Beast Mark JMac discussion
Q: Was John MacArthur teaching wrongly on the Mark Of The Beast, and is he one to avoid?
Let's be clear, no believer will be here during judgment on earth, as Jesus will have raptured us. But all who are still on earth, all are unsaved. What if they all take the mark, all are damned? Then who gets saved at that time? And what about the 144k Jews who get saved? Is it before the beast arrives? Well what's Scripture say in the timeline? Isnt it true all who die in their sins, as Scripture & verses below note, will be damned? But what of those who are "such were some of you" who saved, then, are also now in Christ & are glorybound?
Perhaps Scripture is saying in that time there is one additional law that condemns besides blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, and that's all who worship the beast & take the mark cannot be saved, (like God sealing believers, or putting a mark/seal on Cain, as a permanent thing). But what if they took the mark but didn't worship the beast, cuz they took it in error, or vise versa. Perhaps the hair splitting here is on if one did both.
John likely, off the cuff, was generally saying, "all who repent of sin and turn to Christ will be saved, as theres only one unforgivable sin." Which is true.
We havent experienced that "future" situation (like those im OT times where all was mystery to them, not having been revealed yet), nor have we come to the Day of Judgment and Rewards yet, to know it as history past to have that knowledge/hindsight. What we all know though, and John preached, is that all who are born again shall not die in their sins and be judged, but have eternal life and will evermore be with Christ.
Lets think about this further...
What was said above is a thoughtful, grace-filled reflection that invites discernment and charity over division, especially when it comes to interpreting eschatology (end-times doctrine). Let’s unpack some of what you’re saying, and place it into theological and biblical context — especially around Revelation 14:9–12, John MacArthur’s old comment, and the nature of salvation during the Tribulation.
📖 Revelation 14:9–12
> “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath… and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur… And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever… Here is a call for the endurance of the saints…”
This is a clear and sobering passage. It doesn’t mince words about the eternal consequences of worshiping the beast and receiving his mark. That pairing — worship and mark — is crucial.
🗣️ Regarding John MacArthur's 1970s Statement:
Yes, 45 years ago John MacArthur was asked a speculative, complex question off the cuff — something like, “Could someone who takes the mark still be saved later?” His answer was not dogmatic and more pastoral than systematic. He suggested that God’s grace might still be able to reach someone who repented afterward — since salvation is through Christ alone, and there is no sin the blood of Christ can’t forgive (except the unpardonable sin).
Was this a theological misstep? Maybe. But even if so, it was never presented as his settled teaching. Since then, John has strongly preached that taking the mark is a damning act — in line with Revelation 14. That’s what matters today.
So yes — grace, not judgment. We should evaluate his body of teaching, not one old quote resurfaced by critics who (frankly) may be more interested in clicks than clarity.
🔥 Why Do Some Keep Bringing It Up?
Often it’s false teachers or sensationalist YouTubers who perpetuate this clip out of context. It's not about defending sound doctrine, it's about building an audience by tearing down someone else.
This should raise a red flag — Jesus warned of wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matt. 7:15) and Paul warned of those who stir up controversies rather than promote godly edification (1 Tim. 1:4). When someone constantly digs up old material to discredit a long-faithful teacher without dealing fairly with their updated views, their fruit should be examined.
⏳ So What About the Timeline in Revelation?
This is where it gets theological:
In the Pre-Trib Rapture View, Believers are caught up "before" the Tribulation (1 Thess. 4:16–17), so only unbelievers remain on Earth during the rise of the Beast.
However, people do get saved during the Tribulation, including:
• The 144,000 sealed Jews (Rev. 7:4–8).
• The great multitude from every nation who come out of the Tribulation (Rev. 7:9–14).
These saints refuse the worship/mark and endure persecution, hence the encouragement in Rev. 14:12 — “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints.”
So salvation is still available during that time — but those who take the mark and worship the Beast will face final judgment. That’s the dividing line.
🤔 What If Someone Takes the Mark in Ignorance?
Scripture always emphasizes heart posture. Revelation 14 seems to join external allegiance (the mark) with internal worship.
So yes — perhaps the ultimate sin is not the technical act of receiving the mark, but the willing submission to and worship of the Beast. The mark is an outward sign of inward rebellion.
Still, this is holy ground. We shouldn’t be dogmatic where Scripture doesn’t let us be — but we should be clear that:
God will warn everyone (Rev. 14:6–7 — an angel proclaims the gospel to all).
Worship/taking the Mark will not be accidental or coerced without understanding.
🙏 Final Thoughts:
Urge grace and give the benefit of the doubt. John MacArthur has faithfully taught Scripture His whole pastiral life. A slip from the 1970s, even if it was wrong, does not define him — especially when his later teachings have clarified the matter thoroughly.
This entire topic also reminds us of something deeper: salvation is God's work. Even during the darkest times, the Lamb is still calling people to Himself.
> “Such were some of you” — yes! (1 Cor. 6:11). Grace always has the last word for the repentant.
Let’s hold our teachers accountable with love, not cancel culture. And let’s hold fast to truth, without letting false teachers [without God's love] slander solid pastors, & internet noise lead us away from the Gospel.
====What has John said since?=====
📝 Grace to You Clarification (“Unforgivable?” – 2013)
MacArthur explained that while receiving the mark is a “sin that will send… to hell,” it is not inherently the unforgivable sin. Only blasphemy of the Holy Spirit falls in that category .
He emphasized: Scripture doesn’t say that people with the mark become permanently hardened. Rather, the warnings are to motivate repentance, not declare those who take the mark irredeemable.
🗣️ GTY Q&A Update (“What Is the Mark of the Beast?” – ~1.5 yrs ago)
MacArthur clarified the nature of the mark: it bears the “name of the beast or the number of his name,” and is required for buying and selling—revealing its economic and symbolic dimensions .
Background elements point to a literal economic control system tied to allegiance to the Beast.
🔥 Historical Sermons & Eschatology
In his Survivors of the Wrath of God sermon, he contrasts God’s seal on believers in Revelation with the Beast’s mark—both as spiritual identifiers .
His tribulation teaching affirms:
The Rapture occurs before Tribulation.
The 144,000 Jewish remnant and a great harvest of Gentile believers will come to faith during the Tribulation .
Those who refuse the mark and endure will reign with Christ—salvation remains available even amid persecution .
🎯 Summary of His Current View
Topic: MacArthur's Updated Position
Mark of the Beast
A sealing of allegiance to the Antichrist—economic, symbolic, and spiritual
Unforgivable Sin?
The mark alone isn’t automatically unpardonable—only hardened spiritual rebellion (blasphemy of the Spirit) is
Salvation in Tribulation
Believers and repentant tribulation saints (Jewish and Gentile) will be saved and sealed—God can fully redeem even amid persecution
Repentance After the Mark
Possible for someone who mistakenly takes the mark to repent—Scripture doesn’t explicitly forbid it
✅ So what does this all mean?
MacArthur has gone beyond that early Q&A remark and consistently affirms the severity of taking the mark and worshiping the Beast.
But he also highlights that salvation is through repentance, and that salvation remains available during the Tribulation—even for those who may wrongly receive the mark—provided they repent and submit to Christ.
He leans on passages like Revelation 14, 7, and 20, and Romans 10:13, to show that grace can reach into the darkest hour .
🕊️ Final Thought
MacArthur urges believers to keep the posture of grace and charity—interpreting his full body of work, not one isolated off-the-cuff moment. His long-term teaching clearly balances the gravity of the mark with the gospel’s power to redeem.
John was a solid Bible teacher, faithful to the Word. He preached the essentials of Christianity, which is what unites Christians together, and has blessed the world with his biblical preaching and teaching rightly dividing the Word. There are liberty in secondary matters, and its based on what one learns as they study Scripture over time. John wasnt God to know everything correctly from day one. No, like you, me and other pastors, he deep dived into Scripture, to accurately teach what the Holy Spirit taught him as he studied.
You can learn more on Jmac here and here and access all of his sermon studies here. (and the 400 books he wrote based on those sermons here), as well as his highly reputable study Bible here in print and here by app. And someone speaking about John here, (in the first part; 20 minutes).
You can trust John MacArthur as a solid reliable preacher. 😊
God bless
