What Is The “Mark of The Beast?”

The “mark of the beast” is mentioned in Rev 13.16-18 where it says, “he (the False Prophet) causes all (meaning many of) the small and the great, rich and the poor, and the free men and slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand (action), or on their foreheads (intellect), and that no one would be able to buy or sell, except the one who has the mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of man and his number is 6,6,6.”

Many have the belief that this will be some mark, tatoo or biochip that will be placed on or under the skin in the right hand or forehead and this will allow financial transactions to take place. To get this “mark” you must accept the False Messiah. The Scriptures says that anyone who does this will suffer eternal damnation (Rev 14.9-10). On the other hand, there are those who believe that this mark is “spiritual” in that God marks those who are his and those who are not. There are several verses that seem to support this view. In Ezek 9.4 God tells his “executioners” (probably angels) to go through the city of Jerusalem and put a “mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.” He then tells them to slay everyone who does not have the “mark”, starting with the elders of the people. No particular mark is specified and it could not be seen by anyone with the natural eye, but the angels knew knew who they were.

In Rev 14.1 it says that the 144,000 will have God’s name and the name of the Messiah “written on their foreheads.” So, here are two examples where believers are “marked” by God in their foreheads because they are Torah observant and follow Yehovah. This is not a physical mark, but spiritual. Now the forehead was used to indicate comprehension or a mental assent to something. With true believers, it was to indicate that they had a Torah-based faith in Yeshua and had a desire to follow him in their actions. Psa 37.37 it says that we should “mark the blameless man and behold the upright.” But, Rom 16.17 says we are to “mark those who cause division” or in other words, take notice of them.

There are many other verses which convey the same concept. In Rev 13 it seems to indicate that unbelievers will be “marked” by their anti-Torah behavior. It “marks” those who do not have a Torah-based faith in Yeshua and they have a comprehension or a mental assent to follow the False Messiah, who will be “the man of lawlessness.” Now, lawlessness means he will be against the Torah, or “Torah-less.”

On the other hand, the 144,00 have God’s name on their foreheads, and in Hebrew thought, the letter “Shin” stands for the Lord. It is the first letter in the word “Shaddai” and “Shalom”, both names/titles for Yehovah. The letter shin is also the first letter in the name “Satan” in Hebrew. This letter has three heads to it when it is written. In Rev 13.18 it says this “mark of the beast” is his name or number and that number is 6,6,6. The number six in Hebrew is the letter “Vav” and it looks like a nail, or a peg, or an upright snake ready to strike. The number six is also the number of man, and the three sixes would look like three vavs in Hebrew, with three heads. If you put the three vavs together (the number of the beast and man) you can make it look like the letter shin (symbolic of God’s name/title). In other words, unless you have understanding from God, you could be deceived into thinking that you are following the Messiah, when in fact you are following the False Messiah. That, we believe, is the idea being conveyed her in Revelation.

It is possible that the mark of the beast has more to do with who you follow with your mental assent, comprehension, and actions, in line with the anti-Torah teachings of the False Prophet, a religious teacher, in regards to who the False Messiah is and those who follow him. It is also possible that this mark is a physical mark, but it doesn’t have to be, as we have shown. Part of the deception is to get people looking for a physical mark when, in reality, they already have the mark by what they believe, comprehend mentally, and what they do by their actions.

It also says in Revelation that you won’t be able to buy or sell without the mark. This makes people assume that it must be a physical mark or this would not be possible. However, nations have been able to control buying and selling without computers or being connected to “the grid” for centuries. Rome, Spain, and England did it. The United States did it with blue laws and rationing. The Nazis did it by marking Jewish stores, vendors, and the clothing of Jews and other undesirables, warning the German citizens not to have commerce with them. In a recent example, there were people who lost their livelihood because they refused to take a Covid vaccination. If one has a Torah observant lifestyle, they will be “marked” by their actions. If one doesn’t buy or sell on the Sabbath it will become known very quickly, especially in an atmosphere of persecution which will be the norm in the kingdom of the False Messiah (Rev 12.17; Dan 7.25).

Another point needs to brought out here. The False Messiah will not control the whole world nor will he control the economy of the world with this mark. This mark will only be imposed on those under his control. There will be many nations who will oppose the False Messiah and make war with him during the Birth-pains (tribulation), such as Russia (Ezek 38 and 39). In addition, Edom, Moab, and the foremost of the sons of Ammon will be rescued out of his hand. The kings of the east, and the kings of the north will disturb him (Dan 11.41-44). This seems to indicate that this “mark” is not worldwide and seems to be confined to Europe and the area ruled by the False Messiah for the most part.

There is much more on this subject, but these concepts should give you some other things to consider and investigate as far as the mark of the beast is concerned, and it may not be what has been traditionally taught. Remember, a “delusion” is when you believe something that isn’t true, and an “illusion” is seeing something when in fact it isn’t there. Both could be at play here and it is all a part of the great deception and illusion of the last days. The only way to be delivered from this is to have the wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of God, and walking in a Torah-based faith in Yeshua.

Posted in All Teachings, Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Tanak, Tying into the New Testament

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