God created humanity to reflect His image (Genesis 1:26, 27). Sin, however has marred that image and separated humanity from God (Isaiah 59:1, 2). The plan of salvation focuses on the miraculous tranformation, through divine power, of sinful human beings back into the image of God (1 Corinthians 15:48, 49). In the book of Revelation, this completed work of restoration and redemption is signified by the seal of God placed on the foreheads of the servants of the living God (Revelation 7:1-3). This seal represents their acceptance of what Christ has done for them as well as their cooperation with the Holy Spirit’s work of writing the principles of God’s moral law on their minds and hearts (Hebrews 8:15, 16). Those that receive the seal of God and the image of God are “new creatures” through faith in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and no longer serve sin (Romans 6:3-5). They are, quite literally, living images that reflect the character of Jesus Christ (Revelation 14:1-5).

The image of the beast represents a demonic counterfeit of God’s work and His plan of salvation of recreating His image, or character, in people. The image of the beast is first mentioned in Revelation 13:11-18.  

• “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. ¹²And 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. ¹³And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, ¹⁴And 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. ¹⁵And 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. ¹⁶And 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: ¹⁷And 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. ¹⁸Here 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 Six hundred threescore and six.”

The apostle John received this prophecy while imprisoned late in the first century.  In order to understand the application of the prophecy, several symbolic terms must be identified.  The symbol “another beast” draws attention to the first beast with seven heads and ten horns that arose from the sea (Revelation 13:1-10), that all the Protestant reformers identified as the papal church. However, the second beast was seen to arise from the earth. Conversely, since “sea” is defined as “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (Revelation 17:15), this second beast arising from the earth can be identified as the United States of America (U.S.), a nation formed in a new, largely unpopulated land.

God warns the world that the U.S. will change dramatically, from a lamb-like character to that of a dragon. The U.S. will legislate “worship,” specifically in honor of the first persecuting beast, the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). The prophecy declares that this legislation will affect all who dwell on the earth.  The reference of an “image” is a copy; in this case the adoption of operating characteristics of the RCC as well as the replication of its day of rest, Sunday. Since the RCC has always maintained a “top-down” control over its membership, invoking the ideology of the “common good” to coerce individuals against their consciences, the U.S. is prophesied to do the same.  Indeed, during the globally declared pandemic of 2020, the U.S. played a prominent role in subjecting individuals to go against their convictions via coercive practices and threats.  

Already, the United Nations has embraced the idea of establishing a global day of rest, specifically Sunday. The “image” or copy of the RCC suggests heavy involvement from a religious component within the United States. Though the United States was primarily established with strict separation between the government and religions because of religious persecution in Europe during the Middle Ages, this prophecy predicts a dramatic change, an entire reversal of that founding principle.  The sources of its unique strength, as the symbols of its two horns directly imply, are true Protestantism (a protest against the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy) and a republic (a representative form of government).

God is telling this generation to expect a radical change to occur in order for His people to prepare to lose their individual freedom to worship according to God’s word. We know that God never changes. His word is constant from eternity past to eternity future. Jesus has a dual claim on humanity as the Creator of mankind and as their Redeemer by way of His substitutionary death as scripture requires according to Paul, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23. Until recently, all Christian religions believed in the Biblical account of creation of the world in six days.  Genesis 2:2-3 says, “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. ³And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” 

It is here we find the key of Jesus transforming our characters in preparation to be united with Him in heaven for eternity. Resting on the seventh day means recognizing and honoring our Creator. Furthermore, seventh-day rest is the true Sabbath and God’s “sign” according to Exodus 31:13-15; 

“Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. ¹⁴Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. ¹⁵Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.” 

This vital point is emphasized in the New Testament book of Hebrews, 

“For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. ⁴For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.” Hebrews 4:3-4.

Revelation 13:16-17 warns that the U.S. will soon legislate a counterfeit day of rest, Sunday, and that the penalties for failing to rest on Sunday will progress from a restriction of all commerce, up to and including the punishment of death for the supposed “greater good” of the people. This process was tested and honed to a high degree during the pandemic. Make no mistake. Each individual will choose whom to serve by their actions. All will either receive “the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name,” or have the seal of God “written in their foreheads.” (Revelation 7:2-3; 14:1; Ezekiel 9:4). God explicitly spells out that the sign of His people and His seal in their minds is spelled out in the only commandment beginning with the word, “Remember.”

Exo 20:8-11 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: ¹⁰But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: ¹¹For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” 

Notice God’s directive to work on the first six days, commemorating creation, including the first day, Sunday. Not only is the seventh day the sabbath of the LORD, Leviticus 23:3 indicates it is a “holy convocation”: “Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.”

Friends, this prophecy is too important to ignore.  God is providing advance notice of exactly how to avoid eternal loss by receiving the sanctifying power of our LORD Jesus Christ. Those living in this final hour of earth’s history are promised, “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.” Revelation 15:2.

Will you join this group of people taking a stand against global tyranny influenced by the enemy of souls? Will you avoid receiving the mark of the image of the beast?  The reward for taking a firm stand for biblical truth is to be with Jesus for eternity.