The very first temptation which occurred on this planet was on appetite, and the very last one will also be on appetite. The mark of the beast will be tailor-made to directly affect our food source, and because of our need of food, every person will be brought to the point of decision. In the garden of Eden, worship and food were tied together, for as soon as Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree, their worship to God was interfered with. Thus it will be when the mark of the beast is implemented across the globe, the issues of worship and food will also be inextricably tied together. Let’s read:
Genesis 3: 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
Let us just take a moment to seriously reflect on a few statements given from the pen of inspiration, for although may Christians may not be aware of the extensive reach of the mark of the beast, yet the overwhelming majority of Christians will be in danger of falling for the mark, because of the issue of food. One of the main reasons why the mark will be also accepted in “The hand”, is because of the sheer necessity of eating, not merely because many agree with the system. Let’s read:
[Last day Events pp. 173>181] Prosperity multiplies a mass of professors. Adversity purges them out of the church. The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The mark of the beast will be urged upon us. When the law of God is made void the church will be sifted by fiery trials, and a larger proportion than we now anticipate will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. Chaff like a cloud will be borne away on the wind, even from places where we see only floors of rich wheat.
Soon God's people will be tested by fiery trials, and the greater proportion of those who now appear to be genuine and true will prove to be base metal. This is a terrible ordeal but nevertheless it must take place. As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel's message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition.
[The Great Controversy pp. 621] The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger, a faith that will not faint, though severely tried. The period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time.
To put it plainly, there will be only two sources of food from which all humanity must choose to eat in the near future, when the mark of the beast starts to be implemented, either from God, or from man. In other words, if any person refuses to subscribe to the counterfeit system of worship enforced by the beast system, they will have to find another source of food, for according to the Bible, the entire food chain, together with all its available resources will soon come under the direct jurisdiction of the beast system, and this will bring home to our doorsteps the very real prospect of standing firmly for right, or starving to death, if we are not found to be in Christ Jesus.
This is the reason why Bible makes very plain, the magnitude and seriousness of the problem that will be created by the beast in Revelation 13, and this is also the reason why a very blunt warning is to be given to earth’s inhabitants, before the prophecy begins to unfold.
Revelation 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more.
12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyne wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
13 And cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
And if we intend to be eating from God, it will do us well to now find out how He will be feeding us. The fact that there will be only two food sources in the future, when the last days of earth’s history begin to unfold is distinctly brought to view in the Bible. In the following passages we see The Lord providing food miraculously for His people, and the reason for this is that their unswerving integrity in serving, and obeying Him against all odds, has caused all of their economic privileges, including shopping at Walmart and Publix to be entirely cut off, thus making God’s intervention in their behalf necessary.
As a matter of fact, the history of Elijah during, and after the contest on Mt Carmel, between the laws of God, and the laws of men, directly mirrors what will befall God’s people in the last days of earth’s history, for it is more of a blueprint, rather than just another historical account of God’s interaction in the affairs of men. Let’s read:
1st Kings 19:1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.
3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
7 And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
Isaiah 33:16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.
Revelation 13:16 And 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:
17 And 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.
There are lessons which we must take away from the first temptation and fall of Adam and Eve, for the manner in which they fell has been a sort of template which most of people have followed ever since. Both Adam and Eve were not hungry when they ate of the forbidden fruit, and because there is nothing new under the sun, we find today, just as it was throughout history, that millions of people will eat when they are not hungry, for various reasons, some social, some because the food looks tempting and delicious, some because of the taste, and smell, and some because of curiosity. Let’s read:
(The Signs of the Times, April 4, 1900). The plan of salvation was so arranged that when Adam was tested, temptation was removed from him as far as possible. When Adam was tempted, he was not hungry.
This brings us to the issue of how and when God will be providing food for His people during the time of trouble. If we desire to be fed by God, it’s necessary that we study His ways of doing things, because, as we investigate the issue of being fed miraculously, we discover that God never feeds His people if they are not hungry. And thus, if we cultivate the habit of eating when we are not hungry, then we will be preparing ourselves to eat from the beast system, not from God. Let’s read:
Exodus 16:15 And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.
16 This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.
21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.
1st Kings 19:4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
7 And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
Matthew 14:15 And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
18 He said, Bring them hither to me.
19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
Mark 11:12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry.
13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon”…
Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
The very first temptation to Christ in the wilderness was on food, because the devil has observed that of the three categories of temptations the one on food is much more difficult to overcome, even more than sexual addiction and pride, which fade into oblivion, when compared with temptations on food. Thus, it is necessary that we observe the process of the fall of our first parents, for the Bible points out the two main areas we need to be careful of, when dealing with the temptation to eat in a manner that is not in harmony with God’s will. Let’s read:
[Genesis 3:6] [1] And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food.
Just because something may seem as if it’s good to eat doesn’t mean it’s good for human consumption, especially if it has been prohibited by God. Many of the world’s dietitians tout the so-called benefits of several foods that have been banned in the word of God. And even if The Lord has given the all-clear to partake of certain foods, we are not free to do so intemperately. Ackee is good to eat, but there is a right time, and way to eat it, or else the wages of sin will be death. Water is also very good, but water can also kill us when the laws of temperance are disregarded. Let’s read:
By Chris Brooke for the Daily Mail
UPDATED: 01:44 EST, 8 July 2008
Andrew Thornton, 44, ‘ overloaded’ his body after drinking ten litres – more than 17 pints – in eight hours. The divorcee, who played football regularly, thought he was being sensible by refusing to take painkillers for gum disease. He was taken to the hospital last December after collapsing at the home he shared with his mother Alice. Doctors initially thought he was drunk because he was staggering and slurring his words. However, his symptoms were caused by swelling in the brain brought on by excess fluid. Doctors put salt back into his body to counter the effects of his water intake, but the following day he had a fatal heart attack.
[Genesis 3:6]
[2] And that it was pleasant to the eyes”…
Just because food may look good, and appetizing, doesn’t mean we should start eating. Millions of people are found to be eating, solely because the food looks good. Especially is this the case when there is a buffet style situation, or when there is the option of all you can eat. If we continue to indulge the habit of eating food based on its appearance, we will be setting the stage for us to eat from the beast, because food items are becoming prettier, and prettier by the day. Even the very names have become quite pretty and enticing: Twinkies, Oreos, Southern Comfort, French fries, Pepperoni, Cookies, Pringles, Candy cane, Kit Kat, and Lollipops. Etc.
The problem with eating foods just because they look good, is that every type of food and fruit to be found in heaven also looks really good. And thus, if our appetites are not brought under the control of reason, we will be eating all day in Eden, a prospect that is not in line with God’s ideal will for us.
[Conflict & Courage pp. 12] In this garden the Lord placed trees of every variety for usefulness and beauty. There were trees laden with luxuriant fruit, of rich fragrance, beautiful to the eye, and pleasant to the taste, designed of God to be food for the holy pair. There were the lovely vines which grew upright, laden with their burden of fruit, unlike anything man has seen since the fall. The fruit was very large and of different colors; some nearly black, some purple, red, pink, and light green. This beautiful and luxuriant growth of fruit upon the branches of the vine was called grapes. They did not trail upon the ground, although not supported by trellises, but the weight of the fruit bowed them down.
There is one more issue remaining for us to reckon with as it pertains to the topic for this evening. In Revelation chapter 13 where John treats extensively on the mark of the beast, widespread ramifications of its implementation, the word “cause” is used. The reason why this is so is because satan can entice, he can solicit, and he may try to bully, but he can never force anyone to take the dreaded mark. And so we must observe how the forbidden fruit ended up in the hands of the unsuspecting Eve. Let’s read:
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp.55] The serpent plucked the fruit of the forbidden tree and placed it in the hands of the half-reluctant Eve, then he reminded her of her own words, that God had forbidden them to touch it, lest they die. She would receive no more harm from eating the fruit, he declared, than from touching it. Perceiving no evil results from what she had done, Eve grew bolder. When she “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat.” It was grateful to the taste, and as she ate, she seemed to feel a vivifying power and imagined herself entering upon a higher state of existence.
Without a fear she plucked and ate. And now, having herself transgressed, she became the agent of Satan in working the ruin of her husband. In a state of strange, unnatural excitement, with her hands filled with the forbidden fruit, she sought his presence, and related all that had occurred. An expression of sadness came over the face of Adam. He appeared astonished and alarmed. To the words of Eve he replied that this must be the foe against whom they had been warned; and by the divine sentence she must die.
In answer she urged him to eat, repeating the words of the serpent, that they should not surely die. She reasoned that this must be true, for she felt no evidence of God's displeasure, but on the contrary realized a delicious, exhilarating influence, thrilling every faculty with new life, such, she imagined, as inspired the heavenly messengers. Adam understood that his companion had transgressed the command of God, disregarded the only prohibition laid upon them as a test of their fidelity and love.
There was a terrible struggle in his mind. He mourned that he had permitted Eve to wander from his side. But now the deed was done; he must be separated from her whose society had been his joy. How could he have it thus? Adam had enjoyed the companionship of God and of holy angels. He had looked upon the glory of the Creator. He understood the high destiny opened to the human race should they remain faithful to God. Yet all these blessings were lost sight of in the fear of losing that one gift which in his eyes out-valued every other. Love, gratitude, loyalty to the Creator—all were overborne by love to Eve. She was a part of himself, and he could not endure the thought of separation.
He did not realize that the same Infinite Power who had from the dust of the earth created him, a living, beautiful form, and had in love given him a companion, could supply her place. He resolved to share her fate; if she must die, he would die with her. After all, he reasoned, might not the words of the wise serpent be true? Eve was before him, as beautiful and apparently as innocent as before this act of disobedience. She expressed greater love for him than before. No sign of death appeared in her, and he decided to brave the consequences. He seized the fruit and quickly ate.
Similarly, some will receive the mark because they are deceived into receiving it, while many others will accept it for social reasons, even though their decision is based on a knowledge of the adverse consequences, hence the reason why the mark will be given in either the right hand, or the forehead, signifying intelligent, deliberate decision-making. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which cautions us to bring the desires of the flesh under control whilst we still have opportunity to, for as stated before, it began with food, and it will end with food. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
God bless!