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 Sermon > Official Service |
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Title |
Revelation Lectures(64) |
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Speaker |
Rev. Jaerock Lee |
Bible |
Revelation13:16-18 |
Date |
2008-05-23 |
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Revelation 13:16-18
[16] And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead,
[17] and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either 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 the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
Tonight's scripture is talking about a very important matter that will take place on this earth during the 7 Year Great Tribulation.
It is about the number 666, which is so called 'the Mark of the Beast.'
What is this 666?
Many biblical scholars present various opinions or interpretation on this.
However, as the end time of the world is around the corner, the identity of 666 the Mark of the Beast is being revealed.
As I will soon explain, many clues are out there to make people think, "Ah, this may be the 666, the Mark of the Beast."
When I explained it back in 1988, however, people couldn't understand it well.
They couldn't feel it.
Now that 20 years have passed, most of what I said then has become reality.
They are deep in our every day lives.
And, when it's the time of the 7 Year Great Tribulation, tonight's scripture will take place exactly as it's written.
That's because the word of God is precisely accomplished without the slightest error.
It is just as the Lord said in Matthew 5:18, "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished."
You can also find in the Bible that everything has been exactly as written.
The prophecies of the Bible have been accomplished precisely throughout history.
The birth of Jesus, His ministry, His death and His resurrection are clearly prophesied in many parts of the Bible.
The place where He would be born, the events and matters concerning His birth, and the manner in which would He die. . .
. . . the Bible prophesied about these in advance, and those prophecies have been accomplished exactly.
It's because the prophecies are not from the thoughts of a man, but they were written as received from God.
I myself have been able to receive countless secrets and prophecies while communicating with God in deep prayers.
I have told you some of them, but there are more I haven't been able to tell you.
Some of you who are listening to the prophecies can clearly understand what I am saying.
From this altar I've always told you about significant incidents such as the world and domestic situations.
I've also explained to you in advance about the spiritual realm as well as the spiritual phenomena which will take place soon enough.
For me, it would be better not to tell you about them.
It is because I would be able to avoid some of the problems that are caused, before they happen, when you mistakenly understand what it is that I have revealed to you.
Nevertheless, the reason I've been telling you about these things is solely for the growth of your faith and for your spiritual fullness.
Only when you hear these things, when you see and experience them, then they can become faith to you and you can receive the fullness. You can also believe all the more strongly that the word of God in the Bible is absolutely true.
I'm not going to tell you about the prophecies that have been accomplished so far, but please look back on the past years of this church.
Exactly 10 years ago, God showed us a circular rainbow around the sun for the first time.
And since then, this church has been running the race of faith in the spiritual flow that is supervised by God.
Sometimes, God has pushed us hard as if it were even beyond our capacity.
Everything's been accomplished according to the word that God has given us, and He has backed up His word with His power.
I hope that your faith will continue to grow through these experiences.
I've already explained tonight's scripture in great detail 20 years ago.
However, tonight I will tell you how such words have become reality and how they have been guaranteed.
Tonight's scripture says that he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark.
And this mark is the name of the beast with the number of his name; 666.
Those who do not receive this mark won't be able to buy or to sell.
Even though the scripture mentions 'buying or selling,' without this mark, all kinds of economic and social activities are limited.
Please imagine that you won't be able to buy or to sell anything at all just for a month.
You won't be able to do even the most basic things to maintain your life such as getting things to eat, clothes to wear. You won't even be able to bathe or get cleaned up.
You cannot use any transportation. The people of this earth will not be able go to a hospital or a drugstore.
You cannot enjoy any benefits of welfare or civilization; it's impossible to manage a normal life.
Especially under the reign of the antichrist, without this mark you cannot enjoy even the minimum that could be enjoyed by a man receiving the mark.
Only those who have this mark are recognized as citizens under the reign of the antichrist.
Those without this mark must give up any form of social life.
Even if they decide to endure all the hardships and not to receive the mark, the antichrist will not leave them alone.
The antichrist will continually threaten them, and if they still resist, the antichrist will arrest them, torture them, and even kill them in the end.
Then, what is this 'mark of the beast'?
There have been many arguments regarding it, but the most accepted is the idea of a 'barcode' which is printed virtually on all products today.
Of course there are other groups of people who talk about different ideas; they say it is just a symbolic reference.
They say that people will not receive any actual mark. They say that following the antichrist is the act of receiving the mark.
But, if you recall the 7 Year Great Tribulation and the processes of the antichrist's seizing power, you will realize that it does not have just a symbolical meaning.
The scripture clearly says it's a means of controlling the act of buying and selling; it can mean that it is going to be an actual mark.
For your understanding, let me briefly explain what the barcode is all about.
A barcode is a representation of information in the form of dark printed parallel lines.
When you buy something and check out in a market, a cashier will pass the barcode in front of the reading machine, and when it generates a beep sound, the information regarding the product you buy will be displayed.
At a glace, the barcode seems to be mere a group of printed dark parallel lines.
But, computers recognize it differently.
Depending on the widths and spacings of the 'bars,' they can be converted into 1's and 0's.
The combination of the numbers will represent various kinds of product information such as the price and the origin.
Now, if carefully examined, you may find 3 pairs of bars that are longer (in the number of bars) than other pairs of bars.
They can be found up front, in the middle, and at the end.
They are to mark the beginning, the middle, and the end of the barcode so that a computer can distinguish the barcode.
The number that these three pairs of bars represent is '6.'
Every barcode has these 3 pairs of bars that represent number 6.
Based on this fact, people call the barcode 666.
Why did the developers of barcodes use number 6 as the means of barcode identification?
It has a technical reason.
It is said that the ideal number that generates the least error is number 6 when computers identify barcodes.
No matter what the reason is, a barcode has three 6s in it.
Can you say that it is just a coincidence, having nothing to do with the Bible?
Today, these barcodes are used by computer networks of the world.
20 years ago when I delivered the Lecture on Revelation first time, barcodes were used, but they were not used in almost every field as today.
Almost every product of the world can be controlled by the use of this barcodes.
You can find and control what product goes where, when it is sold and what the price is, how well it's sold, and how many are in stock.
As soon as the product passes through the reading machine, the product information is read and input in a computer.
Those who are work for shopping malls or retail businesses may understand me well. (It is so-called POS, point of sales systems.)
Dear brothers and sisters.
When people use barcodes widely and recognize their convenience, people come to think of another possibility.
It is to put or to print a barcode on the body of a man.
That is, they store all kinds of personal information in a barcode, and then put the barcode into a part of the man's body.
Then, the person doesn't need to carry cash or credit cards to buy or to sell something, or to conduct any other economic activities such as withdrawing money from a bank.
When the barcode on a certain part of the body is read, everything will be taken care of automatically.
In order to put this convenient system to practical use, people have been continually studied.
And finally, they have developed a new model that is far more advanced than a barcode.
That is a 'chip,' which can be inserted into the inside of a body.
For example, there is a chip in a shape of a capsule, which is no longer than 1 centimeter.
It can be inserted into a body of a man using an injector.
A tiny chip is equipped with storage, antenna, battery, and other devices.
The storage of the chip stores information of an individual.
The information in the storage reveals the identity of the owner of the chip, and even the health status such as diseases that the individual may have.
The antenna is used to send the information to a storage location outside.
And inside the chip is a battery which is used to operate these devices of the chip, and surprisingly it can recharge itself inside the body.
These were already developed, and they are in actual use today.
They are used mainly for medical or military purposes.
For example, if this chip is installed inside the body of a dementia patient (a patient with intellectual or cognitive deterioration) it can prevent the patient from getting lost or getting into other difficulties.
Or, when someone who has a rare diseases or allergy is involved in an accident, his life might be at stake when he's not treated properly.
However, developers say that it can be a great help, if he has this chip inside his body.
Companies that sell these chips are already out there, and some people actually have the chip inside their body.
Generally, people don't like the idea of putting a certain kind of foreign substance into their body.
But, if they continually hear how useful and convenient it is to put the chip inside their body, they will think differently.
There is not only a way of putting the chip inside the body; they can use the chip conveniently just by attaching the chip to a certain part of the body.
In this way, since they don't carry an ID card or a purse, they don't need to worry about losing them.
There is no chance of forgetting them in a taxi or a bus, or of it being stolen.
Not long ago in Korea, the whole nation was concerned due to the criminal activities of child kidnapping and murder.
Parents are so nervous that they take their children to and pick them up from school. They don't even let their children go out.
Now, how will the parents react if they are introduced to the use of a chip mentioned earlier as an epoch-making solution to their worries?
The parents are told that they can figure out where their children are and what they are doing.
It is also said that this chip is used to monitor seriously violent and brutal criminals.
This chip is installed in the body of major criminals who need to be observed all the time, and their whereabouts and actions are always monitored.
Some people list all this usefulness of the chip, and they actively insist on installing the chip or barcode in the body of a man.
And their idea is gradually accepted by people.
Moreover, people of today more and more tend to regard their health, safety, and welfare more highly.
These people will be very interested when they continually hear the usefulness of installing the chip into their body.
Even though they are not seriously ill now, they will find it's greatly useful to have such a mark or chip in case of emergency.
That's because the information stored in the chip will reduce the risk of a wrong diagnosis at the time of examination, and they receive immediate treatment.
When people hear its usefulness more and more in this way, they will get away from unwelcome feeling of it.
Moreover, when the antichrist has power during the 7 Year Great Tribulation, people cannot maintain their life without this mark.
Therefore, people will eventually receive this mark.
I'm not saying that the mark is necessarily in the form of a barcode or a chip.
There may be a new shape, or there may be a more advanced type of this mark.
No matter what kind of shape or use it has, it is still the mark of the beast, 666.
Dear brothers and sisters.
Please imagine this 666, the mark of the beast is actually applied to the real life of people in a form of a barcode or a chip.
If you think of the negative face of the mark, it will make you head spin.
Even today, some countries require a foreign tourist to register fingerprints. This brings up many arguments regarding violation of human rights.
Furthermore, when the 666 mark of the beast is applied to people, each individual will be strictly observed and monitored 24 hours a day.
As I explained in the last lecture, the forces of the antichrist observe and control every individual by using the information stored in super computer system and the information stored in the device installed in the body.
What transportation they take, where they go, what they buy, what they eat; every small activity is observed and controlled.
Since people know this possibility, it's not an easy job to install this chip into the body of every body yet.
However, during the 7 Year Great Tribulation, especially during the latter three and a half years, there is no exception in receiving the mark.
They make a case of receiving the mark and brainwash people worldwide.
They continually emphasize its necessity. Now, people will not be able to manage ordinary life without the mark.
And decisively, when people refuse to receive the mark, it's considered as resistance against the antichrist.
That's because the 666 mark of the beast symbolically represents the force of the antichrist.
Receiving the mark means they follow the forces of the antichrist, but refusing the mark means they stand against the forces of the antichrist.
Under the reign of the forces of the antichrist, people cannot enjoy any right as a citizen without this mark.
They cannot be protected from threats; they cannot be guaranteed of the least that otherwise they would enjoy.
Therefore, people come to accept the mark quietly without trouble.
For your reference, I will read a column of a recent newspaper.
It is from the Joong-Ang Daily on February 6, 2008.
Imagine Gyeongpodae Beach in the summer of 2010.
A sunbather is approached by a guard, who confronts him with a garbage bag that has been carelessly thrown away somewhere.
The guard says, "The electronic tag on the items in the bag shows it was you who bought them. You must pay a fine of 100,000 won ($110)."
This could actually happen when radio frequency identification technology is used in daily life.
Tracking is simple.
An electronic chip is loaded with information and attached with a tiny antenna to send and receive information. Data on the chip can be sent and in some models new data can be added.
These chips can be inserted into the human body.
The Associated Press reported in July 2004 that the Mexican government had electronic chips inserted in some 160 civil workers, including the minister of justice, prosecutors and police officers.
The government said they were for security and identification purposes when the workers enter major information agencies.
The chips were products of the U.S. company VeriChip.
A 12-millimeter-long and 2.1-millimeter-wide chip was inserted under the skin, using a syringe.
On Jan.13 The Independent reported that the British government was considering using electronic chips as a tool to monitor prisoners on parole.
A chip would be inserted in the body and the person could be monitored by satellite wherever they go.
In the United States in 2006, Scott Silverman, VeriChip's board chairman, maintained that electronic tags should be inserted into the bodies of immigrants living in America.
This was suggested when President George W. Bush said that for national security reasons, officials must know who lives in the United States, and where.
A bionic microchip is an advanced version.
In February 2002, a research team at the University of California-Berkeley announced that it developed a bionic microchip combining a human cell with an electronic chip circuit.
According to a study by a U.S. intelligence agency, the forehead or the back of the hand are good places to insert a semiconductor containing a battery which can be recharged through changes in temperature on the human skin.
The Biblical "Book of Revelations" by St. John, while predicting idolatry on the last day, wrote about tags on people's right hand or forehead.
This is the background of a conspiracy theory opposing electronic tags.
The City of Seoul on Feb. 3 announced an ordinance to make it mandatory to plant microchips in pet dogs.
This move might start with animals but some day it may include people as well.
This is the column from a recent newspaper.
Dear brothers and sisters.
You should not misunderstand what I have explained to you so far.
I'm not saying that the mark of the beast mentioned in the Bible does not necessarily refer to a barcode or a bionic chip.
I'm not either saying that you should not use a product that has a barcode on it.
Just imagine how far the science and technology will be developed in the future as they have reached this far today?
In the not-distant-future, there may be a means to control the life of every individual and even monitor their thoughts.
And these means will be used by the antichrist during the 7 Year Great Tribulation.
What I'm saying is that, when the forces of the antichrist force people to accept the mark in order to observe and control the whole world, people should not receive the mark.
And this is the word that God gives to those who will be left on this earth.
It has nothing to do with those who have been caught up into the air.
I'm explaining this to you so that you can realize how close the end time of the world is, and how precisely the prophecies in the Bible are accomplished.
By the way, why does it mean death and resistance toward God to receive this mark?
As I told you before, the mark of the beast symbolizes the antichrist.
To receive the mark is to follow the antichrist, and also to stand against God.
The goal of the antichrist is to make people stand against God and deny the Lord.
Therefore, following the antichrist is eventually standing against God.
During the 7 Year Great Tribulation, among those who are left in the earth, there are people who know what it means to receive the mark of the beast.
There are people who will resist against the conspiracy of the antichrist and try to reveal it to the world.
Also, even before the Rapture, countless people leave a message of warning about what will take place in the future.
Hence, a great number of people among those who are left in the earth already know about the mark of the beast.
Still, they receive the mark of the beast.
They are not only deceived by the temptation of the antichrist. But they also receive it for their own advantage and benefits.
Also those who first refuse the mark eventually receive the mark at the threat of life and severe torture.
Likewise, to receive the mark is to be allied with the antichrist that stands against God and to follow its forces.
Its result is already recorded in the bible.
We will start to take a look into the chapter 14 in the next lecture.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
What ordinary people couldn't even imagine a few decades ago is becoming reality these days.
From the perspective of the bible, what does it mean?
The movement of the EU, the situations of the world, worldwide disasters and accidents, and the fulfillment of the word of the Bible!
All of these mean that the day of our Lord's return is around the corner.
Since you are living such a generation, I hope you will awaken all the more to adorn yourself as a bride of the Lord.
Also, we must quickly accomplish the mission that is assigned to us.
In doing so, may you stand proudly on the day of the glory, in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, I pray!
Amen |
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