Also 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, so 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. This 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. (Rev 13:16-18)Now "it" (or "he," depending on your translation) refers to the second beast, not the first. The second is the mouthpiece for the first who appears to be the leader. That's all well and good, but what is this "mark"? It is demonstrably obscure because John limits the understanding to a select group who can "calculate the number of the beast." Even so, no one is really clear on just what it means. (No one is really certain, either, whether it is 666 or 616. Latin has it as 666 and the Greek has it as 616. From there we degenerate into, "Yes, but what does it mean?") So we all know that "666" is a bad thing -- "the sign of the devil" -- but we're not at all sure what it is.
There are voices today warning that this is coming true in our day. Back in July theologian and rapper Kanye West warned that the COVID-19 vaccine will be a method of surreptitiously putting a chip in us as the mark of the Beast. And not a few Christians are ... concerned. Is this a possibility? Since there is a warning -- "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God ..." (Rev 14:9-10) -- it might be important. Let's take a look.
First, what is absolutely clear is that the concept in view is not "tracking" or mere control; it is worship (Rev 13:12, 15). It is loyalty and devotion. The idea is worship of the beast as an identity (compare with Rev 14:1 and the "mark of the Lamb"). That can't be commanded. So in chapter 14 the warning is for those who "take the mark" (Rev 14:9), suggesting that it is voluntary and not either forced or secretly introduced. Second, if we're looking at what the text says, this "mark" is not in the blood stream; it is "on the right hand or forehead" (Rev 17:16). (Interesting that it is so specific as to be the right hand.) So if you're going with a literal "mark" of some sort and the idea that they're injecting it, are you suggesting they're injecting it in the right hand or forehead? Seems far-fetched. There is another interesting aspect of the text. In the translation of the text I put above we read that it is "the mark, that is the name" of the beast. The two terms -- "mark" and "name" -- are intended to be the same thing. In the original text there is no "or" or "and" between "the name of the beast" and "the number of its name." So if these two are the same thing, it would appear that the mark of the beast is his name. This coincides with Rev 14:1 that says the mark of the Lamb is the name of the Father.
With all of this in mind, I would suggest that, whatever the "mark of the beast" is, it is not a sneaky injection of a secret chip to control your mind and your wallet. Unless, I guess, you believe we can also get a sneaky injection at church to get the mark of the Lamb. Rest easy, brothers and sisters. It won't be done by stealth. The call is for allegiance, for worship. You don't do that with a vaccine.
No comments:
Post a Comment