TAKE THE MARK

Tuesday 3 June

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:13 (NIV)

He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. Galatians 3:14 (NIV)

Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He anointed us, placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (BSB)

Everyone seems to know a lot about the mark of the beast as 666. Seeing as the book of Revelation is more accurately defined as ‘the revelation of Jesus Christ’ I thought it best that we should look at a different mark as well: The mark of Christ. As we examine this further I’m sure it will shed light on the characteristics of these marks and what the Bible has to say about them.

The word ‘mark’ in Greek used twice in Revelation 13 but mentioned 8 times altogether is ‘charagma’ which means a stamp or an imprinted mark, a scratch or an etching.

‘Sphragizo’ the word for seal from Ephesians 1:13 also has several meanings such as, to set a seal upon, mark with a seal, to set a mark upon by the impress of a seal or a stamp.

Now, what Apostle Paul was doing was using a metaphor to describe something. Did you see it? After it says you were marked in Him with a seal it tells you exactly what or who the seal is: ‘the promised Holy Spirit’. Why the Holy Spirit? The answer is simple. It is another way to say one who is born of the Spirit a.k.a. being in Christ. Therefore the mark of Christ is eternal salvation.

We see the confirmation of this in 2 Corinthians 1:22 further telling us that this mark or seal of the Holy Spirit was ‘put into our hearts.’

So this lets us know that the seal or mark of Christ was imagery used to describe a child of God. It was spiritual not physical. Invisible not visible. If this is true then it stands to reason that the mark of the beast in Revelation could also be metaphorical language to describe those who have not received the Holy Spirit i.e. the unsaved.

The next part of 2 Corinthians 1 uses the phrase ‘as a seal of what is to come’. In other words, those that receive God’s mark are set apart for perpetual salvation and those who receive Satan’s mark are set apart for future destruction. Does the Bible have any precedent for this? Yes.

In John 3:18 Jesus

says “He who believes in me is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Just in case you were wondering, the Great white throne judgment was the symbolic imagery in John’s vision that represented this very truth.

Does that mean those marked for destruction can through an act of their will change their destiny through believing? This appears to be what Jesus was stating here. We are also made aware, our choices supersede the sovereignty of God which is expressed in His plan of redemption.

Everything we have looked at so far with being sealed or marked with Christ, is spiritual not physical. Invisible not visible. It appears likely that the mark for the unbeliever would also be spiritual not physical. This idea from ‘left behind’ type movies where you see people being tattooed with 666 markings on their foreheads or right hand seems out of character with the epistles.

The more we look at the book of Revelation, the more we should notice the frequent use of metaphorical language and complex imagery was to convey truths that can only be fully understood in the light of Christ.

Isn’t it better to see it from God’s perspective that ‘whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved?’ If taking something into your body which altered you physiologically meant you were irredeemable then many Christians who ‘took it’ would lost forever. Fortunately this is not the case.

Some even hinted at the ‘you know what’ being the MOTB.

The question we need to ask in every circumstance is always: Is this consistent with the message of Christ’? John 10:28-29 says…

‘And I give them eternal life, and they shall NEVER LOSE IT or perish throughout the ages. [To all eternity they shall never by any means be destroyed.] And no one is able to snatch them out of My hand. My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater and mightier than all [else]; and no one is able to snatch [them] out of the Father’s hand.’

Now that’s what I call good news! My encouragement to you is be marked with Christ and be saved!

APPLICATION

Make a conscious decision to memorise scriptures like John 10:28-29 to be able to confidently share the word of His grace with full assurance and clarity.