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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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).
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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.
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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