What is The Mark of The Beast?

The popular declaration in Christendom today is, “Do not take the mark of the beast, because if you do, you will go to hell.” A related question is, “Can you lose your salvation by taking the mark of the beast during the tribulation?” There is a great deal of confusion about the mark of the beast, and few sermons adequately address this subject. Rather than just accept the mantra, “Do not take the mark of the beast!,” let’s carefully dig into the scriptures for help.

This issue really involves a number of corollary questions, and if you don’t answer these questions with careful biblical analysis, you can end up making assumptions that have no biblical support. Let’s unpack this whole issue with several smaller questions:

1. What is the mark of the beast?
2. What the mark of the beast is not.
3. Who will take the mark of the beast?
4. What does it mean to worship the beast?
5. What will happen if one refuses to take the mark of the beast?
6. What will happen if one does take the mark of the beast AND worships the beast?

You’ll get solid Biblical answers to all of these questions with a very careful exegetical approach to the subject, and you’ll be very happy to know for sure how this all works out, even if you are not here for the tribulation.

Here’s a sample of what you’ll read in What is The Mark of The Beast:

The word “mark” in the original Greek is “charagma,” which is from “charassō,” meaning “I engrave,” and was the term for images or names of the emperor on Roman coins. In the ancient world, marks like tattoos or brands were given to slaves and soldiers. A mark was a sign of ownership and loyalty. A mark was also a way of separating those subjects from the rest of the population, and that kind of mark was used over and over again in the Bible as a mark of protection.

In other words, the one to whom the mark is devoted used that mark to identify those who belonged to him, and to shield them from his judgment to be rendered against all who do not have the mark. Here are some examples from the Old Testament. In Ezekiel 9:3-6, we have this:

Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub on which it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen at whose loins was the writing case. The LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.” But to the others He said in my hearing, “Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare. Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark. Ezekiel 9:3-6 (NASB)

The mark was clearly to protect all the Godly people in the city of Jerusalem, and those who did not have the mark to protect them from God’s wrath were killed. No one who did not have the mark was spared.

In the Old Testament, God marked Israel (Jews) with blood on their doorposts to spare them when He killed Egypt’s firstborn. He marked Rahab with a scarlet cord to keep her and those with her from being killed. Notice again that God’s mark was to protect them from His wrath.

The mark on the foreheads in Ezk 9:4 is reminiscent of the mark on Cain (Genesis 4) that saved him from the wrath of his fellow man. This concept is reflected in the seal placed on the foreheads of the faithful in Rv 7:3. (CSB Baker Illustrated Bible Study Notes)

In Revelation 7:3, God puts his mark on the 144,000 to preserve them from His wrath against the unbelieving world.

And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed. (Rev 7:2-4 NASB)

So let there be no doubt what the purpose of a mark was in the Bible. The mark was to protect those marked by God. We’ll see later how Satan counterfeits the mark to protect all who belong to him so he can separate the Christians who are not marked with Satan’s protection.

There’s much more that we’re told about the Mark of the Beast and what it means. Don’t guess anymore about what the Mark of the Beast is, know what it is and how God and Satan use it. You’ll be so glad you know what the scriptures tell us, and it will be rewarding to share this with fellow believers.