[Comments about the mark of the beast:] I am continually grateful for Internet Church and your informative website. Reading the articles are a blessing. And the articles seem to confirm a big concern I’ve been having. I’m greatly concerned that the false doctrines of once saved always saved and the pre-tribulation rapture is headed for a head-on collision with the mark of the beast. This is especially true with the mark of the beast ministers, like John MacArthur and Chris Pinto, coming out of the wood work. First, the people are taught that no matter what they do they will still be saved. Then they’re taught that we will be raptured before the Antichrist comes on the scene. So they’re not prepared for persecution. And to add fuel to the fire, they’re taught they can be forgiven if they take the mark. So if the tribulation period occurs in their lifetime and they are not willing to die for their faith in Christ, because they believe in once saved always saved and have been told that they can be forgiven for taking the mark, I’m greatly concerned that they will take the mark and be eternally lost, thinking they’re still saved. I tried to explain this to a minister, but because he believes in the Perseverance of the Saints form of once saved always saved, he dismissed my concerns…. Also, a sister in Christ told me that if she’s still here during the reign of the Antichrist then she’ll be angry at God. My concern is that she’s just the type of person who will fall away and even take the mark of the beast. And OSAS ministers would make her feel like that’s okay. Thanks so much for your ministry that counters the dangerous false teachings of the devil.
[Bible Answer] Greetings in Jesus’ name. Thank you for the compliments. We have MANY videos and audio teachings for you to hear too, in case you aren’t aware of it.
The Mark Of The Beast and Eternal Security
We also can see the grave dangers the eternal security and pre-trib teachings present. They are perhaps the devil’s one two punch. The candy coated soul poison of eternal security alone is plenty bad enough, but it will have much help with the pre-trib doctrine! Eternal security declares: (1) Your future sins are already forgiven. [John MacArthur teaches that too.] Hence, if you take the mark of the beast it is already forgiven and nothing to be dreaded! (2) Eternal security teachers also tell us that God can’t see your sins after salvation because all he can see is the blood, Jesus and grace. That makes taking the mark of the beast hidden from God and again safe to take! (The eternal security doctrine is the devil’s best and has sent multitudes to hell!)
The Mark and Pre-Trib Rapture
The pre-tribulation lie will immediately blow multitudes away, when the nuclear bombs start blowing up and perhaps even much earlier! The intense trouble and horrific days ahead (which we can’t fully understand now) are unprecedented. Imagine being taught by many prominent teachers that suddenly you will be snatched away into heaven before the tribulation, based on Scripture, but it doesn’t happen! Many will fall away from the faith and believe the Bible is not really the word of God, not realizing they were duped by the savage wolves in sheep’s clothing they supported! Many alive during the reign of the antichrist and the mark of the beast will yield to the pressure trying to get a little temporal relief for their nightmarish circumstances. They won’t be worried by the warning in Rev. 14:9-12, because fluent teachers, popular and not so popular, have taught taking the mark of the beast can be (or may) be forgiven!
Chris Pinto
Besides John MacArthur teaching forgiveness for the mark of the beast and Chris Pinto (which you mentioned), Mike Desario is another one! Chris Pinto’s false teaching about the mark of the beast is this:
But now having said that, would I ever say to someone that they could take the mark of the beast and then repent later on? No, that wouldn’t be my counsel to anyone. But then I wouldn’t counsel somebody to commit adultery or murder or to steal or something and then go and repent later on, because even though God may forgive you your sin if you’re in earnest, there’s still, depending on what your sin is, there’s still likely to be a consequence.
To hear Chris Pinto say that, click Chris Pinto and the mark of the beast.
Mike Desario
Mike Desario’s heretical teaching about the mark of the beast is this:
Today we’re going to unmask the enemy. What he’s doing is dispensing the mark of the beast within the present-day church and most people are completely unaware that they have received this mark and they’re destined to perdition unless they repent.
To hear Desario, click Mike Desario and the mark of the beast.
NOTE: Desario unmasked himself as an enemy by his own teaching. He thinks people have received the mark of the beast ALREADY, but the ones who did don’t know they have! Then he also said they can repent of taking the mark of the beast to be spared from perdition! What unscriptural nonsense! [The mark of the beast is NOT out yet since anyone can still buy and sell without any mark, belief, etc.]
SDA on the Mark
Besides those false teachers, the Seventh Day Adventist denomination teaches Sunday worship is the mark of the beast! Apparently, the SDA people must think if one converts over from Sunday worship to a Saturday Sabbath he can also get forgiven for taking the mark of the beast! [Our day is a super mess made so by false teachers and it will culminate during the reign of antichrist.]
Eternal Security Heresy
BTW, there is NO essential difference between the perseverance of the saints and once saved always saved. They are two different names for the same doctrine of demons. To prove this consider their sin unto death teaching. Both D. James Kennedy (a Calvinist) and Dave Hunt, who opposed Calvinism but believed in eternal security heresy, taught the same license for sin under that name! [J. Vernon McGee is another such heretic.] They also say King David remained saved in adultery and murder. That is the acid test question to smoke out that sort of dangerous HERETICAL teacher — one teaching wrongly on the believer’s security. Moreover, the person you referred to who said a real believer can’t fall away from the faith is ignorant of what he is supposed to be believing or is trying to deceive you! Calvinism teaches a saved person can never totally nor finally fall away! Notice the words totally and finally. To them King David (while in adultery and murder) and Solomon (while in idolatry) never totally fell away! They don’t even believe a Christian who backslides will always return to God in repentance, according to their sin unto death teaching!
These are dark days, but much darker and harder days are ahead, especially for the last generation. Many will fall away during this time (Mt. 24:10-13). Rev. 12:11 is the key passage for the saints still alive at that point. He who endures to the end will be saved (Mt. 10:22). People need to know, if they are still alive then, to take the mark of the beast will result in loss of salvation and damnation! Don’t be deceived about the mark of the beast by John MacArthur, Chris Pinto, Mike Desario, the SDA denomination or anyone else, including Jimmy DeYoung!
