"And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead," Rev. 13:16
Do you notice how it says nothing about men receiving this mark? It is not something you have any say in or control over. It says the second beast "causes all . . . to be given a mark." The mention of the "hand" and the "forehead" in Revelation 13 is important for us to take note of. The book of Revelation uses a lot of imagery and symbolism from the Old Testament. This same terminology—of the hand and forehead—is used four other times in the Old Testament (Ex. 13:9, 16; Deut. 6:8; 11:18-19). What it has to do with is what you believe and how you act in accordance with that belief. It is not a microchip! Not by any stretch of the imagination. It is not a physical mark of any kind!
"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:4-9
The thoughts we think with our minds, and the deeds we perform by our hands, are they glorifying to God?
"By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother." 1 John 3:10
The sensationalist interpretations of Dispensationalism is where the imaginary fictional concept of a microchip was first given birth. All because they try to interpret the Bible by what is happening around us rather than interpreting the Bible by the Bible. Remember, every post-first century religious context is foreign to the Bible, and therefore is not the context of the Bible. The right context for interpreting the Bible is the context that produced it—the worldview and cognitive frame of reference of the biblical authors, who intentionally conveyed meaning through the manner in which they structured their books. You cannot read our cultural context into the Bible. That is called eisegesis.
Now, to all—small and great, rich and poor, free and bond—the false prophet gives a mark. It is the mark of the first beast. Here the false prophet, in outward appearance, resembles the Lamb. Have not the followers of the Lamb been sealed on their foreheads? Hence the followers of the beast must be marked or branded on their foreheads or right hands. But what is meant by this "mark of the beast"? Various amusing answers have been given. These theories err in this respect, namely, that they interpret this mark as a single, individual, outward, visible sign that will appear on the forehead of hand of the wicked at one particular moment in history; then, and then only. But the beast always persecutes the Church and indicates every form of secular power that tries to destroy believers. Wherever whenever the beast appears, you will also find the mark of the beast. The two go together and cannot be separated.
In order to understand the expression "mark of the beast" we must remember that not only cattle but slaves also were branded or marked. The mark meant that the slave belonged to his master. Very soon the expression "to receive the mark of someone" began to mean to belong to someone, to serve or worship someone. Let us prove this point. In Revelation 14:9 we read: "If any man worships the beast . . . and receive the mark on his forehead." Here "receiving the mark of the beast" seems to mean "worshiping the beast." Similarly, in Revelation 14:11: "They that worship the beast . . . and receive the mark of his name" (cf. also Rev. 20:4). So "receiving the mark of the beast" seems to mean "belonging to the beast and worshiping the beast." The "mark of the beast" is the God-opposing, Christ-rejecting, Church-persecuting spirit of Antichrist, wherever and whenever it shows itself. This mark is impressed on the forehead or right hand (cf. Deut. 6:8). The forehead symbolizes the mind, the thought life, the philosophy of a person. The right hand indicates his deed, action, trade, industry, etc. Therefore receiving the mark of the beast on the forehead or right hand indicates that the person so characterized belongs to the company of those who persecute the Church; and that—either preeminently in what he things, says, writes, or more emphatically in what he does—this anti-Christian spirit becomes evident.
This interpretation harmonizes entirely with our explanation regarding the seal that the believer receives on his forehead. This seal indicates that he belongs to Christ, worships Him, breathes His spirit, ans thinks His thoughts after Him. Similarly, the mark of the beast symbolizes that the unbelievers, who persists in his wickedness, belongs to the beast and therefore to Satan, whom he worships. Observe, however that there is a difference. The believer receives a seal, the unbeliever a mere mark. Through the dispensation it has been true (think of Thyatira) that those people who have not received the mark of the beast and have not worshiped his image have been thwarted in their business pursuits. They are the ones who are crowded out and oppressed. They are not allowed to buy or to sell as long as they remain loyal to their principles. As we approach the end this opposition will increase. Nevertheless, let not the believer despair. Let him remember that the number of the beast is the number of man. Now, man was created on the sixth day. Six, moreover, is not seven and never reaches seven. It always fails to attain to perfection; that is, it never becomes seven. Six means missing the mark, or failure. Seven means perfection or victory. Rejoice, O Church of God! The victory is on your side. The number of the beast is 666, that is failure upon failure upon failure! It is the number of man, for the beast glorifies in man, and must fail!William Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors, pp. 166-167.
What is the mark (vv. 16-17) of the Beast? It is a counterfeit for the seal of God's name on the saints (7:2-8; 14:1; cf. Ezek. 9; Deut. 6:8). The Beast owns those who are marked, and they are his slaves (14:9; 19:20; 20:4). A mark denotes spiritual allegiance and ownership, both in the case of God's mark an din the case of the Beast's counterfeit mark. In both cases, the mark is at the root spiritual rather than visible. The multitude of speculations about a visible mark are beside the point.
What about the number 666? Divine completeness would be expressed by 777, and 666 consistently falls short of that. Thus, the number 666 has an obvious symbolic value. But there may be a further association. In both Hebrew and Greek, a numerical value was associated with each letter of the alphabet. In Greek, A had the value of 1, B had the value of 2, I have the value of I, and so on. The letters were sometimes used as a shorthand for numbers. Both Jews and pagans sometimes played arithmetical games with the numerical value of whole words. Christians found that the name Jesus had the numerical value of 888 in Greek. Hence, the number 666 contrasts with the name of Jesus (cf. 14:1). Jesus is the Christ, who brings in the new creation on the eighth day. The Beast is the Antichrist, who counterfeits Christ, but falls short.
Many have attempted to connect the number 666 with the numerical value of someone's name. But there are far too may possibilities. Some people have transliterated or translated names into Hebrew or Greek, as well as putting them in a Roman alphabet; others have used different forms of names, adding or deleting titles and abbreviations of titles and names. By such means, people have succeeded in correlating the number with each of the main Roman emperors of the time—Nero, Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian—and with modern tyrannical figures. But such speculations miss the point. Revelation calls not for cleverness, but for spiritual discernment.Vern S. Poythress, The Returning King, pp. 147-148.
The demand that everyone, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, receive a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead could be an allusion to the ancient practice of branding or tattooing disobedient slaves, soldiers, and loyal devotees to gods of various religions. If the association with slaves is in mind, then the beast's worshipers are seen as his property; if soldiers or religious devotees are in view, the worshipers are seen as the beast's faithful followers. Here, the mark is clearly figurative for the way in which the state keeps check on whether people are submitting to compulsory idol worship. Those not submitting to receiving the mark are unable to buy or to sell. This is a reference back to 2:9 and 6:5-6 (on which see), where economic measures are directed against Christians. The mark (Greek charagma) was used for the emperor's seal on business contracts and for the impress of the Roman ruler's head on coins. If this background is in mind, then it enforces the metaphorical idea that the mark in Revelation 13 alludes to the state's political and economic "stamp of approval," given only to those who go along with its religious demands. the mark on their forehead, which is the names of the beast, or the number of his name, is the parody of and the opposite to the "seal" in 7:3-8, which is the divine name written on the foreheads of true believers (14:1; so likewise 22:4; cf. 3:12). Since the seal or name on the true believer is invisible, so is the mark on the unbeliever. That the two are of a parallel spiritual nature and intended to be compared is evident from the immediately following mention of the names of God and Christ written on the foreheads of the saints (14:1). Believers are protected by the power of Christ's name, which is His presence with them. They may suffer and even die, yet they will receive the ultimate reward of eternal life (20:4, on which see). Unbelievers may receive temporary prosperity, but will be punished ultimately with eternal death (see on 14:9-11). The mark may also connote that the followers of Christ and the beast both are stamped with the "image" (= character) of their respective leader.
That the mark of the name is figurative and not literal is also evident from the picture of the beast, who has written on his heads "blasphemous names," which figuratively connote false claims to earthly, divine kingship (see on 13:1). Likewise, the point of saying that the worshipers of the beast have his name written on their heads is to underscore the fact that they pay homage to his blasphemous claims to divine kingship. In the OT, God told Israel that the Torah was to "serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead" in order to remind them continually of their commitment and loyalty to God (Exod. 13:9). The NT equivalent is the invisible seal or name of God (see on 7:2-3). The "forehead" represents ideological commitment and the "hand" the practical outworking of that commitment. Likewise, as a travesty of the signs of membership in the OT community of faith, the beast's marks on the foreheads and the hands of the worshipers refer to their loyal, consistent, and wholehearted commitment to him.G. K. Beale, Revelation: A Shorter Commentary, pp. 282-283.
Verses 16 and 17 tell us how to identify the beasts. They say, "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And 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."
The mark of the beast, like so many things in Revelation, should not be taken literally but symbolically. We are not to look for a barcode, a brand mark, or a credit card number that is to be embedded on the forehead or the right hand. Myriad suggestions have been made by those who view the entire book of Revelation as literal. Their interpretations and predictions may be entertaining and sell books, but they mishandle Revelation and its symbols.
The mark of the beast it not a literal mark any more than is the mark of God's elect, which seals them as His own (Rev. 7:2-4). The mark of the beast is simply a sign of ownership. In the days of Roman rule, slaves were marked with their owner's seal, which meant they had to serve that person. Receiving the mark of the beast, then, means that you belong to Satan, serve him, and worship him. The mark is pressed upon the forehead, which symbolizes the mind or philosophy of a person; or on the right hand, symbolizing a person's actions, deeds trade, and industry. In other words, when people's thinking and actions are controlled by someone who hates Christ, they bear the mark of the beast.
Has the beast left his mark upon you? You may profess with your mouth that you are Christian. But what do you think about the Lamb, and how do you act? Do your thoughts and actions tell others that you belong to Christ? Or do you appear more like a slave of the great red dragon and his world?
It is possible to profess that you belong to the Lamb while thinking and acting like a dragon. When you habitually behave like dragon people, speak like dragon people, or think like dragon followers, your profession is false. May God help those who delude themselves and those around them that they are sealed by the blood of the Lamb.
Some of you say you are Christians, but what you do in business is contrary to what is taught in the Bible. You say, "We are in the world; so we must use the methods of the world." Yes, we are in this world, but it is pervaded by the spirit of antichrist. To what extent has this left its mark on our heads and hands?
The beast out of the earth also has a number. Verse 18 says, "Here is wisdom." Notice that it doesn't say, "Here is a riddle for you to solve if you're clever enough." Many people have attempted to interpret the number of the beast, and their theories range from the pope's phone number, to a special number on a computer, to the name of a particular man reduced to a number by a code. These ideas are simply ludicrous. John's advice is clear. In speaking of wisdom, he says, "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"—that is, 666. In Scripture, the number six is often a symbol of fallen man, with all his sins and shortcomings. Hendriksen explains this succinctly: "Six is not seven, and never reaches seven. It always fails to attain to perfection; that is, it never becomes seven. Six means missing the mark, or failure. Seven means perfection or victory. Rejoice, O Church of God! The victory is on your side. The number of the beast is 666, that is, failure upon failure upon failure. It is the number of man, for the beast glories in man; and must fail."
The number of the beast, then, is the number identifying those who do not fear God. The sixes of the beast fall far short of the sevens of the Holy Trinity. So those with the mark of the beast are ungodly. They refuse to worship God, preferring lies about Him rather than the truth, and going their own way into increasing ungodliness.
Do you have any spiritual insight, wisdom, or understanding about what is going on in this world and behind it? Have you seen what this world and its ideologies, institutions, and personalities add up to? They are marked with 666, the number of human failure. John wants us to be wise about the world in which we live, which is pervaded by the spirit of antichrist. This world can be so impressive and intimidating that we are afraid to call it what it is. But John says the world is doomed to fail.Joel R. Beeke, Revelation, pp. 367-369.
Finally, we must still discuss the name of this great beast which all its worshippers bear on their foreheads or in their right hand. We read: "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."
Many and varied are the interpretations given of this number; and we shall not tire your attention by enumerating them all. A very favorite interpretation is that which is given by an old church father, Irenaeus, and accepted by man of our own time. The interpretation is as follows. The letters of the Greek alphabet were used as numbers. If this is taken as the basis of the interpretation, we find that the letters in the word Lateinos, or Latin, together give us the number 666. And therefore the name of the beast as it is spelled by this number is "Latin," and denotes the kingdom of the Latins, or of the Roman Empire. But even this interpretation we cannot possibly accept as true. For, in the first place, however ingenious it may be, it is nevertheless more or less arbitrary. On this basis I can also construe other names which are just as suitable, which also amount to the number 666, but which simply are formed by a different arrangement of the same letters. But, in the second place, notice that our text does not say, "Here is a riddle; let him that is bright solve it," but plainly states: "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast." And therefore we must have something different. And, in the third place, we should not lose sight of the fact that the numbers in Revelation have symbolical significance and that they stand also in this case for a higher spiritual reality.
Let us then notice, in the first place, that the mark of the beast, the number of his name, the number of the beast, and the name of the beast all denote identically the same thing. The beast has a name. And the name in Scripture always denotes character and being. The name of this beast has been impressed upon his followers, so that also they may be distinguished as his subjects. And that name is the same as is expressed in the number Six hundred sixty-six. Now that is the meaning of this number?
Six is the number of the creature in all its fulness. In six days God created the world; and in six days creation was completed. The fulness of creation has come to realization in six days. But the full weeks is not expressed in the six, but in the number seven. The seventh day is the day of consecration and adoration of God, on which the creature was to lift himself from the sphere of the mundane and consecrate himself to the Creator. On the seventh day man was to bring the glory of all God's work to Him. it was hallowed. But the seven is lacking in the six. And therefore it speaks of the fulness of creation and all the powers of creation, but without God and without the service and glory of God. The world with all its fulness, with all its powers, but without God, under the influence of sin, — that is the symbolism of the number six. Ten, as we have had occasion to notice more than once, is the number that denotes a complete measure of anything according to the decree of God, whether it be a measure of time, of power, or development, or anything else. Now notice that Six hundred sixty-six is six, plus ten times six, plus ten times ten times six. Ten times six would denote the world and all its fulness, without God, developed according to the measure of God's plan. And ten times ten times six denotes that same development in the highest degree, coming to its fullest consummation.
The idea, therefore, is not so difficult. God has created a world, in order that this world should glorify Him and be consecrated to Him. But that world tore itself loose from Him, refused to glorify Him; and man now developed the kingdom of the world without God. God allows that kingdom of the world to develop to its full extent. Although man has fallen away from Him, He nevertheless allows him to exercise dominion over the earthly creation and to bring to light all the hidden powers of creation without God and under the devil. It is the climax of development of the Man of Sin. It is the kingdom of man, of the creature, without God, without the seven. And therefore his number is Six hundred sixty-six, the number of man indeed.Herman Hoeksema, Behold, He Cometh!, pp. 474-476.
The beast's mark, like the seal of God applied to the church (Rev. 7:1-3), is not outward tattoo or insignia on the body but rather a symbol of the beast's ownership and control of his followers' thoughts (forehead) and deeds (right hands). Immediately after this discussion of the beast's mark, the sealed army of God reappears in the company of the Lamb, their champion; and the seal they received is interpreted as "having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads" (14:1). Ancient Israelites were to tie the law of God on their foreheads and hands in order to signify that their thoughts and actions were in submission to the Word of the Lord (Deut. 6:8). Now the beast, assisted by its false prophet, blasphemously demands the world's universal allegiance.Dennis E. Johnson, Triumb of the Lamb, pp. 196.
John concludes this dramatic chapter with the point of his teaching: "This calls for wisdom" (Rev. 13:18). Looking back to chapter 12, with the vision of the dragon at war with the church, and then in chapter 13 with the tyrannical beast aided by false and beguiling ideology, we see that Christians need to be very wise. We must be wise in discerning the difference between true and false prophets, by paying careful attention to God's Word. We must be wise in expecting to pay a price for our faith. All through Revelation, Jesus has promised salvation blessings only to those who persevere in faith and overcome spiritual warfare through their witness to him.
John has a final form of wisdom in mind in the final verse. This is the wisdom that enables Christians to see the enemy for what he is, so that we will not be beguiled by his deceits or intimidated by his threats. The entire Bible bears testimony to God's faithfulness in saving his people from spiritual attacks. Our wisdom thus calls us not to shrink back in our witness out of temptation or fear. John makes this point with the most well-known and most widely contested verse in this chapter: "This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666" (Rev. 13:18).
Many commentators suppose that 666 is a coded reference using an ancient practice known as gematria. Language such as Greek and Hebrew did not have numbers, so letters were assigned numerical values: some single digits, others tens, and still others hundreds. The idea is that John is enabling us to identify the Antichrist, or first beast, because the letters of his name in Greek add up to 666. Using this and similar systems, Christians in recent years have argued that Ronald Reagan is the Antichrist, since each of his three names had six letters. The American statesman Henry Kissinger was long considered an Antichrist candidate, not only because of his labors for a secular world peace but also because the letters of his last name add up to 666 in the Greek system. The problem is that by this approach there is virtually no limit to Antichrist candidates. One commentator fancifully made a case for Barney, the children's television figure, since the words cute purple dinosaur yield the calculation 666.
The person most commonly associated with 666 is the Roman emperor Nero. By translating the name Caesar Nero into Hebrew, the letters add up correctly, so that some scholars see John's 666 as a code name for Nero. The point is that like him, the beast will be a popular but depraved despot who launches violent persecutions against Christians. The problem with the approach is that John's readers, being Greek converts, did not likely speak Hebrew, which this theory requires. Moreover, one must slightly misspell Caesar for the numbers to add up. These factors make the Nero theory unlikely.
A better approach to unpacking this number is to understand the symbolism of six. We have often encountered seven in Revelation as a number of completion and perfection (Rev. 1:11, 12, 20; 3:1). Six falls short of this number and is therefore imperfect, incomplete, and defective. This describes fallen mankind, which is why John says that this is "the number of a man" (13:18). The dragon and his two beasts set themselves forward as a fake divine trinity. God's judgment and Christ's victory will reveal them as a triple fakery and threefold failure. G. K. Beale writes that "six repeated three times indicates the completeness of sinful incompleteness found in the beast. The beast epitomizes imperfection, while appearing to achieve divine perfection.
It turns out that the word beast in Greek (therion) calculates to 666. Interestingly, the name Jesus calculates to 888. If this was at least part of John's message, the meaning is clear: whereas Jesus superabounds in perfection (7 + 1), the beast falls short as a defective impostor (7 = 1). From this point of view, John's meaning seems to be that while Christians need to know about the two beasts, we should not take them as seriously as we might be tempted to do. Yes, they dominate this present age of the world and are able to persecute us. But in the end, the beast is doomed for failure and judgment in the lake of fire (Rev. 19:20). Whereas Christ's reign will be eternal, the beasts are mortal, and in the long run their reign will be seen to have been short-lived, permitted by God only so long as it served his purposes in judgment and redemption. Those who bear the mark of the beast partake of the failure that his name and number imply. But those who reject the beast, even under persecution, and hold fast to the perfect name of Christ will partake of his character and blessings.Richard D. Phillips, Revelation, pp. 382-383.
Christian, in this world, when you refuse to bow the knee to the interests of civic loyalty and cultural conformity, but instead demonstrate character and integrity by remaining loyal to your Lord and Saviour, Jesus, you are seen as a threat and must be eliminated. We have seen these kinds of things in Communist Russia and China. We have seen these kinds of things increase recently, where Christians are being persecuted by homosexuals and those who approve of their perversion by seeking to boycott them and put them out of business. In other words, if you do not bow to the golden idols that this world values, you will be unable to "buy or sell." But it is not just homosexuality and transgenderism. The world opposes your morals, values, and principles, and seeks to destroy you when you stand by them. Why? Because, like a mirror, it shows them their own guilt and their consciences cannot bear it.
This is not a thing of the future. This applies to the entire period between Jesus' first coming and His second coming. Culture has always been this way toward God's faithful elect. Some cultures more than others. While President Trump's "protection" of the Church might look like a blessing, more than likely it is a curse. If you do not learn from the past, you are bound to repeat its misfortunes. Under Emperor Constantine, the Church was flipped upside down. It seemed like a blessing how the Church suddenly become protected and prominent, even receiving money from the government, but this was a great curse for the Church, and the Church has never recovered from the damage Constantine inflicted upon her. The majority of denominations still retain many of the elements he introduced, being rooted in the Roman state and pagan religions all the while being none the wiser that they are unbiblical and hurt the Church.
If calculating a name were in view, no other language but Greek would be acceptable. Revelation is written in Greek. Jesus is called the Alpha and Omega, which are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Transliterations of names to different languages would not be acceptable. You could not use English names and try to find Greek equivalents to the letters. It would have to be all of Greek in the Greek and nothing but Greek. Even if there were a calculable name, it would go hand-in-hand with the fact that the mark is not physical, but entirely spiritual.