The Mark of the Beast
[The mark of the beast] What is it?
Many Christians believe the 666 mark will be a biochip implant to create the cashless society of Revelation 13.Why is it so bad?
All who take the mark will be damned by God to be cast into the Lake of Fire.Why will those who take the mark be damned?
I think it's because God made Silver and Gold as honest weights and measures to be used as money!Money is NOT paper (which is a promise), not electronic credits, not chips, not a mark, nor a number!
When I was a young, starry-eyed Dispensationalist I was told that pet-tracking implants, scanners used in grocery stores, and Disneyland’s admission hand-stamp were all preparing us for the mark of the beast.
William Hendriksen (1900 – 1982), former professor of New Testament literature at Calvin Theological Seminary, provides a much more biblical explanation of the mark in his book More Than Conquerors. Committed Christian provides a fine summary of Dr. Hendriksen’s explanation over at the Against the Current blog. Here’s how she kicks things off :
William Hendriksen discusses in his book, More Than Conquerors, the mark of the beast. As an amillennialist, Hendriksen has a different understanding of it than many evangelical Christians. But his interpretation is definitely worth considering because it is based on the understanding that Jesus has conquered sin, death, and the devil for His people. The mark 666 symbolizes the failure, upon failure, upon failure of Satan, his demons, and all who persecute the Church in one form or another, to accomplish their mission to defeat the Church.
Hendriksen arrives at this understanding by first explaining what the first and second beast of Revelation 13 represent. Both beasts are the "agents, instruments, or tools which the dragon [Satan] uses in his attack upon the Church" (pg 144). The first beast represents "the persecuting power of Satan operating in and through the nations of this world and their governments" and the second "the false religions and philosophies of this world" (pg 144). Chapter 14 of Revelation also speaks about Babylon which is representative of "antichristian seduction" (pg 144). Revelation 13 reveals that many have the mark of the beast since they belong to Satan. By nature all people are children of the devil. Paul reminds the Ephesian church who they were before Jesus saved them. . . .
You can read the entire post here.
--The Catechizer
Labels: Eschatology, Exegesis
posted by The Catechizer and The Deacon | 5:53 AM
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