And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 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 13:15-18)
Our world is obsessed with its own identity. Athletes, actresses, politicians, academicians, corporate tycoons and “woke” activists are tripping over themselves as they race to claim the coveted mantle of identity-- particularly if they can somehow benefit from that identity. They don’t have to actually be a part of the particular identity group they suddenly cherish, or even really care about the welfare of this group; they just need to look like they care. There is pressure to identify yourself correctly in the eyes of the “woke” crowd.
Identity matters to the world.
It is our mark for the rest of the world to see. It is what we are; it is who we serve.
Our Identity does matter-- but not in the way that the world would have us to believe.
The Torah portion Va’etchanan (... I also pleaded) includes the venerated pledge of allegiance to the God of Israel-- the Shema.
“Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. And you shall repeat them diligently to your sons and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. You shall also tie them as a sign to your hand, and they shall be as frontlets on your forehead. You shall also write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6: 4- 9)
Shema means not only “to hear,” but also “to obey.” It is not an auditory process; it is a heart process. These verses describe how all -encompassing this heart process is. If we identify that the God of Israel is our God, then everything we say and everything we do must serve this identity.
There has been much discussion and speculation lately among Christian believers regarding Covid 19 vaccine coercion and the very real possibility of the implementation of vaccine passports. And rightly so. The year 2020 brought with it some of the most egregious violations of civic and religious liberties that this country has ever known, all in the name of public health. As we consider the implementation of Covid 19 public health mandates, Christians are nervously looking to the prophecies of the Book of Revelation and particularly to the prophetic Mark of the Beast, a worldwide government mandate that will impact every aspect of human life.
While vaccines, or vaccine passports, or microchips or barcodes could be implemented as the Mark of the Beast, it is best to use the Bible itself to help us understand the Bible. Our God is a God of patterns. What else does the Bible say about the hand and the forehead?
In Exodus 20, the garments of the High Priest include a gold band that is to be attached to the headpiece across the front of the forehead of the Priest. On it is the inscription: Holy to YHVH (Yehovah/Yahweh, or as most of our Bibles say, “The Lord.” ) This label identifies who the High Priest serves.
In much the same way, the Pharaoh of Egypt wore a headdress with an image of a snake god right on his forehead. Clearly, Pharaoh too was wearing the image of who he served as a sign on his forehead.
Even today, we don a ball cap with the insignia of our favorite team emblazoned right across our foreheads. Do we “serve” that team? Perhaps.
What does the Bible say about the “hand?”
But YHVH said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for because of My mighty hand he will let the people go; because of My strong hand he will drive them out of his land. (Exodus 6:1)
Thy right hand, O YHVH has become glorious in power: thy right hand, O YHVH hath dashed in pieces the enemy (Exodus 15:6).
Let Your hand be upon the man at Your right hand, on the Son of Man You have raised up for Yourself. Then we will not turn away from You; revive us, and we will call on Your name. Restore us, O YHWH God of Hosts; cause Your face to shine upon us, that we may be saved. (Psalm 80)
In these verses we see that the hand of God rescues His people and saves them from their enemies.
In contrast, what does the hand of man do?
When they gathered together in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised to life.” And the disciples were deeply grieved.
The hand of man betrays and destroys.
There is much Biblical imagery of marking one’s hand and/or one’s forehead as a reminder.
Regarding the removal of yeast during the Feast of Matzah:
This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand. You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time year after year. (Exodus 13: 9-10)
Regarding the redemption of firstborn males:
In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you are to tell him, ‘With a mighty hand YHWH brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. And when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, YHWH killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both of man and beast. This is why I sacrifice to YHWH the firstborn male of every womb, but I redeem all the firstborn of my sons.’ So it shall serve as a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead, for with a mighty hand YHWH brought us out of Egypt.” (Exodus 13:14-16)
The phrase “a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead” is a way of saying: “Don’t forget who saved you and whom you serve.” The mark on our heads is a sign of whom we believe or trust. The mark on our hands is a sign of whom we serve.
Are we serving God or are we serving man? It depends on whom you identify with, whose “mark” you have taken.
How did God tell Israel to prove whom they identified with? Obedience
Just do what God says and He will know that you serve Him.
And how does the world know who we serve? It may know because you wear a cross around your neck or a t-shirt printed with “Jesus Saves.” But plenty of us know that this is not a full-proof identity marker. People claim to be “Christian” all the time but do not prove it with their behavior.
What is worse is that there is doctrine within the church that claims that once we have Yeshua in our hearts, then obedience to God’s teachings-- the Torah-- is no longer necessary. We are free from the law!!!
The problem with this line of thinking is that it goes against Yeshua’s very simple and direct teaching:
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.(John 14:15)
Is the Mark of the Beast a microchip, a barcode or a vaccine passport? It could be. None of us really knows, but what we really need to be looking out for is a beast system that coerces us into disobeying God and His commandments.
In the future, it may be much more difficult to Shema (hear and obey) the God of Israel. In the meantime, it seems prudent that we practice obedience while we have the freedom to do so.
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