So is the Vaccine the 666 Mark of the Beast?
Growing up, I never heard any of this stuff. I reckon that most people in my evangelical tradition haven’t either. But without all the background information, people are being tossed to and fro by endless speculations and fears. Sadly, some people—many of them sincere Christians—are terrified that they will be forced to take the mark of the beast (no, it’s not Bill Gates) in the near future. Could it be the vaccine? Is it a computer chip? What if I get tricked into taking it?
With these questions in mind, let me offer a few remarks about modern-day application. First, the historical data does not permit us to think the “mark of the beast” is something you can accidentally take. It’s a mark of loyalty and worship, which requires full cognitive and heart-felt awareness of what you are doing (otherwise it’s not worship). If there is some future mark imposed on people by some nefarious person, then to take that mark, you’ll know exactly what you are doing—namely, cursing Christ and pledging devotion to his enemy. Scripture and other ancient writings from that timeperiod point us in this direction and, quite frankly, there isn’t much leeway on this point (although you can debate me in the comments, if you wish).
Second, be careful and wise with how you apply these texts. Let me give an example. Right now, in my own country (and it’s been this way for a long time), a person might find it very tricky and difficult to operate within our local economies without a government-issued social security number. Let me be as clear as I possibly can about this: There is no biblical reason to think that accepting government-mandated social security numbers is the equivalent of taking the mark of the beast. Whatever the current issue may be (vaccines, SSN, chip implants, SIM cards, etc), we need to be careful about confusing our personal and/or political convictions with the meaning of a biblical text. Some public policy ideas are good; some are terrible. But either way, unless “They” require you to forsake your faith in Jesus as the exclusive object of your worship, They have no relation to the mark of the beast. Again, given what we know about the historical context of these biblical texts, the “mark of the beast” must be tied back into worship if it is to be applied properly.
To take all of these things into account allows a much-needed moratorium on all the pointless anxiety and fear-mongering. The message of Revelation beckons us away from angst and worry. It bids us to gaze upon the slain Lamb—to worship him with loyalty, devotion, and commitment. Let’s make Christ our focus, not endless speculations that, at the end of the day, have very little to do with the message of Revelation.
Growing up, I never heard any of this stuff. I reckon that most people in my evangelical tradition haven’t either. But without all the background information, people are being tossed to and fro by endless speculations and fears. Sadly, some people—many of them sincere Christians—are terrified that they will be forced to take the mark of the beast (no, it’s not Bill Gates) in the near future. Could it be the vaccine? Is it a computer chip? What if I get tricked into taking it?
With these questions in mind, let me offer a few remarks about modern-day application. First, the historical data does not permit us to think the “mark of the beast” is something you can accidentally take. It’s a mark of loyalty and worship, which requires full cognitive and heart-felt awareness of what you are doing (otherwise it’s not worship). If there is some future mark imposed on people by some nefarious person, then to take that mark, you’ll know exactly what you are doing—namely, cursing Christ and pledging devotion to his enemy. Scripture and other ancient writings from that timeperiod point us in this direction and, quite frankly, there isn’t much leeway on this point (although you can debate me in the comments, if you wish).
Second, be careful and wise with how you apply these texts. Let me give an example. Right now, in my own country (and it’s been this way for a long time), a person might find it very tricky and difficult to operate within our local economies without a government-issued social security number. Let me be as clear as I possibly can about this: There is no biblical reason to think that accepting government-mandated social security numbers is the equivalent of taking the mark of the beast. Whatever the current issue may be (vaccines, SSN, chip implants, SIM cards, etc), we need to be careful about confusing our personal and/or political convictions with the meaning of a biblical text. Some public policy ideas are good; some are terrible. But either way, unless “They” require you to forsake your faith in Jesus as the exclusive object of your worship, They have no relation to the mark of the beast. Again, given what we know about the historical context of these biblical texts, the “mark of the beast” must be tied back into worship if it is to be applied properly.
To take all of these things into account allows a much-needed moratorium on all the pointless anxiety and fear-mongering. The message of Revelation beckons us away from angst and worry. It bids us to gaze upon the slain Lamb—to worship him with loyalty, devotion, and commitment. Let’s make Christ our focus, not endless speculations that, at the end of the day, have very little to do with the message of Revelation.
I'm not taking my chances