Posted on 05/05/2016 2:31:51 PM PDT by Jan_Sobieski
Several years ago in a live Q&A session, someone asked John MacArthur if taking the mark of the Beast during the Great Tribulation would be an unpardonable sin. His answer, in short, was no. Though there is a stern warning against taking the mark of the Beast in Revelation 14, the sin is not categorically said to be unpardonable. (That would contradict Matthew 12:31.) The point of the severe language in Revelation 14 is to make clear what an utterly reprehensible sin it will be to swear an oath of willful loyalty to Antichrist.
Someone posted John MacArthur’s reply to that question on YouTube with a melodramatic one-word title in all caps: “OUTRAGE.” Gossip-mongers on the Internet got hold of it, apparently, and within days someone wrote to our ministry saying, “I saw pastor John on a YouTube video saying the way to be saved in the Tribulation is to take the mark of the Beast.” Well—no.
[...]
Yes, Revelation 14:9–11 says, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." Clearly, receiving the mark is a sin that will send those who commit it to hell.
(Excerpt) Read more at gty.org ...
How could evangelical pastors, and theologians, known for discernment and following God's Word preach a message that encourages people to take the "Mark of the Beast", as long as they repent? This sin is clearly exclusionary and those receive it cannot repent! The Bible tells us that immediately prior to Jesus return, there would be a great falling away. Men and women who everyone thought were faithful, of us and with us, will depart. Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve. He performed miracles, cast out demons, did great works. But his "Kingdom Now" doctrine blinded him to God's Word. When the Lord Jesus Christ did not fall into line with Judas' doctrine, he got offended and betrayed his Lord.
The "once saved always saved" doctrine is not biblical and dangerous. The Bible is replete with men who started off following their Lord, only to collapse and fall away because of sin, offense, and hardness of hearts. John Macarthur has placed his doctrine above the very words of Jesus Christ in Revelation 14. He, and Phil Johnson (the author of this article), have become a false teachers. Jesus Christ warned us 4 times more about false teachers than any other sign of the last days in Matthew 24. The rebirth of Israel has showed us that we are in the very last days and Jesus Christ is coming soon. Prior to his coming two leaders will rise up in the world, making a covenant with Israel, and commanding all to receive a "mark" on their forehead or right hand. Whoever receives this mark will be cast into hell and torments for worshiping the evil one. Don't listen to John Macarthur or Phil Johnson, listen to Jesus Christ!
What if it already happened and folks didn't realize it?
Not trying to cast doubt or confusion, I think these are legit questions. How will you know? Will you know?
An unsaved person who takes the Mark is unsavable, since he has made his choice against God.
God can do anything he wants to and you have no say in the matter.
That's kind of a moot point, because God is not capricious. He desires all men to be saved and offers everyone the grace necessarily to be granted salvation, to take or reject as they choose.
The Antichrist will demand everyone accept the mark at the middle of the Tribulation. Those who are left on the Earth will either accept it or be killed. It’s a conscious decision and people will be willingly accepting it if they aren’t saved. The Bible tells us that people will be deluded during the Tribulation, it will be difficult to overcome for those here.
Won’t debate that point, as it is correct. That doesn’t justify us wasting our time here on earth loudly and publicly condemning others to hell in God’s stead.
Jesus says he chose us , we did choose him. John 15
There are those who call Jesus Lord but they don’t belong to him. So they didn’t lose salvation they never had it. Jesus keeps those who belong to him, he is not febble. Salvation is not by works.
If you take the Mark of the Beast, you forfeit your salvation in favor of worshiping Satan.
Yes, and God said those who take the Mark will go to hell.
2 Timothy 1:12
As Donald Trump would say, “Here’s the story.”
If you have confessed with your mouth that Jesus Christ is LORD, and believe in your heart that Jesus rose from the dead, then you are saved. You should then follow Jesus’ commandments, Love one another, and pray that you are found worth to escape the Wrath to Come.
Then, before the Anti-Christ is revealed, whatever that means, you will hear Jesus, sounding like a trumpet, say, “Come up here!”. This is the Rapture of the Church. It gets you out of the Great Tribulation so you won’t have to worry about the Mark of the Beast.
If you are dumb enough not to believe now, but smart enough to believe when the Anti-Christ is revealed, and before the Mark of the Beast is offered, unless you can avoid detection, or are a male virgin Jew who is one of the 144,000, you will get you head cut off, and end up in Heaven.
After the Mark of the Beast is offered, and you will know it when you see it, and you don’t take it, they will kill you on the spot, and it is up to Heaven to join the rest of us.
If you take the Mark of the Beast, and survive the Tribulation Plagues, you will be killed when Jesus comes again at the end of the Great Tribulation. Then you will spend the 1000 year Kingdom of God in Sheol, Hades. At the end of the Millennial Kingdom, you will be raised from the dead and go before the Great White Throne of Judgement. You are already guilty, but Jesus will show you why, and then it is off to the Eternal Lake of Fire, or the Outer Darkness, where you will spend eternity with all the other bad people and angelic beings.
I could cite Bible verses for all of this, but is better to read the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ for yourself, or listen to someone else read and explain it.
Hope that helps. Remember the Bible is a revelation of the boundary conditions on the universe. What is says will happen, happens because the Word makes it happen.
During the time of Jacobs troubles God will send messanger angels warning the entire world, all people, all nations to follow the creator. Here is a link that popped up when I googled Angels sound warning.
http://www.signs-of-end-times.com/three-angels-messages.html
Thanks goodness for the blessed hope as we will not be around to lose our salvation that was given to us by God
Yes, and 2 Tim 1:13-14 would tell you to heed the words of Rev 14, not take the “Mark” thinking you can repent...
Nicely written. We are almost out of time. Things in nearly every corner of the globe are getting out of control, and that was all prophesied.
God showed us that it will somehow add up to 666, and be the number of his name. Angels will also fly through the skies telling people not to take the mark (Revelation 14)
Interesting considering the man is a proponent of LORDSHIP SALVATION.
He doesn’t believe in “death bed conversions” either.
I’ll listen to the right John.
John 3:36
John 6:29
John 14:6
Amen!
Revelation Chapter 12:
1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.
Nelson, Thomas (2009-02-18). Holy Bible, New King James Version (NKJV) (p. 1193). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
Previous Bible commentators have taken this as a symbolic vision about Israel (Mary) giving birth to Jesus, and marking the start of the 3 1/2 year Great Tribulation.
However, since “knowledge had increased”, we can use star charting programs such as Stellarium to see that this could be a literal “great sign” in heaven.
The constellation “Virgo”, the Virgin, has always been identified with Mary the Mother of Jesus. The nine stars of Leo, the Lion (of Judah), form a “garland” above her head.
Jupiter has always been identified as the “King” star. It is striped (by His stripes we are healed) and has a large, red spot (they pierced His side).
Here is the sequence of events regarding the Sun, Moon, Jupiter, Virgo, Leo, Mercury, Mars and Venus
Mon, 21 November 2016 = 20th of Cheshvan, 5777
Jupiter enters Virgo crossing line from Spica to Porrima
Sat, 28 January 2017 = 1st of Sh’vat, 5777
Jupiter retrograde motion begins inside Virgo. “Gestation” begins??
Sat, 10 June 2017 = 16th of Sivan, 5777
Jupiter prograde motion resumes inside Virgo
Thu, 17 August 2017 = 25th of Av, 5777
Total Solar eclipse across America (from Portland to Charleston)
Sun, 10 September 2017 = 19th of Elul, 5777
Jupiter crosses Heze — Spica line. Virgin gives birth? Conjunction Regulus and Mercury
Wed, 20 September 2017 = 29th of Elul, 5777
New Moon, Venus — Regulus conjunction
Sun, 24 September 2017 = 4th of Tishrei, 5778
Sun at Virgo’s shoulders (clothed), the Moon is at her feet, Mercury, Mars, Venus are added to Leo’s nine stars as Virgo’s 12-star ‘garland’
The great sign in the heaven is complete. This formation has not happened in the past 6000 years and won’t happen again for at least another 2000 years.
Luke 21
25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;
26 “men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
27 “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
Nelson, Thomas (2009-02-18). Holy Bible, New King James Version (NKJV) (p. 1023). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
See the image at: http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_1y_hLqVXf4/maxresdefault.jpg
Graphic says 23 September 2017, as it depends on where you say Virgo’s feet are. Besides, no one knows the day or the hour.
I don’t know for sure if Daniel’s 70th week has started. Sir Issac Newton’s calculation, which required Israel to be back in the land with control of Jerusalem (June 1967) worked out to September 2015. We don’t know if the Anti-Christ confirmed a seven year treaty back then, but it is possible. The colors of the Four Horsemen are White, Red, Black, and, while it is translated as “Pale”, the Greek can be translated as “Green”. These are the colors of the Islamic Nations that are going up against Israel.
The Revelation 12:1-2 Great Sign in the Heavens if September 23-24, 2017, so that would be two years into the Seventieth Week. The Revelation 12:3-4 sign is no where to be seen. However, there are reports of perturbations in the Cassini spacecraft orbit around Saturn, so the “great, fiery red dragon, may be out there as a brown dwarf, which would explain why the Vatican is operating an infrared telescope, called Project Lucifer, here in Arizona.
While there are folks who think that the “called out ones”, usually called the Church, will escape the entire Seventh Week, as I read it we are only offered escape from the final 3 1/2 years if we are counted as worthy, or just before the Anit-Christ is finally revealed, which ever comes first.
So we could very well be in the first half of the Tribulation, or Time of Jacobs Trouble. The thing with Bible Prophecy is that you only really know, for sure, after the event has happened.
So read your Bible and Pray! Do what the Holy Spirit leads you to do in this world, but don’t be too attached to it! Maranatha!
2 thess 2 shows that men will fall away (become apostate). You can’t fall away unless you were part to begin with
the writers of the left behind series about Armagheddon don’t believe it will be a sin either- using the lies of Abraham and others in the bible to state that one can take the mark without actually believing in their heart that they are the Evil One’s property or whatever-
Soem who argue one can take the mark and be saved argue that one doesn’t have to ‘worship the beast’ (as in willingly give their life to, and willingly worship) to receive the mark
“If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God,...”
The argument is that ALL three of the requirements have to take place- 1: Worship the Beast 2: and his image 3: Take the Mark- and only when all 3 accompany one another does God say they drink of His wrath
That is the reasoning behind it- they believe one can be deceitful when taking the mark, and simply go through the motions and not ‘worship in their heart’- the key word being ‘worship’ which means devoting one’s life to something that is worshiped which is defined as: revere, reverence, venerate, worship, adore mean to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully. revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling
They believe being forced to bow to an image is not an act of reverence and extreme devotion as would be true worship
That is just the explanation- don’t kill the messenger
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