Wed.’s Devo - The Two Marks


Read: Zech. 6:1-7:14; Rev. 15:1-16:21;Ps. 143:1-12; Pr. 30:24-28 
When you read the prophets you see a pattern in how God judges. He goes first to his people. Judgment begins in the house of the Lord. “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” 1 Peter 1:17. The first of his people he judges are the priests - the godly leaders. In Zechariah they are judged for ministering with themselves in mind and not God. They wanted to look good to themselves and the people but their hearts were not right. God still does it that way. It is God’s job to purify His church and He doesn’t need our help. Our job is to stay pure ourselves.
 In Revelation there are two marks. One is the mark of the beast. It is a mark on the right hand or the forehead which is necessary to buy or sell. The other mark is the mark of God. It is the signature of God written on the foreheads of His saints. I wonder if these marks are only seen by heaven. I know everyone thinks the mark is going to be a computer chip or some type of physical mark but I wonder if the mark isn’t a system that causes you to compromise your faith to be able to function like the rest of the world. Those who overcome will not only overcome the mark but the number of his name and his image. I’m not sure what all these will look like but I wonder if they are going to be as obvious as I had thought in the past. 
Today we see holy angels sent from God with vials of God’s wrath to pour out on the earth. They only fall on those with the mark of the beast. These are the last things that will happen before the battle at Armageddon. Whoever thinks God doesn’t send bad things on the earth has never really read the Bible all the way through. Even in judgment God is righteous and holy. 
Lord, help us to understand your judgments and your ways.