OSAS doesn’t support mark of the beast doctrine
Ever wondered what would happen if an unstoppable force met an immovable object. It’s a theoretical question that philosophers have long pondered on over the ages. In my studies of the end times over the years, I have come across the Biblical equivalent of this question which leads me to conclude that the pre-tribulation rapture theory and the “once saved always saved” (OSAS) theory must go together. In other words, if you believe that one cannot lose his or her salvation as described by John Calvin’s “tulip” acronym, aka perseverance of the saints, then you must hold to the theory that Christians must not be on the earth when the beast forces the whole world to take his mark. This could also mean that you hold to a variation theory in that of mid-trib as both end-time theories believe that believers will be raptured before the mark of the beast is forced on the whole world. Otherwise, you could be confronted with the dilemma like this man standing in front of the proverbial “unstoppable train” of what happens to the believer who cannot lose his salvation yet takes the mark of the beast in the second half of the seven year tribulation period. The Bible says, “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury…He will be tormented…the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever…This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints.”1 There is no doubt that anyone who takes the beast’s mark will not be saved. They in fact will be lost forever in the Lake of Fire. So which doctrine wins? OSAS, which says that no matter what, you can’t lose your salvation even if you took the mark of the beast or the doctrine of the mark of the beast which says that anyone who takes his mark will be condemned forever in the Lake of Fire? See the problem? If you are a pre-tribber or mid-tribber then OSAS fits in nicely because the two doctrines would never come close to each other.
Post-tribulation rapture theory
My belief and conviction however is that Jesus comes back on New Year’s Day at the Feast of Trumpets for the rapture of the church and 10 days later on the Day of Atonement to finally defeat the devil and his forces in Jerusalem and save the remnant of Israel. This is known as the post-tribulation rapture theory. Jesus comes back after the tribulation for His church which is verified in Matthew’s Gospel which says, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light…he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call and they will gather his elect from the four winds.”2
Who are these who are raptured at the end of the Great Tribulation? They are the “elect” according to this verse. See my blog, “Who are the elect in the Olivet Discourse?” The elect are those who have escaped martyrdom during this period and have not taken the mark of the beast. They will be gathered and along with those who have been hiding in the safe place. Both Matthew and Luke specify exactly where everyone will be gathered. They give a cryptic clue: “where the corpse/dead body is there the vultures/eagles will gather.” This is the place where Moses was buried: Land of Moab in Jordan. And then we go on with the angels to witness the defeat of the Antichrist and the False Prophet and all the forces of evil.
Both doctrines can’t be correct
So my belief is that the Christians who do not go when instructed, to the safe place of refuge at the halfway point, will be in great danger. They will be forced to take the beast’s mark on the forehead or right hand. If they refuse, then they will be either beheaded or imprisoned ready to be executed. They will have to be strong. If they justify it in their minds that they need to eat (buy and sell) and so God won’t mind if I take the mark, then the Bible says that they will be condemned forever in the Lake of Fire. So, yes, at that point they would lose their salvation. So either OSAS is not correct or the doctrine of the mark of the beast is not being correctly understood. Both cannot be right because otherwise, you get the illogical argument of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. Now OSAS proponents often say that the Bible says that it will be okay to take the beast’s mark as long as you do not worship the beast at the same time. It’s like you are forced to take his mark and so God will take this into account. But I think that is splitting hairs. Surely if someone takes the mark then really they are worshipping the beast. That’s like saying, “I don’t really believe in vaccines but I’m allowing my baby to get this particular shot because I want to get a government allowance or payment.” Your belief is compromised and not really a conviction. In fact, all that it means is that you have a price. If you worship the beast you will take his mark, if you take his mark you are worshipping the beast, no exceptions! I might be wrong but I personally wouldn’t like to run that risk.
OSAS is incorrect
This whole argument presents some very troubling and disturbing consequences if you believe you cannot lose your salvation (OSAS). If you do, you had better stick with pre-trib or mid-trib because then you won’t be faced with this philosophical problem as you can’t have both the eternal consequences of taking the mark and OSAS facing off with each other. They are mutually exclusive. One or the other is correct–both can’t be right! Through my studies, I have come to believe that OSAS is fallacious and that when Revelation says that if anyone takes the mark of the beast then he will be condemned then it means anyone, no exceptions whether they are saved or not. What it really means is that if you don’t go to the safe place at the halfway point and you are still alive then you will be faced with an incredibly intense decision and crisis point.
Now I know that for those of you who are of the reformed doctrinal position and believe in OSAS, that what I am saying seems sacrilege and unthinkable. But John Calvin himself never did a commentary on the book of Revelation (one of the few books that he didn’t) and never outlined his beliefs on end-times doctrine, apparently, according to some sources because he didn’t understand it. Some say it was because he died at 55 and just didn’t get to it in time. Whatever the reason, that is a weakness in my opinion, and only all too convenient because the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints (the “p” in “tulip) does not hold true when butting up against the doctrine of the mark of the beast.
Conclusion
I just want to conclude by saying that some of my best friends hold differing opinions to the issues of OSAS and eschatology (end-times) and it in no way means that there is not fellowship. Remember above all else that we need to have the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace despite our differing views on different doctrines. I, myself, changed my view in the area of OSAS some years ago because to me it just did not add up and was not compatible with the post-tribulation view of the end times which is what I now believe is the correct view within the pre-millennial framework.
6 Responses
Hi
Not meaning to be a heel, but the conflict between the irresistible force and the immovable object doesn’t exist.
It is the irresistible force that holds the immovable object in place, the same way that God holds those who are in Jesus’ hand so that none may remove them.
The immovable object and the irresistible force are in complete agreement.
Hi Wayne,
I think you are missing the point. You can’t have two doctrines to be holding true: OSAS and going to hell if you take the mark of the beast. Because if OSAS is true then it doesn’t matter if you take the mark because you can’t lose your salvation. But on the other hand if the “mark doctrine” is true then those who take the beast’s mark suffer eternal damnation. Therefore one or the other of these two doctrines is untrue. Both can’t be true because it would be violating Scripture! Which one is it? I believe it is clear that OSAS is untrue because God is clear that He gives us free will to choose and reject His salvation.
Hello Steve,
The reason I asked is because the Pre Wrath theory says that the Rapture is in Rev. 7, after the cosmic sign of Rev. 6:12. Matt. 24 tells us that the Rapture is after the cosmic sign. This means that the Pre Wrath Rapture is after the mark is introduced.
Post Trib says the Rapture is in Rev. 11 which is also after the mark is introduced. So both of these theories have the church going through The Gt. Tribulation.
The confusion comes from Pre Wrath seeing the Trumpets as God’s wrath whereas Post Trib see it otherwise (the devil’s wrath? not sure what you call it).
The Pre Wrath sequence of events is –
1) At the halfway point the mark is introduced
2) The Rapture occurs at a completely unknown time anywhere up to some 3 years later
3) God’s wrath of the Trumpets begins
#2 is after the church is persecuted for an unknown period of time … the days are cut short … the day and time is unknown as we are told.
God bless,
Mick
Hi Mick,
Thanks for the clarification re the Pre-Wrath theory. I have corrected this in my article to remove Pre-Wrath as having a clash with OSAS as according to this theory it would be possible for a believer to take the mark and fall away in-between your points 1 and 2.
However I still think that the Pre-Wrath theory is erroneous because Rev. 9:1-2 indicates that the 5th trumpet (the abyss being opened) probably occurs at the halfway point. So trumpets 1-4 occur in the first half and trumpets 5-7 (woe, woe, woe) occur in the second half. The star that had fallen from the sky is most likely Satan as he is the one who is cast to the earth by Michael in Rev 12:9. He then has time, times and half a time (3 1/2 years) to make war with the people of God whereas the woman is protected for this time. This issue is discussed here: https://bible.org/seriespage/9-fifth-and-sixth-trumpets-first-and-second-woes
The abyss being opened at the halfway point also correlates with Rev. 17:8 which says that the beast comes up out of the abyss. We know that the beast is not revealed until the halfway point when at that time he puts in place the abomination of desolation in the holy place and he puts a stop to the Jewish sacrificial system. Dan. 9:27 says that this happens at the halfway point (in the middle of the week).
Furthermore God has always been able to protect His people even if His judgments come upon the earth such as the 8 people in Noah’s Ark and during the 10 plagues of Egypt and also when the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. when millions of believing Jews escaped the wrath of the Roman Army. We are protected from His wrath under His wings so to speak. They don’t need to be raptured. So in effect there is no need for the trumpet judgments to occur after the rapture. In my opinion it is a moot point or a straw-man argument.
Steve,
Where, on the final 7 year timeline, do you believe that the mark of the Beast is first forced on people?
Hi Mick,
According to my calculations, the mark of the beast will be forced on the world just after the woman of Revelation 12 escapes to the safe place in Jordan. This enforced mark will also occur almost immediately after the Two Witnesses are killed at the halfway point and the beast has total control. The first 5 months of the second half begins the beast’s diabolical reign of terror where his mark is forced upon the whole world with the aid of the demonic locusts which come up out of the abyss. This is the first woe or 5th trumpet. In my opinion this is the best fit and timeline. But of course do your own research. Tim McHyde discusses the timing of the mark here: https://escapeallthesethings.com/mark-of-the-beast/