The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed by Anjela Paje of Spokane, WA, from the tape, GC 1301-I, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 11." A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. ©1980. All Rights Reserved.
Question
My question is in regard to the latter half of the tribulation period,
when men would be required to have the mark of the beast in order to buy or
sell. My question is: once a person takes the mark, is there any possibility of
him coming to Christ?
Answer
Yes, I think. You know, in the seven-year tribulation coming in the future--the
Tribulation is a seven-year period, right? The rapture of the church; seven-year
tribulation. Then, Christ returns; sets up His Kingdom. Now, in that seven-year
period, really, two things happen: God begins to judge the world with a series
of holocausts, and at the same time, He begins to redeem His people, Israel.
And, in the process of this, the Anti-Christ establishes his rule, and in order
to function in the economy of the Anti-Christ you have to take the mark of the
beast. The mark being the number of a man, Revelation 13, "666." Six is the
number of man, right? Seven is the number of perfection, and man always falls
short of perfection. 6666, always sixes, never sevens. So, the number of man.
And, apparently, what’s going to happen: you take the mark on your hand or on
your forehead. And, we’ve talked a lot about that, you know, that it’s that kind
of the computer situation. We’re now moving fast toward the time when we’re
going to have to do everything we do by cards and by numbers and all that. The
thing about a card that’s a problem is: you lose it, and they’ve already devised
systems to put the number on your hand or your forehead, and you go through a
scanner, and then, that’s how you buy and sell. It’s automatically deducted from
your bank account. Now, the question is: if you’re living in the Tribulation
period and you take this mark. In other words, you identify with the beast’s
empire--will you still be able to be redeemed? And, I think, the answer to that
is, yes! Yes! Otherwise, there would be no salvation of anybody in the end of
the Tribulation. And, you’ve got to have the salvation of folks in the end of
the Tribulation. You’re going to have the Jews redeemed. You’re going to have,
according to Revelation, chapter seven, an innumerable number of Gentiles
redeemed, so many that cannot be counted across the face of the earth. So, I
don’t think the fact that someone takes that is a sentence to permanency anymore
than you being a part of this world system once in your life, means you have to
be a part of the system all your life. Well, especially, when the 144,000 don’t
start their ministry until the second half. That would make it a little tough.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and
Answers" by:
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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