The Mark of the Beast: Part I

The Mark of the Beast: Part I - Pete Garcia - https://www.rev310.com/2020/10/the-mark-of-the-beast-parts-i-iii Even the Elect Part I: Deception If you've ever watched a Glenn Beck show, you've probably more often than not seen him at his ever-present blackboard, connectingthe dots between players and agencies interwoven in an insidious socialist-progressive agenda to bring the US down from within. That's kind of how the next three articles will attempt to do, in a less grandiose fashion of course as we apply his methodologyof untangling the web of deceit that has been over-laid on humanity to the material at hand. If I may add one additional allusion, in the movie "The Matrix", the main character 'Neo', played by Keanu Reeves wakes up oris woken up from reality, only to realize that what he thought was reality is the façade and the reality is much, much worse. Most people go through this life thinking that this is all there is, or that if it can't be put into a test tube and scrutinizedsix ways to Sunday by a team of scientists, it doesn't exist. But we (bible believing Christians) know that there is more to this life than what we see around us. We know that there is a God,and there are echelons of angelic and demonic beings that move in and out of this world unseen by the human eye. We know and trust that belief because the bible has not only validated itself, over and over through validation by history, archeology, and prophecybut because no man (or men) could have come up with a bible on their own. If they could have, they would have. In the bible, the God-Man we know as Jesus Christ spoke concerning the end times that above all, deception would be great. Sogreat in fact, that 'even the elect' would be deceived if it was possible. That is God saying that, not me. "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you." (Matthew 24:4) So, in light of the fact that none of us can peek into the future, we have to trust God's word and take heed to the various warningsissued by Jesus, Peter, Paul, James, and John as given them by the Holy Spirit. So we go with what we know and make the best reasonable explanations that we can. One thing to consider though is that prior to the age of global communications and instant newsfeeds, the whole world couldn'tbe deceived. Too many people were disconnected from other parts of the world, so the majority of people would not know what deception was going on regardless of where it happened unless it specifically happened to them. We know (to the best of our ability) that the Beast is the governmental/political system headed by the Antichrist that takes controlduring the Tribulation. We currently live in the 'age of information' and believe this to be the same age in which our Lord will return for a whole host of reasons. The information age (and the rapidity in which knowledge doubles), is almost entirely reliant on the ability to process informationthrough the use of computers and the internet. Adding to that, think about the current administration and their over-arching agenda too: A. Blanket the entire US with free WI-FI B. Cement governmental control over who uses it, what they've seen, and what they can see Globalists seek to place the entire planet on the electronic grid. With the use of low orbiting satellites, and taking advantageof the newly freed-up 'white space' from television's frequency waves (since we've gone digital), this is a very achievable agenda. The initial plan was called 'WiMAX' but that fell through to 'LightSquared'. Regardless of what plan actually succeeds, theplans are in the works to get everyone on board and 'on the grid'. Remember a simple idea here, in that no matter what freebies are offered, or what promised legislation will fix, increased controlis the outcome of whatever plan is put forward. Wi-Fi may be offered as free, but it will come at the cost of your anonymity. Artificial Intelligence Now, think for a moment about the gigantic Google Corporation. They have been working on an Artificial Intelligence (AI) systemfor years now based on the studies that track all the trends, typed searches, information, street-views, maps, etc for the entire world. Google has more information at its disposal than all the libraries in the world combined. The owners of Google preempted public panic by declaring the AI known as 'CADIE' as an April fool's joke, but just imagine, ifthis thing "became" (maybe with a little supernatural help) self-aware and began taking over the global grid. Most of our public utilities and energy sources are controlled electronically already, but maybe "Sky Net" (Terminator movies) wasn't that far offthe mark after all? It seems silly, even fantastical for the most hardened skeptics out there, but it is not impossible. Considering that 20 yearsago, the idea of holding a computer/phone /GPS/gaming device in the palm of your hand seemed ludicrous, yet, here we are today. Most accredited universities have within their Computer Science departments, active programs for the creation of Artificial Intelligence.At some point, in the not too distant future, man is going to cross that technological threshold between fantasy and reality and launch a system that is 'self-aware'. Scary thought! Nephilim Many bible scholars attribute the statements Jesus made to end times of being similar to Noah's day (Matt 24:37-38, Luke 17:26-27)as veiled references to the return of the Nephilim (Hebrew for "Fallen Ones"). The supernatural has largely been hidden from man since biblical times, but here in the last 60 years or so, mankind has beenan eyewitness to increasingly strange goings-on in the sky and on the ground. The supernatural activity appears to be ramping up, and although widely accepted as plausible, no 100% verifiable proof has ever been substantiated. It is through movies and televisionthat mankind has been desensitized to the mysterious. Just like with horror movies, man has been given an increasingly larger, violent, and realistic version of the same monsters over and over. What scared audiences 30 years ago, makes today's audience's chuckle. "Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and falseprophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Matthew 24:23-24 Common themes amongst both horror and science fiction shows are alien invasions and global destruction events. They have to keeptopping the previous shows and movies so they are portrayed in more graphic and over the top sensationalistic ways to keep audiences coming back. This will have either one of two effects when fantasy does become reality: •Either man will be mesmerized at what they see (awestruck) •The deception will be subtle (acceptance of new normal) I think the latter of the two is Satan's preferred method, but considering the fact that Satan will realize he has but a shorttime, he will pull out all the stops. And this time, God will allow him to. Although we can only speculate as to what type of events will happen that aren't mentioned specifically in the Bible, we know what Satan has done in the past. God destroyed the world once because of the great wickedness and violence upon the face of the earth. Out of that (or maybe becauseof it), an unholy union between fallen angels and mankind created a hybrid race of creatures that were neither men nor angels. Only Noah was found 'perfect in his generations'. Many believe this to be a reference not to Noah's moral righteousness, but to his genetic purity. So it is interesting that Jesussaid that no flesh would survive if He did not cut short those days (Matthew 24:22). If God destroyed the world leaving only eight persons at the Flood, are we to not only consider weapons of mass destruction but also technology, like before the Flood, whichseeks to annihilate what it is to be human? Weird Science Mankind is currently involved in cross breeding animal-human hybrids. Man is constantly trying to push the boundaries betweenthe biological and the technological. There is coming a point when man will cross that line of no-return and this may in fact be the avenue in which man does it. Whenever modern man broke through other 'impossible' barriers that people said couldn't be done... it was done. And between man'sdesire to live forever through artificial means (trans-humanism and singularity) and AI's ability to solve seemingly unsolvable problems, it will be a Babel-like moment when God will have to step in and intervene, yet again. "And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing willbe restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.." Genesis 11:6 If mankind was capable of doing this many thousands of years ago, why does it seem unlikely that we couldn't achieve this againtoday in the Age of Information? God dispersed man and changed languages to avoid them coming together in unison outside of His will and His time schedule. Yet,we are at that same point today through the use of the internet and rapid technological breakthroughs. Knowledge builds upon previously discovered knowledge, so at the rate at which it is doubling and tripling, the time it takes to get there quickly diminishes. Replace 'magic' with technology, and add in some demonic influence and what you have is a recipe for evil incarnate perpetuatedby mass mediums to large swaths of people. Man's propensity for evil will have the modern capability to quickly incorporate and disseminate large sums of information and application to a much larger audience today than ever before. Remove God's hand of restraint from the world and the potential for wickedness will explode onto the world as not been seen sincethose doomed Antediluvian peoples of old. The Mark of the Beast: Part II - Pete Garcia - https://www.rev310.com/2020/10/the-mark-of-the-beast-parts-i-iii Mystery-Babylon Inc. Part II A couple of weeks ago, I had a very vivid dream about this very subject. In fact, I woke up from it (3AM-ish) to scribble downsome notes. Normally, I don't remember my dreams, so it's a rare thing indeed for me to have one that vivid and also have the self-discipline to get up and actually write it down while simultaneously wiping the crusties from my eyes. I hope you'll join meon this excursion, and as always, a caveat to this interpretation: as the Apostle Paul succinctly put it, 'for now we see through a glass darkly'. (1 Corinthians 13:9-12) Most scholars assumed that Mystery Babylon was simply the accompanying religious system that the Beast uses to promulgate his/theirmadness upon the peoples of the world. Yet, neither government nor religion causes people to be astonished since they have been ever-present with mankind down through the ages. It has to be something that either the world has never seen before, or it is somethingthat has not been seen for a LONG time and is present again in today's day and age. Two verses jump out at me that I think although they are of different topics, they're very much connected. "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number[is] Six hundred threescore [and] six." Revelation 13:18 "And here [is] the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth." Revelation 17:9 Both instances call the reader to reckon a special understanding of what John was speaking of. One has to deal with a specificnumber that will be utilized by the entire world in all manners of financial transactions and as a matter of loyalty and worship. The other, is describing Mystery Babylon, and in this, John marveled at it: "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wonderedwith great admiration." Revelation 17:6 Greek Lexicon for the Textus Receptus version: megas thauma = great admiration 1) a wonderful thing, a marvel 2) wonder a) to wonder [with great wonder i.e.] exceedingly The NIV states that John was 'astonished'. The ESV records it as 'marveled greatly'. The NASB states it as 'wondered greatly',so based on the context and the other translations; we can dismiss number one from the Greek Lexicon here as a possible alternative. Apparently, this is something that really blew John away, which is saying a lot, considering all he had already been witness to.The angel goes on to tell him about what the Mystery is: "And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carriethher, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder..." Revelation 17:7-8 So what is Mystery Babylon? Unlike the beast, she is not a government. She rides the beast: •She sits on many waters; meaning she is global. Verse 15 confirms this. (vs. 1) •Kings have committed fornication with her, and the people of the world have been made drunk by the wine of her fornication; meaning mankind has not only gotten drunk, but hasreceived "the bite", by her addictive lies. (vs. 2) ("the bite"= alcoholic term for hopelessly addicted) •She sits upon the 'scarlet covered beast' full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns, meaning, she fully embraces a plurality of gods and beliefs, and implementedby the antichrist's governmental system. (vs. 3) •She herself, is wrapped in purple and scarlet, holding a golden cup full of abominations, meaning she will be greatly lavished (this system) with great wealth and holds to thisdiabolical lie that tolerates everything, except Jesus Christ. (vs. 4) "And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." Revelation17:5 •She is called 'Mystery', which means she is not the literal Babylon, but a symbolic picture of representing the 'Babylonian' system of control in which has enslaved the worldfrom the beginning. •She is called "Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the earth", meaning she is the originator of all false doctrines. Every evil and insidious religion, doctrine, belief systemhas their roots in her, regardless of where they are, or who started them. We know this because, Satan is the "Father of Lies" and if it is not of God, it's from Satan. And what was the first lie? Genesis 3:4-5 says: "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyesshall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." Every religion and belief system, not based around the Gospel of Jesus Christ, inherently promotes this notion that we can beas gods. It is bathed in pride and sprinkled gratuitously with the idea that man can achieve salvation without God's help. It was the lie that led to God destroying the world by a global flood. It led God to separate mankind at Babel. It led to the destructionof Sodom and Gomorrah. It led to God having to come down here in person, and sacrifice Himself so those who believed could be saved. Mystery Babylon is the lie that man can be as a god. She rides the revived Roman Empire while shrouding herself with the Babelglobalist's mantra of, one race. "And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." Revelation 17:18 It's not until Revelation 17:18 that the woman finally described as 'that great city' who controls all the kings of the world. Only two cities are called 'that great city' in the Bible; Nineveh and Babylon. She is a system of control over the rulers ofthe earth. At the Tower of Babel, mankind united under the world's first dictator, Nimrod. Mankind, united outside of the will of God, is a disastrous thing to behold indeed. God knew back at the Tower of Babel, that mankind under the leadership of a singleman, would have reaped apocalyptic judgment back then. It was God's mercy, not cruelty that separated mankind to prevent us from destroying ourselves many thousands of years ago. Conclusion It is likely, that since the global infrastructure for global worship is already in place via the Roman Catholic Church network(more so than any other single religion) that this could easily and readily be put in place through the church as the mechanism of implementation. Granted, any church still remaining beyond the rapture will likely be incorporated into this system, but the Roman Catholic Churchalready has a global reach and doctrinally doesn't have any qualms about re-writing their doctrine to stay relevant during this time. *Not saying that all Roman Catholics are a part of this system, rather, the system itself is what I am referencing. The papacy has already shown a great willingness to compromise doctrinal beliefs to accommodate Islam and Protestants alike ina misguided effort to promote ecumenism. As the EU waffles, the US sinks, and the 'Arab Spring' disintegrates, the Union for the Mediterranean (UofM) will take on moresignificant responsibility in stabilizing the region, ultimately fulfilling the role of the revived Roman Empire. When the US collapses, what's left of our government may cede control of our military assets to NATO and the European Union, of which to preventthem (military weapons) from falling into the hands of rogue 'terrorists'. Within the UofM, contains the previous ancient dynasties of Egypt, Greece, Rome, Persia, and Assyria (Syria). The "Arab Spring"will shake up the current power holders in the Middle East and fill the vacuum with leaders who are willing to take war to Israel. In lieu of their biblically prophetic defeats, most likely the UofM will be there to reorganize the pieces, just like they didafter the Ottoman Empire's defeat at the end of World War I. And since Rome is the geographical hub there, it seems logical that it would also serve as its headquarters for both the religiousand economic center that can control and direct this resurrected empire. Maybe this was why John was astonished. At the time he recorded this (95AD), the Church in Rome was still Christian. He couldalso be astonished at the fact that the Roman Empire still exists at the time of the end. Either way, as the old saying goes, 'All roads lead to Rome.' The Mark of the Beast: Part III - Pete Garcia - https://www.rev310.com/2020/10/the-mark-of-the-beast-parts-i-iii The Mark - Part III Imagine your next trip to the supermarket. You spend a couple of hours loading your cart up with goodies, you go to check outand your card is declined. How do you feel? Embarrassed, and then angry? Especially when you KNOW you have money in the bank. So next, you excuse yourself real quick and you run over to an ATM to draw some cash out, but the same thing happens, no moneyand no service. Now what? Maybe you'll call the bank and give them a good 'whatfor' or you'll just tell the teller that something has come up and you will not be needing the groceries, either way, you walk out empty-handed. Now imagine, that you can't do ANYTHING from filling up your car with gas to paying your bills because your currency is no longervalid. Oh, and by the way, your no longer receiving a paycheck from your employer. You have to have this thing put on your hand or forehead to buy, sell, pay bills, buy groceries, hold a job, pay your mortgage,or anything else that requires a financial transaction for goods or services rendered. That's what it will be like when this kicks off inside the Tribulation. Men, women, families once of good standing (with excellent credit scores to boot) suddenly find themselves the people they oncelooked down on with pity. But, all you have to do is put this new mark put on your forehead or hand (it really is painless) and all of your former luxuries will be restored. Oh, and by the way, once you do this, you'll be making the WORST decision in the historyof mankind. At best, you'll be trading in 7 years of comfort, for eternity in torment and darkness. At worst, you probably won't even live out the full 7 years. Sounds like a bargain huh? Well, there is coming a day and age when this will become reality. Oh, it may not happen lickety-split overnight, but changesare coming. Kinda like how the music industry quit making cassette tapes and moved over to Compact Discs. At some point, all the cassette tapes are relegated to the dust bin and no one is making them anymore. You have NO choice butto buy a new radio that plays CDs. Or like when television left analog and went strictly digital. Did you have any say in it? No. When the time comes for this 'new and improved' way of living/shopping/security/freedom comes about, either you get on board oryou get left behind. And by behind, I mean, utterly left to either starve or be killed by a tyrannical government. There is really great article that does an outstanding job in covering this topic. My intent here is not to reveal some deeplyhidden mystery that only I am privy to (cause I'm not), but to share some thoughts peripheral to this event. With the body of Christ removed at the Rapture, what semblance of organized "Christianity" that remains, will be both Christ-lessand incapable of offering a path to salvation that holds to its ecumenical swayings. I offered up Roman Catholicism, simply because they're the most global "Christian" organization in the world. They've not shown any qualms or regret in the past in eitherkilling true believers (Crusades, Inquisitions) or from embracing non-Christian beliefs in order to stay relevant (Paganism/Islam). Chrislam anyone? Mormonism may play a prominent role in this time as well, since they share such a striking similarity to Islam, embracing bothuniversalism and to an extent, pantheism and will probably be the most organized and intact American religious system left standing, post-Rapture. Either way, what is left is an empty shell of pure religiosity that will be used as a tool to prepare the worldto worship the satanically indwelt Antichrist himself. That leaves only the practical matter of enforcement of said worship. The mark is not just a system of worship; it is a systemof control. Satan is not God, and at best, can only try to mimic God which is what he attempts to do with the mark. God has and does markthose that belong to Himself. (Deut 6:8; Ez 9:4; 2 Cor 1:21-22; Eph 1:13; Rev 7:3) Satan counters with a system that is emplaced by the Antichrist as a logical, pragmatic choice to many of the world's problems.The world's economic systems are currently being shaken down so that it only leaves the mark as the only practical solution. How does the world get out of the current financial quagmire that it is in? It is completely unrealistic to think the US couldpay off 16 Trillion dollars (let alone 65 Trillion in unfunded liabilities). Our citizens have become dependent on many of the entitlement programs that have put a majority of the country on life-support. If the government threatened to; a) impose huge cuts to MEDICAID, MEDICARE, Welfare, and Social Security in order to pay down the debt, or b) move off the dollar to a new system where no cuts were needed, I believe the US population would overwhelmingly elect the latter. Greece, Paris, and London are just tiny microcosms of what we could expect in every major city, if strict austerity measures wereput in place. But it's not only the US but the entire world that finds itself in the same debt-laden boat. The problem with the US though, isthat we are supposed to be the big pole in the tent that holds up the whole show. If we go down, (as a witness to the 2008 financial collapse) we'll drag the world down with us. Nations like Brazil, Russia, China, and France have only recently expressed openly, a desire to move away from the dollar intoa basket of currencies. Whether it is a digital credit, special drawing rights, or a new currency altogether such as the Phoenix, they will all fail. That is not my opinion on the matter that comes straight out of the Bible. The world ends up in one globalsystem, run by one man, using one currency. "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescoreand six." Revelation 13:16-18 The Man Many theories are out there as to who this man (Antichrist) is. Speculation aside, there is only one man named in scriptures whosenumber adds up to 666, and that is through the number of family members he has. "The children of Adonikam, six hundred sixty and six." Ezra 2:13 This man's descendants were among those Jews that had been taken captive by the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar, and thesewere the remnant who was returning to Jerusalem at the end of their captivity. I do not know if one of this man's descendants turns out to be the Antichrist or the False Prophet, but I do know that the Jews would never accept a man as Messiah who was not Jewish. All we really know is that the Apostle Paul stated that he (the Antichrist) would not be revealed until the Restrainer (the HolySpirit) is removed (2 Thess 2:7-8). But to point out one last thing, Paul called the Antichrist the 'Son of Perdition'. The only other person called that in scriptureswas Judas Iscariot (John 17:12). It's not any stretch of the imagination to assume that Paul was familiar with who Judas was, and what he did. If we are to remain true to the symbolism used in Revelation, we then understand that in Chapter 13, the Beast that rises up outof the sea (sea=gentile nations) is a Gentile. The Beast that rises up out of the land (land=Israel) is a Jew (the False Prophet). Maybe the False Prophet is hailed as the Messiah, but he, in turn, directs worship to the Antichrist who the Jews reject (fornot being Jewish) which is why he commits the Abomination of Desolation spoken of in Matthew 24:15 and 2 Thessalonians 2:4 like his much earlier predecessor Antiochus Epiphanes IV (Daniel 11:30-32). But those refusing to worship him will have to suffer death or starvation for not receiving the mark since they will not be ableto buy or sell. In order for that to be a threat, the technology first needs to exist to make that possible. We've spent the last 40 years beingprimed for this kind of system. From the gold standard to the fiat system at a national level to the personal desensitization through the use of credit and debit cards, online banking, and moving the society off of cash to plastic. We've also had the conditioningin place by getting us used to instant (food, service, and solutions) and by marketing and advertisements that continually sell us the notion that we deserve the best, and nothing less will do. The mark of the beast will obviously not be labeled as such, nor its consequences, but will be presented as the most logical,reasonable way forward in troubled times. We know that the mark is not used prior to the Tribulation, so whatever technologies are currently out there today (and there are many now that could fit the bill) are just being staged for the right 'crisis' to implementthem when the time is right. Assuming that the Rapture of the Church is the trigger that causes the worldwide chaos, I foresee a couple of possible avenues. * If the Rapture is a standalone event, aside from the immediate effects of wrecks, looting, fires, etc.. it will trigger an economic avalanche of panic in the US due to the sudden removal of millions of consumers, employers, employees, tax/mortgage/billpayers that will put the already fragile economy into panic mode. The government will bypass the constitution and move to join an economic union. * If the Rapture is accompanied by some other cataclysmic event (EMP/Solar storm, nuclear or dirty bomb, or mega-thrust earthquake), the US may cede control of the government to the EU "temporarily" until the US can get back on its feet. For those who are not taken in the Rapture, they can expect to be subjugated from the Wrath of the Lamb and an onslaught of satanicterror here on earth. For those who fall in line and take the mark, they can expect the following: * Eternal damnation (Rev 14:11) * Drink from the cup of indignation (unmixed) the wine of the wrath of God (Rev 14:10) * Grievous Sores (Rev 16:2) * Torment on earth (painful darkness, heat, 100 lb hailstones) (Rev 16:8, 10-11, 21) Is it worth it? Are even the worst 7 years of your life worth an eternity in hell, let alone the hell on earth you will face ifyou 'opt-out' for a few years of momentary comfort here on earth? Would you spend a million dollars on a car that you could only drive for a day? Probably not, so why would you take something infinitely worse? The technology exists today, the hour is late,and our Lord and Savior is returning just like He said He would. "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Revelation 22:12 VISIT: PROPHECY WATCHER WEEKLY NEWS: HTTP://PROPHECY-WATCHER-WEEKLY-NEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM