Mark on the forehead or hand

[donanobis]

My NY resolution is to re-read the Bible. I was a bit surprised while reading the OT to see that a mark was spoken of. OT Scripture says that “like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead.” “This ceremony wil be like a mark branded on your hand or forehead” And we know that NT Revelation says “…to be given a mark on the right hand or the forehead.”

I understand that these OT passages refer to the flight out of Egypt but I don’t understand the significance of the mark given on the hand or forehead? In OT times, what does this mark refer to? what did it signify? and ALSO, this seems like a logical question?,could there be any similar meaning to the mark mentioned again in Revelation?

Exodus 13:9-New Living Translation

This annual festival will be a visible sign to you, like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead.

Exodus 13:16 New Living Translation

This ceremony will be like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead.

Revelation 13:16 New Living Translation

He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead.

thanks,
Dona

 

[crazzeto]

The Anti-Christ’s mark is a parody of God’s mark (as much of what the anti-christ does is). Rather than bringing salvation to those whom have it, in the case of the mark of the beast it brings ultimate doom.

 

[PeterK]

Dona,
The phrase in Exodus is a Hebrew idiom indicating something must always be remembered. Daily, it must be before you, in the forefront of one’s thoughts as if it were “branded on your hand and forehead.” The idea is if one were branded in such a way it would be impossible not to be reminded of the important event. These ideas were connected to keeping and ‘remembering’ the covenant made at Sinai and could have been part of an oath.

Check out Deuteronomy 6:8. (NLT) Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Other translations replace *‘as reminders’ *with ‘as signs’ or ‘as symbols’.

The Orthodox Jewish practice of actually tying scripture verses to one’s hands and forehead (phylacteries) and wearing them throughout the day has it’s roots in those Ex verses and that Deut. verse. So not a few Jews took it literally. Critical to this practice of wearing phylacteries was the recitation several times a day of the scripture verses they contained which was Deut 6.4-5. It reads “Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.” Again, this practice concerns keeping the covenant and remaining loyal to the Lord through personal oath.

The Catholic practice of wearing scapulars is directly related to these OT practices.

Maybe. Using the above cited OT verses as a context, maybe, one could read the marks in Revelations as, maybe, taking on a false oath, or, maybe, being forced to surrender one’s previous loyalties. Maybe. Maybe.

I’m not a big fan of trying to figure out the Book of Revelations. IMHO, it gets way too much emphasis.

Hope this helped.

PeterK

 

[Garyjohn2]

There is a lot of poetic/symbolic language in the OT and especially in revelation.

I’ve always figured those marks to mean what is in our thoughts (mark on the head) and what is in our deeds (mark on the hand).

The people of God will have the things of God in their thoughts, and in their actions (internally and externally). The people spoken of in revelation will have impure or evil thoughts and deeds.

Just another food for thought!