We are truly living in an amazing time. A few hundred years ago, nobody would have ever guessed that there would be men routinely sent into outer space, or that men would have walked on the moon. Do you think they could have foreseen that mankind would be capable of traveling the globe so quickly? What about the World Wars? Could they have imagined the destructive power of the atomic bomb or the amazing advancements in modern technology? Maybe not a few hundred years ago, but there were two men who lived thousands of years ago that saw these very things. Their names were Daniel the prophet and John the Revelator.

It was Daniel who was told by an angel to "...shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Daniel 12:4. Have those conditions been met? Until the last few centuries the book of Daniel has indeed been closed. During the Dark Ages the Bible was outlawed by the Roman Catholic church and obtaining a Bible could mean the loss of your life (See Appendix A). Later, during the Reformation of the Sixteenth century the Bible became more available, but because of the crude means of printing and its expense, it was still hard for the average person to obtain. As printing techniques improved and Bible Societies formed, the Bible began to spread throughout the world like wild fire. The prophecies foretold in Daniel and Revelation, which had been "shut up", sprang to life as men began to comprehend their meaning, and the book which had so long been closed was opened. Do you understand the importance of this, dear reader? We are living in the time of the end. The book of Daniel has been opened, knowledge has increased beyond imagining, and men are indeed running to and fro across the globe at amazing speeds.

Don’t worry, dear friend, the Lord is not willing to leave us in darkness concerning this time in which we live in. In His Word He has revealed "...things which must shortly come to pass." Rev. 1:1 and has given us warnings and reproofs so we may avoid disaster.

As a matter of fact, it is for the time we now live in that God has given the most solemn message the world has ever heard. "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

"And 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, the 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:" Rev. 14:6-10.

Now, these verses bring up some very serious questions that need to be addressed, and it will be the purpose of this book to find the answers to these questions.

! Why does the first angel with a loud voice call the earth’s attention to the Creator; the one and only true God? Has the world chosen another god in His place, and if so, what god?

 

! When does this hour of judgment spoken of take place? Who are to be judged and by what standard?

 

! Who or what is Babylon, and from what has it fallen?

 

! What is this mark of the beast that God has pronounced such strong judgments against, and who is the beast and his image that are responsible for enforcing it?

 

! How can we avoid receiving this deadly mark?

 

These warnings and judgments can be quite frightening, but God loves you and has given you a way out if you are willing to trust and obey Him. Just as surely as the Bible describes a class of people who receive the dreaded "mark" and its penalty, it also describes a class who receive the "seal of God" and have "victory over the beast, and over his image."

"And 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, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads." Rev 7:2-3. "And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads." Rev 14:1. "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name...And they overcame him [the beast] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." Rev. 15:2; 12:11.

To find answers to the above questions and unlock the mystery of the "beast" and his "mark", we are about to embark on an amazing journey through history and the Word of Prophecy. In our journey we will encounter strange symbols, figures and images. We shall see mysterious numbers with hidden meanings, beautiful women chased by great red dragons and drunken harlots riding wild beasts, but most important of all, we will discover what the "seal of God" is and where He keeps it. Come, dear friend, let us take that all important quest in search of "The Dwelling Place of the Father’s Seal."