The Mark of the Beast

Are we seeing the forerunner to Revelations 13:17 in society today?

Hardly. This letter to the 7 churches about things that would shortly come to pass had 1st century applications before the destuction of the Temple in 70 A.D.

Due to the early evangelization of the Jewish-Christian community in the empire promoting that Jesus is Lord “Iesus est dominus”, this offended Nero.

Caesar Nero enforced an executive order that no Roman citizen could buy or sell anything without presenting an allegiance certificate recognizing Caesar as Lord. This certficate was carried in the sleeve (hand) or in the headband (the head). Merchants who did not verify the certficate were subject to punishment by death. This order got compliance or death.

Many Christians left Rome and went to Greece, Turkey, or Egypt because they would not renounce Christ. Mark of the beast is better translated as “stamp” - charagma. The number 6–6–6 is to emphasize that Nero is the 6th Claudio-Gallo Caesar to which this refers. Beast refers to a great evil one….just like “serpent” refers to Satan. Repeating the 6….3 times is a poetic device to emphasize that Nero is the one to whom John was referring.

So these futuristic views do not fit in with early church history. The 3rd century bishops saw the Apocalypse as history. Dispensationalists from the 19th cen onward created the futuristic view to obtain Christian support of Zionism.


George Clark


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