When Does The Mark Of The Beast Begin?

Name: Manny
Question: Hello, Is the mark of the beast implemented before satan gets here or after he’s already here? Thank you.

Answer: Thank you for the question Manny.

The Mark of the Beast cannot begin until the Antichrist (Satan) is on the earth. In fact, the Mark of the Beast does not begin until the middle of the Tribulation.

Additionally, the Mark of the Beast is not a literal mark, though it will have very real physical, mental, and spiritual consequences.

We should also realize, just as Satan has a mark to deceive, God has a mark to protect. We have an example of this in Revelation 7, where we are told the Tribulation cannot unfold until the 144,000 are sealed “in their foreheads”, (Revelation 7:3). Simply meaning, they must be Sealed with the Word of God against Satan’s lies and deception.

Let’s talk about it.

The Mark Begins

In order to identify when the Mark of the Beast begins, we need to understand who issues the Mark.

Let’s do that, turn your Bible with me to,

Revelation 13:16
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:

Who is “he” that causes all “to receive a mark”?

Let’s read verse 11 to find out.

Revelation 13:11
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

We now know, the “Dragon” is the “he” being spoken of in verse 16.

Who then is the Dragon?

Turn your Bible with me to,

Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

When we put this together, Scripture tells us “he” is the “Dragon” who is Satan.

So it is Satan who causes everyone to receive the Mark of the Beast. Satan cannot do that unless he is on earth. Satan must be present in order to accomplish that.

How can we be so certain?

Revelation 13:13
And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

“He”, Satan will do great wonders “in the sight of men”, right before our eyes. In the next three verses, we learn Satan deceives the people of the earth “by the means of those miracles,” and then Satan causes the people to receive the Mark of the Beast, (Revelation 13:14-16).

It is critical to remember, Satan will not claim to be Satan. Satan will claim to be God, that is why Satan is known as the Antichrist, (2 Thessalonians 2:4).

That is why Satan will perform miracles “in the sight of men”, to convince the people of the earth that he is even the Lamb of God. That is why Satan’s description in Revelation 13:11 includes the appearance of “a lamb” though he “spake as a dragon”.

Therefore, the Mark of the Beast will not appear to be evil at all. The Mark of the Beast will appear as a good and righteous thing to accept and be a part of.

As we have now learned, the Mark of the Beast cannot begin until Satan and his angels have been cast out of Heaven into the earth. A very public event that initiates the Tribulation.

However, even the beginning of the Tribulation does not bring about the Mark of the Beast.

The Mark Begins At The Midst Of The Week

Once Satan appears on earth claiming to be God, he will confirm a covenant with world leaders for “one week”, (Daniel 9:27). This “one week” is the final week that concerns the 70 weeks of Daniel. This “one week” was to span a 7 year period, the duration of the Tribulation.

Now at the “midst of the week”, which marks the middle of the Tribulation, Satan is granted absolute power over the global order. ‘Power over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations’, (Revelation 13:7). This becomes evident by reading Daniel 9:27 and Revelation 13:5, where the Dragon obtains “power” and ‘continues forty and two months’.

We should understand, 42 months is equal to 3.5 years, which is half of the Tribulation. Therefore, Satan does not obtain absolute power over the global order until the “midst of the week”, the middle of the Tribulation.

Then and only then should we expect to see the Mark of the Beast actually begin, though there will be much talk and precursors before it becomes a reality.

What Is The Mark Of The Beast?

The Mark of the Beast is a spiritual mark with very real physical, mental, and spiritual consequences. Accepting the Mark of the Beast means one has accepted Satan as their messiah, fully believing Satan to be God.

The people of the world will mistakenly believe Satan is God as they are deceived by the “great wonders” Satan displays “in the sight of men”. This occurs due to a lack of Biblical education, which means, those who are deceived did not have their lamps full of oil, just like the foolish virgins.

Many Christians have a difficult time understanding how the Mark of the Beast can be spiritual. So we are going to compare the Mark of the Beast, to God’s mark.

The Two Marks

We often become so sidetracked with Satan’s Mark of the Beast, that we forget God has a mark called a “Seal”. By comparing these two “marks”, we can gain a better understanding of what they are, including their purpose.

Seal Of God: “In Their Forehead”

Revelation 7:3
Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

God’s mark is called a Seal which is spiritual in nature.

It is placed into the person’s “forehead” which is our mind. It is what we believe and accept to be true. This mark, this Seal protects the individual from Satan’s lies and deception during the Tribulation.

While Scripture indicates only 144,000 are Sealed, we should also understand “the multitude” of Revelation 7 will be Sealed as well.

Remember, when we accept Jesus Christ into our heart and mind, that is also a spiritual decision. One that has very real physical, mental, and spiritual consequences.

Mark Of The Beast: “In Their Forehead”

Revelation 13:16
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:

Satan’s Mark of the Beast is also spiritual.

It is placed into the person’s “right hand” or their “forehead”. The right hand is symbolic of our works, while our forehead is symbolic of our mind and what we believe.

If one accepts the Mark of the Beast, they accept and even do the works of Satan who they perceive to be God.

Conclusion

Therefore, God’s Seal and Satan’s Mark of the Beast are both spiritual, they both describe what we believe to be true. While both marks are spiritual, there are very real physical, mental, and spiritual consequences attached to each.

Nevertheless, the Mark of the Beast cannot begin until Satan and his angels are cast from Heaven to earth. This event initiates the Tribulation, and even then, the Mark of the Beast will not become a reality until the “midst of the week”.