Don’t Take The Mark Of The Beast

Greetings! This post will be a bit more serious than what I normally do, so brace yourselves! It is about what the book of Revelations calls the “mark of the beast.” What is it and why should we avoid it? How will God respond if we do get this mark? Are there consequences if we refuse to get the mark of the beast? If you want to know more about the Mark of the Beast—as we all should know—I encourage you to read on…

So what is the mark of the beast? 666

According to Revelation 13:16, the mark of the beast is a marking on the right hand or on the forehead allowing people who receive this mark to either “buy or sell” (“and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.” ~Revelations 13:17).

This means that those who get the mark will be able to buy goods and run businesses to sell goods.

More sooner than later, it will be a requirement—perhaps by law—to get the mark and there will be serious consequences for those who refuse the mark.

Absolutely everyone will be required to get this mark. It doesn’t matter who you are whether you are rich or poor, old or young, free or imprisoned (Rev. 13:16) it will be a requirement to get it.

Who is the Beast?

The Beast (which is the antichrist) will be the evil one enforcing this mark. So by receiving the mark, one will be showing signs of worshipping the beast and choosing him over God.

How will God respond if we do get this mark?

God’s wrath will fall upon those who worship the beast. “A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, 10 they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”(Rev. 14:9-11)

The beast will come posing as the Messiah; he will deceive people of the world by performing spectacular miracles, such as making fire come down from Heaven (Rev. 13:13-14). The vast majority of the world will be in great awe of this phenomenon and blindly worship the beast, thinking that he is a savior. Only the elect will not be deceived.

He will speak great (and blasphemous things) drawing much attention. He will then introduce his mark by using sugary propaganda to make it look and sound like the next best thing. And it may appear to be so. May. With this mark, one will be able to buy and sell, gain acceptance in society, get and maintain jobs, and gain happiness. Why would anyone turn this down? Why would anyone avoid this?

Here is why to avoid the mark

Because if you are a true Christian you were saved by the blood of Christ. You have been adopted into God’s family. It is God who lives in you, who works in you, and who will keep you firm to the end. You are a child of God. It’s not something that you are trying to be it’s who you are now.

You are not a child of the devil. If you are truly a child of God you will not get the mark. You will die for Christ if you have to. The mark of the beast will reveal a true Christian from a false Christian. You will avoid the mark because you love Him, you want to obey Him, you desire God over transient material successes, and you desire to spend all eternity with Him and He with you.

Make no mistake about it. God will punish those who show allegiance to Satan by getting the mark of the beast.

What happens if you refuse to get the mark of the beast?

When I looked over all that is going to take place, God spoke to me. This seems like a test of true desire. What do we truly desire, worldly, materialistic success and acceptance, or God and His promises (eternal promises, at that).

Do we want something that we can touch and gain pleasure out of (although there is a possibility of losing those things)? Or do we want something deeper and Heavenly that we can feel intensely for all eternity (such as unspeakable joy)? This test will determine what we truly desire, what we truly worship.

I want to tell you, dear reader, to desire God, for the time is near. Want Him. Want His presence. Want for His promises. Want the great love of God. Want Him! He is all that we have.
The expression “take my life, but give me Jesus,” sounds a bit absurd to an outsider. But we must know and experience the fullness that God provides. He gives us unspeakable joy and peace. He allows us to feel His infinite love when we are alone and lonely and He provides when there is no way (Isaiah 43:19).

We should be so secure, so fulfilled, and so happy with Jesus in our lives in a way that when the mark is enforced, strongly (and boldly) reject it. I have a feeling that there will come a time—because we will refuse the mark—when we will lose all material possessions and end up privately worshipping Jesus (because it will surely be a crime in the near future).

During such a time, though, we shouldn’t have to feel as though we are experiencing any sort of loss because we still have Jesus and He is with us until the very end (Matt. 28:20: “and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”).

And we should be at peace at that time—as strange as that may sound—because we know where our real reward is (with God in Heaven!). There is beauty ahead. There is an eternal promise for those who hold on faithfully to the very end (Matt. 24:13: “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”).

Additional Helpers

• If you’re not saved, if you have been playing Christianity, and living in willful sin, then Repent. Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a turning away from sin.
• Put your trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Fully rely upon the blood of Christ on your behalf. When you truly believe that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and resurrected for your sins, your life will change.
• Ask God to help you desire Him more. Ask Him to show Himself to you in a way that will make you want Him more and more each day. Seek His face constantly! Seek His presence.
• Know that material things (such as cars, popularity, nice homes) are NOT worthy of such desire. Those things can perish and when you set your heart on something that is perishable and nothing else, how will you respond if you do lose them? What will you feel like you have then? That is why it is important to set your energy and joy in God and His will for you. Jesus is here for all eternity (Rev. 22:13) and if your heart is set on Him, you will have all that you would ever need.
• Pray for wisdom, discernment, and strength. We will need a lot of it.

Helpful Verses (these verses provide comfort when afraid and encourage you to set your heart on Christ over anything in this world)

• Psalm 37:4—“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
• Matt. 6:33—”But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
• John 16:33—“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
• John 14:27—“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
• Psalm 63:1—“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.”
• Psalm 73:25—“Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.”
• Matt 6:19-21—“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
• Mark 8:36—“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
• Rev. 20:4—“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

I love you all with the love of Christ and I thank you so much for reading!! I pray that this sharpens your awareness and touches you. Please, I encourage you to use any medium of communication to share!