___________________________________|
theseason.org |_________________________
Scar of Service, 6-6-6
There
is a storm coming. A choice to make which will determine
your eternal destiny.
What will you choose?
I offer this study to anyone who may be struggling with the meaning of the 'mark in the right hand or forehead' from God's Word.
Let's Begin with the Old Testament, where there is a type for us of God's protection with a 'Mark':Ezek 9:4
"And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof".
Ezek 6
Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
Mark (Strong's Concordance)
8420 tav (tawv); from 8427; a mark; by implication, a signature: KJV-- desire, mark. Primitive ROOT of Mark 8427 tavah (taw-vaw'); a primitive root; to mark out, i.e. (primitive) scratch or (definite) imprint: KJV-- scrabble, set [a mark].
What happened here? What was the mark and the significance of it? What was God saying?
Here in the next few verses we can see 'service to the Lord' was instructed as an ordinance to be carried out in the land which God had promised them.
Exod 12:22-30
"And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.
And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.
And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.
And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?"
So the The Mark on the doorposts was for their protection. As the servants of the one true God, they obeyed His voice. Do you see a type in this for the a mark of the beast? (Well hang on to that thought). God instructed them with what to do to avoid death. Do you think it was merely the blood that saved them, or their obedience to God of whom they served? This mark was physical, but not on their body.
Now for the verse in Revelation, keeping in mind that God placed a mark upon those he protected. There is a mark placed upon those who have the truth sealed in their forehead, which is called a 'seal' and there is a mark upon those who do not. The mark is a scar of service, not an actual physical mark. The significance of the right hand is 'to work' [for]. The mark of his name is bowing to the beast (false christ), or a 'badge or servitude', this is idolatry.
Rev 14:11
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever:and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Rev 19:20
20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Rev 20:4
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Mark
5480 charagma (khar'-ag-mah); from the same as 5482; a scratch or etching, i.e. stamp (as a badge of servitude), or scupltured figure (statue): KJV-- graven, mark.Mark, 5482
5482 charax (khar'-ax); from charasso (to sharpen to a point; akin to 1125 through the idea of scratching); a stake, i.e. (by implication) a palisade or rampart (military mound for circumvallation in a siege): KJV-- trench.
What is the meaning or significance of the right hand? This mark is in the right hand, and in the forehead ? It is the stronger more dexterous side, which is an action word. This is to work. Note the word 'instrument'. This means to receive.
right
1188 dexios (dex-ee-os'); from 1209; the right side or (feminine) hand (as that which usually takes):
KJV-- right (hand, side).
That which usually takes, and the root of this (1209) means 'to receive'. This is not referring to a noun (a tangable thing, but rather an action....as in motion.)
Now here is the definition of the word 'hand' in this:
Hand
5495 cheir (khire);
perhaps from the base of 5494 in the sense of its congener the base of 5490 (through the idea of hollowness for grasping); the hand (literally or figuratively [power]; especially [by Hebraism] a means or INSTRUMENT):
KJV-- hand.
This is why our second commandment reads (you can tie 'graven' to this and it is not referring to a piece of art, rather idolatry). We are not to receive any graven image or false god.
Exod 20:4
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Graven
6459 pecel (peh'-sel); from 6458; an idol: KJV-- carved (graven) image.
Now some information on the seal of God. Similarly to when they placed a mark on the door outwardly in the old testament and were protected, we now have a spiritual mark inwardly to be protected:
And here is seal in this:
Rev 9:4
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
SEAL 4973
sphragis (sfrag-ece'); probably strengthened from 5420; a signet (as fencing in or protecting from misappropriation); by implication, the stamp impressed (as a mark of privacy, or genuineness), literally or figuratively:
KJV-- seal.
And here is a seal which is placed on satan himself:
Rev 20:3
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Seal (on satan)
4972 sphragizo (sfrag-id'-zo); from 4973; to stamp (with a signet or private mark) for security or preservation (literally or figuratively); by implication, to keep secret, to attest: KJV-- (set a, set to) seal up, stop.
Now to help you understand even better I include the following:
Gal 6:17
17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
4742 stigma
(stig'-mah); from a primary stizo (to "stick", i.e. prick); a mark incised or punched (for recognition of ownership), i.e. (figuratively) scar of service: KJV-- mark.
Now, here is something which will help you even more. Some information straight from the manuscripts, which you would not find in your study material (Strongs, Greens, or Biblesoft) on the number 666:
Rev 13:18
18 Here 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 threescore and six.
Here is the copy of the manuscript part of the 666 :
Now if you look in Strong's, Green's, or Biblesoft it will tell you the numbers 666 are Strongs numbers 1812, 1835, and 1803. But by looking at the Greek text you can see it is 5516 for all of it: (There is a lot more in this, If you can find it)
4742 stigma (stig'-mah);
from a primary stizo (to "stick", i.e. prick); a mark incised or punched (for recognition of ownership), i.e. (figuratively) scar of service:
KJV-- mark.
STIGMA (Websters Def):
It is: a scar, mark or brand, left by a hot iron, a MARK OF SHAME OR DISCREDIT, stain, a specific diagnostic sign of a disease.
This clearly tells us that the burning that is going to take place is not from a branding iron which marks us, but the 'scar of service' from serving the false christ. The heart of each person will be where the mark brands or discredits him. This is about worshipping a strange god, a fake who will slip in as a theif in the night, stealing God's children. Be alert! Be aware! If you are in the flesh, the Lord has not yet come.
It is my belief that each man/woman will be confronted with a decision to follow the beast, (this is to say receive the mark by bowing and worshipping satan and his image), or you remain true to the true Christ and receive the seal of God and His protection. These things are spiritual choices, not physical marks, it is who you serve as your Lord and Savior.
I hope this study helped you understand that the mark of the beast is not a physical mark, but an act of worship.
All Scripture for this study was taken from the King James Bible. Word studies were done with the Strong's Concordance. The author is "Shamrock", and the study can be shared freely, (excluding placing this on the web anywhere) only if used in it's entirety, and provided the original author's name is intact, (i.e. , no new author's name is added, and the study remains unaltered). Questions? Email Shamrock, at Shamrock@theseason.org.
