The Sacred Scriptures - 29th Special Edition (Part 4/4). Johannes Biermanski

Ewigkeit; und sie haben keine Ruhe Tag und Nacht, die das Tier haben angebetet und sein Bild und wer (so jemand) das Malzeichen seines Namens hat angenommen.

      KJV + EL = And the smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.

      note: The Third Message. The third angel follows with a message of the most fearful import. From the language in which it is expressed, we understand at once that it is designed to warn men against the worship of the beast and his image, and prepare them for that time when the decree shall be issued enforcing such worship, as noticed in the previous chapter. This is the issue, then, to which the world is to be brought; namely, to refuse the mark of the beast and thus become exposed to the wrath of anti-Christian, earthly powers; or to receive the the mark of the beast, and brave the unmixed wrath of God [YAHWEH].

      The Mark of the Beast. It now becomes a matter of solemn moment to inquire what this mark of the beast is, against which there is uttered so terrific a warning. No warning more terrible is found in all the Bible. The position against which it is uttered must therefore be a most heinous and Heaven-daring one. And is it possible that the world will never know what this sin is? This is not possible. God does not so deal with his creatures. He does not punish the wicked without their knowing, or having full opportunity to know, for what cause the punishment is inflicted. Hence we argue that this question is not an unfathomable mystery; but that all may know what constitutes the mark of the beast, and how they may avoid receiving it. ...

      The beast whose mark men are here warned against receiving, is the one brought to view in Rev. 13:1-10. This we have already shown to be the Papal Roman power, the same as the little horn of Dan. 7:8. The beast of Rev. 13 was to claim worship from those who dwell upon the earth; the little horn of Dan. 7 was to claim the power to change times and laws; while the Man of Sin, another name for the same power, was to oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped. If he exalts himself above God, he must claim that his laws shall be obeyed in preference to the laws of God. Mark it well; there is absolutely no other way in which he can exalt himselb above God.

      We are now prepared to inquire for proof that the Papal power has tampered with the law of God, or attempted a change in the ten commandments; and that if the ten commandments are understandingly kept as changed by that power, instead of as originally given by the great YAHWEH, then the law-changing power is worshiped instead of the law-making power. Paul has said, "Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey?" Rom. 6:16.

      It has already been shown that the little horn is identical with the beast against the worship of which the third angel's message warns us. In Dan. 7:25 it is said of this power, that "he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws; and the shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." The laws here spoken of must be the laws of the Most High, even as the saints connected therewith are the saints of the Most High. Earthly powers have a right to change human laws; but the laws here spoken of are such as this power could only think to change, as a mark of its anti-Christian presumption, but not in reality be able to change. And this change pertains to the moral law of God; for it is a law with which the saints have to do during the 1260 years of Papal supremacy, which period is wholly in this dispensation. The ceremonial law is therefore out of the question.

      Then we ask, Who has fulfilled this remarkable prophecy? Who has changed or attempted to change the law of God? To come more directly to the point, Who has changed the Sabbath? And let it be noticed, that it is nowhere in the Scriptures intimated that there would be any change made or attempted, in the law of God, except by this power; therefore whatever change has been made in God's moral code, it has been done by this power. Let those consider well this fact, who claim that the Sabbath was changed by the Master Yahshua or his apostles.