What is the Mark of the Beast, actually?

StevenJ

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The mark of the beast, 666; is actually an indication of age 6+6+6=18. The age at which a child becomes an adult; and then is responsible for their every action and word. The laws of men play no part in who shall be marked; it's a matter of Sin itself. And it is Father who shall make that mark visible to all that are deserving.
 
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Pavel Mosko

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Interesting article but I didn't notice any Islam reference there is lots of stuff relevant to Islam and Revelation like the badges the Mudjadeen where are very reminiscent of the Jewish Phylactery, and the mark of the beast can be seen as a Satanic counterfeit of the Bible verses that speak of having the word of God engraved upon your heart, serving the Lord in deed as well as your profession of Faith etc.

 
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JimR-OCDS

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Interesting article but I didn't notice any Islam reference there is lots of stuff relevant to Islam and Revelation like the badges the Mudjadeen where are very reminiscent of the Jewish Phylactery, and the mark of the beast can be seen as a Satanic counterfeit of the Bible verses that speak of having the word of God engraved upon your heart, serving the Lord in deed as well as your profession of Faith etc.


Islam didn't exist when St John wrote the book of Revelation.

It was primarily about the persecution the Church was going through at the time
and most believe that the number 666 represented Nero.
 
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Aussie Pete

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Brian Mcnamee

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Hi to sort this out you need to look at a lot off scripture and compare scripture with scripture to get a clear picture of what is going on when and what other related events are occurring at the same time to establish a before and after picture. Now this picture will perfectly match what prophecy has declared what will happen and like Jesus showed up with the two disciples and showed them from the scriptures all the things about how the Christ need suffer die and be raised that their hearts burned within them when Jesus opened the scriptures to them.

Now I can present a complex case that integrates volumes of scripture that support a literal futurist view. If anyone is interested in the futurist view and open to a long study let me know and I will take the time to share an organized approach and use very few of my own words but just lay out scripture over scripture to be compared.
 
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dms1972

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People are putting more faith in the medical establishment these days - thus I think many t the same time are becoming frustrated with the medical establishment because more and more people are looking for cures and it hasn't got them - it cannot long sustain the shift from faith in God to faith in medical professionals and drugs sans God. We are to be thankful to God for remedies in Nature or that God has given medical scientists wisdom to synthesize, and to be thankful for the skills of doctors in diagnosis and treatment. God does use these professionals. Faith in God doesn't mean we forgo all medical interventions. Periods of illness can have meaning for those who have Faith.
 
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2PhiloVoid

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JimR-OCDS

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Is this a philosophical inquiry, or a theological one?

For my part, I don't think anyone actually knows the exact nature of the Mark of the Beast, or specifically when, where or how it is to appear.

It does make for interesting conversation, though.

The Catholic Church knows for she has the history of being there since Christ established his Church and it was that Church which selected the Book of Revelation to be included in the New Testament Canon in the first place.

There was reluctance to add the Book of Revelation because the Church knew that many
people would interpret it incorrectly and they were right.

Remember Hal Linsdey ? According to his interpretation in "There's a New World Coming," the Soviet Union should've invaded Israel by now and the US going to their
defense. We should be in the middle of WWIII by now according to his interpretation of the Book of Revelation. :D
 
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2PhiloVoid

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The Catholic Church knows for she has the history of being there since Christ established his Church and it was that Church which selected the Book of Revelation to be included in the New Testament Canon in the first place.

There was reluctance to add the Book of Revelation because the Church knew that many
people would interpret it incorrectly and they were right.

Remember Hal Linsdey ? According to his interpretation in "There's a New World Coming," the Soviet Union should've invaded Israel by now and the US going to their
defense. We should be in the middle of WWIII by now according to his interpretation of the Book of Revelation. :D

Ok. So, you're Catholic and I can understand your point of view. But I'm not sure how that makes this into a philosophical inquiry regarding the Mark of the Beast.

Also, I'm not a Hal Lindsey 'fan,' so I'm not sure what that added detail adds to your point. But, I'll keep it in mind.

If anything, so far, I would simply think that you're added context of mentioning the Catholic Chuch implies more or less what your philosophical approach is when handling the hermeneutics of apocalyptic literature which we have in our Bible; this rather than denoting and explicating the nature of the Mark with any finality.

Maybe this thread should be moved to the Eschatological section of CF? Maybe?
 
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dms1972

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Is this a philosophical inquiry, or a theological one?

For my part, I don't think anyone actually knows the exact nature of the Mark of the Beast, or specifically when, where or how it is to appear.

It does make for interesting conversation, though.

I think there are pre-cursors - things that are not the Mark, but that are leading to some sort of controlled society, unless there is an Awakening - but such planning might not happen on a worldwide scale at first. and I think COVID and all the media hysteria (are we not to speak quietly about diseases?) is showing to what degree society is ripe for the social control and planning that would exist under an anti-Christ dictator.

I think however COVID restrictions are more a case of not knowing the best way to respond. There can be good planning eg. having proper contingency measures ready for an epidemic. But COVID is to me a mixed affair - it seems like its just poor problem solving and reactionary thinking that is the problem.

But I do wonder if something like COVID could under certain spiritual conditions (such as prayerlessness) lead into a tribulation period. However I don't belief man has it in himself to bring the end about, unless God gives the human race over more fully to its rebellion.

I don't think vaccines in themselves are the mark of the beast - however some people make a decision spiritually to no longer believe in God and then put their faith in something man-made and no longer give thanks to God - seems like the same scenario as the second half of Romans chapter 1.
 
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2PhiloVoid

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I think there are pre-cursors - things that are not the Mark, but that are leading to some sort of controlled society - and I think COVID and all the media hysteria (are we not to speak quietly about disease?) is showing to what degree society is ripe for the social control and planning that would exist under an anti-Christ dictator. I think however COVID is more a failure of planning. There can be good planning eg. having proper contingency measures ready. But COVID is to me a mixed affair - at its clear its just poor problem solving and reactionary thinking that is the problem. I think therefore something like COVID could under the certain spiritual conditions (including prayerlessness) lead into a tribulation period. I don't think vaccines in themselves are the mark of the beast - but some people make a decision spiritually to no longer believe in God and then put their faith in something man-made and no longer give thanks to God - the same scenario as the second half of Romans chapter 1.

I like your point about how hysteria may refect a time of ripeness in which people resign themselves to some kind of social planning, and there could be something to that.

But haven't there always been various kinds of control in different societies of the world? How would we know if the one you're speaking of in future tense would be much different than those of the past?
 
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dms1972

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I have read Richard F. Lovelace's discussion about Millennialism in the last chapter of his book Dynamics of Spiritual Life - I think its the best short treatment I have come across and he doesn't get into speculation about whether this or that is the Mark of the Beast - he shows how different interpretations - Premillenialism, Amillenialism and Post-millenialism have nerved the Church at different times and in different ways.
 
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dms1972

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I like your point about how hysteria may refect a time of ripeness in which people resign themselves to some kind of social planning, and there could be something to that.

But haven't there always been various kinds of control in various socities of the world? How would we know if the one you're speaking of in future tense would be much different than those of the past?

Normally there are checks and balances to stop it, but when these are being abrogated, or bypassed its concerning. There would have to be a pre-text for it however, people would not give up freedoms just like that. And so I don't think it would happen without some real emergency but the state of affairs many countries have been in with COVID is concerning and so we need to be watching and praying.

On the end-time 'fictional' side of things - I was reading Gary Cohen's 1974 novel : The Horsemen are Coming - and he envisaged events in Revelation taking place fairly literally including a pre-trib Rapture followed by a world-wide planned society under an anti-Christ dictator, involving parents being only allowed one child, and the giving up of private property and commitment to peace. This becomes PPP which they say will turn the world upside down - to indicate this they turn the PPP upside down so that it becomes 666!!

However one doesn't have to look far to see that these are ideologies that do currently exist and while there is still opposition to them they have gained the allegiance of at least some people already. Of course his novel is dated in that he sets it around the year 2000. But it's pretty stirring all the same and not a long read - unlike the LaHaye / Jenkins multi-volume end-times saga.
 
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2PhiloVoid

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Normally there are checks and balances to stop it, but when these are being abrogated, or bypassed its concerning. There would have to be a pre-text for it however, people would not give up freedoms just like that. And so I don't think it would happen without some real emergency but the state of affairs many countries have been in with COVID is concerning and so we need to be watching and praying.

On the end-time 'fictional' side of things - I was reading Gary Cohen's 1974 novel : The Horsemen are Coming - and he envisaged events in Revelation taking place fairly literally including a pre-trib Rapture followed by a world-wide planned society under an anti-Christ dictator, involving parents being only allowed one child, and the giving up of private property and commitment to peace. This becomes PPP which they say will turn the world upside down - to indicate this they turn the PPP upside down so that it becomes 666!!

However one doesn't have to look far to see that these are ideologies that do currently exist and while there is still opposition to them they have gained the allegiance of at least some people already. Of course his novel is dated in that he sets it around the year 2000. But it's pretty stirring all the same and not a long read - unlike the LaHaye / Jenkins multi-volume end-times saga.

I agree. And I think these ideologies have been around for quite some time, just not quite in the same proportions, both marketed and subscribed to, that we find them today.
 
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HappyHope

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I keep coming my across info on alternative sites that lead me to believe it is some kind of device that touches either the brain or skin and kind of takes over your heart and soul. If so, it makes sense that those who get it will be unable to cry out to Jesus for salvation. Their essence will be stripped.

I've heard of "aliens" aka fallen angels or draco reptilians in D.U.M.Bs, deep underground military bases, that learned how to strip a soul from a body (so they can use the body) without killing the body. There is a term for it but I can't remember. If so, the mark of the beast may very well be 20x more sinister than most of us could have imagined.
 
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