People have been asking the wrong question about the mark of the beast. They keep asking “what is the mark of the beast?” But I think the more important question is “Which mark will you receive, the mark of the beast or the mark of God?”
The Bible tells us the false prophet will cause everyone to receive a mark on their hand or forehead if they want to interact in society. You won’t be able to buy or sell anything without this mark.
“He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.” – Revelation 13:16-18
People have wondered if the mark is physical or spiritual. They have wondered what 666 means. They have tried to figure out what the name of the beast is. All of these attempts to understand are for the goal of recognizing the mark so they won’t receive it.
But instead of avoiding the mark of the beast, wouldn’t it be better to find out how we can receive the mark of God? Because if we have the mark of God, we won’t receive the mark of the beast.
“Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed” – Revelation 7:2-4
The mark of God is a sign of protection over God’s people, while the mark of the beast is a symbol of destruction.
“Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” – Revelation 14:9-12
Notice there are two groups of people described here. The first group is those who take the mark of the beast and face the wrath of God. The second group is the saints, who are described as those who “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Two groups, God’s people or those who belong to the beast. I’m describing it this way because of what the word mark means. The Greek word translated “mark” is “charagma”, and means a mark providing undeniable identification, a symbol giving irrefutable connection between parties. It’s an identification marker and refers to an owner’s unique brand. The mark is a sign of ownership, like a branding iron used to mark cattle to signify who they belong to. The Bible also says that God’s people have a mark on their forehead.
“Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.” – Revelation 14:1
This mark identifies those who belong to God because they have His name written on their hand or forehead. Likewise, those who take the mark of the beast have his name written on their hand or forehead to identify who they belong to. The mark of God is spoken about in several places in the Bible, and even explains how we receive the mark of God.
“Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters. And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt.’ It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.” – Exodus 13:6-10
Keeping Passover each year is said to be a mark on our hand and forehead that we belong to God. It’s a sign that we are God’s people. This also means that people who don’t keep the Passover are missing the mark of God on their hand and forehead. Yeshua said, “do this in remembrance of me“, indicating that His body and blood are represented in the unleavened bread and wine at Passover. Paul also encourages us to keep the feast.
“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
– 1 Corinthians 5:7-8
The Bible also gives us another description of what this mark of God looks like on our hand and forehead.
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” – Deuteronomy 6:4-9
We are told to “bind the commandments of God as a sign on our hand and forehead.” The Commandments function as a sign that we are the people of God. We’re told to put them in our hearts, to do them. We’re also told to teach them to our children, to talk about them all day, from the time when we rise until the time we lie down, to talk about them when we are walking about, and when we are sitting in our home. We do this because the commandments of God are a sign that we are the people of God. People who refuse to keep God’s commandments are missing the mark of God in their life. Yeshua actually quoted from this passage and said this is the Greatest Commandment.
“Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.” – Matthew 22:37-38
To love God is to obey His commandments. the Bible tells us this numerous times in both the Old and New Testaments, but this quote from Yeshua makes it very clear.
“if you love me, keep my commandments.” – John 14:15
The prophet Ezekiel also spoke about God placing a mark on the forehead of His people to separate them from the wicked ones.
“and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.” – Ezekiel 9:4
Those who sigh and cry over the abominations done in the world will receive the mark of God. So, it makes sense that we should seek to understand what the Bible calls an abomination. Leviticus 11describes eating unclean animals as an abomination. And Leviticus chapters 18 and 20 as well as Deuteronomy 22 all describe the gender confusion and alternative lifestyle issues we see in the world today as being an abomination.
“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an ABOMINATION.”
– Leviticus 18:22“If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an ABOMINATION…”
– Leviticus 20:13“A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an ABOMINATION to the Lord your God.”
– Deuteronomy 22:5
Do we sigh and cry about these abominations being done in the world today? Idolatry is also called an abomination to God, and we live in a world that has created all sorts of idols. People idolize actors, athletes, and singers. People idolize wealth and covet such things. We might not pray to bronze statues, but the world is clearly full of idols. Child sacrifice is another abomination the Bible describes, and we live in a world that has legalized the killing of babies. Witchcraft, fortune-telling, palm-reading, astrology, horoscopes, speaking to the dead, and magic are all called abominations, but we live in a world that celebrates and encourages these things. The world we live in is extremely perverse, in language, in dress, and in relationships, and the Bible says a perverse person is an abomination.
“For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord…” – Proverbs 3:32
Does perverse language offend you or entertain you? Does perverse clothing make you weep or smile? Do perverse relationships cause you to mourn or celebrate? Do we sigh and cry over the perversity of the world? The world is full of pride, lies, and all sorts of evil things. Do we cry over such things?
God’s Law gives us instructions about all of these things. We are told what is right and wrong. We are told to do what is good and right and to avoid even the appearance of evil. What you might not realize is the Bible says if we refuse to listen to God’s Law, even our prayers are an abomination.
“One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.” – Proverbs 28:9
This one is big, because we live in a world where the church is refusing to listen to God’s Law, and they are conforming to the ways of the world. This means their prayers are an abomination to God.
We also need to recognize what an abomination is, so we can recognize the abomination of desolation when it happens.
“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” – Matthew 24:15-16
I fear there are many people who claim to be Christians who will not receive the mark of God on their foreheads. Messiah warned us that there will be many in that day who will be rejected by Him for their lawlessness.
“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” – Matthew 7:22-23
He is describing people who identify as believers, and they are even doing miraculous things in the name of Jesus, but He rejects them because they did not obey God’s commandments, and He calls them lawless. These Christians will be rejected by the LORD and cast out of the kingdom. They will not receive the mark of God on their foreheads, the sign of God’s ownership in their life, because they did not obey Him.
If you do the things God hates, and refuse to obey His commandments, you will receive the mark of the beast, not the mark of God.
