We use our hands to do things, such as doing the will of God (Mark 3:35) and walk in his ways (Zechariah 3:7). Our forehead is connected with our thoughts and knowledge, such as always keeping God’s law in mind (Psalms 1:2), meditating upon His word (Psalms 119:148), remembering what the Lord has promised to those who obey him (Genesis 22:18), and not forgetting what the Lord did to those who didn’t obey his voice (Joshua 5:6). Remember Lot’s wife (Luke 17:32).
The Hand and Forehead in the Law
The first instance of hand and forehead is in Exodus (Exodus 13:6-9).
6 Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD.
7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.
8 And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt.
9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD’S law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.
The “it” in verse 9 refers to keeping the feast of unleavened bread, that is the DOING referred to in verse 8. Observing the feast is, itself, as a sign upon the hand (the hands DO the preparation) and a memorial between the eyes (a remembering of what the LORD did for the Israelites when he brought them out of Egypt).
As the chapter continues, Moses further explains the commandments regarding the feast of unleavened bread (Exodus 13:11-16).
11 And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee,
12 That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix [womb], and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD’S.
13 And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.
14 And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:
15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the matrix [womb], being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.
16 And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.
The “it” in verse 16 refers back to the DOING of verses 12 and 13. Sacrificing the firstborn males and redeeming all firstborn children is a sign upon the hand (the hands DO the sacrificing) and as frontlets between the eyes (a remembering of when the Lord brought them out of Egypt).
In Deuteronomy, the Lord tells the children of Israel to follow his commandments and to keep his words in their heart (Deuteronomy 6:1-8).
1 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:
2 That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 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.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
The “them” in verses 7 and 8 refer back to “these words” in verse 6, which are to be kept in the heart. The underlying word for “heart” is lêbâb (H3824), the first definition of which is: “inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding”. Thus, pointing also to keeping “these words” in the forefront of our mind, which is our forehead. The heart and mind are inextricably connected and Jesus clearly linked the two when he said, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:” (Matthew 15:19). In other words, there’s no reason to consider the instruction in verse 8 differently from those in Exodus but, rather, that it’s also pointing to doing and remembering.
Later in Deuteronomy, after the Lord tells the Israelites to keep his commandments and not to turn aside to other gods to worship them, he says this:
Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. (Deuteronomy 11:18)
The “words” in verse 18 refer back to the commandments the Lord referred to in the preceding verses. Verse 18, again, is pointing to doing and remembering. And if we go back just one chapter, the Lord tells the Israelites to circumcise the foreskins of their heart (Deuteronomy 10:16), something that’s clearly not literal. Indeed, Paul wrote of this in his epistles, both to the Romans and the Colossians.
For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. (Romans 2:28-29)
In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: (Colossians 2:11)
Just as the circumcision of the heart is not literal, the scriptures in Exodus and Deuteronomy relating to the hand and forehead are, likewise, not literal.
More Examples of Non-Literal Commands
Solomon wrote that “by mercy and truth iniquity is purged” (Proverbs 16:6). He also wrote the following:
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart (Proverbs 3:3)
We cannot be merciful and truthful if our necks are stiffened and our hearts hardened, thus “bind” is not literal and “write” cannot be literal since it refers to the table of the heart.
My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. (Proverbs 6:20-21)
My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. (Proverbs 7:1-3)
Keeping God’s words, commandments and law require a doing, thus “bind”, “tie” and “write” are not literal. Just as the “fleshy tables of the heart.” are not literal in Paul’s second epistle to the Corinthians:
Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. (2 Corinthians 3:3)
The Right Hand of the Lord
Everything the Lord does, He does with his right hand. This is the hand of strength, righteousness, salvation, wrath and creation.
Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. (Exodus 15:6)
Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. (Exodus 15:12)
Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them. (Psalms 17:7)
Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. (Psalms 20:6)
According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness. (Psalms 48:10)
That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me. (Psalms 60:5)
Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand. (Psalms 89:13)
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. (Psalms 138:7)
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (Isaiah 41:10)
Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together. (Isaiah 48:13)
The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured: (Isaiah 62:8)
The Right Hand of Sovereignty
In the Book of Revelation Jesus holds the seven stars in his right hand and He that sits on the throne holds the book with seven seals in his right hand.
And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: (Revelation 1:16-17)
The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. (Revelation 1:20)
Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; (Revelation 2:1)
And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. (Revelation 5:1)
And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. (Revelation 5:7)
The Metal Plate on the High Priest’s Forehead
In chapter 28 of Exodus there is a detailed description of the priest’s garments, including the metal plate that’s tied with a blue ribbon on the front of Aaron the high priest’s mitre (turban), covering his forehead (Exodus 28:36-38).
36 And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
37 And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.
38 And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.
The engraved plate on Aaron’s forehead is literal as it’s part of the high priest’s garments. The words “holiness to the Lord” on Aaron’s forehead made him acceptable when presenting himself before the Lord on behalf of all the people, just as Christ’s righteousness is imputed to those who are His. In other words, the high priest was a type of Christ. This is a foreshadowing of Zechariah’s prophecy of the millennial reign of Christ when even the small and ordinary things will be holy to the Lord.
In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD’S house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts. (Zechariah 14:20-21)
The Name of the Whore Is on Her Forehead
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. (Revelation 17:4-6)
The great whore that rides the beast in Revelation has her name written on her forehead and, like Israel the whore in the Book of Jeremiah, she’s not ashamed of her whoredoms.
Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed. (Jeremiah 3:3)
Going back one chapter in Jeremiah, Israel was considered holiness to the Lord, a people called to be separate, but because of her backsliding and whoredoms the Lord wrote her a bill of divorcement. In other words, Israel went from being holy to having a whore’s forehead. Again, Israel did not literally have a whore’s forehead but the phrase is figurative due to Israel’s spiritual adultery with many other gods, such as Baal-berith (Judges 8:33), Ashtaroth [Ashtoreth] (Judges 10:6), Ashtoreth, Chemosh and Milcom (1 Kings 11:33), Moloch and Chiun (Amos 5:26), Remphan (Acts 7:43), and the queen of heaven (Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17-19; 44:25).
Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD. (Jeremiah 2:3)
And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. (Jeremiah 3:8)
The Leprosy in King Uzziah’s Forehead
In Chronicles, when king Uzziah was puffed up with pride, because of his great victories and reputation, he went in to the house of the Lord to burn incense, something that was not lawful for anyone to do save for the priests who tried to stop Uzziah. The king became very angry and immediately the Lord struck him with leprosy in his forehead (2 Chronicles 26:16-21).
16 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
17 And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men:
18 And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God.
19 Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar.
20 And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him.
21 And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.
A leprous person was considered unclean. Uzziah’s rebellion was spiritual leprosy, coming from the pride of his unclean heart which rebelled against the Lord’s very specific commandments pertaining to temple service.
A Clean or Unclean Forehead?
In these examples — the high priest, the great whore, Israel and Judah, and king Uzziah — we can see that what’s in the forehead is a sign of whether one is clean or unclean, whether one has been washed clean by the Lord or whether one is spiritually unclean. Aaron was clean when wearing the engraved metal plate; the great whore was full of abominations, fornication and the blood of saints and martyrs; Israel and Judah fornicated with other gods; and king Uzziah was prideful and rebellious.
The Forehead Reflects What Is in the Heart and Mind
When the Lord sent Ezekiel to speak to the house of Israel, He knew He was giving him a hard task because they would not hearken even unto the Lord.
But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted. Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads. As an adamant [sharp stone] harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. (Ezekiel 3:7-9)
Before the Lord tells Ezekiel what to say to the house of Israel, He tells him to eat a roll (scroll). Scrolls are filled with words and the scroll given by the Lord would have been filled with His words, which would have strengthened Ezekiel for the task since God’s word is truth (John 17:17) and a great spiritual sword (Ephesians 6:17). God filled Ezekiel’s heart and mind with His word and with courage, giving him a strong forehead to face the hardened hearts, or foreheads, of the house of Israel.
Further into the Book of Ezekiel, after the Lord shows him the abominations in the temple, he is shown the slaughter of the people in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 9:1-6).
1 He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.
2 And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.
3 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side;
4 And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
5 And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
6 Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
The mark is only for those whose hearts and thoughts are burdened by the abominations that are taking place, to separate them as wheat from the chaff, to separate those whose heart is right towards God from those whose heart is turned away. This is a foreshadowing of the sealing of the servants of God in the Book of Revelation, those who follow the Lamb and are without fault before God (Revelation 14:4-5).
Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. (Revelation 7:3)
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)
The Mark of the Beast
We all know of the prophesied mark of the beast in the Book of Revelation, that it will be in the right hand or forehead, and that it’s connected with the ability to buy or sell.
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. (Revelation 13:16-17)
Given that our forehead represents our thoughts and knowledge, reflecting what’s in our heart and mind, it’s no coincidence that the forehead is one of the locations of the mark. And, likewise, given that our hand represents action, generally, and the right hand strength and sovereignty, it’s no coincidence that the right hand is the other location of the mark.
What Is the Mark of the Beast?
There’s been much conjecture over the years as to exactly what the mark will be. Today, the most popular belief is: “the vaccine is the mark of the beast”. While these injections are wicked on every level, maiming and killing people, worldwide, this belief hangs largely on the following hooks: that we are the temple of God; that “the vaccine” is pharmakeia (sorcery); and that “the vaccine” defiles the temple of God by changing our God-created DNA.
Yes, we are the temple of God. Yes, “the vaccine” is pharmakeia (witchcraft, sorcery and highly toxic). Yes, “the vaccine” does change DNA. But does it defile our temple?
In Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians, he tells them, twice, that they are the temple of God.
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19)
But, crucially, Paul is writing to believers who have the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, dwelling inside. The overwhelming majority of people in the world today are not born again believers and, as such, do not have the Holy Spirit dwelling within. And a large percentage of this overwhelming majority of people have taken “the vaccine”. While they’ve made an unspeakably bad decision as “the vaccine” destroys the body, they have not defiled the temple of God because they are not the temple of God.
Further, Jesus makes it clear that what defiles us is that which comes out of our own heart.
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. (Matthew 15:19-20)
Regarding the sorceries that deceive all nations, these sorceries emanate from “that great city Babylon”. Not the WHO, the CDC, Pfizer, Moderna, Astra Zeneca, our respective governments, and so on.
And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth. (Revelation 18:21-24)
Worship of the Beast and His Image AND Receiving His Mark, the Number of His Name
The thing that we must remember is that while there’s a sharp focus on the mark of the beast, it’s only one component of something larger, the foundation of which is the worship of Satan and the Antichrist.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)
And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? (Revelation 13:4)
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8)
People will also make an image of the beast, an image that they worship. Plus, the mark is inextricably bound up with the name of the beast and the number of his name.
And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 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. (Revelation 13:14-17)
The Antichrist and the False Prophet
In addition to all of the above context regarding the mark — indeed even before the mark is a thing that people can take or not — we will see the rise of the Antichrist, the beast from the sea. While there are many popular candidates for the Antichrist, there will be no mistaking him once he appears on the scene as the man of sin (2 Thessalonians 2:3). He will be worshipped by all, will speak great blasphemies, and will persecute the saints (all true believers), beheading many (Revelation 20:4).
And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” (Revelation 13:1-7)
And if the Antichrist’s unmistakable presence is not sufficient, at least for those with eyes to see, he will be confirmed by the false prophet, the beast from the earth, who will do great wonders, cause people to worship the Antichrist, to make an image of the beast, and to take the mark.
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 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. (Revelation 13:11-17)
The Love of the Truth
Those who have not received the love of the truth WILL worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark and the mark (number) of his name.
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: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. (Revelation 14:9-11)
Those who have received the love of the truth will not be deceived, but will be victorious over four things: the beast, his image, his mark, and the number of his name.
And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. (Revelation 15:2)
Be Wise as Serpents
All of this said, we must remember that Satan is the great deceiver who deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9) and, as Jesus said, was a liar and murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). So, while the mark will represent our thoughts and actions, it will very likely be something literal, something that can be seen, scanned or otherwise detected, especially since it’s the very thing that enables people to buy or sell. In other words, always be vigilant (1 Peter 5:8) and as wise (Matthew 10:16) as that old serpent that is the Devil and Satan (Revelation 20:2).
Love the Lord God Almighty and Worship Him Alone
Ultimately, what’s of utmost importance — always, not just when the mark of the beast is revealed — is that which we hold in our heart and mind, our thoughts and loyalties, and the actions we perform, as represented by our hands.
In other words, our hearts and minds must be filled with an unwavering love for the Lord and our sovereign hands of strength must be used to walk in his ways and to love our neighbour as ourselves.
And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:28-31)
And if we stay strong in our faith and love the Lord our God above all else, we will not be deceived, unlike those who have not received the love of the truth.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12)
The Name of God in Our Foreheads
After the millennial reign of Christ comes the new heaven and the new earth, and the new Jerusalem which will be inhabited by all those who are saved, all of whom will have the name of the Lord in their foreheads, representing a true and permanent holiness to the Lord.
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. (Revelation 22:3-4)
Amen, and Amen!
