Who Marks You?

It is a wise man who recognises signs of the times and also when the time is not yet.  Jesus taught His disciples it was not for them to know times and seasons God has in His own power, but they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them.  The disciples wondered about when the destruction of the temple would occur, the sign of His coming and the end of the world.  "When" questions burned within them, yet Jesus did not give them a future date so they could mark their diaries:  He wanted to teach them to look to Him in all seasons, recognise the signs of the times and lift up their heads knowing their redemption drew nigh.  Instead of grim concern, realising they were in the end times and things were going exactly according to God's plan would bolster their faith.

Because we have been given the word of God, the Bible, we can be certain what God has promised will surely come to pass.  The wisest among us who know what will happen cannot know when many things will happen.  Jesus warned His disciples not to be deceived, suggesting they would think the end was immediate when it was still afar off.  It was erroneous to think a sign meant you were at the final destination, and another error would be to imagine the rapture and second coming of Christ could not happen when Jesus stands at the door.  Jesus said in Matthew 24:6, "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet."  The beginning of sorrows was not to be confused with the end of all things.  There are many things that must occur before Christ's physical reign on earth in Jerusalem:  the rapture of the church, the rise of the antichrist who will rule all the nations with the false prophet, the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, the abomination of desolation (making the temple a place of worship of the antichrist or beast) and the mark of the beast.

I've been hearing murmurings about the "mark of the beast" for decades now, and I have heard much speculation over what the mark will consist of.  Back in the 80's people wondered if it would be a barcode, and then it was suggested to be a microchip.  We know there is nothing wrong with barcodes and microchips in themselves (though at the time they were a source of alarm for some), and I am certain when you bought whatever device you are reading this on they were involved.  Lately I've even heard some wonder if the mark of the beast could be a covid vaccine.  My sincere conviction is it would be impossible to be a vaccine because of the very precise description provided for us in the book of Revelation.  What the mark of the beast looks like is as irrelevant as the knowing the precise day and hour of Christ's return:  why the mark will be mandated is of primary importance.  The mark of the beast cannot be administered now because the beast (antichrist who must rule over all nations), the false prophet and the temple must be in place for it to be administered since the mark is directly tied to the worship of the beast.  None of these necessary parameters are currently in place.

In the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, John explained how the antichrist would be mortally wounded and empowered by Satan to recover.  While the world is amazed and entranced at the power of the beast (antichrist), the false prophet who does miraculous signs will be revealed.  Revelation 13:12-17 reads, "And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. ¹³ He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. ¹⁴ And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. ¹⁵ He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. ¹⁶ 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, ¹⁷ 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 is what the Bible teaches of the infamous "mark of the beast:"  it will be a mark mandated by the false prophet for all people as an act of worship of the beast.  Those who refuse to worship the beast will be killed, and whoever willingly worships the beast will have a visible mark "on their right hand or on their foreheads."  There is no reason to spiritualise what is plainly written.  Without the beast, the false prophet and the temple standing in Jerusalem, there can be no mark.  Friends, if the mark of the beast is a scary proposition for you, I understand what it is like to be afraid in the face of an uncertain future.  As a child I was a bit preoccupied with the true identity of the antichrist and was on guard to avoid receiving the mark of the beast because eternity in heaven hung in the balance (Rev. 19:20, 20:4).  I have learned my perspective was all wrong:  instead of looking for the antichrist in fear I am called to look to Jesus by faith; instead of being on guard against receiving the mark I ought to proclaim Christ boldly, heed His word and be led by the Holy Spirit.  I ought to rejoice I have been sealed by the Holy Spirit instead of living in fear of what the future holds.

Revelation 22:10-14 is a fitting conclusion: "And he said to me, "Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. ¹¹ He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still." ¹² "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." ¹⁴ Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city."  Jesus is coming quickly, believers, and let us look to Him as the Author and Finisher of our faith acknowledging His rule and power over all.  Having believed on Jesus, we have been born again and sealed with the Holy Spirit Who has marked us for eternal glory.  Like a shepherd distinguishes the sheep from the goats, we are known by God as His beloved children.  Let us walk in the glory of these eternal truths with God's love that casts out all fear.

Intercede at the Throne of Grace

In the book of Esther, when word reached Mordecai of the decree that all the Jews would be killed and plundered he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, went to the gate of the king and wailed bitterly in grief.  Mordecai did not venture within the gate wearing sackcloth because this was forbidden by the law.  

Esther 4:4-5 reads, "So Esther's maids and eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was deeply distressed. Then she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and take his sackcloth away from him, but he would not accept them. ⁵ Then Esther called Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs whom he had appointed to attend her, and she gave him a command concerning Mordecai, to learn what and why this was."

When Esther heard her cousin mourned in public, Esther was deeply distressed.  She sent clothes to Mordecai with desire to take away his sackcloth, but Mordecai refused.  Perhaps she wanted him to be properly clothed so he could enter the gate of the king and speak with her personally or to show she cared about him.  The problem was greater than Esther imagined, for the decree which had been signed impacted Mordecai, queen Esther and all the Jews in the realm because it condemned them to be executed and plundered on a set day.  Esther would initially have been glad and comforted if Mordecai received the clothing and stopped wailing, yet that would only be treating a symptom rather than the source of his grief.  We can be like Esther:  we can be distressed people are upset without even knowing why others grieve and what can be done to make a difference.  Without an explanation from Mordecai Esther could only guess what had happened and why he was so upset.

Esther was kind and compassionate to offer Mordecai new clothing.  In gaining her attention Mordecai demanded far more than this was necessary, for clothing would not save the Jews from destruction.  Mordecai sent a copy of the edict which sealed the doom of the Jewish people at the hand their enemies and urged her to bravely go before the king in violation of the law of the Medes and Persians (which cannot be altered) to plead for the lives of her people.  He reminded Esther she was a Jew, and being queen did not protect her from the arm of the law if she sheltered within the palace:  the law had gone out from there and would surely be enforced.  The law also said anyone who appeared before the king without being summoned would be executed unless the king held out the sceptre and immediately issued a pardon to the one who found favour in his sight.  To save her life, Mordecai and her people, Esther needed to risk her life trusting the LORD to be with her and help her whether she lived or died.

It struck me as I read this passage how initially Esther limited her efforts to the clothing of one man with an aim to assuage grief and suffering--providing for physical needs--while Mordecai desired Esther to go to king himself and accomplish with her request what smart new clothes could not.  What a glorious picture this is of the privilege of the child of God, that we have access and ability to come before God the KING OF KINGS when we see people sorrow and suffer with spiritual intercession.  Unlike Esther who was prohibited by law to enter the throne room of King Ahasuerus, we are invited to enter into God's throne room of grace.  We enter, not at the risk of our own necks, but because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead to provide access into the presence of the living God.  Since Jesus Christ our High Priest stands ready to hear, help and save Hebrews 4:16 reads:  "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  Seeking the LORD and interceding on behalf of others is the least and most we can do at the same time.

Knowing God and All His Works

"Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known all the works of the LORD which He had done for Israel."

Joshua 24:31

Whenever I read passages like this, I am not left with a feeling of satisfaction and gladness.  It is great Israel served the LORD during the life of Joshua and the elders who outlived Joshua, but the verses imply that after their passing the people stopped serving the LORD.  As the book of Judges tells us, that period of history was marked by people "doing what was right in their own eyes" and their negligence to obey what God had commanded in His covenant.  The people who knew the works of the LORD He had done for Israel feared and served Him, and it seems this knowledge died with them.

Judges 2:10-12 affirms, "When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel. ¹¹ Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals; ¹² and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger."  God delivered His people who forsook them into the hands of their enemies, and it was only when they found themselves in trouble they called out to the LORD who delivered them.  The book of Judges is a continual cycle of idolatry, oppression by enemies, crying out to God in repentance, God raising up a judge and delivering them, and then after the death of the judge the people returned to idols.

The knowledge of the LORD was more than memorising facts:  it was being convinced personally of His reality, power and goodness to save His people.  Interestingly, the first generation that came out of Egypt saw miracle after miracle, even walking through the Red Sea on dry ground, yet they did not believe God to obediently enter the land of promise.  It was the second generation who crossed over the Jordan on dry ground led by God and Joshua who saw His mighty works.  It was not an easy time for the Hebrews:  God's victory at Jericho was tempered by the defeat at Ai because of sin in the camp.  Joshua and the elders were tricked by the Gibeonites and made a covenant with them when God told them not to make a covenant with people of the land.  Many tribes became complacent and did not care to labour to possess all the land God gave them.  But God was faithful to do His wonders, and the people knew He was God in heaven and earth and served Him.

The generation raised in the promised land free from the hardship of battle or separation from family and friends did not know the LORD nor the work He did for them.  There was a sense of entitlement to a peaceful, prosperous life--not realising they inherited from the LORD houses they did not build, ate from fig and olive trees they did not plant, drank from wells they had not dug and made wine from vineyards they did not tend.  The older generation in Canaan, having lived as nomads and warriors looking to God for their daily bread, were glad to offer a life to their children they did not have.  Though they raised they children to know God they did not truly know Him without having to trust Him in adversity.  They did not need saving; all the provision they could want was provided in a land flowing with milk and honey.  It was not until they realised they needed help from God and humbled themselves in faith they began to know Him and His works like Joshua, the elders and the generation before them.

I believe this supplies an insightful parallel to children with Christian parents who have been raised in the church.  Children brought up by parents who know God and His works for them do not always know God themselves.  I am not suggesting parents ought to intentionally make life difficult for their children, for trials in this world are bound to come.  Our gracious God will allow them for His good purposes as He did for the children of Israel, Job and Jesus.  We can be guilty of trying to make life too easy for children:  by speaking for them, not being willing to ask probing questions when appropriate that may displease them(1 Kings 1:5-6), interfering with allowing reality to be the teacher, and sheltering them from the consequences of bad decisions.  The book of Judges shows the experiences, especially negative ones, have great capacity to aid us to grow spiritually as we draw near to God in faith.

It is amazing how God wants to work in the lives of adults as much as children, by challenging both parents and kids at the same time to learn to walk by faith in Him, obeying His Word and trusting Him in all things.  I believe parents have as much a need as children to grow and mature spiritually, and knowing God and all His works done for Israel (and us!) are critical during our journey of faith in following Jesus.

Remembered for Good

I admire the godly qualities seen in Nehemiah, a man who God prompted to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall and gates of Jerusalem which lay in ruins.  He was a man who feared God, received favour from God and his king, and was bold to press on in obedience whilst facing strong opposition.  Uniting people in the building of the wall was a great task, and even a more difficult task followed:  to ensure people continued to follow God in obedience to the Law of Moses when Nehemiah wasn't around.

God moved people as one to clear away debris, rebuild the ruins of Jerusalem stone by stone and hung the gates.  A great revival of religion followed where people put themselves under a covenant to observe and heed the Law.  After setting all in order, Nehemiah later returned to find the society as distressed and ruined as the walls burnt with fire:  Tobiah the enemy of Israel had been lodging in the temple in a storeroom cleared for him, the Levites had ceased ministering at the temple and went home because tithes and offerings were not being brought, the Sabbath was being broken, sellers from Tyre brought goods for sale on the Sabbath through the gates which were left open, and men of Israel were again marrying foreign wives--even the son of the high priest!  It was one thing when the heathen people of the land opposed the rebuilding of Israel, but it must have been even more disheartening to see God's people to adopt the practices of the heathen themselves.

Nehemiah was a take-charge kind of fellow out of the fear of the LORD, not because he felt slighted in any way.  He went to the guilty parties with the truth of God's word and put them in their place as Nehemiah 13:10-11 says, "I also realized that the portions for the Levites had not been given them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to his field. ¹¹ So I contended with the rulers, and said, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" And I gathered them together and set them in their place."  Understanding the proper order according to God's word and will is a key component in serving Him, and Moses, the prophet Elijah and David understood this.  As important as it was for Nehemiah to put the nobles in their place--in a posture of submission and obedience to God--it was important the nobles be willing to humbly remain in that place.  Korah and his fellow rebels would not submit to being put in their place, and God removed them.  King Saul began his reign in humility but was lifted up in pride which led to his ruin.  Men who are fixated on their "authority" often lose sight of God's authority over all, including them.

Three times in the final chapter of Nehemiah he prayed words that hearken forward to the believing thief who hung dying on a cross:  "Remember me."  He prayed in Nehemiah 13:14, "Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services!"  God, cannot forget anything, has seen fit to record the words and deeds of Nehemiah so all people would remember what godly, humble leadership looks like in the fear of the LORD and submission to God and king.  Nehemiah spoke forth the word of God with boldness to nobles and Levites alike in Nehemiah 13:22:  "And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy!"  The closing sentence of the book is, "Remember me, O my God, for good."  Praise the LORD our good, merciful God remembers and spares His beloved who fear Him.