Thirsty4Truth

The mark of the beast as described in Revelation 13 is widely associated with the literal number of 666. Those who do not receive the mark of the beast will not be able to buy or sell, and those who do receive it will be damned for all eternity. It is said that the number or mark will be literally applied to the right hand or to the forehead. But the term "Mark of the Beast" is clearly speaking in a symbolic language and the mark cannot be seen with the human eye.

The devil is much to subtle to use such a visible approach, as his nature is to deceive. Forcing a physical mark of 666 on anyone is not deceptive and the majority of people would refuse it. The Bible says that he will cause many to take this mark, however, he cannot force anyone to take it. But he can and will make it look so appealing that people will naturally flock to it, thus causing them to take it.

Most do not realize it, but the devil cannot force you to do anything! All he can do is tempt and/or deceive you. If you do not give in to his temptations or deceptions, then he can persecute you; but he cannot cause you to stumble or disobey God in anyway.

Therefore, all Satan can do is tempt and deceive you into willingly taking the mark. If you don't receive it, you simply will not be able to buy or sell. To not be able to buy or sell may also be symbolic, but it also could mean that whoever does not accept that mark will be completely shut out of society.

Popular belief has it that if you do not take the mark of the beast that you will be killed. But notice that Revelation does not say that you will be killed. All it says, is that you will not be able to buy or sell if you do not take the mark of the beast. The only time that you will be killed is if you do not worship the image of the beast. These are two entirely different cases. Read the passage carefully:

"And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

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;

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." Revelation 13:15-17.

Now the questions remain; "Can you take the mark without having to worship the beast, and can you worship the image of the beast without taking the mark?" And the answer to both questions is a resounding yes, as they are two entirely different things.

So then, what is the mark of the beast?

It is Not the Chip

There are those who say that the mark of the beast is the chip that the governments of the world are working on, which they are going to implant in the right hand so that they can keep an eye on the population. They claim that anyone who does not take this chip will not be able to buy or sell because the chip will contain all the financial information and will become the only method of payment.

As convincing as their theory might sound, however, that is not the mark of the beast. For if it were, then we could say that money is also the mark of the beast; for without it, you cannot buy or sell. But the funny thing is, no one says that money is the mark of the beast. So how then can the chip be the mark?

Furthermore, many claim that the chip is the mark of the beast because it will be implanted in the right hand. But that means nothing, because the bible says the mark will be taken either on the forehead or on the right hand. Therefore the chip cannot be the mark of the beast, as it simply does not fit the description.

Now don't get me wrong, I do not believe that you should have a chip implanted in your body, as it can get infected and cause other health problems. But I would not have a problem, from a religious perspective, with carrying a chip in my wallet or tied around my neck if that is what the government required of me.

Is it Sunday Worship?

Some religious groups believe that the mark of the beast is worshipping on Sunday instead of worshipping on the Sabbath. They believe this because they believe the Roman Catholic Church to be the beast of Revelation 13. However, the Roman Catholic Church fits the description of the image of the beast and not the beast itself although it resembles the beast very closely.

As a result, these religious groups believe that anyone who engages in Sunday Worship has already taken the mark of the beast. This is partially true, as God never instituted Sunday as a day of worship; however, there is a lot more to it than that. There are many true believers who do not know that Sunday is not the Sabbath, and thus God cannot hold them accountable for their actions.

The Mark of God

Most people do not realize that God also has a mark that He will put upon his people. And in order to understand what the mark of the beast is, we need to first understand what the mark of God is. When you have the mark of God, then you will be able to see quite clearly what the mark of the beast is and therefore, will not have to worry about taking it.

The devil wants to be just like God; and he said: "I will be like the most High." Isaiah 14:14. He mimics God whenever possible. So if God has a mark, then he has to have one too.

The mark of God is placed on the foreheads by the angels as seen in Ezekiel 9:4 and in Revelation 9:4. The forehead represents our minds or conscience. Therefore, when our conscious is clear and our minds are set on God, then we have the mark of God on our foreheads, also known as the Holy Spirit.

So Then, What is the Mark of the Beast

You have probably figured it out by now that the mark of the beast is in your thoughts and in your actions. It is just the opposite of the mark of God, and thus if your thoughts and actions are evil or against God, then you have the mark of the beast.

Notice that the mark of God can only be taken on your forehead. This is because you cannot have wicket thoughts and still serve God. But the mark of the beast can be taken either on your forehead or on the right hand. This means that even though you appear to do good things your mind may still be wicked.

As you can see, the mark of the beast can be hidden when it is taken on the forehead, as no man is able to read another's mind. But when taken on the right hand, the actions of that individual will reveal whom he/she is serving.

So then, the mark of the beast is already here. And anyone who does not worship the one and only true God of the universe has already taken the mark of the beast. Even though it is here today, I believe that it is only in its infant stages and as time draws closer to the end it will become more and more evident as more individuals are shut out from society.

The Number 666

There is another theory around the mark of the beast. The book of Revelation states that it is the number of a man. Notice that it equates to three sixes when written numerically. The number 6 is said to be the number of a man because God created man on the sixth day and so on. If that is the case, then 666 would have to be a system, or three systems, created by man. These three systems most likely are religion, economics and the health care system. All three of these will unite as one under a one world government.

Anyone who does not bow down to this system will be forced out of society. They will not be able to buy or sell, and most likely will be forced to engage in demonic rituals. It is these rituals against God that will condemn the participants.