Theological Digression: The Mark of the Beast

Every time someone suggests creating a national ID card or implanting computer chips into people someone invariably mentions the Mark of the Beast. I wanted to take just a moment to explain why these fears were unfounded. While there may be perfectly good reasons to oppose putting computer chips into people, saying that it is the Mark of the Beast is not one of them.

The idea behind implanting computer chips into people is that each chip would carry enough information to uniquely identify each person. That way instead of having to carry around a wallet or driver’s license you could just scan the embedded chip instead. The key here is that in order for it to work each chip would have to have a unique id number. This is very important, so I’m going to repeat it: the only way to tell people apart is to give each one a different number. This is exactly how credit cards work: if everyone had the same number there’d be no way to tell who purchased what. It doesn’t matter if the ID card is a piece of plastic you carry in your wallet or a computer chip that is embedded into your hand; in order for it to work each chip must contain different information.

However, the Mark of the Beast is the same for everyone. Take a look at these verses:

Revelation 13:15: “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark to their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that hath 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.”

As far as I know this is the only passage in the entire Bible that describes the Mark of the Beast. Verse 17 says that the mark can be one of three things: a mark (which is not described), a name, or a number. If it is a name then it’s the name of the beast; if it is a number then it’s 666. But one thing it clearly says is that it is the same name or the same number or the same mark for every single last person. When a person takes the mark he does not get his own, unique number. The purpose of the number is not to identify each person (which are what the computer chips and id cards are all about) but to show that the people who took the mark have firmly rejected God and sided once and for all with Satan. Therefore, id cards and computer chips cannot be the Mark of the Beast because they have different numbers while the Mark of the Beast is the same for everyone. Do you see the difference? Even if society gets to a point where cash is no longer used and you have to have a debit card or something like it to buy and sell things, that is still not the Mark of the Beast because those cards will be different for each person.
 
 

Do Not Take the Mark

I am not trying to say here that the Mark of the Beast is unimportant or should be taken lightly. My goal is to help people understand what it is and what it is not. The mark is actually an extremely serious thing. The Bible clearly states that anyone who takes this mark cannot be saved. This can be found in a couple places:

Revelation 14:9: “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb;
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”

In summary, those who take the mark will be tormented day and night forever and ever with fire and brimstone. It lists no exceptions for those who took the mark and later regretted it. Those who take that mark are rejecting God in a way that cannot be undone. It is an unforgivable sin. Once you take it you are guaranteed an unbearable eternity of torment in the Lake of Fire. God is very clear about this.

Just in case that passage wasn’t clear enough Revelation also says this:

Revelation 20:4: “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

Regardless of how you interpret the millennium, it is clear that this verse is talking about people who never received the mark. Once you take it you are forever lost. In fact, it will be so bad that Revelation 14 goes on to say this:

Revelation 14:12: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.”

Verse 12 is referring to what was just mentioned in the previous few verses (9 through 11, which I quoted a little earlier). When the Mark of the Beast appears people will be given a stark choice. If you take the mark then you will be forever damned. There is no turning back. The only way to be saved is to refuse the mark, refuse to worship the beast, and refuse to worship his image. This publicly tells the world that you have chosen the side of Jesus. However, doing this will be a crime punishable by death. No one can buy or sell without the mark, and anyone who doesn’t have it will be executed. That is why verse 13 says that those who are dead in the Lord are blessed; they no longer have to worry about resisting the unbelievable temptation to take the mark. Their work is done.

For those of you who are worried that you might inadvertently take the mark without realizing it, let me say that as of the time when this paper is written the mark is still years away. I don’t have the time right now to delve into all of this, but the mark doesn’t appear until the second half of the seven-year Tribulation. We know this because the Antichrist doesn’t declare himself to be god until 3.5 years into the Tribulation:

Daniel 9:27: “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”

For reasons explained elsewhere, the one week refers to a period of 7 years, which is also known as the Tribulation. In the middle of this period he will put an end to the sacrifices that are going on in the Third Temple (which has not even been built yet). When this happens he will declare himself to be greater than God:

Daniel 11:36: “And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.”

That is when Revelation 13:15 happens. Since he has declared himself to be god he commands that everyone take the mark of the beast and executes all those who do not. Therefore, until the Jews build the Third Temple, sign the seven-year covenant with the Antichrist, and then the Antichrist breaks that covenant, defiles the temple, and declares himself to be greater than God, there can be no Mark of the Beast.

However, Christians today don’t have to worry about any of this because they will not be on Earth during the Tribulation. No member of the Church will ever be tempted with taking the Mark. It will not appear until we are long gone. Those who face that temptation will be the lost ones that the Lord leaves behind when He comes to take His Church home.

In summary, the next time someone suggests implanting computer chips into people please don’t freak out and compare it to the Mark of the Beast. The chips (or id card) would have to be different for each person and that is the opposite of the mark, which is the same for everyone.