If you’re a Christian, you’ve probably heard of the mark of the beast. It’s a mystifying and sometimes frightening part of the Word of God. So, in this devotional, we’ll read Powerful Bible verses about the Mark of the Beast and clear up any confusion about it.
I have to admit, growing up the idea of the End Times scared me. It’s a lot for an adult to take in, not to mention a small child. But God gave us this Biblical text so we wouldn’t be afraid.
I know that may sound counter-intuitive but hear me out for a minute.
The New Testament book of Revelation is the only part of the Holy Bible that hasn’t taken place yet. And yes, there are some things revealed in it that seem mysterious and terrifying. After all, we don’t have the benefit of hindsight where it’s concerned.
However, John’s vision is a gift from God so that we could understand what will take place at the end of the world and be able to stand firm in the faith during this difficult time.
It’s comforting to know God loves us enough to show us what will happen. And if we dig deep into the scriptures, we’ll be able to fully understand what they mean. So, let’s get started.
What is the Mark of the Beast?
The Book of Revelation describes the events that will take place during the End Times. And the mark of the beast plays a significant part in that story. This mark will be placed on a person’s hand or forehead signaling allegiance to the Antichrist.
Throughout history, people have debated the exact nature of what the mark of the beast will be.
During Biblical times, religious leaders believed it would be a visible mark like a tattoo.
When credit cards came on the scene, they were thought to be the mark.
With the invention of microchips, some people believe they’re it.
Honestly, debating whether it will be a visible mark, a microchip implanted in our hand or forehead, or something we haven’t seen yet doesn’t make any difference.
All we need to know is that the mark of the beast is coming, and as Christians, we need to be on the lookout for it.
While we can’t be sure of the true nature of the mark of the beast, it serves as a warning about following false prophets or putting our faith in evil forces, now or in the future.
Thankfully, the book of Revelation offers us insight that will help us identify the mark and remain faithful despite it.
The Mark on the Right Hand or Forehead
Scripture tells us the Mark of the Beast will be placed on the right hand or forehead of those who follow the Beast. It’s a way for the Beast to identify and control those who follow him.
He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads,
Revelation 13:16 NKJV
Buying and Selling with the Mark
When the End Times come no one will be able to buy or sell without the Mark of the Beast. It will be used as a form of economic and political control over people.
so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.
Revelation 13:17 ESV
The Consequences of Taking the Mark
Taking the mark of the beast is a grave mistake that will have eternal consequences. Christians are called to value our relationship with God above the comfort the mark will provide during the end times. We must refuse to take the mark and remain faithful to Him no matter what. If we don’t, we will be excluded from God’s Kingdom.
Because anyone who takes the mark of the beast will face the wrath of God, and experience eternal torment in the lake of fire, a place of unimaginable torment.
Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. 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 NKJV
So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.
Revelation 16:2 ESV
And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
Revelation 14:11 NKJV
So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.
Revelation 16:2 NKJV
Principal Characters in Revelation
The Dragon
Revelation chapter 12 reveals that Satan is the great dragon or ancient serpent.
And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
Revelation 12:9 ESV
And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 12:17 NKJV
And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
Revelation 12:9 NASB
He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
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The False Prophet
The false prophet works with the beast to deceive people into accepting the mark of the beast will emerge. This false prophet will perform miracles and wonders designed to convince people to accept the mark. He will have a significant role in promoting the mark of the beast and the power to cause anyone who refuses to accept the mark to be killed.
He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.
Revelation 13:13 NKJV
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.
Revelation 13:14 KJV
He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
Revelation 13:15 NKJV
And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the entire world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.
Revelation 16:13-14 NASB
Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Revelation 19:20 NKJV
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The Beast and the Number 666
The Beast is a powerful and evil figure, maybe even a political leader of the day, who is prophesied to emerge in the end times. The number 666 is associated with the Beast and is a symbol of evil.
Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.
Revelation 13:18 NKJV
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
Revelation 13:18 KJV
The First Beast: The Beast from the Sea
Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.
Revelation 13:1 NKJV
Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.
Revelation 13:2 NKJV
One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast.
Revelation 13:3 NIV
And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.
Revelation 13:5 NKJV
The Second Beast: The Beast form the Earth
Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.
Revelation 13:11-12 NIV
And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.
Revelation 12:13-14 ESV
The Scarlet Beast
And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.
Revelation 17:3 ESV
The 144,000
Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
The Faithful
True believers, those who remain faithful to the end, are promised an important place in God’s Kingdom.
The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.
Who Can Defeat the Beast?
Jesus Christ the Lamb
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
Revelation 12:11 ESV
Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.
Revelation 14:14 ESV
Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.
Revelation 14:1 NKJV
And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.
Revelation 15:2 NKJV
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The Thousand-Year Reign
Following the defeat of Satan and the final judgment, the saints who were beheaded and refused to worship the beast will reign with Jesus Christ for 1,000 years. This is also known as the first resurrection.
And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:4 NKJV
The Book of Life and the Judgment
The Book of Life contains the names of those who will inherit eternal life. If you’re a Christian your name is in there.
However, anyone who worships the beast and receives his mark does not have their name written in the Book of Life, and they will be judged according to their works. They will be cast into the lake of fire.
All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Revelation 13:8 NKJV
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
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Who wrote the book of Revelation?
The Apostle John wrote Revelation while he was exiled to the island of Patmos. This great vision explains the things that will take place leading up to the end of the world.
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
Revelation 1:1-2 ESV
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.
Revelation 21:10 NIV
Daniel’s Vision of the Four Beasts
It may surprise you to learn that the Old Testament also tells the story of the End Times. God gave Daniel a vision to relay to the king that is a mirror image of the vision given the John in Revelation. Let’s read through some of the key scriptures from the book of Daniel.
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter.
Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea.
Daniel 7:2 NIV
And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.
“And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’
Daniel 7:5 NIV
The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it.
Daniel 7:4 ESV
After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
Daniel 7:7 ESV
These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth.
Daniel 7:17 ESV
“Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast shall be A fourth kingdom on earth, Which shall be different from all other kingdoms, And shall devour the whole earth, Trample it and break it in pieces.
Daniel 7:23 NKJV
And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.
Daniel 8:5 NKJV
So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”
Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.
Daniel 12:7 NKJV
Bible Verses about How Christians Should Approach the End Times
These scriptures offer us hope, comfort, and strength for what will come during the time of Revelation.
Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:54 NKJV
“If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.” This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
Revelation 22:21 NIV
No matter what comes our way, it’s important to remain faithful to Jesus Christ and resist the temptation to worship the beast or receive his mark. Believers should be aware of what will happen one day and be on the lookout for signs of the End Times.
I pray that these Bible Verses about the Mark of Beast will inspire you to faithfulness as you lean on Jesus for the strength to endure.
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