Lesson 11, June 9-15
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Genesis 17:9-11; Exodus 31:13, 17; Revelation 13:17; Ephesians 1:13, 14; Hebrews 4:9, 10.
Memory Text: “Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints” (Revelation 15:3).
The Song of Moses and the Lamb begins with the words of our memory text this week. It is sung by “them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name”, as they stand on the sea of glass in heaven (Revelation 15:2) . How can we be among that number?
One of the most telling signs of God’s true last-day people is their proclamation of the third angel’s message, which warns against receiving the mark of the beast. However, despite there being no more serious warning in all the Bible, many confusing ideas as to what this mark is have been suggested over the years: a bar code in the forehead, a credit card number, or some biometric identification.
We should not be surprised at the proliferation of confusing ideas in Babylon. After all, its name means “confusion”. But God’s remnant people need a clear understanding of this topic in order to proclaim the third angel’s message with power. This week, we’ll try to understand better what the mark of the beast is and how to avoid it — by receiving the seal of God.
