church, and how he had studied the stained glass "Jesse Window" at the east end of the thousand-year-old building. He then went on to explain that the window is a depiction of Christ's descent from Jesse, the father of King David (which hearkens back to some of the prophecies recorded about Jesus in the writings of Isaiah).

In particular, Wright focused on this well-known passage from the eleventh chapter of that book: 

"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips, he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious." --Isaiah 11:1-10 (NIV)

He went on to reference another familiar passage from the ninth chapter of the same book:

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." --Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV)

Bishop Wright then went on to observe: "That 'little child' links back again to the infant Jesus. The picture of animals living in peace under his guidance translates easily into the Nativity scene: Jesus in a manger, Mary and Joseph looking on, with ox, ass, lambs and even camels all clustering round. Killjoy rationalists might object that the stories of Jesus’ birth don’t mention these animals, or that you might actually find a manger in family living quarters; but that’s not the point. The Nativity scene re-expresses Isaiah’s vision in its own symbolic way. The prince of peace, the shoot from Jesse’s stump, will bring all creation into a much-needed new harmony."

He continued: "Jesse doesn’t appear much in the New Testament, but when he does it’s explosive. Saint Paul, like Isaiah, believed in creation’s coming peaceful renewal. But we often forget how he sees that hope being fleshed out. Jesus’ followers, Paul believed, were supposed to be the working model for creation’s hope. At the climax of his letter to Rome, he urges believers from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds to come together in worship. They are to welcome one another across traditional differences, learning to worship the one God, the father of Jesus the Messiah, 'with one mind and one mouth' (15:6). Paul backs up his urgent and eloquent appeal with a string of biblical quotations, saving for the last the telling line from Isaiah 11:10: 'the root of Jesse rises to rule the nations, and in him the nations will hope.'"

Wright then concluded his thought with this astute observation: "Paul is here looking through the biblical equivalent of a Jesse window, glimpsing an entire train of thought—in this case, the prophecy of Isaiah 11—in a single line. In his mind, the different ethnic and cultural groups that have come to believe in Jesus are like the different animals that, in the prophet’s vision, will now feed peacefully together, with the little child at their head, ruling through self-giving love."

Thus, for the bishop, the nativity narrative of the New Testament encompasses a rich prophetic symbolism that points to an even more expansive message of hope for the future of humankind. According to Wright, "Never in my lifetime have we needed that hope as urgently as we do today. The pandemic is still rampant. The global climate is throwing floods, fires and tornadoes at us. Powerful nations rattle their missiles at one another, while babies starve, and refugees drown." And Wright believed that the hope which is an integral part of the narrative about Christ's first appearance on this earth should be the focus and message of the entire Christian community. He wrote: "The Christmas stories themselves call us to a different vision. Matthew’s gospel is the most obviously Jewish, but that’s where we find the story of the (obviously non-Jewish) Wise Men coming to worship Jesus. Luke’s gospel is the most obviously Gentile in orientation, but that’s where we find the (obviously Jewish) shepherds coming to find the newborn child. Like the animals around the crib, the Christmas scenario opens up to include the world. Shame on us if we shrink that vision to fit our prejudices. Jesus’ followers are called to model God’s hope for the world."

This blogger believes that the Bishop of Durham has hit the proverbial nail on the head. The story of Christmas is ultimately a message of universal hope for all of humankind - even those who are not currently a part of the Christian community!  

Is this what a real friend looks like?

As longtime readers of this blog know, I have found it necessary on various occasions over the last several years to challenge the extremism of Pastor Bill Watson of the Church of International. Over that period, many have asked, "Why Bill?" At times, that question has also been framed with a note of bewilderment and anger that I would dare to "attack" my father's "best friend" and/or his "religious beliefs."

To fully answer that question, a little background is in order. My father introduced my brother and I to the radio broadcasts of Herbert and Garner Ted Armstrong back in the 60s. And, although my father chose not to act on his convictions about "THE TRUTH" which he believed he had heard, I was baptized as a teenager into the now defunct Worldwide Church of God. My father, however, began attending Church of God International services about seven years after my baptism and was eventually baptized by that organization (and later ordained as a minister by them). Moreover, soon after my father began attending CGI, I was disfellowshipped from the Worldwide Church and also began attending at CGI. Nevertheless, within a year or two, I began attending with a congregation of Seventh Day Baptists in Alabama (I was also given a license to preach by that group) and began to seriously explore the underpinnings and justifications of my own belief system.

Fortunately (from my perspective), over the years that followed, I demonstrated to my own satisfaction that the Armstrongs had taught many things that simply were NOT true. During this period, I continued to maintain a close relationship with my father, but my awareness of Bill became peripheral (only hearing about him and his activities through my father). Even so, I eventually moved to a location where there wasn't a SDB congregation within range, and we resumed attending CGI services.

About that time, I was also asked to speak on a fairly regular basis at two of the congregations where I attended and began to write several articles which were published in The International News. During this period, both my father and the pastor of the local congregation where I attended knew that I did NOT embrace all of CGI's teachings (I did, however, always respect their teachings and never contradicted them in my messages to their congregations or in the articles I penned for their quarterly newspaper).

Nevertheless, when I decided to contribute a couple of articles to Dixon Cartwright's The Journal on human sexuality, the proverbial s--t hit the fan! I was immediately disinvited from speaking and contributing to CGI's paper. For myself, since I viewed those contributions as having been done in the spirit of service and helping, I wasn't immediately alarmed by these developments.

Almost immediately, however, Pastor Watson saw fit to begin speaking out against homosexuality. Moreover, I considered some of his statements on the subject to be extreme, uncaring, uninformed and cruel. When the statements continued, I eventually felt compelled to publicly challenge the statements - though I continued to try to be respectful of the man himself. After all, I reasoned, he was my father's "best friend."

However, far from being chastened, over time, I noticed that Mr. Watson's statements became more and more extreme; and that he had begun to embrace extreme right wing talking points on a number of other issues as well. Needless to say, I found this development to be alarming and troublesome - especially in light of the fact that my father and other family members looked up to this man and had always respected his viewpoints. In similar fashion, I was frankly more than a little concerned that he was using his platform as a minister of Jesus Christ to advocate on behalf of certain political views and candidates (I did NOT feel that this was appropriate for a man in his position).

And then, my father developed a chronic illness that was eventually diagnosed as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. I was devastated. We all knew that the prognosis was not good for this disease - that his condition would steadily deteriorate, and that it would inevitably kill him. Moreover, we all understood that his condition made him especially susceptible to respiratory infections and would magnify the dangers and ill effects that those infections could engender in the human body. Sure enough, over the years that followed there were numerous infections, and his breathing became more and more labored and difficult over time - eventually resulting in him being placed on supplemental oxygen.

And then, suddenly, there was Covid-19. Although I was immediately concerned for my father (knowing that he would be extremely vulnerable to this virus), I prayed that God would protect him; and I also felt certain that his church friends would do everything in their power to protect him.

Hence, you can imagine my consternation when Bill Watson began pushing back against masks and social distancing! Moreover, I was absolutely livid when Pastor Watson began talking about right wing conspiracy theories about the origins of the virus and the efficacy of the mRNA vaccines that had been developed to ameliorate its onslaught! How could this man endanger the lives of his parishioners in this manner? How could my father's "best friend" endanger him in this way? Pastor Watson, however, seemed completely oblivious to all of that. He was clearly more concerned with government infringement on his rights!

Frankly, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Hadn't Jesus Christ once said: "There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." (John 15:13) If this man truly loved my father and the other vulnerable members of his congregation, how could he be so obtuse about wearing a mask or getting vaccinated? Needless to say, I began speaking out against Bill's pandemic messaging almost immediately!

Unfortunately, my "attacks" on Bill were not well received within my own family. Indeed, I was even threatened with the termination of some familial relationships if I did not immediately cease and desist. However, for anyone who is even vaguely familiar with me as a person, they should have known that that was NEVER going to happen! I'm the guy who stands up on the table at the party and says, "Look, there's a turd in the punch bowl!" Moreover, with my father's safety and health clearly on the line, there was even less of a chance that I would "let this one go" and "keep my mouth shut."

And then, a little over two weeks ago, I received the dreaded call that the ambulance had rushed my father to the hospital. He was experiencing difficulty in breathing. I was told that he had developed pneumonia. I was almost beside myself, because I knew that that was Bill's congregation's code word for Covid-19 (they didn't even like to say the word aloud). Was my father tested for Covid? I was told that he had been. What were the results? At this point, I'm still not certain whether or not my father contracted the virus! Hospice was called in. He was put in bed, made comfortable with medications, and his supplemental oxygen was increased. Reluctant to make him struggle to speak to me, I stayed in touch through my brother. Unfortunately, my father was dead in a matter of days.

I was devastated. My relationship with my father had been strained because of my "attacks" on Bill, but I had never stopped loving him. At any rate, I knew that I was not going to return home to listen to Bill Watson preach my father's funeral! I simply could not bring myself to sit there and listen to the man who had been responsible for so much hurt and sorrow within my family. And, although I knew that I would find myself in basic agreement with his views on the afterlife/resurrection, I could not bring myself to listen to what I knew he would view as another opportunity to witness to the unconverted!

Indeed, my instincts were proven true by Pastor Watson's first Sabbath sermon following my father's death. In his Details Surrounding the Resurrection, Bill talked about his thirty-five-year relationship with his "dear friend." He went on to say how much he appreciated my father "having my back." He also recounted his hours long conversation with my father the day before he died (remember, I'm communicating with him through my brother so as not to task his labored breathing). And then, Bill turned to "the situation with this virus." After discussing what a burden this thing had been for all of us, he went on to say: "With people now having the added jeopardy of losing their jobs and their careers - being threatened - unless, of course, they can get a religious or a health exemption from the mandates that are coming down upon them...How many literally thousands have already lost their jobs?"

Really, Bill? Is this what a real friend looks like?

The Saturnalia and Brumalia

At this time of year, the folks who belong to the Armstrong Churches of God usually have a great deal to say about the ancient Roman holidays of Saturnalia and Brumalia. According to them, these December holidays were the inspiration for our Christmas holiday and its observances. For them, Christians who celebrate Christ's birth on the twenty-fifth of December are perpetuating the pagan practices of the Romans (and displeasing God in the process). Anyway, that's the Armstrongist narrative about Christmas. However, when we dig a little deeper, we realize that most of the folks who advance such notions actually know very little about the Saturnalia and Brumalia.

From the historical evidence available to us, it appears that the Saturnalia originated as a celebration of the pagan god of generation, dissolution, plenty, agriculture and liberation: Saturn. The celebration began on the seventeenth day of the month and ran through the twenty-third. According to our sources, the Saturnalia was usually a boisterous time that involved societal role reversals (masters and slaves) and the consumption of large amounts of food and drink. During the week-long celebrations, normal business transactions and court proceedings ground to a halt, and citizens often danced naked in the streets. It was also common for folks to exchange small gifts (like candles) and deck their halls with greenery. However, though the gifts and the greenery bear a superficial resemblance to our modern holiday, it appears that the Roman holiday was very different from the one we celebrate.

The Roman Brumalia, on the other hand, appears to have been a celebration of the Winter Solstice and bears even less resemblance to our modern holiday. Indeed, the available sources do not support the notion that there were elaborate traditions/celebrations/rituals associated with the Roman observance of the day. Hence, we are left with the distinct impression that both Roman holidays were viewed and celebrated in a manner that bears little resemblance to the modern observance of Christmas! In other words, so much for the Armstrongist narrative about the pagan influences of these holidays on the Christian holiday!

Celebrating Saturnalia by Patti Wigington

World History Encyclopedia: Saturnalia

Saturnalia at History.com

Redeeming Christian Holy Days: Brumalia in the Roman Republic

 

Let's Hear It for Telling It Like It Is!

Herbert Armstrong used to love to quote the old axiom: "One convinced against his will is of the same opinion still!" In other words, folks are often predisposed to believe what they want to believe.

In similar fashion, we could say that most folks tend to act like water - following the path of least resistance. Let's face it - most of us don't like confrontation - don't like to "rock the boat." For Herbert Armstrong, however, folks had to hear "The Plain Truth." It might not be appreciated or liked, but folks had to hear the message that the things which they believed and held dear were just plain old WRONG!

Unfortunately, when it came to his own beliefs and message, Mr. Armstrong didn't like to be told that he was wrong! (And many of his followers are even more thin-skinned than he was.) He could readily see the fault in others, but he was oblivious to the same principle at operation in his own mind!

Now, the principle of "telling it like it is" is most assuredly a Biblical one. From the messages of the ancient prophets for Israel to Christ's confrontation of the religious leaders of his day, we can see this principle in action. Still, confronting sins and hypocrisy is never a pleasant or comfortable exercise - somebody is going to get their feelings hurt!

Nevertheless, we read in the second epistle to Timothy the following instructions and warnings about his messaging: "Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you." (II Timothy 4:2-5)

Hence, while confronting falsehood and heresy may be extremely uncomfortable at times, Scripture informs us that it is an absolutely essential component of properly handling God's TRUTH. Let's face it, if you cannot answer the challenges of some individual, then it's probably time to reevaluate the thing that provoked the challenge! In other words, if there's a turd floating in the punch bowl, it's probably a good idea to call attention to the fact! (I wouldn't want to drink that punch - would you?)