What Is the “Mark of the Beast”?

Watch on Youtube: Why 99% of Christians Will Accept the Mark of the Beast

Billions will accept the Mark of the Beast without question.

Yes, even most Christians will take it, and will face the wrath of God.

I’m going to show you how to recognize the Mark of the Beast and how you escape from the coming time of trouble.

We’ll begin by examining 10 clues, hidden the Bible, that will help you identify the mark.

Clue 1: At a specific time, a terrible sore will appear on people with the Mark of the Beast (Revelation 16:2)

Clue 2: The mark is on the hand or the forehead of those who follow the Beast (Revelation 14:9)

While many people think that the mark is a vaccine or a microchip, these are actually distractions that prevent people from recognizing the real mark, because

Clue 3: God will punish people for receiving the mark, because it involves disobedience (Revelation 14:10; Ephesians 5:6)

That means The mark isn’t just some kind of technology. People who take the mark will be disobeying a command of God. This is also clear because

Clue 4: Those who don’t have the mark “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12)

So people who keep God’s commandments won’t take the Mark of the Beast.

But obeying God will be harder than you expect, because

Clue 5: The false prophet will use miracles to deceive people who receive the mark (Revelation 19:20)

The Bible says this false prophet will come in the name of Christ.

So when he starts performing miracles, most Christians will do whatever he tells them to do, thinking they’re obeying God. The only way you can avoid being deceived is to follow what the Bible says, even if you have to stand alone.

The false prophet will work together with the Beast.

Clue 6: The Beast represents a world-ruling government that is a continuation of Rome, and the man who leads that government (Revelation 13:1-8; Daniel 7)

In the near future, the world will be dominated by this government and this world leader, who will have authority over all nations and people.

But the Mark of the Beast actually won’t be imposed by the Beast.

Clue 7: The mark will be imposed by the false prophet (Revelation 13:11-17; 19:20; John 1:29)

This suggests that the mark will be religious in nature.

The false prophet and Beast will work together to make sure that …

Clue 8: No one may buy or sell without “the mark, the name, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:17)

Many people think the Mark of the Beast is 666, but if you look into this carefully, you’ll actually find that the mark of the beast and the number of his name are two different things.

But when no one can buy or sell without the Mark of the Beast, most people will accept the mark, even if they don’t want to.

Clue 9: The mark is connected in some way to worship of the Beast and his image (Revelation 20:4)

Notice that we keep seeing that this mark is connected to religion.

Clue 10: Those who don’t have the mark will be “beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God” (Revelation 20:4)

To verify these ten clues for yourself, you should read every Mark of the Beast Bible verse explained. But for now, let’s continue digging into the mystery of the mark.

If you’re here during this coming time of trouble, you’ll have to face a terrible decision: Either accept the mark and face the wrath of God, or reject it and lose your head.

So how can you escape before all these things happen?

The answer is found in several signs and seals that are placed on the hands and foreheads of those who follow God.

The Bible reveals that some will escape before the Great Tribulation begins, but only if they are marked with a specific sign of God. When you understand what that sign is, you can easily recognize the Mark of the Beast, because it is the opposite of the mark of God.

So let’s dig into five facts about God’s signs and seals of protection.

Fact 1: Only Christians who obey God are sealed by God

In Revelation 7 we learn about a group of people who will be protected during the seven trumpet plagues of the end times (Revelation 9:4):

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.” (Revelation 7:2-3, NKJV unless noted otherwise)

If you keep reading, you will see that these people are those who repent during the Great Tribulation (Revelation 7:9, 14).

But what about people who are Christians before the Great Tribulation begins?

Here is a scripture that many point to as evidence that God will spare believers from the Great Tribulation:

“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” (Ephesian 4:30, KJV)

The holy spirit is just one of the seals you need to be protected. And there is also a huge danger that you may not realize until it’s too late.

The Bible says that God has given the holy spirit to those who obey Him. But millions of people who don’t obey God think they have the holy spirit. Will they be protected?

Notice what Jesus said:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 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 7:21-23)

Notice that Jesus said there would be many people who would call Him “Lord.” These people think they are Christians, but Jesus will reject them because they practice lawlessness.

So there are a lot of people who think they will be protected in some way during the Great Tribulation, who won’t be protected because they don’t obey God.

Jesus isn’t just talking about a few Christians. About 30% of people on earth claim to be Christians. But the Bible says that “Satan … deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). The Bible also says, “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19).

If these statements are true, then there are a lot of people who think they are Christians who are actually deceived.

Fact 2: Satan deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9; 1 John 5:19)

Of course, people who are deceived don’t know it.

But if you’re willing to accept what the Bible says, the scriptures that we’re about to read will reveal whether or not you are among those who have been deceived by the devil.

So let’s look at the next sign that is on the hands and foreheads of those who follow God.

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. … You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes” (Deuteronomy 6:6, 8)

Of course, this is symbolic. You don’t inject words into your heart with a needle, but rather you put them into your heart by studying them and embracing them. So God tells us to put the words that were commanded on that day in our heart (representing what we love), and on our hand (representing our actions), and on our forehead (representing our thoughts).

So what were the words that were commanded on that day?

Well, just before this, in Deuteronomy 5, Moses explained the Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commandments were the words that were commanded on that day.

Fact 3: The Ten Commandments are a sign on the hand and forehead of those who follow God (Deuteronomy 5; 6:6-8)

If we have God’s sign on our hand and forehead, that should help us avoid taking the Mark of the Beast on our hand and forehead. But let’s dig deeper, because the Bible actually singles out specific commandments that function as a mark, or sign, or seal on God’s people.

Here is a list of the Ten Commandments, as they appear in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1. I am the Lord your God: You shall not have strange Gods before me.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
4. Honor your father and mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

Most Protestants number the commandments differently, splitting the first commandment listed here into two, and combining the last two into one, like this:

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image.
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.

But regardless of how you number them, there are a lot of details that are hidden when the Ten Commandments are summarized like this.

So let’s compare the shortened version of the first commandment in the Catechism with the first commandment that is written in the Bible.

The Catechism says:

I am the Lord your God: You shall not have strange Gods before me.

And the Bible says:

And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:1-3)

So far, the two versions are pretty similar.

But this next part, which Protestants call the second commandment, is left out of the Catechism entirely:

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (Exodus 20:4-6)

This commandment forbids making any kind of image or likeness of God, and it also forbids showing reverence to any kind of image. This is very important to know, because the Bible says the false prophet is going to tell people to make an image to the beast and bow down to it.

That is exactly what is forbidden in the Ten Commandments.

But since the Beast will appear as a Christ-like figure, the image of the beast may just look like an image of Christ. If a respected, miracle-working prophet told you to bow in front of an image of Christ, what would you do?

Now keep that in mind while you look at this prophecy in Ezekiel chapter 9:

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)

These people are marked for protection, and then everyone else is killed.

If you read Ezekiel chapter 8, you will see that the people who are killed are bowing down to idols, worshipping other gods, and worshipping the sun. The people who are protected are those who are not participating in these things.

Fact 4: God marks people for protection who avoid the worship of idols, other gods, and the sun (Ezekiel 8-9)

So if you have any images or objects of worship in your home, consider what you should do.

Now going back to the Ten Commandments, there is another section of God’s word that some teachers try to remove and hide.

This is in what Catholics call the 3rd commandment, and what most Protestants call the 4th commandment.

The Catechism says:

Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.

And the Bible says:

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. (Exodus 20:8-11)

As you can see, a lot of details were left out, and did you also notice that the command was actually changed?

The Bible says to keep the seventh day holy, which means the time between sunset on Friday and sunset on Saturday. But the Catechism says to keep the Lord’s Day holy, which means Sunday.

Does it make any difference?

Most churches agree that Sunday is the proper day of worship for Christians, but some people, including Seventh Day Adventists, claim that this change from Sabbath to Sunday worship is the Mark of the Beast.

I am not a Seventh Day Adventist, but I searched for every argument I could find for and against this theory, and this is what I found.

Those who believe that Sunday worship is the Mark of the Beast point to a prophecy in Daniel 7:25 which describes a person or government called the “little horn,” and this is what he will do:

He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law. (Daniel 7:25)

Some people think this change of times and law refers to the change of the Sabbath command.

If we compare this prophecy about the “little horn” with prophecies about the Beast in the book of Revelation, we see that

• They both speak proud words against God (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 13:5)
• They both persecute the saints (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 13:7)
• And they both exercise authority for three and a half years (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 13:5)

When we see a lot of connections like this between two prophecies, it usually means they are describing the same events. So most Bible scholars believe that the Beast of the Book of Revelation will intend to change times and law.

Some Bible scholars think that this refers to the Beast establishing holy days for saints, or forbidding the celebration of Jewish holidays. But others believe that the Beast will make a law that requires everyone to rest on Sunday, and they point to some historical events to explain how this might happen.

In 321 AD, the Roman Emperor Constantine established Sunday as a day of rest in the pagan Roman Empire with this decree:

Let all judges and urban people rest and the work of all crafts cease on the venerable day of the sun. (Latin: Omnes iudices urbanaeque plebes et artium officia cunctarum venerabili die solis quiescant.)

About 40 years later (364 AD), the Council of Laodicea went further and forbid Christians from keeping the Sabbath:

Christians must not judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honouring the Lord’s Day; and, if they can, resting then as Christians. (Canon 29)

Some people believe that the Beast will make laws like these, and those who follow these laws will have the Mark of the Beast.

But on the other hand, if the Bible teaches that Christians should keep Sunday, then a Sunday law cannot be the Mark of the Beast.

So I searched for every argument I could find about the proper day of worship for Christians, and I found four different theories.

Theory 1: Christians must keep the Sabbath according to the Ten Commandments

This is the minority view which is only taught by a few churches. But these Sabbath-keepers point out that when Jesus was teaching about the end times and the Great Tribulation, He said:

“Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.” (Matthew 24:20, HCSB)

Does this mean that only Christians who keep the Sabbath will be taken away before the Great Tribulation begins?

Another scripture Sabbath-keepers point to is a prophecy in Isaiah about a future time when:

“from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the LORD. (Isaiah 66:23)

The argument here is that if all people are going to keep the Sabbath at some point in the future, then Christians must be required to keep it now.

Another argument is based on this scripture:

“Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.’” (Exodus 31:13)

Those who keep the seventh-day Sabbath say that the Sabbath is a sign that identifies God’s people, just as the Mark of the Beast identifies those who follow the Beast. However, others point out that this verse says the Sabbath is a sign between the Lord and Israel, not between the Lord and Christians. But those who keep the Sabbath reply that in Galatians 6:16, Christians are called “the Israel of God.” So they say the Sabbath is also a sign between God and Christians.

These scriptures have persuaded many that Sunday-worship is the Mark of the Beast.

Theory 2: Christians can choose any day they want to worship God

Here’s the main scripture people use to support this theory:

One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. (Romans 14:5)

Since this verse doesn’t specifically mention the Sabbath, we need to read the context to find out what the author is talking about. When we do that, we see that the verses right before and after this are talking about eating and not eating. So when we read this in context, we see that it is actually talking about eating and not eating on certain days, not about days of worship. So this scripture doesn’t really prove that we can choose any day we want to worship God, and I couldn’t find any other scriptures that support this theory.

But there is another theory that could prove that Sunday is not the Mark of the Beast.

Theory 3: When Jesus died, He abolished the Sabbath, and Christians have no obligation to keep any day holy.

Here is the main scripture used to prove that Christian’s don’t need to keep the Sabbath:

“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” (Colossians 2:16-17, NIV)

This scripture seems to clearly say that the Sabbath has been replaced by Christ. But I also found that Greek scholars say that this Bible verse has been mistranslated in almost every Bible.

Here is the original Greek:

Μὴ οὖν τις ὑμᾶς κρινέτω ἐν βρώσει ἢ ἐν πόσει, ἢ ἐν μέρει ἑορτῆς ἢ νουμηνίας ἢ σαββάτων· ἅ ἐστιν σκιὰ τῶν μελλόντων, τὸ δὲ σῶμα χριστοῦ. (Colossians 2:16-17, GNT-F35)

And here is a literal translation:

“Let no one therefore judge you in food or in drink, or in [the] matter of a festival or of a new moon or of Sabbaths—which are a shadow of [the] coming [things]—but the body of Christ.”

If you compare this literal translation to a popular translation like the NIV, you will see how the translators have added and changed words that radically change the meaning of the verse.

According to Greek grammar, the phrase at the end, about “the body of Christ,” actually refers back to the word judge. So when the apostle Paul wrote this, he was telling the Christians in Colossae not to let anyone judge them except the Body of Christ. Earlier in the same letter, Paul explained that the body of Christ is the Church (Colossians 1:18).

So who were the people outside the Church who were judging the believers in Colossae?

If you read the whole chapter, you will find that Paul was warning them about being deceived by “persuasive words” (Colossians 2:4) that sound wise (Colossians 2:3), but are really just “philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men” (Colossians 2:8).

Back then, there were many Greek philosophers who taught people to follow “regulations” (Colossians 2:20) such as “Do not touch, do not taste,” and “do not handle” (Colossians 2:21). These “commandments and doctrines of men” (Colossians 2:22) had “an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body,” but Paul says they “are of no value” (Colossians 2:23).

So Paul was warning the believers about ascetic philosophers who taught man-made rules about avoiding food and drink. These human rules conflicted with the Christian tradition of enjoying food and drink on days of worship. So when Paul wrote, “Let no one … judge you” about “Sabbaths” (Colossians 2:16), he was actually defending the celebration of the Sabbath against the teachings of these ascetic philosophers.

Surprisingly, this scripture actually shows that non-Jewish Christians in the early Church were keeping the Sabbath.

However, those who teach that Jesus abolished the Sabbath also say that Jesus abolished all of God’s laws, and they use many other scriptures to support this teaching. I list those scriptures in another article that explains how Jesus fulfilled the law.

Theory 4: Christians should keep Sunday instead of the Sabbath.

No one claims that there is a specific command in the Bible to use Sunday as a day of worship. But many people believe that Christians have an obligation to honor the first day of the week as a memorial of the resurrection of Jesus.

But there are some important details about the resurrection that you probably never noticed.

Almost everyone agrees that Jesus rose at sunrise on Sunday morning, because when women went to the tomb early Sunday morning, Jesus wasn’t there (Matthew 28:1-6; Mark 16:1-6; Luke 24:1-6). The Bible also says that Jesus was crucified the day before a Sabbath, and was buried just before sunset (Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:52-55; John 19:31, 41-42).

So if Jesus was buried on Friday evening, and rose on Sunday morning, then He was in the tomb for one night, one day, and one more night.

But that timeline directly contradicts a prediction by Jesus that He would be buried for “three days and three nights” (Matthew 12:40).

So how can we reconcile this contradiction, and what does it reveal about the Mark of the Beast?

John tells us that the Sabbath after Jesus died “was a High Day” (John 19:31). That means it was an annual holy day. We should already know that because the Bible says Jesus died on the Passover, and the day after the Passover is always a holy day that is also called a Sabbath (Leviticus 23:5-6, 32).

So Jesus actually could have died any day of the week.

If you carefully compare all of the scriptures, you will see that Jesus was buried on a Wednesday evening.

The next day–Thursday–was a high Sabbath day (John 19:31).

Then after that Sabbath the women bought spices on Friday (Mark 16:1). Then the women prepared the spices on Friday before “they rested on the [weekly] Sabbath” (Luke 23:56).

Then they came to the tomb early Sunday morning, and of course, Jesus wasn’t there (Luke 24:1-3), because if Jesus rose three days and three nights after Wednesday evening, then He rose near sunset on Saturday evening.

I encourage you to read all of the scriptures about Christ’s burial and resurrection so you can verify for yourself that Jesus was really buried for 3 days and 3 nights, just as He predicted.

But notice that the only reason Christians worship on Sunday is to remember the resurrection of Jesus. And if Jesus rose on Saturday, then the only reason for Sunday worship disappears.

So our final fact about God’s signs and seals is:

Fact 5: The Sabbath is a sign between God and His people (Exodus 31:13; 20:8-11; Matthew 24:20; Isaiah 66:23)

I suggest that you compare these 5 facts with the 10 clues about the Mark of the Beast, so you can decide for yourself what the Mark of the Beast is and who will take it.

But if you want to know what picture appears for me, this is what I see.

I see a world-ruling government (clue 6) working together with a globally-recognized religious leader (clues 5, 7) to create and enforce laws that require people to violate the Ten Commandments (clues 3, 4, and fact 3). One of those laws will probably require people to rest on Sunday or work on the Sabbath (fact 5).

Modern technology may be used to identify those who comply with these human laws, and to prevent those who do not comply from buying and selling (clue 8). But the technology itself will not be the mark, unless it involves disobedience (clue 3).

Those who obey God’s commandments already have have a figurative sign of God on their hand and forehead (facts 3 and 5). Likewise, those who obey human laws that conflict with God’s commandments (clues 3 and 9) will have the figurative Mark of the Beast on their hand and forehead (clue 2).

Those who identify as Christians, but do not keep God’s Commandments (facts 1 and 2), will be deceived by the miracles of the false prophet (clue 5), who will appear to be a representative of Jesus Christ. People of other religions will also be deceived by the miracles that the false prophet will perform (clue 5).

Anyone who will not obey the laws that conflict with God’s commandments will be persecuted. Some will be protected by God because they refuse the mark (fact 4) and some will be “beheaded for their witness to Jesus and the word of God” (clue 10).

But when Jesus returns, a terrible sore will appear (clue 1) on everyone with the mark as a punishment on those who break God’s commandments (clue 3).

So I believe that those who break God’s Ten Commandments will have the Mark of the Beast.

But I encourage you to search the scriptures yourself to see what they say.

You can learn more here:

• Why most Christians worship on Sunday
• Which day is the Sabbath?
• Did Jesus Abolish the Law?
• Was Jesus Really Buried for 3 days and 3 nights?

References

Martin, Troy. “But Let Everyone Discern the Body of Christ (Colossians 2:17).” Journal of Biblical Literature 114, no. 2 (1995): 249–55. https://doi.org/10.2307/3266938.

Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2nd ed. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997. https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/flipbooks/catechism/498/

GNT-F35: The Greek New Testament According to Family 35, Wilber N. Pickering

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