Mark of the Beast

Everyone Will Be Required to Take the Mark of the Beast - 666

Satan is the author of the phrase, "If you can't beat em, buy em" says Hal Lindsey. If he's learned anything from history, he's learned this equation: Healthy economy plus Big Lie plus Weak but Plausible Excuse, plus Someone Else to Blame, equal social Control. It worked for Hitler. It seems to be working even better in the global arena.

John describes it this way. "And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead, and he provides that no one should be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name." (Rev. 13:16-17).

The US government in WWII furnished a device of this kind in the form of food rationing. It was not enough to have money sufficient to pay for an item, for one had to have food stamps. The same will be true during the 2nd half of the Tribulation, for the Antichrist will so control the economy that no one can live if he or she does not worship him.

The Mark of the Beast: (Rev. 13:13-18), teaches that after the midpoint of the Tribulation, all men and women will be ordered to bow down before the image of the Beast and worship him. Those who do will receive "a mark on their foreheads" that is "the name of the beast, or the number of his name", later identified as 666 Mark of the Beast (see Rev. 13:16-18). This will identify them as worshipers of the Beast. All those without that mark will be killed. Scripture makes it clear that receiving the mark of the Beast is no accident, but the result of a deliberate choice made during the Tribulation.

That choice involves rejecting the teaching of the 2 witnesses, the 144,000 Jewish witnesses, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28-32), and the angel with the everlasting gospel (Rev. 14:6-7). Twice (in chapter 14), an angel warns that "if anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on their forehead or his hand, he shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God."

Those who accept the mark will be cast into hell "and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone. And the smoke of their torments ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, (those) who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name Fire and Brimstone (see Rev. 14:10).

Concerned believers sometimes worry that they might somehow inadvertently receive this devilish mark, but this is impossible. First, remember that our God is loving and merciful; He proved that forever in the gift of His Son. It would be totally out of character for Him to send someone to Hell for accidentally standing in the wrong line and getting the mark of the Beast when he wanted the mark of the Father.

Second, the before mentioned verses show that the mark is obtained only by those who sell their soul to the Beast, and the devil who gives him his power. This involves a willful rejection of God, something a true Christian could never do.

Also, since the mark of the Beast does not appear until the middle of the Tribulation, which is at least 3-1/2 years after the Rapture, and maybe even 10 or more years after that world-shaking event. No Christian alive need to worry about inadvertently taking the mark and becoming a follower of the Beast and the devil.

The only people who should be concerned are those who miss the Rapture and are left behind to go through the Tribulation. If they live into the Tribulation, they had better be prepared to make a choice. But they should understand this: Once the choice is made, it is eternal.