9 Another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead, or on his hand,
worships the beast – “worship” in the Greek language literally means “to bow down and kiss.” The beast became the “false Lord” of the Church. Here, John instructs us not to bow down to him.
Does the beast only signify the Pope for the 42 months when he was in control of the saints? If anyone still bows down to the teachings of the beast, he worships the beast and Satan (Rev 13:4).
or his image – the Gentiles, in contrast to the spiritual Jews in verses 1-5, did not know what they worshiped (John 4:22) and needed to make Christ equal to God in order to worship Him. This resulted in “the Trinity,” the “image of the beast,” created by the “false prophet.”
and receives his mark on his hand or forehead – discussed at Rev 13:16-17.