The Counterfeiter

“He required everyone…….to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead,” (Revelation 13:16)

I realize we are very inquisitive about the End Times.  Especially with all we see happening in the world today.  I studied and taught Revelation and must admit that the timing of everything still leaves my head spinning.  Jesus made the statement in Mark 13:32 that “no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself.  Only the Father knows.”  So, I think I’ll leave the scheduling of the End Times to God.  There is however one factor about the End Times that I would like to address.  That is the mark of the beast that we are told in Revelation chapter 13 will be required during the Great Tribulation.  Without that mark no one will be able to buy or sell anything.  Now, I’m sure we have all heard speculation about what this mark will look like.  But I want my focus in this blog to be on why a mark on people will be important to Satan during the Tribulation. 

The first time we read about a mark in the bible is the one God placed on Cain after he killed his brother Abel.  The purpose of that mark was to protect Cain from being killed by others (Genesis 4:15).  A sign of God’s mercy and forgiveness, even for a murderer.  The lamb’s blood on the Israelites doorposts when they were in Egypt was a mark to protect them from the Destroyer (Exodus 2:13).  In Ezekiel the Lord had a mark put on the foreheads of those who grieved over the detestable things that had been done.  It was placed on them for protection from the judgment that was to come on Jerusalem. (Ezekiel 9:4).  Archaeologists have discovered that in Ezekiel’s day that mark (or Hebrew tav) was written in the shape of a cross.  (That I find interesting).  And in Revelation, the servants of God (144,000 of them) will be “sealed……on their foreheads” (Revelation 7:3).  Revelation 14:1 tells us that seal (mark) will be the “name of the Lamb and his Fathers’ name.”  And lastly, according to Revelation 22:4, we are told that all saints in heaven will have a mark.  That specific mark is said to be “his name on our foreheads.”  “His name” being God’s holiest name, Yahweh.  Yahweh is so holy that the Jews will not utter it.  Yet, in heaven God’s holy name will be marked on us because we will be eternally His.

So now that we’ve had a little biblical history lesson on God marking his servants, I will return to my earlier question and ask you why marking people during the Great Tribulation will be so important to Satan?  Actually, Satan himself gave us the answer in Isaiah 14:14 when he said, “I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”  You see, Satan has one consuming desire – to be like the Most High God.  And because God places marks on his people, during the Great Tribulation Satan will place marks on his people.  Satan is the great counterfeiter!      

                                                           Darlene