Revelation 13:16-18 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, 17 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.
People have speculated many years about the number of the beast and what it means. The plain fact is that we do not know. I am not what to say that the various theories are incorrect nor am I one who mocks those who think they know. Mocking the so-called prophecy preachers only adds fuel to the fire. I have more important things to think about. There are some things we can determine from this passage that are important for our spiritual growth.
First, why do people receive this mark? It is required to buy and sell. Without it people will not eat, will have no place to live, basically cannot live. In modern societies, especially the large cities, without some way to buy and sell spells certain doom. Whatever scenario one may think this mark involves, it is clear that it will become a life or death situation for most people unless they are sell sufficient. Even then, governments today make it difficult to even live in the wilderness without their encroachment upon life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Second, where do they receive it? The forehead and right hand are symbolic in the Bible. This could be a reflection or response to having God’s law in the same place as described in Deuteronomy 6:4-9. The forehead is what others see. It is very difficult to hide this. The right hand is the dominant hand for most people and what people use for commerce, writing, and many other things. It is interesting that with today’s technology, facial recognition and microchips are becoming more common and required in some places.
Third, what is the mark? It is a form of identity that those who receive it are affiliated with the beast. This shows that the beast has gained controlled of all of humanity in a coercive way. People have no choice but to acknowledge the beast if they want to survive.
To what or with whom will we be identified? What is more important to us, the latest political figures, sports figures, movie stars, cultural fads, or Jesus Christ? What mark will we bear in this world? If it ever comes to the point of where these prophecies are fulfilled, will we be prepared to pay the ultimate cost?
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