The mark of the beast arrives Tuesday

By: GARY WARTH - Staff Writer | Thursday, June 1, 2006 8:02 PM PDT ∞

Tuesday looms ominously on the calendar, a day that conjures images of evil and despair, the end of times and the threat of a holy war and a dark overlord.

Yes, Tuesday is Election Day.

But it's also June 6, 2006, or 6/6/06, a numeric convergence that did not go unnoticed by the marketing team behind "The Omen," a remake of the 1976 film about the birth of the anti-Christ, scheduled for release next Tuesday.

In the story, precocious little Damien Thorn isn't that different from any other boy, aside for being the spawn of Satan and having an odd birthmark tucked behind his ear that resembles 666.

The three digits are called the "number of the beast" in the biblical Book of Revelation, which describes, among other things, a dragon battling the archangel Michael, a beast that rises from the sea with 10 horns and seven heads, and another beast that has two horns like a lamb, breathes fire and roars like a dragon.

The book has been read by some as symbolic, by others as a literal prediction of what is to come of earth. Revelation, the last book of the New Testament and the only one composed solely of apocalyptic writings, has been called the most difficult book of the Bible to comprehend.

What is the mark?


While interpretations of its meaning vary widely, the book clearly does not say that a single anti-Christ will be born marked with three sixes. Rather, Chapter 13:16-17 tells of a time when all people, "both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond," will receive a mark on their right hand or their foreheads. No man will be allowed to buy or sell unless he has "the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."

The book doesn't specifically say what the mark is, but verse 18 (King James Version) reads: "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."

Some Christians believe there will be a time when all people are required to carry some kind of mark on their hand or forehead in order to do business. Others believe the story in Revelation is historical and filled with coded messages and symbolism not meant to be taken literally.

"We take it seriously," said Kevin Schmid, administrative pastor at Calvary Chapel in Oceanside.

Calvary Chapel is among the churches that see Revelation as prophecy that is not yet fulfilled, Schmid said. For some, those prophecies include an episode called the "Rapture," where Christians will be taken to heaven while others are left behind on earth during a seven-year period called the tribulation, which precedes the second coming of Christ.

Not coincidentally, the latest installment in the popular "Left Behind" series of books about the tribulation is scheduled to be released on Tuesday.

Getting closer


A period known as the "end times" leads up to the Rapture, and many people believe those times are getting close. The mark of the beast is among its indicators, many believe.

"There's more prophecy about that seven-year period than anything else in Scripture," Schmid said. "During that period, this person will come onto the world scene -- the Scriptures refer to him as 'the beast' ---- and will require everyone to receive a mark on their forehead or right hand."

Schmid said it is likely that the person known as "the beast" already has been born.

But just what will the mark look like? The Book of Revelation is unclear, and Schmid isn't sure himself. He does not, however, think someone will be born with the mark, as in "The Omen."

"I don't think it necessarily has to be visible," he said. "It could be a chip implanted."

Schmid was referring to small computer chips that have been proposed as a way of verifying personal information. Just this week, the chairman of VeriChip Corporation in Delray Beach, Fla., which makes rice-size radio frequency identification tags, proposed using the devices to confirm whether migrant workers are in the country legally. Schmid said he also can see such chips used to combat identity theft, and he speculated that they might one day be required for all financial transactions, just as predicted in Revelation.

Not just yet


Other clergy do not anticipate a mark of the beast to appear on anyone anytime soon.

The Rev. Anthony Barron of St. Anne's Anglican Church in Oceanside cautioned against people trying to divine the end of time through prophecies in Revelation.

"The Scripture says no man knows the time when Christ is coming back again, only the Father in heaven," Barron said. "When you look at apocalyptical literature, it's very dangerous to put in categorical statements about, 'This is what that means."

Barron said most reform theologians would say the Book of Revelation was future-oriented when written, but its predictions already have been fulfilled.

As for the mark, he said nobody knows for sure what it means.

Rather than trying to identify details about what is in Revelation, Barron said it is better to focus on the overall message.

"It's really a picture of how God makes everything new," he said. "At the end of Revelation, there's a new heaven and a new earth, and we go back to living under God's rule, God's magnificent plan and purpose of life."

Out of context


A Christian view called preterism sees the Book of Revelation as symbolic and historical. John Noe, president of the Prophecy Reformation Institute in Indiana, holds to a preterist view and said the Book of Revelation is taken out of context.

Considering when it was written, Noe questions how its intended readers could have made use of a reference to an implanted computer chip.

"That's beginning to show you how ludicrous some of that stuff is," he said. "It can't mean something to us that it could not have meant to them. "

Noe noted that the verse referring to the mark of the beast begins with a reference to wisdom. He and others speculate the line may be a tip that the verse is in code, and only those with a wisdom of Hebrew gematria, a system of reading words and sentences as numbers, can decipher its meaning.

Translated in this way, 666 is Roman Emperor Nero Caesar ---- the beast who served the dragon, the dragon being Rome.

In another interpretation, Noe said 666 may be an unholy trinity. Since six is a number that represents man (created on the sixth day in the Book of Genesis), three in a row might mean man again the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, or what he called ssecular humanism.

As for the verse about people wearing a mark on their head or hands, Noe said it might be a reference to tefillin, small boxes containing scriptures, which observant male Jews at the time wore on their hands and heads.

Mark Hitchcock, an author and contributing editor for the Left Behind Prophecy Club, also believed 666 is a Hebrew gematria code for a man, but does not think it refers to Nero, who had been dead 27 years by the time the Book of Revelation was written.

"I see it as the future, something that's going to happen," Hitchcock said by phone from his home in Edmund, Okla.

Wearing the mark


Unlike Schmid, Hitchcock said he thinks the mark will be visible rather than something implanted. With the state of the world today, he also said it probably will emerge sooner than later.

Hitchcock noted that the Book of Revelation distinguishes between the number of the beast and the mark of the beast that people will wear. Since 666 will translate to the person's name, Hitchcock said people will be actually wearing the name of the anti-Christ upon them, not a number.

"I think the anti-Christ will use global positioning and bar codes and who knows what to control the world," he said.

Because of its association with what many believe is the anti-Christ, the number 666 often is avoided by Christians. Hitchcock and Schmid, however, said there is nothing inherently evil about the number itself, and both said people should not be superstitious or fearful about seeing three sixes on a license plate or street address.

Then again, Schmid wasn't sure how he'd feel about living at that address himself.

"The number kind of gives me the creeps," he said.

Contact staff writer Gary Warth at gwarth@nctimes.com or (760) 740-5410.

45 comment(s)[-]Go to Top

Patrick wrote on Jun 2, 2006 6:29 AM:Baloney!

GayMikeInOceanside wrote on Jun 2, 2006 12:44 PM:Oh God The holly Rollers will be coming out of the woodwork now.

GaysinOceanside wrote on Jun 2, 2006 1:44 PM:I wonder after reading this if Jerry falwell and Pat Robertson will blame the gays for 666, Pat Robertson will say something like “666 is from the gays to curse mankind and to take over the Hershey chocolate company and try to poison our youth with the gay gene that they have been hiding all along, the gays are the reason for global warming, the gays are the cause of the artic ice shelf collapsing, and worst of all the gays have now taken over our chocolate,,,Dam them to hell.”

Back in your CAGES wrote on Jun 2, 2006 3:24 PM:How do you get 666 out of 06/06/2006 ?,must be the NEW math

Bushwacked wrote on Jun 2, 2006 3:26 PM:Maybe Bush can write this into the constitution after the gay thing, 666 shall remain between 3 man and 1 women, sounds hot hot hot

Cashedout wrote on Jun 2, 2006 11:33 PM:Well, if any of this is true and the anti-christ starts running around, the stock market is going to crash big time.

Matt in Dallas, Texas wrote on Jun 3, 2006 1:18 AM:Homosexuals are no more sinners than we heterosexuals - every human has fallen short of the glory of God through lust, gay or straight (and we've all broken EVERY SINGLE COMMANDMENT). Attacking someone because of their religion is, to me, as offensive as attacking you for being gay - and I, as a Christian, condemn either or both as hateful. You, as a counter-culture, seek world wide acceptance as a mainstream entity; but I counsel you foresake what any man thinks and to seek God's acceptance by turning from all sin and repenting. Living by this standard, If you die and I'm wrong you've still made the world a better place and have lost nothing, but what if you're wrong. I am not bitter that my lust for the opposite sex makes me a sinner, so why should you be bitter that your lust for the same sex makes you a sinner - they are from the same tree - lust, no matter what kind, is sin and recompensable by eternal condemnation. You must crawl with a broken heart to foot of the bloodstained cross of Jesus Christ and with a contrite (or lowly and not prideful) heart and beg foregiveness and accept the gift of salvation trusting in God's plan of salvation knowing that you, like me and every other human, have broken the laws of God. If He is a just Judge, he has to punish us - or He would be corrupt. But he gave us a way out in His Son, Jesus. You WILL think I'm an idiot, I expect it, but I beg you to take a look at your life - if I'm right and what the Bible says is right, where will you spend eternity...if I'm wrong and the Bible is wrong - what have you lost by trying to be a warm, loving, caring and Christ-like human. In the love and patience of Jesus, I pray you find the truth, Matt

GODSISCIPLE wrote on Jun 3, 2006 3:13 AM:It will precipate a BULL RUN in the stock market. Think your true thought, then go the opposite this is the only truth to todays' reality. Make money, prosper because soon the "poor" wll be the enemy. We are animals.

twothess2@verizon.net wrote on Jun 3, 2006 3:16 AM:Again you who do study truly up on this make comments like in the above article. No, Revelation is not the only book that talks about the end of the times of the gentiles *that is what end times means. Those who mock..Peter warned about you..2 Pet 3. Those who say it already happened..tell me how come the Lord is not in Jerusalem and there is no peace on earth and killings go on? Contrary to what the Lord promisses when he will rule. Those who like to ignore God's word..good luck while left behind. dominique

dominique wrote on Jun 3, 2006 3:17 AM:Again you who do study truly up on this make comments like in the above article. No, Revelation is not the only book that talks about the end of the times of the gentiles *that is what end times means. Those who mock..Peter warned about you..2 Pet 3. Those who say it already happened..tell me how come the Lord is not in Jerusalem and there is no peace on earth and killings go on? Contrary to what the Lord promisses when he will rule. Those who like to ignore God's word..good luck while left behind. dominique

john wrote on Jun 3, 2006 6:12 AM:its funny how everyone other then Christians worry about this date, haven't met a single Christian who cares about 6/6/06. People who know nothing about Christianity and hear the words 666 automatically think the devil(because of the media, movies, t.v...etc.), but if they would brush the dust off their bibles and read it they might actually learn something who knows maybe even find salvation through Christ. If you would like too know more about the end times i recommend: www.raptureready.com

silverknight wrote on Jun 3, 2006 7:54 AM:how do you get 666, cmon think for a second dude, can you ? 6th day of the 6th month of the 6th year of this century. Go back in your cage.

StraightNate wrote on Jun 3, 2006 8:29 AM:For the people who are very sceptical on this 666 that is foretold about in Revelation, or think it is some kind of hidden mathmatical formula, its time to open your eyes! People have tried to make 666 out of things past, but it all comes down to illogical. However, when the literal 666 is right in front of thier face, they still remain sceptical because its too obvious. The E.U. constitution is labeled as 'Recomendation 666'. Coincidense? I don't think so when you take a personal look at the man who created it and what his life represents. 666 is on a roll coming out of the revived Roman empire just as the prophet Daniel said. Sceptics of the Bible as well as sceptical Christians of 666 being in our day had better wake up. The implimentation of 666 is around the corner. Jesus is the only way of salvation. I hope some of you Bible sceptics will take an interest to read the Bible for yourselves, and not books written about it. We will all remain somewhere for eternity, the question is where? Its time to search.

Spiderlegs wrote on Jun 3, 2006 8:33 AM:Tuesday is actually the 10th of Sivan (not the 6th month)in the year 5766 on the Jewish calendar, the one G-d uses.

KD wrote on Jun 3, 2006 9:22 AM:It is an important day for me...I'll be 41 on 06/06/06. That and the election are what are key to me on Thursday. For those who take it farther...well, they are entitled to those beliefs. I do not hold any further significance to that date.

Iron Maiden wrote on Jun 3, 2006 1:00 PM:Just reminds me of my youth and the classic Iron Maiden tune - The Number of the Beast.

james wrote on Jun 3, 2006 1:13 PM:The " MARK " is claimed by the Roman PAPAL Church and says Sunday Worship is the MARK of her ecclesiastical authority in church matters. USA is ONE NUKE attack away from CHURCH & STATE and FORCED Sunday Blue Laws as " National Sunday Law ". Saturday Worshipping 4th Commandment Christians will be targeted for financial boycott and will not RECIEVE a National ID Card with denomination affiliation in the chip to " buy or sell " anything and will be surviving by God Himself. Sunday " Resurrection " Worship is NOWHERE in the Bible from Genesis-Revelation and EVERY theologian admits it and STILL TEACHES false Papal Worship! The BEAST is Rome/America and we're at the very tail end of the church age. Persecution must come by Satan through the Church itself one last time before he's chained to this planet that will be completely DEAD at Christ's 1st Resurrection of His people at the END of the world. LEFT BEHIND is BUNK and PAUL & REVELATION exposes the JESUIT " LEFT BEHIND " theory... the 7th TRUMPET is the 1st Resurrection of saints taken to Heaven for 1000yrs. The rest of the people stay DEAD and resurrected after Christ's return with saints from Heaven with the NEW JERUSELAM and the DEAD are resurrected and DISCINIGRATED by God by FIRE ! ETERNAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST THEN STARTS ON EARTH FOREVER !

kyle wrote on Jun 3, 2006 1:46 PM:I think that people who truly get all scared about this stuff are just insecure...i already know where im going when i die...do you?? if not well then hmmmmm maybe you should take a good look at your life and change it... god is great!!!! bring on the devil...gods wrath will destroy all who do not believe ...and oh yes..including that little freak satan

to james wrote on Jun 3, 2006 4:36 PM:Sorry but "rapure" isn't Biblical, in fact the word can't be found there.To be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord , so how can one be "dead" waiting around for Jesus'(Yashua)so called 2nd or 3rd return?

Terry wrote on Jun 3, 2006 5:03 PM:The Mark of the Beast is explained easily in the Bible. What is between our eyes on our forehead? Our BRAIN. The mark on the forehead is who we follow(GOD or satan)it is our thoughts. The mark on the hand represents our works,who we work for (GOD or satan). If you study this out it is very plain to see!! I would also love for ANYone to give me scripture on the 7 Yr. rapture? I cannot find it anyplace in scripture. It is a fallacy perpetuated by the Left Behind series. These books are fiction folks,if you believe that stuff YOU will be left behind when GOD returns!

Mark wrote on Jun 3, 2006 6:07 PM:The Mark of the Beast is...Sunday. Sabbath or Saturday is the true day of worship. It is a commandment as a matter of fact. Who gave the Catholic church the authority to change it to Sunday. I never saw that side-note in any bible.

A Servant wrote on Jun 3, 2006 6:26 PM:In the beginning was the word.... Know the word. Obey the word. Everything else is trivial and temporary. All praise, honor and glory to HIM.

kevin wrote on Jun 3, 2006 6:41 PM:The book of Daniel tells about the 70 weeks. The weeks represent 7 year periods the first 69 weeks represent 483 years ending when Jesus died on the cross. the start may have been when the Jews came out of captivity or were building a temple , you'll have to do your own research. these 490 years were about the Jews. the last week was delayed for the times of the gentiles (to become christians) and most Jews were blinded to who Jesus was. the last seven years is when the Jews get fooled by the antichrist for 3.5yrs , until he tells them to worship him not God. Then 1/3 of them become christians and 2/3 die in armegedon. Just giving this info from memory . check it out yourself

Myra wrote on Jun 3, 2006 7:14 PM:The Lord said He would keep us from the great tribulation, not through it! That is what we call the rapture. The Left Behind series is fiction, however they followed the guidelines of prophecy as it will happen. We may not know the time of the Lord's coming, but we can know the times and seasons as He does not want His people to be ignorant. If one will pray that the Lord will give them understanding and read the bible, they will be able to understand it's message.

mike wrote on Jun 3, 2006 8:56 PM:I've been reading my Bible alot lately and I keep coming across all of these statements like: The day of the Lord is at hand, near, soon, axe is at the root, etc. What are we supposed to do with these things. It just seems like these things were near to them...back then. And it also seems like Paul's exortations to his initial audience was that they would experience the coming of Christ. I dunno. I mean I know that "behold I come quickly" means he will be coming really fast. But near, soon, and at hand don't seem to have anything to do with speed of His return. :) mike

True Witness wrote on Jun 3, 2006 9:47 PM:666 is the number of a man and is calculated. On the Pope's official mitre has been seen "VICARIUS FILII DEI" (Latin for Vicar of the Son of God") Which adds up to 666 in Roman numerals. But this is only one of over 60 identifying marks in Daniel 7, 2 Thessalonians 2, and Revelation 13. The "Beast" is the same as the "Little Horn" and the "Man of Sin" in these chapters and it all point to the Papacy which puts man in the place of God. (Claiming to be God's vicar). It's blasphemy and it's antichrist.

wesrho wrote on Jun 4, 2006 5:16 AM:GOD'S LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL,What this means is God loves us regardless.God's word is forever and therefore cannot and will not change. Jesus is the same as yesterday as today and tommorow. With that being said TAKE A LOOK AT THE BIBLE,Go pick your bible up then You open your bible and read it. God will reveal himself to you only if you choose to let Him.It's your choice.It's your choice

Jeff wrote on Jun 4, 2006 6:07 AM:"The fact is that you can spend time spinning your wheels, wondering about what the Bible says about the end times, or you can do as Jesus did. Share the good news of the Gospel with everyone you can, love God and your neighbor. The end of the world for each us of us can come today or tommorow . . . if you you get hit by a bus or get sick and die."

Patrick wrote on Jun 4, 2006 7:20 AM:The year 666 must have been a real nail biter!

Jacqui wrote on Jun 5, 2006 11:02 AM:Today is 06/06/06 - a day to be celebrated.We are alive and our earth is still here.We have nothing to fear but fear itself... When our Lord and Savior does return to earth, it will be a day of grace and renewed faith in the Holy Spirit. Today is just another day to be filled with love for ourselves and mankind. Agape love reigns!!!

Jacqui Crawford-Smith wrote on Jun 5, 2006 11:11 AM:Today is 06/06/06, just another wonderful and glorious day for those of us who have a strong faith. These numbers are meaningless to true Christians. Just look around you and see all that He has created. We are still here and the earth, sky, waters, air we breathe,etc. are intact. It will remain so not only through today but for all the days of our lives on this planet. Agape love reigns!!!

RH wrote on Jun 5, 2006 3:13 PM:It is so easy to get distracted by all of this. No matter what the date is, our commision given to us by Jesus is to occupy until His return. Share His love to a lost and dying world.

obvious wrote on Jun 5, 2006 3:38 PM:Someone very important to me once said, If there is a .0000000001 chance that any of this is true, I want to go when He raptures his church. And so do I.

Shut up RH wrote on Jun 5, 2006 6:05 PM:We will go to church if we want your foolish rantings.

Freethinker wrote on Jun 5, 2006 6:42 PM:If the rapture comes, can I have all your stuff?

Freethinker wrote on Jun 5, 2006 6:43 PM:If the Rapture comes, can I have all your stuff?

LoveGodLovePeople wrote on Jun 6, 2006 8:07 AM:Dear James, you seem so angry. Do you really think you'll reach anyone with the truth and love of Christ Jesus by being rude? If you were teaching a toddler to walk would you rant and scream at him to force his learning? The servant of God must not strive, but must be gentle, patient and apt to teach. Jesus is Lord of The Sabbath. We worship HIM not a day. We worship Him in Spirit and in Truth all the time...not just on Saturday. In fact, The Gospel is what? That Christ Jesus is The Son of God Who came to Earth in the flesh, lived sinless, died on the cross to atone for our sins, ascended to Heaven and is seated at the right Hand of The Father and will come again to rule and reign on the Earth. This is the message Paul and the others taught that was the power of God unto salvation. And in Colossians we read, " 15)And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." Sure, I will strive to keep the commandments of God out of love and reverence for Him BECAUSE He saved me...no so He will. Because He saved me, I'm grateful and with His Spirit inside me I'm made able to live according to His will. I'm not earning His love or salvation. He gave that to me paid for by His Own Blood. If Sunday is the mark of the beast...how do you put a mark on foreheads and hands? I truly want to understand. I'm willing to learn if there's something to it. Don't take my question as a challenge or offense. Help me if I'm wrong. Don't beat me over the head. If I don't know something, how can you be mad at me for it? Brother, love people. The greatest commandment that fulfills all the rest is to Lord The Lord God with all our hearts, souls, minds and strengths and love others as we love ourselves. Look in the Gospels. Watch how the Pharisees followed Jesus around picking on Him about what He did or didn't do on the Sabbath. He was God come to Earth and they didn't recognize Him because they were to busy trying to do all the Sabbath rules. Don't fall into the same trap. Beware of the leaven of them. Respectfully, Ginger

Don't Lose Sight wrote on Jun 6, 2006 8:21 AM:Jesus said to love God and love people. If we are worshipping Him in Spirit and Truth we will know what to do each day...love God and love people. Teach the truth in love and gentleness and patience. Whenever He returns, He must find us faithful. We didn't earn His salvation. He bought and paid for it in Blood so we must (out of gratefulness) obey His will. If we are truly saved we will. It has nothing to do with a day of the week. He wants us to rest one day a week because He loves us and knows we need to. It's not a damnable heresy to go to church on Sunday, but it is to say people can't go to Heaven if they do. The Pharisee attitude is what Jesus condemned. The attitude that thinks it's paying it's own way to what only God can give. Love God and Love People. 666 is a number that we'll know what to do about when we need to if we seek The Kingdom of God first and His righteousness. We have to just focus on Christ...loving God and loving people. That's what matters. The Gospel that saves is Christ and Him crucified and risen again. Period. Not Saturday. Not Sunday. Not Wednesday. Not meat or no meat. Not long hair or short hair. Not skirts and Keds. Not beards and horses and buggies. Jesus saves. He alone deserves the honor. He alone is our Savior and Lord. Do what He tells you to do because He first loved you. Respectfully, Ginger

RH wrote on Jun 6, 2006 8:25 AM:To Shut up RH: In case you didn't notice, you are in the FAITH and VALUES section. You obviously have no manners as for faith and values it appears you have neither of those as well, but Jesus still loves you. I am free to express my thoughts as well as you. So if all you have to spew is meanness maybe you should be the one to keep quiet or spew your hatred somewhere else. by the way I was not ranting, just stating a fact. You must be looking for something to come to this section, hopefully it is not to cause trouble and just put people down.

Pagan wrote on Jun 6, 2006 10:22 AM:Ah, the rapture, don't let the door hit you on the way out. Seems to me the world has real issues and the radical right are just fulfilling the prophecy. You know, making it come true. These religous opinions only alienate the rest of us. And theres a lot of us

RH wrote on Jun 6, 2006 3:02 PM:To Pagan: We are only the messengers, we didn't write the message. Do you hate your mailman because he brings you bills and mail you would rather not get? At least we bring good news, that is that there is a God and He loves You. And better news, He provided a way for You to know Him. Be careful what you say, for We All will have to give an account one day.

Shauni wrote on Jun 7, 2006 7:53 AM:Interesting to note that 666 in numerology terms work out this way = 6 + 6 + 6 = 18; 1 + 8 = 9. In numerology, 9 is a magickal number and can refer to holy spirit and deity. So, while Christians may believe that 666 is a mark of the devil, Pagans (who do not believe in the devil, a Judeo-Christian figure) who follow numerology, could interpret 666 to refer to Jesus Christ.

Skip wrote on Jun 7, 2006 7:00 PM:I admit I was a little worried. I was scared that Francine Busby might have won in the 50th district. It turned out to be a good day after all.

Antichristian wrote on Jun 10, 2006 4:12 AM:[Checks watch, looks at wall calendar] Well, no sign of the end times yet. Are you sure you got this 06/06/06 thing right?

Just Me wrote on Jun 10, 2006 9:05 PM:It's very interesting that the Word of God talks about how people will scoff...and people scoff. Up until the very end they will scoff, it was the same in Noah's days, they will scoff until the very end, even when God pours judgement upon the world, there will be scoffers. The amazing thing about God's love is this: even while we were yet sinners, Jesus Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Jesus died so that we can be free. Free from what? From the bondage of sin and from the penalty of sin. We all sin, the Word of God says so in Romans 3:10 and 3:23, but if God loved us so much that He would send His son to take our place on the cross, to take away the sting of death and to take us to be with Him where He is, it's a no brainer. Christians are witnesses, not attorneys, we tell what we have seen, heard and experienced. Once you hear you cannot claim ignorance when you stand before Gods throne, as we all will. But as God gives us more and more chances to accept Him, each time we reject Him, our hearts become more callous. How sad will it be, when those who reject Him finally come face to face with Him, not as loving Savior and Lord, but as Righteous Judge? As the word of God says "today if you hear His voice, harden not your hearts." Please. And to antichristian, while you are checking your watch, check out 2 Peter 3:9 when you get a chance. Better yet, it reads: "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." Please listen to Jesus.

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