As stated previously, for the most part I have referenced the traditional Protestant eschatology in relation to this study of the Book of Revelation. This was the generally accepted eschatology of the Protestant church and virtually all evangelical Christians before the 1844 Advent Movement.

         An eschatology that emerged in this movement taught that the Book of Revelation was all about the end of the age and therefore, all futuristic. This conflicts with what is written at the beginning of Revelation. There John wrote that these things would “shortly come to pass.” They did begin to come to pass...

         This week we will cover Revelation 14:1-5, and the antithesis to the beast and his mark, which also reveals how we keep from worshiping the beast or taking its mark.

Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. 

And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing...

         Last week we briefly covered “the mark of the beast” as revealed in Revelation 13. This week we will cover Revelation 14:1-5, and the antithesis to the beast and his mark, which also reveals how we keep from worshiping the beast or taking its mark:

Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. 

And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound...

         Now we come to Revelation 13:11-18 and one of the most studied and famous passages in Revelation about “the mark of the beast.” I ask you to read this passage before we dig into what it means and how it may apply to us today.

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon.

He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first...

         Now we come to Revelation 13:1-10. I will share comments after each part:

And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.

         Of course, the dragon is the devil, and he stands at the edge of the sea until a beast comes up out of the sea. As we see in Isaiah 17 and later in this prophecy, the sea represents the multitudes—the peoples...