Revelation 13:18 States 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 603 score and6 this is the number of the first Beast this Beast is not the devil this Beast is not a system but this Beast is the Antichrist a literal man he is Satan's chief agent he is a man that will speak publicly and pompously against the most high he is a man that will seek worship and adoration he shall change the laws of the world for his
own agenda and one of the laws he will change is that he will enforce his Mark 6 66 on the inhabitants of the earth now the Bible in the Book of Revelation gives us wisdom stating in Revelation 13:18 here is wisdom in other words the Bible is warning us alerting us that when you see this number you may know who is behind the number and the person is the Antichrist I am surprised at the amount of people who trivialize the number I see people wearing shirts with that number some people even have tattoos with this
number there are so many music bands that plaster this number on their posters Revelation 13: 11 to 18 and I beheld another Beast coming up out of the earth and he had two horns like a lamb and he spake as a dragon and he exerciseth all the power of the first Beast before him and causeth the Earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first Beast whose deadly wound was healed and he doeth great wonders so that he maketh Fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men and deceiveth them
that dwell on the Earth by the means of those Miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the Beast saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the Beast which had the wound by a sword and did live and he had power to give life unto the image of the Beast that the image of the Beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the Beast should be killed 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 666 the issue of the mark of the beast is a serious one that people need to take seriously the issue of the mark of the beast is an issue of worship it
signifies whom you worship and to whom you belong it signifies ownership the issue of the mark of the beast signifies to which kingdom you are forming a permanent Allegiance at its core acceptance of this Mark is a conscious irrevocable alignment with Satan and a definitive renunciation of God sealing one's Eternal fate in the shadows of the impending antichrist's rule the scriptures forwarn of a system the Beast system where allegiance to the Beast becomes the Lynch pin to economic participation he causes all both small and great rich and poor free and slave to receive a mark
on their right hand or on their foreheads 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 this Proclamation is Stark it suggests a totalitarian regime where economic accessibility is gat kept by the acceptance of a mark a symbol of unwavering loyalty to the Beast and by extension a rejection of divine sovereignty what then are we as Vigilant Believers to discern from this prophecy we are urged to observe the subtle Genesis of this Beast system before the mark and the
explicit revelation of the Antichrist there will be the establishment of a system A system that is reflective of the beast's principles and objectives slowly embedding itself within the socioeconomic structures of the world it's not about an immediate and overt allegiance to the Antichrist but a gradual a climatization to his governance and principles a slow immersion into a world where the values and morals are dictated by the beast's system this Prelude phase is crucial for Discerning Christians it is in this time that the foundation of the beast's rule is discreetly laid integrating its influence within the
Realms of governance economy and Society the Bible calls us to be vigilant to discern the times and to recognize the inklings of this system as it intertwines with the world structures Believers are encouraged to be like the sons of issachar who understood the times and knew what Israel should do as seen in 1 Chronicles 12:32 we as Believers today should understand the times and know that the arrival of the man of sin is not a single individual yes indeed the man of sin himself will arrive and will take Center Stage however his spirit is here
and his spirit is very much a part of the very fabric of our society this is one of the biggest mistakes people make is believing that the rule of the Antichrist will begin only once he arrives on the world stage that is not correct the Bible clearly teaches us that his spirit is already at work 1 John 4:3 and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is that Spirit of antichrist whereof ye have heard that it should come and even now already is it
in the world his spirit is already at work today you need to know the times you are living in the level of sin and immorality in this generation is like no other sin is accessible now like no other time you know of the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah you know of the great wickedness of Noah's generation God saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually in the generation of Noah you know of the wickedness of Babylon full of idolatry full
of pride and arrogance full of self-exaltation debauchery and excess now listen to me listen to this the age you live in the generation we live in has collected all of the sins that were prevalent in all of these cities and has put them together and created our society today the time of Sodom and Gomorrah and the time of Noah and the time of Babylon and all of their sins are in this generation you can hold each of these periods of time in the Bible and examine all of the sins that were there in those times
and then cross-examine with our generation and you will see frightening similarities the undeniable truth is that our contemporary Society has become a reflection of some of the worst and most notorious times in the Bible all converging in this generation when we think of the depravity of Sodom and Gomorrah the Relentless wickedness of Noah's generation or the Hedonism of Babylon we might assume that such sinfulness was confined to specific times and places however the Stark reality is that the sins of those past Generations are now widespread woven into the fabric of our daily lives in a
society marked by moral Decay if you understand the times we are living in you will see that the systems of the Antichrist where no one can buy or sell without his Mark are being set into motion right before our eyes as we look at the current state of our world and the trajectory it's on it's pivotal for us to discern the gradual establishment of a system a precursor to the Beast system where allegiance to the Antichrist symbolized by receiving a mark becomes a requisite for economic participation it's this world system embedded with values diametrically opposed
to those of the kingdom of God that will pave the way for the Antichrist to take power these advancements in technology and economic shifts do not occur in a vacuum they are entwined with societal developments and changes in human behavior and values the normalized acceptance of surveillance the relinquishing of privacy for convenience and the eroding of moral and ethical boundaries are indicative of of a society that is knowingly or unknowingly aligning itself with the impending Beast system Our Generation has indeed witnessed a convergence of sins reminiscent of Sodom and Gomorrah Noah's time and Babylon the
synthesis of these egregious sins within our society underscores the urgency for believers to be Discerning to be vigilant and to fortify their faith against the escalating wave of immorality and deception so what are we to do as the embodiments of Christ in a world that is seemingly teetering on the brink of the last days we are called to look for this to occur just before the Antichrist takes power we are not to be passive observers but active participants in God's kingdom immersing ourselves in his word fortifying our Spirits with his truth and clothing ourselves in
his armor we are to be the lights in this prevailing Darkness ambassadors of his love and Proclaimers of his truth observing the development of the Beast system isn't about living in fear but living in awareness and Readiness it's about having our lamps filled with oil being like the wise virgins who were prepared for the bridegroom's arrival it's about aligning Our lives our values our time and our Resources with the kingdom of God and his righteousness in conclusion looking for this to occur entails a conscious and deliberate effort to recognize the subtle yet pervasive establishment of
the antichrist's system in our world the spirit of the Antichrist is actively preparing for his [Music] arrival Revelation 149 to10 and the third Angel followed them saying with a loud voice if any man worshiped the Beast and His image and receive his Mark in his forehead or his hand the same shall drink of the wine of the wroth of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the Holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb despite the
warning of the angel of God against accepting the mark of the beast many people will still go ahead and accept the mark because of a number of reasons one reason number one refusing the Mark will lead to financial ruin anyone refusing to take the Mark will struggle to survive the Antichrist will be in such a place of prominence that he will have power over the world and all of its economic activity under the rule and Leadership of the Beast his Mark will be the only approved medium of financial trans trans action this will put an
enormous amount of strain on individuals it will push people and urge them toward the mark rather than them being able to make a free choice out of their own will the Beast will use coercion that is something you need to know about the devil the devil is in the business of coercion if the devil can force you to do something he will God on the other hand allows a person to make a choice and then allows them to face the consequences of their choice even though people are aware that receiving the mark of the beast
means Eternal separation from God they will still go ahead and take the mark imagine a father who has to provide for his family how many people will be able to withand the frustration of not being able to buy or sell enduring your family not being able to make ends meet is not an easy experience coercion when multitudes have danced to the tune of the Antichrist many more people who are willing to stand against it will have their faith weakened people will see those around them being able to provide for their loved ones and then look
at themselves struggling because they are refusing to take the mark that is a pressure that will cause many people to comply with his mark reason number two rationalization and compromise in trying times the human mind can be very Adept at justifying actions that go against deeply held beliefs people might tell themselves it's just a mark God will understand or I'll accept it now for my family's sake and repent later this internal rationalization born out of desperation and fear will will lead many to take the mark reason number three deception and miracles of the false prophet
the false prophet as described in Revelation will have the power to perform great wonders and miracles to deceive the masses these Miracles will appear genuine and will be used to validate the authenticity and Divinity of the Antichrist for those who are not deeply rooted in the word of God these Miracles can be very convin vincing leading them to believe that the Antichrist is a true divine figure and that taking his Mark is the right thing to do reason number four ignorance and lack of knowledge many will accept the mark simply because they are not aware
of its implications despite the warnings there will be countless people who are not familiar with the Prophecies of Revelation or have been misled by false teachings their lack of knowledge will unfortunately make them vulnerable to the antichrist's [Music] tactics as we look around at the world today we can't help but notice the signs of the times the increasing push for Global unity in every area of Life politics economy and even religion should grab the attention of every Christian these movements though often shrouded in the language of Peace tolerance and progress align directly with the prophetic
warnings found in scripture about the last days one of the most significant warnings is about the rise of a one world religion which will be part of the Endtime scenario as described in the Book of Revelation in recent headlines Pope Francis made a statement that shocked many in the Christian Community to avoid copyright issues I will not play the video but if you want to listen to it you can search for the title pope all religions are paths to God and that title will lead you to the video being shown on screen allow me to
read an article that includes quotes from the pope Pope Francis prompted controversy Friday with remarks at an interreligious meeting in Singapore that some have taken as a departure from Catholic Doctrine on the role of Jesus Christ in Salvation all religions are path to reach God they are I make a comparison like different languages different idioms to get there but God is God for everyone Pope Francis told a gathering of young people September 13 at an interreligious meeting at the Catholic Junior College of Singapore according to a text of the speech published by the Vatican the
pope continued and since God is God for everyone we are all children of God but my God is more important than yours is this true there is only one God and our religions are languages paths to reach God some are sik some are Muslim some are Hindu some are Christian but they are different paths the current pope has made a deliberate effort to promote Interfaith beliefs as Bible believing Christians we should take note of this because the Book of Revelation clearly speaks of a one world religion could it be that we are witnessing the early
stages of this one world religion coming together the quote from the Pope that all religions are paths to God and we are all God's children while this may sound inclusive and kind-hearted it directly contradicts the core teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Bible is clear on the distinction between being part of God's creation and being one of God's children yes it is true that all all people are God's creation as Colossians 1:16 tells us for by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether
they be Thrones or dominions or principalities or Powers all things were created by Him and for him God has created everyone and he loves everyone his love is boundless as clearly expressed in John 3:16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life however scripture also teaches us that not everyone is a child of God only those who are born again through faith in Jesus Christ are given the right to be called his children John 1:12 tells us but as
many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to to them that believe on his name this is reiterated in John 11:52 where Jesus mission is to gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad the Bible never refers to the lost as God's children the term children of God is reserved for those who have been spiritually adopted through faith in Jesus Christ This is a critical distinction while the message that we are all God's children may sound lovely and soft it distorts the truth of
the Gospel it is essential to understand that while God loves everyone not everyone is his child this distinction is often blurred in today's world but it is vital that we remain faithful to the biblical definition of what it means to be a child of God one of the most concerning Trends we see today is the growing push toward a one world religion this movement is not new it has been prophesied in scripture for thousands of years Revelation 17 describes this one world religion as the great Harlot sitting on many Waters symbolizing a false religious system
that will dominate the world during the end times the term Harlot is frequently used in the Old Testament as a metaphor for Spiritual unfaithfulness particularly in cases where Israel abandoned their Covenant relationship with God to follow false gods and Idols this Harlot represents the ultimate form of spiritual unfaithfulness a false religion that will seduce the world away from the true God the exact identity of this one world religion has been a topic of debate among theologians and Bible scholars for centuries some argue that it could be a corrupted form of Christianity others believe it could
be a fusion of major world religions like Christianity Islam Hinduism or Buddhism still others suggest that it could be a completely new religion possibly rooted in the New Age movement or even something that has yet to be invented regardless of its identity the Bible makes it clear that this false religion will be widespread and will have a significant role in the antichrist's rule over the Earth for he will be the central figure of this one world religion he will be the driving force behind its creation and purpose he will be the one lifted up and
and exalted as a God in this religion all authority and reverence will be directed towards him for he will be the focus of the worship and Adoration of this religion people from All Nations will be deceived into honoring him above all could it be that this Global Interfaith Movement we are witnessing is setting the stage for the arrival of the Antichrist the unification of beliefs may be preparing the world for his Rule and deception Revelation 17:15 describes the extent of this false religion's influence and he saith unto me the waters which thou sest where the
sth are peoples and multitudes and Nations and tongues this indicates that the one world religion will dominate all nations and peoples it will be Universal in scope with the authority to demand Allegiance from every person on the planet this Authority will likely come from the Antichrist himself who will use this religious system to unite the world under his rule those who refuse to participate in this false religion will face persecution and many will lose their very own lives because of their refusal to worship the Antichrist Revelation 13: 16 and 17 warns us that all will
be forced to take the mark of the beast 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 those who refuse to take the Mark will be cut off from society unable to participate in the economic system making survival extremely difficult given the religious cultural and political diversity of our world today it's hard to imagine how such a unified religion could emerge how could people from such
diverse Faith backgrounds ranging from Hindus to Buddhists and every religion in between even atheists be convinced to abandon their beliefs and embrace a single religious system history shows us that religion has been one of the most divisive forces in human civilization from the Crusades to the 30 Years War to the French Wars of religion Humanity has fought countless Wars over religious differences and yet the Bible tells us that in the last days the Antichrist will accomplish something unprecedented he will unite the entire world under one religion do you ever wonder how he will do this
how will he persuade people to abandon the faith of their ancestors their fathers and their great great grandfathers to worship Him how will he manage the seemingly impossible task of uniting the entire world under a single religion the Bible reveals that one of the key ways Lucifer will achieve this in the last days is through deception the end times will be marked by a level of deception the world has never seen before the antichrist's religion will be incredibly convincing the deception behind it will be so alluring so seemingly real that people from all walks of
life will believe it the Bible makes this clear as I reflect on this I ask myself who else but Lucifer could craft such a powerful and seductive religion that would cause the masses to abandon what they have always known and worship the Antichrist who else but the angel of Light could design a system so deceitful that men and women would willingly accept his mark on their foreheads and hands aligning themselves with the forces of Darkness who else but Lucifer the master of deception could craft a religion so compelling that it blinds the eyes of Millions
who else but the enemy of our souls could create a belief system so persuasive that it mimics truth while leading people straight into destruction who else but Satan who has spent Millennia studying human nature knows how to appeal to our deepest fears and desires twisting them to serve his dark purposes who else but the one who deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden could once again deceive Humanity on such a grand scale on a scale in which the world has never seen before who else other than Lucifer who else but the Fallen Angel once known
as the anointed cherub that cth who was adorned with every precious stone could use his knowledge of divine truth to manipulate people into believing a lie this is the same being who once walked in the midst of the stones of fire and stood on the Holy Mountain of God basking in the very presence of the almighty who else but the one who was perfect in Beauty and wisdom before iniquity was found in him could take the profound truths he once knew in the glory of heaven and twist them into deception who else but the father
of Lies could convince the world world that he is worthy of worship leading them to exchange the truth of God for the lie of the Antichrist who else but the adversary who prowls around like a roaring lion could instill such fear and confusion that people will take his Mark not realizing the Eternal consequences who else but the Great Deceiver could weave a religion so beguiling that it captures the hearts of men and women convincing them to bow to the Antichrist and forsake the Living God while the full manifestation of the one world religion is still
to come we can already see the groundwork being laid today The ecumenical movement which seeks to unite all Christian denominations and even non-Christian religions is a clear step in this direction while the desire for Unity may sound Noble true Unity must be based on the truth of God's word Unity at the expense of biblical truth is is not Unity at all it is compromise and deception statements like the one from Pope Francis suggesting that all religions are valid paths to God are becoming more common these statements reflect a growing sentiment that religious differences should be
set aside Jesus made it clear in John 14:6 I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the father but by me any teach ing that denies the exclusivity of Christ as the only way to Salvation is false and must be rejected could it be that there is an invisible hand at work today quietly orchestrating Global events to align with the prophecies found in Revelation could it be that the rise in Interfaith movements the increasing push for religious tolerance at the expense of truth and the desire for Global Unity are not
just random Trends but calculated steps toward the formation of a one world religion could it be that the forces Behind These movements are setting the stage for the antichrist's arrival preparing the world to accept a false religion that will unite Nations under a common deceptive Banner as we move closer to the Fulfillment of Endtime prophecies it is more important than ever for Christians to stay vigilant and to stand firm in the truth of God's word the world is moving toward a one world religion and the pressure to conform will only increase in the coming years
we must be prepared to resist this pressure and to stand up for the gospel even when it is unpopular or costly Revelation gives us a glimpse into the future and while it is sobering it also reminds us that God is in control the rise of the one world religion and the reign of the Antichrist are all part of God's plan and they will ultimately lead to the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of his eternal Kingdom in the meantime we are called to be faithful Witnesses proclaiming the truth of the gospel and warning others
about the deception that is coming let us take heed of Jesus warning in Matthew 24:4 take heed that no man deceive you we must guard our hearts and Minds against the lies of the enemy and remain rooted in the truth of scripture the days ahead may be challenging but we can take comfort in knowing that our hope is in Christ and he will never leave us nor forsake us let us stand firm in our faith knowing that in the end the truth will prevail and every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord to the glory of God the Father [Music]