Hello, folks. Does anyone else notice the similarity between the mark in the forehead and hand, compared with the Jewish practice of phylacteries (apparently even in Jesus' time), which are worn on the forehead and hand? What do you think the relation is? The phylacteries as practiced by "rabbinic" Jews have passages from the Five Books of Moses enclosed in them, so that God's word is in your hands and heart. Is this flipped for the mark of the beast, like an anti-phylactery? Or do you believe the phylacteries themselves might be the mark of the beast, maybe having something to do with legalism?
I don't know if this has been well-developed or thought-out by Christian scholars, but I hadn't heard much about it, and the connection seemed obvious to me. Just wondering your thoughts on it.
It seems to be a literal representation of a spiritual thing -but not the mark of the beast.
I would imagine the practice is somehow related to the following.....
Deu 6:6
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
Deu 6:7 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.
Deu 6:8
And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
Deu 6:9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
...but the point is not to actually have them on your person, but to have them in your mind and reflected in what you do and say.....
Deu 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day,
shall be in thine heart:
Deu 11:18
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.
Exo 13:9 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.
Exo 13:10 Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.
Many believe the mark of the beast will be an actual mark which allows buying and selling -so they have assumed it to be some chip or bar code.
However, the mark of the beast is spiritual -and also concerns what a person thinks, believes, says and does.
Keeping the commandments of God IS the refusal of the mark of the beast -and it has historically led to not being able to buy or sell -to being killed -and even being rejected and persecuted by those who claim to speak for God.
Historically, keeping the biblical Sabbath, for example (and by extension biblical holy days), would have one identified as being "anathema from Christ".
For those who continued to keep the biblical commandments and holy days, buying and selling became a problem -but was actually the least of their woes.
Receiving the mark of the beast is acceptance and obedience to those things associated with that which is opposed to God and the keeping of
his commandments -but receiving the mark of the beast will appear to many to be the acceptance of God and Christ, because it involves -but is not limited to -false Christianity.
In the end times, the mark of the beast is associated with a specific political/military ruler -called "the beast", who is associated with a spiritual leader called "another beast" or a "second beast" -and it is the second beast which causes people to receive the mark of the first. The second beast deceptively brings people under spiritual control -and, in turn, under the literal control of the first beast.
People will be deceived by lying signs and wonders to make an image to the beast.
The definition of "make" is to BAND TOGETHER, BE -so the people ARE THEMSELVES COLLECTIVELY THE IMAGE TO THE BEAST.
This is the definition of image...
G1504
εἰκών
eikōn
i-kone'
From G1503;
a likeness, that is, (literally) statue, profile, or (
figuratively) representation, resemblance: - image.
So.... the beast (who is manipulated by Satan himself) and the second beast are essentially the mind -and the many people who make up the image are the body...
The image is GIVEN LIFE -that it should BOTH SPEAK -AND that IT should kill those who do not worship IT. Worship is obedience, but it also includes awe and praise
-it is such that many will be in awe of it and want to be a part of it. Those who make up the image of the beast are DECEIVED -so few will actually see it for what it is until it is too late.
That involves many things, but essentially, the image says the words of the beast -does the will of the beast -and kills those who refuse to become a part of it.
Many will make up the whole -but they will not necessarily understand what the other parts are doing -or see it as a whole.
It should be noted that not everyone who does not worship it will be killed. The example of Daniel and his friends was for a purpose.
They refused to worship an actual image under penalty of death -and were saved from death.
Many who are obedient to God will still die eventually, however -but it is still better to refuse to be a part of it -and to keep the commandments.
Becoming a part of it causes one to be used against themselves, their loved ones, their respective countries and those who are actually doing God's work -but it does pay well.
The beast is also called a king of fierce countenance in Daniel. It is written that he DESTROYS MANY BY PEACE -which includes prosperity. He makes them prosperous if they do all of the wrong things -until they are destroyed.
