May the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be blessed! Jesus Christ in His love has prepared for us an inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading — reserved for us in the heavens. In Him, we believe that we will not die, that we will live for eternity at His side. May praise, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honour, power, and strength return to Him alone throughout all the ages. Amen!

Beloved, the message I wish to share with you concerns the Great Tribulation and the Mark of the Beast. This is a teaching of paramount importance for every Christian awaiting Christ Jesus coming upon the clouds with great glory. In our teaching on the Antichrist and the False Prophet, we saw that it is these two men — the Antichrist and the False Prophet — who will be the principal agents of this Great Tribulation; and in this teaching, we will learn a little more about this Great Tribulation and the Mark of the Beast that will be established during the same period.

Several prophecies written in the Bible — most notably in the books of Revelation, Matthew, Daniel, and Mark — speak to us of the Great Tribulation. The Bible defines the Great Tribulation as a period of great distress such as has never been from the beginning of nations until that time. It will be perpetrated principally by two men: the Antichrist and the False Prophet. Let us begin, beloved, by examining the prophecies to learn more. Let us first turn our attention to the sixth and fifth seals.

Revelation 6:12–13
¹²And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; ¹³And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

This passage speaks of the opening of the sixth seal. What can this sixth seal represent? The Lord in His love has given us identifying signs corresponding to the event linked to the sixth seal. The Bible bears witness that at the opening of the sixth seal, "there was a great earthquake, the sun became black, the moon became as blood, and the stars fell from the heaven." Let us add to this passage of Revelation 6 the passages of Acts 2:20 and Matthew 24:29–31.

Acts 2:20
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come.

Matthew 24:29–31
²⁹Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: ³⁰And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

How extraordinary is the Word of God! In these passages from Acts and Matthew, we find the same phenomena connected to the opening of the sixth seal: the sun becomes black, the stars fall from the heaven. And these passages inform us that all of these phenomena correspond to the Day of the Lord — that is, to the day of the coming or return of Jesus Christ. Acts 2:20 even describes this Day as glorious — yes, it will be a glorious day for us who await the return of the Lord. We therefore understand through these passages that the opening of the sixth seal corresponds to the glorious and majestic return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who on that day will give rest to His own and punish all iniquitous men (2 Thessalonians 1:7). And the fifth seal — to what event is it connected?

Revelation 6:9–11
⁹And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: ¹⁰And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? ¹¹And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

In this fifth seal, the Bible speaks to us of the souls of those slain for the Word of God and for the testimony of God which they held. The Bible bears witness that these souls are under the altar — before the Throne of God (Revelation 8:3); also, a white robe is given to each of them. Still in the description of this fifth seal, the Bible at verse 11 speaks of "…until the number of their brethren who should be killed as they were should be fulfilled." By this, we therefore understand that this fifth seal describes an event that is inevitable for all those who know the Word of God and hold the testimony of God. What can this be?

Matthew 24:9
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

Revelation 7:13–14
¹³And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? ¹⁴And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

From these passages we understand that the opening of the fifth seal corresponds to nothing other than the Great Tribulation — during which all those who hold the testimony and the Word of God will be slain, cut down by the sword one after another.

Beloved, if therefore the sixth seal represents the Day of the Lord — the day on which He will come to deliver His Church and punish the world — and the fifth seal, which is none other than the Great Tribulation, must be opened before the sixth seal, this means that the return of Jesus Christ will only take place after the Great Tribulation. In other words, the Rapture of the Church will occur only after the Great Tribulation. May the Lord be blessed for the revelation of His Word.

Brothers and sisters, the question we must now ask is: when will the Great Tribulation begin? The Bible describes a specific event that will trigger the Great Tribulation. That event is the abomination of desolation. What is the abomination of desolation? The abomination of desolation refers to the act by which the Antichrist will seat himself in the Temple of God — the third Temple of Jerusalem, whose vessels are already prepared — and proclaim himself god. We find this in 2 Thessalonians 2:1–4. Through this act, the Antichrist will have no regard for anyone — not even for God; he will utter blasphemies against God, mock the living God greatly, and put to death all who refuse to acknowledge his divinity — and in particular the true born-again Christians. This is precisely the Great Tribulation. Let us examine Matthew 24:15–22.

Matthew 24:15–22
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: ¹⁸Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. ¹⁹And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! ²⁰But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: ²¹For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. ²²And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Through this passage, we can clearly see that the triggering event of the great distress — the Great Tribulation — is the event of the abomination of desolation. The Bible defines this period of Great Tribulation as a period of great suffering — most particularly for us as children of God; for it is during this period that the Antichrist will kill a great number of the saints who refuse to worship him or submit to him.

Revelation 13:5–7
⁵And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. ⁶And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. ⁷And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Daniel 7:21
I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them.

Many Christians will therefore die during this period of Great Tribulation because of their refusal to deny their one Master and Saviour Jesus Christ. In verse 22 of Matthew 24, the Bible tells us that if those days of Great Tribulation were not shortened, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened. And how long will these days of the Great Tribulation be?

Daniel 12:11
And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

This passage informs us that these days of the Great Tribulation will be 1,290 days. Converting these days into years gives us 3.5 years — three years and a half. This duration is also expressed as "a time, times, and half a time" — one time being equal to one year, times to two years, and half a time to half a year, giving 3.5 years.

Daniel 12:5–7
⁵Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. ⁶And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? ⁷And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

Daniel 7:25
And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Note also that this duration of the Great Tribulation corresponds to the duration of the Antichrist's reign — 42 months, that is, 3.5 years.

Revelation 13:5 — "And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months."

Why must the Great Tribulation last 3.5 years? The number 3.5 is half of 7; 7 defining what is perfect, total, or complete. 7 divided by 2 — that is, 3.5 — defines therefore what is incomplete or imperfect. Thus, when the Bible tells us that the Great Tribulation will last three and a half years, it means simply that the sufferings will not be total — they will be incomplete. If they were complete — that is, 7 years — no one would be saved; but the Lord, for the sake of the elect, has shortened them to 3.5 years. This is what the Lord explains to us in Matthew 24:21–22. We must therefore rejoice and count ourselves blessed (Daniel 12:11–12).

Having discovered these facts about the Great Tribulation, let us go further into the details. Beloved, the period of the Great Tribulation will be characterized by the abandonment of the faith by those who today call themselves born-again Christians. Because of the great sufferings — nakedness, hunger, imprisonment, torture, death — many will deny Jesus Christ to follow the Antichrist (Luke 12:8–9). Since the Antichrist will be seeking out all true Christians, he will use those who have abandoned the faith to reach the others. Hence the betrayals.

Matthew 24:10
And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

Mark 13:12
Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.

Luke 21:16
And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.

The period of the Great Tribulation will be marked by the growth of sin — sin reaching its absolute final level, its peak. All manner of abominations will be committed: men will engage in intimate relations with robots; men will officially marry animals, trees, and the like. In short, during the Great Tribulation, the human race will be completely corrupted; there will not be a single righteous thought remaining in man. Every day, men's thoughts will be directed only toward evil — as was the case in the time of Noah. As a consequence of this growth of sin, many will doubt the existence of the true God, Jesus Christ, during these days of tribulation.

Matthew 24:12
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

During this period of great suffering, the true children of God will rise up to teach and strengthen the others.

Daniel 11:33 — "And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days."

Through this Great Tribulation, many of the sons of God will be refined, whitened, and purified.

Daniel 11:35 — "And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed."

Through this Great Tribulation, the righteous man will be clearly distinguished from the wicked. While the righteous man will seek to purify himself, the wicked will plunge only deeper into evil.

Daniel 12:10 — "Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand."

Beloved, what I find most wonderful about the Great Tribulation is that the Lord will save a great multitude of people during this period.

Revelation 7:9–14
⁹After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; ¹⁰And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. ¹¹And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, ¹²Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. ¹³And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? ¹⁴And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

It is also during this period of the Great Tribulation that the two Witnesses of God will appear. Their ministry will last 1,260 days — approximately 3.5 years. It is they who will contribute to the full proclamation of the gospel, thereby fulfilling Matthew 24:14. Like every other son of God during this Great Tribulation, they will also be slain by the beast — the Antichrist (Revelation 11:3–12). Finally, the return of the Lord and the Rapture of the Church will take place only after the distress — the Great Tribulation.

Matthew 24:29–31
²⁹Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: ³⁰And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Beloved, as we continue in this teaching, let us now speak of the Mark of the Beast. Without further delay, let us look at what the prophecy tells us about this mark.

Revelation 13:16–17
¹⁶And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: ¹⁷And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

The Word of God informs us here that a time will come when the inhabitants of the earth will be required to be marked in order to participate in the economy; without this mark, it will be impossible for anyone to sell, to buy, to work, to study, to travel. In short, life and society in that era will be entirely dependent upon this mark. As we have seen in the teaching on the Antichrist and the False Prophet, it will be the False Prophet — that is, the Pope or Bishop of Rome who is alive at the time of the Antichrist — who will impose this mark of the beast.

Concretely, what can this mark represent? This mark will be none other than an electronic microchip that must be implanted in every person at the time of the Antichrist. This chip is known today under the name of the RFID chip — which operates using radio waves. It will eliminate the need for cash and bank cards. It will be a chip designed to contain and provide all necessary information about a person; the person's money — in electronic currency — will be stored within it.

Let us pause for a moment on the subject of electronic currency. Today we can see to what extent electronic money is gaining ground — particularly in Africa — thanks especially to mobile phone companies that have put in place a system for transferring money via mobile phones. All of this is but the forerunner of the Mark of the Beast — that is, the elimination of cash. In truth, when we see all these things, they must alert us to the establishment of the mark of the beast.

Research conducted on these chips — with the aim of identifying the best part of the human body in which to implant them — reveals that only two locations of the human body are effective for implanting these chips: the head, more precisely under the scalp at the level of the forehead, and the back of the hand. This corresponds exactly to what the Bible tells us about the implantation of these chips in Revelation 13:16. The Word of God is living!

Currently these chips are used by wealthy individuals and on animals in order to track and control them. In Spain — specifically in Barcelona — a nightclub offered its clients the option of having this chip implanted in order to make payments with it. In reality, in order to make people accept these electronic chips, the promoters of the world government will attempt to persuade people that these chips will simplify life. Which is completely false. Indeed, beyond their economic context, these electronic chips will serve to control men during the reign of the Antichrist; they will be used to monitor every movement of men — for they are connected to satellites. In those days, the world government system of the Antichrist will have a database in which the information of all those who accept the mark of the beast will be registered.

These electronic chips will serve to control the minds of people — to engage in brainwashing. Indeed, through this chip operating by means of radio waves and connected to satellites, thoughts from an outside source will be imposed upon man — thoughts he will never be able to control. The person will believe these thoughts are his own, when in fact they come from an external source. Thus suicidal thoughts, thoughts of murder, and many other malicious impulses will be transmitted to those who bear the mark of the beast from the beast's control centers.

Know also that these electronic chips will be integrated into every electronic device — computers, televisions, mobile phones, and others. In those days, there will be a kind of fusion between supernatural forces — demons — and electronics; these supernatural forces will travel through fiber-optic cables, coaxial television cables, electrical lines, and telephone lines in order to penetrate and possess everyone simultaneously through these electronic devices. (Refer to the research work of CERN — the European Organization for Nuclear Research.)

In conclusion, the mark of the beast will serve only to control men — for there can be no freedom when every person on earth has been numbered. And all of this will take place during the Great Tribulation. And we, as Christians — what must we do? The Bible is clear on this: he or she who accepts the mark of the beast will experience the wrath of God, and his or her final destination will be the lake of fire and brimstone.

Revelation 14:9–11
⁹And 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, ¹⁰The 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: ¹¹And 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.

May the peace of the Lord be your portion.