And the third angel followed them saying with a loud voice, if any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation, and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. Revelation 14:9,10
It is indeed a fearful thing for anyone to endure the consequences of having the mark of the beast. Our text makes it plain that God does not hold lightly this form of sin. But be at peace, child of God, you will never be placed in the position of having to take the mark of the beast. There are some sadly uninformed Christians who avoid certain technologies or other things out of fear that they will inadvertently be placing themselves at risk of receiving the mark of the beast. If you are truly saved, it can’t happen, so don’t worry about it.
What is the mark of the beast? Physically speaking, we don’t know; it could be anything from a tattoo to an RFID chip embedded beneath the skin, much like pets or livestock are currently tagged. The technology exists for such marks to be applied universally. Or it could be something entirely different, and it doesn’t really matter.
But what is truly frightening is what the mark of the beast is, spiritually. This mark stamps the receiver for the eternal torment and destruction described in today’s text. All those who buy and sell during the great tribulation must have this mark. To reject this mark is to die. To receive it is to be damned.
If the Rapture were to occur tomorrow – and we believe it very well may – many of those who we see about us in the world will soon be wearing the mark of the Beast. Their only possibility of escape is to be saved before the rapture.
Think of this mark as you see friends, relatives, neighbours, and fellow-workers today. Tell them of the only way to avoid it. -Jim MacIntosh