Lesson 11: The Seal of God and Mark of the Beast: Part 1

Memory Text: “Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads’” (Revelation 7:2, 3, NKJV).

As we study end-time events in regard to the mark of the beast, one crucial point that comes through is the difference between how God operates and how the enemy of souls does. As we have been studying, the central issues in the great controversy between Christ and Satan are loyalty, authority, and worship. The prophecies describing the beast power in Revelation 13, the little horn in Daniel 7, and the “son of perdition” in 2 Thessalonians 2 all speak of a power that usurps God’s authority, commands loyalty, and introduces a counterfeit system of worship. And it does so through the use of force, coercion, and at times bribes and rewards—all in order to compel worship.

In contrast, love is the great motivating force of the kingdom of God. Rather than worshiping the beast, God’s people find their greatest joy and highest delight in worshiping Him. They are committed to Him because they know how committed He is to them. There is only one thing that will keep any of us from receiving the mark of the beast in the end time—a love for Jesus so deep that nothing can break our hold upon Him. We will explore these themes further in this lesson.

Satan has many finely woven, dangerous nets which are made to appear innocent, but with which he is skillfully preparing to infatuate God’s people. There are ... an endless variety of enterprises constantly arising calculated to lead the people of God to love the world and the things that are in the world. Through this union with the world, faith becomes weakened. —Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 550. Without faith vs living faith - The work of conquering evil is to be done through faith. Those who go into the battlefield will find that they must put on the whole armor of God. The shield of faith will be their defense and will enable them to be more than conquerors in the battle against vast enemies of Satan.

If we indeed have our citizenship above, and a title to an immortal inheritance, an eternal substance, we have that faith which works by love and purifies the soul. We are members of the heavenly family, children of the heavenly King, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ [Romans 8:17]. At His coming we shall have the crown of life that fadeth not away.... The privileges granted to the children of God are without limit. —Sons and Daughters of God, p. 372.

It is not the fear of punishment, or the hope of everlasting reward, that leads the disciples of Christ to follow Him. They behold the Savior’s matchless love, revealed throughout His pilgrimage on earth, from the manager of Bethlehem to Calvary’s cross, and the sight of Him attracts, it softens and subdues the soul. Love awakens in the heart of the beholders. They hear His voice, and they follow Him. The soul that has given himself to Christ is more precious in His sight than the whole world. —The Desire of Ages, p. 480.

We must have a firm determination to do the Lord’s will at all times and in all places. Christian strength is obtained by serving the Lord faithfully. Young men and young women should realize that to be one with Christ is the highest honor to which they can attain by the strictest fidelity to Him and His commandments. My Life Today, p. 73.

Alternative YouTube Channel:
@NASF-ZASF Live® (@nzasflive): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf9IPs20pH6PcVLZSgUQznQ

Facebook pages:
1. Nanjing Adventist Students Fellowship: https://www.facebook.com/nanjingadventiststudentsfellowship/
2. Nanjing-Zhenjiang Adventist Students' Fellowship: https://www.facebook.com/nanjingzhenjiangadventiststudentsfellowship/

Our alternative YouTube platforms:
1. BitChute: https://www.bitchute.com/p2tslive
2. Brighteon: https://www.brighteon.com/channels/pt2tslive
3. Odysee: https://Odysee.com/p2tslive/
4. Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2609982
5. P2TSLive Community (BitChute): https://p2tslive.locals.com/

Twitter:
1. https://twitter.com/presenttruth/
2. https://twitter.com/nanjingzhenjiangadventiststudentsfellowship/

Helpful reading materials:
1. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1eHKxTS9wEpxY7tMc5UGfjtCtsaO7Rs4R?usp=share_link
2. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LeSvNzgx9raVCjoIQKXih1lzoFMQuWqY?usp=share_link

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@p2tslive

Kindly comment, share, subscribe, like, follow, and help grow our viewership. Send support, personal questions, prayer requests, and suggestions to nasfevangelism@gmail.com and presenttruthtalkshow@gmail.com