Is the mark of the beast (666) a new thing?
Ecclesiastes 1:10 "Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us."
Revelation 13:16 "And 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:"
In the context of this verse, the "he", is the false prophet together with the beast, who causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark IN their bodies.
Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us."
Someone asked me before, if the mark of the beast will be a new thing. Well, not according to Ecclesiastes 1:9-10. If the experimental gene therapy is a foreshadow to the mark, then it will bear the characteristics of mark. An example to consider would be the image of gold in the days of Daniel which bore the pattern of the number 6 all over, as in:
Daniel 3:1 "Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon."
Would you say that the image of gold is the image of the beast?
Revelation 13:15 "And 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."
While they may not exactly be the same, the golden image in Daniel 3 certainly has the characteristics of the image of the beast in Revelation 13. The keyword is “shadow” as in
Job 8:9 "(For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:)"
Colossians 2:17 "Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ."
The things which have happened is a foreshadow of that which is to come, that is to say, the people who have bowed down and worshipped the golden image in time past, would also be the people who will bow down and worship the image of the beast.
Revelation 13:18 "Here 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 number of the beast is ‘666’, and this same number is also found in connection to “gold”, as in:
1 Kings 10:14 "¶ Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,"
This is the Spirit of God connecting spiritual things to spiritual things. Link this back to the image of gold in Daniel 3:1. Hmm... Indeed, the thing that hath been, it is that which shall be. There is no new thing under the sun. Amen.
What connects those people in the time of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego to the people in the time of the image of the beast in Revelation 13? It is the words they have received in their hearts, just like how the same word of God was sown in the hearts of every born again believer from time past until now.
Amos 3:3 "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?"
Notice the pattern of the number 22 embedded in this verse i.e. "can TWO walk TOGETHER...?" 22 is the number of times "mystery" is found in the 1611 King James Bible. The ones who choose to walk together are in agreement doctrinally. While they may be separated by time and space, they are in agreement according to the words which have been sown in their hearts. There are people which I don't know personally, and it has always been a mystery to me how the word of God is able to transcend time, distance, language and ethnicity and cause us to walk together as if we are one body, having the same love, being of one accord, and of one mind.
Proverbs 4:18-19 "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. 19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble."
There are those that are saved and born again, and they agreed and walk together in one direction: according to the will of God. But, there are also those that are lost and twice dead, and they also agreed and walk together in one direction: against the will of God. It is mystery how the world is divided into two groups according to what's in their hearts, which is either for the will of God or against the will of God. BTW, this phrase "the will of God" is also found exactly 22 times in the 1611 King James Bible. All these have to do with the idea of "mystery".
On the topic of the experimental gene therapy, clearly the governments around the world are playing the role of the false prophet of Revelation 13 who causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark IN their bodies. There is an evil spirit working in them and through them to fulfill the mystery of God according to the words that have been sown in their hearts.
Ephesians 2:2 "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:"
The end of the false prophet is to be cast into the lake of fire to be burn for ever and ever:
Revelation 19:19-20 "And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone."
Except they repent, they shall likewise bear the punishment of their iniquity.
John 12:48 "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."
God shall recompense them according to their works. Amen.