The truth of the beheading of those who do not bear the mark of the beast.

Revelation 20:4 states: "And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."

However, not all twelve apostles were literally beheaded and martyred, so this time, let’s explore some of the spiritual implications of this passage.

The Biblical Meaning of the Neck and Head

Proverbs 3:3: "Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart."

Song of Solomon 4:4: "Your neck is like the tower of David, Built for an armory, On which hang a thousand bucklers, All shields of mighty men."

1 Corinthians 11:3: "But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God."

Ephesians 5:23: "For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body."

From these verses, we can see that the neck represents a testimony of trust, such as mercy and truth, while the head signifies legitimate authority. Throughout the Bible, expressions like putting on or removing a yoke are also used, indicating that the neck is a lifeline connecting to the head and a symbol of trust within a relationship of submission.

Given that not all twelve disciples were literally beheaded, we need to ponder what Revelation is truly conveying.

In Japanese, "キミはクビだ！" (Kimi wa kubi da! kubi meaning neck.), meaning "You’re fired!" The phrase "beheading" implies being ostracized or spiritually "killed" by a group. Thus, the expression "beheaded" spiritually signifies the end of a trusting relationship with a particular group. In other words, it can be interpreted as a metaphor suggesting that true Christians will not be trusted, accepted, or allowed to hold teaching positions within the majority of so-called "pseudo-Christians" in megachurches (which, in gematria, may even equate to 666). Instead, they are spiritually "killed" by being rejected and excluded.