(originally posted at Wings Of The Eagle Blog in 2017, reposted 2022)
I am constantly amused by the latest popular opinion of “the Mark”. When I was younger it was “obviously” a tattoo. Then it was “obviously” credit cards, then microchips now everyone says RFID! It’s passed around as if it’s a fact only to change a year or two later. Christians must understand the Bible is not a Sci-Fi novel, and God will never punish someone for something forced on their body against their will. The verse this comes from is found in Revelation 13:
And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.
First, the “him” is the False Prophet. The Image of the Beast is in place and is “alive and speaking”. Then – and only then – can the Mark of the Beast be issued. Don’t let anyone tell you this passage has happened in the past; utter lunacy.The context is clear: conscious WORSHIP of the Beast, and conscious accepting of the Mark to be able to buy and sell things (IE food and things for day to day life). There are 2 places where people can accept this Mark: on their forehead or on their right hand. And within the Mark itself seems to be 2 ingredients or versions: the Name and/or the Number of the Beast.
I have heard it taught – and at one time I accepted the teaching – that these are symbolic locations only. Forehead meaning mind/belief and hand meaning work/service. There is validity on one level to that, because willful worship and action by the “marked” are the results. However, the buying and selling part convinced me this is not to be “spiritualized” away. How will you be approved for (or stopped from) buying dinner for your children with an invisible Mark? It will be a visible, identifying, outward symbol of your allegiance to the Beast and acceptance of his Law. So that means no RFID implants either, sorry.
What it also cannot be is something fleeting, silly, hackable or fakeable. A tattoo would fit the bill, but why something so time-consuming and painful? Children would be very opposed to this method, believe me. A good way for us to get clarity on this is to recognize what the “Beast” is. I have taught for years that that Beast (that’s the 7 headed, 10 horned beast from the sea) is an Empire. Or call it a Kingdom or Government if you prefer. Earlier in chapter 13 we see that allegiance to this Empire is direct worship of Satan, so we can understand why God will not be forgiving those who betray Him in this time. So if the Mark is enforcing allegiance to a government and its god, and those who take it do so 100% willingly and are not zombies or prisoners, what might it look like? I think we can see a precursor at least today:
POSSIBLE MARK OF ALLEGIANCE ON FOREHEAD
POSSIBLE MARK OF ALLEGIANCE ON RIGHT HAND
POSSIBLE MONEY NEEDED TO BUY OR SELL
I don’t think we can know with certainty what the Mark will end up looking like, but it has to at least resemble the above in my opinion; all the similarities are too great to ignore. I am purposefully ignoring the question of how “global” this situation will be when it arrives. I wanted to focus just on the Mark itself. Hopefully this has helped you move beyond the ever-changing technological “marks” and into sober prayer and study of what it will be like if you are here to witness it. I also hope it has blessed you in some way. Your thoughts are welcomed below!
~ Christopher