40. Mark of the Beast


REVELATION 13.11 I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon. 13.12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. He makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.

13.13 He performs great signs, even making fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the sight of people. 13.14 He deceives my own people who dwell on the earth because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the beast; saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who had the head wound and lived. 13.15 It was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, that it should both speak, and cause as many as wouldn’t worship the image of the beast to be killed.

13.16 He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, to be given marks on their right hands, or on their foreheads; 13.17 and that no one would be able to buy or to sell, unless he has that mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name. 13.18 Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six. -WEB Bible. 

The False Prophet will deceive all the inhabitants of earth. He will put up an image of the Antichrist, which everyone will be required to worship. If anyone refuses to worship the image, they will be killed. 

Also, everyone is required to get a mark on their right hand or their forehead. The number of this mark is 666, which is the number of the Antichrist. People will not be able to buy or sell unless they have the mark of the beast. 

The grapes in the image above represent the wrath of God. All those who take the mark of the Beast and worship him will be destroyed.


IMAGE CREDIT: The Douce Apocalypse is one of several richly illustrated manuscripts of the Apocalypse made in England in the thirteenth century.