I. THE BIBLE CLEARLY STATES WE ARE NOT TO MARK UPON OUR BODY! Leviticus 19:28 “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.” At the time of the writing of this passage of Scripture, many heathen cultures practiced self- mutilation as a sign of mourning for the dead. Many heathen cultures also marked or “tattooed” their bodies for various reasons. Now notice the Bible states that we are not to make cuttings in our flesh, nor are we to mark upon our flesh.
II. THE BIBLE STATES THAT YOU ARE MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD! Genesis 1:26 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them”. God created man in His own image. If God wanted you to have “MOM” wrote on your arm, or a ship on your chest, he would have created you that way. To receive a tattoo is to tell your Creator that you need to redecorate His work, because you did think it was good enough! What audacity!.
III. THE BIBLE STATES THAT YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. The Bible tells us that we are to take care of our body because it is the place, for the Christian, where the Holy Spirit resides. 1Co 6:19-20 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? [20] For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
We that are saved have been bought with a price, and that price was the precious blood of Jesus Christ! This verse states, that “we are not our own”, i.e. we belong to the one that bought us. Because of this we are to think, act, dress, look, and even speak to glorify God! When a person tattoos their body, they are aliening themselves with the heathen cultures of the world, and not with the one that bought them. They are publicly advertising their defiance against God’s Word and His Authority.
By making this public declaration, they are declaring that God, nor the Holy Spirit are in control, nor are they abiding within. Christian, just because the world is doing it, doesn’t make it right!
IV. THE COMMON ACCEPTANCE OF TATTOOS IS DESENSITIZING THE WORLD FOR THE COMING MARK OF THE BEAST! During the 7 year Tribulation, the antichrist will force the people of the earth to receive the Mark of the Beast. Rev 13:16-18 states that all buying and selling will be conducted only if the “Mark” is received.“ And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: [17] And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. [18] 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”.
The word for “mark” in Rev 13:16-17 comes from the word “charagma” (khar’-ag-mah), Gk Strongs # 5480; from the same a Greek # 5482 (charax); a scratching or etching, i.e., stamp (as a badge of servitude), or a sculptured figure (statue): graven, mark. It’s interesting to note that many of the new versions of the Bible state that the Mark of the Beast is “on” the right hand or forehead. The King James Version states the Mark of the Beast will be “in” the right hand or forehead. The reason the word is translated “IN”, (and I believe it is translated correctly), is because the Greek word gives the idea of that which has been scared, and permanent. If it is “on”, it is temporary, and removable, if it is “in” something that is permanent and not removable.The acceptance of the Tattoo craze in our present society is nothing more than desensitizing the people of the world to embrace just one more “mark” to their collection. Honestly, I don’t know if the mark of the beast will be some form of a “tattoo” or possibly a computer chip implant.
Regardless of what it is, be obedient to the Lord, and don’t mark on or “in” your body.