The Mark of the Beast

The mark of the beast

Read Revelation 13:16-18

Before starting this reading, if you have not yet read it, I recommend reading the article on this blog titled “Who are the beasts of Revelation 13?”. It will serve as a basis for us to better understand the subject of this article; in fact, the subject of this article is a continuation of that same text from Revelation.

The mark of the beast is a much-discussed subject among Christians. It generates many doubts and speculations. We have already heard about so many things that have been associated with the mark of the beast—barcodes, body chips, among others. But to understand its real meaning, we need to deeply analyze the biblical text, not only in Revelation but also in the text that will be the key to deciphering its symbology.

In the article about the beasts, we understood that they are representations of empires and their respective anti-Christian systems of government, which, throughout history, are manipulated by Satan to oppose and persecute the people of God on earth.

Regarding the mark, the text brings us the information that it would be placed either on the hands or on the foreheads of its possessors. This description is a contrast to the text of Deuteronomy 6:4-8:

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.”

The passage in Deuteronomy speaks about the devotion we should have to the Lord; it mentions exactly that we should bind the Law of the Lord on our hands and on our foreheads, the same figures used in the text of Revelation. The hand is a representation of actions, and the forehead represents understanding, way of thinking, and worldview. In Deuteronomy, the Lord calls us to love Him and serve Him with our actions and thoughts.

In Revelation, as a contrast to the text of Deuteronomy, it communicates that the possessor of the mark of the beast devotes their actions and thoughts to the worldly system; they surrender to and serve anti-Christian government systems throughout history. The mark of the beast also possessed its name, which communicates that those who possess it belong to the system of this world.

It is also said that those who did not possess the mark of the beast could not buy or sell. To understand this, we need to analyze the historical context in which the original readers of Revelation lived. They lived under the rule of the Roman Empire in a time of intense persecution of Christians. Often, worship of the emperor was required, and those who did not do so would suffer consequences, often involving the loss of property and assets. This is also a pattern that has repeated in history on other occasions; many times, Christians, because of persecution, had to abandon their assets and property during their pilgrimages on earth.

Another important detail we should highlight about the mark of the beast is that this mark is also equated to a seal. In Revelation 7:3 and 14:1, we see that God's people were also sealed on the forehead with the name of God, indicating belonging and devotion to Him. Another text that speaks about God's seal is Ephesians 1:13, which says that God's seal in the life of the believer is the Holy Spirit. And it is the Holy Spirit who enables us to fulfill the Law of the Lord (Jr 31:33; Rm 8:1-2).

Thus, we understand that the seal of God is a spiritual mark in the life of the saved, and in the same way, the seal of the beast is also a spiritual mark in the life of the unbeliever. Whoever is not in Christ is already marked with the seal of the beast. It is a timeless mark that represents devotion to anti-Christian practices and ideologies.

The number of the beast

When we analyze the verse that speaks of the number of the beast, we see a curious phrase: “This calls for wisdom.” It appears only twice in the text of Revelation and serves to call the reader's attention to some other detail that the text wants to communicate. The other passage in which it appears is in chapter 17, verse 9, and in both passages, the text contains two pieces of information: one broader and timeless, and another specific to the original readers of Revelation.

The book of Revelation aims to reveal to us the “backstage” of the spiritual battle that takes place in the world, between government systems manipulated by Satan and the people of God and His plans on earth. It also reveals the end of things, and despite all the difficulties and persecutions, the end has already been established and the people of God emerge victorious. When one tries to interpret or associate the text of Revelation with the facts of our time—trying to uncover which specific kingdom it is talking about or dates and times related to the return of Jesus or another occasion—this will lead to interpretative errors; the only exceptions in the text are the passages specified above. Understanding this, let’s continue the explanation.

Broadly, the number 666 may be a reference to the text of 1 Kings 10:14, where it speaks about the amount of gold that King Solomon accumulated annually. We need to understand that numbers in the Bible often have a meaning that goes beyond the quantity specified in them. The number 6 represents the number of man, who was created on the sixth day. It represents something flawed, imperfect.

When any number or something is repeated three times, it communicates an emphasis; it is something that completes itself. For example, in Revelation chapter 4, verse 8, we see the repetition of the word “Holy” three times, communicating that the Lord is Most Holy and there is no way for Him to be holier than He already is. The number 6 repeated three times communicates something made by man, corrupted and totally imperfect. In the passage about King Solomon, it communicates the imperfection of his human wealth; in Revelation, it communicates man's attempt to become God, or to create his own kingdom by ignoring the creator's will and accumulating only earthly riches.

Specifically for the original readers of Revelation, the number 666 also brings another message. At the time of the writing of Revelation, there was the practice of techniques where numerical values were associated with the letters of the alphabet; in Hebrew, gematria was used, and in Greek, isopsephy. Thus, each word or name also generated a number. Below, I have placed some examples of how it was done.

And using this technique in Greek, which is the original language of the book of Revelation, from the number 666, it is possible to arrive at one of the forms in which the name of Emperor Domitian was written. Domitian was the Roman emperor of the time and heavily persecuted Christians. There are also other calculations using Hebrew and gematria that also arrive at the name of Emperor Nero. But in any case, we see that the Lord was communicating to the people of God which empire and government was the beast of that time.

And here we conclude this study. I hope you liked it; if you have any questions, leave them here in the comments. God bless you.