I had been thinking lately that perhaps the popular idea that the Mark of the Beast will be some high-tech biochip implant connected to a global satellite network to administer a cashless society could be wrong.
 
The plain meaning of the word Mark in Rev 13 denotes a stamp or an impression upon the skin - ie something that is visible to the naked eye and whose function depends upon this visibility.
 
If you understand that Planet X will visit and devastate the Earth with famine (burns all the grass, 1/3 the trees and blocks 1/3 of the sun) and a destruction of all our satellites and other infrastructure before the Tribulation  it begins to look highly unlikely that the Mark of the Beast will be anything high tech depending on a satellite network.
 
It seems to me the plain meaning that it will be something like a tattoo that must be shown to engage in commerce, perhaps even a barcode tattoo is most likely.  Especially considering that the barcode's today already have 6....6....6 as part of their sequence!
 
Tim
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