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Understanding the Mark and its symbolism Detailed analysis: Rev 13:16 He 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. 13:18 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. The mark of the beast. v16 - He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead - As well as forcing people to worship the image he also forces everyone to receive a mark on the hand or forehead. This mark is on the hand or forehead and is therefore conspicuous, it is not hidden. He had great power over all classes of society, note the three couplets giving six in all: small and great, rich and poor, free and slave. Contrast this mark on the hand or forehead with God's command to the Israelites in Deu 6.8 to 'Tie them (the commandments) as symbols on your hands (meaning strength i.e. actions) and bind them on your foreheads (i.e. mind)'. It is also a parody of God's deliverance from bondage in Egypt, only it is enslavement, (the Passover observance) see Exo 13:1-16 'And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the LORD brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand'. But the Christians do not receive the mark (Rev 20:4). This mark is a parody of the sealing of God's servants in Rev 7:2, who have the name of the Lamb and his Fathers name written on their foreheads Rev 14:1. As the elect are sealed upon their foreheads to escape the destruction about to fall upon the earth, so the followers of the beast escape his wrath against the church by bearing his mark (Mounce). The mark affects their action (hand) and thinking (forehead), it identifies those who worship the beast. The mark (Gr. charagma) must not be taken literally as in most of John's imagery. The mark received is a parody or counterfeit to the seal received by the of God, see Rev 14:1, this seal is not a visible seal. They have the name of the Lamb and the Father written on their foreheads, if we do not take this as a literal mark then it is likely that the mark of the beast is not a literal mark. Here it is described in v17 'the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name' which is identified as 666 in verse 18. It is closely linked to those who worship the beast and his image, it marks them as his (the beast's). It is received on the forehead meaning their mind or on the hand meaning their actions i.e. anyone who follows the philosophy or who carries out the actions of the beast. The characteristics of those so marked is described in Rev 21:8, also Rev 22:15, everyone who loves (mark on the forehead) and practises falsehood (mark on the hand). From Rom 12:1 those who worship the beast are those who are conformed to the pattern of this world (worldly) and are not renewed in their mind, they do not obey the will of God. The mark can mean ownership, devotion, acceptance of the authority of the beast, just as the seal of God marks out those who are His, so the mark of the beast marks out those who are his. Not only cattle but slaves were branded as a mark of ownership. Perhaps John is also thinking of the marks of the cross that Jesus bore on his hands and the marks caused by the crown of thorns. Those who receive this mark are going to be punished along with the beast (Rev 14:9-11, 19:20). Those who worship the beast and his image and those who receive the mark of his name are the same (4:11). The saints are those who had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or hands (20:4). The saints are those who worship God (11:1), obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus (14:12). Barclay has the following comments on the mark: The word for the mark of the beast is charagma, and it could come from more than one ancient custom. i. Sometimes domestic slaves were branded with the mark of their owner. But usually they were branded only if they had run away or had been guilty of some grave misdemeanour. Such a mark was called a stigma; we still use the word in English. If the mark is connected with this, it means that those who worship the beast are his property. Note: the word used for servants in Revelation means slaves [of Christ] so in the same way those marked by the beast are his slaves or servants. ii. Sometimes soldiers branded themselves with the name of their general, if they were very devoted to him. This to some extent, corresponds to the modern custom of tattooing upon one's person the name of someone specially dear. If the mark is connected to this, it means that those who worship the beast are his devoted followers. iii. On every contract of buying or selling there was a charagma, a seal, and on the seal the name of the emperor and the date. If the mark is connected with this, it means that those who worship the beast accept his authority. Note: this could also be the seal of ownership. iv. All coinage had the head and inscription of the emperor stamped upon it, to show that it was his property. If the mark is connected with this, it means that those who bear it are the property of the beast. v. When a man had burned his pinch of incense to Caesar, he was given a certificate to say he had done so. The mark of the beast may be the certificate of worship which a Christian could obtain only at the cost of denying his faith. The only other NT use of the word for mark (charagma) apart from Revelation is in Acts 17:29 where Paul speaks to the men of Athens "Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone--an image (charagma) made by man's design and skill.' Paul is contrasting idols with the living God who made the world and everything in it see Acts 17:24 cf. Rev 14  . We should note then the close connection between the mark and worshipping the image (13:15) which is an act of idolatry cf. 2:14, 2:20, 9:20, 21:8, 22:15, therefore receiving the mark means being marked as an idolater. v17 - 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. - The second beast as well as having religious power (v15) also has economic power, no one could buy or sell unless they had the mark of the beast on their forehead or hand. It is significant that the coinage of the time had the head of the emperor on it (Mat 22:19-21) and some emperors used divine titles on the coinage as did Antiochus Epiphanes (Gleason) who is a type of the antichrist. The mark is here described as the name of the beast. In contrast to those who have the name of the Lamb and the Father on their foreheads (14:1) see also those who overcome in Philadelphia (3:12) and those in the New Jerusalem (22:4). It is to be contrasted with the 144,000 who are sealed on the forehead (Rev 7:3). The mark is therefore not a literal mark; it is to be a follower and worshipper of the beast, an idolater, and ultimately to worship Satan rather than God. The number of his name is most likely referring to a gematria, see verse 18. The penalty for worshipping the beast and his image and receiving the mark is proclaimed by the third angel in Rev 14:9-11 and is eternal torment. The first bowl is poured out on those who have the mark of the beast and who worship his image. Those who are victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name will sing the song of Moses and of the Lamb in heaven (15:2). They will reign with Christ for a thousand years (20:4). His number is 666 v18 - 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. - Here we are warned that wisdom will be required, as in 17:9 where wisdom is also required to interpret the seven heads of the beast. The one having a mind, let him count the number of the beast! i.e. let him use his mind. In the seven letters to the churches the one having ears is told to use them (Lenski). It is man's number meaning literally it is the number of a man, but note that in the Greek the definite article is omitted so that the NIV is correct in saying that it is man's number not a man's number (see also Hailey). Man's number is six because he was created on the sixth day, in Revelation seven stands for completeness as in the seven days of the week, God rested on the seventh day of creation (Gen 2:2). Some interpret this as a riddle in the form of a gematria, whereby the number stands for the letters of a mans name, has not been satisfactorily solved to this day. But the simplest understanding is that if seven means complete then 6 always falls short of 7 and therefore 666 is a trinity of imperfections, it is man's religion. Certainly Nero, Domitian, Mao, Stalin and Hitler all fit the role of the beast quite nicely. Any church under persecution will readily identify who their beast is. To any church not under persecution it is just idle speculation, they will have to wait until the beast is revealed (2 Thess 2:3-7). Perhaps we should heed the words of the angel to Daniel (Dan 12:9), 'the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end', only then will we be able to identify the last but greatest antichrist who the Lord will slay with the breath of his mouth. However all the saints need to be able to interpret the signs of the times and an understanding of the principles involved in the book of Revelation will therefore be of value. Lenski shows that John writes the number not in words but in Greek letters: cxs; c=600; x=60; s=6 (chi_xi_stigma: G5516). This is the number 6, plus its multiple by 10, namely 60, again plus its multiple by 10*10 (intensified completeness), namely 600 -- thus 666, three times falling short of the divine 7 (cf. the measurements of Nebuchadnezzar's statue 60*6 cubits, Dan 3:1). v18 - 666 - There are alternative explanations, it is difficult to pin down any one person but this is probably intentional. Whenever you try to be specific you usually end up having to twist some historical fact to make it fit. The point is that John is giving principles that apply throughout the gospel age and not to one particular point in time. Remember that John is seeing human history from the point of view of heaven. As John makes clear in his epistle, 'the' antichrist is coming, and also many antichrists have come. The number can be interpreted symbolically as man's number, a trinity of sixes or specifically to one man, the antichrist. i. It tells us that it is man's number, 6 is the number of man for he was created on the sixth day, 666 is a trinity i.e. it indicates a man accepting worship due to God, this is reflected in the antichrist, see 2 Thess 2:3-4, who proclaims himself to be God. This happened in John's time with Domitian who claimed divinity. This also fits in with Mat 24:11 and 24:23-24, here Jesus warns that there will be false Christ's performing great signs and wonders to deceive even the elect. ii. The number 666 is a trinity (Satan, beast, false prophet) it can also be considered to be man's religion, or his man made philosophy, but it falls short of true religion that is revealed from God. The evidence is more in favour of a man, a ruler or emperor, however the false prophet (a man) will give false doctrines, the resulting product will be false religion or false philosophy. Those who have the mark are therefore those who follow and believe in the false religious system or philosophical system. For example Marxism, Confucianism, Buddhism all these fall short of true divinely revealed religion. They fail to enter into God's rest. Six always falls short of perfection (seven) it misses the mark which is the very essence of sin. Milligan points out that John would be well aware of the perverted Judaism of his day which eventually crucified his Lord, it was the religion of men (Mark 7:6-  .iii. 666 can also be a gematria in which letters of the alphabet are also used as numbers, both in Hebrew and Greek. Various attempts have been made, most of them unsuccessful, an interesting one is made by translating the Greek Neron Kaisar into Hebrew which gives 666. The principle is that Nero would be an example of the beast out of the land others would arise after him i.e. Domitian. The name of Jesus in Greek is 888, I H S O U S (10, 8, 200, 70, 400, 200), if John's audience knew this, as Sweet maintains, then 666 would immediately indicate that 666 was the devil's counterfeit of Jesus namely the (or an) antichrist. If Nero is the type, then modern examples would be Hitler (consider Nazism, the philosophy that helped keep him in power), Mao (communism), Stalin (communism); the final fulfilment is the antichrist. If a=100, b=101 c=102 etc. then HITLER=666. The first six Roman numerals I V X L C D add up to 666. J B Smith quoted by Walvoord says 'All the numbers from 1 to 36 total 666. Beast in the evil sense occurs exactly 36 times (6*6) in Revelation'. Mounce adds that all the numbers from 1 to 8 also add up to 36 and eight is the number of the antichrist because he is an eighth king (17:11). The main problem with the use of a gematria is that many names can give the resulting 666, there is no unique name. Some texts have even been altered to give 616 which can give Nero Caesar in Latin or Gaios Kaisar (Caligula) in Greek, see Sweet. If we take the number of Jesus being 888 this fits into the 7 day pattern of creation in which the eighth day is the first day of the new order. The Jews believed that the seven days of creation corresponded to 7,000 years based on Ps 90:4 in which one day equalled a thousand years, the sixth day belongs to the antichrist and the seventh to the millennium. The fact that the antichrist is an eighth king indicates that he is the counterfeit of Christ (17:11), the penultimate claiming ultimacy (Sweet). iv. The number sums up the character of the beast. To the Jew six falls short of the sacred number seven which is perfection, triple it and it represents a potency of evil than which there can be none greater, a direfulness of fate than which there can be none worse (Milligan). Does Revelation indicate that there will be a world wide religion at the time that the antichrist is revealed? Rev 13 indicates that the first beast will have authority over 'every tribe, people, language and nation', this fourfold description indicates over the four corners of the earth. And 13:8 indicates that all the inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast, except for the saints. The second beast exerts religious and economic control over the world. He performs miraculous signs that deceive the inhabitants of the earth 13:14. He coerces the inhabitants of the earth to worship the first beast and his image 13:12, 15. He forces everyone from all strata of society to accept the mark of the beast without which no one could buy or sell, 13:16-17. Therefore the answer to our question is that during the reign of the antichrist there will be world-wide worship of the beast and his image, but the saints will resist him even to the death. Since the worship of the beast is forced it is likely that any world-wide religion prior to the unveiling of the beast will be voluntary. It should be noted that with modern travel, media and communications the structure through which a world-wide kingdom of the beast could be ruled is being set-up. Every household even has its own TV set.It is likely that very soon it will be possible for a person to have an identifying mark, even invisible, on the hand or forehead which will uniquely identify that person and it will be used for buying and selling, is this the mark of the beast? Firstly this mark did not apply to previous generations and yet there were many who did follow the beast in their generation. Goldsworthy points out that taking a literalistic interpretation of the mark being 666 tends to break down under its own weight because then every single individual will be stamped with exactly the same mark, 666, which has value only to identify the members of the group but not to distinguish one from another. Again the 144,000 referred to in chapters 7 and 14 have the mark of God on their forehead but we do not take this literally, it symbolises that we are securely sealed as the Father's own possession, the redemption which is received by faith and sealed by the Spirit of God. Similarly the mark of the beast must symbolise unbelief, rejection of Christ and his gospel (Goldsworthy). This expectation of a literal mark arises because we interpret Revelation literally rather than symbolically as it should be interpreted. We should also note that both rich and poor have the mark so that it is unlikely to be something to do with credit cards which only the rich have. However there is a danger here, if we look for some world-wide dictator who has economic control over individuals as well as political and religious control and who therefore looks like the 'antichrist' this does not necessarily mean that the end is about to come unless that other prerequisite of the second coming is fulfilled, namely the preaching of the gospel to all nations (Mat 24:14). We must not allow speculation as to the nature of the mark of the beast to deflect the church from its primary mission, namely the preaching of the gospel. Each of the four gospels ends with the great commission (Mat 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-20, Luke 24:46-49, John 20:21-23) and Acts starts with it, Acts 1 -8. The two witnesses continued to prophecy until the beast killed them (11).The two beasts represent both the political and ecclesiastical power of the beast. The founding fathers of America separated the church and state, they recognised that an amalgam of church and state was potentially lethal for both church and state. The separation was to prevent the state interfering with the church and to prevent the church having political power with which it might coerce the people. It recognised the distinction between giving to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and giving to God what belongs to God. When Caesar starts claiming those things that belong to God he becomes a beast. In China there is an official state sponsored church, again this is dangerous because the claims of Christ on his people are above that of the state. When the emperor Constantine declared himself a Christian this removed persecution but had a disastrous effect on the church. Persecution keeps the church pure but when it becomes the official religion the church become weak and feeble and eventually it becomes apostate. The apostate church is not just backslidden it is has so completely fallen away that it is part of the political structure of the beast. Therefore some see the apostate church as Babylon the great, Ch. 17. The apostate church had become so worldly that she is indistinguishable from the world. |
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