‘Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark”
That sounds like a literal mark to me - not some figurative allegiance per the the last sentence in the excerpt.
The mark on the hand is those that do the work of the Beast and the mark on the forehead is those that do not believe the Lord and follow the beast. There may be a literal mark at some point, but the real mark is those that go along with the Beast. It’s the same sin that condemns us today.
Read Wm. Hendriksen’s “More Than Conquerors” and get a sweet taste of the freedom of amillennial parallelism.
The mark of the beast is both allegiance and an actual mark that makes that allegiance visible. Bible prophecy is fulfilled literally throughout history, so this, too, will be literal.
It is possible to refuse the mark. Many are martyred for not receiving it. That suggests some kind of immunity based on choice.
The mark of the beast is both allegiance and an actual mark that makes that allegiance visible. Bible prophecy is fulfilled literally throughout history, so this, too, will be literal.
It is possible to refuse the mark. Many are martyred for not receiving it. That suggests some kind of immunity based on choice.
[That sounds like a literal mark to me]
I agree.
The word is that for a tattoo. An ownership mark.