The Editor, Madam:
The Monday Star of July 17 introduced a word on page 17 which I think would boggle the brilliant minds of our young Gleaner spelling bee contestants. What's the word?
'Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia' (29) - the fear of the number 666 according to 'Ripley's Believe it or not.' Some of us may have watched the hype play out on cable with the superstitious events on June 6th last month (06/06/06) entailing, among other things, the strategic release of The Omen movie, mothers attempting to delay their births and prayer vigils.
Thinking people have every right to dismiss this absurd concept that the number of the beast referred to in Revelation 13:18 is going to boil down to some inscription/imprint or code being imposed on mankind.
The apocalypse mentions at least four different aspects/characteristics of the beast - its mark, its name, its number, its image - but as an Adventist, I think it's about time to carefully supply you with a theologically dynamic, distilled definition for the mark of the beast. "The mark of the beast is wilful knowledgeable approval of coercive Sunday observance in opposition to clear light on the Sabbath question and in harmony with classic Roman Catholicism.
As such the mark of the beast is evidence of personal character matured in opposition to God." (Daniel and Revelation Committee Series, Vol 7, Symposium on Revelation Book II, pg 118).
Mark you, no one has ever had the mark of the beast, or currently has it.
As I've written before in a Gleaner letter - concerning the foreshadowing examples of banned Sunday shopping in places like Germany, Croatia and Nova Scotia - "people will eventually have to choose between the commandments of God and the commandments of men [when] sincerely wrong Christian-minded people will think they are doing God a service by gradually enforcing draconian Sunday laws world-wide [to the extent] ' that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark .' Revelation 13:16,17." (Who will you obey?, Oct. 2, 2004, pg A5)
Therefore, simply going to church on Sundays cannot constitute the mark of the beast since many SDA church "officers" have had and will continue to have conferences, prayer meetings in their church sanctuaries on Sunday mornings.
I want to particularly remind our Christian friends that according to Revelation 14, "the everlasting gospel" (verse 6) , is "Saying with a loud voice" (verse 7) that we must not accept the mark of the beast or even its forecasting image (verses 9-11), for whatever it is, it is definitely in contradistinction to obedience and the faith of Jesus exhibited in verse 12: "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Look into it. Adieu!
I am etc.,
Ryan O'Neil Seaton
Kingston 20
Cell8763132444@gmail.com
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