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Beyond the number of the beast -

Many people are familiar with the number of the beast, which according to Revelation 13:16-18 is 666. But the Bible also mentions a “mark of the beast.”

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Mark of the beast -

The passage speaks of a beast that “forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name,” (Revelation 13:16-17, NIV).

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A Roman stamp -

So what is this mark imposed on followers of the beast? The Greek word for “mark” is charagma, which was also the term used for the Roman imperial stamp. This stamp included the name or likeness of the emperor.

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Nero’s stamp -

According to calculations made using Hebrew letters (NRO QSR), “Nero Caesar” adds up to 666. It has been speculated that Nero’s stamp was the “mark of the beast.” But back in those days, slaves were also marked, and there were a number of people getting religious tattoos, so there are actually more charagma to consider.

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Social Security number -

The Social Security number (SSN) was introduced in the US in 1936. It allowed the government to identify and get specific information about individuals. Some Christians back then were not convinced.

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Social Security number -

It turns out some people still believe the SSN is the “mark of the beast.” In 2021, the Supreme Court declined to take up a case involving an Idaho man named George Ricks who refused to provide the state his SSN.

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Social Security number -

"By forcing me to disclose an SSN (Social Security number) in order for one to buy my labor or for me to sell my labor, is in essence the number of the beast and the card is a form of the mark," said Ricks.

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Credit cards -

Visa, in particular, was targeted by some Christians who claimed it to be the devil’s work. The reasoning was simple: reading the letters of Visa in different languages means 666.

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Credit cards -

The 666 formula was: VI is number 6 in Roman numerals, S is the 6th letter of the Greek alphabet, and A was similar to a 6 in the Babylonian numerals.

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Credit cards -

This was before the Internet, and unless people would look this information up in books, they wouldn’t know better. It turns out, however, that the 6th letter of the Greek alphabet (zeta) doesn’t really look much like an S, nor does 6 in Babylonian cuneiform look like an A.

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Barcodes -

The link between barcodes and the number and mark of the beast goes all the way back to the ‘70s. The number 666 is said to be hidden in barcodes. The theory has been explored by a number of authors, including Mary Stewart Relfe in her 1982 book ‘The New Money System 666.’

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Barcodes -

Despite the theories, barcodes are not placed on right hands or on foreheads, as the Bible mentions. Nor are they "the mark of his name." Barcodes are, however, used for buying and selling, which is pointed out in the Book of Revelation.

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Microchip implants -

In recent years, the use of microchip implants has increased. Companies use them for healthcare purposes, for employee monitoring (albeit consensual), and some people use them to process payments.

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Microchip implants -

As we move towards a cashless society, with cards, codes, and microchips, some Christians have started to wonder if the “mark of the beast” can take various forms.

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Bitcoin -

Speaking of a cashless world, cryptocurrency sounds like the perfect plan for the devil to take over the planet, right? It has been speculated that Bitcoin in particular could be the “mark of the beast.”

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Bitcoin -

Remember the microchip implants? Well, there are people using these to store their Bitcoin wallet passwords.

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Palm scan payment -

Amazon One’s palm scan payment was introduced in 2023. Each palm is unique, making it the perfect way to process a payment. This has, however, raised digital privacy concerns, and some Christians are not happy either.

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Palm scan payment -

The use of biometric data for payments and other tasks is increasing, with many big companies adopting it. Can these be the “mark of the beast”?

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COVID-19 vaccine -

The COVID-19 vaccine rollout was not free of controversy. From conspiracy theories to religious fanaticism, and everything in between, there were a lot of people who were not happy about getting jabbed.

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COVID-19 vaccine -

One of the theories was that the vaccines contained a microchip. For some Christians, this was a clear sign of the “mark of the beast.” Republican National Committee official Peter Feaman said that the vaccines were "the mark of the beast" and compared them to a "false god."

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COVID-19 vaccine -

But not everyone believed this to be the case. "There’s no indication that the vaccine matches the mark described by the Apostle John,” said Pastor Darin Wood of First Baptist Church in Midland, Texas.

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COVID-19 vaccine -

Harvest Christian Fellowship Pastor Greg Laurie explained that "the Bible speaks of someone identified as the 'Antichrist' and he will require people have a 'mark' that people will receive to buy and sell. The COVID-19 vaccine – or any vaccines – have nothing to do with any of this."

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Smartphones -

We do hold our smartphones in our hands and close to our foreheads, and they can act as tracking objects, so we are identifiable. Sounds like something the beast could take advantage of, right?

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The Internet -

WWW (World Wide Web) translates to 666 when using the 6th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, "Vav."

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Google -

And then there are things like Google Chrome’s logo, which is interpreted by some as 666, with red, yellow, and green representing a 6 each.

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Apple -

There is also the Apple logo (Eve’s apple, as a reference to the original sin). But perhaps the most popular link to the “mark of the beast” is the fact that Apple’s first computer went on sale in 1976 for US$666.66.

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Ronald Reagan’s house -

The address of former POTUS Ronald Reagan's Bel-Air home was 668 St. Cloud Drive. Or was it? It turns out the original number was 666, but former First Lady Nancy Reagan had it changed to 668.

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Ronald Reagan’s house -

So, does this mean the Antichrist lived in that house? Well, Reagan did survive an assassination attempt, just like described in Revelation 13:3: “And I saw one of his heads as it were slain to death: and his death’s wound was healed. And all the earth was in admiration after the beast.”

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Sunday as the Lord’s Day -

Going to church on Sunday to worship God may constitute the “mark of the beast.” According to Ezekiel 20:12, sabbath is the day to do this, not Sunday.

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Sunday as the Lord’s Day -

According to authors George Barna and Frank Viola, “In AD 321, Constantine decreed that Sunday would be a day of rest [...] Constantine’s intention in doing this was to honor the god Mithras, the Unconquered Sun.”

Sources: (Listverse) (USA Today) (Loyola University Chicago)(FISM TV)

See also: Things you should know about the Apocalypse

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