Actual serious question about the Mark of the Beast

[TuckEverlasting]

They just played The Number of the Beast on the radio. :b_woot:

Anyway:

He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

For those of you who think '666' refers to Nero, or any other past individual, what do you think it means that 'no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark'?

[Ryokan]

They just played The Number of the Beast on the radio. :b_woot:

Anyway:

He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

For those of you who think '666' refers to Nero, or any other past individual, what do you think it means that 'no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark'?
He was refering to the Rome practice at the time that you either made an offering to Nero, or Domitian, or whomever, or you were not legally aloud to participate in economic life unless you had an imperial dispensation. Jews did, for instance, but due to anti-Christian bias and honestly a bit of Jewish lobbying against Christianity. Or so is my humble though on the matter.

[Tim C.]

at the time... you either made an offering to Nero, or Domitian, or whomever, or you were not legally aloud to participate in economic life

Do you have a citation/quotation for that?

-Tim

[Ryokan]

Do you have a citation/quotation for that?

-Tim
I need to find the spiffy little book I read that out of. I am no expert, but it seemed reasonable to me. It was from a text for a class I had on Revelation in highschool.

[Tim C.]

I need to find the spiffy little book I read that out of. I am no expert, but it seemed reasonable to me. It was from a text for a class I had on Revelation in highschool.

Try to find the quote, please.

If true, that could be an important evidence for preterism.

-Tim

[Ryokan]

Will look, but a relevent side point is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_of_the_Beast

[Ryokan]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_cult_%28Ancient_Rome%29 another wiki sort related thing.

[Tim C.]

I would prefer a direct quote from a historical source.

For example, a quote from the Apostolic or Ante-Nicene Christians would be of great imporance. Or... A quote from third and fourth century Christians would be of great importance. Or a quote from Eusebius, or Jerome, etc.

-Tim