Devotion 2: The Mark of the Beast
Gary Wright
“Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.”(Revelation 13:16-17)
Have you ever had something in life that you loved so much that you became obsessed with it? I have, and it was clay target shooting. When I first started shooting it was something that I did occasionally and just for fun. Shooting became so enjoyable to me that I started doing it more often and eventually started shooting in competitions. I eventually got to the point of it consuming my thoughts and life. If I was not shooting, I was talking about it, hanging out with people that were also involved in the sport, and it was what I spent my money on. I worshiped shooting.
What is worship? Worship is to hold something up with such devotion, reverence, honor, and esteem that it becomes the first priority in our lives.
During the tribulation in Revelation chapter 13, people will be tricked into believing the Antichrist is Jesus and many will submit to him and worship him.
Revelation 13:4 says, “They worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?’” The Beast is the Antichrist. There will also be an image of the Antichrist that will be worshiped; those who refuse to worship the Antichrist or the image of him will be put to death. All who worship him or the image of him will get a mark on their forehead or their right hand, showing outwardly where their devotion lies. This mark is called the mark of the beast, which is something most of us have heard of. There is a lot of speculation as to what the mark will be, but we really do not know. Only those who worship the Antichrist and receive the mark will be able to buy or sell things such as food, clothing, and medical supplies. In Revelation 14:1, the 144,000 will also have a mark; however, it will show that they belong to God, “Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.”
These Scriptures show the importance of worship. For several years of my life, I worshiped shooting. This is going to sound corny, but I was focused on the wrong target. When we truly love and worship Jesus, He is going to show up in our thoughts, speech, finances, and actions. We may not have a physical mark to show who we worship, but people will see it in our lifestyle.
What are you worshiping?
Romans 12:1 adds, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”