Once the dragon and first and second beasts are on the scene, Satan must determine a way to identify his followers. This devotional reading looks at the mark of the beast and its use.
Nuggets
- John would have been familiar with the practice of marking slaves to show to whom they belonged.
- Instead of identifying the “enemy,” the mark of the beast will identify Satan’s followers.
- A major way in which the authority of the first beast will be administered is through economic discrimination.
- It is easy to think that the mark is physically going to be a number.
- God calls His children to be wise so that they may withstand the lure of the second beast.
Once Satan is in power with his evil trinity, He must determine a way in which his followers are identified. To do this, he has each marked with what is called the mark of the beast.
John really didn’t tell us much about this. What he did tell us is confusing.
Let's Put It into Context
To read devotions in the On the Day of the Lord theme, click the button below.
Devotions in The Beasts series
To be Marked
“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, 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” (Rev. 13: 16-17 ESV)
John would have been familiar with the practice of marking slaves to show to whom they belonged.
When we’ve discussed sealing in the past, we talked about the need to identify something – usually something being shipped – as belonging to the sender. That is where seals came into practice.
It becomes a little tricky when we are talking about identify people who belong to someone else. That practice was usually employed for identifying slaves.
Unfortunately, that was a practice in the past. Unfortunately, it is still in practice in some places and in some ways.
In the last devotion, we talked about how the second beast is going to exercise the authority of the first beast. “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” (Rev. 13: 12 ESV).
It is logical that Satan would find a way to identify his followers as opposed to disciples of God.
Causes All to be Marked
Instead of identifying the “enemy,” the mark of the beast will identify Satan’s followers.
Think about it. In World War II, the Star of David identified Jews, Hitler’s enemy. It singled them out so everyone would know they were not Hitler’s chosen ones.
The mark of the beast in end times is going to do the exact opposite. Everyone – regardless of their beliefs, economic status, social status, and influence – will be required to be marked. They just have to go along with the worldview.
Isn’t that what the worldview is already trying to tell us? People should be allowed to have their own beliefs. They are to, in turn, allow others to have their own beliefs.
That is, as long as the others do not believe and follow God. His disciples are to be excluded.
God wants His disciples excluded from the mark of the beast. He wants us to follow Him, not Satan.
John doesn’t elaborate as to what this mark will be. He just says that it is either on the right hand or the forehead.
I don’t want this to disintegrate into a discussion of what that is going to look like. Is it going to be a microchip?
Maybe. Maybe not, because a microchip would be inside the skin, not on the forehead or hand.
Fun fact. The King James Version is the only one translate the mark as in the forehead or hand. All others translate it as on.
What happens if we are totally convinced the mark of the beast will be a microchip – and it isn’t? What if it is a tattoo?
What if it isn’t a literal symbol? It didn’t sound like the seal for the 144,000 in Revelation 7 was going to be something that would brand them.
“Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads’” (Rev. 7: 2-3 ESV emphasis added).
We know we are sealed at conversion. That isn’t a literal seal.
What if this isn’t the literal seal everyone thinks it will be?
Would some be coaxed into getting the mark because it wasn’t happening the way they interpreted God’s Word?
Let’s look at another figurative implication. The right hand of God indicates His power.
- “My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand forth together” (Isa. 48: 13 ESV).
- “Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand” (Ps. 20: 6 ESV).
- “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isa. 41: 10 ESV).
Satan would see putting the mark on the right hands of goats masquerading as sheep as sticking a knife in God’s heart. Yes, I can see him giving that little dig.
Clarke had an interesting interpretation. He felt that everyone would be marked on their right hand. Only those true worshipers of Satan would be also marked on the forehead.
Resource
I just wonder if, when it is implemented, people will see the mark of the beast as an identification of their slavery to the beast.
Oh, I know people don’t equate sin with slavery now. They should. “Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin’” (Jn. 8: 34 ESV).
We have an unknown amount of time before the unknown mark of the beast will be required. Many things could be invented between now and then. We don’t want to not consider them because we made up our minds too soon.
No One Can Buy or Sell without the Mark
A major way in which the authority of the first beast will be administered is through economic discrimination.
In order to participate in the economy, those alive at that time will need to have the mark of the beast.
It doesn’t sound like God’s disciples will have their money confiscated. It sounds like the currency they will have will not be accepted.
It will probably have a wider implication than just economic distress, won’t it? Wouldn’t it also be accompanied with social exclusion?
True, that will make disciples’ lives in the physical world extremely difficult. But we are not to put our focus on this world.
We are to focus on our eternal lives with God.
Anyone who is a disciple of God will refuse to be marked. So, this is going to be their reality.
The Name of the Beast or the Number of Its Name
It is easy to think that the mark is physically going to be a number.
That isn’t really what verse 17 says. Let’s read it again. “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” (Rev. 13: 17 ESV emphasis added).
Let’s add a couple of other verses to – hopefully – help clear this up.
- “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name” (Rev. 14: 11 ESV emphasis added).
- “And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire — and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands” (Rev. 15: 2 ESV emphasis added).
Hmmm. Nope.
I read that as there is some question as to whether the name is going to be figuratively or literally branded on their foreheads.
Does this mean that the alphabet used is numbers instead of letters? No, it really isn’t clear.
It doesn’t really need to be clear. The name isn’t really what is important.
The reason for the debate is what is important. Are we going to follow God or Satan? We will be marked on the forehead either way.
We will have God’s seal or Satan’s mark of the beast.
So, our choice is whether we are going to follow God or Satan. Are we going to have God’s character and principles or Satan’s?
The Number
“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” (Rev. 13: 18 ESV)
God calls His children to be wise so that they may withstand the lure of the second beast.
Oh, wow. That verse is perfectly understandable, right?????
No, little in Revelation is clear cut.
But that is okay. God will provide wisdom so that we can discern what is right.
It isn’t our wisdom that we need, anyway. We need God’s wisdom. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (Jas. 1: 5 ESV).
God also gives us discernment. He gives us the means to evaluate the situation and recognize right from wrong.
What do we need to evaluate the situations created by the second beast? John told us that there are three things.
Calculate the Number of the Beast
I have to process what Gill wrote in his commentary.
Resource
- The number of the beast reflects both the first beast and the second beast as, like the Trinity, they have the same nature and merge into one being with the dragon.
- That gives them the same number.
- The number is also hidden in an incomprehensible manner.
Bottom line. God is smart enough to figure it out. We aren’t.
The Number of a Man
Gill equated this verse with Revelation 21: 17. “He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement” (Rev. 21: 17 ESV).
Well, okay. Gill said the number is the name because it is commonly used by man.
Ooo, baby. This isn’t getting any clearer.
His Number Is 666
Clarke explained that Greeks, since the time of Homer, have used numbers to represent the letters of the alphabet. The number corresponded to the order of the letters.
Resource
Gill said some try to tie the number 666 to the year the Antichrist will rise. Well, that year is long gone.
A second guess is the Antichrist’s expiration date is 1666. Ditto.
Gill liked Potter’s calculations. Since I am no mathematician, he lost me in the calculating the root, multiplying, fractioning, and square rooting.
Part of me says that would exactly be what God would do. He would show how wise He is in that He is probably about the only one who could figure that out.
Part of me says God wouldn’t set us up for failure. He doesn’t want us to fall for Satan’s deceit.
While the kingdom of the beast is going to be an earthly kingdom – it will happen here on earth – I believe its focus will be a spiritual kingdom. Its whole focus will be the condition of our souls.
Satan will do everything in his power to get us to turn away from God’s spiritual kingdom by deceiving us with an earthly kingdom. This will cement our existence in hell for eternity.
Chadwick argued that we should divorce 666 from arithmetic altogether. He felt we should focus on the symbolism, writing, “For instance, three is a number of mysterious sanctity, and refers to deities; four represents the earth in all its four corners; and six is everywhere the unlucky number.”
Resource
It is scary to think that so much can be achieved apart from God. That isn’t how we think, though, is it?
We buy into the concept of a prosperity gospel. We think God would not be growing our church numerically if we were not doing His Will.
The problem is we confuse Satan growing us with God growing us. Of course, Satan is going to want church attendance to grow if it is going to keep us from truly serving God.
We focus on self-help programs instead of working out our salvation through inward transformation. We fix ourselves.
We look to science for answers instead of accepting God did what He did His way – and we don’t necessarily need to know what that way is.
Making the Connections #1
Maurice made a really good point. He wrote,
“The words ‘he causeth’ clearly ascribe this operation to the second beast. If it had been the first we might imagine that some outward mark or sign was meant, for that beast deals with the visible and outward. But this one stamps an image on the souls of men; this writes a name on all their inward thoughts, which afterwards expresses itself in their common daily acts.”
Resource
We have talked many times that to follow the worldview belief is to just have an outward appearance. To follow God is to have a true inward transformation.
Can we interpret that to mean, in the end, Satan wants our total submission to him? He doesn’t want us to give him lip service as we sometimes give God.
Ooo, baby. Does that mean Satan is deceiving worldview people to make them think that they aren’t really making a decision about their eternal life – when they really are.
Oh, I can see that.
Making the Connections #2
The next sermon after Maurice’s made me think, too. What made the second beast a beast? The only description we were given was it “… had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon” (Rev. 13: 11 ESV).
Maclaren argued that what made the second beast a beast was Godless selfishness. He felt this was the mark of the beast.
Resource
Well, isn’t selfishness – and pride – a big part of the worldview belief?
What do we keep saying? We have to focus on God, not ourselves – our beliefs, wants, and desires.
When we are focusing on ourselves, we are in the image of Satan.
If we process what Maclaren said – in Elaine-speak – the mark of the beast would be walking in the flesh. Being sealed by God would be that we walk in the Spirit.
Making the Connections #3
Ellicott brought up a fantastic point. How can flawed, impure mankind think they are going to have the wisdom to figure out what pure, holy God has determined?
Resource
Yes, mankind is made in God’s image, but we are also made in Adam’s image (Gen. 5: 3). In other words, we are being guided by Satan.
That is what will give us the boost to get closer in figuring it out.
How Do We Apply This?
- Shoot for God’s 777 instead of Satan’s 666.
Resource
Father God. We do not want to be identified as a follower of Satan. This does not tell us what is going to happen. What we know is that we must walk in the Spirit daily and choose You. Amen.
What do you think?
Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
If you don’t understand something and would like further clarification, please contact me.
If you have not signed up for the email providing the link to the devotions and the newsletter, do so below.
If God has used this devotion to speak with you, consider sharing it on social media.