“Mark Of The Beast”

Sunday, October 28, 2012

I am very tortured by something.  I learned of it from the History Channel special on Armageddon.  I looked into it, and it is in the Scriptures.  I asked Jesus to come into my life months ago.  And after, I felt His light shine into my heart.  My question: the thing that has been torturing me is that the Scriptures say those with the mark of the beast are those with a mark on their right hand or forehead.  Something will happen to them.  I’m unclear on what.  I think I know, but it tortures me.  I have both these marks, one on my right hand, from a burn, and one on my forehead, a scar.  I fear that my soul is already lost.  I WANT TO BE WITH GOD!  I asked and begged for His forgiveness and to have mercy upon my soul.  I don't want to go to hell.  I WANT TO BE WITH JESUS!  And it tortures me to think my path has already been decided.  I have been tortured by this.  I WANT TO BE IN GOD'S LIGHT!  I WANT TO HUG JESUS!  Please help me. Give me advice.  Anything.  I am very troubled and in need of guidance. Thank you.

Sincerely,
A Marked Man

Dear A Marked Man,

The verse you are referring to is Rev 14:9.  However, take comfort – it isn’t referring to you.  The book of Revelation is dealing with the struggle between christians and the idolatrous nation of Rome; therefore, it can’t be referring to the burn on your hand and the scar on your head; you weren’t alive back then!  Don’t worry; they get a lot of stuff wrong on television.

It is important to remember that the book of Revelation is a book written with symbolic and figurative language (Rev 1:1).  It is a vision the apostle John received on the island of Patmos that uses apocalyptic dream-like visions to teach on a real-life subject that was “soon to come to pass” and “at hand” (Rev 1:1 and Rev 1:3).  Considering John wrote the book somewhere between 65 A.D. and 100 A.D. – we are about two thousand years too late for the vision to specifically apply to us.  Today, you need to obey the Gospel in order to be in God’s light (1 Jn 1:5-6).  We recommend that you read “What Must I Do To Be Saved?”, so that you can feel confident about what will save your soul.  There is more to it than simply asking Jesus into your life.  After reading that, we would love to help you find a faithful congregation in your area to help you learn and grow in God’s Word.  Please e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org, and we will help you find a congregation.

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