When Is the Mark of the Beast Coming & Will You Be Forced to Get It?

Many people worry about the Mark of the Beast. Some people fear that the Mark of the Beast has already arrived. Others fear they already have accepted the Mark of the Beast.

Do you need to live in fear of the Mark of the Beast? In this article, I will provide you with biblical answers to these questions about the Mark of the Beast:

  • When is the Mark of the Beast coming?
  • Will you be forced to accept the Mark of the Beast?
  • Can you get the Mark of the Beast without knowing it?

When is the Mark of the Beast Coming?

Some claim that the Mark of the Beast is already here. However, that claim overlooks the fact that many events still need to take place before the Mark of the Beast arrives.

In this section, I will provide you an overview of 5 can’t-miss events we can look for to tell whether the Mark of the Beast is about to be given out to the public.

The Mark of the Beast’s Introduction

Revelation 13 gives us strong clues about when the Mark of the Beast will begin to be given out to the public. Revelation 13:4-7 indicates that the Antichrist will reign for 42 months at that time:

“(4) And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? (5) And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. (6) And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. (7)  And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” (Revelation 13:4-7)

The False Prophet will arise as a major figure on the world stage at that time. He will urge people to worship the Antichrist and to accept the Mark of the Beast:

“(11) And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. (12) And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. […] (16) And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: (17) And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (18) Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” (Revelation 13:11-12, 16-18)

The detail about the Antichrist being given power for 42 months matters. This detail provides us a good sense of how soon the Mark of the Beast can conceivably be introduced to the public.

The Antichrist will set up an abomination of desolation (an act or an object detestable to God) and demand the world to worship him at the midpoint of the tribulation:[1]

“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:27)

“(3) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (4) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)

We can conclude from this information that the Mark of the Beast system is unlikely to appear before the midpoint of the tribulation. With this knowledge, here are 5 can’t-miss events that’ll let us know that the Mark of the Beast is near.

1. The “Covenant With Many”

One important event you should watch for is the confirmation of a 7-year “covenant with many”. This event will occur at the start of the tribulation (also known as the 70th week of Daniel):

And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:27)

The “covenant with many” will likely be a Mideast peace deal involving Israel and others. Once the 7-year covenant is confirmed there may be as little as 3.5 years before the Mark of the Beast arrives.

2. Global Conflict

You should also watch out for an outbreak of global conflict with one leader dominating strong opponents. The reason to watch for this event is that the rise of the Antichrist will come at a time of global conflict (Revelation 6:3-4). Antichrist will wage war against strong opponents and win (Daniel 11:36-39):

“(36) And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. […] (39) Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.” (Daniel 11:36, 39)

“(3) And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see (4) And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.” (Revelation 6:3-4)

If you see this take place, you may only have a few years before the Mark of the Beast arrives.

3. Antichrist Demands the World’s Worship

You will know that the Mark of the Beast is about to arrive when you see the Antichrist demand worship in a Jerusalem temple. This event will occur at the midpoint of the tribulation (compare 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 with Daniel 9:27).

This event will likely be shown around the world because it will be the Antichrist’s first public claim that he is God. If you see this, realize that the Mark of the Beast is imminent.

4: Armies Surround Jerusalem

Armies will surround Jerusalem just prior to the set up of the abomination of desolation:

“And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.” (Luke 21:20)

If you see this event, you will know that the midpoint of the tribulation and the Mark of the Beast is near.

Event 5: Sacrifice in a Jerusalem Temple

Antichrist will set up the abomination of desolation in a temple in Jerusalem where daily sacrifice will occur (Daniel 9:27). Therefore, the abomination of desolation cannot be set up without:

  • A temple first being built in Jerusalem and
  • daily sacrifice beginning in that temple.

If you hear about the start of either of these developments, be aware that the abomination of desolation may come soon and the Mark of the Beast is near.

Will You Be Forced to Accept the Mark of the Beast?

Many people fear they will be forced to accept the Mark of the Beast against their will. Do you need to worry? Find out in this section.

The Mark of the Beast’s Main Purpose

We need to understand the Mark of the Beast’s main purpose to answer if you will be forced to accept it.

Revelation 13 states that the False Prophet will cause people to get a special mark on their right hand or on their forehead. Although the mark will enable a person to buy and sell, a person could get by with having the beast’s number or the name of the beast (verse 17):

“(16) And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: (17) And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” (Revelation 13:16-17)

It is important to recognize that a person can also buy or sell using the name or number of the beast. This suggests that people do not get the Mark of the Beast just so that they buy or sell (although people probably will receive a mark during the process of getting the beast’s name or number).

The Mark of the Beast’s main purpose is to serve as a way for people to prove that their allegiances are with Antichrist. In other words, accepting the Mark of the Beast means that you have declared yourself a follower of the Antichrist and thereby an opponent of God.

Given the main purpose of the Mark of the Beast, it is unlikely that the Mark of the Beast will be given to you against your will. Here are the problems that would arise if you were forced to accept the Mark of the Beast against your will:

  • The Mark of the Beast would lose a lot of its symbolic significance as a way to show loyalty to the Antichrist.
  • It would become much more difficult for the authorities to identify true, loyal followers of the Antichrist.
  • There would be fewer necessities of life for the true supporters of the Antichrist as opponents would be able to buy and sell items with their Mark. This would pose a big problem at a time when necessities like food will be in short supply.

The Mark of the Beast Will Be a Choice

We can see that the Mark of the Beast will be a choice by the fact that not everyone will accept it. Revelation 20:4 recognizes a group of beheaded individuals who are without the Mark.

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4)

The fact that people had the choice to say “no” means that the Mark of the Beast was not forced upon them. The people cited in Revelation 20:4 rejected the Mark of the Beast because they stood strongly for their beliefs.

With that said, the authorities will go to extremes to compel people to “voluntarily” become part of the Mark of the Beast system:

  • They will deny people without the Mark of the Beast the ability to buy and sell.
  • They will brutally oppress those who have not yet become part of the Mark of the Beast system.

Therefore, you will be given a choice about whether to opt into the Mark of the Beast system or not. The choice is basically: become part of the system or survive on your own. It’s not an appealing choice, but there’s a choice nonetheless.

Can You Get the Mark of the Beast Without Knowing It?

The Mark of the Beast is not here yet nor will you be forced to get it against your will. However, is it possible for you to get the Mark of the Beast without knowing it?

The Mark of the Beast system will not be implemented without you knowing it. Here are a few reasons why:

  1. As shown earlier, we have a good idea of when the Mark of the Beast will arrive. The fact that we have an idea about when the Mark of the Beast will arrive suggests that its coming is not meant to blindside those of us who pay attention to what’s happening.
  2. Recall that people will have a choice about whether to accept the Mark of the Beast. The existence of this choice implies that people will be made aware of the Mark of the Beast’s existence and the consequences of not accepting it.
  3. Consider the public role that the False Prophet will play in the acceptance of the Mark of the Beast.

The Role of the False Prophet

The False Prophet will gain a huge following after he performs miracles that will astonish the world:

“(12) And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. (13) And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, (14) And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. (15) And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.” (Revelation 13:12-15)

The False Prophet will then use his huge following to persuade the people of Earth to worship the Antichrist and to accept the Mark of the Beast:

“(12) And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. […] (16) And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:” (Revelation 13:12, 16)

The False Prophet’s efforts to persuade people to accept the Mark of the Beast will be a major success as the acceptance of the Mark of the Beast will be widespread:

“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:” (Revelation 13:16)

It is unlikely that the False Prophet will get so many people to accept the Mark of the Beast without a public effort to persuade them to take the Mark. Therefore, it is likely that the False Prophet will conduct a major public campaign to promote the need for people to accept the Mark of the Beast. Most people will listen to the False Prophet’s instructions.

Therefore, you should not worry about getting the Mark of the Beast unknowingly.

Should We Worry About the Mark of the Beast?

We do not need to worry about the Mark of the Beast just yet. There’ll be clear signs to look for to alert us that the Mark of the Beast is on its way. Also, we will not be forced to accept the Mark of the Beast against our will. We do not need to lose any sleep over the Mark of the Beast at the moment.

If you’re still afraid that the Mark of the Beast is being implemented now despite all I said, consider this:

  • We do not have a 7-year covenant yet.
  • We are not living in a time of major global conflict yet.
  • We do not yet have a temple in Jerusalem where daily sacrifice is taking place as outlined in Daniel 9:27.
  • The Antichrist is not demanding the world’s worship.
  • We do not have a False Prophet who is performing miracles yet.

Nevertheless, this does not mean that we should ignore the efforts to develop the technology and infrastructure that will someday be part of the Mark of the Beast system. I have no doubt that there are people working to make the Mark of the Beast system a reality.

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Note

  1. The time remaining at the midpoint of the tribulation is 42 months (3 years x 12 months in a year + 0.5 Years x 12 months in a year = 42 months).
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Wayne Croley
Wayne Croley

Hi! I’ve studied and written about Bible prophecy since I was a teenager. My goal is to make Bible prophecy easy for you to understand while avoiding the sensationalism seen elsewhere. I am the author of several end time books, including Prophecy Proof Insights on the End Times, a comprehensive book about the end times. I hold an M.B.A. and degrees in Managerial Economics and Political Science.