I'm reading a book by Jonathan Welton - "The Art of Revelation" - after identifying the beast as 1st century Rome he goes on to discuss the mark:
Here, I would like to offer clarity about the mark of the beast, now that we have identified the beast as the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, the public market was the primary place for buying and selling of goods and services. If people wanted to enter the market, they had to pass through the main gate, where they had to pay homage to the idol of the Emperor. After they did this, ashes were rubbed on their hand or forehead to indicate that they were free to enter the market and conduct business.
This was called “taking the mark.” This simple explanation demystifies the mark of the beast and gives it a logical historical context.
Along these lines, N.T. Wright points out the significance of the mark of the beast for early believers:
What’s more, worshipping or not worshipping was quickly becoming the dividing line between people who were acceptable in the community and people who weren’t. Not long after this time, some local officials introduced a formal requirement that unless you had offered the required sacrifices you weren’t allowed in the market.
There were various kinds of marks and visible signs, which were used to set people apart either as ‘able to trade’ or as ‘not able to trade’. From quite early on the Christians were faced with a stark alternative: stay true to the lamb and risk losing your livelihood, the ability to sell or buy; capitulate to the monster, sacrifice to Caesar at the behest of the local officials, and then everything will be all right— except your integrity as one of the lamb’s followers.
Richard Anthony confirms this dilemma that faced the early believers, who wanted to stay true to Jesus, but also needed to conduct business in the Roman world:
The Christians of the first century were under the military authority of Rome, a nation which openly proclaimed its rulers, the Caesars, to be divine. All those under the jurisdiction of Rome were required by law to publicly proclaim their allegiance to Caesar by burning a pinch of incense and declaring, “Caesar is Lord.”
Upon compliance with this law, the people were given a papyrus document called a “libellus,” which they were required to present when either stopped by the Roman police or attempting to engage in commerce in the Roman marketplace, increasing the difficulty of “buying or selling” without this mark. This is the essence of Scripture’s warnings to the early Christians against taking upon themselves the “mark of the beast.”
Welton, Jonathan . The Art of Revelation (Kindle Locations 1451-1458). BookBaby. Kindle Edition.
Here, I would like to offer clarity about the mark of the beast, now that we have identified the beast as the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, the public market was the primary place for buying and selling of goods and services. If people wanted to enter the market, they had to pass through the main gate, where they had to pay homage to the idol of the Emperor. After they did this, ashes were rubbed on their hand or forehead to indicate that they were free to enter the market and conduct business.
This was called “taking the mark.” This simple explanation demystifies the mark of the beast and gives it a logical historical context.
Along these lines, N.T. Wright points out the significance of the mark of the beast for early believers:
What’s more, worshipping or not worshipping was quickly becoming the dividing line between people who were acceptable in the community and people who weren’t. Not long after this time, some local officials introduced a formal requirement that unless you had offered the required sacrifices you weren’t allowed in the market.
There were various kinds of marks and visible signs, which were used to set people apart either as ‘able to trade’ or as ‘not able to trade’. From quite early on the Christians were faced with a stark alternative: stay true to the lamb and risk losing your livelihood, the ability to sell or buy; capitulate to the monster, sacrifice to Caesar at the behest of the local officials, and then everything will be all right— except your integrity as one of the lamb’s followers.
Richard Anthony confirms this dilemma that faced the early believers, who wanted to stay true to Jesus, but also needed to conduct business in the Roman world:
The Christians of the first century were under the military authority of Rome, a nation which openly proclaimed its rulers, the Caesars, to be divine. All those under the jurisdiction of Rome were required by law to publicly proclaim their allegiance to Caesar by burning a pinch of incense and declaring, “Caesar is Lord.”
Upon compliance with this law, the people were given a papyrus document called a “libellus,” which they were required to present when either stopped by the Roman police or attempting to engage in commerce in the Roman marketplace, increasing the difficulty of “buying or selling” without this mark. This is the essence of Scripture’s warnings to the early Christians against taking upon themselves the “mark of the beast.”
Welton, Jonathan . The Art of Revelation (Kindle Locations 1451-1458). BookBaby. Kindle Edition.
