What is the Mark of the Beast ?

[alertandawake]

Has anyone considered the possibility of people themselves being used as some kind of power source in order for the "mark" to function? I say this because there has been interesting articles based on this - Scientists Want to Use People As Antennas to Power 6G. I recall reading about this before. This requires much thought.

Now also Rev 16.2 is very interesting, because to me, there are two components that need looking at. Now the reference to the "sores" (whether it is singular or plural, is subject to debate) this could be indicative of foreign bodies inside said individual that should not be present in the first place. What is very interesting is also this word here "worshipped ". What do people understand from this? Because to me, the consequences described (and yes I also include the reference in Rev 14.9-11), it sounds like to me the people who have "submitted" and allowed themselves to get the "mark" will be facing such consequences.

But here is a question that one should ask - What would happen if the entire Financial and Economic System as we know it, was to eventually be fully automated with AI? And what if the only means of trade was to have people with some kind of "interface" to enable them to function in society?

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Mark was owner of a cow, it was a beast.

Good thing I'm not named Mark.

 

[eclipsenow]

Has anyone considered the possibility of people themselves being used as some kind of power source in order for the "mark" to function?

Revelation 13 has a few OT images merged. Theologians I respect note the following:-
OUT OF SEA = this thing comes out of chaos, the symbolic ‘un-creation’ of the sea lacking order in Genesis 1 before God divides things up and creates order.
SEA = the direction Rome approached Asia Minor on boats. In Revelation 1 we see that John is warning HIS generation that Roman persecution is coming ‘soon’ and the ‘time is near’. Here we see a possible image of “the proconsul in Ephesus, with attendant pomp and ceremony.’ John is under house arrest - and so uses this apocalyptic symbolism (common between 200 BC to 200 AD) to encode what he is REALLY talking about - or risk being executed for treason!

HORNS = pretensions to divinity. Being crowned shows obsession with power rather than the wise and kind rule of the shepherd king, the slain lamb that had 7 horns NOT crowned.
FATAL WOUND = Nero attempted suicide but survived. John is comparing this to him being a false Messiah - demanding worship - but contrasting this with Jesus who ACTUALLY died for us and ACTUALLY rose again. It’s a reminder as to who the true king is.

MARK OF BEAST = some say a token paid on entering an arena to watch Christians be killed. This could then be a metaphor for ‘staining the hand’ of those denying Christ and watching their former Christian friends being executed. The forehead comes in because it is such a betrayal of God - it’s like doing the OT ‘Shema’ prayer of devotion to the Proconsul instead of God.

666 = Nero’s name spells out 666. But it is also a double-metaphor. 6 is man’s number. We were created on the 6th day and work 6 days. Repeated 3 times it’s an unholy trinity.

MESSAGE FOR ALL CHRISTIANS ACROSS THE 2000 YEARS (AND COUNTING) OF THE LAST DAYS?

When governments go bad under Satan’s influence, Christians are NOT to pay whatever the ‘white stone’ is to the emperor of the day. We are to wait for the ‘stone’ God will give us in paradise. (Chapter 14). With great patience and endurance, we are to survive the tribulation - the same tribulation John shared in 2000 years ago! Just as we read Thessalonians or Ephesians or Romans or any epistles to Christians 2000 years ago - we are to understand FIRST what was being said to them, to understand what the principles are and how to apply them in this day and age. Revelation is simply NOT a timetable of the future - as futurists keep making predictions that simply do not come true. It's John comforting his generation with the gospel promises that one day, Babylon will be judged. Stay faithful.

For more try these podcasts:

The Apocalypse

Ep 97: There aren’t many parts of the Bible that excite the imagination more than its thrilling climax in the book of Revelation. Amidst the imagery, violence and controversy, how do we sort truth from fiction?

undeceptions.com

World's End

Undeceptions Episode 34: Christianity has plenty to say the world's end. However, our cultural narrative has become increasingly apocalyptic.

undeceptions.com

Or this FANTASTIC BOOK! (I know the author - a godly retired Bishop with Phd’s in history and theology.) https://www.amazon.com.au/Revelation-Apocalypse-Reading-Bible-Today-ebook/dp/B076J5BPBV

 

[JM]

 

[eclipsenow]

50 minutes by 'some dude on the internet.'.
Are you kidding? Can you condense the summary into a few paragraphs?