by
Tom Wise
4. The Mark of God.
Common sense suggests that God would not leave us defenseless against the Beast, and the Bible reveals this to be true (Exodus 13:9):
And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD's law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.
Again (Exodus 13:16):
And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt.
And again (Deuteronomy 6:8):
And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
And again (Deuteronomy 11:18):
Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
These Torah verses concern t'fillin (frontlets), actual "signs" or "tokens" (marks) which are worn by Jewish believers. T'fillin, also called phylacteries, are a pair of black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with biblical verses. The hand-t'fillin (shel yad) is worn wrapped around the arm, hand, and fingers. The head t'fillin (shel rosh) is placed above the forehead. These are significant "marks" for Jews, which separate them from both non-Jews and non-believers. The t'fillin, obviously, represent the "Mark(s) of God."
The t'fillin was originally instituted by God to commemorate the Passover, when the angel of death passed over the house of every person who painted a mark on the lintels of their doors with the blood of a lamb. T'fillin is thus a mark to remember the original mark. The t'fillin is also a memorial of the day the Hebrews accepted God. It might be argued that the Hebrews at that time accepted God out of fear rather than faith but, when God speaks, people must act. The Hebrews took the Mark of God on their doors because they were more afraid of righteousness (God's retribution) than wickedness (Pharaoh's wrath). As the proverb says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." The t'fillin is also a remembrance that God eventually frees His beloved from the worst tyranny, even that which we bring on ourselves.
Satan knows the power of a mark. The Book of Revelation tells us that the Mark of the Beast will be administered exactly in the place that the Mark of God was and is commanded to be worn. In other words, the Mark of the Beast is meant to replace the Mark of God.
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Copyright © 2009 by Tom Wise and Dennis Putnam, Jr.
All rights reserved
"The Mark" is available from Lulu Books: here.
http://www.universityoftruth.org
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