“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:” (Revelation 13:16).

The power of the once Protestant United States, now in apostasy, has entered a time of imposing oppression. Its leaders have created religious laws with enforcement teeth that complement the careless masses. It intimidates and terrorizes the saints, who disagree with its required religious dictums. This country’s strong arm of coercive moves continues with another stunning step:

“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,” (vs 16)

There are many ways that this apocalyptic book expresses “the whole world.”

• “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains” (Revelation 6:15a,b).

• “The nations were angry” (11:18).

• “The whole world wondered” (13:3)

• “All that dwell on the earth shall worship” (13:8)

This verse (16) is another expression showing how extensive its universal control has become – “causeth all.”

This is the ninth time the word poiei (“causeth” – makes, forces) is used. It is riveted into the reader’s understanding that this nation of freedom and democracy, beginning like a lamb, changes into a suppressive government. What is inconceivable is that this hand of despotism finally encircles the world! The inclusive language encompasses every individual!

“to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:” (vs 16)

This echoes a contrast to the sealing of the saints:

• Servants of God are sealed – in foreheads (7:3) (Christ’s name – 22:4). They escape God’s wrath.

• Wicked world marked – in forehead or hand (13:16) (Babylon – 666). They escape the beast’s wrath.[1]

God is seemingly revealing that this marking is a final act that will bring a judicial response from the One who separates the good and the bad – the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:32-33). This comes into sharp focus in the third angel’s message (14:9-11). Those who are charmed by the papal image and are enticed into receiving his mark are addressed in another more serious manner – their names will be absent from the Book of Life:

• Those who worship the beast will not have their names in that citizens’ record (13:8).

• The “dwellers on the earth” are the wicked who wonder after the beast and are not found in that book (17:8).

• Soon, in graphic language, those not in that book will be burned with fire (20:15).

We can, therefore, assume that those who are lost are enamored by the beast, participate in worshiping his image and have that mark. What is that mark? Speculation is limited only by the imagination. Very helpful concepts introduced by expositor White regarding God’s seal help us in a dramatic comparison:

“I saw Satan would work more powerfully now than ever he has before. He knows that his time is short and that the sealing of the saints will place them beyond his power; he will now work in every way that he can and will try his every insinuation to get the saints off from their guard and get them asleep on the present truth or doubting it, so as to prevent their being sealed with the seal of the living God.”[2]

“Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads – it is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved – just as soon as God's people are sealed and prepared for the shaking, it will come.”[3]

The mark is “certainly the satanic counterpart to the sealing of the saints by God in 7:2-4.”[4]

If we assume, therefore, that the seal of God is an opposite delineation of the “mark” (and that does appear to be valid), the picture in the box (below) emerges.

Since life and death power resides in the earth beast related to that mark, one is tempted to conclude that some “record” or “stamp” identifies those who will resist or accept those religious laws. That leads to “adding” speculative ideas to His word. The mere obedience/disobedience of enforced civil codes will quickly reveal who is on the Lord’s side.

The sealing of the saints of Ezekiel 9:4 by Yahweh was by the Hebrew letter tau placed on their foreheads. That indicated that they belonged to Him. They were saved. The mark of the beast/dragon means that they belong to him – their destiny is sealed. They are lost.

How do we deal with the legal language that the beast makes the world receive a mark that sounds literal? Even the inkhorn (tau) mark of Ezekiel appears like an authentic “literal” branding of some sort! That literal assumption adds another dimension to the imagination, detracting from the deeper issues being conveyed. Most scholars feel that it is incorrect to take it literally.[5]

“That the mark of the name is figurative and not literal is evident from the ‘blasphemous names’ on the head of the beast (13:1), which figuratively connote false claims to earthly divine kingship.

“No evidence, however, can be cited from the ancient world where a charagma is placed on a person, let alone on the ‘right hand’ or on the ‘forehead,’ though a seal (sphragis) was customarily put on slaves and soldiers.”[6] Charagma is the Greek word for that “mark.”

This “mark” and God’s “seal” both represent the final judicial sentencing from what was worshiped. It relates to one’s response to a religious duty, which epitomizes either loyalty to God or Satan. It is a “citizenship certificate” as to what kingdom a person has entered. It is a legal symbol, a metaphorical passport into a dominion. Once issued – it is irrevocable.

What then is a specific sign of God’s seal or mark?

1.     Sabbath is a sign forever that God is Lord (Exodus 31:13)

2.     Sabbath is a sign forever that He sanctifies them (31:13)   

3.     Keeping it holy is God’s key life and death issue (31:14)

4.     Keeping it preserves a perpetual covenant with God (31:16)

5.     It is a sign to God of man’s friendship (31:17)

The actual mark or seal is depicted in two ways:

1.    As a family name and title deed to the saved (Revelation 3:12)

2.    Indicates who their king is! (Ezekiel 9:4, Revelation 7:2-3, 22:4)

The latter is what is alluded to in this chapter and echoes those wonderful themes described in Exodus. Keeping the Bible Sabbath is a sign of who our Leader is – our mark – Jesus Christ!

If the mark of God on the saints and the mark of Satan from the papacy are opposites (and they are), then we must see the Sabbath revealing dramatic
polarization.