So, while most of John’s Revelation seems to be clearly about (now) ancient Rome, I still wonder about the “Mark of the Beast.”
Was there ever such a mark for those who wished to do business in Roman times?
So, while most of John’s Revelation seems to be clearly about (now) ancient Rome, I still wonder about the “Mark of the Beast.”
Was there ever such a mark for those who wished to do business in Roman times?
That’s a great question toadspittle.
I don’t know the answer, but want to give this a little bump so that it gets noticed.
Legionary tattoos, maybe?
A mark or token or somesuch applied to a common person to identify one as having worshiped the roman emperor?
Or a means of identifying the beast itself, i.e. ‘666’ being a code to identify a specific emperor as “the beast” of Revelation?
Take note that Revelation was written near the end of the first century to encourage Christians of that time to persevere unto death. Not a guide book as to events to transpire in the here and now.
Branding was common in classical times (and later) for certain offences.
“A slave who ran away would face branding or possibly even death.”
I think the evangelist was referencing this practice and saying that in the end times the buyer and seller would receive brands as though they were common criminals.
The short answer is that neither the Roman Empire nor any subsequent political entity has actually imposed a permanent mark on people that would be required for them to buy or sell. Had such an event occurred, people would be arguing whether that event had successfully or unsuccessfully fullfilled the prophecy of that passage rather than arguing that it was still a future event.
That is a very logical answer. I would think if there was anything like the mark back then it would be very well known by people who claim it was really about the Roman Empire.
Also does the lack of the mark back in the days of the R.E. disqualify that Revalations in it’s entirity is about the R.E.?
Nope. It just means that that was one image used by the author that did not happen to correspond to any event that happened at that immediate time, just like the lack of existance of the Two Witnesses and the Dragon sweeping the sky of stars or other apocalyptic imagery that were intended for the edification of the people being persecuted by Rome and not as some sort of future prediction of events.
The tie to Rome is in the imagery of the bad guys (seven heads, ten kings, and similar references) and not to a claim that any of the events mentioned were real.