The Mark of the Beast and the Law of God – Revelation 13

Introduction

There are many interpretations about what the mark of the beast mentioned in Revelation 13 could be, ranging from technological implants to government laws. However, little is said about its connection to God’s commandments. In this study, I want to explore the relationship between the mark of the beast and God’s Law – Revelation 13, analyzing how the first four commandments can help us better understand this prophetic mystery. We will examine the details of this chapter and identify clues that reveal the true nature of this sign and its impact on worship and obedience to God.

Theories and Theories

There is much speculation surrounding what the “mark of the beast” presented in Revelation 13:16. Many believe that a chip implanted in people’s hands or foreheads will be the mark of the beast; others have stated that this mark is the use of a barcode; some say that it is a law that will put people in direct opposition to God’s commandments.

Remembering the First 4 Commandments of the Law

I would like to present some details from chapter 13 of Revelation that most readers tend to overlook. In reality, God has left us truths in this chapter that are not so clear to those who read the text superficially. It requires a lot of attention and prior knowledge of God’s Law. To be more precise, especially the first four commandments of His Law. God Himself wrote these commandments, which say the following (Exodus 20:3-11):

1st Commandment

Exodus 20:3 – “You shall have no other gods before me“

2nd Commandment

Exodus 20:4-6 – “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me. And showing mercy to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.“

3rd Commandment

Exodus 20:7 – “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.“

4th Commandment

Exodus 20:8-11 – “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.“

Brief Summary of the First 4 Commandments of the Law

We must pay attention to the main content of each commandment, as they will be essential to discover what the “mark of the beast” is related to. As we can read in the text above, the essence of these 4 commandments of God’s Law is the following:

1st – Worship
2nd – Idolatry, that is, worship of images
3rd – Taking God’s name in vain
4th – Sanctify the Seventh Day of the Week

Comparison of the First 4 Commandments with Revelation 13

The verses in Revelation 13:11-18, which present the mark of the beast, have a direct connection with the essence of each of the first four commandments of God’s Law. To discover this connection between the two contexts, we will read the text divided into blocks, looking for the relationship between each block and the first four commandments present in the Law.

1st Block

Revelation 13:11-12 – “And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast before him, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.“

In this first block, the content presented refers to the second beast that emerged from the earth. It exercises the power of the first beast. All of its actions are being directly influenced by it. Through this influence, the second beast will cause the entire earth to worship the first beast again. In these first 2 verses, we find a direct connection with the essence of God’s first commandment, which is WORSHIP.

2nd Block

Revelation 13:13-14 – “And he performs great miracles, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound by a sword and lived“

The second beast performs amazing signs. Satan and his fallen angels perform these signs, not the power of God. It is the dragon who is behind these signs. But unfortunately the world will marvel at such signs. What is interesting about this second block is that we find a reference to the “image” of the beast, and it is precisely about IDOLATRY that God’s second commandment is related.

3rd Block

Revelation 13:15 – “And he had power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.“

What is the purpose of the image of the beast receiving life (spirit)? The text answers: “so that the image of the beast could also speak“The question we must ask now is: “What should the image of the beast say?“. First we must keep in mind that the word “image” refers to something that is similar. This “image” resembles the beast itself. Here, the second beast is not mentioned, but rather the first, which received a mortal wound and was healed.

To know what this image is supposed to say, we need to read the content about the first beast, since this is a copy of the first one. And this information is found in verses 5 and 6 of the same chapter:

Revelation 13:5-6 – “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies: and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.”

The text above shows us that the first beast was given a mouth to speak blasphemies against God, and blasphemed His name. Therefore, the “image of the beast” has these same characteristics, and it will also blaspheme the name of God. The 3rd commandment of the Law of God refers to the prohibition of taking the name of God in vain. Note that here too there is a direct connection with the third commandment, since the mention of God’s name is present in both contexts.

4th Block

Revelation 13:16-18 – “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Herein is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred and threescore and six.“

Finally, the fourth block contains the content of the subject in question. This is where we find the mark of the beast being applied to all people. It is important to note that the text says that those who receive this mark will not be able to carry out commercial transactions. In order to buy or sell, people need money, and to do so, they must perform some type of work in order to be paid. Understanding this relationship, we can then understand that the mark of the beast is directly linked to the 4th commandment of God’s Law, since it also mentions the issue of working, but in a different way.

God’s fourth commandment tells His people to remember to keep the seventh day of the week holy. They are to set aside this day for religious purposes and to refrain from doing any kind of secular work on that day. In contrast, the second beast only allows people to work if they have the mark of the first beast.

Up until now, the 3 previous comparisons were in opposition to the first 3 commandments of God’s Law. If the 4th commandment is directly related to the mark of the beast, then it is not difficult to see that the people who receive the mark of the beast will be those who will be transgressing the observance of the seventh day of the week.

What is the Sabbath for the People of God?

As we read the history of God’s people, we see that the Sabbath serves as a sign between God and His people. This idea is presented in the verses below:

Exodus 31:16-17 – “Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath , to observe it throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant . It shall be a sign between me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested , and was refreshed.“

Ezekiel 20:12 – “And I also gave them my Sabbaths , to be a sign between me and them , that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.“

The Mark of the Beast vs. The Mark of God

We do not know exactly how this will happen, but the entire world will face a situation where it will have to transgress the seventh day of the week by honoring the mark of the beast instead of the sign of God. If the sign of God refers to resting from work on a certain day, the mark of the beast must be of the same nature, that is, it must also be a rest on another day of the week. In order to know which day this is, we need to study who the first beast is, because the SIGN is a reference to his own power.

Summary of the Parallel Found

Below is the parallel found in both contexts:

Exodus 20:3 – “You shall have no other gods before me“
Revelation 13:12 – “…and those who dwell therein worship the first beast“

Exodus 20:4 – “You shall not make for yourself a carved image …“
Revelation 13:14 – “…telling those who dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast …“

Exodus 20:7 – “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain…“
Revelation 13:15 – “…so that the image of the beast should also speak …“

Exodus 20:8-11 – “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor …“
Revelation 13:16 – “…so that no one can buy or sell …“