I saw it as I read this chapter. I had not noticed this before. All people were marked, some by the Lord (1) and some by the beast (9). The Lord’s mark brings with it the guarantee of salvation; the beast’s mark earns the wearer the fury of the wrath of God.
The two marks, the real and the counterfeit -the Lord’s and the beast’s, launched my thinking about real and counterfeit in faith.
As Moses performed God’s signs before pharaoh, pharaoh’s magicians could mimic the sign at least for the first few signs. Ironically the magician’s power only served to increase human suffering since they multiplied the plague. God’s enemy, in displaying his limited power, increases human suffering.
Many Israelite kings had prophets who advised them. Prophets of the Lord spoke God’s truth, prophets of Baal led
Paul confronted false apostles. Jesus warned of false messiahs. The devil has been counterfeiting from the beginning trying to lead people astray. So he marks his own, just like the Lord marks His own, except one mark is a counterfeit.
When it comes to dollar bills, bank tellers are trained to spot counterfeits. A believer’s training against counterfeits is the solid understanding of God’s Word.
Hmmm… a nugget to ponder more deeply today.
Lord, as I spend time in Your Word daily, build my sensitivities to Your truth so that I can spot counterfeits at first glance. Lord, I do not want to be deceived… Your Word is my safety shield. Help me to use it well, to train my life to use it in all circumstances so that Your Word is my shield and defender as well as my guide for living. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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