Yes, the "Mark of the Beast" (MOTB) is taken willingly, with full acceptance of the Antichrist/Beast as ruler. Nobody is going to be tricked or fooled into taking it - unlike some people today who think it is the COVID-19 vaccination. Do you agree with those who assert not keeping the Saturday sabbath is the MOTB?
I do not know what the rapturites think the 'tribulation' that Christ said 'time' was shortened for the elects sake ... but according to Christ 'wars and rumors of wars' were not the end ... the opposite of wars and rumors of wars is 'peace', 'peace', 'peace'... No self respecting fake Jesus is going to be letting blood, rather they would be play acting like they were Jesus ... Do you love me? or as the devil tempted Christ to bend His knee...
"Rapturites"? Do you really need to mock fellow Christians who believe in the Rapture? There is plenty of Biblical proof behind this - contrary to some people's misconceptions this was not a new thing invented over the last few centuries. But it is not what I would call a "salvific" belief. One's salvation doesn't depend upon believing in it unlike, say, the Deity of Jesus Christ or His death, burial and resurrection for our sins. Paul spoke of "disputable matters" (Romans 14) and warned against getting in arguments or quarreling over them. You can believe it or not because when it does happen, the redeemed will be taken up just the same. ;o)
As far as the days being shortened "for the elect's sake", I believe the elect here are the believing Jews and Gentiles who come to faith in Jesus as their Messiah during the Tribulation. Some people keep forgetting that the last half of this time will be Almighty God's wrath being poured out upon the ungodly world - it won't be the persecution upon believers we all expect to endure normally. That is the ungodly world doing the persecuting. The Great Tribulation will be God's "turn". He will not be poring His wrath upon His own children, the Bride of Christ.
Ezekiel 28 lays out Lucifer and his rebellion, and Satan was never called a 'fallen angel'... check out Jude.
Okay, then what IS he if not an angel that fell from heaven and took a third of the angels with him? If he is not a fallen angel nor a holy angel, then what? He certainly isn't a human being, nor another god (there is no other god but God).
There have been plenty of 'humans' in the flesh that have followed Satan, and still do, some in total complete ignorance.
But my original question was about who you think is THE Antichrist. You said you could identify the end-time Antichrist, the one called "the Beast". As I said already, no one doubts this person will be empowered and indwelt by the Devil/Satan/Dragon/Serpent/etc.. But you said you know who he is. Scripture shows us the Antichrist/Beast is not the same being as Satan. The Antichrist will be the source of the Beast's power, but they are not one and the same being.
The 'Antichrist/Beast system will appear to the world that Jesus has come to make 'peace', 'peace', 'peace'... Hard to argue with the religion.. except this entity is being allowed to repeat his prior performance as described in Ezekiel and Isaiah, from which Lucifer was judged and given the death sentence
The word sabbath means 'rest'. There is no way anyone can claim that our present day Saturday is still that 'seventh' day of the week. Matthew 12:8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Colossians 2:16-17 16Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
My belief is that Christians should 'rest' (sabbath) in Christ every day, not one day in our current weekly calendar.
"Rapturites"? Do you really need to mock fellow Christians who believe in the Rapture? There is plenty of Biblical proof behind this - contrary to some people's misconceptions this was not a new thing invented over the last few centuries. But it is not what I would call a "salvific" belief. One's salvation doesn't depend upon believing in it unlike, say, the Deity of Jesus Christ or His death, burial and resurrection for our sins. Paul spoke of "disputable matters" (Romans 14) and warned against getting in arguments or quarreling over them. You can believe it or not because when it does happen, the redeemed will be taken up just the same. ;o)
Christ is returning to God's green earth to reap a harvest... His weapon is His tongue ... a double edged sword that cuts left to right... Now, would you rather Christ 'mock' a fake doctrine, or a 'nobody' on the internet that can point to the Scripture where the Heavenly Father had it penned what HE thought of those that cover His saving digits to teach a fly-away doctrine to save 'souls'????
Ezekiel 13:13 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the Lord;
3 Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
4 O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.
5 Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord.
6 They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The Lord saith: and the Lord hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.
7 Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The Lord saith it; albeit I have not spoken?
8 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord God.
9 And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord God.
10 Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter:
11 Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.
12 Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?
13 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it.
14 So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
15 Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it;
*******16 To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord God.****
*******17 Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,
18 And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?*******
*****19 And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?
*******20 Wherefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly.
******21 Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
******22 Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:
23 Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
I did NOT write this, it came from the Heavenly Father, and Paul also notes those determined to believe 'lies' ... 2 Thessalonians 2:11 "For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie"
As far as the days being shortened "for the elect's sake", I believe the elect here are the believing Jews and Gentiles who come to faith in Jesus as their Messiah during the Tribulation. Some people keep forgetting that the last half of this time will be Almighty God's wrath being poured out upon the ungodly world - it won't be the persecution upon believers we all expect to endure normally. That is the ungodly world doing the persecuting. The Great Tribulation will be God's "turn". He will not be poring His wrath upon His own children, the Bride of Christ.
How many times did Christ say 'let no man DECEIVE you??? Mass deception is the first tribulation...Christ said for the 'elects sake' TIME was shortened .. that is how good the fake is going to be in playing the role of Jesus. Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21 are Christ's own WORDS when asked for the signs of His return... Might even describe this as the 7 trumps, plus. There is not one instance where Christ hinted He would be making a secret trip to collect anyone... He is returning here on God's green earth to reap a harvest.
Paul wrote the elect/chosen were set aside 'before the foundation of the world'... This 'before the foundation of the world', comes from the Greek work katabolle and means casting down / overthrow ... the first mention is Genesis 1:2 .. because the Heavenly Father did not create the heavens and this earth 'void and without form', it became that way, when Lucifer rebelled and was cast down and a 1/3 of the souls followed him. Paul was chosen/elected and he was set forth to pen the majority of the so called New Testament ... and Paul was a scholar of the Hebrew language, and Paul injected repeatedly the writings of the Holy Prophets...
I have other things I need to attend to but will finish when I have time.