Community answers are sorted based on votes. The higher the vote, the further up an answer is.
S. Michael Houdmann
Supporter
The main passage in the Bible that mentions the "mark of the beast" is Revelation 13:15-18. Other references can be found in Revelation 14:9, 11, 15:2, 16:2, 19:20, and 20:4. This mark acts as a se...
Login or Sign Up to view the rest of this answer.
Gary Cayce
The Bible refers to the mark of the beast being placed on the "hand" and "forehead" of a person. To understand this terminology we must take into account something called "hermeneutics". This means we must remember who the author is, the timeframe of the writing, the author's audience, and his intended goal for the message. Revelation contains hundreds of references to the Old Testament. This fact is so his audience (the Jewish people) who were familiar with Old Testament symbolic language could understand the meaning while the governing power (the Roman Empire) wouldn't have a clue. Many times the Old Testament refers to the "mighty hand of God" to indicate an ACTION of God or something God physically did. It also refers to the "forehead" to indicate a thought or belief. When Paul talks about the mark of the beast being on the right hand or forehead of a person, he is talking about their actions or beliefs. So the mark on the hand is talking about a persons actions indicating they support the beast by their actions. Likewise, the reference to the mark on their forehead indicating they believed and supported the beast in their minds and thoughts. The Jewish people would understand this concept, having studied the Old Testament. The Romans, who were not familiar with Old Testament terminology, would not have a clue. Remember, there was no such thing (in Paul's day) as an R.F.I.D. chip. So it follows that Paul was not writing about something thousands of years in the future. He was warning his peers with symbolic language only they would understand. If he had plainly, in terms of the day, warned people about the Lord's coming and the fall of the Roman Empire, the Romans would have probably killed him (he was already their prisoner on the island of Patmos). The Romans probably would have, at least, confiscated his letter and persecuted the members of the seven churches to whom he was sending his letter.
Gregory Tomlinson
The mark is a literal mark, it is a financial control, tracking system and a one world currency. It will give the son perdition control of all finances, business transactions and track location of the user, it will control people by their ability to buy or sell. It will be a solution to theft, poaching, black markets, weapons and drug deals, money laundering, tax evasion, rebellion, and terrorists. It will track user's actions and locations to apprehend and prevent criminals from spending loot. It will be used to force religious fundamentalist to submit to a one world Unitarian religion or face starvation and exposure to the elements. The false savior will be this world leader, who will be promoted by a religious leader that has unexplainable demonic power. As was pointed out in this conversation already it is proof of the worshipping of the things of this world and of the alliance with this world leader and his policies. It starts with a one world information system, it will be the death of capitalism and free commerce as we know it. It will control the love of money, and the things that it can buy. Jesus said were your treasure is, that is where your heart is(affections, desires). There will be a great falling away from the church and its teachings as many follow prosperity above the spiritual. This mark and the death of the great whore are connected, and intertwined. The love of money is probably the oldest known influence of behavior that continues from the ancient to this modern day. It is the motivation for wars, murder, jealousy, lying, theft, hypocrisy, whoredom, slavery, subjugating governments, the death of our savior and His prophets and the abuse of resources, extinction of many specious and destruction of this planets eco system. and it will be the tool that is used to help make war and overcome many of the saints in the last days before We see our King return. But fear not for he will never leave or forsake you, have faith in that as the negative is true and being full filled so is the positive. consider the very structure of the scripture, He tells of miracles, healings, divine provision and intervention and deliverance. Remember above all, who is the resurrection and the life, who holds the keys to death and hell and who 's love is so great that nothing can separate you from it and the promises that can not be broken. He told the end in the beginning so that you might know and be strong in your faith and fear can not control you. Maranatha
George Delmindo
The beast, the image of the beast and the mark of the beast are all described primarily in the 13th chapter of Revelation. In the vision John saw "a beast rise up out of the sea, having 7 heads and 10 horns, and upon his horns 10 crowns, and upon his head the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard.."(Rev 13:1-2) Now these, of course, are all symbols. The very word beast is a symbol. In the 7th chapter of Daniel, we find exactly the same symbols. Now notice the interpretation of these symbols. Verse 16, "These great beasts, which are 4, are 4 kings which shall arise out of the earth," the word king is synonymous with kingdom, and use only in the sense that the king represents the kingdom over which he rules. What do the horns represent? Verse 24, "And the 10 horns out of this kingdom are 10 kings that shall arise." So these 4 beasts are 4 kingdoms, 4 world-ruling gentile kingdoms described in the 2nd chapter of Daniel. These 4 kingdoms which represent the image king Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream according to Daniel are the Chaldean Empire [605-538 BC], "thou art this head of gold, and after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee..." this kingdom is the MedoPersian Empire under Cyrus the Great and Darius the mede [538-331BC]. The next that came to power was the GrecoMacedonian Empire under Alexander the great [331-168BC], and the 4th was the Roman Empire [168BC-476AD]. The interpretation of the stone smashing the image at its toes is found in the 44th verse. "After these kingdoms shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed..." The stone is Christ and his world-ruling kingdom which will come after. The Roman Empire fell in 476 AD, but it has continued to exist because it has 7 heads or life and 10 horns. This plainly says that the beast in Rev 13 is the Great Roman Empire. The expression "the name of the beast, or the number of his name" makes plain that the number 666 is the number of the name of the kingdom or empire. When John wrote the Book of Revelation, telling us to count the number of the beast, he wrote in the greek language. We are all familiar with the Roman numerals, where letters are used for numbers. Many do not know that the greek language also uses letters for numbers. In the Greek, the language in which Revelation was written, the name roman was understood in the 2nd century AD to have originally been spelled 'lateinos'. It signifies "latin man" or the name of "latium," from which region the Roman derived their origin and their language. This word, too, signifies "Roman". In the Greek, L is 30, A is 1, T is 300, E is 5, I is 10, N is 50, O is 70, S is 200. Count these figures. 666? Now, the mark of the beast, what was it? Regarding one of God's annual Sabbaths, we read: "...it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine head, and for a memorial between thine eyes [forehead], that the Lord's Law may be in thy mouth" (Ex 13:9). Deut 6:1, 6:8, 11:18, Prov 7:2-3 are absolute proofs that the Sabbath commandment is God's sign. The Roman Church caused people to receive the mark of the pagan Rome - the Sunday observance in place of the Sabbath.
Mark Townsend
As I have considered this mark (or sign) of the beast, and it being the number of a Man, that number being 666. The thought came to me that Man was made on the 6th day and on that 6th day GOD established for Man 3 relationships - Between Man and God, Between Man and Man (or woman) Between Man and creation. The beast (Satan) in his actions caused a fracture in those 3 relationships that Man was created to enjoy. Could John have been talking about the signs that are seen as the beasts influence in men's thought (forehead) and action (hand) (seen in the the fractured relationships Man was created to have) - in contrast to that of a Christian man who should show signs of those restored relationships ?
Michael Tinsley
This is strictly personal and just an idea rather than a belief but I've always associated the number 7 with perfection, i.e.- God rested on the seventh day and made it holy. There are many other references to 7 and combinations of it also throughout the Bible. So, with 7 meaning or symbolizing perfection and completeness, I've always thought that the number 6 indicated incompleteness and referred to mankind. The number 666 to me means the ultimate of incomplete, a reference to Satan. Pure speculation but I'd like an answer or suggestion.
Prinx Boat
The 'mark of the beast' and 'the seal of God' are direct opposition. In the end, everyone will have one or the other. The astonishing statement of her(catholic) act changing God's Sabbath to Sunday- "Of course the catholic church claims the change was her act. And the act is a MARK of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters." Sunday worship is the mark of the papacy's authority. The MARK. Sunday worship is the mark of the MARK of the BEAST! The 666 is it's number. On the pope's official mitre has been seen the title "VICARIUS FILII DEI" which means "Vicar of the Son of God". It is Latin. In Rev 13:18. Let's do the calculations, remember the Roman numerals you learned in school. V=5 I=1 C=100 A=0 R=0 I=1 U=5. "U" and "V" have the same value S=5 F=0 I=1 L=50 I=1 I=1 D=500 E=0 I=1 Summing it up gives 666! We must let people know that God loves all. The truth must be told- but always in kindness. Read Ezekiel 20:12,20.
Seth Freeman
Ask 10 people and you'll get 10 different answers. Well, unless of course you ask 10 Americans who have read the Left Behind series and they're probably all going to be dispensational and you'll get the same answer. My answer, which is certainly a minority answer is that 666 was a reference to Nero. While I'm not big into number codes and what not, every language essentially has one (think roman numerals). Well, in the Hebrew language, if you convert Nero's name into numbers, you get 666. What is also interesting to note is that in some early Greek manuscripts, we see 616, and not 666. Now, that easily could be a typo. Or, it could be worth noticing that when you convert Nero's name into Greek, and use the Greek number system, you get 616. So possibly when the scribe new his copy was going to a Greek audience he used 616 on purpose. A lot of this comes down to when you date the book of Revelation. If you date the book of Revelation after AD 70 and the fall of the temple, then we're probably looking at future events. However, there is a TON of temple imagery in Revelation, and yet not one single mention of the fall of the temple. The destruction of the temple was a huge event, massively affecting the Jewish way of life. While an argument from silence isn't always persuasive, I think that if Revelation had been written around AD 90 as a lot of people think that we would have seen a mention of it. Rather, I place the writing of Revelation in the mid AD 60s and find a lot of Revelation already fulfilled. The dating of Revelation in the 90s comes from only 1 source. And the problem is that it is actually gramatically ambiguous in itself. Eusebius in 325 wrote, quoting Irenaeus (130-202) who said, "If it were necessary for his name to be proclaimed openly at the present time, it would have been declared by him who saw the Revelation. For it was seen not long ago, but almost in our own generation, at the end of the reign of Domitian." That's it, that's the only reason we date Revelation in the 90s. And the problem is that what we have is Eusebius, quoting Irenaeus who was recollecting that Polycarp was the one who saw "it" sometime in 95-96 AD. But the problem is that "it" could have referred to John himself, who we know lived that long, and not the book of Revelation. So unfortunately the late dating of the book of Revelation is really on a shaky foundation. Personally, I think that based upon all the internal evidence that there is an overwhelmingly strong case to be made for an early dating of Revelation, somewhere in the mid 60s.
Jason Dyck
My opinion, and that's what it is, my opinion, is that the number 666 will be an actual number, although it may not be 666 alone. Apparently, the easiest number for a computer to recognize is the number 6. I won't give an opinion as to why three 6s other than it is the mark of the beast, the Anti-Christ. I went abroad for work a number of years ago during the SARS scare. On the way back I remembered something a doctor had posted on his website and it was Revelation 18:23b which reads (slight paraphrase or amplification of the text included): In the last days, the merchants of this world who are the world's great (powerful, influential) men will deceive the nations with their witchcraft, sorcery, black magic, pharmaceutical drugs/companies. What do pharmaceutical drugs/companies have to do with witchcraft? Apparently everything. You can go to Strong's Greek Bible and Concordance online and check it out for yourself. The Greek word God had John use was pharmakeia. Now what is my point? On my way back from PNG, I realized a number of things related to Revelation 18:23 as well as from many medical-type lectures I had attended over the years. 1. The most powerful lobby group in North American politics is the pharmaceutical lobbyists. Apparently over $150 million is spent every day by pharmaceutical lobbyists. There is much power and control to be gained for these pharmaceutical companies. 2. Pharmaceutical/Chemical companies want to control the world's food supply and in so doing control the people of the world. 3. There is collusion happening between the pharmaceutical/chemical industry, the processed food industry, and the commercial farming industry. The pharmaceutical/chemical industry wants as many people on their drugs as possible and they've gone a long way to seeing that happen. They've reset the numbers for heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and cholesterol, all resulting in greater numbers of people that the doctors can now say are at risk when they weren't a mere 24 hours earlier before the new legislation went into law. 4. Reports have been circulating of live viruses instead of vaccinations being "ACCIDENTALLY (?)" sent to various countries around the world. Baxter Pharmaceutical was caught doing that a number of years ago. 5. Over the past 100 years, the use of pharmaceutical drugs has been increasing and people have been buying into the idea lock, stock, and barrel that if there's anything physically wrong or possibly wrong, then the doctors have a pill for it instead of doing what Dr. Ben Carson suggested which was to eat 3 absolutely proper meals a day; and if all the people would do that, most of the doctors would be put out of business. 6. Monsanto and other similar chemical companies are working with genetically modifying our food supply so that people will have to pay them regardless if they use their products or if their crops are next to Monsanto crops. They even tried to claim certain pig genes belonged to them. It didn't go through. 7. Collusion between the chemcial/pharmaceutical companies, commercial farming, and processed foods, all designed to benefit those companies rather than helping people. 8. I believe that the mark of the beast will be a logical progression coming out of the medical field. What better way than for people who have come to accept binge controlled and manipulated into believing lies rather than truths. What better way for people to accept the mark of the beast than through a seemingly logical and "helpful" insertion of a small device that will store all of a person's medical information so that it is readily accessible anywhere in the world for "improved" medical help for travelers? The SARS scare was a wakeup call to me how susceptible we are to suggestion when it's offered in the right (or wrong but appealing) light. Satan is referred to as an angel of light, a deceptive light that comes from half truths.
Casper Mcconnell
Walid Shoebat says he recognizes the original text heee by John which is in Arabic script. If we try to read it as Greek, the language John wrote Revelation text in, then the Arabic text reads as a number 616 or 666. But uf we read that phrase in arabic it says "Allah is Greatest". The practice of Jewish prayer is to strap a box containing tge Word to forehead and hand. The Muslim practice is to tie a band to bead and arm saying that same script of Revelation 13 "Allah is greatest" Thats interesting Gary, I hadn't realized till you put it in context that Jewish custom is to pray with the Word strapped to forehead and wrist. So of course the vision revealed. by Christ to John was of a devotion by fanatical followers to another faith. Walid Shoebat points out that John saw and tried to describe what looked like writing, a script not yet invented and therefore mistranslated from the greek text as "666". The original script John recorded more closely resembles the arabic "god is supreme". John also said 'who is antichrist? He who denies that God has a Son, Jesus'. 600 years after this a faith was birthed that writes on its temple domes "god has no sons" and "allah is greatest"
Mi Shad Ow
The bible states that it is a tattoo, many people have reasoned that the technology at the time (when they sought answers) there was no way it could be a literal meaning. So they looked at things like a reporter in Miami, FL having a R.F.I.D. microchip implanted under his skin (while on live tv) as the answer they were looking for. This was around 2003 or so. Well R.F.I.D. has come a long way. Please search youtube for R.F.I.D. tattoo. Now I'm not saying that THIS is the mark, but in my limited knowledge think that this could be or could lead to what will be THE MARK.
Mike Dumais
John was told "write what you see". If viewed as the Greek letters Chi Xi Sigma, it translates numerically to 666. However at a glance, it is obviously, to those with eyes to see, the Arabic Bismillah, the symbol seen everywhere in the Muslim world and especially on the headbands and armbands of Jihadis. The Temple was destroyed the way it was because those that should have recognized The Messiah at his first coming didn't. Of course, it is obvious in the world today, that ultra liberal atheistic movements have joined forces with what logically would seem to be their natural opposites the most ultra-conservative and unforgiving religion known to man. Sin is not logical.
Dan Lea
Just about every product these days has a bar code embossed on each item for sale. The first two bars to the left, middle, and the end usually have longer lines than all other lines. This is the first in a series of 6's. The other two 6's will have something to do with the buying and/or selling of items for sale. According to the Book of Revelation, no one will be able to buy or sell anything unless they have this mark on their person. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microchip_implant_(human)
Frederick Thomas
666 Calculate The Number ev 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. UNIVERSAL Rev 13:16 It forced all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to have a mark on the right hand or forehead. Rev 13:17 Without the mark of the name of the Beast or the number of its name, it was impossible to buy or sell anything. English the UNIVERSAL language Computer UNIVERSAL usage C. 6 x. 3= 18 O. 6 x15= 90 M. 6 x13= 78 P. 6 x16= 96 U. 6 X21=126 T. 6 X20=120 E. 6 X. 5= 30 R. 6 X18=108 TOTAL =666 = The mark of the Beast
Georg Kouz
To read the Bible is to hearing the voice of God. If you really read the Bible all answers are there and all mysteries are explained. What Bible says about Antichrist? 2 John 1.7 says... I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the ANTICHRIST. 1 John 2.22.... Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. I could continue with many other verses from the Bible that clearly shows what the 666 number mean and who is/are the antichrists. The Bible is there to READ it not to ignore it. It is the VOICE OF GOD and to help us to understand many things. As in 2 Peter 1.20 we should know that no prophecy of Scriptures comes from one's OWN INTERPRETATION.
Walt Pryor
Humans do not even have the capacity to know and realize the greatness of God. We are incapable of knowing that, being we are so much a part of this world. I think what God admires is our Desire to know Him, our sacrifices to obey Him, our deep shame, when we fall short of our desire to obey Him. Faith is far beyond love, in my opinion. Love has been so corrupted. As for 666? Here is where I saw this and saw the man who came up with the theory. It would take someone from his background to see this. May be right, or not. But it seems to fit this time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs_09o5j_pY
Billy P Eldred
As others here have said, we do not know exactly what these terms mean. Everything posted here are guesses. What we do know is the book of Revelations starts by saying that it is a book of prophesy. The Bible also tells us that prophesy is for believers not unbelievers. So this prophesy is a warning for believers about a future event. (No, we won't all be gone in a pretrib rapture) Whatever the 666 means and whatever form the Mark of the beast takes, it is a warning for Christians in that time to be prepared to deal with and resist it. Again, whatever form it takes, to accept it will be a sign of allegiance to Satan and that is what is being warned against. It could be any of the things posted in the other answers but my guess is it will be simply a number without which you cannot buy or sell anything and in order to get it you must worship or pledge allegiance to Satan(the beast). It could even be something like a social security card that you can present with your right hand or state from memory (stamped on forehead). The warning is severe. Whoever takes the mark will be cast into the lake of fire which is the punishment for those who side with Satan.
Meshack Gachago
The mark of the beast - from a biblical perspective: The spiritual root of the mark of the beast is economics (love of money/gold, materialsm); religion (idol worship, humanism, pietism-false works and performance, ritual traditions and ancestor worship), and politics (greed and abuse of power, terrorism, militarism). The mark begun with Cain in the Bible followed by Lamech, Nimrod and the people of Noah's time, then the builders of Babel. The mark has been there throughout history and will be brought to its full fruit in future. Israel worshipped the golden cal f - took the mark of rebellion in the wilderness through unbelief. They all perished except two (Joshua/ Caleb) and their children. The three Hebrew sons (Shadrack, Misheck and Abednego), in Babylon rejected the mark by not worshipping the golden image. The mark of the beast is already a reality now as seen by how people, including believers, handle money, religion and political/ positional power against their present faith and commitment. Many are drunk with love for money, religion, ritual traditions and political power. How one handles these even among believers today shows which mark one is taking. The final mark of the beast in the book of Revelation will be just a manifestation of what is already working and going on in people's minds (forehead), hearts and labours of their hands. The mark has to do with the way people think (mark in the forehead), what they worship (image of the beast in their hearts) and what they do (mark in the right hand). You ta ke on the image of the one you worship now. That will be your eternal mark or identity. The mark of darkness is only taken away when one turns to Christ presently. But time will come when this will not be possible. Ezekiel was told to mark those in the temple who grieved and agonised because of the wickedness done in the temple those days. These were the righteous who were being marked. Everybody is taking their mark or worshipping the golden image of who they believe and serve now: either God the Father of the Son of heaven or Satan the father of the son of hell - the beast. Nb. Even without many scripture quotations any one conversant with the book can trace the relevant passages in the Bible. E.g. Judas Iscariot took the mark of evil by loving money. He bowed the knee at the golden image of wealth - he loved money (Jn.12:4-8; Rev.13). He never repented even though he was in the ministry team of Jesus. If one only thinks of a future literal mark on the forehead to be enforced by one antichrist then why do some Indian religion adherents today wear a red mark on the forehead yet they have not even read the bible and don't even know of an antichrist. The mark is an ongoing thing whichever way one sees it. It begins first on the inside on its way out. The book of revelation is both a historic and prophetic book. What John saw was for that time and also into the future before Jesus returns. Daniel also saw beasts referring to human leaders, religions, ideologies and movements that were opposed to God and his people. This was to continue in history as many saints courageously do exploits and overcome these beasts upto the end. It is also not enough to see or reduce the beast to the Papacy or Roman Catholicism alone. These have their part but on face value it is a limited and incomplete view in itself. The beast is a complex system of a high ranking satanic spirit of Babylon involving religion, political and military power, and economic infrastructure that deny and defy the true God. The saints are called to come out of that system. We must learn, howbeit the hard way, that our support system and sustenance is in God alone (Rev.18:4).
Jack Gutknecht
No one knows. I don't know what the number 666 means, nor do you. Not for sure. But in the future tribulation people will know for sure, undoubtedly. Nevertheless, I will say this: Revelation 13:16-17 It causes all…to be marked on the right hand or the forehead (Revelation 13:16): Followers of both the antichrist and Christ will have identifying marks during the tribulation period. Christ’s 144,000 Jewish witnesses will be supernaturally marked on their foreheads (Revelation 14:1). It would seem that the antichrist’s “mark of the beast” is a parody of God’s sealing of these 144,000 witnesses. Ron Rhodes ebook, 40 Days Through Revelation And a parody, in literature, is an imitation of the style and manner of a particular writer (according to britannica.com). (According to S. Michael Houdmann, "The 144,000 are first mentioned in Revelation 7:4, 'Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.' These 144,000 Jews are 'sealed,' which means they have the special protection of God. They are kept safe from the divine judgments and from the wrath of the Antichrist.”)
Add your Answer
All answers are REVIEWED and MODERATED.
Please ensure your answer MEETS all our guidelines.
A good answer provides new insight and perspective. Here are guidelines to help facilitate a meaningful learning experience for everyone.
- Adhere to the eBible Statement of Faith.
- Your answer should be complete and stand-alone.
- Include supporting arguments, and scripture references if possible. Seek to answer the "why".
- Adhere to a proper tone and spirit of love and understanding.
- For more info see The Complete Guide to eBible