I guess you're still worried about this. I guess I am too, but not about taking it by accident. And I'm sorry that my notes in this thread weren't much help. I looked at them again and they didn't look like they'd be too much help to me either.
I think that the two beast system gets 42 months of authority, but the mark of the second beast is not going to be for that whole duration. Something big has to be the precipitating factor in causing a church/state Babylon style power to coerce us into obeying what they say to do. And during this time of emergency like we've never seen since there was a nation, 144,000 sealed servants of God will show up and point right at it. They'll tell us what to do. These guys are going to be the superheros of the tribulation. While the composite beast is telling us, threatening us to do one thing, the 144,000 will be telling us to do what God wants us to do.
So the point that I'm trying to make here is that a lot will be going on. The mark of Revelation 13 is not going to be something that can be slipped in while we're looking the other way. Otherwise it wouldn't be much of a test, during the time of trial that will come like a snare on the whole world. People are going to have to make a serious decision. Like either you take this mark, or you can't buy food. Either you take this mark, or you loose you house and bank accounts. Either you take this mark, or we put you in jail. Either you take this mark, or we do something else.
And everyone is going to be stressed out thinking that the world is ending. Men's hearts will fail them for fear and all that. And I can be wrong here, but I think this is going to happen within less than the last half a year of the tribulation. I don't think this is going to be for the whole 42 months of the composite beast's authority.
But I and every man is a liar.
So Cave at emptor D.G.