Question: .

What is the "mark of the beast" that the Bible refers to?

-Deborah

Answer:

The "mark of the beast' is mentioned in the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation, part of the inspired word of God, is written in the apocalyptic style, and inspired by God in that style.

Apocalyptic makes use of symbols and imagery - beasts that we see in nature, and beasts that we have never seen in nature - colors, meanings of numbers, etc. The entire book is not written as a narrative - it is not written as the book of Proverbs is, or as the book of Romans, etc. It is written in a different style, and failure to understand that style can lead to misunderstandings.

We must also understand that the Bible had a meaning to its original audience - and we must strive to understand that meaning before we try to understand any meaning or application for us today. If we leap to a contemporary application, we may be (and usually are) jumping to conclusions, and reading into the text something that it does not say.

Christians were under the intense pressure and persecution of Domitian at the time John was inspired to write this book - and the book was primarily written to give Christians at that time hope. Assurance that God's way wins in the end - even though there are trials and persecutions now, and sometimes it seems that Satan triumphs in this life. God wins in the end. That is the central message of Revelation. Good triumphs over evil.

We make a mistake when we attempt to read our newspapers into Revelation - for it fits all events in history, even those before the invention of the printing presses that print our newspapers. This does not mean that Revelation is not valid or relevant for us - it is, but just as much for others in the past.

Some try in this context, to see the mark of the beast as something more specific than it actually is. Some try to have it mean a practice that other Christians do that will separate the real Christians from the false or moderate or lukewarm Christians at the end time - during the tribulation, etc. - but denominational issues and differences are not what the writer has in mind. The mark of the beast is not the mark that will finally show one denomination or group of Christians to be the best or superior than others who did not do what others did (the very antithesis of the central message of the gospel of grace).

The writer, under God's inspiration, is showing that the mark of the beast is on anyone who is so overcome and controlled by the great false system of materialism and false religion - the mark of the antichrist - those who are opposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ - those who would say that the grace of God is not enough - those who would promise deliverance through adherence to traditions and teachings that men and women devise - whether those traditions be in the political or religious arena - instead of the divine plan of salvation given to us by our Lord and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Hope this helps.

In Christ,

Greg Albrecht