Can Christians mistakenly take the Mark of the Beast?
Many Christians have taken the Covi-19 vaccination; is it the mark of the beast, as the conspiracy theories being spread on social media, particularly on TikTok, claim it is? Some argue that the vaccine contains a microchip that the government wants to install in the population. For this reason, some Christians are afraid of the government, technology, and especially microchips. The primary concern is, as stated in the title, can Christians mistakenly take the mark of the beast? To answer that question, you have to understand what the mark means, who will take it, and for what reason. Here is a list of questions to consider:
What is the Mark of the Beast?
Is the mark of the beast the number 666? The mention of the number is found in Revelation 13:16-18: “And he [the anti-Christ] causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” So, we may wonder, who is this beast? What does the mark mean? And how are we to decide what it means in our present generation since it has had different interpretations throughout the church’s history?
John’s audience was aware that marks on a person’s body had a long history. The mark had been used in empires of the past for various reasons, primarily to control the people. These marks are contrasted to the seal mentioned in Revelation 7:3-4 (KJV): “Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. 4And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.” In contrast to how marks were used in the past, or the mark of the beast, the seal, as stated above, during the tribulation period is a mark for the righteous in Christ, the hundred and forty four thousand Jews that will be saved in a day.
What is the meaning of 666?
According to Revelation, the mark is the beast’s name, which is the number of a man, in other words the coming anti-Christ. The importance is not in the number 666; it is who it represents, a man who stands in opposition to everything Jesus represents. John wants us to “calculate” the name or “gematria” it, which means interpreting it based on the numerical value of constituent Hebrews letters. Was what John requested possible for John’s audience, who were Greek-speaking, and their Bible was the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible? While both of those things are true, there were still a lot of Jews who understood the Hebrew language. What may seem ironic is, Hebrew has become the national language of Israel today after being primarily a dead spoken language for over 2000 years.
When we consider Hebrew related to names, here is how it works: it means to convert a name into numbers: Names were commonly associated with numbers in those days, so the idea of numbers relating to a person’s name would have been a common thing to the readers of John’s gospel. Also, in those days, many names could fit the number 666. For example, Nero’s name, the Roman Ceasor, was equivalent to the number “666.” Was he the anti-Christ? No, but he was an excellent example of the spirit of anti-Christ since he was anti-Christ by every measure.
The word anti-Christ is used in two ways; It is the spirit of anti-Christ and it also refers to the person of anti-Christ. Even though some scholars may disagree that Nero Ceasor equals “666,” archeologists uncovered a document found in the Judean desert that spells Nero’s name precisely that way. Some wonder if the anti-Christ is present on earth today, and the answer is yes as far as the spirit of anti-Christ is concerned, but since no one knows when Jesus will rapture the church, including Satan, it is impossible to know if the anti-Christ is present today. Obviously, he will be present prior the rapture of the church since he will appear at the beginning of the tribulation.
A modern-day example of names equaling the number “666” is Ronald Reagon whose first, middle, and last name each contain six letters. Was he the anti-Christ? Of course not. Many powerful men of the past have been thought to be anti-Christ. Ironically, some even believed Billy Graham was the anti-Christ.
The beast’s mark has been misunderstood for centuries and still is until this day. One of the mistakes people make is to take Scripture out of contest. For example, Revelation 13:17 says, “they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.” This verse refers to the person of the anti-Christ and means that those taking the mark, under pressure, are bowing to the anti-Christ as a god; accordingly, they will be doomed to hell. This verse in context is related to the time of the Tribulation in the end-time events and not today or any historical event. That means that Christians living now are not subject to taking the mark of the beast and need not worry that somehow, they will take it by mistake.
Some may think that we have entered the last days, relating to the tribulation, because of the lawlessness today. Technically the last days started at the crucifixion of Christ. The Apostle affirms this in 2 Thessalonians 2:7: “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way.” God restrains and allows as He wills, which is also true with the ant-Christ whose presence is presently being restrained until it is time. The anti-Christ will come upon the scene during the beginning of the Tribulation; this is significant because this is after the church has been raptured or taken away. Satan could have an anti-Christ in waiting presently, but since he does not know the time of the second coming, as seen in Mark 13:32, he continues to wait until the appropriate time or when it is revealed. When Jesus does return, He will do away with the anti-Christ, or take him away, as well as Satan, as stated in verse above, and install His world kingdom, which will go through the thousand-year Millennial reign.
Today, in a broader sense, there is an anti-Christ movement of which the world denies the kingdom of God. There is an example of this given in Revelation 2:20: “Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.” Satan’s anti-Christ movement today draws people away from Christ using false teachers. While Christians are challenged today, they are not to be enticed by the world’s methods and values.
Many of Satan’s counterfeits are going about to deceive whomever they may, leading many astray. When we do not embrace Jesus and the message of the cross, we are subject to Satan’s deception. Our future does not depend on receiving a particular mark but on our faithfulness to Jesus our Lord. Only those who receive Jesus as their Lord and savior are safe from the anti-Christ and the impending, imminent tribulation coming on the world. Are you ready to secure your place in God’s kingdom and avoid the coming tribulation? If so, I would like to share with you, from God’s Word, exactly how you may do that: just click here.