MARK OF THE BEAST

MARK OF THE BEAST

Eph. 1:13-14 ¶ In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

The Bible talks about two different “marks” in the last days. We have all heard about the mark of the beast associated with the antichrist. This mark will probably deal with our ability to do business on earth during the dark time known as the Great Tribulation. Here is how the Fire Bible describes it.

“The antichrist will seek to gain total economic control of the world. All people are demanded to give their allegiance to him and cooperate with his system by receiving a mark on their hands or foreheads in order to buy or sell. This mark is Satan’s substitute for God’s seal on the 144,000. The type of “mark” the beast uses or how it is applied is not described except to say that it is “the number of his name”. It is clear, however, that once received, the mark is permanent, so that it identifies those who have rejected Christ and have turned their devotion to the antichrist. Economic pressure will probably be a tool used to persuade people to take the mark, which will also symbolize submission to the world government and the religion of the antichrist. Those who refuse to take the mark will be hunted down and killed.”

Then there is another more subtle mark that many have never heard of. It is actually the mark of the Spirit that separates believers from the rest of the world’s population in the last days. Here is a description of this mark in Wuest word book.

“The Holy Spirit is this guarantee until “the redemption of the purchased possession.” The words “purchased possession” are peripoiēsis, which “expresses the general idea of preserving, acquiring, gaining for one’s self, without specific reference to a price” (Expositors). It refers to the saints as God’s heritage which He preserves for Himself. The final redemption of this possession is glorification, when the physical body will be the recipient of the work of salvation. The soul and spirit are now the recipients of God’s saving grace. The body will experience that work at the Rapture when the first resurrection takes place. This will result to the praise of God’s glory.”

So I guess the ball is in your court. Which mark is on you? You may say “wait a minute, I haven’t taken a mark”. Maybe you haven’t physically taken a mark on your body but God’s mark is the only protection from what lies ahead. We must be marked or sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise. Without His power in our lives the compromise will be too hard to avoid. There will only be two types of people in that day. Those marked by God or those carrying the mark of the beast.