Dear John & Doves,
 
Why is the mark of the beast in the forehead, or in the right hand of mankind, but not in the left hand? And what does the right hand and the left hand symbolize?
 
In Deut. 33:2 we are told that from the Lord's "right hand went a fiery law unto them" while Psalm 20:6 tells about "the saving strength of his right hand." Then in Psalm 48:10, we are told that God's "right hand is full of righteousness, and in Psalm 98:10, we are told about the Lord's right hand, and his holy arm." The Lord also says in Isaiah 41:10, "I will uphold thee with the right hand of righteousness."  As you can see in these verses, the right hand of God represents righteousness. It is also called the right hand of power in Matt. 26:64, Mark 14:62, and Luke 22:69.  In Isaiah 62:9 the right hand is expressive of an oath. It says, "The Lord has sworn by his right hand and the arm of his strength." In the court room, the right hand is used to swear an oath to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help me God.
 
As you know, the majority of people are right handed; and we do most everything with our right hand so it could be considered a symbol of doing.  In a believer's case, we should be doing righteous things and doing the will of God as doers of his word and not hearers only. Jesus also said in Matthew 5:30, "And if thy right hand offend thee cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell."  Therefore, if a believer is not doing righteous things, he should take drastic measures to sever the sinful action. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance lists Matt. 5:30 as an example of self-denial.  The right hand of fellowship is also shown in Galatians 2:9.  It is also shown as accusation in Zech. 3:1, and love in Song of Solomon 2:6. On the other hand, the left hand shows lesser importance in Gen. 48:13-20, and in Judges 20:15,16, it shows an unusual capacity of 700 men.  Also if you will recall, Ecclesiastes 10:2 in the KJV says, "A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left."  In the RSV, these same verses say, "A wise man's heart inclines him toward the right, but a fool's heart toward the left." Right is the symbol of doing righteousness while left is a symbol of weakness and sin in this passage, and the word "left" shows shame in Matt. 25:33,41.
 
Will the beast and/or the false prophet want those taking the mark of the beast  to think that they are marked as God's righteous servants, or that they are doing something righteous by imitating God's righteous hand with what they supposedly think is his mark on their right hand?  Is it possible that the False Prophet will quote scripture to those taking the mark of the beast like Satan did when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness?  How about his using something like Psalm 37:37, "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace."
 
In Ezekiel 9:4-6, we also see the Lord telling the man clothed with linen to mark men in the forehead.  "And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at the sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house." Actually this sounds like what the second beast or the false prophet will be doing during the tribulation period to those who won't take the mark of the beast in their right hand or in their forehead in order to buy and sell. The Bible doesn't say that the false prophet uses scripture to deceive the people, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility.  However, if he wanted to use these verses in Ezekiel 9:4-6, he would have to add to scripture because it only says set a mark upon the foreheads of the men and it says nothing about putting a mark on the right hand. Both lying lips (Proverbs 12:22) and a false witness that speaketh lies (Proverbs 6:19) are a abomination to the Lord; and with the antichrist making himself out to be God himself, the tribulation saints may very well be made out to be liars and false witnesses against the antichrist with their so called lies being considered abominations.  So scriptures like these may possibly be used and twisted by the false prophet, but we are told in the Bible that it is the great signs, wonders, and miracles that will be used to deceive those who take the mark of the beast. Jesus also tells us in Matt. 24:23-26 that during the great tribulation period, "Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is inthe secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."  In Rev. 13:11-18, we also are told about the beast coming out of the earth with two horns like a lamb (false prophet) and who spake like a dragon.  If you read those verses you'll see that he uses miracles to deceive those on the earth.
 
As you know, the Bible doesn't actually tell us that the mark of the beast will be a microchip embedded under the skin although that has been suggested as a possibility.  It says in Rev. 13:15-18, "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 to be killed.  And he caused all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their righthand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark of the beast, or the number of his name. 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."  I have to wonder though would apostate Christians who are left behind take the mark of the beast if it was seven stars on the right hand?  Rev. 1:16 says that "Jesus had in his right hand seven stars," and the son of perdition will make himself out to be God (2 Thess. 2:4).   What if he declared himself to be the Christ and had seven stars on his right hand?  Just a possibility. What if the 7 stars on the hand were stars with five points?  Raise your hand up in the air, or lower it down toward the ground, and they would look like either normal stars, or upside down stars which is the sign of Satan.  No where is it written in the Bible. It's just my mind going over the possibilities.  A smart person would continue reading Rev. 2:1 to see that Jesus held the 7 stars in his hand which were the angels of the seven churches, and the 7 stars weren't tatooed on his hand nor would his right hand ever display the upside down five pointed star.
 
But don't forget that those who take the mark of the beast and worship the beast will be worshipping the one who calls himself God, and the great signs, wonders and miracles will look very convincing.  Here is someone who they think is God when he is only pretending to be God and wants to be worshipped as God.   Also the real God's right hand is full of righteousness.  Will those taking the mark of the beast in the right hand in order to buy or sell think that they are wise men doing the will of God by taking it in the right hand, and worshipping him?  However, we know that they are not doing the will of the real God because Rev. 14:9-13 says, "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. 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: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they had no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.  And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them."  It would be very helpful to the tribulation saints if you would mark the verses in your Bible with perhaps an orange marker about the mark of the beast in the forehead or right hand needed in order to buy and sell and the consequences for doing so, and also please mark the verses in your  Bible with a yellow marker about being blessed for dying for the Lord along with Rev. 20:4 which says,, "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."
 
Yes, the Son of perdition will want everyone to worship him as the real God, whose right hand is full of righteousness, and to take his mark in the right hand or in the forehead in order to buy or sell.  He will very much want to look like the genuine God. Can we conclude that the mark of the beast in the forehead is a symbol of their devotion to the one claiming to be God, and being marked as one of his very own something like what is done in an Episcopalian baptismal ceremony when they mark your forehead with the sign of the cross, and you are marked as Christ's own forever. Instead Satan will be marking those taking the mark of the beast in the forehead or in the right hand as his own. Will those taking the mark of the beast be told that they are being marked as God's own or the Christ's own forever when in reality they are being marked as Satan's own and the antichrist's own?  It also makes me wonder if the mark of the beast will be some type of cross on the forehead or in the right hand although the Bible does not say exactly what it is although it does say that it will be needed to buy or sell.  Also don't forget that the right hand is also used in swearing an oath, and it is also raised in the air to show allegiance to an authority figure. In this case they will be showing their allegiance to the antichrist and to Satan.  However, did you know that  the Bible also speaks of the right hand of falsehood in Psalm 144:7-8 which says, "Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children; whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood."  And those taking the mark of the beast in the forehead or in the right hand in order to buy and sell are being false and unfaithful to the real God while the son of perdition is also falsely portraying himself as the real God to be worshipped.
 
It leaves me wondering though about the idol shepherd's arm mentioned in Zechariah 11:17.  If the idol shepherd is a religious leader who is the false prophet who causes all on earth to worship the image of the beast, and to take his mark  in the forehead or in the right hand in order to buy or sell, is it the idol shepherd's right arm that is withered?  Zechariah 11:17 says, "Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened."  The right eye utterly darkened is a symbol of spiritual blindness.  Will his right arm be withered to represent the right hand of falsehood because he is being false and unfaithful to the real God?  I just read a copy of The Holy Scriptures according to the Masoretic Text which is a Jewish Old Testament written in English, and in this same verse he is called a worthless shepherd.  So here we have an idol or worthless shepherd with his arm clean dried up so it looks like whatever arm it is his arm is probably pretty much useless.  In any case, if the idol shepherd is the false prophet of Revelation,  he is not doing the will of the real God.  He is doing the will of Satan.
 
God bless,
Donna