Not The Mark Of The Beast

The argument of Chapter 15 in the book makes it pretty clear that the rapture doctrine is false if it is necessary for rapture to occur to protect a believer from such a "mark of the beast".

What the proof actually shows is that grace in the gospel continues all the way through until the judgement, and the final damnation of the "unjust" is that "second death" rather than the supposed "mark of the beast", misinterpreted as an irredeemable fault under the law of faith.

So no, the mark of the beast is easily repented of - if one has the doctrine to stand apart from the last days church of the end - the "scarlet beast".

2Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (KJV)

Verse 1 opens with the hope that all believers are assembled together in hope for the return of Christ with the judgement and resurrection of the just. Verse 2 is actually a prophecy that there will come a false doctrine communicated via spirit (as from a seance) by false teaching (word of mouth) or by faked historicity (false scripture as from an apostle).

The rapture as a doctrine fulfils these requirements: From a spiritist Margaret Macdonald channeling, who first revealed the doctrine to false teachers as first sourced from John Nelson Darby who spread it abroad, then to it becoming commonplace as teaching in churches today. Numerous documents (letters as from those disciples) have "arisen" claiming the doctrine is far older - but that does still not make it true doctrine. The "gospel of judas" etc (oxymoronic as it is from the son of perdition) is no more a proof to the discerning Christian for its age than any other gnostic text of a forgotten cult.

Verse 3 assures us this is deception, and that the end will not arrive until the "Son of perdition" is revealed. This doctrine instead reveals antichrist; but antichrist is a spirit restrained: thus antichrist is then a false teacher preaching false doctrine openly in and more importantly, accepted in the church. (And not just that of the rapture). That falling away from sound doctrine must occur first for the son of perdition to operate freely. (With all his constitutionally proteced freedom.)

That false teacher in verse 4 (the son of perdition) preaches new doctrine in conflict with the gospel (as surely as the rapture in fact does) as if he were God, in the place of teaching only reserved for God (as with "new" doctrine). He manipulates his position also using God's name (the octal) to his own ends.

Paul had taught of these things to them before (verse 5), he had actually taught of the restrainer loosed which enables the falling away. We know Christ withholds the opening of the seals, to open them at His preference after the blowing of each trumpet. Then verse 6 has identified that the end of this sequence of seals (the loosed restraint) identifies the total worldliness of antichrist is then to be accepted and included in those churches supposedly only dedicated to God.

For this worldliness has already encroached upon the church of Paul's day (verse 7). When the seals are opened one by one, the four beasts do acknowledge the loosing of the broader paradigm in the churches (nations). Each hold back that restraint.

Verse 8 acknowledges that antichrist in the church (the false prophet) will be consumed with Christ's rejection and at the time of His coming (and not with some imagined "mark"). Verse 9 teaches that this encroachment into the church, of the tares sown of Satan is not without its deception and that is of miraculous growth as well as the setting up of the image system. He exercises all power (authority to freely operate) with signs (correspondences to the 144 states of the sealed as well as the rudiments of the kingdom of God - see the book chapter 9.) and with lying wonders (mysteries, the construction of charts and eschatological studies etc.)

Verse 10 states that those that perish (those tempted away by false doctrine) are decieved by Satan's un-righteousness: as they had not held firm to the truth of the gospel out of love for that truth - instead preferring a lie (verse 11). The delusion God sends is exceedingly strong: (incompatibility of virtue as supposed with the gospel. It doesn't say the lie is God's own; merely also that the associated delusion appears highly compatible for those in the church.) verse 12 states those decieved are damned for their lack of love in preserving the truth, as much as they lack sound doctrine.

So, the mark of the beast has not entered the discussion and I accept it will not from this passage. Both the "rapture" and its invented "mark" are as incompatible with grace as any lie of Satan. There is indeed a "mark of the beast" but it is able to be repented of, but being shut out as "wailing kindreds" or "foolish virgins" (if you are caught without sound doctrine) will leave you with the beasts mark scratched on your hand when you are judged before God. Scratches will then appear to heal if you apply the right oil!

Oil = doctrine, fire = spirit, light = virtue.

You must then have the doctrine to stand apart from those that would serve you nothing but damnation, truth leavened with little or much false doctrine. That "scratch" may be received from bad fellowship, not just doctrine. Buyer beware.

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