What is the Mark of the Beast?

[Stephen1]

Mizzdy,

Yes the "star" is satan .... read Revelation 12 for this symbolic term applied to satan and his fallen angels

Notice that this entity in Revelation 9:1 "falls" from heaven .... this is satan

There is an angel of the Lord who "comes down" from heaven to capture satan and lock him in the abyss [Revelation 20:1-3]

The Lord does control all of the reatraining on satan, but He is going to allow fof him to bring his party to the earth during the coming tribulation period just as the scriptures tell [2Thessalonians 2]

Satan is the one who gives the beast [Abaddon-Apollyon] his power and authority [Revelation 13]

Edited December 4, 2009 by Stephen1

[mizzdy]

Stephen,

Could be true that it is satan yet you did not answer my question, how did the fallen one get into the abyss after ruling over 5 kingdoms? I have never read anywhere in scripture where this has happened so please can you show me where it says such a thing? There is a reference to the angel falling with the key in Luke 10, Yeshua saying He say satan falling yet is satan wormwood who makes the waters bitter? This angel lets loose Apollyon who is the leader of those in the abyss right? And if that is so then who lets them out of the abyss is not their leader since it Rev. 9 reads that the one who comes from the bottomless pit is their king. I'm not debating by the way just asking for some kind of clarity as to how this angel can be satan but yet not the king or leader?

[Stephen1]

Mizzdy,

Five of his kingdoms fell, the 5th just before the first century .... we can know which ones

All Middle Eastern:

..... the land of magog and the next successors, Assyria, neo-Babylon, Persia, Syrio/Babylonia

He is released from the abyss at the time of the end to rule again during the coming tribulation period over his next two successive dominions in the Middle East [Revelation 9:11; 11:7; 17:8; 19:20]

In order to be released from the abyss, he had to be sent there ..... he was when he lost his 5th kingdom

Greek Syrio/Babylonia fell to the Romans just before the first century

This fallen angelic and others will be released to participate on the earth during the Lord's coming judgment of the tribulation period [Jude 1:6; Revelation 9; 12; 13]

The scriptures must be diligently studied in order to grasp an understanding this .... both the O.T and N.T together

Edited December 4, 2009 by Stephen1

[Massorite]

Briefly .....

This fallen angelic, the first beast of Revelation, is Abaddon-Apollyon who rules over the 7 human kingdoms and associated human king positions for satan .... satan is the god of this world

This beast is described in Revelation 9:11; 11:7; and 17:8

Five of his ancient kingdoms have fallen .... the 5th just before the first century .... these are all identified in scripture and verified by historical records

He is currently in the abyss where some of the fallen angelics are imprisoned and he is their king .... no interaction with humanity is possible while these are in the abyss [Jude 1:6]

He was sent to the abyss after his 5th kingdom fell .... and is still there today

He will come out of the abyss to rule again during the coming tribulation period .... and he will be released by satan [Revelation 9:1 .... read Revelation 12 regarding satan and the fallen angelics]

Abaddon-Apollyon will be destroyed in the lake of fire at Armageddon [Revelation 19:20] .... and satan will then be captured and imprisomed in the abyss for 1,000 years [Revelation 20:1-3]

The word Abaddon means "a place of destruction" and the word Apollyon means "the destroyer". So as we can see from the meaning of these words that they are not both speaking about an evil angel. One is speaking about a place of destruction and the other is speaking about "the destroyer" and only one angel fits that discription. Apollyon is satan/antichrist.

[mizzdy]

He is released from the abyss at the time of the end to rule again during the coming tribulation period over his next two successive dominions in the Middle East [Revelation 9:11; 11:7; 17:8; 19:20]

In order to be released from the abyss, he had to be sent there ..... he was when he lost his 5th kingdom

I still do not see it, there is no scriptural reference for anyone being sent to the abyss, not saying it couldn't happen as the demons asked not to be sent to the abyss. I know the prophecies my friend but I do not see where there is comings and goings from the abyss during anytime except for the release. Just don't see it at all that this ruler was given dominion over kingdoms then put in prision to be released later on. Please show me in scripture where this ruler was the ruler over the 5 kingdoms then set in prison only to be released in Rev.

[Massorite]

He is released from the abyss at the time of the end to rule again during the coming tribulation period over his next two successive dominions in the Middle East [Revelation 9:11; 11:7; 17:8; 19:20]

In order to be released from the abyss, he had to be sent there ..... he was when he lost his 5th kingdom

I still do not see it, there is no scriptural reference for anyone being sent to the abyss, not saying it couldn't happen as the demons asked not to be sent to the abyss. I know the prophecies my friend but I do not see where there is comings and goings from the abyss during anytime except for the release. Just don't see it at all that this ruler was given dominion over kingdoms then put in prision to be released later on. Please show me in scripture where this ruler was the ruler over the 5 kingdoms then set in prison only to be released in Rev.

You are correct Mizzdy. We should always look for biblical re-enforcement for any such teaching. If it is not written in the bible it is not.

[Hawkins]

15 And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

16 And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,

17 and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either 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 the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.

In my study, this is a very two-folded puzzle. On the one hand, it is talking about currency in reality, on the other it is talking about (it seems to me) how the Lawless one (or any beast) hijacked the US, for the spreading of spiritual posions through the national education system.

The beast's human name somehow is Washington. His image is in every money notes of teh states, without the money notes in their hands, you can hardly buy or sell goods.

When 666 is turned upside down it becomes 999 which represents gold's purity. And gold is money, and money is said to be the root of all evil. Anyway, the beast's name is Washington (or the US).

On the other hand, the mark represents how humans are stamped with a mark of education. And in modern countries (7 heads and 10 horns), one can hardly make a living (buy and sell) without education. While in modern countries education affects everyone's mind (forehead) and behavior (right-hand). Because our mind and behavior are essentially affected by our education that it leaves a mark to all of us.

Now what the lawless one to do is to gain control of the education system through which scientism such as evolution is spreaded like a plague, for people with an education mark to fight God. The lawless one also gains control of the so-called 'scientists' (oops, no offense), they are the ones with 2 horns like a lamb but speak like the dragon, and under the command of the US (first beast) they caused atomic bombs (fire) to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men.

Edited December 8, 2009 by Hawkins

[EricH]

Moved from prophecy to eschatology

[Bold Believer]

1. The Beast is a NATION. (See Daniel's 4 Beasts) Historians primarily agree that Daniel's 4 beasts were Babylon, Media Persia, Greece and Rome.

2. The Beast has a leader which personifies its beastly nature. That individual was Nero. While some will argue that Caligula was worse, Nero fits the prophecy most correctly. He died of a head wound (a sword through the throat). The world (the Roman Empire, which was considered 'the world' at the time of Revelation's writing) wondered what would become of the Empire after Nero's death since the Empire was plunged into civil war between rivals vying for the throne.

3. Nero became synonymous with Rome, just as other leaders have become synonymous with their countries.

4. The beast from the land was apostate Judaism which conspired with the Roman authorities against the Church and assisted in the Neronian persecution of the Church. Paul was at the time a part of that conspiracy. The beast from the land was led by the Sanhedrin and the apostate priestly system which had 'authority to call down fire from heaven in the sight of men...but NOT in the sight of God.

5. Nero's name adds up to 666 in the alphabetical system of the time.

6. Apostate Judaism encouraged its followers to cooperate with Rome against the people of Christ. Likewise, burning a pinch of incense to the genus or god-status of the Emperor was considered to be fine if you were doing so in obedience to the powers that be. God considered such blind obedience taking the 'mark of the beast.'

7. If you look carefully at the text of the mark of the beast, you will find it not unlike Deuteronomy 6:4-8, which referred to taking God's word as frontlets between your eyes and bound to your wrist. This is the mind and the actions. By blindly obeying the apostate priests and godless Rome, the unbelieving Jews were taking the Roman government and system and replacing God with it, hence, taking the mark of the beast.

Rome was defeated by Christianity (Daniel's great mountain) and broke into ten smaller nations, which themselves eventually became Christianized. The great mountain (Christianity) filled the whole earth (with the Gospel and knowledge of God and Christ). Any notion of a future nation-Beast mitigates against Scripture.

The rise of Magog (the godless people of the world who unwittingly follow Satan into battle against the things of God and the people of God) comes at the end of a long period of Christian pre-eminence. Obviously, Christianity is no longer the pre-eminent religion in the world. Magog is not however a nation, but composed of all of the godless from EVERY nation. They have no specified human leader, Magog's leader is SATAN HIMSELF, working invisibly behind the scenes to deceive them into believing that they can be/are gods. Magog's destruction occurs on the Last Day, as does the resurrection/rapture and the Final Judgment.