The Mark of the Beast – Right Hand

^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 13:10-18

Knowledge of the Right Hand is essential in understanding The Mark of the Beast. The Bible and other scriptural texts are written with the message of Isaiah, precept upon precept and line upon line, here a little, there a little (Isaiah 28:10). This is to say that a passage like the one above is often built sequentially—line upon line, onion-like—precept upon precept, and scattered throughout the scriptures; therefore, to understand the meaning fully, you have to understand the lines, the nested precepts and indulge in all the scriptures to acquire the foundations of the precepts.

To understand the Right Hand, we will explore the usages of this term within the scriptures to get beyond the literal meaning of the words and the true meaning the scriptures attribute to the word. Remember, the Word of God is self-describing and is its own dictionary.

The Precept

A few examples will shine light and give us an easy understanding of what it means.

Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Matthew 26:64

Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.

Exodus 6:1

It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

Genesis 31:29

Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.

Exodus 15:6

And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.

Deuteronomy 8:17

From these verses, we can deduce that the hand or right hand:

1. represents someone’s power—the actions they can take or the results they can achieve through any means.
2. is the act of doing or being able to achieve something through the power you possess, whether through your physical strength or your capabilities through other means.
3. are the works done—the things you do, produce or yield, with the product being the actions themselves or how others receive and internalise your actions. (Psalms 77:10-12, Matthew 7:16)

Many more examples are littered throughout the scriptures showing this understanding (2 Chronicles 26:13, 2 Chronicles 26:13).

Relationship to the Beast

So do we consider everything someone does as having the Mark of the Beast? If we were to do this, then the mark would have no meaning besides the everyday existence of everyone, and therefore everyone would be destroyed by the hand of God (Revelation 14:9-11). To make a separation, we must first understand the differentiation between a good and bad person.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Luke 6:45

Your heart, being your mind, controls all the actions you do and the words you speak—Your heart has all your thoughts, your philosophy and the principles that govern your life. Which philosophy then heads your life, God or the Beast, determines whether you are good or evil?

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

Luke 18:19

There is only one good, God; therefore, only the things of God are good. This can be further seen in these examples showing the precept (James 1:17, Psalms 16:2). Those who God guides will have the philosophy and principles of God, and their thoughts and actions will be in line with the will of God.

When we use our power in opposition to the good things of God and go against his instructions, we, therefore, have the mark on our hand. We use our hand of power—our right hand, to do the will of the Beast and thereby work for the enemy of God and the kingdom that does not worship (do the will of) God.

Applying your Right Hand to God?

The meaning of Right Hand is easy to understand but hard to implement without understanding the power of God and differentiating God from the many lies within the world. To serve God, we must:

1. Know the instructions of God (Deuteronomy 11:18-19, Deuteronomy 6:6-8, Matthew 5—7)
2. Do the instructions of God (Exodus 13:9, Luke 9:61-62)

Considering that the powers of the world fight against everything of God to establish their kingdom, it is tough to follow the instructions of God without losing the things we have in this world. This simple fact is the essence of what Jesus said in Matthew 6:24-34. You cannot serve God and money, meaning this world. There are two distinct and opposite kingdoms; therefore, you must let go of one to be in the other.

To do what is required takes a total commitment to God and the courage to take the step where God will meet you (Revelation 21:8). Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33), and the full glory of God now is in the world (2 Esdras 7:38-42 RSVA | KJV, Isaiah 6:3) and nothing can stop you besides yourself. The side you choose will ultimately decide which philosophy of life you prefer.

The End

The consequences for serving this world and not God are often taken for granted by too many people who trust in their money and the desires of their bodies—their flesh. Not adhering to the voice of God will leave you abandoned (Psalm 81:11-12) and on the pointy end of judgement.

^9. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

^10. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

^11. And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Revelation 14:9-11