Don't Take the Mark!
In the last book of the Bible is one of the most astounding prophecies of all time. It says a world leader will arise in the "last days" who will try to get everyone on earth to accept a mark on their hand or on their forehead, without which they will not be able to buy or sell anything. (Revelation 13:16-17) And through this mark he will be able to control the whole world.
This prophecy was made nearly 2,000 years ago, before the days of paper currency, cheques, credit cards, or microchips. It was unthinkable that any world leader could control the entire population of the world to that extent; and as the world's population has grown many times over since then, it has sounded progressively more impossible over the years. Until now.
"We Have the Technology..."
Computer technology now makes it possible for people to do their shopping with a plastic card that instantly subtracts funds from their bank accounts and deposits them into the accounts of the people they buy from. A tiny microchip the size of a grain of rice on these "smart cards" can record every transaction, as well as holding a huge file of information on the person making the transaction including medical history, police record, address, birthdate, etc.
The technology is also available to implant the microchip under the skin on each person's hand, thus eliminating the possibility that the card could be lost or stolen. The arguments in favour of implementing such technology are overwhelming. It would do everything from wiping out the drug trade (which always deals in cash) to simplifying banking.
But the proponents of microchip implants keep running into opposition from people who are aware of the prophecy referred to above. Opposition is highest in those countries where interest in Bible prophecy is highest, most notably in the United States.
The context of the prophecy is that an alliance of nations will eventually rule the world; and one world leader will gain control of that body. This leader will have widespread support, and his policies will result in peace and prosperity for much of the world. But then he'll elevate himself to the position of a god, and he will begin a massive slaughter of anyone who refuses to worship him. More people will be killed in this purge than at any previous time in earth's history. (Matthew 24:21-22)
No wonder that people who have studied this prophecy are suspicious of the approaching cashless economy!
But whether they are suspicious or not, the mark will come, and so will the world leader. It has been foretold, and the best that we can do is to stall its implementation. Even more surprising is the fact that a great many of the very people who are warning the world about this dictator will one day accept the mark themselves. We will get to this later. But first...
Although there are minor disagreements about endtime prophecies, there is a great deal of agreement with regard to the Mark. After all, it's practically happening in front of our eyes. Banks persistently push people into using cards, whether lobbying for ID cards, offering incentives to switch to plastic, or supporting the latest card fad (e.g. 'Fly Buys'). They have the technology to bring in the Mark right now, but so far they have not been able to get the general public to accept it.
Outsmarting God
But we are most concerned about are the knee-jerk reactions that so many people have to this and related prophecies.
Through Bullets
Prophecies are not given so that the initiated can use them to outsmart God. The U.S. militia movement (which has been linked with the Oklahoma City bombing and the Waco, Texas, Branch Davidian cult) has sprung from attempts by Americans to arm themselves against the coming "Anti-Christ" (another name for the coming world leader). They have made the typical American blunder of thinking that weapons can buy them peace and security. Doomsday cults of all sorts have been given a bad name because of assumptions by some that they can fight violence with violence.
Bunkers
But not all who believe a world dictator is coming have turned to violence. Many more have turned to refuges. They stockpile supplies, buy land in the wilderness, learn survival techniques, plan escape routes, build fallout shelters, and just generally dig in, with the aim of toughing it out during the persecution of people who do not take the 'mark' or in some other way conform with the coming one-world government. Obviously this is much safer than the militaristic approach. But it still misses the point of what the Revelation passage is trying to tell us. In itself this approach is primarily defensive, and as such is selfish. It places one's hope in material provision (the more the better) rather than in a loving God.
And Billy Graham
On the other extreme is the ask-Jesus-into-your-heart approach to Bible prophecy. These people do nothing practical. They get ready to die; but they do little or nothing about changing their present lifestyle. You don't need Bible prophecy to tell you that it's important to get right with God before you die. But if the prophecies are going to be fulfilled in the near future, then there must be something practical that we should be doing to prepare for them now.
Listen to the Lamb!
The answer lies in a broader understanding of prophecy. To begin with the full name of the last book of the Bible is The Revelation of Jesus Christ. And the opening verses tell us that it is a revelation given specifically to the servants of Jesus Christ. If you're not ready to serve (i.e. obey) Christ, you'll never find solutions to problems predicted in the Revelation.
The Revelation features a Lamb and a Beast. The Beast (the final world dictator) appears to have total power over the inhabitants of the earth; but the Lamb (Christ) conquers the Beast in the end. Unless people are motivated to study and obey the teachings of the Lamb, they will never be able to escape the mark of the Beast.
The passage about the mark goes on to say that it is somehow related to the "name of the Beast" or the number of his name, which is 666.
Don't Take the Mark Part Two
