Smoodock's Blog

Many folks believe that one of the signs we are living in the last days is that only in today’s culture could the things of Revelation be understood. Only in today’s culture could some of the things that we find there be done. For example, how could people be prevented from buying and selling in the past? It is only through the technology of today’s culture that such a thing could be done. A computer chip could be implanted in the right hand and scanned by the store clerk and presto, no one could ever steal one’s identity or one’s goods. It all seems very logical and practical, but is it Biblical? We find the foundation for this idea in Revelation 13; notice:

And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 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. 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. (Revelation 13:15-18 KJV)

Does this refer to a computer chip or even a tattoo, as some used to believe? Well, if one continues to read on, in the very next verse after these we find:

And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. (Revelation 14:1 KJV)

Notice that the 144000 have the name of the Father written in their foreheads. Is this done by a computer chip or a tattoo? Don’t you see how ridiculous such an assumption is? The people of the 1^st century CE would recognize all these things we read in Revelation, because many of the things that throw us off today were Jewish idioms that referred to specific things they understood, while we in the 21^st century CE try to understand it in a literal fashion. Imagine what it would be like for someone of the 1^st century to try to understand our idioms like: “Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed?” or “The batter got a single and brought a man home!” but if he failed, it might be said: “The batter struck out and a man died on third!” Would the man from the first century, trying to understand such speech be wrong to take us literally? Of course, he would! Likewise, shouldn’t we discover what Jewish idioms are found in the book of Revelation, so we don’t make the same kind of error?

In Deuteronomy 6 we find the Scriptures speaking of binding the word of God to one’s forehead and to one’s right hand. No one tries to tell us that Moses was speaking of tattoos or computer chips in this Scripture. Notice what he said:

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 KJV – emphasis mine)

This is the kind of language that John uses in Revelation 13. In Deuteronomy, however, who would presume that Moses is speaking of tattoos or computer chips? He is speaking allegorically, showing Israel that they would remember the word of God, if they would teach it to their children and practice it in all that they did. In this way they would love God with all their hearts, all their souls, and with all their might. In his epistle to the Thessalonians Paul says he prayed that they would be wholly preserved unto the coming of the Lord—their whole bodies (seat of their strength or might), their whole souls (seat of the mind and emotions), and their whole spirit (or hearts, the seat of their spirit or will).

God must be worshiped with our entire being. Revelation 13 is a counterfeit of what we are supposed to offer to God. In Revelation 3:18 Jesus tells the church to “buy” of him and they would be rich and their shame would be covered. In the parable of the 10 virgins the wise told the others to go to them that “sell” and “buy” for themselves. This does not refer to commercialism. It has to do with what one does religiously—with one’s faith, and in whom one places his trust etc.

So, what does Revelation 13:15-18 mean? Well, the high priests were the rulers of the land of Palestine. “Buying and selling” concerned what one was able to do as a Jew as it pertained to one’s faith. John 12:42-43 tells us that many rulers of the synagogues were afraid to publically endorse Jesus’ teachings for fear of being put out of the synagogues. If this occurred, they would no longer be able to “buy or sell” or practice their faith as was normally done in 1^st century Judaism.

The Mark of the Beast, which allowed buying and selling in 1^st century Judaism, had to do with to whom one had sworn allegiance. If one followed Jesus, it became increasingly difficult to “buy and sell” (conduct religious affairs) in the synagogues and especially in Jerusalem. Even throughout the Empire Paul was unable to continue preaching in the synagogues preaching Jesus once the Gentiles began to believe. He had to “buy and sell” elsewhere, and then often under persecution.

The Mark of the Beast became increasingly important as the decades past. The Hellenist Messianic believers, represented by Stephen were the first to be persecuted unto death. Persecution of other believers undoubtedly occurred, but not unto death. The Apostles were beaten and released as shown in Acts 5:40. This may have been done a number of times before they were forced to flee for their lives under the persecution under Herod Agrippa (41-44 CE). It was only a few years before the Jewish war that the “Mark” of the Beast was demanded of the ultra conservative believers represented by James, the Lord’s brother, and the believing priests and Pharisees. When it was, they, too, had to flee for their lives. This last persecution unto death lasted 3 1/2 years (Revelation 13:5), and then the end came, and Jesus began to judge the nation for rejecting the Gospel and embracing apostate Judaism.