The Mark of The Beast --- 666
Harry Bethel
BethelMinistries.com
Discerning Christians have every reason to believe we are living in the very last days before the Great Tribulation and the return of Christ. Even if that time is far into the future, one thing is sure---there will be a literal 3 1/2 year Great Tribulation, a literal Antichrist and a literal "Mark of the Beast."
There are many claims today concerning what is the Mark of the Beast. Some Christians have believed that it is the Social Security number, notwithstanding the fact that most countries around the world do not even issue Social Security numbers or cards.
Many people, claiming to be Christians, such as many Seventh Day Adventists, believe worshipping the Lord on the first day of the week, rather than the seventh day, is taking the Mark of the Beast.
Many Christians believe that a UPC bar code is the Mark of the Beast.
In the past few years many Christians have accepted the idea that an electronic chip, biochip, microchip, or VeriChip that can be implanted under the skin is the Mark of the Beast.
There are other ideas about what the Mark is, or will be, but most have no real basis from the Scriptures.
So, let us see from the Word of God what we can know about the Mark of the Beast, and what we can deduce, by implication from the Scriptures.
The Mark of the Beast will be a literal mark, it will not be some kind of "spiritual" or non-physical mark. We can know this because, according to Revelation 16:2, those who take the Mark will later have a physical reaction: "it became a loathsome and malignant sore" (NASB), "a bad and evil sore" KJIIV), "there came a sore---bad and grievous---to men, those having the mark of the beast" (Young's Literal Translation). More will be said about this later.
The Mark of the Beast will not be under or "in" the skin such as a chip implantation, but rather it will be "on" the skin. "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on [epi] the forehead or on [epi] the hand, he, too will drink of the wine of God's fury...He will be tormented with burning sulfur...And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever" (Rev. 14:9-11).
Notice that the Greek word used to describe the location of the Mark is epi which means "on" or "over," and not eis which means "in" or "into."
It will be on the forehead or right hand, and will probably incorporate some type of vaccination that will later turn into an ugly sore. The mark (Greek, charagma, which means a stamp, an impression or an engraving), will be a visible mark, not an invisible chip implanted under the skin.
Those who receive the Mark will break out with a loathsome sore. This suggests some kind of reaction similar to that of an inoculation such as a smallpox vaccination that, years ago, was required of everyone who entered the public school systems in the United States. No vaccination---no education---at least, no education in the public schools. No school attendance---jail time for parents and loss of children to the State. Then, the children get the vaccination and education from the satanically controlled public schools---without their parents.
This writer had a smallpox vaccination more than 55 years ago and it left a mark (scar) on my upper left arm that is visible to this day. The vaccination became an ugly sore before healing.
It is very likely that the Mark of the Beast will incorporate some type of vaccination against one or more diseases, and if so, the protection may be from AIDS or something worse, or an inoculation against several or many diseases, including cancer and others. This would be in addition to the primary reason for the Mark, which is, a visible identification for buying and selling in order to survive.
Without the Mark no one will be able to buy food, gasoline, pay rent or mortgage payments, pay taxes on property, pay for medical treatment, prescription drugs or anything else. In short, without the Mark, no one will be able to survive very long---unless God supernaturally provides for His faithful and obedient saints.
There are in the Scriptures several accounts of God's supernatural intervention and provision for His saints. Some of them are: Noah and his family provided for in the Ark (food and safety), the three Hebrews protected in the blazing furnace heated seven times hotter than normal, Elijah fed meat and bread by ravens, and later by the destitute widow. And, of course, the Israelites in the wilderness were fed with manna for forty years, and their clothes and shoes did not even wear out.
Receiving the Mark of the Beast on the right hand or on the forehead is evidently all that will be required to be able to buy or sell, but it could be that the Mark on the forehead is for those few who do not have a right hand or for those who want to demonstrate greater allegiance to the Antichrist while at the same time proclaim their utter rejection of, and hatred for, Jesus Christ.
The awful and little-known truth is that God will allow Satan to give his power to the Antichrist to overcome true Christians during the Great Tribulation. "The saints [Christians] will be handed over to him [the Antichrist] for a time, times and half a time [3 1/2 years]" (Daniel 7:25); "It will be for a time, times and half a time [3 1/2 years]. When the power of the holy people [Christians] has been finally broken, all these things will be completed" (Daniel 12:7); The beast was given "authority for forty-two months [3 1/2 years]...He was given power to make war against the saints [Christians] and to conquer them" (Rev. 13:5-7).
"There is no rest day or night...for anyone who receives the mark of his name. This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints [Christians] who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus" (Rev. 14:11-12). The commandments mentioned here are the approximately 180 commandments of the New Testament, not the Mosaic Law.
Because of the great apostasy of true Christians before the Antichrist is revealed, many Christians will forfeit their salvation by being overcome by the Antichrist and taking the Mark. "With regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him [the rapture]...Let no one in any way deceive you, for it [the rapture] will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction [the Antichrist]" (2 Thess. 2:1-3).
Some of the factors involved with true Christians taking the Mark and thereby forfeiting their salvation are: Apostasy (rejecting truths of the Scriptures, and thereby rejecting Jesus Christ who is the Truth personified), being overwhelmed by the fact that Christians were not raptured prior to the Great Tribulation (a very popular endtime false teaching), and believing in the heretical teaching of unconditional eternal security.
Christians do, indeed, have eternal security, but it is not unconditional such as demonstrated with Adam forfeiting his eternal life by willfully and knowingly doing that which God said would result in death, and Esau forfeiting his birthright for a single meal.
Another factor will be the utter confusion and extreme deception of the Antichrist because most Christians will not be true disciples of Jesus according to Luke 14 and will be in bondage to many false teachings of the last days (as they are now). Many Christians will not have the discernment so greatly needed even before the advent of the Antichrist. Many Christians simply will not have the spiritual power to endure to the end.
Doubtless, some Christians who believe in unconditional eternal security will rationalize that heresy and take the Mark to buy food for themselves or family. One thing is sure according to the Scriptures for whoever takes the Mark---the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever (Rev. 14:9-12).
The Mark of the Beast will not be on the arm or some part of the body other than the right hand or the forehead. "He [the false prophet] also forced everyone...to receive a mark on [epi] his right hand or on [epi] his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name...His number is 666" (Rev. 13:16-18).
Notice in the previous paragraph that the Mark of the Beast will be forced on everyone not by the Antichrist, but rather by the False Prophet. (See Rev. 13:11-17).
Again, the Mark of the Beast is not a chip or implantation. GOD CLEARLY STATES that it is "the name of the beast or the number of his name [666]" (Rev.13:17).
Also, God clearly says that the Mark will be put ON the right hand or ON the forehead.
Many saints will be martyred during the Great Tribulation (which, for the sake of the elect, was shortened from seven years to 3 1/2 years) because they refuse to take the Mark and "go along with the program." May you, my dear brother or sister, be one of those who endures to the end, which can mean martyrdom or enduring until Jesus comes back on the last day of the Great Tribulation.
Becoming a martyr because you refuse to take the Mark of the Beast is not being overcome---it is being victorious, it is being an overcomer. You will be rewarded with a martyr's crown to lay at Jesus' feet. Jesus is the One who is worthy.