by esther phinias | 2 September 2019 08:46 pm09
Some preachers—especially among Seventh-day Adventist circles—teach that the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:16–17) will be identified by the day of worship. They claim that when the Pope (or the Roman Catholic system) declares Sunday as the only global day of worship, this will violate the fourth commandment, which instructs us to remember and keep the seventh-day Sabbath (Exodus 20:8–11). According to this view, those who comply with Sunday worship will receive the mark of the beast (666), and they often cite Daniel 7:25 to support this:
“He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law…”
(Daniel 7:25, NKJV)
But is this interpretation accurate? Let’s explore it biblically and theologically.
The “times and law” mentioned in Daniel 7:25 do not refer to a simple change from Sabbath (Saturday) to Sunday. The phrase refers to prophetic seasons (Hebrew: “zemanin”) and divine ordinances, pointing to a systemic shift in God’s appointed times and moral framework.
In biblical prophecy, “times” are often used to refer to divine seasons or eras, not individual days.
“…Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them.”
Here, “the time” refers not to a single day, but to a period of deception, foreshadowing the last days.
“…You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?”
Jesus rebukes the crowd for failing to recognize the season of His first coming—a divinely appointed time of visitation (cf. Luke 19:44).
“Look at the fig tree, and all the trees…when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.”
This passage speaks of the season of end-time fulfillment, not a specific day of the week.
In context, “law” refers not only to the Mosaic law but to divine authority and moral absolutes. The Antichrist will seek to alter what God has established as right and wrong—redefining morality, truth, and worship.
“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil…”
(Isaiah 5:20, NKJV)
This aligns with Paul’s warning in 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4, where the “man of sin” (Antichrist) will exalt himself above God and sit in God’s temple, redefining worship and truth:
“…who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped…”
(2 Thessalonians 2:4, NKJV)
When Daniel 7:25 says the Antichrist will “intend to change times and law,” it means he will seek to disrupt God’s prophetic timetable. This involves ushering in a new era—the Great Tribulation, following the end of the Age of Grace.
We are currently in what the Bible calls:
“The times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24) — a season of grace for the salvation of the nations (Gentiles).
This season will end with the rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17), after which the Antichrist will rise and implement a new system of oppression and deception, marking the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21).
This is what the “changing of times and law” truly entails: a global system that outlaws truth, outlaws grace, and enforces blasphemy.
No. The mark of the beast is not about the day you worship. It is about whom you worship and what system you align yourself with.
“If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark…he shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God…”
(Revelation 14:9–10, NKJV)
Worship on Sunday is not inherently evil—Jesus rose on the first day of the week (Sunday), and the early Church often gathered on that day (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2). The New Covenant teaches that believers are no longer under obligation to observe Sabbaths in the Mosaic sense:
“Let no one judge you…regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”
(Colossians 2:16–17, NKJV)
Therefore, the teaching that not keeping the seventh-day Sabbath is equivalent to receiving the mark of the beast is not supported by Scripture and should be rejected as doctrinal error.
Daniel 7:25 does not mean the Antichrist will simply move the Sabbath to Sunday. It points to a global, spiritual, and moral upheaval where divine truth is replaced with deception, and God’s appointed prophetic seasons are overthrown by a satanic agenda.
This verse highlights a total systemic shift in God’s redemptive timeline—from the current Age of Grace to the Age of Wrath. The Antichrist will change the world’s spiritual climate, not just its calendar.
Let us be alert, rooted in truth, and watching for our Lord’s return.
May the Lord bless you and keep you in His truth.
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Context Behind the Question:
Some preachers—especially among Seventh-day Adventist circles—teach that the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:16–17) will be identified by the day of worship. They claim that when the Pope (or the Roman Catholic system) declares Sunday as the only global day of worship, this will violate the fourth commandment, which instructs us to remember and keep the seventh-day Sabbath (Exodus 20:8–11). According to this view, those who comply with Sunday worship will receive the mark of the beast (666), and they often cite Daniel 7:25 to support this:
He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law…
(Daniel 7:25, NKJV)
But is this interpretation accurate? Let’s explore it biblically and theologically.
BIBLICAL CLARITY: What Does “Times and Law” Mean in Daniel 7:25?
The “times and law” mentioned in Daniel 7:25 do not refer to a simple change from Sabbath (Saturday) to Sunday. The phrase refers to prophetic seasons (Hebrew: “zemanin”) and divine ordinances, pointing to a systemic shift in God’s appointed times and moral framework.
🔍 Let’s break it down:
1. “Times” (Seasons) in Scripture:
In biblical prophecy, “times” are often used to refer to divine seasons or eras, not individual days.
▶ Luke 21:8 (NKJV)
…Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them.
Here, “the time” refers not to a single day, but to a period of deception, foreshadowing the last days.
▶ Luke 12:56 (NKJV)
…You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?
Jesus rebukes the crowd for failing to recognize the season of His first coming—a divinely appointed time of visitation (cf. Luke 19:44).
▶ Luke 21:29–31 (NKJV)
Look at the fig tree, and all the trees…when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.
This passage speaks of the season of end-time fulfillment, not a specific day of the week.
2. “Law” in Daniel 7:25:
In context, “law” refers not only to the Mosaic law but to divine authority and moral absolutes. The Antichrist will seek to alter what God has established as right and wrong—redefining morality, truth, and worship.
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil…
(Isaiah 5:20, NKJV)
This aligns with Paul’s warning in 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4, where the “man of sin” (Antichrist) will exalt himself above God and sit in God’s temple, redefining worship and truth:
…who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped…
(2 Thessalonians 2:4, NKJV)
THE ACTUAL SHIFT: From Grace to Tribulation
When Daniel 7:25 says the Antichrist will “intend to change times and law,” it means he will seek to disrupt God’s prophetic timetable. This involves ushering in a new era—the Great Tribulation, following the end of the Age of Grace.
We are currently in what the Bible calls:
“The times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24) — a season of grace for the salvation of the nations (Gentiles).
This season will end with the rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17), after which the Antichrist will rise and implement a new system of oppression and deception, marking the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21).
🔥 During that time:
This is what the “changing of times and law” truly entails: a global system that outlaws truth, outlaws grace, and enforces blasphemy.
IS THE MARK OF THE BEAST ABOUT SUNDAY WORSHIP?
No. The mark of the beast is not about the day you worship. It is about whom you worship and what system you align yourself with.
If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark…he shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God…
(Revelation 14:9–10, NKJV)
Worship on Sunday is not inherently evil—Jesus rose on the first day of the week (Sunday), and the early Church often gathered on that day (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2). The New Covenant teaches that believers are no longer under obligation to observe Sabbaths in the Mosaic sense:
Let no one judge you…regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
(Colossians 2:16–17, NKJV)
Therefore, the teaching that not keeping the seventh-day Sabbath is equivalent to receiving the mark of the beast is not supported by Scripture and should be rejected as doctrinal error.
CONCLUSION
Daniel 7:25 does not mean the Antichrist will simply move the Sabbath to Sunday. It points to a global, spiritual, and moral upheaval where divine truth is replaced with deception, and God’s appointed prophetic seasons are overthrown by a satanic agenda.
This verse highlights a total systemic shift in God’s redemptive timeline—from the current Age of Grace to the Age of Wrath. The Antichrist will change the world’s spiritual climate, not just its calendar.
📖 Today, we are in the acceptable time—the Day of Salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Let us be alert, rooted in truth, and watching for our Lord’s return.
May the Lord bless you and keep you in His truth.
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