“The Mark of the Beast”
by
Elder Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
The mark of the beast is something that many people are curious about but have great reservations in trying to fully understand. Superstitions, uncertainty, and fear have gripped the minds of people and have caused society to live a life of total speculation and in fear of that mysterious mark. Oftentimes people associate the number of the beast, which according to Revelation 13:18 is 666 as the mark of the beast. “Here 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.” This is the numerical value of the beast’s name NOT THE MARK ITSELF.
Before numbers became accepted in society, letters of the alphabet were used to represent numbers, which meant that many letters also have a numeric value to them. Most people are familiar with the Roman numeral system, where letters have a numeric value to them, like I=1, V=5, X=10, L=50, C=100, M=1000 and so on. The Bible, which originally was written in Greek and Hebrew, also use a similar alpha/numeric system; therefore causing many letters to have a numeric expression to them also. The name of the beast of Revelation will have a name that will add up to six hundred threescore and six, the infamous 666. Understand that just because a person has 6 letters in their first name, 6 letters in their middle name and 6 letters in their last name does not qualify them as being the anti-christ. I remember when President Reagan was in office, because his name is Ronald Wilson Reagan, having 6 letters in each, that he was the anti-christ. As the popular slang saying is NOT!!! It is also imperative that people understand that just because you buy something at the store and you bill total is $6.66 does not mean that you are eternally cursed and headed straight to hell, so don’t pass go and don’t collect $200.00. It is “FOR NOW” just the number of man.
There are needless to say many interpretations of that infamous number 666, whether due to Greek, Hebrew, or Roman numerical structure and who is to say that one from the other is the exact interpretation. The Bible says in 2nd Peter 1:20 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” I believe that we are all given a portion of the exact interpretation and when we put all of them together we come with the fullness of the interpretation. This is my portion of the meaning of that infamous number 666. The number 6 is 1 short of the number 7. The number 7 is God’s number, it represents perfection and completeness of spiritual things. The number 6 is short of perfection and completeness because it lacks the common denominator the 1 and only God. 6 is the number of man, for without God he falls short of perfection and is incomplete without Him. Therefore the number 6 is incompleteness and imperfection of man and is man’s number or the number of man as Revelation 13:18 says. The number 3, the second most mentioned number in the Bible, represent fullness. The number 3 speaks of solidity it is the symbol of fullness. It denotes Divine testimony and represents the 3 manifestations of God. Fullness means not lacking in any essentials being at the highest or greatest degree. Fullness: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Omniscience, Omnipotent, Omnipresence. Fullness: Body, Soul, Spirit, Death, Burial, Resurrection. Fullness: Outer Court, Inner Court, Holy of Holies, Tabernacle, Temple, Pentecost, 30, 60, 100 fold, fruit, more fruit, much fruit Faith, Goodness, Mercy, Peter, James, John, there were 3 crosses on Calvary, 3 men died 3 different deaths, 1 died in sin, 1 died to sin, and the 1 died for sin. Fullness
The anti-christ tries to imitate Christ in complete reversal. Anti-Christ, the beast, and the false prophet are the 3 manifestation of the devil in Revelation; the manifestations of God are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The anti-christ will have knowledge, but not be omniscient, he will have power, but will not be omnipotent, will be present on earth, but not omnipresent. Since the devil, man, or anything can never be complete and perfect without God, will end up with the number 6, which is the number of man. Since 6 is the number of incompleteness and imperfection 666 is the number of the beast. The number 6 for the anti-christ which will definitely fall short of perfect, 6 for the beast which will fall short of perfection, and 6 for the false prophet which will, fall short of perfection, which produces the number 666, the 3 manifestations of the devil. This perfection that I am speaking is to perfectly deceive ALL of mankind, try has he might, there will be a great multitude that will not be deceived and take the mark. IN A LATTER ISSUE I WILL ENDEAVOR TO EXPLAIN IN DETAIL THE INFAMOUS 666 IN WHICH WILL BE DISCUSSED ABOUT NERO, ROMULUS, AND THE MEANING OF THE PHARSE THE LATIN KINGDOM, WHICH ALL HAVE THE NUMERIC EXPRESSION 666.
Let’s go back to the mark of the beast.
What is the mark of the beast? The actual design of the mark of the beast is currently not known, just like the mark placed upon Cain in Gen. 4:15 is not known. However it will be a distinguishable mark that will be recognizable by all. The spirit of the mark, which is the spirit of the anti-christ, is now in existence. We understand that disobedience is sin against God, the Bible speaks tremendously about obedience and disobedience. Obedience is better than sacrifice 1st Samuel 15:22, Children obey you parent Ephesians 6:1, Colossians 3:20, Obey those that have rule over you Hebrews 13:17 and many others. The Bible says in Colossians 3:6 “For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.” The spirit of the mark and the mark itself are disobedience to God. The Bible says in Exodus 20:3 “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Disobedience is the spirit of the anti-christ; it goes contrary to what God desires of His people. To say that the ATM cards, Social Security card, or some micro-computer chip is the mark of the beast is an interpretation and understanding of what it could be, but if we study the Word of God we see that disobedience is in fact the spirit of the mark. During the tribulation period when the mark of the beast is taken, those that have taken it have disobeyed God’s commandment and must suffer the wrath of God. Those that refuse to take the mark of the beast will be killed, why because it proves that that will be obedient to God. The mark of the beast proves that a person has made the conscious decision to worship the beast instead of God. They have placed the beast before God, which is disobedience to the commandment given back in Exodus 20:3.
The Punishment of the mark! Revelations 14:9-11 tells the punishment of those that accept the mark of the beast. “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name”. Those that disobey the commandment of God during the tribulation period and receive the mark of the beast will be cast into the lake of fire and tormented throughout all eternity, because they have totally turned their back upon God and were disobedient to His commandments.
So many times people will say I don’t believe that God will allow a person to go to Hell, but He has given you a choice. You can be obedient to the Word of God and serve Him and have everlasting life or disobey His commandments and receive everlasting damnation. The choice is yours!
The place of the mark! The placement of the mark is very significant in the forehead or in the hand. Often times the question has been why the forehead or hand and the answer is because in those places it is easily seen by all and that is true to a point, but let’s look at the spiritual relevance of these two places. Remember the devil tries to portray Christ in total reversal, that is the meaning of anti-christ, the total opposite and against. In the book of Deuteronomy 6:1-8 the Bible says “Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes”. Look at the 8th verse closely, “And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.” God commanded that His statutes, commandments, and judgements to be binded upon the hands and as frontel between the eyes, which is the forehead as a sign of who they served. Why these two places? The hand represents action the forehead is representative of the make up of man, which is comprised of the will, intellect, and emotions. The soul is the crux of all emotions, passions, desires, appetites, and it exercises mental faculties. The soul is the element that makes us cognizant of self and factions our personality. The soul presses to achieve, social acceptance, personal gratification, and maintain a certain image. It diligently and meticulously strives for prosperity and popularity, trying to reach often-unattainable expectations.
The soul of man is comprised of three components, Will, Intellect, and Emotion. Although the soul is of a spiritual nature it is greatly influenced by the out side mortal desires of the world. The freedom and power to make conscious decisions is our will. Our will then is determined many times by what has control, the spirit or the flesh. Our intellect is the ability to have thoughts, reasoning, knowledge, and wisdom. Our emotions are what determine our likes and dislikes and makes us act the way that we do. The significance of the mark in the forehead shows who and what has control of our will, intellect, and emotions, the significance of the mark in the hand shows who and what we work for. Remember the old saying actions speak louder than words. If our hands, which is what we use to complete the majority of our actions are marked with disobedience than what actions are we portraying.
Take inventory of yourself!
Who has control of your mind and your hands?
Are the things you think and the actions you take done in obedience to God and His Word or are they done in disobedience?
What mark are you bearing NOW, the mark of a Child of God, being obedient to His Word or the mark of the beast, disobedient to all that God desires?
It’s not to late to make a change, but time is running out. Elijah said it best chose you this day whom you will serve.
Elder Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr
Boanerge Ministries
