What does "Worshiping the Beast" Mean?
Whenever the beast is mentioned in the book of Revelation, it is also frequently accompanied by the word "worship".
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And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. |
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And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. |
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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. |
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And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. |
Worship is linked to the Ten Commandments.
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
- John 14:15 (KJV)
The only worship commandment there is the Sabbath commandment.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
- Exodus 20:8-11 (KJV)
God has set the Sabbath as the day of worship.
Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.
- Leviticus 23:3 (KJV)
For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.
Isaiah 66:22-23 (KJV)
Any other day can then be considered a mark against God's Law, the Ten Commandments. Sin in other words.
Here's how the beast (the Vatican) words that:
Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change [from Sabbath to Sunday] was her act. And the act is the mark of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters.
- Faith of Our Fathers, p. 14 C.F. Thomas, Chancellor of Cardinal Gibbons
When you worship the beast, instead of keeping the commandments of God (Sabbath), you are keeping the commandments of men (Sunday).
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
- Matthew 15:9 (KJV)
When you worship the beast (Sunday) you will then get its mark in your forehead (a spiritual sign that reflects your choice to rebel against the commandments of God).
And that's a serious issue.
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: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
- Revelation 14:9-11 (KJV)