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A Study of the Mark of the Beast. MARK

A MARK

Rome was not an anarchy, but a complex system of laws, regulations and obligations. The burdens that fell upon the average laborer in order to support this burgeoning bureaucracy and apathetic welfare state were immense and they depended upon a elaborate system of tax collectors and revenue officers. The Gabbai [tax collector], collected the regular dues, which consisted of ground-, income-, and poll-tax and the Mokhes collected tax and duty upon imports and exports; on all that was bought and sold; bridge-money, road-money, harbour-dues, town-dues, etc. They had invented taxes that reached into the life of almost everyone. There were taxes based on the number of axles, wheels, pack-animals, pedestrians, the use of roads, highways; on admission to markets; on carriers, bridges, ships, and quays; on crossing rivers, on dams, on licenses, in short, on such a variety of objects, that even the research of modern scholars has not been able to identify all the names.1 Like today not even certified public accountants can figure out all the complexities of these artful tax system.

They not only had to collect these taxes but they had to keep track of who had paid and who had not as well as who was a taxpayer and who was exempt. With all the traveling and trade that was done, there had to be ways of establishing who you were and what your status was. Slaves even had different statuses as well as the residents and subjects of the Empire might be required to supply statute labor for work on local roads or public projects besides the pole tax etc.

How were all these records kept and recorded in an orderly way?

They had many ways to keep track of slave and freeman as well as who had paid what and how much and who was still owing on the myriad of taxes, fees, tariffs, interest and penalties.

Both Greeks and the Romans used small boards with a slightly raised frame filled with wax. These tablets with there thin coating of dark wax were used for brief and short term notations. They scratched letters in the soft wax with a stylus so that the light-colored wood showed through. The tablets were some times linked together with thongs or metal rings and called a codex.

Longer documents were sometimes written on a paper called papyrus These were glued together into rolls 15 to 40 feet long called volumen.

Long term contracts were etched or engraved with a quill in wet clay and then the marks or seals of the parties and witnesses were pressed in as a signature. The tablets were allowed to dry and then they were stored in the temple. This ancient method of record keeping was widely accepted.

Loans of indebtedness and usury sometimes took advantage of this more permanent form of record keeping and made men and their lands a surety by virtue of those etched covenants solemnized by seals and marks in clay fired to make them unbreakable.

The word mark in Revelations is from charagma [ caragma]. A charagma is a stamp or a badge or an imprinted mark. It is from the word charax from charasso (to sharpen to a point). A charax is a pale or stake, a palisade. The only connection between a charax and a charagma is that the early charagmas were made with a charax. A common charagma was created from soft clay tablets upon which letters were scribed with a sharp stick, a charax. This marked clay could then be baked into a ceramic and would last for years.

Slaves in the market place were given dried clay tablets to identify their owner, their qualifications and origins. If such tablets were baked with the seal of the owner they took on a permanency that protected the slave from unwarranted detention as he traveled through the public streets on errands for his master. That etched document was referred to as a charagma2 which was a badge of servitude.

Some employed servants or slaves were very wealthy because of their skills and position. They might be physicians or engineers or lawyers. Their Charagma would identify their status and contain the appropriate seals and information but might also be made of gold, silver. This was impressive to those who required evidence of your status, not unlike your Visa Gold or Platinum card today Which is more impressive to those who see it.

A census in those days required some form of accounting and usually required a token to mark those who had been counted. The census called for by Augustus was regarded as the badge of servitude, and incompatible with the Theocratic character of Israel.3

What is the essential characteristic of a Charagma as a mark. Is it because it is on the forehead or on the hand? Is the important thing to note that it is etched with a sharp object? Or is it because a chragma is a badge of servitude?

Essential Characteristic of a Mark

Is the essential characteristic of a mark its location, shape, form or is it what the mark stands for. A charagma or Mark in the Greek could be branded upon horses. Just any mark on a horse was not a charagma. A charagma was a specific brand. It was a mark that expressed ownership, the right of possession, the right to the use of the item, creature or individual to which the mark is ascribed.

Be not thou [one] of them that strike hands, [or] of them that are sureties for debts. (Pr 22:26)

The word mark in Revelation is specifically a mark that ascribes, to the originator of the mark, the use of individuals. It is essentially a "badge of servitude". But it is also important to understand the context in which the word is used in the text of the Bible.

Charagma appears 9 times in the Bible and is translated graven in Acts 17:29. This is the only place outside of Revelations that charagma appears and it is also the only place it is not translated mark.

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven [charagma] by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Acts 17:28, 30

We are not really the offspring of God in the since of being begotten by him. The word is from genos which is translated, kind, kindred, offspring, nation, stock, born. Another way of expressing what the author is telling us is that we are the kindred or family of God as opposed to some other Family.

Another word that should require our examination in this context is ought. It is from opheilo and is translated ought 15 times but is also translated owe 7 times, be bound 2, be (one's) duty 2, be a debtor 1, be guilty 1, be indebted land 7 other miscellaneous ways. Opheilo actually is defined "to owe, to owe money, be in debt for, that which is due, the debt". The are other words the author could have used like dei which is translated ought 31 times in the Bible, or tis translated 5 time as ought, both appearing in Acts. We find the word Opheilo used in John 13:14, "If I then, [your] Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet." Here again we see an indebtedness expressed.

Acts refers to "graven [charagma] by art and man's device" Graven is the same word for mark as in mark of the beast. There is an obsession with people worrying about graven images of false gods. These gods are not just dead idols in stone or gold but often include technical systems under which man lives. These systems are often mere social programs and schemes by which men began to worship and have faith in his own created institution more so than God himself. The word device here is from enthumesis which means a thinking, consideration; thoughts. There is no powerful false gods than those we create in our own mind.

I believe the author is saying do not let the gold, or silver, or stone, charagma made by the devices or thinking of man become your godhead because you owe it to your Father being part of His family.

Mark in the context of Revelation 14:9

Revelations 14:8-94

And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive [his] mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

IF ANY MAN

If any man is translated from two words ei meaning if or whether and tis meaning a certain. Together they mean "1) whoever, whatever" and they are followed by conditions.

WORSHIP

The first word we can examine is worship from proskuneo meaning an expression of profound reverence... used of homage shown to men of superior rank: such as a profound reverence for an office or a flag or an attitude of 'my country right or wrong.'

It has always amazed me why people think that worshiping God has something to do with singing in Church. In the Hebrew worship is often translated from hxv shachah meaning "to bow down". Since God is the ultimate authority then to bow down or worship Him is to bow to His authority. Singing may be a jester along these lines but I think God would be concerned with a little more substantive behavior. Just to sing out praises in His name may be nothing more than taking His name in vain if we are bowing to other authorities other than His.

THE BEAST

The word beast is from the word therion diminutive from the same as thera which means "trap" or "hunting to destroy". Therion is translated beast, wild beast, venomous beast. In Biblical prophecies of the past beasts always represented governments of men.

Two systems

Beasts in prophesy have been used to represent governments of men. There are two fundamental types of governments.

Ones that hunt or devour men operating on the bases of control, enforced restrictions, human judges exercising authority and ultimately bondage and repression. It uses coercion and seduction of the masses by promises and appeals to pride and self indulgence. Such governments spread their influence by gifts, gratuities and benefits as well as contracts, treaties and pledges of allegiance.

The other is based upon faith, hope, love and charity with individuals exercising authorities over the beast in themselves and obeying their Father and Creator while they are on earth. These governments are created as men and women come together in brotherhood which shares a common acceptance of the wisdom of God's Name (e.g. character) and is written on their receptive hearts and minds.

The former is man made, civil and worldly and ultimately relies on an impatient belief in the spirit of force and control. In this system men codify laws and endlessly write and rewrite rules governing men. These law makers become a ruling elite. These men may be born to these positions or elected by others who would control and rule over their neighbor.

The latter is also spiritual and depends on faith yet is long suffering, patient, self disciplined and composed of those who are willing to sacrifice themselves under the perfect law of liberty and free choice which they exercises by granting the same to others. Those who go this way have put on the key characters of God and neglected by Satan, which is Mercy and Charity. Justice without mercy and charity is justice that falls short of the Grace and Name of God and in its exercising power becomes a plague and the administration of justice is a travesty.

In this latter government and its governing elite are those who are best at ruling themselves not others. They have mastered patience, love, faith and hope. They are men and women of charity and mercy and forgiveness. They minister the kingdom of God with His power and authority knowing his name as it is written in them.

They are both systems of faith and allegiance. Both of them are composed of men. One is based on piling of men by authority upon other men like stones on a heap where one man exercises authority over others and down the line and chain of command until some are crushed under the whim of the elite men who hold dominion over a nation. Like a central father or patronus or ruling authority and the people are compelled to obey under the precept of Parens Patria, obey the Father. Both types of governments are in essence families.

See article FATHER ABBA http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/father.HTM

And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and [will set them] to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. 1 Samuel 8:12

God the Father's family or government is based on the immediate family where the Father is King and servant of his household in obedience to God and these fathers come together voluntarily as the Fathers of common purpose in love of their neighbor.

That the princes of Israel, heads of the house of their fathers, who [were] the princes of the tribes, and were over them that were numbered, offered: Numbers 7:2

Note here the word over is from [ dme ] amad which is translated stood or stand or endure hundreds of times and is translated over only one time in the Bible. These fathers were not to rule over each other but came together as equals. Even in the domicile of their homes they were to rule as Christ ruled the Church with love and patient service and self sacrifice and obedience to the Father in Heaven enduring the burdens of their Natural office.

The governments of men over men have often incorporated religion as some thing distinct from government when in reality, "If we will not be governed by God, then we will be ruled by tyrants." William Penn

In the one system man is governed by man and in the other man is governed by God.

At the time of Jesus, the prophet, God and King of Judea the Beast of the World Order was centralized in the character of Rome.

Israel was the kingdom of Heaven on earth not the religion of Heaven on earth. Eventually there was only a remnant left in as the kingdom called Judea. Yeshua, a.k.a Jesus, was its King. Proclaimed by the people as Hosana son of David, anointed, and officially proclaimed King of Judea by the Roman god or theos, Pontious Pilate. Eventually thousands of Judeans followed the Way and were apart of His kingdom which is fashioned after the ways of God the Father.

Some are convinced the mark is a chip or smart card or Sabbath worship. The Sabbath is not just a day it is a precept of God's Kingdom.

See An ekklesia Study of the Sabbath http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/sabbath.html

THE IMAGE

In Revelation 14:9 the image of the beast is also mentioned. The word in the Greek is eikon which means an image or likeness.

What is "like" unto the Beast today?

Who was the first beast? Was it Babylon or Rome, or does it matter, for were they not all the same as was Egypt also? Who is the second beast made in the image of the first?

We must ask, 5'who is the beast that causes the new image' and 'what would this image look like?'

At the time of Jesus, Rome as a faltering republic was well into a process of decay. "Of a population of about two million, well-nigh one half were slaves; and, of the rest, the greater part either freedmen and their descendants, or foreigners. Each class contributed its share to the common decay... The free citizens were idle, dissipated, sunken; their chief thoughts of the theater and the arena; and they were mostly supported at the public cost... While, even in the time of Augustus, more than two hundred thousand persons were thus maintained by the State, what of the old Roman stock remained was rapidly decaying, partly from corruption, but chiefly from the increasing cessation of marriage, and the nameless abominations of what remained of family-life." Family values were a chief topic of political rhetoric before every election and during the writing of the new constitution by Augustus. Today we might say that the TV and sports are the chief thoughts of the people with near half receiving a government check at the public cost.

All contributed to the general decay.... The social relations exhibited, if possible, even deeper corruption. The sanctity of marriage had ceased. Female dissipation and the general dissoluteness led at last to an almost entire cessation of marriage. Abortion, and the exposure and murder of newly-born children, were common and tolerated; unnatural vices, which even the greatest philosophers practiced, if not advocated, attained proportions which defy description. As regards the Roman rule, matters had greatly changed for the worse since the mild sway of Augustus, under which, in the language of Philo, no one throughout the Empire dared to molest the Jews. Today, living, together divorce, abortion on demand and promiscuous life styles of the rich and famous are proclaimed and envied.

The first Procurator whom Tiberius appointed over Judaea, changed the occupancy of the High-Priesthood four times, till he found in Caiaphas.... The Procurators were Imperial financial officers.... The office was generally in the hands of the Roman knights, which chiefly consisted of financial men, bankers, chief publicans, &c. The order of knighthood had sunk to a low state, and the exactions of such a rule, especially in Judea, can better be imagined than described.6 Today, it is financial men, bankers, chief publicans and lawyers (republican or democratic) and CEOs.

See The Beast and the Image of the Beast http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/romeus.HTM

Worship AND Receive

The word 'and' is a simple word but it can make a great difference in the interpretation of this text. If you receive the mark but do not worship the Beast and his image you do not fulfill the requirements stipulated in the text. If the text were to say receive 'or' worship then you would have an either or situation. If you merely received the mark without worshiping the beast then you do not qualify. If you receive the mark, through ignorance or deception or a combination of both, but have not made a conscious decision to pay homage to the beast then you have not really worshipped them.

RECEIVE

The next word receive,7which comes from the word lambano, means "to take with the hand, lay hold of, any person or thing in order to use it; to take up a thing to be carried; take possession of, i.e. to appropriate to one's self ... to receive what is offered; not to refuse or reject... give him access to one's self."

The word lambano means to receive. The mark can be taken with the hand or laid hold of, or simply not to refuse or reject. It is clear as the word is used that the receiving may include actually taking something in your hand but more specifically merely accepting something or the use of something.

This carries again the concept of trap or hunted. It should be noted that the curse that follows in scripture only applies to men who both worship and receive the mark. Is the mark implanted or simply handed to the one who receives what is offered?

We do the see the word hand at the end of the text which is translated from the word khire it does mean hand as an appendage but its definition is expressed as "1) by the help or agency of any one, by means of any one. 2) fig. applied to God symbolizing his might, activity, power" It is clear by this definition that the word khire is not at all limited to the concept of the physical appendage at the end of your arm.

IN

We also see the preposition in which could leave us with the concept of inside as if the mark must go inside the hand. This has been a source of great misconception concerning the mark. Does it mean that the mark must be inside your flesh? It never meant that in Rome.

'In' in this verse is translated from the word epi. It is a generic preposition that is translated many different ways as a mere preparatory word. For example it is translated in, upon, on, come to, by, at, before, over, etc.8

It should be clear that there is no specification that the mark actually enters the flesh of the hand, furthermore the use of lambano should lead one to think the mark, i.e. the badge of servitude can simply be taken into the hand or not rejected or obtain the use of it without ever even touching it with the hand. Khire assists in confirming this idea when it expresses that you can receive the use of the mark through the help or agency of any one.

FOREHEAD

This brings us to metopon which is translated forehead.9 The word is only found in Revelations. We have just seen that the word received in the hand give no evidence that anything is injected into your physical hand. Quite to the contrary the words denote acceptance, not rejected and include the idea of agency. The word metopon, e.g. forehead is defined the space between the eyes, the forehead. The "chip" proponents who assure us that we don't have the mark until we are injected with a lithium battery microchip note that the injection point is along the hairline near the ear not in the center of the forehead. The word is sometimes associated with memory or thought.

If one need only remember the name or the number of the name it could be assumed that the physical possession of a mark is not even necessary and that the reference to the forehead or the space between the eyes is cognizant of the mind and the location of thought and memory.

Mark in the context of Revelation 14:10

The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: Revelation 14:10

TORMENTED

There are many assumptions concerning what the wrath of God is. We suggest individual study of the words together as well the word for God.

Their are gods many. Http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/theosgod.HTM

The word drink is from pino which does mean to drink but figuratively, to receive. To drink of the wine of the wrath of God seems to be a figurative statement meaning that they will receive something that if it were merely a liquid it would not be desired. Being poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation can at least give us the idea that whatever is coming is full strength and not very diluted.

The last part of this verse sheds important light upon the purpose and meaning of the whole verse. And he shall be tormented can give us the idea of torture or punishment but as with most words, there are several connotation that can be construed. Tormented here is from basanizo which in turn is from basanos. Basanizo actually means "to test (metals) by the touchstone, which is a black siliceous stone used to test the purity of gold or silver by the colour of the streak produced on it by rubbing it with either metal" It can imply torture which might be applied during questioning. Or it was even used by sailors whose ship was struggling with a head wind. The word clearly has the sense of a test rather than punishment.

The word presence is from enopion which is more commonly translated before or in the sight of. To clarify the test nature of these events rather than a condemning punishment and tormenting tortures I ask one question. Why would the holy angels and the Lamb want to watch people suffer? This is clearly a test.

Mark in the context of Revelation 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. Revelation 14:11

Many will tell you that this means if you take the mark you will be cast into hell. This is a conclusion based on the word torment which we have seen has to do with a test and the words fire and brimstone. Fire and Brimstone are not nor have they ever been synonymous with hell. Fire and brimstone are mentioned in the Bible. One particular place it appeared was during the time of the liberation and redemption of the Israelites from Egypt. I suspect that since most of the word are now back in a bondage worse than that of Egypt it would seem reasonable that we will see fire and brimstone before we are all free on earth again. A more detailed explanation will be dealt with elsewhere.

Here in Revelation 14:11 the words smoke ascending has also been interpreted as coming from hell. Throughout the Bible the idea of smoke going up has to do with the accepting of a sacrifice as worthy and in the times of the great test men will be called on to sacrifice all they have. Even their very lives to past the test that Christ has taken before us.

REST

Rest is not from the word anesis meaning a loosening, relaxing is translated rest 3 times and liberty once and be eased 1 time. Nor is it from koimesis meaning a reposing, taking rest.

It is from anapausis which actually means intermission, cessation of any motion, business or labor. As more is revealed about the nature of the test this passage will become much clearer. One may see in this sentence two different points of view. One is that the smoke from the test goes up for ever and the other is that those who meet all the qualifications mentioned get no rest or cessation from their labors.

It may help to add more context to this one line.

Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14:12

The word patience is from hupomone which means steadfastness, constancy, endurance. This may be disappointing to those who are expecting to be raptured away during this test since it is clear you are going to need steadfastness, constancy, endurance. But that will be dealt with elsewhere as well.

Mark in the context of 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. Revelation 13:11

Since we are dealing with the Mark here we will only note that the beast comes out of the earth rather than the sea. If these beasts are governments it could be presumed that the difference between rising from the land and from the sea could have to do with the "Law of the Land" rather than the "Law of the Sea." Most people are not schooled in the classic forms of jurisprudence. For simplicity here we will just say that the Law of the land is based in the Mosaic Law, Common Law and the Law of Nature and Natures God, while the Law of the Sea could include Admiralty, Commercial Law and Equity. Lambs horns could denote that the original authority was rather minuscule yet its rhetoric or action were more like a dragon.

Mark in the context of Revelation 13:12

And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. Revelation 13:12

Numerous people interpret the beast as the Roman Church who was wounded at a particular point in time and recovered. They also interpret the Roman Church as the Harlot. It seems that it cannot be both. The Beast at the time of the writing of Revelation was clearly Rome the Empire. The image of the beast is not a matter of mere location but characteristics. Let us continue and see if we cannot get a picture of what the text is so cryptically saying..

Mark in the context of 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, Revelation 13:13

One clear distinction between the beast and the image or similitude of the beast is that the image of the beast can make fire come down from heaven in the site of the men.

See The Beast and the Image of the Beast http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/romeus.HTM

Mark in the context of Revelation13:14

And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. Revelation 13:14

It is clear that just about everyone on earth is deceived. What helps in this deception is miracles. Are those miracles yet to come or have they already deceived us? We have computers and TV and jet aircraft and a standard of living that has been would some would say is miraculous at least. Some would say that these were not miracles but what word did the author use?

Semeion is defined a sign, mark, token. It is translated sign 50 times and miracle only 23. It does not say that the beast will perform miracles in the supernatural sense as the word might infer today. In our affluence have we also been deceived. Has true and accurate knowledge slipped by us? Have we made the image of the beast? Have we and do we give it power to roar upon the earth?

Mark in the context of Revelation13:15

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

The words Power to give is from didomi and simply means to give. To give what? To give life. The word life is from pneuma which is the word translated into spirit. It is the beast out of the land with little horns of authority that really gives life and force to the image of the beast. Those who will not pay homage to the image of the beast are to be killed.

There are many words for killed in the Greek:

Thuo can be translated killed but is usually used in the context of sacrifice.

Phoneuo is translated killed murder and is from the word phonos, to murder.

Thanatoo is also translated killed and does mean put to death.

Anaire also is translated killed, slay or put to death.

The word in Revelations 13:15 is apokteino means to kill in any way whatever, to destroy, to allow to perish but because the word apo means of separation. The Greek apokteino could mean that they would be allowed to die because of exclusion or deprivation.

The words should be are from hina which means in order that. This could give the idea that death is a result of or cause of rather than a direct command.

Mark in the context of Revelation13:16

And he causeth10 all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive11 a mark in their right hand12, or in their foreheads: Revelation 13:1613

AND HE CAUSETH

Causeth what? He causeth to reseive. Causeth is from poieo meaning to make as in to be the author of, make ready or to prepare. It is most often translated do. Receive is from didomi which means simply to give, to give something to someone, of one's own accord to give one something, to his advantage, to bestow a gift, to grant, give to one asking, let have, to supply, furnish, necessary things... something to be administered. All though the English words causeth to receive may give the idea of force in this verse we do not see force expressed in the Greek text but rather the idea of offer, gift or grant to someone asking.

Mark in the context of Revelation13:17

And that no man might14 buy15 or sell, save he that had 16the mark, or the name17 of the beast, or the number of his name. Revelation 13:1718

.

NO MAN

The words "no man" is not translated from oudeis which is translated 94 times "no man" and "none" 27 times, or "any" or "any man" 6 times. Nor is it from medeis which is translated no man 32 times and means nobody or no one. Nor did the author use ou anthropos meaning no man or no human.

The words "that no" is translated from "hina me" which is translated "that not" 45 times, or "lest" 43 times and "that ... no" only 6 times or even "albeit not" and "so that not" once each.

Man is translated from "tis" which is an enclitic indefinite pronoun translated certain 104 times, some 73, any man 55, any 37, one 34, man 34, anything 24, a 9, certain man 7, something 6, somewhat 6, ought 5, some man 4, certain thing ... "Tis" is defined "1) a certain, a certain one 2) some, some time, a while"

It should be becoming clear that one misconception after another has been swirling around in the church of America and the world that have little to do with common sense specific statements and particular words used by the author and writers of the Bible. We are often clearly being misled to believe by many to think that words like no man means absolutely no one will be allowed to buy or sell if they do not take the mark. Yet we clearly see here that not only was the specific statement not made by the writer but he used an indefinite pronoun to express at least only certain or some would be excluded for not taking the mark.

No where in the Greek is there anything that would leave a reader to translate the text to mean absolutely 'no man' will be able to buy or sell anything. The word "tis" clearly is a word that denotes that some or certain ones are affected. The word man is not even in the original text.

It also might be noted here for those who are sure they are okay until the implant chip is here that the word had in the phrase "had the mark" is echo which means "to have, i.e. to hold. to have (hold) in the hand, in the sense of wearing, to have (hold) possession of the mind... 2) to have i.e. own, possess 2a) external things .... 2b) used of those joined to any one by the bonds of natural blood or marriage or friendship or duty or law etc., of attendance ..." Again the to have the mark has nothing to do with the injection of a chip but clearly includes the idea membership, joined by bonds of family, duty or law. If you have to prove you are a member of the family with your Birth Certificate in order to get a Social Security Card and number then that is saying you have to be a member of the federal family of the US or what ever nation to get the benefits of its commercial market place. If you have to have an Social Security Number to get a job a bank account, credit, business license, marriage license and even a drivers license then that would exclude you from the market place in a very big way.

Let us continue and see if the context continues to support what the author has said so far.

MIGHT

Might is from dunamai meaning, "to be able, have power whether by virtue of one's own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favorable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom" The word custom includes the synonym "practice" and therefore policy. It is again clear in the Greek text that the author is denoting the idea of favorable circumstance or permission of the legal system or even just a matter of policy. He is not making a point of absolute exclusion in his original language.

All these things presently apply to those without SSNs. Those living without the SSN have been tested for years, persecuted for years at least with inconvenience and deprivation. They have been excluded for years and that exclusion is growing by leaps and bounds. Obtaining a Social Security Number is also a key point of consent since it is absolutely voluntary.

Buy and Sell

Buy is from agorazo which means "to be in the market-place, to attend it, hence 2) to do business there, buy or sell". The marketplace since we are dealing with the world merchants, traffickers or Canaanites allows men into their system first with the eligibility by adoption, the birth certificate.

Then they will give you an identifier in a subjective corvee' system of statutory labor.

See Employ vs. Enslave

http://www.hisholychurch.net/study/gods/eve.htm

The Charagma vs. The Card

http://www.hisholychurch.net/study/gods/chvca.htm

Dialogue on the Mark of the beast

http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/mark.html

They do this under the guise, in part, of a Corban system of tithing to the temple named after the most sacred temple of Rome called the Capital. And when your parents are old and in need the collect the stipends paid collectively into the temple.

The Sin of Corban
Http://www.hisholychurch.net/study/history/9corban.html

And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, [It is] Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; [he shall be free].And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. Mark 7:9...

Save that certain or some men who do not have a SSN will not have permission of law or policy to inter the market place and do business.

Already it is Law in the government that gave you the SSN that without it you cannot get a drivers license, business license, marriage license without an SSN. The States must implement this law and many have done so. Some are behind in the timeline required.

NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION http://presys.com/~ekklesia/issue9w.htm
The 666 section ...Redemption

It is already policy and custom that banks, credit cards will not let you enter their market place without the number. Bush has stated there will be a tightening of rules in these arenas to help 'track terrorists, money launderers, drug dealers and prostitutes'.

As things get worse their will be rationing although I suspect that the "ruling elite" http://presys.com/~ekklesia/issue11w.htm#war will have no problem getting what they want. Those with the mark will continue to be accepted and those with out it will be more increasingly excluded from the commercial marketplace which has become the realm of the new world order and the opposition of the kingdom of God on earth..

And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore19 upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and [upon] them which worshipped his image. (Revelation 16:1 2)

There fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast:

Many believe this has to do with a lithium battery operated computer chip that will be implanted and that when that battery leaks a terrible sore will result. I will not address the possibility of this interpretation but to say that it is possible. But it is an assumption that leads people to believe that they are okay as long as they do not take the chip. This is very dangerous thinking.

If this hypothesis is incorrect they are lulling millions of people into a false since of security. Who would do that but the devil himself?

The idea that the mark is a chip is really without any real support except in the imagination of dreamers and producers of Christian fables.

Let us examine what is really being said in the text and not put our words merely in translators but also in authors as well as the author of Truth.

Noisome and Grievous, Poneros and Kakos

There are at least nine different words that are used to produce the English word sore in the King James New Testament text. Eight of them [Sphodra, Aganakteo, Lian, En, Polus, Ekthambeo, Megas, hikanos] have nothing to do with a sore as a sore or wound or even being sick or ill. The word kakos [kakwv kak-oce'] does mean miserable, to be ill. It is from the word kakos [kakov kak-os'] meaning of a bad nature, not such as it ought to be or of a mode of thinking, feeling, acting, base, wrong, wicked or even troublesome, injurious, pernicious, destructive, baneful. This is not the source of the word sore in that text. The word noisome describing this sore is from kakos. According to Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) the word Noisome does mean Noxious to health; hurtful; mischievous; unwholesome; insalubrious; destructive. The problem is that kakos is only translated noisome once and is translated evil forty times. Kakos is not a word that would normally be found modifying the word sore or wound.20

The second word to modify sore is grievous which is from poneros [ponhrov] from a derivative of ponos meaning great trouble, intense desire. It is also translated evil some fifty one times and wicked or wicked one some sixteen times. To translate both poneros and kakos into the word evil does not do the Greek text justice. Poneros is defined, "full of labours, annoyances, hardships 1a) pressed and harassed by labours 1b) bringing toils, annoyances, perils;..." Also it is defined "bad, of a bad nature or condition".21

We see here that poneros can have a sense of diseased but it really is commonly used to describe something such as pressed labor or bringing toil and again has an evil or wicked nature. Again with the words poneros and kakos we have a description that something is full of pressed labors and not what it ought to be with a bad or wicked nature possibly as a result of wrong thinking. These words have a great deal to do with forced labor for an evil cause or condition.

So, what is the word that has contributed the word sore to this text?

Helkos the Sore

The word elkow helkoo means to make sore, cause to ulcerate and that word is from helkos [elkov] which can mean a wound or even a sore or ulcer. It is helkos that appears in the text. Helkoo is from helkos not the other way around. The word helkos with a Strong's number 1668 is from helkuo [elkuw] or helko [elkw] which means to draw, drag off. It is akin to the word haireomai [aireomai] which means to take for oneself, to prefer, choose or to choose by vote, elect to office. Helko appears in Acts 21:30 "they dragged him from the temple" and James 2:6 "Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?" Also the Greek holkos, connected with helko meaning I draw.

In Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament22, Moulton and Milligan say the Greek term helko or helkuo has almost the sense of dragging by force. It is used of hauling bricks, of towing, of dragging along, and even in connection with impressing people as laborers.

This meaning would fit well with poneros and kakos which can both easily be used with the idea of impressing people as laborers. Is this the word and idea that the author is trying to express? It seems reasonable. Add the fact that Charagma means a badge of servitude and the meaning comes clearer and clearer. Add again the fact that one of the ten commandments specifies that we are not to serve other gods and the idea of laboring in servitude to the beast seems a great travesty.

Exodus 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me;

PREVIOUS MARKs and the Mark of the LORD

In the old testament there is a mark related to the forehead.

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. Ezekiel 9:4

This is the Mark of the LORD which is the [wt ] tav. This was not a computer chip nor is the mark of the Beast a computer chip. The mark of the beast is the antitheses of the Mark of God. As the Mark of God is Faith the Mark of the Beast is the evidence of a lack of faith in God and an imposition of faith in the systems of men who's ways are antichrist.

Sabbath of Faith
http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/sabbath.html

The Romans exterminated many of the early Christians because they would not take oaths of allegiance to the gods of Rome. These gods required donations of tribute in service or financial support. The administered systems of social security, education and national defense. They would receive a paper to prove that they were regular donators to these ungodly systems created by men.

There are gods many
http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/theosgod.HTM

The Apotheos of Washington
http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/apotheos.HTM

The polity of the His Holy Church

http://www.hisholychurch.net/polity.HTM

Another use of the word Charagma was "an impression made in wax" with a seal, leaving the inscription of the owner. It was an impression in wax of some type of identifying mark. Goods, sent from one port to another, were placed in sealed the package which could not be easily tampered with without damaging the wax impression. Also, to retrieve the goods you would match the stamp to the imprint on the wax. This is also how you tell who is sealed in the LORD.

(1 Corinthians 15:49). Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly

The Kingdom of Heaven

Like most words ouranos can have several senses and meanings, "...indeed we have no suitable word to express what the Greeks at first called an ouranos. It will be convenient to use the term "world" for it; but then we must remember that it does not refer solely, or even chiefly, to the earth, though it includes that along with the heavenly bodies."23

Cuius est solum, ejus est usque ad caelum et ad inferos

He owns the land from the heavens and to the center of the earth.

The Romans and many other cultures believed that if a man owned the land he owned it from the heavens that surrounded the earth all the way to its center.

Even in American courts when someone actually owns the land having more than a mere legal title, "the maxim that a man's land extends to the center of the earth below the surface, and to the skies above, and are absolute in the owner of the land."24

The land owned with a true and actual title by an individual was his realm his kingdom and not subject to another. In the Aramaic the word translated into kingdom of heaven or kingdom of God is malkuthach. It actually means a realm.

The word Ouranos which is used in the translation of the kingdom of Heaven actually means not so much what is beyond the sky but it is the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things with in it. The heavens surrounded the earth and contained it. The word Ouranos can include the atmosphere and the earth all the way to its center.

Ouranos, comes from a root that means "to cover, encompass." The meaning of ouranos includes " the upper regions, the vaulted expanse of the sky." It includes the outer edge of our sky and everything contained there in all the way to the center of the earth. So the phrase kingdom of heaven can very much mean the Kingdom of the world, the earth or the Kingdom covering the entire planet.

The Kingdom of Heaven study series

Also:

My kingdom is not of this world What world?
http://www.hisholychurch.net/sermon/world.HTM

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1 "Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah" Bible CD: CHAPTER III.

2 Strong's No.5480 charagma {khar'-ag-mah} from the same as 5482; a scratch or etching, i.e. stamp (as a badge of servitude), or sculptured figure (statue); graven mark.

3 That these were the sole grounds of resistance to the census, appears from Jos. Ant. xviii. 1. 1, 6.

4 Romanized,unaccented: (Rev 14:9) Kai allos angelos tritos eekoloutheesen autois legoon en foonee megalee, Ei tis proskunei to theerion kai teen eikona autou kai lambanei charagma epi tou metoopou autou ee epi teen cheira autou,

5 Romanized,unaccented: (Rev 14:9) Kai allos angelos tritos eekoloutheesen autois legoon en foonee megalee, Ei tis proskunei to theerion kai teen eikona autou kai lambanei charagma epi tou metoopou autou ee epi teen cheira autou,

6 "Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah" Bible CD: CHAPTER XI.

7 Strong's No. 2983 lambano {lam-ban'-o} a prolonged form of a primary verb, which is used only as an alternate in certain tenses; vb AV - receive (133) - take (106) - have (3) - catch (3) - not translated (1) - misc (17) [263] I) to take 1) to take, i.e. to take with the hand, lay hold of, any person or thing in order to use it; to take up a thing to be carried; to take upon one's self 2) to take in order to carry away: without the notion of violence, i,e to remove, take away 3) to take what is one's own, to take to one's self, to make one's own 3a) to claim, procure, for one's self; to associate with one's self as companion, attendant 3b) of that which when taken is not let go, to seize, to lay hold of, apprehend 3c) to take by craft (our catch, used of hunters, fisherman, etc.), to circumvent one by fraud 3d) to take to one's self, lay hold upon, take possession of, i.e. to appropriate to one's self 3e) catch at, reach after, strive to obtain 3f) to take a thing due, to collect, gather (tribute) 4) to take, i.e. to admit, receive; to receive what is offered; not to refuse or reject; to receive a person, give him access to one's self, i.e. to regard any one's power, rank, external circumstances, and on that account to do some injustice or neglect something 5) to take, to choose, select 6) to take beginning, to prove anything, to make a trial of, to experience II) to receive (what is given), to gain, get, obtain, to get back.

8 epi or epi. is translated in Rev 7:3, 9:4,13:6,14:1,14:9., but translated upon in Rev.20:4; Matt 24:3; Luke 17:31; John 19:31; Acts 12:21 and on in Matt 14:19, 24:17, 27:19; Mark 13:15; John 19:19; Acts 25:17; Rev 4:10, 5:1, 5:7, 6:16 and come to in Matt 28:14 and by Mark 11:4 and at in Luke 22:40; Acts 25:10; Rev 8:3 and before in Acts 24:20 and over in Rev14:18 etc.

9 Strong's No. 3359 metopon met'-o-pon } from 3326 and ops (the face); TDNT - 4:635,591; n n AV - forehead (8) 1) the space between the eyes, the forehead.

10 Strong's No. 4160 poieo {poy-eh'-o}apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; ; vb AV - do (357) - make (114) - bring forth (14) - commit (9) - cause (9) - work (8) - show (5)- bear (4) - keep (4)- fulfill (3) - deal (2) - perform (2)- not translated (2)- misc (43) [576] I) to make 1a) with the names of things made, to produce, construct, form, fashion, etc. 1b) to be the authors of, the cause 1c) to make ready, to prepare ... render one anything; to (make i.e.) constitute or appoint one anything, to appoint or ordain one that; ... 3) to be the authors of a thing (to cause, bring about)... 1e) to perform; to a promise.

11 1325 didomi {did'-o-mee} a prolonged form of a primary verb (which is used as an altern. in most of the tenses); v AV - give 365, grant 10, put 5, show 4, deliver 2, make 2, misc 25; 413 1) to give 2) to give something to someone 2a) of one's own accord to give one something, to his advantage 2a1) to bestow a gift 2b) to grant, give to one asking, let have 2c) to supply, furnish, necessary things 2d) to give over, deliver 2d1) to reach out, extend, present 2d2) of a writing 2d3) to give over to one's care, intrust, commit 2d3a) something to be administered 2d3b) to give or commit to some one something to be religiously observed 2e) to give what is due or obligatory, to pay: wages or reward 2f) to furnish, endue 3) to give 3a) to cause, profuse, give forth from one's self 3a1) to give, hand out lots 3b) to appoint to an office 3c) to cause to come forth, i.e. as the sea, death and Hell are said to give up the dead who have been engulfed or received by them 3c) to give one to someone as his own 3c1) as an object of his saving care 3c2) to give one to someone, to follow him as a leader and master 3c3) to give one to someone to care for his interests 3c4) to give one to someone to whom he already belonged, to return 4) to grant or permit one 4a) to commission

12 1188 dexios {dex-ee-os'} from '1209'; adj AV - right hand 39, right 12, right side 2; 53

1) the right, the right hand 2)) metaph. 2a) a place of honour or authority Note that this word is from 1209 dechomai {dekh'-om-ahee} AV - receive 52, take 4, accept 2, take up 1; 59 1) to take with the hand 1a) to take hold of, take up 2) to take up, receive

13 Rev 13:16 Kai poiei pantas, tous mikrous kai tous megalous, kai tous plousious kai tous ptoochous, kai tous eleutherous kai tous doulous, hina doosin autois charagma epi tees cheiros autoon tees dexias ee epi to metoopon* autoon.

14 1410 dunamai of uncertain affinity; v AV-can (could) 100, cannot + 3756 45, be able 37, may (might) 18, able 3, misc 7; 210 1) to be able, have power whether by virtue of one's own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom 2) to be able to do something 3) to be capable, strong and powerful

15 Strong's No. 59 agorazo {ag-or-ad'-zo} from 58; vb AV - buy (28) - redeem (3) [31] 1) to be in the market-place, to attend it, hence 2) to do business there, buy or sell 3) of idle people: to haunt the market-place, lounge there.

16 Strong's No. 2192 echo {ekh'-o} including an alternate form scheo {skheh'-o}, used in certain tenses only), a primary verb; vb AV - have (612) - be (22) - need + 5532 (12) - misc (63) [709] 1) to have, i.e. to hold; to have (hold) in the hand, in the sense of wearing, to have (hold) possession of the mind (refers to alarm, agitating emotions, etc.), to hold fast keep, to have or comprise or involve, to regard or consider or hold as 2) to have i.e. own, possess; external things such as pertain to property or riches or furniture or utensils or goods or food etc., used of those joined to any one by the bonds of natural blood or marriage or friendship or duty or law etc, of attendance or companionship 3) to hold one's self or find one's self so and so, to be in such or such a condition 4) to hold one's self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to; to be closely joined to a person or a thing.

17 Strong's No. 3686 onoma {on'-om-ah} from a presumed derivative of the base of 1097 (compare 3685); n n AV - name (194) - named (28) - called (4) surname + 2007 (2) - named + 2564 (1) - not translated (1) [230] 1) name: univ. of proper names 2) the name is used for everything which the name covers, everything the thought or feeling of which is aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing, remembering, the name, i.e. for one's rank, authority, interests, pleasure, command, excellences, deeds etc. 3) persons reckoned up by name 4) the cause or reason named: on this account, because he suffers as a Christian, for this reason

18 Rev 13:17 kai* hina mee tis duneetai agorasai ee pooleesai ei mee ho echoon to charagma to onoma tou theeriou ee ton arithmon tou onomatos autou.

19 Strong's No. 1668 helkos {hel'-kos} probably from 1670; TDNT - omitted, omitted; n n AV - sore (3) 1) a wound, especially a wound producing a discharge pus, a sore, an ulcer

20 Strong's No. 2556 kakos {kak-os'} apparently a primary word; adj AV - evil (40) - evil things (3) - harm (2) - that which is evil + 3458 (2) - wicked (1) - ill (1) - bad (1) - noisome (1) [51] 1) of a bad nature; not such as it ought to be 2) of a mode of thinking, feeling, acting; base, wrong, wicked 3) troublesome, injurious, pernicious, destructive, baneful

21 Strong's No. 4190 poneros {pon-ay-ros'} from a derivative of 4192; adj AV - evil (51) - wicked (10) - wicked one (6) - evil things (2) - misc (7) [76]1) full of labours, annoyances, hardships 1a) pressed and harassed by labours 1b) bringing toils, annoyances, perils; of a time full of peril to Christian faith and steadfastness; causing pain and trouble 2) bad, of a bad nature or condition 2a) in a physical sense: diseased or blind 2b) in an ethical sense, evil wicked, bad

22

23 PLATO'S DIALOGUES, Early Greek Philosophy, Introduction , John Burnet.

24 Taylor v Fickas, 64 Ind. 167, 172 (1878)