Revelation 13, The Beast, and the Mark of the Beast

[Bootstrap]

Rules for this thread: Please focus on the text of the Revelation, not on modern times. Feel free to bring in other passages as needed. We can apply this to modern times after looking at it carefully in the context of the Bible.

I would like to focus on these questions:

1. What does the Bible tell us about the Mark of the Beast? What are the things that characterize it?
2. What does the Bible tell us about what Christians should do and how God intervenes?
3. What does the Bible tell us about the dragon, the beast, and the second beast?

[Bootstrap]

This passage in Romans 13 seems central:

Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.

The Mark of the Beast seems to be a visible mark that involves loyalty to a prominent figure, the beast, perhaps a prominent political figure.

This passage doesn't talk about IDs. The mark seems to be the same for each person who carries it, it could not be used to distinguish one person from another. It doesn't talk about anything like a central registry for who has the mark and who does not.

This passage does talk about worship. The mark of the beast is "the number of a man". People who refuse to worship the image of the beast are to be killed. People who refuse to be visibly marked with the mark of the beast cannot buy or sell.

[Heirbyadoption]

The Mark of the Beast seems to be a visible mark that involves loyalty to a prominent figure, the beast, perhaps a prominent political figure.

This passage doesn't talk about IDs. The mark seems to be the same for each person who carries it, it could not be used to distinguish one person from another. It doesn't talk about anything like a central registry for who has the mark and who does not.

Respectfully, the bolded part is actually an assumption as well. It IS noteworthy that the mark is associated with worship though. Any thoughts on why the mark is to be placed on the forehead or right hand? Suggestive of a scannable mark, I presume?

[Josh]

An “ID” identifies you as a particular thing, such as a licenced driver. Who you are is much less important. The personal details are simply there so that it can be easily checked to not be fake, or not using someone else’s ID.

A mark that shows you as loyal to the beast is certainly an “ID”.

[Bootstrap]

The Mark of the Beast seems to be a visible mark that involves loyalty to a prominent figure, the beast, perhaps a prominent political figure.

This passage doesn't talk about IDs. The mark seems to be the same for each person who carries it, it could not be used to distinguish one person from another. It doesn't talk about anything like a central registry for who has the mark and who does not.

Respectfully, the bolded part is actually an assumption as well.

Let me highlight parts of the text that seem to say that to me:

Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.

The mark is the name of the beast or the number of its name. It is not a number that identifies the individual who has the mark. I think that's what the text says, not an assumption.

It IS noteworthy that the mark is associated with worship though.

I think that's crucial to the meaning of the text.

Any thoughts on why the mark is to be placed on the forehead or right hand? Suggestive of a scannable mark, I presume?

I think of Deuteronomy 6:

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. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Your forehead and your hands are very visible, a good place to put the symbols of your loyalty.

I don't think either text implies a scannable mark, and I wonder what that would even mean to the original hearers of these texts. To me, that seems to be reading into the text.

[Josh]

It’s obviously a symbol or mark that can be seen. With today’s technology any such mark would be “scannable”.

[Bootstrap]

Any thoughts on why the mark is to be placed on the forehead or right hand? Suggestive of a scannable mark, I presume?

I think of Deuteronomy 6:

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. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

I was curious, so I went looking for other verses that mention the forehead and the hand in similar ways. Here are a few more:

Exodus 13:9 And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 11:18 “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

Proverbs 7:3 bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.

Orthodox Jews apply this with the Tefillin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tefillin - I think these are visible signs of our where our heart is.

[Pelerin]

Revelation 14:1 is clearly a direct contrast to the Mark of the Beast:

Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

The Beast doesn’t care who he gets or how they feel about him. He forces everyone to get his mark, and as long as they do I don’t think he cares about much apart from that. They can choose whether to have the mark on their foreheads or their hands—maybe some of them don’t want to broadcast it? The Beast doesn’t care. Or maybe some people don’t really “believe in” the Beast with their minds. That’s ok as long as they still do things his way.

The Lamb is much more selective and it goes on to describe those with his mark as being holy and set apart. There are only 144,000 of them. All of them have the mark on their foreheads.

Also Revelation 19:12 seems like it might be intended to contrast here:

[The Rider of a White Horse’s] eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.

It seems that Jesus has another mark of his own as well. See also verse 16.

[MaxPC]

It’s obviously a symbol or mark that can be seen. With today’s technology any such mark would be “scannable”.

Perhaps it is like those microchips they use on pets?

[Bootstrap]

Revelation 14:1 is clearly a direct contrast to the Mark of the Beast:

Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

That's good! Thanks for pointing that out.

The Beast doesn’t care who he gets or how they feel about him. He forces everyone to get his mark, and as long as they do I don’t think he cares about much apart from that. They can choose whether to have the mark on their foreheads or their hands—maybe some of them don’t want to broadcast it? The Beast doesn’t care. Or maybe some people don’t really “believe in” the Beast with their minds. That’s ok as long as they still do things his way.

The Lamb is much more selective and it goes on to describe those with his mark as being holy and set apart. There are only 144,000 of them. All of them have the mark on their foreheads.

Yes!

Also Revelation 19:12 seems like it might be intended to contrast here:

[The Rider of a White Horse’s] eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.

It seems that Jesus has another mark of his own as well. See also verse 16.

Yes, I appreciate these insights.