The most fearful threatening ever addressed to mortals is contained in the third angel’s message found in Revelation 14:9-11: “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation…”

It is a solemn warning to you and me, dear friend.  It is a warning to everyone on this earth.  To worship the beast, the image, and to receive the mark of the beast means to receive the wrath of God.  The wrath of God is contained in the seven last plagues, which are reserved for the ungodly, and not for the obedient righteous.  God protects His people during the outpouring of His wrath.

Who is this beast mentioned in Revelation 14?
Is it some charismatic person who has the power to perform wonders and miracles?
Is it a sophisticated computer in Switzerland that issues cards bearing the number 666?
Is it Communist China?
Who is the Beast??

I believe we need to know for sure. Wouldn’t you agree? We cannot just speculate, since it is a life-and-death matter.
God describes the beast in chapter 13 of the book of Revelation, and gives us some characteristics by which to identify the beast.
Let us prayerfully study our Bibles so that we can determine who this beast is. God wants us to be informed and to know. He doesn’t want us to perish.
In Revelation 13:1, John describes a beast coming up out o the sea having 7 heads with names of blasphemy written on them. It also has 10 horns with crowns upon them. That sure is a strange kind of beast.  What does it all mean to you, dear friend?

A beast in Bible prophecy represents a power or kingdom. (Daniel 7:23.)
Verse 2 of Revelation, chapter 13 further describes this beast. “And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, his mouth as the mouth of a lion.”
Who is this beast?

From all the information that is given to us in this chapter and other facts found in the book of Daniel, we come to the conclusion that this beast is none other than the papal system. Prophecy speaks about the system, not the individual believers of the organization.

What characteristics does the Bible cite that lead us to conclude that the beast is the papal system?  Let’s examine some of these identifying specifications.
In Revelation 13:5 we read that the beast was to blaspheme against God.  What is the meaning of blasphemy?  In John 10:33 Jesus was accused of blasphemy by the Pharisees, because He claimed to be God.  And in Matthew 9:13, He was accused because He claimed to have the power to forgive sins.  Jesus could not have committed the sin of blasphemy since He is God and can forgive.

Now then, is there anyone in the religious world who is guilty of blasphemy?  Do we find anyone claiming to be God? Consider, please, these statements from Catholic sources which reveal the attitude of the church on this subject.

“In 1335 Bishop Alvarez Pelayo lays down the doctrine that as Christ partook of the nature of God and man, so the Pope… is not simply a man, but rather a God on Earth.”  Henry C. Lea, Studies in Church History,p. 389.

Here is another statement:
“The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but He is Jesus Christ Himself, hidden under the veil of flesh.” The Catholic National, July 1895.
I’d like to present another statement found in The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, page 27:  We read:
Question:  Who is the Holy Father or Pope?
Answer:  The Holy Father or Pope is the Visible Head of the Church, the Successor of St. Peter and the Vicar of Christ on earth.” Vicar means “a substitute or the one in the place of.”
Besides these claims, the papacy also claims to have power to forgive sinners.  Is this a fact or just hearsay?  Let’s see.  Turning to Geiermann’s Catechism, p. 81, we read.

Question:  What is confession?
Answer:  Confession is the telling of our sins to the priest of God to obtain forgiveness.”
The Pope is the vicar of Christ…The claims of the Pope are the same as the claims of Christ… Christ can forgive all sin. So can the Pope.”  Syracuse Post-Standard, March 14, 1912.
Yet another statement:  “The priest not only declares that the sinner is forgiven, but He really forgives Him… So great is the power of the priest that the judgments of Heaven itself are subject to his decision.” Rev. Michael Mueller in ‘The Catholic Priest.’

Another identifying characteristic is found in Revelation 13:18. This verse deals with the number 666.  It is interesting and significant to note that one of the titles of the Pope of Rome is Vicarius Filii Dei.  It is a Latin title and means Vicar of the Son of God.  The numerical value of the letters comprising the words Vicarius Filii Dei add up to 666, just as the Bible indicated. (V is Roman numeral 5; I is 1; C is one hundred, etc.)

Still another identifying characteristic of this beast is found in Daniel 7:25.  “And 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.”  Do we know of any person or organization that has admitted to having changed the law of God?  Remember, dear reader, God’s moral law as shown in the 10 commandments can never be changed, but someone can think to change them.  Papal Rome admits that it has changed God’s rest day, the 7th day Sabbath, to Sunday, a man-made institution.

Can I prove this fact from a Catholic publication? The Converts Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, by Peter Geierman, p. 50:
Question:  Which is the Sabbath day?
Answer:  Saturday is the Sabbath day.

Question:  Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
Answer:  We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea (A.D. 336) transferred the Solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.”  These words are clear and they leave no doubt or question in our minds.

Now you may be wondering what the Protestant churches have to say about the Sabbath day. This is what the Congregationalists say:  “It is quite clear that however rigidly or devotedly we may spend Sunday, we are not keeping the Sabbath…The Sabbath was founded on a specific, divine command.  We can plead no such command for the observance of Sunday. There is not a single line in the New Testament to suggest that we incur any penalty by violating the supposed sanctity of Sunday.”  Dr. R. W. Dale, The Ten Commandments, pp.106-107.

What do the Presbyterians say?  “There is no word, no hint in the New Testament about abstaining from work on Sunday.  The observance of Ash Wednesday, or Lent, stands exactly on the same footing as the observance of Sunday.  Into the rest of Sunday no Divine Law enters.”  Canon Eyton, in The Ten Commandments.

What do the Anglicans say?  “And where are we told to keep the first day at all?  We are commanded to keep the seventh; but we are nowhere commanded to keep the first day.”  Isaac Williams, Plain Sermons on the Catechism, pp. 334-336.

I will not quote what the Baptists, the Lutherans, Free Church, Episcopalians, Methodists, Disciples of Christ, and the Southern Baptists say.  They all write in their books that the change from Saturday to Sunday is not warranted by the Bible.
Friends, look into the subject more thoroughly.  Read your Bible to see whether God has authorized a change of the Sabbath. You will not find it.
At this time you may be wondering about the Mark of the Beast. What does it mean?

Turning to Revelation 13 we learn that Persecution will raise its ugly head in the United States. Those who are faithful will not be able to buy or sell. This means that they will not be permitted to purchase the basic necessities to sustain life.  Your local supermarket will deny you food, unless you are a worshipper of the beast.  You will not be able to buy gas for your car, clothing, furniture or any­thing else, unless you are a worshipper of the beast. Sounds preposterous?  Not at all!

Our freedoms will disappear, especially the freedom to worship according to the dictates of our conscience.
There will be terrible times in the United States.  The national government will unite with the churches to enforce a strict Sunday law.  It will demand that we worship on Sunday.  “Those who honor the Bible Sabbath will be denounced as enemies of law and order, as breaking down the moral restraints of society, causing anarchy and corruption, and calling down the judgments of God upon the earth.  The conscientious scruples will be pronounced obstinacy, stubbornness and contempt of authority.  They will be accused of disaffection toward the government.  Ministers who deny the obligation of the divine law will present from the pulpit the duty of yielding obedience to the civil authorities as ordained of God.  In legislative halls and courts of justice, commandment-keepers will be misrepresented and condemned.  A false coloring will be given to their words; the worst construction will be put upon their motives. The Great Controversy, p. 592.

Friends, we are headed toward a crisis.  The man-made institution of Sunday will be exalted and people will be expected to give reverence to this day.  However, there will be a minority who will be faithful to God and who will keep the true Sabbath-day–Saturday.

You may have to stand seemingly all alone in this soon-to-come battle, but your fidelity will be richly rewarded.
Now is the time to prepare for the final test.  Now is the time to awake.  Now is the time to keep all the Ten Commandments. John the Revelator says:  ‘Blessed are they that do his command­ments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”  Revelation 22:14.