By David B Loughran
Towards the end of the Bible in the book of the Revelation (chapters 13 & 14) there is prophecy concerning an end-time dictator who is scheduled to rule the whole world. In symbolic language he is called The Beast! Elsewhere in Scripture he is known as:
The Man of Sin
The Man Lawlessness
The Son of Perdition
The Little Horn
The Antichrist
When he appears he will order every soul on earth to receive his mark, his identifying sign or signature in their foreheads or right hands. No one will be able to buy and sell without first accepting the mark! This will be economic sanctions on a scale the world has never known. Regardless of nationality, colour or creed, it will apply to everyone who refuses to receive the Mark of the Beast. You may be sure it will be a testing time for all mankind and comparatively few people will pass the test.
In the same prophecy Yahweh, the Almighty God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob warns mankind that all who accept the Mark of the Beast will experience the full measure of His wrath, which is to be poured out undiluted, 'without mixture, into the cup of His indignation.'
It is a terrifying prophecy to say the least and one you must understand if you want to escape the wrath of the Almighty God. Bible commentators have through the centuries endeavoured to interpret this prophecy; and there is no shortage of explanations available.
The Mark of the Beast some say is:
An invisible, coded tattoo, discernible only by high-tech equipment or some kind of X-ray.
The diabolic brand mark of an evil spirit.
A computerised society in which all business transactions will be done by credit cards.
A silicon identity chip inserted under the skin. etc. etc.
There are probably as many explanations of the Mark of the Beast as there are religious denominations; and you are free to make your choice and believe the one which suits you best. But to be honest, we have to admit that nowhere in the Bible does the Almighty categorically say what the Mark of the Beast is. To be sure, He has given us some very good clues, which point the believer to the truth: but of the Mark itself Scripture provides no clear cut definition. Nevertheless, in spite of this apparent lack, and we will soon discover that Yahweh is by no means at fault here, the prophecy concerning the Mark of the Beast deserves careful consideration; for it is a revelation of such awesome prospect that only fools will continue to ignore it. Here, indeed, are divine threatenings which every man and woman the world over should pay special heed to; because they deal with a degree of punishment more severe than we can imagine, let alone describe. Please understand that we have no wish to dramatise the issue; nor do we want to piously play it down as though it were of little account. The gravity and urgency of this prophecy demands that we fearlessly present the facts to all who seek to escape the wrath of Yahweh the Almighty God of Israel.
In our efforts to identify the Mark of the Beast we will initially confine ourselves to a logical assessment of the Scriptures alone; and then adopt the only conclusion the facts allow. To venture beyond this into the arena of melodramatic fantasy and wild speculation, as seen in many films and books on the subject, is self-deluding and dangerous.
Let us begin by quoting three passages concerning the:
Trade Sanctions imposed on all who refuse to receive the BeastÂ’s Mark
Divine Punishment for those who ignore GodÂ’s warning and accept it.
Bear in mind that here we are quoting Bible texts: which must not be confused with the weird teachings of some religious cult leaders.
continued...