Monday, August 31, 2015

QUESTIONS ON THE END OF TIME (3)

The Third of an On-going Series of Biblical Answers

                                          What is the mark of the Beast?

Rev. 13:18

King James Version (KJV)

18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.  








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n the Book of Revelation there is reference to the number of the Antichrist, which is 666 (Rev. 13:18). Six in biblical numerology is the number of man-just short of perfection, whereas seven is the number of perfection.  So 666 may refer to the quintessential humanist.  Revelation tells us that the number 666, or the mark of the Antichrist, is going to be stamped upon the hand and the forehead of every person in the world during the reign of the Antichrist.

The forehead represents our wills, our volition, while the hand represents our activities.  Somehow the Antichrist will get his imprint on people everywhere, causing them, through their wills and their actions, to serve him.  It is not farfetched to think that the Antichrist could impose population controlby some global means (Rev. 13:16, 17).

T

 he Bible warns us that if we have the mark of the Beast, we will then share the terrible fate of the Beast (Rev. 14:11). No one should fear "accidentally"  taking  the  mark of the Beast.  To do so involves "worshipping" the Beast (Rev. 13:15),
 and the decision will be clear enough that it will be a life-and-death matter.  However, we should still be sensitive today, for if we regard the forehead as the center of the will and the hand as being symbolic of what we do, it seems that that mark is more than some technologial device.  What we are really talking about here is who gets our allegiance.  In a real respect the spirit of antichrist is active already (1 John 2:18). 

Will we give the spirit of the world our minds, and our work?  If our allegiance is to God, we will not serve the Antichrist, and we will not take his mark upon us. 



 In conclusion,  let’s look deep at the last book in the Bible. The  666 is the number, or name, of the wild beast with seven heads and ten horns that comes out of the sea. (Revelation 13:1, 17, 18) This beast is a symbol of the worldwide political system, which rules over “every tribe and people and tongue and nation.” (Revelation 13:7) The name 666 identifies the political system as a gross failure in God’s sight.



How?

More than a label. Names given by God have meaning. For example, God gave the man Abram, which means “Father Is High (Exalted),” the name Abraham, which means “Father of a Crowd (Multitude),” when God promised that He would make Abraham “a father of many nations.” (Genesis 17:5, footnotes) Likewise, God named the beast 666 as a symbol of its defining attributes.

The number six implies imperfection. Often, numbers are used as symbols in the Bible. Seven typically represents completeness or perfection. Six, being one short of seven, can denote something incomplete or flawed in God’s eyes, and it can be associated with God’s enemies.—1 Chronicles 20:6; Daniel 3:1.

Three times for emphasis. The Bible sometimes stresses a matter by stating it three times. (Revelation 4:8; 8:13) So the name 666 powerfully emphasizes that God views human political systems as gross failures. They have been unable to bring lasting peace and security—things that only God’s Kingdom will achieve.

The mark of the beast

The Bible says that people receive “the mark of the wild beast” because they follow it “with admiration,” to the point of worshipping it. (Revelation 13:3, 4; 16:2) They do this by giving worshipful honor to their country, its symbols, or its military might. As The Encyclopedia of Religion states: “Nationalism has become a dominant form of religion in the modern world.” *

How is the mark of the beast placed on someone’s right hand or forehead? (Revelation 13:16) Regarding his commands to the nation of Israel, God said: “Bind them as a reminder on your hand, and they should be like a headband on your forehead.” (Deuteronomy 11:18) This meant, not that the Israelites were to mark their literal hands and foreheads, but that God’s words would guide all their actions and thoughts. Likewise, rather than being something literal such as a 666 tattoo, the mark of the beast symbolically identifies those who let the political system rule their lives. Those with the mark of the beast place themselves in opposition to God.—Revelation 14:9, 10; 19:19-21.


Be prepared,





Janet Thomas
Founder/President/CEO
Bible Stories Theatre of
Fine & Performing Arts


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