With the COVID-19 pandemic scare occurring in the world right now, and with quarantines, lockdowns, and discussions of a vaccine, many people are wondering if the promised vaccine will be part of a global plan to introduce a tracking system akin to the long-prophesied mark of the beast. It's been mentioned. Let's look into that question, and let's start from the Bible. Note, there are two beasts described in the passage. The first beast is uniformly interpreted to be the Antichrist.
Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 16Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. (Revelation 13:11-18).Who is this second beast? He is the False Prophet. In the Tribulation the long-held desire of satan to usurp God from the throne in order to be worshiped himself will appear to have been fulfilled. (Isaiah 14:13-14). God gives satan power on earth for 42 months or three and a half years. (Revelation 13:7). The unholy trio- satan, his puppet the Antichrist, and the False Prophet mirror the Trinity of God, the Son, and the Spirit. As the Spirit points to Jesus and God, so the False Prophet points to the Antichrist and satan. His goal is to get people to focus on the Antichrist and worship him. His ulterior goal is deception (Revelation 13:14). As the Antichrist is the culmination and embodiment of all human sin, (he is called The Man of Perdition in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 after all) the False Prophet is the culmination of and embodiment of all false religion. His job is to cause all to worship the Antichrist.
We see that aside from causing an idol to be built of the Antichrist, an idol for the first time in history that has the seeming power to speak, the False Prophet employs other signs to promote the wonder of the first beast. He causes fire to come down from heaven. The Antichrist will declare himself to be God (2 Thessalonians 2:4). The False Prophet kills anyone who refuses to worship the Antichrist. And as we look at verse 16, the False Prophet makes everyone take a mark of some kind on their hand or forehead to show allegiance to the Antichrist.
Pagan cults often required painting one's body or a having a mark or a tattoo. In the Antichrist's false religion, the False Prophet will make everyone accept the mark of allegiance, or be killed, or they cannot buy or sell. Participating in the economy is a heightened enticement, because people need to be paid, they need to buy food, they need to trade for goods they cannot acquire on their own.
We know it's a mark of allegiance because the mark is the beast's name, or his number. The person having the mark is displaying his subjectivity to the Antichrist.
Dear Christians, we cannot accidentally take the mark. There are three solid reasons. First, the Bible is clear on the order of events. The Antichrist comes to power, the whole world goes after the Antichrist, marveling, The false prophet rises and causes signs like a seeming resurrection of the wounded Antichrist or fire from heaven which cements the world's fascination with him. People who refuse to worship the Antichrist are killed. The mark idea comes along, excluding anyone from the world economic system who rejects it. When the idea for the mark of the beast comes, it will be globally known. This is not happening now. If the Antichrist and the False Prophet are alive now, they don't even know who they are and are prophesied to become.
Secondly, we have assumed it will be a bar code or a chip, something computerized, but it doesn't have to be. You might not be allowed in a store without displaying the mark, but still pay by credit card, or bitcoin. You might be denied at the cash register if you don't have the mark but still pay in cash (or pebbles or whatever is around then). The mark allows you to buy and sell, it doesn't necessarily have to be the mechanism for buying and selling. Since he is not on scene yet, the mark is not here yet.
Thirdly it's a choice. In order to take the mark you will be declaring you are worshiping the Antichrist. (See Revelation 14:9). Since he is not on scene yet, the mark is not here yet. People will be given a choice to take the mark or not- we know this because some refuse and are killed. It's a mark of worship and allegiance to the Antichrist operating on the world stage during the worst time there ever was or will be (Matthew 24:21), not a vaccine innocently taken years or decades prior to the Tribulation somewhere in the US.
So do not worry. We will be raptured away first anyway, involved at the Bema Seat reward ceremony for our earthly efforts and in heaven with Jesus. (1 Cor 3:12-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
As dystopian as the mark of the beast sounds, it will happen. Not only will it happen, but it will happen exactly as it is described in Revelation. What the Mark will be or what the number 666 really means or who the Antichrist is going to be doesn't matter. The only question for the reader and for all humans, is, are you ready to repent of sin and fall at the feet of Jesus? Your eternal destiny is at stake.
The time is fulfilled, He said, and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the gospel! (Mark 1:15).
