The forehead symbolizes the mind (i.e. what one believes) and the hand symbolizes our actions (i.e. what one does). God said that his laws will be written on our hearts and minds. He didn’t mean literally. Our heart symbolizes what we love and treasure. Our mind symbolizes what we believe.
Jesus used many parts of the body to represent concepts, such as the eyes being the lamp of God. Jesus spoke of what comes out of our mouths from our hearts making us unclean, meaning what we speak comes from our hearts or what we love and treasure. He never meant any of those things literally. They were all symbolic.
It is consistent with Christ’s teachings to suggest that the mark of the beast on our foreheads and/or our hands is symbolic of what we believe and what we do. The same verse in Revelation 14 that references the mark of the beast also says that those who receive it will drink of the wine of God’s fury that has been poured full strength into the cup
of his wrath. Those who don’t love and serve Christ will experience God’s fury and wrath but not by drinking a literal glass of wine. Nearly all of Revelation is symbolic.
Revelation says that only those who keep God’s commandments will enter Heaven. Christ said that the 1st & greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind. He said the 2nd commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. We keep those commandments through what we believe, what we love and what we do. If we focus our lives on keeping those 2 commandments, then we needn’t worry about receiving the mark of the beast because our minds, hearts and hands will be focused on worshiping and serving Christ.
I realize that many Christians worry about if and how technology will be used in end times. God would never allow his children, whom he loves and gave his son for and who love him in return, to be duped into receiving the mark of the beast. God gives us free will so we can choose him. Receiving the mark of the beast will be a choice to reject God and serve and worship Satan. Yes, Satan will deceive people causing them to reject God by denying him, not loving him, and not serving him. But never fear that you will be deceived into receiving the mark of the beast because if you love and serve God, you will not and cannot reject him.
This is a sensitive subject and I know many truly believe that the mark of the beast will be a physical mark on or implanted in the body. I ask you to simply consider what I’ve written, read the scriptures, and pray for guidance from the Lord. Just because we’ve been taught something all our lives doesn’t mean it’s true or that we have to believe it. Seek out your faith through God’s perfect word not through man’s errant predictions.
Blessings.
I disagree with much in that post yet think you make some very good points.
I don’t believe Revelation is mostly symbolic, per se though I haven’t counted the symbolic verses vs the literal ones vs the both ones.
We are also commanded to never sin again. Technically, if we remain in fellowship with Him in all things, it isn't necessary for believers to sin again, yet we also know that if we calim we do not sin, we are liars. A parallel argument could be made that if we love and serve Him, we will not and cannot sin again.
On the other hand, there might have been a reason for our Lord and Savior to have made a statement about a series of events which wouldn't transpire for several millennium, but had such devastating consequences for the souls which He loved, that He believed it appropriate to foretell these events, even some 2 millennium in advance of their fruition.
These events might be so ever literal that they were well foretold millennium in advance of their actual occurrence.