Revelation Chapter 13

VERSE 16 “He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads…”

Before we precede on to Verse 16, we should like here to mention some of the various theories put forth as to what constitutes the “mark of the beast”, and those who receive it.

There are a lot of fanciable and erroneous ideas floating around out there.

The following is but a few, with some suggesting it to be symbolic or figurative while others suggesting that it is a literal or physical mark:

One says:

“The mark of the beast is a combination of letters and symbols that will be physically and permanently placed on your forehead or right hand… The mark of the beast is an outward, physical symbol, showing that the wearer has chosen to worship the beast and receive him as God… The mark of the beast will be placed on people who worship the beast and choose to receive his mark.”

Another says:

“This mark acts as a seal for the followers of Antichrist and the false prophet (the spokesperson for the Antichrist). The false prophet (the second beast) is the one who causes people to take this mark. The mark is literally placed in the hand or forehead and is not simply a card someone carries.”

“Some type of implanted chip inserted into your right hand or forehead.” “An ID card, a microchip, or possibly a barcode that is tattooed into the skin.”

“A computer chip with 666 embedded within it.”

Others like our Seventh Day Adventist friends have their own idea:

“A person will be marked in the forehead by a decision to keep Sunday as a holy day…A person will be marked in the hand by working on God’s holy Sabbath or by going along with Sunday laws for practical reasons (job, family, etc.) … The sign, or mark, for either God or the beast will be invisible to people. You will, in essence, mark yourself by accepting either God’s mark—the Sabbath—or the beast’s mark—Sunday.”

“The mark of the beast is received when a person, with full knowledge of the truth, clings to false days of worship as more convenient in modern society than worshiping the Creator on His holy Sabbath.”

So, what then is the truth concerning the mark of the beast?

“Many have made a big deal out of this in claiming that this will be a literal mark or a computer chip, etc. We don’t think that this is going to be some future literal mark, but that it already historically existed in symbol during the dark ages (and even now still exist). The mark that the beast gives is a symbolic mark and it’s the same kind of mark that the Lord gave to the church, to mark those who are his. No one can see that mark either because it is symbolic of a condition. The mark that the Lord puts on us signifies that we are his and that we do the things that he approves of. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit, which guides us to do the things of the Lord.

The mark of the beast, in the hand and the forehead, signifies those who follow the false church-state system and indicates those who do so willingly.

That the mark is in their forehead shows that they intellectually agree with (or consent to) what the beast is teaching and doing and they support it with their thinking and their ideas.

That these also have a mark on their hand shows that they work for the false church system and do things for it to perpetuate the system. They are sealed with the spirit of anti-Christ and they do what their father the devil wants. That this verse says ALL do this, shows that anyone who lives (abides) in that system has to be of the same mind as it. Anyone who does not is persecuted or killed, as stated in the previous verse.” (Southern Wisconsin Bible Students, edited)

Keep in mind that Satan is the master at deception, even if its true that the Anti-Christ, the man of sin is not a physical person, but rather a false and misleading system, even though we know (that is those who have understanding know, Dan 12:10; Rev 13:18) that in TRUTH, the mark of the beast is symbolic and not literal, this will in no way prevent the Adversary during the “hour of power” (Matt 24:24; 2 Thess 2:9) soon coming, from using any and all of these various delusions (lies) held by the professing church to further his aims in hampering God’s plans and purposes as respects the true Church and bringing to an end the old order.

Once again:

VERSE 16 “He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads…”

AND HE CAUSES ALL: Uniformity is Satan’s trademark.

THE SMALL AND THE GREAT: The amount of influence one has in the world is not an exemption.

THE RICH AND THE POOR: The amount of one’s wealth or knowledge is also not an exemption.

THE FREE MEN AND THE SLAVES: The amount of intellectual independence one has is also not an exemption.

TO BE GIVEN A MARK: A mark is a seal or sign (evidence) of allegiance.

ON THEIR RIGHT HAND: As an evidence of their cooperation. Giving able support with their might, power and means. With whatever capacity you render support or service to the beast or its image you give evidence of your cooperation and as such, figuratively speaking bare the mark upon your right hand.

OR ON THEIR FOREHEAD: As evidence of their mental and/or character assent. (The forehead of public confession). Your faith, your acceptance and worship in the beliefs, teachings and precepts of the beast and/or its image represent your mental assent.

We will see how this verse is interpreted in The Keys of Revelation in our next post.