After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea. “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” (Revelation 7: 1-3, NIV, Emphasis provided).
Heavenly Father, here we are again, at the throne of grace, seeking help in the time of need. Please stay with us during our study, and bless us in all that we say and do, for Christ’s sake. Amen.
You may be wondering what our Scripture, for the past two days, has to do with guarding the mind. If you look at the portion of Scripture that is emphasized, you will notice that “the servants of our God,” are to receive the seal in their “foreheads.” In the book of Revelation, another mark of identity is mentioned. It is the “mark of the beast.” I will not go into the study of these two separate, and distinct, marks, at this time, except, to establish their source, and, the place(s) on the body, where these marks can be received. We have already established the forehead, as the only place, where the seal of God will be received.
To find the source of “the mark of the beast,” we read the following, “They worshipped the dragon for he had given his authority to the beast…” (Revelation 13: 4). We already know that the dragon is another name for the Adversary (12: 7-9, NRSV, Emphasis provided). So the ultimate source for the “mark of the beast” is our adversary the devil (1 Peter 5: 8). This is what Scripture says about receiving the mark of the beast, “Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead (Revelation 13: 16).”
Remember, at the beginning of this series, I mentioned that God gave human beings freedom of choice, because He is interested in us serving Him because we love Him. In other words, we must choose to serve Him. I also pointed out the fact, that it is not so, with the Adversary. He preys on his victims; who, of course can resist him, but many do not. Preying takes on more than one guise. It can be physical, emotional, psychological, intellectual. Oftentimes it is accompanied by force. For those who receive the “seal of God,” it can only be received intellectually (by rational decision), hence the symbol of the forehead. The “mark of the beast” can be received intellectually, but it can also be received by force (right hand); a person can be coerced into receiving it. How do we arrive at this conclusion? Let us continue reading verse 17, of Revelation 13, “so that no one can buy or sell who does not have the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of his name.”
The symbol of the forehead is most appropriate as we study how the “seal of God;” or the “mark of the beast, is received.” Perhaps you have heard of the case of the young railroad worker by the name of Phineas Gage, who miraculously survived the trauma of a most unusual accident which destroyed much of his prefrontal cortex. “This sad case and other cases of frontal-lobe damage suggest that parts of the frontal lobes are involved in social judgment, rational decision making, and the ability to set goals and to make and carry through plans-or what is commonly called “will” (Psychology in Perspective, p. 154, Emphasis provided). “The frontal lobes are located toward the front of the brain, just under the skull in the area of the forehead” (Ibid, 153)!
We will continue tomorrow.