The Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16-18)

The Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16-18)¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

The apostle John, in his Revelation, mentions a mark that the antichrist's agent will impose on many people during the tribulation period.

Rev 13:16 He [the false prophet] also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.

What is this mark of the Beast?

As "the father of lies" (John 8:44), Satan attempts to promote his agenda through deception, using "all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders" (2 Thess 2:9).² The mark of the beast is ultimately Satan's mark and is yet another example of the devil's trickery. What, then, can we say about it?

The first thing to note is that...

I. Satan's mark is an imitation of God's mark (Deut 11:18).

Satan, through his false prophet, will issue a command to his followers similar to the command God, through the prophet Moses, gave to His people.³

Deut 11:18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

At least since return from the Babylonian Exile, God's people have taken this injunction literally. Every morning during prayer,

A. Devout Jews bind teffilin or phylacteries (leather boxes with biblical passages inside) on their left hand (note the difference) and forehead (Deut 6:6-9).⁴

B. By such means,⁵ Jews demonstrate to others their obedience to the Lord and their identity as His people.⁶

Likewise...

II. Satan's mark is an identification of his followers (Rev 13:16-17a; 20:4).

The devil will have a similar means of designating those loyal to his cause, who support his agent, and he will reinforce that loyalty with economic incentives.

Rev 13:16 He [the false prophet] also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17a so that no one [can] buy or sell unless he [has] the mark....

Whether they will actually agree with his policies or will simply recognize the financial advantage (perhaps even necessity),

A. Most people will want the benefit and will accept it.

Despite the universal tone of this verse, Satan's influence through his agent, the antichrist, may be regional rather than global (i.e., confined to the Middle East),⁷ with his control extending beyond the region but with decreasing intensity. However extensive his control, some will resist. There will be those loyal to God within the antichrist's domain who will die for their refusal to submit.⁸

Rev 20:4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Although Satan's mark may bear some superficial similarity to God's mark,

B. God's people will know the difference and will refuse it.

In addition to identifying his followers...

III. Satan's mark is a designation of his agent (Rev 13:17b-18).

Satan will use an appellation that is the name of the antichrist or is a numerical representation of his name.⁹

Rev 13:17b ...the mark...is the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.

A. Calculating the number to identify the antichrist has been difficult.

While commentators have proposed many solutions to this "riddle" (so Terry 1974:269), two opinions of this cryptic number have dominated the discussion.¹⁰

1. Some say it has an alphabetic interpretation.

a. John is using a literary device called gematria, which attaches letters to numbers in order to expose a hidden meaning, something that would not be apparent otherwise.¹¹

b. Few commentators who adopt this option agree on the result and have made various attempts to match the number 666 with the name of an historical figure (e.g., Nero, Hitler, the pope) in the hopes of identifying the antichrist, all of which have proven unsatisfactory.¹² Attempts to match the number with the increasingly common use of numerical identification in modern society (e.g., on Social Security cards, driver's licenses, credit cards) have also been unproductive.¹³

2. Others say it has a symbolic interpretation.

a. John is using the literary device of symbolism, which attaches alternative significance to numbers in order to expose a hidden meaning, something that would not be apparent otherwise.

b. Most commentators who adopt this option agree that six, the number of man, contrasts seven, the number of God, and that triple six indicates man's best efforts (three, indicating sufficiency¹⁴) fall short of God's standard (Walvoord 1966:210; Ladd 1972:187).¹⁵ Despite the agreement among commentators who hold this view, there is little evidence that John (or other biblical authors) viewed numbers this way.¹⁶

The problem with "hidden meaning" is that there is no way to be certain the particular meaning you have exposed is correct—in this case, not before the antichrist actually appears.¹⁷ Whatever the proper designation, in the end,

B. Calculating the number to identify the antichrist may not be necessary.¹⁸ His actions will reveal his true nature.¹⁹

For his followers...

IV. Satan's mark is a certification of their doom (Rev 14:9-11).

There may be some temporary, economic relief for people who bear this identification, but...

• Those who receive it will suffer God's eternal wrath.²⁰

That is the warning to those who may be considering the mark.

Rev 14:9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, [and] who receives the mark of his name."

Although the immediate fate of believers at this time varies, with some suffering for their faith while others are spared, their ultimate fate together is the same and is quite different from those who serve the antichrist.

What to remember: Is the mark of the beast a symbolic act, like the observant Jew's donning of tephillin, or is it an actual label, like a tattoo, that indicates a person's allegiance?²¹ Whatever it is, the difficulty for believers will not be in recognizing Satan's mark but in resisting Satan's authority, because the pressure to submit will be very great.²² More than economic deprivation, God's people will face the threat of imprisonment and death.²³ As John says to his readers (including us), "This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints" (13:10c).²⁴

For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.