Mark Of The Beast

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MARK OF THE BEAST

Pastor Mike here.

I want to talk to you about the mark of the beast – six, six, six – today.

We read about it in Revelation chapter 13, starting with verse 11…

11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon.

12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.

13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people,

14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived.

15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.

16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead,

17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.

18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.

And so we have the description of the mark of the beast.

CONTEXT OF THE MARK OF THE BEAST

To understand it, let’s recognize the context.

In Revelation chapter 12, the dragon — “that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan,” is the way Revelation 12, the middle of verse 9 explains him — he becomes furious with the woman, representative of the Church, as God has protected His bride from the dragon’s attempts to destroy her is what the context of Revelation 12 makes known.

And so in Revelation chapter 13 where we find the mark of the beast, the dragon enlists two entities, beasts, as another means to attack Christ’s Church.

The second beast, as we’ve just read, sometimes referred to as the false prophet — it’s a spiritual or religious beast (representing all false religions, but especially apostate Christianity) — this second beast forces the worship of the first beast, the political beast (representing all government, education, business, entertainment, etc — any human institution under the control of the devil).

Now to force the worship of the political, first beast, the second, spiritual beast, requires people “to be marked on the right hand or the forehead” as a proof of their adherence to the political beast.

They will not be allowed to operate economically (e.g. they will lose their jobs) unless they have this proof.

“[N]o one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.” (Revelation 13:17)

WHAT IS THE MARK OF THE BEAST?

Now many have surmised what the mark of the beast could be.

Some have conjured that it is a computer chip embedded under the skin.

Others have conjectured that it could be some type of HIDDEN TO AVOID THE CENSORS / YOU FILL IN THE BLANK!

But it isn’t necessarily any of these types of literal, physical things since the mark of the beast in Revelation chapter 13 is used as a symbol.

BRIGHTON ON THE MARK OF THE BEAST

In his popular commentary on the Book of Revelation, Dr. Louis Brighton puts it this way…

“The earth’s populations are so under the control of the religious beast that they are forced to be marked so as to be identified as those who belong to the beast. The ‘mark’ (Rev 13:16) could be any kind of stamp, brand, tattoo, image, or representation by which a person in his or her manner of dress and/or conduct declares his or her spiritual loyalty. Slaves were branded or marked by their masters, and worshipers of a particular god were often branded with a mark or tattoo to indicate their devotion to it.” (pg 247)

Dr. Brighton goes on…

“[The apostle John] was probably aware of these practices, and they could have served for him as examples or types of the ‘mark’ of the beast, although, as with the seal of God [for believers], John did not expect the mark to be visible to the eye.

Dr. Brighton concludes…

The dragon and his two beasts know and recognize those who belong to them, even as God knows those who are his saints.” (Pg 247)

And so the mark is symbolic of allegiance, of commitment to, of fealty (“sworn loyalty to a lord” ~ Google Definition).

THE QUESTION THAT THE SYMBOL OF THE MARK OF THE BEAST ASKS

As it was in the days of the Caesars who required Christians to deny their faith and show it by burning incense to them…

“[N]o one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3c)…

The question that the symbol of the mark of the beast asks is: Whose are you?

Are you the State’s? — the political beast’s? (representing all government, education, business, entertainment, etc — any human institution under the control of the devil).

Or are you Christ’s?

And even if your ability to make a living is threatened, whose are you?

MARK OF THE BEAST CONCLUSION

And so we have the mark of the beast – six six six.

It is used to force the worship of the political, first beast, by the second, spiritual beast (representing all false religions, but especially apostate Christianity).