What exactly is the "Mark of the Beast"?

[Holly3278]

Hey everyone. What exactly is the “Mark of the Beast”? I found it translated as “Mark of the Beast” in the Protestant King James Version. I also looked it up in the Catholic Douay-Rheims Version and it is uses the word “character” rather than “mark”. So I am just wondering does “Mark of the Beast” simply mean someone who has the spirit of the antichrist, someone who opposes Christ and His Church? Here’s the Bible verses mentioning it in both translations:

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 in 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 for ever 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.
(Revelation 14:9-11 KJV)

And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice: If any man shall adore the beast and his image and receive his character in his forehead or in his hand, He also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mingled with pure wine in the cup of his wrath: and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torments, shall ascend up for ever and ever: neither have they rest day nor night, who have adored the beast and his image and whoever receiveth the character of his name.
(Revelation 14:9-11 DRB)

And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
(Revelation 13:17 KJV)

And that no man might buy or sell, but he that hath the character, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
(Revelation 13:17 DRB)

And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
(Revelation 16:2 KJV)

And the first went and poured out his vial upon the earth. And there fell a sore and grievous wound upon men who had the character of the beast: and upon them that adored the image thereof.
(Revelation 16:2 DRB)

And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
(Revelation 19:20 KJV)

And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who wrought signs before him, wherewith he seduced them who received the character of the beast and who adored his image. These two were cast alive into the pool of fire burning with brimstone.
(Revelation 19:20 DRB)

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
(Revelation 20:4 KJV)

And I saw seats. And they sat upon them: and judgment was given unto them. And the souls of them that were beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God and who had not adored the beast nor his image nor received his character on their foreheads or in their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
(Revelation 20:4 DRB)

Any help would really be appreciated.

 

[Skye_Ariel]

Yeah I know a lot of people say it’s not a literal mark but you do have to admit that the way technology is today it does look like things are moving towards a paperless currency and some kind of chip or bar code being implanted in people and used to buy and sell etc. That’s too much of a coincidence to me. They put it in animals and even implant people’s medical records in them on a chip so even if it wasn’t mentioned in the Bible I can totally see that happening in the future. That mark/chip could take the place of a person’s social security number and supposedly be identity theft proof. The fact that the Bible mentions it thousands of years ago before anyone even could fathom technology of today makes it even more interesting.

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

That is really interesting Sky Ariel. In that way people would be owned by the secular powers and their apparatus, even more than we are today.

 

[marymary1975]

Yeah I know a lot of people say it’s not a literal mark but you do have to admit that the way technology is today it does look like things are moving towards a paperless currency and some kind of chip or bar code being implanted in people and used to buy and sell etc. That’s too much of a coincidence to me. They put it in animals and even implant people’s medical records in them on a chip so even if it wasn’t mentioned in the Bible I can totally see that happening in the future. That mark/chip could take the place of a person’s social security number and supposedly be identity theft proof. The fact that the Bible mentions it thousands of years ago before anyone even could fathom technology of today makes it even more interesting.

Yes I have heard several times that it is some kind of microchip or bar code that at some point will be forced upon everybody. I agree that it is amazing how the bible was able to describe this when it would have been imposible to dream of it.

 

[colmywaykurtz]

There are other possibilities, however.

In “The Apocalypse,” by George Montague, a case is made that the “mark of the beast” was the monetary system, which in the time of St. John, consisted of coins stamped with the image of Caesar. To this day, we still have coins stamped with people’s images, historically-important people who formed part of the governing class of this country.

Therefore, the metaphor of coins stamped with images could signify all monetary systems at whatever point in history.

Consider the role of money. Its “value” is implicit in society, with no one seriously questioning it, aside from maybe a few monks and a few street people. All economic endeavor, all political initiatives are moribund without a certain amount of money.

It’s like no one can play at all in the games of business or politics or any other area of human activity without accepting the implicit value of money and the inescapable nature of the monetary and economic system.

Could this not be construed as a kind of religion in its own right, and the acceptance of its tools being tantamount to “receiving the mark of the beast”?

 

[Lasting_faith]

I think the question was derailed. Microchips? I don’t think that is what it mean. Maybe it would be better to stop thinking about conspiracy here. What the “Mark of the Beast” is we can only guess, and I think we know when we see it. It can be anything, but not a microchip, so let’s cool down a bit here.

The Book Of Revelation is a very hard book to understand, and maybe we don’t need to? I mean, all what God want us to do when the time come is to stay faithful to His word. We can toy around with theorie up on theory and come up empty handed. But I am sure that what we read in The Book of Revelation is not a prediction that we now have all kind of chips and codes.

 

[Holly3278]

I have heard some people say that there was some sort of mark that worshipers of Emperor Nero received and that this was the “Mark of the Beast”. I have no idea how true this is though. I also have no idea whether or not I am recalling what I heard correctly or not.

 

[LegoGE1947]

I have heard some people say that there was some sort of mark that worshipers of Emperor Nero received and that this was the “Mark of the Beast”. I have no idea how true this is though. I also have no idea whether or not I am recalling what I heard correctly or not.

I have recently been getting e-mails from a Senator Rand Paul saying that the government is considering a federal ID card where no one will be able to do anything without one. I was wondering if anyone else here has gotten that email. We are suppose to email our congressional representatives to say we don’t want or need such an ID card.

 

[Lasting_faith]

And I am so happy living in Europe.

 

[Skye_Ariel]

That is really interesting Sky Ariel. In that way people would be owned by the secular powers and their apparatus, even more than we are today.

Yes I have heard several times that it is some kind of microchip or bar code that at some point will be forced upon everybody. I agree that it is amazing how the bible was able to describe this when it would have been imposible to dream of it.

Exactly!

 

[Skye_Ariel]

I have recently been getting e-mails from a Senator Rand Paul saying that the government is considering a federal ID card where no one will be able to do anything without one. I was wondering if anyone else here has gotten that email. We are suppose to email our congressional representatives to say we don’t want or need such an ID card.

Now that’s scary!

 

[LegoGE1947]

And I am so happy living in Europe.

You think you are safe by living in Europe?

 

[ronyodish]

What exactly is the “Mark of the Beast”?

Holly3278,

I found the following paragraph from this website to be a good explanation:

========================================
Pate, Haynes
“Nero’s infamous character merits the title of “beast applied to him by the seer of the Apocalypse (v.1). Revelation 13:1-6 gives the generic background of the beast, which is the roman empire of the first century, The seven heads correspond to the seven hills of Rome, while the ten horns allude to the Caesars of the first century, however one may number them (v.1). The blasphemous worship demanded by the beast distinctly reminds one of the imperial cult of the first century, and the war the beast wages on the saints cannot help but recall the intense persecutions Nero, and later Domitian, inflicted on Christians because they did not worship Caesar. Nero’s persecution of Christians from November AD 64 to June AD 68 could account, in part, for the forty-two months (or 3 ½ years) of oppression mentioned in Rev. 13:5. The reference in Revelation 13:11-15 to the beast of the land securing worship for the beast from the sea (Rome was across the sea from the place of the writing of the Apocalypse, Asia Minor) reminds one of the local priests of the imperial cult in Asia Minor whose task was to compel the people to offer a sacrifice to Caesar and proclaim him Lord. Megalomaniac that he was, Nero had coins minted in which he was called “almighty God” and “Savior.” Nero’s portrait also appears on coins as the god Apollo playing a lyre. While earlier emperors were proclaimed deities upon their deaths, Nero abandons all reserve and demanded divine honors while still alive (as did also Caligula before him, AD 37-41). Those who worshipped the emperor received a certificate or mark of approval – charagma, the same word used in Revelation 13:16. Furthermore, in the reign of Emperor Decius (AD 249-251), those who did not possess the certificate of sacrifice to Caesar couldn not pursue trades, a prohibition that conceivably goes back to Nero, reminding one of Revelation 13:17” (C Martin Pate and Calvin B. Haynes, Doomsday Delusions, 41-42)​

By the way, Rev. 13:18 tells us that the number of the beast is 666. This number fits Nero using the Aramaic alphabet. Here is how it works:

Alap - 1
Beth - 2
Gamal - 3
Daleth - 4
Heh - 5
Waw - 6
Zain - 7
Heth - 8
Teth - 9
Yodth - 10
Kap - 20
Lamedth - 30
Meem - 40
Noon - 50
Simketh - 60
Ain - 70
Peh - 80
Sadeh - 90
Qop - 100
Resh - 200
Sheen - 300
Taw - 400

I bolded the letters that are relevant. In Aramaic, Nero Caesar is Nrwn Qsr, that is: Noon (50) + Resh (200) + Waw (6) + Noon (50) + Qop (100) + Simketh (60) + Resh (200). If you add up all the numbers, you get 666.

God bless,

Rony

 

[thistle]

I have recently been getting e-mails from a Senator Rand Paul saying that the government is considering a federal ID card where no one will be able to do anything without one. I was wondering if anyone else here has gotten that email. We are suppose to email our congressional representatives to say we don’t want or need such an ID card.

Why would anyone object to carrying an ID card?

 

[Matt_Guitar_Man]

I have also read that in the time when this was written that markets and trades were controlled by guilds and that these guilds had identifying marks or symbols which were tattoed on a member who was allowed to carry on business with the backing of the guiled. sort of a like a tradesmens gold card etc.

 

[LegoGE1947]

Why would anyone object to carrying an ID card?

If you don’t have the ID card you would not be able to do anything of a financial nature. Just like how the mark of the Beast is described in Revelation. Would not be able to buy, sell, pay for anything, hold a job. Etc

 

[Darryl_B]

Holly3278,

I found the following paragraph from this website to be a good explanation:

========================================
Pate, Haynes
“Nero’s infamous character merits the title of “beast applied to him by the seer of the Apocalypse (v.1). Revelation 13:1-6 gives the generic background of the beast, which is the roman empire of the first century, The seven heads correspond to the seven hills of Rome, while the ten horns allude to the Caesars of the first century, however one may number them (v.1). The blasphemous worship demanded by the beast distinctly reminds one of the imperial cult of the first century, and the war the beast wages on the saints cannot help but recall the intense persecutions Nero, and later Domitian, inflicted on Christians because they did not worship Caesar. Nero’s persecution of Christians from November AD 64 to June AD 68 could account, in part, for the forty-two months (or 3 ½ years) of oppression mentioned in Rev. 13:5. The reference in Revelation 13:11-15 to the beast of the land securing worship for the beast from the sea (Rome was across the sea from the place of the writing of the Apocalypse, Asia Minor) reminds one of the local priests of the imperial cult in Asia Minor whose task was to compel the people to offer a sacrifice to Caesar and proclaim him Lord. Megalomaniac that he was, Nero had coins minted in which he was called “almighty God” and “Savior.” Nero’s portrait also appears on coins as the god Apollo playing a lyre. While earlier emperors were proclaimed deities upon their deaths, Nero abandons all reserve and demanded divine honors while still alive (as did also Caligula before him, AD 37-41). Those who worshipped the emperor received a certificate or mark of approval – charagma, the same word used in Revelation 13:16. Furthermore, in the reign of Emperor Decius (AD 249-251), those who did not possess the certificate of sacrifice to Caesar couldn not pursue trades, a prohibition that conceivably goes back to Nero, reminding one of Revelation 13:17” (C Martin Pate and Calvin B. Haynes, Doomsday Delusions, 41-42)​

By the way, Rev. 13:18 tells us that the number of the beast is 666. This number fits Nero using the Aramaic alphabet. Here is how it works:

Alap - 1
Beth - 2
Gamal - 3
Daleth - 4
Heh - 5
Waw - 6
Zain - 7
Heth - 8
Teth - 9
Yodth - 10
Kap - 20
Lamedth - 30
Meem - 40
Noon - 50
Simketh - 60
Ain - 70
Peh - 80
Sadeh - 90
Qop - 100
Resh - 200
Sheen - 300
Taw - 400

I bolded the letters that are relevant. In Aramaic, Nero Caesar is Nrwn Qsr, that is: Noon (50) + Resh (200) + Waw (6) + Noon (50) + Qop (100) + Simketh (60) + Resh (200). If you add up all the numbers, you get 666.

God bless,

Rony

And in some manuscripts the number is 616. This is the number that Nero would add up to using the Greek alphabet. It moves the dating of Revelation to early 60s rather than mid 90s AD.

 

[thistle]

If you don’t have the ID card you would not be able to do anything of a financial nature. Just like how the mark of the Beast is described in Revelation. Would not be able to buy, sell, pay for anything, hold a job. Etc

An ID card has nothing to do with anything Scriptural.

 

[LegoGE1947]

An ID card has nothing to do with anything Scriptural.

Well, we’ll just drop it, then!

 

[Holly3278]

I have recently been getting e-mails from a Senator Rand Paul saying that the government is considering a federal ID card where no one will be able to do anything without one. I was wondering if anyone else here has gotten that email. We are suppose to email our congressional representatives to say we don’t want or need such an ID card.

I really don’t think that would be the “Mark of the Beast”. I mean, we already have to have a driver’s license which is an ID to drive and others have to have an ID in order to get a doctor and such. You have to present one at hospitals from time to time and many other places. In addition you must present one to purchase alcohol or tobacco.

Now that’s scary!

I really don’t see much that is scary about it. To me it just seems like any other ID such as the ones that each state issues.

Why would anyone object to carrying an ID card?

I am kind of wondering that myself.

If you don’t have the ID card you would not be able to do anything of a financial nature. Just like how the mark of the Beast is described in Revelation. Would not be able to buy, sell, pay for anything, hold a job. Etc

Now that is interesting. If that is indeed true then I think it is kinda scary. I’m still not sure if that would qualify as the “Mark of the Beast” though.