Sermon prepared by Pastor Kaija Lauben secretary IMS SDA Uganda field, Kampala
Revelation 14:9-10 9And 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,10The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Jeremiah 1:16-17 16And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.17You therefore gird up your loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command you: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound you before them.
Here is a stern warning to those who worship the beast and its image, which you understand as representing the false Sabbath. God’s anger will be poured out upon them without mixture of mercy. This means that, according to this interpretation, those who refuse to worship on Saturday in the last days will face the final plagues. Therefore, everyone has a responsibility to reject Sunday worship and remain faithful to God’s Sabbath.
What is the mark of the beast?
You must understand the mark of God to know the mark of the beast.
John 17:3 3And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.This implies that our God is true and there is a sign showing our obedience to him.
Exodus 20:8-10 8Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.9Six days shall you labor, and do all your work:10But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD your God: in it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates:
This is the fourth commandment of the ten, when we read much in exodus we see this seventh day as a sign between God and his people.
Exodus 31:12-14 12And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,13Speak you also to the children of Israel, saying, Truly my sabbaths you shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that you may know that I am the LORD that does sanctify you.
The verses indicate that Sabbath rest will be a permanent sign for all generations.
“We cannot remove this permanent sign because we are God’s creatures. Historically, we understand that the Catholic Church changed the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday. This, therefore, reveals the perception that the beast referred to is the authority that made these changes,(papacy).”
Psalms 100:3. 3Know you that the LORD he is God: it is he that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. We have no authority to change God’s direction.
The Sabbath and the Mark of the Beast
According to the previous verse, God’s sign is connected with the Sabbath rest day. Therefore, from this perspective, another false day of worship is understood as the place where the mark of the beast is manifested. Sunday worship is consequently viewed as the mark of the papacy(beast).
When we observe the Sabbath, we worship God as the Creator. However, when people worship on a false day of worship, they are understood to be giving allegiance to the beast—the papal system and, ultimately, Satan.
Before the visitation of the final plagues, angels will mark God’s faithful people by placing His mark on their foreheads. Satan, on the other hand, will also mark his followers. In this understanding, the two opposing forces will identify their followers through revealed signs of allegiance: God’s people through the Sabbath, and the followers of the beast through Sunday, regarded here as the false Sabbath.
Thus, the Sabbath becomes a visible sign of loyalty to God as Creator, while Sunday observance is interpreted as a sign of allegiance to the opposing power.
Revelation 7:1-4 1And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.2And 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 given to hurt the earth and the sea,3Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.4And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
How do someone receive the mark of the beast?
When Seal of God Is Refused—If the light of truth has been presented to you, revealing the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and showing that there is no foundation in the Word of God for Sunday observance, and yet you still cling to the false sabbath, refusing to keep holy the Sabbath which God calls “My holy day,” you receive the mark of the beast.
When does this take place? When you obey the decree that commands you to cease from labor on Sunday and worship God, while you know that there is not a word in the Bible showing Sunday to be other than a common working day, you consent to receive the mark of the beast, and refuse the seal of God.—The Review and Herald, July 13, 1897. Ev 235.2
As a Result of Disregard of Light—God has given men the Sabbath as a sign between Him and them, as a test of their loyalty. Those who, after the light regarding God’s law comes to them, continue to disobey and exalt human laws above the law of God in the great crisis before us will receive the mark of the beast.—Letter 98, 1900. Ev 235.3
Summary
The third angel’s message calls upon God’s people to remain faithful to Him and to reject the worship of the beast and his image. In this interpretation, Saturday, the seventh-day Sabbath, is understood as God’s sign, while Sunday observance is regarded as a false Sabbath. The message also warns that there are serious consequences for those who knowingly choose to worship the beast.
Satan’s policy in the final conflict with God’s people is described as similar to the strategy he employed at the beginning of the great controversy in heaven. He claimed to be seeking the stability of God’s government while secretly working to undermine it. The same principle of deception is presented in the history of the Roman Church, which has claimed to act as Heaven’s representative while seeking to exalt its authority and change God’s law.
Today, we are witnessing significant changes in society, including calls by international and national bodies for countries to establish national cleaning days. Some of these activities may take place on Saturday, the seventh-day Sabbath. From the perspective of this prophetic interpretation, such developments raise concerns about increasing pressure on Sabbath-keeping believers.
Ellen G. White also wrote about a future time when natural disasters and calamities would be used as arguments against those who do not observe Sunday. According to this interpretation, religious and political leaders would attribute disasters such as storms, floods, and fires to disobedience to Sunday observance and use them to advocate for Sunday laws.
Some people who hold this prophetic view see recent events—including wildfires in the United States, floods, and other disasters around the world—as developments that resemble these warnings. However, whether a particular disaster is a fulfillment of prophecy is a matter of religious interpretation and should be distinguished from the documented causes of individual disasters.
Compiled by:Kyeya Robert
