The Mark of the Beast: What Is It? and Who Are Those Who Receive It?
Adrian Roach
Table of Contents
The Mark of the Beast What Is It? and Who Are Those Who Receive It?
"And it causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bondmen, that they should give them a mark upon their right hand or upon their forehead; and that no one should be able to buy or sell save he that had the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of its name" (Rev. 13:16-17)
What Is the Mark?
It is twofold: (1) The name of the beast (2) The number of the beast's name. It is applied in two ways: either (1) secretly—in the right hand:—this I take to be the name of the beast: (2) openly, in the forehead-this being, I believe, the number of its name.
Who Imposes These Marks?
The second beast of Rev. 13, who is the Antichrist, imposes these marks. He is the willful king of Dan. 11:36 and the man of sin of 2 Thes. 2.
Within What Geographical Limits Will He Use This Power?
There are but two possibilities as to this. He is either limited to Israel where he holds sway (under the beast) or within the bounds of the revived Roman Empire. The abomination is set up in the middle of the week in Jerusalem (Dan. 9:27 and 12:11). When this takes place the faithful in Israel are told to flee (Matt. 24:15-21). Satan is cast out of heaven at that very time and gets control of the Roman Empire in the middle of the week. (see Rev. 12:9; 13:2-5). The antichrist starts at Jerusalem, where there will yet be a pretense to honor the true God, sets up the image and forces the Jews to take the mark, either the name or the number. He will also extend this to other parts of the Roman Empire, but NOT OVER THE WHOLE WORLD AS WE SHALL SEE.
Will There Be Any Area of Earth That Will Not Come Under the Direct Power and Will of the Beast?
Yes. I submit a few as follows:
Russia and her allies (Ezek. 38: 1-6, JND translation).
King of the North or Assyrian and his allies (Psa. 83:6-8).
The kings from the rising of the sun: India, China, Japan, etc. (Rev. 16:12).
The kings of the earth (a general term). Rev. 18:9 shows these kings bewailing the destruction of Babylon, whereas "the ten horns which thou sawest AND (not upon) the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate," etc. (Rev. 17:16). We are not clear who these kings are, but they hold authority outside the realm of the beast. The beast is the Roman Empire revived, not a kingdom controlling absolutely the whole world, though its influence may reach far out (Rev. 13:7).
(e) The Western Hemisphere. This will no doubt be influenced by the beast, but is outside his direct realm. Perhaps "the kings of the earth" will predominantly belong here. (Africa with its new nations should also be considered.)
Everlasting Gospel—What Is It and by Whom Preached?
The gospel of the grace of God as now preached is not the everlasting gospel of Rev. 14. God announced good news, in the garden, of Christ's eventual triumph IN POWER over Satan. The prophets carried on this testimony and in the period following the church a company will be raised up to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom, the form in which the everlasting gospel will go forth. Matt. 24 is the clue, if we understand the elect to be Jews on Jewish ground. Matt. 24:14 shows a witness to all nations (not to all individuals) before the end comes. Matt. 10:23 shows the final testimony to Israel. A remnant of Judah will come through alive (Rev. 14:1-5). Some of the others who refused the beast and his mark will suffer martyrdom (Rev. 15:2-3).
To Whom Will It Be Preached (Rev. 14:6-7)?
The everlasting gospel will be preached to apostate Christendom, i.e. to "them that dwell on the earth", as a final testimony of doom. It will also be preached to "every nation, kindred, tongue and people". Some among them will hear and get saved. These will be the sheep of Matt. 25. Gentiles manifesting faith by helping the messengers of the kingdom are saved as the sheep, but the goats are those who had not faith. The "brethren" are the Lord's Jewish brethren who carry out the testimony to Israel and the nations. I doubt that the judgment of the living nations is but one sessional judgment, based on Joel 3:12-14. All will not see His glory nor hear His fame at once. In fact it is after the Lord has pleaded with all flesh that afterward the spared, of Jew and Gentile (it seems), will yet at the beginning of the millennium carry word to those who have not seen nor heard. Study carefully Isa. 66, more particularly verses 15-21. "All flesh" is the Gentiles: those eating swine's flesh etc. (Isa. 66:17) are the apostates in Israel. This scripture, to me, makes clear that all entering into the millennium are not necessarily saved! Psalm 18:44 (see JND or WK) shows strangers rendering feigned obedience. Psalm 66:3 shows that His enemies render feigned obedience. Open sin will be dealt with summarily (Psa. 101:4-8).
Who Are They Who Receive the Mark the Name or the Number of Its Name, and What Is Their Destiny?
2 Thes. 2 shows a class who in the Christian (or church) era did not love the truth that they might be saved. They are offered heaven, but they choose earth (Phil. 3:19). They settle down or sit upon the earth. Never was there an age in which God offered so much to those that believe as the present one! But the Holy Ghost is resisted, Christ is despised, God's Word set at naught. They will not have the ONE come in the Father's Name (John 5:43) so they, in judicial blindness (Jer. 13:15-16), will receive Satan's man. They shall have "strong delusion" that they should believe a lie. Now carry this over to the Revelation and you find a: special group called "them that dwell [literally sit] upon the earth" (Rev. 3:10). They are the ones mentioned in 2 Thes. 2! Follow them throughout the Revelation and see "whose side" they are on. They worship the beast (Rev. 13:8). They are deceived by antichrist (Rev. 13:12; 2 Thes. 2:9-12). They are controlled by antichrist (same verse). Going back to Rev. 11 we see that the ministry of the two witnesses tormented them and when these are slain they rejoice and send gifts one to another.
They of "people and kindreds and tongues and nations" are indifferent and do not act with the same venom in their hearts as "they that dwell upon the earth". There is no second chance and those who have refused God's offer of heaven in preference to earth will believe a lie and receive the mark of the beast, within the sphere of his authority. Can they be saved? NO! They worship the beast (Rev. 13:8)and so fall under the condemnation of Rev. 14:9-11: "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." There is, I believe, no possibility of anyone turning from the worship of the beast once committed to it. They will reject all and martyr some of the godly ones who carry the gospel of the kingdom (everlasting gospel) as Rev. 15:2 shows.
General Comments.
The beast must first be established as such and his name manifested before the number is established. It is "the number of his name". This number 666 has nothing to do with us now in the days of Christianity, so there is no determining of the meaning now. However, it does indicate what is short of perfection; God's rest which is connected with the number seven is not there. This falling short is emphasized three times, thus denoting what is short of perfection. Only the wise (those with faith) in that day will understand (Dan. 12:10 and Rev. 13:18).
I set no importance on machines called "the beast". It is a mere coincidence. Men in plants and shops have often nicknamed some huge machine as "the monster", "the ape", etc. I can picture them saying of a large computer, "It is like a huge beast." The beast in Scripture is God's designation, not man's. When the beast arrives he will have no such name by men! He will be the great man of efficiency and power. Nebuchadnezzar saw the empires as a beautiful image (gold, silver, etc. in Dan. 2), but when the Lord shows them to Daniel, His servant, they are ravenous beasts (Dan. 7). I believe the Lord's people ought not to get excited about what they see as to this now. The assumption that the beast will control the whole world is an error that Scripture sets aside. His influence will be great and far flung, but after all it is the Roman Empire that will be his. We as heavenly people have nothing to do with the beast or antichrist. They will not be revealed while we are here (2 Thes. 2, Rev. 13).
I trust that these thoughts will be of help to you and any other of the Lord's people into whose hands it may fall.
“God's ways are behind the scenes: but He moves all the scenes which He is behind. We have to learn this, and let Him work, and not think much of man's busy movements: they will accomplish God's. The rest of them all perish and disappear.... We have only peacefully to do His will.”
(JND, Synopsis Revelation)
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