What is the mark of Cain?

Caller:  Hi.  I have a question.  What is the mark of Cain?



Pastor Doug:  You know Joe, that, to me, is a question that makes me shudder because – I don’t know.  The Bible doesn’t say.  I’ll tell you what we do know.



I don’t believe that the Lord went and put a big check on Cain’s forehead.  I don’t believe that the Lord tattooed 666 or anything like that on Cain.  The word “mark” did not always mean a visible emblem.



The word “mark” sometimes meant a distinguishing difference.  It might have been an aura about that person.  For Instance, you’ve ever heard the expression, “that’s a marked man”?



Caller:  Yes.



Pastor Doug:  Ok.  That doesn’t mean they’ve got a big red check on their forehead.  That means that there is a curse attached to that person.  This is maybe a crude illustration, but Charles Manson, who has been an outwardly professed devil worshiper he’s got 666 in his forehead.



Co-Host:  That’s right.



Pastor Doug:  The other prisoners – I was preaching at a prison two weeks ago for the whole week – the other prisoners at the prison where he resides, they won’t touch him.  And it’s like he’s got the mark of Cain.  They say if you mess with him, you’re going to have the curse of devil on you.



And so people in the prisons, now that may change some day but thus far, they’ve not touched him, even though physically he’s not very imposing because they say, ‘Hey you know, there’s something about him, that you’re going to be cursed by the devil if you mess with him.’



When the Lord said He put a mark on Cain, I don’t think it was anything necessarily, a visible mark.  I think that there was just some kind of a taboo aura that went with him.  And everybody heard this pronouncement of God that whoever killed Cain, whoever bothers Cain, he’ll be punished seven-fold.



Caller:  Well just because sickness of the soul – but I’ve always wondered because you see it – you hear about it and you see it mentioned, and never could I find out anywhere in reading the Bible what it was.



Pastor Doug:  You know I’ve looked I’ve done a thorough study, and it does not specify exactly what that mark was.  I could make something up now but that wouldn’t be honest.



Caller:  Oh no I, I’m thinking that maybe it wasn’t defined deliberately.



Pastor Doug:  Well you know, I do want to draw a connection though.  In the beginning of the Bible, you’ve got one brother [Cain] killing the other brother [Abel] because of the way the other brother [Abel] worshiped, and that God received him.  And he receives a mark, an evil mark.



Then you go to the end of the Bible, and it says one group is going to persecute another group because of the way they worship, and they’re going to try to get everybody to worship like them.  And the Bible says Cain’s worship was not accepted.  He was worshiping his own way – man made worship.



And that’s what happens in Revelation.  It’s the beast and, people get the mark of the beast.  So you see a similarity, and they’re both claiming to be Christian religions in the end.  You know Jesus said those that kill you will think they’re serving God, just like Saul persecuted Christians.  So it’s a very interesting parallel that goes all the way from Genesis to Revelation.



Caller:  Yes it does.  I hadn’t connected those quite that way.



Pastor Doug:  You know Amazing Facts has a lesson Joe.  We don’t give it to everybody.  It’s called “The Mark of the Beast.”  If you ask for that, they’ll send that to you, and it sheds a little more light on the mark of Cain, ok?



Caller:  Thank you.



Pastor Doug:  All right.  God bless.



Caller:  God bless.



Co-Host:  Thanks for the call Joe.  That number is 1-800-835-6747.  Ask for “The Mark of the Beast.”



Amazing Facts’ Resource Number:  800-835-6747