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Fragen und Antworten zum christlichen Glauben

Thema 3: Die Offenbarung

3-7. What is the mark of the Beast?

During the time of the Tribulation, to bring everyone under his control, the Antichrist will force all to receive his mark on either their right hands or foreheads. This mark is the mark of the Beast. The Antichrist will demand people to receive his mark so that he could turn everyone into his servant. He will proceed with his political scheme by using people’s lives as his leverage. If people do not have the mark showing that they belong to the Beast, he will prevent them from buying or selling anything. This mark is the name of the Beast or his number. When the Beast appears in this world, its people will be coerced to receive this mark made of either his name or number.
When counted, the number of the Beast on this mark is 666. This means that the Beast, who is the Antichrist, proclaims himself as God. In other words, it shows the arrogance of a human being trying to be God. As such, anyone who receives this mark on his/her right hand or forehead would be serving and worshipping the Antichrist Beast as God.
When the world faces immense difficulties from the plagues of the seven trumpets, the Antichrist, empowered by Satan, would bring the whole world under his reign with great force. Healing himself from his mortal wounds and performing such miracles as bringing down fire from the sky, he will make everyone of this world follow him. As heroes emerge in times of trouble, the Antichrist, a man who received his power from Satan, will resolve the difficult problems that the world faces with great authority, and thereby be revered by all the people of the world as God. As Satan thus makes people serve the Antichrist as God, many will end up worshipping him as such.
The Antichrist therefore does his final works with the help of another beast coming up out of the earth. The second beast forces people to make an image after the first Beast, the Antichrist; gives breath to this image of the Beast with the power of Satan and makes it speak; and kills everyone who does not worship the Beast’s image. He makes everyone receive his mark on either the right hand or the forehead, and prevents anyone who does not receive the mark from buying or selling anything.
Receiving the mark of the Beast means surrendering to him and becoming his servant. The mark is not received by physical coercion, but by a personal and rational decision. But as without receiving this mark no one can buy or sell anything, or even live on, all the people of the world who have not received the remission of sin would stand at the Beast’s side and end up surrendering to him. 
Those who thus surrender to the Beast and receive his mark will all be cast, together with the Devil, to the lake burning with fire and brimstone. The nominal Christians who have not yet been born again will, because their hearts are not dwelt by the Holy Spirit, capitulate before Satan in the end, receive his mark on their right hands or foreheads, and worship him as God. At this time, only those who have the remission of sin and who has the Holy Spirit in their hearts will be able to resist the Beast’s demand to receive his mark, and fight against and overcome the Antichrist with faith.