It is much simpler than people realize and is not about Christainity per se.
The mark of the beast is the character of the beast. The beast has tossed aside truth and replaced it with lies. Those who do the same have taken "the mark", a person's "name" being synonymous with his reputation, for good or evil. A person's willingness to accept lies reveals if they are so marked.
The beast system is plainly abusing, attacking, and punishing those who refuse to embrace its lies as truth.
The natural order created by God is what it is, and no government edict can make biological reality a mere opinion or lifestyle choice that can be rejected or redefined as people please. Yet that is exacly what this beast government demands... that we all swallow the lies and play make believe, in open rebellion to God Almighty.
In the name of civil and human rights, tolerance, diversity, dignity and liberty we are expected to put away truth and accept whatever heinous lies the government spews from day to day.
The persecution and financial destruction of the wedding planners, cake bakers and photographers is a huge red flag of where this is headed. The business owners may be Christians, but the fundamental conflict is that they refused to play the government's game of make believe. They refused to act as if the government's false definition of marriage were true.
By making homo *wedding* cakes, that's exactly what they would be forced to do with their hands (physical work) and their minds (playing pretend). They have been falsely accused of refusing to serve perverts, but none of the businesses were turning away folks who were just purchasing goods and services unrelated to celebrating unnatural acts.
The marriage and transgender depravities are the most obvious examples of forced compliance with delusion, but the list is pretty long. Government has place itself as the final authority of truth on any number of subjects, and we sure had better believe or we will be punished for wrong thinking about global warming, eco-wackoism, WOD, WOT, immigration, the Bill of Rights, dietary and health "guidelines" and so forth... IOW question or reject illegitimate authority of government to define truth and be prepared to suffer.
Long rant just to say that taking or refusing the mark boils down to a choice between bowing to beast.gov's lies, or sticking with the truth. People who are so brainwashed and morally bendable that they embrace all these lies, are increasingly accepting the lie that the problem is those who disagree. People who know and speak the truth are now considered "haters".
Technology (databases for everything) will be used ruthlessly as a weapon against the haters. It's not a tattoo that's the mark, it's the approval of the lies that have to be believed and used in order to conduct business, buy food, receive a paycheck, obtain healthcare, etc.
The grace period for choosing up sides with Truth is about up.
Chofetz Chaim - "When Moshiach Comes No One Will Be Sitting On The Fence"
http://shiratdevorah.blogspot.com/2011/01/time-to-take-stand.html
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