WHAT IS THE MARK OF THE BEAST
Ezekiel 8:1-3
1 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house with the elders of Judah sitting before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell upon me there. 2 Then I looked, and there was a likeness, like the appearance of fire—from the appearance of His waist and downward, fire; and from His waist and upward, like the appearance of brightness, like the color of amber. 3 He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem
Ezekiel 9:3-7
3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple.[a] And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; 4 and the LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”
5 To the others He said in my hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 6 Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple. 7 Then He said to them, “Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city.
Did you notice the amazing similaritys here to what happens in Revelations? Ezekiel is taken up in a vision just like John was in Revelations 4. Then a mark is placed on the ones of God and they are protected by God just like the 144,000 in Revelations 7. The mark is placed on their foreheads in Ezekiels vision just like in Revelations. There is a reason for this which we will look at in conclusion.
2 Corinthians 1:22 says the Spirit has sealed us in our hearts as a gaurantee. 2 Timothy 2:19 says this, 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ[a] depart from iniquity.” Exodus 13:9 says, 9 It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt.
All of these passages depict a sign being put on the people of God Spiritually as protection by God. The sealing in Revelations 7 is the same. It is sealed by the Spirit and is a sign that they are Gods people.
Since the saved have a sign that is Spiritual, then the mark on the lost is also on their souls spiritually. In Revelations 13 it says they took the mark of the beast as he caused them to.
16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or[f] the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.
Nero is the Roman emperor whose name meant 666 and he was obeyed by the Jewish temple leaders. Those of the temple where the goods where sold would ban those who didnt hold Nero as the King like God. Just like Jesus prophecied, Peter and the disciples and all who followed Christ were banned and thrown out of the temple. Jesus used a similar reference in Revelations 3 that we should buy from him: (18) I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
The application here of course is spiritual but is in direct contrast to the followers of the beast of Revelations 13. Jesus when he was here kicked out money changers in the temple but as we see in Revelations, the practice continued. Paul after witnessing was kicked out and stoned nearly to death. Anyone who preached Christ had no access to the temple and its economics and this is what Revelations 13 is talking about. Revelation 14 continues with the opposite theme as the people marked by the beast. The people of God it says in Revelations 14:1 had Gods mark in their foreheads. This meant they worshipped God to the people and were known followers who had accepted Jesus. Taking the mark of the beast means a rejection of Christ as is symbolic.
What is Revelations telling us? Buy from Jesus his gold. Take his mark and not the beast. Even today this symbolism confronts us even though this passage was in Johns day about and to his people. We to have a choice. Take the mark of God and be sealed until the day of redemption.
1 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house with the elders of Judah sitting before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell upon me there. 2 Then I looked, and there was a likeness, like the appearance of fire—from the appearance of His waist and downward, fire; and from His waist and upward, like the appearance of brightness, like the color of amber. 3 He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem
Ezekiel 9:3-7
3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple.[a] And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; 4 and the LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”
5 To the others He said in my hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 6 Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple. 7 Then He said to them, “Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city.
Did you notice the amazing similaritys here to what happens in Revelations? Ezekiel is taken up in a vision just like John was in Revelations 4. Then a mark is placed on the ones of God and they are protected by God just like the 144,000 in Revelations 7. The mark is placed on their foreheads in Ezekiels vision just like in Revelations. There is a reason for this which we will look at in conclusion.
2 Corinthians 1:22 says the Spirit has sealed us in our hearts as a gaurantee. 2 Timothy 2:19 says this, 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ[a] depart from iniquity.” Exodus 13:9 says, 9 It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt.
All of these passages depict a sign being put on the people of God Spiritually as protection by God. The sealing in Revelations 7 is the same. It is sealed by the Spirit and is a sign that they are Gods people.
Since the saved have a sign that is Spiritual, then the mark on the lost is also on their souls spiritually. In Revelations 13 it says they took the mark of the beast as he caused them to.
16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or[f] the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.
Nero is the Roman emperor whose name meant 666 and he was obeyed by the Jewish temple leaders. Those of the temple where the goods where sold would ban those who didnt hold Nero as the King like God. Just like Jesus prophecied, Peter and the disciples and all who followed Christ were banned and thrown out of the temple. Jesus used a similar reference in Revelations 3 that we should buy from him: (18) I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
The application here of course is spiritual but is in direct contrast to the followers of the beast of Revelations 13. Jesus when he was here kicked out money changers in the temple but as we see in Revelations, the practice continued. Paul after witnessing was kicked out and stoned nearly to death. Anyone who preached Christ had no access to the temple and its economics and this is what Revelations 13 is talking about. Revelation 14 continues with the opposite theme as the people marked by the beast. The people of God it says in Revelations 14:1 had Gods mark in their foreheads. This meant they worshipped God to the people and were known followers who had accepted Jesus. Taking the mark of the beast means a rejection of Christ as is symbolic.
What is Revelations telling us? Buy from Jesus his gold. Take his mark and not the beast. Even today this symbolism confronts us even though this passage was in Johns day about and to his people. We to have a choice. Take the mark of God and be sealed until the day of redemption.
posted by Stacy at 12:21 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home