All agree that
Revelation 14:1-2 is symbolic, in speaking about the name of the Father on the foreheads of the 144,000., Why then do we say
Revelation 13:16-18, speaking about the mark of the beast on the foreheads of people is not?
Revelation 13:16 - 14:1 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: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 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. And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads .
Both passages speak of something being put on the foreheads of individuals. In fact, the passages, though they separated by the humanly added chapter title "CHAPTER 14," are only one or two verses apart! (The chapter writings in chapter 14 are original, but the chapter and verse title -- " CHAPTER 14" -- was added.) The same imagery is used in both chapters. Most agree that the idea of the name of the Father on the foreheads of the 144,000 is a symbolic picture of the people of God being identified. Nobody believes there will be a literal mark on the foreheads of these people reading "FATHER" or "JESUS", or whatever! Yet the same people will say that the mark or number of the beast on the forehead or right hand is either a physical computer chip or something else that is physical.
So many are unaware of the biblical usage of symbols and therefore don't even recognize the following connection:
Exodus 13:15-16 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem. And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.
A TOKEN would be placed on their hands and foreheads.
Exodus 13:9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD'S law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.
The word "TOKEN" is translated from the from the Hebrew " 'owth " {oth} and is probably derived from "'uwth" {ooth} which means "to consent, agree" (in the sense of appearing). It is also translated in the KJV as "sign(s)", "ensign(s)", "miracles", "mark". Its definitions are as follows:
1) sign, signal
1a) a distinguishing mark
1b) banner
1c) remembrance
1d) miraculous sign
1e) omen
1f) warning
2) token, ensign, standard, miracle, proof
So we clearly see the symbolic nature of the token. It even says it is translated as "MARK", and we find that in...
Genesis 4:15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
These frontlets and hand tokens were called PHYLACTERIES by Jesus in
Matthew 23:5. For an entire message about this issue check out this study: PHYLACTERIES OF HELL . The Word "Phylacteries" is actually defined in English as "defenses and protections." They were parchments of the laws that specifically were told by God to be regarded as frontlets. When God told Moses to regard these scriptures and truths as frontlets between his eyes (on his forehead) and as bound to his arm, He told Moses that keeping the commandments of His Word would cause the people to be protected and defended by God, Himself. Satan has His counterfeit "Torah and law." He has his kingdom also.
The forehead is a metaphor for the WILL of a person (
Ezekiel 3:8-9 -- note how you must interpret the metaphor using the Bible itself, rather than search into science magazines of the present day). The right hand is a metaphor for a person's POWER (
Exodus 15:6;
Luke 22:69). The idea of a computer chip placed beneath the skin is simply not what the Bible is speaking about in
Revelation 13. One would not know that, though, if one did not search the Bible for interpretations rather than the science magazines of today's world. People would have you believe that a claim for the use of allegories in the Bible is actually an excuse for spiritualizing away the word of God. Nonsense. It is using the Bible itself to interpret the Bible.
J. L. Martin, in 1873, wrote these words, having missed the symbolic nature of the book of Revelation chapter 9.
"John is pointing to the modern mode of fighting on horseback, with the rider leaning forward, which, to his sight, and to the sight of one looking on at a distance, would appear as the great mane of the lion; the man leaning on his horse’s neck. He would, in fighting with firearms, have to lean forward to discharge his piece, lest he might shoot down his own horse that he was riding. In John’s day the posture was very different. . . . Now, I want to ask my friendly hearers if it is not as literally fulfilled before our eyes as anything can be? Are not all nations engaged in this mode of warfare? Do they not kill men with fire and smoke and brimstone? . . . Do you not know that this is just ignited gunpowder?"
(JL Martin, The Voice of the Seven Thunders: oc Lectures on the Apocalypse (Bedford, IN: James M. Mathes, Publisher, sixth cd., 1873), pp. 149f.)
Martin looked at his then-modern-day invention of gunpowder and pistols and pointed to
Revelation 9 saying this proves John wrote of his day and the pistols of his day. Instead of looking to the Bible for the reference of "locusts", etc., he looked to the science of his day. He would have accused anyone of thinking otherwise that they were
spiritualizing the Bible away!
...Just saying.
Linear Mode
