The Mark of the Beast

[Ben Masada]

The Mark of the Beast

Christians, especially Protestants, and among them, the Seventh-Day Adventists in particular, enjoy to talk about the mark of the Beast; and with fantastic definitions, that only make a ridiculous picture of themselves. Then, they charge each other with the potential to get the mark of the Beast. They think of almost everything but the real thing, which is given by the NT itself.

The mark of the Beast appears in conjunction with the Antichrist. Morphologically, the term Antichrist is composed of two words: Anti and Christ. Anti means to stand against or to contradict. Christ means what Christians believe Jesus was. So, what stands against Christ is only obvious that it means the Antichrist.

According to Matthew 5:17, Jesus declared that he had not come to abolish the Jewish laws. Then, 30 years later, Paul came and said that what Jesus said was not true, but rather that the Jewish laws were abolished on the cross. (Ephe. 2:15)

As we can see, Paul stood against what Jesus said by contradicting his words about his purpose regarding the Jewish laws. If Jesus was indeed Christ, as Christians believe he was, it's only obvious that Paul acted as the Antichrist.

Now, where did Paul say the Jewish laws were abolished? On the cross. And what did the cross mean to him? "God forbid," he said, "that I should glory in anything save in the cross." The cross meant the glory of Paul. (Gal. 6:14)

Now, we have the mark of the Beast: The cross, a symbol of shame and a curse to the Anointed of the Lord, who, in the words of Habakkuk 3:13, is the People of Israel, the Jewish People.

Now, your comments are welcome.

Ben.

[dunsapy]

Now, where did Paul say the Jewish laws were abolished? On the cross. And what did the cross mean to him? "God forbid," he said, "that I should glory in anything save in the cross." The cross meant the glory of Paul. (Gal. 6:14)

Gal 6:14 Never may it occur that I should boast, except in the torture stake of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been impaled to me and I to the world.
If you look into the history, Jesus did not die on a cross. Actually this was taken from, the pagans. Who used the cross in false worship of Sun Gods and even sexual worship.


The Greek word rendered “cross� in many modern Bible versions (“torture stake� in NW) is stau‧ros′. In classical Greek, this word meant merely an upright stake, or pale. Later it also came to be used for an execution stake having a crosspiece. The Imperial Bible-Dictionary acknowledges this, saying: “The Greek word for cross, [stau‧ros′], properly signified a stake, an upright pole, or piece of paling, on which anything might be hung, or which might be used in impaling [fencing in] a piece of ground. . . . Even amongst the Romans the crux (from which our cross is derived) appears to have been originally an upright pole.�—Edited by P. Fairbairn (London, 1874), Vol. I, p. 376.

[tlong]

Now, where did Paul say the Jewish laws were abolished? On the cross. And what did the cross mean to him? "God forbid," he said, "that I should glory in anything save in the cross." The cross meant the glory of Paul. (Gal. 6:14)

Gal 6:14 Never may it occur that I should boast, except in the torture stake of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been impaled to me and I to the world.
If you look into the history, Jesus did not die on a cross. Actually this was taken from, the pagans. Who used the cross in false worship of Sun Gods and even sexual worship.


The Greek word rendered “cross� in many modern Bible versions (“torture stake� in NW) is stau‧ros′. In classical Greek, this word meant merely an upright stake, or pale. Later it also came to be used for an execution stake having a crosspiece. The Imperial Bible-Dictionary acknowledges this, saying: “The Greek word for cross, [stau‧ros′], properly signified a stake, an upright pole, or piece of paling, on which anything might be hung, or which might be used in impaling [fencing in] a piece of ground. . . . Even amongst the Romans the crux (from which our cross is derived) appears to have been originally an upright pole.�—Edited by P. Fairbairn (London, 1874), Vol. I, p. 376.

The NEW TESTAMENT was not written in classical Greek. It was written in coinea Greek. This would be the same as using Spanish words to interpret the NT.

[dunsapy]

The use of the cross as a religious symbol goes back much further than the time of Christ and is thus of non-Christian origin. An example is its use in India in ancient times. There, in the Cave of Elephanta, a cross can be seen over the head of a figure engaged in massacring infants. In another ancient Indian painting the god Krishna is represented with six arms, three of which are holding a cross.
When the Spanish conquistadores took over parts of the Americas, they were surprised to find religious crosses in many places. Writes author Baring-Gould in his book Curious Myths of the Middle Ages: “In the state of Oaxaca [Mexico], the Spaniards found that wooden crosses were erected as sacred symbols . . . In South America, the same sign was considered symbolical and sacred. It was revered in Paraguay. In Peru the Incas honoured a cross made out of a single piece of jasper . . . Among the Muyscas at Cumana the cross . . . was believed to be endued with power to drive away evil spirits; consequently new-born children were placed under the sign.�
In other parts of the world, the cross has been revered from ancient times and credited with mystic powers. Observes the Cyclopædia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature: “The sign of the cross is found as a holy symbol among several ancient nations, who may accordingly be named . . . devotees of the cross. . . . The symbol of the cross appears to have been most various in its significations. Sometimes it is the Phallus [used in sex worship], sometimes the planet Venus.�

Showing that the cross was not a symbol used in early Christianity, the book Records of Christianity states: “Even the Cross was not directly employed in church decoration . . . The earliest symbol of Christ was a fish (second century); on the earliest carved tombs he is represented as the Good Shepherd (third century).� Also, J. Hall in his Dictionary of Subjects & Symbols in Art writes: “After the recognition of Christianity by Constantine the Great, and more so from the 5th cent., the cross began to be represented on sarcophagi [stone coffins], lamps, caskets and other objects.� Adds Sir E. A. Wallis Budge in Amulets and Talismans: “The cross did not become the supreme emblem and symbol of Christianity until the IVth century.� No, there is no record of the use of the cross by first-century Christians.
Interestingly, the cross that Constantine is reputed to have seen in the sky and then used as his military banner was not the Latin cross but the sign that some relate to sun worship (Constantine himself was a sun worshiper) and others to the Chi-Rho monogram—the first two letters of “Christ� in Greek. Since then the cross has been frequently used to add an aura of righteousness to unchristian military activities such as the Crusades, when many vile atrocities were committed by “soldiers of the Cross.�

[Ben Masada]

The use of the cross as a religious symbol goes back much further than the time of Christ and is thus of non-Christian origin. An example is its use in India in ancient times. There, in the Cave of Elephanta, a cross can be seen over the head of a figure engaged in massacring infants. In another ancient Indian painting the god Krishna is represented with six arms, three of which are holding a cross.
When the Spanish conquistadores took over parts of the Americas, they were surprised to find religious crosses in many places. Writes author Baring-Gould in his book Curious Myths of the Middle Ages: “In the state of Oaxaca [Mexico], the Spaniards found that wooden crosses were erected as sacred symbols . . . In South America, the same sign was considered symbolical and sacred. It was revered in Paraguay. In Peru the Incas honoured a cross made out of a single piece of jasper . . . Among the Muyscas at Cumana the cross . . . was believed to be endued with power to drive away evil spirits; consequently new-born children were placed under the sign.�
In other parts of the world, the cross has been revered from ancient times and credited with mystic powers. Observes the Cyclopædia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature: “The sign of the cross is found as a holy symbol among several ancient nations, who may accordingly be named . . . devotees of the cross. . . . The symbol of the cross appears to have been most various in its significations. Sometimes it is the Phallus [used in sex worship], sometimes the planet Venus.�

Showing that the cross was not a symbol used in early Christianity, the book Records of Christianity states: “Even the Cross was not directly employed in church decoration . . . The earliest symbol of Christ was a fish (second century); on the earliest carved tombs he is represented as the Good Shepherd (third century).� Also, J. Hall in his Dictionary of Subjects & Symbols in Art writes: “After the recognition of Christianity by Constantine the Great, and more so from the 5th cent., the cross began to be represented on sarcophagi [stone coffins], lamps, caskets and other objects.� Adds Sir E. A. Wallis Budge in Amulets and Talismans: “The cross did not become the supreme emblem and symbol of Christianity until the IVth century.� No, there is no record of the use of the cross by first-century Christians.
Interestingly, the cross that Constantine is reputed to have seen in the sky and then used as his military banner was not the Latin cross but the sign that some relate to sun worship (Constantine himself was a sun worshiper) and others to the Chi-Rho monogram—the first two letters of “Christ� in Greek. Since then the cross has been frequently used to add an aura of righteousness to unchristian military activities such as the Crusades, when many vile atrocities were committed by “soldiers of the Cross.�

Hi Dunsapy, this post of yours is a very interesting piece of information, but the issue here is not about a history of the cross. It does not matter how old is the cross, or the reasons it was used in other countries or cultures. In Israel the Romans used to crucify thousands of Jews, and it acquired the fame of a Jewish curse. And what made me think of the cross as the mark of the Beast is the fact that many Christian still get it as a sign printed on their forehead.

Ben

[dunsapy]

Hi Dunsapy, this post of yours is a very interesting piece of information, but the issue here is not about a history of the cross. It does not matter how old is the cross, or the reasons it was used in other countries or cultures. In Israel the Romans used to crucify thousands of Jews, and it acquired the fame of a Jewish curse. And what made me think of the cross as the mark of the Beast is the fact that many Christian still get it as a sign printed on their forehead.

Sorry I missed this post, for a few days. If there is no activity for a few days I move on.
The cross is used by many Christians as a symbol of of their Christian belief. It is interesting that the symbol itself is of pagan origin. And when looked into historically , was not used, by the Romans , to impale Jesus on. Idolatry ( the veneration of symbols , pictures, carvings, etc, is condemned in the bible.)
One other thing that is interesting , is the mark of the wild beast, the number 666.
In the Scriptures, certain numbers have symbolic significance. The number seven, for example, is often used to symbolize that which is complete, or perfect, in God’s eyes. For instance, God’s creative week comprises seven ‘days,’ or extended time periods, during which God completely accomplishes his creative purpose regarding the earth. (Genesis 1:3–2:3) God’s “sayings� are like silver that has been “clarified seven times,� thus perfectly refined. (Psalm 12:6; Proverbs 30:5, 6) The leper Naaman was told to bathe seven times in the Jordan River, after which he was completely healed.—2 Kings 5:10, 14.
Six is one short of seven. Would it not be a fitting symbol of something imperfect, or defective, in God’s eyes? Yes, indeed! (1 Chronicles 20:6, 7) Moreover, six repeated three times, as 666, powerfully stresses that imperfection. That this is the correct view is supported by the fact that 666 is “a human number,� as we have considered. Thus, the beast’s record, its “human number,� and the number 666 itself all point to one unmistakable conclusion—gross shortcoming and failure in the eyes of Jehovah.
The clue to the meaning of 666 lies in its being “a man’s number,� or as The Amplified Bible puts it, “a human number.� This expression could not refer to an individual human, for Satan—not any man—has authority over the beast. (Luke 4:5, 6; 1 John 5:19; Revelation 13:2, 18) Rather, the beast’s having “a human number,� or mark, suggests that it is a human entity, not spirit or demon, and that it therefore manifests certain human traits. What might they be? The Bible answers, saying: “All [humans] have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.� (Romans 3:23) The beast’s having “a human number,� therefore, indicates that governments reflect the fallen human condition, the mark of sin and imperfection.
So in movies and in mans thinking this number has taken on an almost super natural kind of aura. But in reality, it just is showing the imperfection of man's governments.
The Bible book of Daniel sheds much light on the meaning of symbolic beasts. Chapter 7 contains a vivid tableau of “four huge beasts�—a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a fearsome beast with big teeth of iron. (Daniel 7:2-7) Daniel tells us that these beasts represent “kings,� or political kingdoms, that rule in succession over vast empires.—Daniel 7:17, 23.
Regarding the beast of Revelation 13:1, 2, The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible points out that it “combines in itself the joint characteristics of the four beasts of Daniel’s vision . . . Accordingly, this first beast [of Revelation] represents the combined forces of all political rule opposed to God in the world.� This observation is affirmed by Revelation 13:7, which says of the beast: “Authority was given it over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.�
Why does the Bible use beasts as symbols of human rulership? For at least two reasons. First, because of the beastly record of bloodshed that governments have accrued over the centuries. “War is one of the constants of history,� wrote historians Will and Ariel Durant, “and has not diminished with civilization or democracy.� How true that “man has dominated man to his injury�! (Ecclesiastes 8:9) The second reason is that “the dragon [Satan] gave to the beast its power and its throne and great authority.� (Revelation 12:9; 13:2) Accordingly, human rulership is a product of the Devil, thus reflecting his beastly, dragonlike disposition.—John 8:44; Ephesians 6:12.
This does not mean, however, that every human ruler is a direct tool of Satan. Indeed, in one sense, human governments serve as “God’s minister,� giving structure to human society, without which chaos would rule. And some leaders have protected fundamental human rights, including the right to engage in true worship—something that Satan does not want. (Romans 13:3, 4; Ezra 7:11-27; Acts 13:7) Still, because of the Devil’s influence, no human or human institution has ever been able to bring lasting peace and security to the people.

[Ben Masada]

Sorry I missed this post, for a few days. If there is no activity for a few days I move on.
The cross is used by many Christians as a symbol of of their Christian belief. It is interesting that the symbol itself is of pagan origin. And when looked into historically , was not used, by the Romans , to impale Jesus on. Idolatry ( the veneration of symbols , pictures, carvings, etc, is condemned in the bible.)
One other thing that is interesting , is the mark of the wild beast, the number 666.
In the Scriptures, certain numbers have symbolic significance. The number seven, for example, is often used to symbolize that which is complete, or perfect, in God’s eyes. For instance, God’s creative week comprises seven ‘days,’ or extended time periods, during which God completely accomplishes his creative purpose regarding the earth. (Genesis 1:3–2:3) God’s “sayings� are like silver that has been “clarified seven times,� thus perfectly refined. (Psalm 12:6; Proverbs 30:5, 6) The leper Naaman was told to bathe seven times in the Jordan River, after which he was completely healed.—2 Kings 5:10, 14.
Six is one short of seven. Would it not be a fitting symbol of something imperfect, or defective, in God’s eyes? Yes, indeed! (1 Chronicles 20:6, 7) Moreover, six repeated three times, as 666, powerfully stresses that imperfection. That this is the correct view is supported by the fact that 666 is “a human number,� as we have considered. Thus, the beast’s record, its “human number,� and the number 666 itself all point to one unmistakable conclusion—gross shortcoming and failure in the eyes of Jehovah.
The clue to the meaning of 666 lies in its being “a man’s number,� or as The Amplified Bible puts it, “a human number.� This expression could not refer to an individual human, for Satan—not any man—has authority over the beast. (Luke 4:5, 6; 1 John 5:19; Revelation 13:2, 18) Rather, the beast’s having “a human number,� or mark, suggests that it is a human entity, not spirit or demon, and that it therefore manifests certain human traits. What might they be? The Bible answers, saying: “All [humans] have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.� (Romans 3:23) The beast’s having “a human number,� therefore, indicates that governments reflect the fallen human condition, the mark of sin and imperfection.
So in movies and in mans thinking this number has taken on an almost super natural kind of aura. But in reality, it just is showing the imperfection of man's governments.
The Bible book of Daniel sheds much light on the meaning of symbolic beasts. Chapter 7 contains a vivid tableau of “four huge beasts�—a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a fearsome beast with big teeth of iron. (Daniel 7:2-7) Daniel tells us that these beasts represent “kings,� or political kingdoms, that rule in succession over vast empires.—Daniel 7:17, 23.
Regarding the beast of Revelation 13:1, 2, The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible points out that it “combines in itself the joint characteristics of the four beasts of Daniel’s vision . . . Accordingly, this first beast [of Revelation] represents the combined forces of all political rule opposed to God in the world.� This observation is affirmed by Revelation 13:7, which says of the beast: “Authority was given it over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.�
Why does the Bible use beasts as symbols of human rulership? For at least two reasons. First, because of the beastly record of bloodshed that governments have accrued over the centuries. “War is one of the constants of history,� wrote historians Will and Ariel Durant, “and has not diminished with civilization or democracy.� How true that “man has dominated man to his injury�! (Ecclesiastes 8:9) The second reason is that “the dragon [Satan] gave to the beast its power and its throne and great authority.� (Revelation 12:9; 13:2) Accordingly, human rulership is a product of the Devil, thus reflecting his beastly, dragonlike disposition.—John 8:44; Ephesians 6:12.
This does not mean, however, that every human ruler is a direct tool of Satan. Indeed, in one sense, human governments serve as “God’s minister,� giving structure to human society, without which chaos would rule. And some leaders have protected fundamental human rights, including the right to engage in true worship—something that Satan does not want. (Romans 13:3, 4; Ezra 7:11-27; Acts 13:7) Still, because of the Devil’s influence, no human or human institution has ever been able to bring lasting peace and security to the people.

Hi Dunsapy, now, you connect the mark of the Beast with the number 666. and I don't see anything in those numbers. You connect it with the Devil or Satan. We Jews don't believe in Devil or Satan. This is only a concept to illustrate the evil inclination in man. In fact, I connected the mark of the Beast with the cross but just to incriminate Paul, vis-a-vis Jesus being the Christ, as Christians believe. But to me the real mark of the Beat is the antisemitic mark in the character of the anti-Semite. Why? Because, according to Habakkuk 3:13 and Isaiah 53, Israel is the Messiah or Christ. Therefore, any antisemite is an antichrist and therefore, carries
the mark of the Beast.[/b]

[dunsapy]

Hi Dunsapy, now, you connect the mark of the Beast with the number 666. and I don't see anything in those numbers. You connect it with the Devil or Satan. We Jews don't believe in Devil or Satan. This is only a concept to illustrate the evil inclination in man. In fact, I connected the mark of the Beast with the cross but just to incriminate Paul, vis-a-vis Jesus being the Christ, as Christians believe. But to me the real mark of the Beat is the antisemitic mark in the character of the anti-Semite. Why? Because, according to Habakkuk 3:13 and Isaiah 53, Israel is the Messiah or Christ. Therefore, any antisemite is an antichrist and therefore, carries
the mark of the Beast.[/b]

I was wondering then what you think of this scripture?
God is talking with Satan. Satan even explains what he has been doing.

Job 1:6 Now it came to be the day when the sons of the [true] God entered to take their station before Jehovah, and even Satan proceeded to enter right among them.
7 Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Where do you come from?� At that Satan answered Jehovah and said: “From roving about in the earth and from walking about in it.� 8 And Jehovah went on to say to Satan: “Have you set your heart upon my servant Job, that there is no one like him in the earth, a man blameless and upright, fearing God and turning aside from bad?� 9 At that Satan answered Jehovah and said: “Is it for nothing that Job has feared God? 10 Have not you yourself put up a hedge about him and about his house and about everything that he has all around? The work of his hands you have blessed, and his livestock itself has spread abroad in the earth. 11 But, for a change, thrust out your hand, please, and touch everything he has [and see] whether he will not curse you to your very face.� 12 Accordingly Jehovah said to Satan: “Look! Everything that he has is in your hand. Only against him himself do not thrust out your hand!� So Satan went out away from the person of Jehovah.

[Ben Masada]

I was wondering then what you think of this scripture?
God is talking with Satan. Satan even explains what he has been doing.

Job 1:6 Now it came to be the day when the sons of the [true] God entered to take their station before Jehovah, and even Satan proceeded to enter right among them.
7 Then Jehovah said to Satan: “Where do you come from?� At that Satan answered Jehovah and said: “From roving about in the earth and from walking about in it.� 8 And Jehovah went on to say to Satan: “Have you set your heart upon my servant Job, that there is no one like him in the earth, a man blameless and upright, fearing God and turning aside from bad?� 9 At that Satan answered Jehovah and said: “Is it for nothing that Job has feared God? 10 Have not you yourself put up a hedge about him and about his house and about everything that he has all around? The work of his hands you have blessed, and his livestock itself has spread abroad in the earth. 11 But, for a change, thrust out your hand, please, and touch everything he has [and see] whether he will not curse you to your very face.� 12 Accordingly Jehovah said to Satan: “Look! Everything that he has is in your hand. Only against him himself do not thrust out your hand!� So Satan went out away from the person of Jehovah.

Dunsapy, the book of Job is a Jewish novel with the purpose to teach about the place of Israel in the Council of God. In reality, Job never existed. And God, as is described in this book, is not that anthropomorphic to be persuaded by Satan, which is also an imaginary figure. The items in the book of Job are of the same material that happens only in dreams and visions.

[Ben Masada]

These laws were given to the Jews, not the gentiles and as long as that system of the priests were in effect, those laws were also. But Jesus is the end of the law. the Jewish system was finished as far as God was concerned. Jesus death freed us from that law and Jesus set a new covenant, that was based on love. To keep parts of the law is saying that Jesus death was not complete in that is didn't atone for all of the law, but just some parts of it.

Dunsapy, tell me, who decided that Jesus was the end of the Law, Paul? Yes, it's what I found in Romans 10:4. But who was Paul, an apostate from Jduaism? How can such a man have the authority to decide for Jesus when Jesus had already declared the opposite?

Oh yes, Jesus had declared in Matthew 5:17-19 that he had not come to abolish the Law but to observe it and to make sure we all did the same. Then, about 30 years later came Paul and said that what Jesus said was not true. That indeed, the Law was abolished in the cross. (Ephe. 2:15) You and I know that this is not what Jesus said. There is no other way to look at this but as Paul contradicting Jesus. To contradict is to stand against. Against and "anti" is the same. If you believe that Jesus was Christ, something is confirmed here about Paul.

Who decided that Jesus' death freed us from the Law? And why only the death of Jesus? Didn't the Romans crucify thousands of Jews just as they did Jesus? Didn't
the death of the others mean a thing?

I hope you will never have to go to Court for a crime committed. But if this ever happens, try to tell the Judge that you are no longer under the Law, and wait to hear what he or she will have to tell you. Do you think you'll be allowed to go free? [/be]

[dunsapy]

Dunsapy, tell me, who decided that Jesus was the end of the Law, Paul? Yes, it's what I found in Romans 10:4. But who was Paul, an apostate from Jduaism? How can such a man have the authority to decide for Jesus when Jesus had already declared the opposite?

Hebrews 8:13 In his saying “a new [covenant]� he has made the former one obsolete. Now that which is made obsolete and growing old is near to vanishing away

Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the Law, so that everyone exercising faith may have righteousness.

Mathew 5:17 “Do not think I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I came, not to destroy, but to fulfill; 18 for truly I say to YOU that sooner would heaven and earth pass away than for one smallest letter or one particle of a letter to pass away from the Law by any means and not all things take place.

Romans 7:6 But now we have been discharged from the Law, because we have died to that by which we were being held fast, that we might be slaves in a new sense by the spirit, and not in the old sense by the written code.

Ephesians 2:15 By means of his flesh he abolished the enmity, the Law of commandments consisting in decrees, that he might create the two peoples in union with himself into one new man and make peace;

Colossians 2:13 Furthermore, though YOU were dead in YOUR trespasses and in the uncircumcised state of YOUR flesh, [God] made YOU alive together with him. He kindly forgave us all our trespasses 14 and blotted out the handwritten document against us, which consisted of decrees and which was in opposition to us; and He has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the torture stake.


all these scriptures are talking about Jesus, fulfilling the Law, and ending it.
And in Mathew 5:17 means that Jesus said he came to fulfill the Law but if he could not do that the Law would remain, but he succeed in doing that , so the Law was fulfilled.