The Mark of the Beast – Is it a Physical or a Spiritual Mark?

The Symbol of 666 Is Explained by the Original Greek Text

The Mark of the Beast that is mentioned in Revelation 13 looms large like a cloud over our discussion of the end times. It’s spurred theories, taken shape as an object to fear, and even acquired traction as something to reference within popular culture. Of course, many have assumed that the Mark, with its Name and Number, is associated with the person of the antichrist.

We will consider none of those theories as we will focus on the concept about people being caught up in deception. We will explore how the Mark is related to the Image of the Beast.

This video examines -

The Mark's Background in the O.T.

The Meaning of the Mark's Symbology

The Mark on the Forehead or the Right Hand

The Mark as Rebellion Against God

False Prophets Who Create the Mark

The Meaning of 666

It is the symbol of the 2nd Beast, who is the same as the False Prophet of Revelation 19, and the False Prophets of Matthew 24, who have the key role in issuing the Mark of the Beast.

The Mark of the Beast is not directly related to the person of the antichrist.

It is the False Prophet (2nd Beast) of Revelation 13 who –

establishes the Image of the Beast,

makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast,

cause(s) those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain,

causes all…to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark.

We will also look into key meanings of the Greek root words of Revelation 13:17-18 to determine, or calculate, the Mark of the Beast.

For a complete transcript with all references in PDF form, please visit -

https://www.academia.edu/85476154/The_Mark_of_the_Beast_A_Physical_or_Spiritual_Mark

Other videos from the Revelation Explained series can be found on this channel or on our website - https://kjsoze.com

In this video we will examine the Rapture in relation to the Great Tribulation Period, the Day of the Lord and other events. Over 3 dozen passages will be compared so we have a complete understanding of the culmination of this age.

Spoiler - post-trib wins. We will answer many questions about the Rapture -

What Does Rapture Mean? Those who are alive at His coming will be “caught up.” Rapture simply means to snatch (or save) from destruction coming upon the earth.

There is another example of snatching found in Jude 1:22-23 using the same root word as the Rapture of 1 Thessalonians 4:17. To be snatched means saved from wrath in this context, so Paul and Jude utilized the same meaning. Believers are saved from destruction.
No Person Can Know “The Day and the Hour”? Matthew 24:36 states that no person can know “the day and the hour” of the beginning of the end-times.

Instead of looking up the source of “the day and the hour” from a Hebrew perspective, some people just assume this to mean that Christ could come back at any moment. It seems necessary to have the element of complete surprise. We will see if this is really true.

What Does “Thief in the Night” Mean? A related topic to the “day and the hour” is the Thief in the Night. Both terms are foundational to a pre-trib Rapture in relation to a surprise return of Christ. The takeaway of the Thief in the Night is to be prepared. There will be no surprise for believers.

What Does “Meet the Lord in the Air” Mean in 1 Thessalonians 4:17? Paul does not specify whether we will go to some celestial realm or back to earth to be with Christ in this passage, but there are some other important details here that we can compare with other passages.

The Greek root translated “to meet” fits our normal English usage of the phrase. To meet someone at the door is to welcome them into a building. To meet someone for dinner may involve going to a restaurant that is halfway between the parties involved.

So is Christ coming to meet us halfway on our trip from earth to Heaven? Or are the living believers rising to meet Christ on his way from Heaven to earth? In related “meeting” passages using the same Greek root word (Matthew 25:6 and Acts 28:15), there is a return to the starting point after the meeting. And in the 1 Thessalonians 4:17 passage, the point of reference is Paul’s position, not Christ’s position.

Who Will be Left Behind?

Will Believers Go Through the Great Tribulation Period?

When is the Placement of the Rapture in the Book of Revelation?

As in the Days of Noah - The Days of Noah is another good analogy of timing before the wrath of God is poured out again upon the earth, since both Peter and Christ use the flood to explain their point.

In 2 Peter 2:5, we see Noah as preserved, kept, spared, etc., from the impending judgment of the flood. This is our example. Noah went through the flood but was spared the judgment of the flood (i.e., spared God’s wrath).

It has never been so important to understand the sequence of events mapped out for us in the Book of Revelation. Once we understand the symbolic language used, we can see a clear picture of the last days of the age we live in. This animated chart with Bible references will help clarify the timeline of events in Revelation.

Once we notice the connection between Bible prophecies from the Old Testament to the New Testament, we will be able to recognize current events as they unfold.

Perhaps there has never been a book so misunderstood and so misinterpreted as the Apocalypse (Revelation), written by John, the Apostle. Despite the development of numerous charts issued in attempts to map out the seven bowls, seven trumpets, and seven seals compared to the Day of the Lord, Great Tribulation Period, and Judgement Day, Biblical theoreticians and scholars have struggled to fully map out the correct sequence of events. 

Now, with events being revealed to match predictions from the Bible, we can have confidence that God is in control as He planned the "end from the beginning." There is nothing to fear about the great tribulation that lays before us.

Christ describes the coming of end times with an analogy we know well, referring to the onset of this period as “birth pangs.” There is a clear association of signs leading up to the second advent that intensify until their inevitable culmination. This intensification conveys an increase from initial signs that result in “mild tribulation", to the final outpouring of God’s wrath with the most terrifying depictions.

Matthew 24:8 - All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. 

These birth pangs are shown from seals to trumpets to bowl judgments in Revelation, and their magnitude becomes apparent when we examine one term like “earthquake.”

7th Seal - describes “anearthquake”

7th Trumpet - describes “an earthquake and heavy hail”

7th Bowl - describes “a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake... And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.”

We will examine the placement of key markers during the last days of this age we live in. Christ gave us this information in advance so we can be prepared for the greatest test in human history.

Christ explains the 7 seals of Revelation chapters 6 and 8. These passages provide a wide view lens of the end times. They help guide us to understand the rest of the Book of Revelation and other unfulfilled prophecies.

Please download this free PDF study guide with links to all the passages referenced in this video. There is also a comparison table of Matthew 24 to the 7 seals in the following link -
https://www.academia.edu/50834922/What_are_the_7_Seals_of_Revelation

Please visit https://kjsoze.com for more information after watching this introduction to the Revelation Explained series. This site has free books, videos and articles.

We will now identify Daniel’s and Revelation's "little horn" as the person of the anti-christ in this latest video of the Revelation Explained series. The anti-christ comes out of the beast that we learned about in the previous video - “What is the Beast of Revelation?” This beast is the satanic kingdom at the end of our age. It is a spiritual kingdom not of this earth, whereas the anti-christ is a man that will help expand the devil’s reign of evil in the last days.

Descriptions of the anti-christ from Daniel Chapter 7 and Revelation Chapter 13 parallel each other with these same identifiers –

He comes out of the great beast with 10 horns

He speaks complete blasphemy against God

He is allowed authority to war over the saints in the tribulation period

He is destroyed at the 2nd coming of Christ (Revelation 17:14)

Daniel 7 provides us with many details about the anti-christ that Christ does not repeat in Matthew 24. This is because Christ implies we are to read and understand Daniel. Verse 11 of Daniel 7 states -I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn [anti-christ] was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire...

The timing of the anti-christ is during the last days of this age. It is at the time of humanity’s last traditional government being abolished when the Prostitute system is destroyed (Revelation17:16). The anti-christ rises during this period to fully establish the devil’s governmental and religious system. The anti-christ is granted authority and allowed to conquer the saints for a short time (Revelation 13:7). This is the Great Tribulation Period.

Daniel 7:21-22 - As I looked, this horn [anti-christ] made war with the saints and prevailed over them, until the Ancient of Days came [the 2nd advent], and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.

The events of Revelation 12:7-12 depict when the devil is granted to reveal his power publicly as the anti-christ. These passages are at the same time – Daniel 7:25~ Daniel 12:1 ~ Revelation 3:10~ Revelation 13:7

Who, or what, is the beast of Revelation? We cannot know the Mark of the Beast or any other details until we trace the history of kingdoms, both spiritual and earthly.

The symbols of Revelation 13 and Revelation 17 give us enough information to compare with other passages like Daniel so we can find the true meaning of the beast.

We will find that the end-time beast can be considered as the devil's spiritual kingdom, or the driving force behind religio-political systems on earth.

You can download a free PDF transcript of this video in this link -
https://www.academia.edu/61147825/What_is_the_Beast_of_Revelation

This new video outlines the history and progression of the city-state system. Mystery Babylon the Great is a symbol in the book of Revelation that describes the influence of the spiritual realm over nations of the past. It also reveals what the future holds. Do we think empires, kingdoms, or city-states get weaker as time goes on, or is it the same system in operation with new clothes?

The transcripted text version of this video with the list of supporting Bible passages can be found here as a free PDF download - https://www.academia.edu/53298836/What_is_Mystery_Babylon_the_Great_The_rise_and_continuation_of_the_city_state_system

This is a new video about the Sons of God in Genesis 6 and humanity's relationship to fallen angels. This research is helpful to understand the characters working behind the scenes in the book of Revelation.

Here is a list of Bible study passages in the link below that goes with this new video - Who are the Sons of God in Genesis 6? This is background about fallen angels and their role in the end times. https://kjsoze.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/2-Peter-and-Jude-Comparison.pdf