I’ve been listening to a great series of messages by Dalton Thomas, from Frontier Alliance International, on the subject of end times. Since End-Times Scripture is focused on the Middle East, he is well-positioned to speak, being an American citizen spreading the Gospel in Golan Heights-along with a mentor, Joel Richardson, who has written several popular books such as The Islamic Antichrist. So I would like to give you his take on end times, with my explanations, a Cliff’s Notes, as it were, of his lecture title, “The Mark of the Beast, Pandemic of Coronavirus, and the New World Order.”
Mr. Thomas, first, is responding to the fear expressed in Facebook, in emails, on whether the world-wide pandemic, and the vaccine, are a "mark of the beast," or will bring about a global restructuring, a New World Order. People are also worried about taking a “chip” to bring about a cashless society. Some people are anxiety-prone, responding to hyper-sensationalism and news of conspiracies. But Scripture backs up a high level of concern for those days.
Let's clarify a couple of things on this term "the mark of the beast." The "beast," first of all, is another name for the antichrist, the man (I Think he's a man) who would rule the world in the End Times. Just to give you a picture of him, see Revelation 13:4-6:
So they (a large number of people in the world) worshiped the dragon (another name for Satan) who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” 5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
The beast will be victorious in war, and he hates God, since he is basically a son of Satan. He kills Christians and Jews, and he commits the terrible sin of blasphemy against God.
The "mark" of the beast is found in Revelation 13:16-18:
He (the beast) causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.
This anticipates the beast will have control of the monetary exchange system throughout the world. While that doesn't seem possible, here's a related fact: the Federal Reserve just announced (Sep 2022) that they will build a "Fed Now" system starting in July of 2023. This system happens to also be the infrastructure of the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) system. Under that CBDC system, all "checkbook" and credit card transactions will be run through the Federal Reserve, a government central bank--higher than all other banks. The government could throw a thousand dollars into your account a day after the President announces a stimulus, unlike the stimulus checks they sent out or placed into your bank during the pandemic--which took several months to get done, and was a huge burden on the IRS. While that idea seems great, here's the downside: They would know your income, when you receive it; they would know what your expenses are, and how much you are in debt. They could take money away from your account and give to some group that is poorer, discriminated against in the past, or just because they don't like your conservative views. Or just because they need the other groups' votes. It's interesting that China is the only larger country that has this system in place. And it's also true, though, that with facial-recognition cameras everywhere, they can track your every move there. Monitoring is the name of the game. Dissenters are put away in China. So what I'm saying, is, that the "beast" will lay hands on that system in the U.S. too--and everywhere else in the world. As computers are continually speeded up, it's probably not a large step to gather information in the world vs one country only.
Here's another eye-opener on the "mark:" God's reaction to those who go along with the mark is contained in Revelation 14:9-10:
Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb
It is clear that God considers it an act of worshipping the beast if you take his mark. And you would go to hell. Well, for Christians, what is the alternative? What if we don't take the mark? That would be a terrible inconvenience. One possibility would be a barter system. If you have a talent for a certain good or service, you would exchange it for another person with a talent for another good or service that you need. But for services, that would have to be a search done locally to find your person. In some cases, you would have to pay gas money to travel farther away to find your person. That's expensive--even worse if you don't have gas cars! Goods bartering can mostly be mailed, but at extra expense. That would take trust for the opposite person to come through with their half of the deal. Here's hoping you wouldn't get scammed by not getting a return mailing. IF the internet is allowed, you get on a barter system and offer up such an exchange. If you don't find someone, you might have to learn how to fix it on You Tube, or a facetime helper. Or you live without it.
If the internet is banned, structures radically change. With no easy correspondence, you have to phone several people, or write to get what you need. For frequent needs, such as food, you would have to have a food grower locally. You might have a lot of people moving to rural areas.
With all of this, I would imagine your standard of living would drop like a stone, since you would only be able, given the time-consumption and high costs, to pursue searching for only absolute necessities--food, shelter, or clothing--and maybe using, and repairing, only absolutely necessary appliances. Paying stuff, if not services of your own, might involve gold or silver. I have no idea where students have anything to offer for an advanced education, or how medical services can possibly be paid for--especially by seniors, who some cold-hearted person may say, have "nothing to offer--they're just eaters." Since God's Word says that those days are lacking love, you might see Christians as the only ones who have empathy; they would all draw closer, banding together for these things. Hopefully they can thus reduce the scams, the spy games, the betrayal, the unreliable, and the lazy who don't do a good job. Note Bible verses like Matthew 24:10-12, which say that people would "betray one another...kill one another, and...the love of many will grow cold."
So what I'm saying is, to stay off the beast's bandwagon, you have to "get off the grid," or get off money. It's a lot of inconvenience and a lot of work, but it can be done. I'd strongly suggest reducing living standards now, to pay off debt. This increases free cash, and the increased costs would be less of an obstacle.
A big question that might arise in your mind is, "why does God consider that if I take the mark--an economic event--I'm necessarily committing an act of worship?" What if I hate the beast, just take the mark, and yet I continue praying to God? Isn't that all right? The answer is, first of all, Whatever God says, we do it, on faith that He knows best because He loves us. If He says "here is my command, if you break it I will send you to hell," He doesn't lie; He will do it. He is sovereign; He is the Judge of all the earth, and we have to pay attention to His standards. I know that doesn't satisfy many people; we like to ask God "why?" I don't advise that--it's mistrusting Him, it's judging Him. He never did answer Job's complaint over why He allowed terrible things to happen to that godly man. (But He led all of us to think about it, which is good). Perhaps I could offer a humble answer for the rational mind: Look at the definition of idolatry, according to Dr. Steven R. Cook:
Idolatry is the selfish sin of substitution in which we devote ourselves to something or someone in the place of God. It is foremost a sin of a covetous heart that leads us to desire more than what God provides us, and to trust something or someone other than God to satisfy our wants and needs.
The "beast," remember, blasphemes God. He will speak clearly that taking the mark is his way, and not taking it is God's "ridiculous idea." Looking at that last sentence above, clearly acceding to the mark, given the angel warning, is definitely against God and preferring your life over God's sacrificial life for Him. We are thus bowing to the beast, liking his solution for our needs better than God's difficult or "partial" solution for our needs. (We need to redefine "needs," though.) God's idea, "no mark," the sacrifice in our standard of living is great. But sacrifice is a way of life for those who love Christ. Idolatry is a great sin; look at Revelation 21:8:
But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Taking a vaccine or merely choosing an economic convenience like a chip, with no discriminatory comments or anti-God boasting, or totalitarianism involved, do not meet up to the "mark's" idolatrous worship. God will not allow you to get sneaked into something where Satan says "Ha! Now I got you." No, God expects you to make a free choice against Him before you deserve hell.
Mr. Thomas adds that with the rise of Islam and their goal of making a 10-nation caliphate (another blog upcoming), and the responses of each government to the pandemic, we are indeed restructuring society. He makes it clear, though, that the vaccine or “chip” to go cashless are NOT the mark of the beast, then begins Scripture proof of this.
First, the Scripture is about the Middle East; so when we’re focusing on end-time events, we should be focusing on changes there, not in the Western Hemisphere, or in one country. Scripture clearly indicates the "mark" thing is a worldwide thing. Fact is, no political leader or techno CEO or health department from the USA or Germany, for instance, will implement the mark of the beast. The idea of having everyone take the “mark,” or the number 666, will come after a worldwide military buildup of power by this probably Islamic ruler, as Thomas believes--and his rulership of the world will affect every nation, every person, on the globe for at least 3-1/2 years. Thus, as far as what is important in end times, the world no longer revolves around the United States or the EU. We’re not saying the U.S. is irrelevant—but the point is, the U.S., in end times, is not in the Bible anywhere, so we conclude that it is not a worldwide military power anymore. The focus is on Jerusalem, the city of the Great King, which the antichrist loves to do his damage in, using surrounding Islamic nations.
We need a “baptism of study" in the Bible to know what to expect in our earthly future, and turn away from pop culture or people that just want to sell books to people they hope are Scripturally ignorant. We don’t have to fear as the world fears if we know His Word—therein is His truth. It is our ignorance that breeds fear; our anxiety is way too great, comparing it to the truly horrible events of the future. We Christians should not moan about how we are persecuted now, considering how we might someday be persecuted to death, to martyrdom. We desperately need to get regularly into the Word, get a daily relationship with God, to prepare ourselves for what’s coming. Let’s continue our study with Revelation 13:4-10:
So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”...7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world...Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
A big question is: Why do so many people love the beast? Since Revelation 6 and Matthew 24 speak of continual war, “nation against nation,” there are people who get stressed out of all the war and seeing death and knowing that their friends and family have lost a loved one. They just want peace and order, and will allow violating their privacy. to obtain it They fear the beast so much that they learn to submit and let him set the rules. At the same time, hey will be happy that he could be successful militarily that he could restore order to us. He will deceive us, and make us think that he is benevolent. Only when he attacks Jerusalem is his satanic nature exposed. Even then, most people don’t know (or don’t care) that he is the Scriptural beast, since most won't believe the Bible. I suspect this is shockingly true. People will still revere him even if he blasphemed God and proceeded to make war with the saints. These will pay dearly for this compliance to evil. For most of them, their names “have not been written in the Book of Life.” They will be in hell when they die. They wanted a calmer life in the present, not thinking about eternity. Don’t let this be you.
A second aspect of the verses above: God will actually give the devil (the dragon) worldwide authority, even to kill the people of God, which Satan passes along to his 'son,' the beast. How could God do that? Is God not loving? But I ask you, who opens the seals in Revelation 6 for the horrible things to come? Jesus, the Lamb of God. So the truth is, God does this to test our faithfulness to Him.
Consider Deuteronomy 13:1-3:
“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
This life-or-death testing by God is a heavy reality, but very true nonetheless. This testing by God messes with our theology, but that’s because we’ve had it so good that we’ve developed “easy believism” in our “cotton candy Christian culture,” and don’t know of the two sides of God. As Paul says it in Romans 11, “consider the goodness and severity of God.” Difficult times are coming; this will be the most severe possible test by God. We must hold onto our faith, knowing by faith that He will win in the end, that He has ultimate sovereignty. But remember, this testing at its worst will last for only 42 months. If we want heaven, we should not take up a sword as resistance to evil; that’s the way of the world. Note Jesus, who did not resist the Cross. We can flee to a remote place, but if confronted, we give all allegiance to God and none to the beast, whatever it costs. Be willing to be a captive; be willing to be slain. Just endure in faith—even to the end of your life, if need be. Such brave and noble behavior could be an astounding testimony as well. The greatest harvest of new saints to heaven in the past came upon the martyrdom of His children. God may call upon us to suffer—but is the servant greater than his master? If Jesus suffered, shall we not also expect to suffer?
About the “mark,” Mr. Thomas adds (assuming the beast is Islam): In the past, when Islam took over rule, those that wouldn’t bow to Allah were subjugated to second class—it was difficult to get a good job, hard to travel, especially internationally. They had to pay what they called the “jizya tax,” an extra tax, and had the letter “N” on their house (infidel worshippers of the Nazarene, Jesus). Islamic governments rewarded their neighbors for spying on them. Their rights as to freedom of speech would go away, their lawyers would have to learn Islamic law in court. They became part of the house of the 'unfaithful.' It was simply a test of what God they would worship, and were they faithful enough to suffer for their God? Perhaps when the antichrist, who might also be Islamic, takes over, Satan, or the beast, wants worship the same way. So the “mark,” besides the ban on buying or selling, really asks: Can you live low in society, refusing to worship the antichrist, enduring for Christ, or do you bow to the beast and the dragon (Satan), and take the mark?
So, do you do whatever you can to hang onto life and your worldly possessions, on an admittedly deranged earth, followed by an eternity in hell—or do you decide for suffering, perhaps dying, for a short period, for God, who will reward you with heaven? Who do you worship? God cannot have any mercy on you if you have chosen to depend on the beast rather than God for your needs. Joining a group that is different, that is fanatical for a God that is letting His people die by the thousands, a group that is hated by most, would require a lot of faith. Maybe God could send an angel giving food to you as a miracle of prayer—but probably that won't happen often. Sticking together with other Christians is probably what He wants. Since it might be tempting to avoid all that life-endangering risk and take the mark, we must resist the urge, we must endure and have radical faith that God means every word He says.
Another proof that you’re not going to hell by currently taking a vaccine, or a chip for a cashless society: The last 7 years of life on earth is detailed in Scripture, and the real "mark" is explicitly mentioned as being in the second half of those 7. So the real question is, how can I tell when the 7 years begins? Then I can count forward 3-1/2 years, and then start looking for the mark.
For proof, Scripture explicitly divides the 7 years in two. See Daniel 9:27:
Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one seven; But in the middle of the seven He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,..
Here’s what happens in the first 3-1/2 years (another trio of blogs I have here explains this in detail). It begins with a covenant of peace that the antichrist makes with the Jews. He adheres to that for the first 3-1/2 years, also those years are called “the beginning of sorrows.” There will be many wars (but not the War to End All Wars, or Armageddon); there will be a huge increase in three other things: deception, famine, and earthquakes. True, we have those 4 things sporadically even now—just not so many at once. Unfortunately, because these events happen off and on now, they cannot be signs for when the 7 years begin. Only the covenant is an effective time test as to when the 7 years begin. Start counting ahead for 3-1/2 years there. You cannot be fearful of anybody calling something "the mark” during the first 3-1/2. Ignore their "prophecies." Remember, again, even in the first 3-1/2 years of the 7, the antichrist is deceptively appearing as a friend to Jews and Christians, so he will not lower the "boom" on Christians during "peacetime."
The real hurt happens in the second 3-1/2 year, the tribulation. Look what Daniel 7:25 says about it:
He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.
Get ready to hide, if you can. The saints, all those who believe and follow the Lord (and the Jews), are hunted down and killed for 3-1/2 years. This period is so important that from Revelation 6 to almost the end of the book, all the events take place in that second 3-1/2 years. We know the 3-1/2 years is true because in Revelation 11:2, 12:6 and 12:14 all refer to periods called, variously, “time, times, and half a time”--and “1260 days,” which is 3-1/2 years, and of course, “42 months,” which is also 3-1/2 years. This is how it will go. Right after the first 3-1/2 years is over, right after the increases in wars, famine, and earthquakes, then the deadly last 3-1/2 years is going to begin. What is the big event that starts it? The answer is, in Revelation 11, in the city of Jerusalem. It is attacked and trampled down, and the Jews flee—then you can start counting the last 3-1/2 years. Measure it. The rapture, the Coming of Our Lord immediately follows that. He is worth the suffering for 3-1/2 years, believe me. An eternity in heaven we get in exchange.
For a little more detail at the midpoint, the antichrist blasphemes on the altar of the restored temple in Jerusalem, see Matthew 24:15:
“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
What is this “abomination?” Maybe he sacrifices a pig on the altar in the holy of holies, perhaps he erects an altar to himself. In any event, many Jews in Jerusalem are able to figure it out—they take flight, knowing he will go on a killing spree. Consider Zechariah 14:1-2:
Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst.2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Half (those who stay) will go into captivity. The other half? Slain, fled, or hidden. Only a small “remnant” is left there. His saints, see Daniel 7:25, should also flee urban areas, since he is gunning for them too, and it is easier to kill those who are dense in number. He is worse than Hitler, worse than Nero, worse than the Inquisition, all rolled together. At the beginning of the second 3-1/2, the beginning of tribulation, upon blaspheming the Jews’ holy site, his true self is unmasked; he is an enemy of Jews, and Christians.
Now you look for the mark he demands.
Looking back for context, Revelation 12 has a broader storyline—it tells of the birth of Jesus, in metaphors. It reminds you of Genesis 3:15, of the conflict of Jesus and the devil. Satan has tried throughout history to oppose God, but in this last 3-1/2 years, there is unprecedented war that Satan brings on Christ’s followers and on the Jews. See Revelation 12:12:
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.”
You need to know that even now, with Kurdish groups under the oppression of Turkish proxy groups, or with Shia groups occupying Sunni populations in Syria, in those places you cannot buy or sell unless you take a knee to their Islamic religion and Shiite law. But this one country problem is not the end time. Isis did much damage, despite being a small band of rogue jihadists. Imagine the damage that could be done by a 10-nation confederacy of jihadists with their scripture leading them to bloodlust, bent on one thing—killing and destroying.
If we are living in this time of the invasion of Jerusalem, we know that this second 42 months, despite its horrors, is just before the edge of Eternity, the final countdown. Those living then are on the brink of the glorious age to come, months away from heaven, to be (with those who loved Christ who died earlier) with our just and victorious and loving Lord forever. A time of excitement, not fear. That rapture event happens on the Day of the Lord.
To quote Mr. Thomas, “the Day of the Lord is very great and very terrible. It’s going to be the most glorious hour of human history, but also the most difficult, terrible and challenging hour of human history.” It’s the great clash of the extremes. This is not about vaccines, which are minor; we’re talking about mass bloodshed, mass jihad, mass subjugation of the people of God.
Mr. Thomas also makes a shocking statement: He mentions the pre-tribulation rapture theory; he calls it “so destructive.” If you have plans for being raptured while those on earth are clueless for a solution, during this horrible time, then think again. You are wrong. You should start thinking about how to spiritually survive if you have to endure the tribulation. If your pre-trib wishes are wrong and you have not prepared, how can you educate your spouse or your kids correctly, or speak prophetically to the church, and how you can best mentally prepare those around you for the terror that could happen (followed by the best that could happen)? Are you assuming this won’t be your concern—it’s irrelevant? “That’s what's destructive,” Mr. Thomas says. The Book of Revelation repeats many times a call to endurance for the saints. How can you line this up with the doctrine that God intends to rescue us painlessly beforehand?
Keep one thing in mind: Yes, “it was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them.” (Rev. 13:7). But who is the ultimate overcomer? We His children are: As Rev. 12:11 says:
And they (saints) overcame him (the antichrist) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
This is how we obtain victory. We simply set our mind to follow a crucified Messiah. We shall be victors with Him.
Even better than this, thanks to Jesus, He raises our bodies as new bodies in His rapture to be with Him forever. So we are the ultimate overcomers. So we must know this: Self-defense by gathering guns and vigilante troops will kill, and God commands against that. Scripture only allows fleeing your enemy. Your primary job is not self-defense, it is spiritual endurance and preparing your family as well. Keep in mind your revenge is this: you will be in heaven, if you act righteously, but they will be in hell. Unless they repent. If you kill them, they will not have a chance to repent. Vengeance is God’s. Do not worry about giving up your life. You will live again, in a much better body.
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