rightly dividing the word of truth
What is a Mark?
A Mark (seal, sign, token, frontlet) is placed upon the forehead or hands, either as a sign of a curse or as a sign of redemption.
Genesis 4:15: God places a mark on the covenant-breaking Cain, so nobody would kill him.
Exodus 28:36-38: Priests of God wore a gold plate upon their forehead, symbolizing the redeemed man.
Exodus 13:9,16, Deuteronomy 6:6,8; 11:18: A mark upon the forehead and hand was a symbol of total obedience to God's Law.
Solomon 8:6: A seal upon the heart and arm is symbolic of a love for someone.
Isaiah 49:16: God has graven His people on the palms of His hands as a sign that he would not forget them.
Ezekiel 9:4: A mark upon the forehead was indicative of their allegiance to the Lord in the midst of abomination.
Revelation 13:16-17: The Beast places a mark on the hand or forehead of his followers also. This mark is his name (which represents ones character).
Revelation 14:9-11; 16:2; 19:20: Those who receive the mark of the Beast (worship something other than God) will be tormented. Which means...
Revelation 9:4: Those who do not have the seal of God in their forehead will be tormented. The Beast's mark is contrasted to God's mark!
Revelation 20:4: Those who do not receive the Beasts' mark will be the keepers of God's commandments and have the testimony of Jesus.
Revelation 15:2: To keep the Word of God is to overcome and be victorious over the mark, or name, or character, of the Beast.
Revelation 3:12: The name of God will be written upon those who overcome.
Revelation 7:3; 14:1; 22:4: Where will the name of God be written? It will be sealed in their foreheads!
Revelation 19:13: What exactly is the name of God that'll be written in their foreheads? It is The Word Of God!(See also John 1:1,14). In other words, Scripture, God's Word, will be in their hearts, minds, and souls!
The Mark in the Right Hand
Revelation 13:16 says the Mark will be placed in the "right hand". This is a symbolic term used to denote a position of power. The Lord is said to be at one's "right hand" (Psalm 16:8; 73:23; 121:5, Isaiah 41:13; 45:1; 63:12, Acts 2:25), so the right hand is symbolic for who your Lord is, who you obey. The "right hand" denotes the power of the Lord (Exo.15:6,12, Psalm 16:11; 17:7; 18:35; 20:6; 48:10; 60:5; 63:8; 77:10; 98:1; 118:15-16; 139:10, Isaiah 41:10; 48:13; 62:8, Eze.21:22, Hab.2:16, Acts 5:31), and the power of Jesus Christ (Mat.26:64, Mark 14:62). Jesus is at the "right hand" of the Father (Psalm 110:1,5, Mat.22:44, Mark 12:36; 16:19, Luke 20:42; 22:69, Acts 2:33-34; 7:55-56, Rom.8:34, Eph.1:20, Col.3:1, Heb.1:3,13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2, 1Pet.3:22).
The "right hand" also denotes work (Psalm 78:54; 80:15), and the power of man (Psalm 45:9; 89:13). The "right hand" could be an adversary of the Lord (Psalm 21:8; 89:42, Lam.2:4, Zech.3:1). A right hand denoted falsehood (Psalm 144:8,11). A wise man's heart is at his right hand (Ecc.10:2), and whatever you embrace with the "right hand" is where your heart is (Sol.2:6; 8:3). Similarly to how Jesus places the things he values on his right hand, and the things he despises on his left (Mat.25:33-34), the right hand is symbolic for the things we value more than other things. Is your right hand the mark of obedience to God Law, or to man's law?
"In" or "On"?
Some might claim that Revelation speaks of the mark being "in" the hand, whereas other books speak of the mark being "on" their hand. In Revelation 13:16; 14:9, the term "in" is Greek word #1909, epi, and there is no difference between the word "in" or "on". This same Greek word is translated as both "in" and "on" in Revelation 4:2,4; 5:1; 6:5; 7:15; 9:17; 10:2; 13:14; 14:1,6,14-16; 17:8; 18:19, and 20:6. Notice especially Revelation 5:1 for proof that the phrase "in the right hand" does not mean literally inside the right hand. And Revelation 10:2 for proof that "in his hand" does not mean literally inside his hand. And Revelation 14:1, in which the word "in" as used in the phrase "in their foreheads" is translated as "on" in the very same verse!
Are "things" sin?
What is sin? Sin is a conscious, willful, intentional act or thought of breaking God's Law. Things, in and of themselves, are not a sin. For example, is accepting a sword a sin? No. It is what you willfully do with the sword that constitutes a sin or not. Is a neighbor's wife sin? No, only the act or thought of adultery with that wife is a sin. If John is in a store, and Mugsy takes a watch from a shelf, and placed that watch in John's pocket without his knowledge, and John walks out of the store with that watch, did John commit a sin by stealing that watch? No, because the watch was forced upon him without his knowing it. Is that watch itself a sin? No. Only acts or thoughts are a sin. Not things. The Bible clearly teaches this. If anyone teaches a verse in the Bible that contradicts this, and teaches that a thing is a sin, and that a Christian can burn in hell for doing something unwillfully, unintentionally, and unconsciously, then that verse in the Bible must be studied, for the Bible does not contradict itself.
Those who say that the Mark of the Beast is literal, and that if anyone takes a mark in their hand or forehead they commit sin, is saying that a thing, the mark itself, is sin. They are saying when this mark is forced upon people, even if they take this mark unconsciously, unwillfully, or unintentionally, then it is still a sin. This contradicts the entire teaching of sin in the Bible. They say, "It does not matter what one does in thought or deed with this mark, because this mark, this thing itself, is sin". They are saying it is no longer what you do with this mark, if you accept this mark, because you are automatically guilty. This is not the teaching of God and his principles.
Now, to make a clarification, if the government does force people to accept a literal mark in their hand or forehead, it will be wrong to accept this mark, but not for the reason that the mark itself is a sin. There is no difference between a literal mark issued by the government, or a license issued by the government. They both force you to enter into a legal "contract" with the government to place man's law above God's Law. In other words, if there is a conflict between a man made law and a Law of God, the government says you must obey man rather than God, whereas God says we must obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29). This is the reason why it is wrong to accept anything from the government. If you accept a license, benefit, privilege, certificate, etc. from the government, you are legally bound to obey all of their rules, regulations, ordinances, statutes, and laws, no matter how anti-Christian their laws may be.
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