by Michael G. Mickey
(5-27-08)

The more I discuss the relevance of Bible prophecy to the news of our world today, the more convinced I become that Christ's return is near, even at the doors. Take, for example, the prophesied mark of the beast we are told will be implemented in the Tribulation Period to come.

Revelation 13:16-17: And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

What we see in Revelation 13:16-17 is that the government of the final global dictator to come, the prophesied Antichrist who will arrive on the world stage as a hero as a result of confirming a seven-year covenant of peace in the Middle East between Israel and her enemies, is going to require all mankind to accept what is commonly referred to as the mark of the beast as a symbol of allegiance to the Antichrist. Those who accept the mark will be able to buy and sell. Those who don't accept the Antichrist as their god will refuse to do so and will, subsequently, be branded as criminals, hunted down and killed unless they can somehow evade capture.

Could the implantable RFID microchip be the mark of the beast in the making? It's debatable but let's examine the possibility by learning about the mark of the beast itself through careful examination of the original text of Revelation 13:16-17.

The word 'mark' in the original Greek is charagma {khar'-ag-mah}, which is defined as:

a stamp, an imprinted mark
a) of the mark stamped on the forehead or the right hand as the badge of the followers of the Antichrist
b) the mark branded upon horses
thing carved, sculpture, graven work
a) of idolatrous images

Charagma {khar'-ag-mah} comes from the same root word as charax {khar'-ax}, which comes from the word charasso (to sharpen to a point, akin to grapho through the idea of scratching).

Grapho {graf'-o} is defined as:

to write, with reference to the form of the letters
a) to delineate (or form) letters on a tablet, parchment, paper, or other material
to write, with reference to the contents of the writing
a) to express in written characters
b) to commit to writing (things not to be forgotten), write down, record
c) used of those things which stand written in the sacred books (of the OT)
d) to write to one, i.e. by writing (in a written epistle) to give information, directions
to fill with writing
to draw up in writing, compose

We see, when we look at all of this in totality, that the mark of the beast described in Revelation 13:16-17, is going to involve something sharpened to a point that is going to involve a scratching or breaking of skin and the recording of information.

Interestingly, as I have documented repeatedly through the years, implantable microchip technologies are growing in popularity for use in special medical cases, security purposes and, more recently, to make financial transactions. Not only is all this true, they are inserted into the skin of their hosts by hypodermic needle.

While the verdict is still out on whether implantable RFID microchip technologies will play a role in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, evidence is mounting that it may well be the mark of the beast in the making. Consider the following:

Federal Trade Commission to Host Town Hall Meeting to Explore Contactless Payment: This event will take place on July 24, 2008 to explore emerging uses of contactless payment devices and their implications for consumer protection policy. The town hall will be entitled "Pay on the Go: Consumers and Contactless Payment."

From a Bank Systems and Technology article:

"On the road to electronic wallets and true mobile payments, the contactless payment is a necessary stopover, according to an April report by Javelin Strategy & Research (Pleasanton, Calif.).

Moving us closer to a total surveillance society ever so subtly, a Make article tells us hackers from around the world will track the movements of thousands of visitors to New York City this summer as part of a "social experiment" (emphasis below mine):

"Attendees at a hacker conference in July will be issued badges with electronic tracking devices. Large displays will show in real-time where people go, with whom they associate, for how long and how often.

The tracking technology, known as RFID, is fast becoming an unseen part of everyday life. This July, for the very first time, the general public will be able to participate in the transparent operation of a major RFID tracking program.

Conference attendees will participate in games built around the
tracking system. Players will seek ways to protect their privacy, find vulnerabilities in the tracking system, employ data mining techniques to learn more about other participants, and choose how much personal information they will disclose in order to play.

This demonstration will be open to the public at The Last HOPE conference from July 18-20 at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City. The first 1500 preregistrants will be guaranteed an RFID badge enabling them to participate in the game. More information and preregistration is available at http://www.hope.net/."

The United States Air Force use of RFID technology is about to take off. We're told the following:

Air Force medical centers are taking steps to expand their use of radio frequency identification systems. The medical centers plan to expand their RFID-based asset tracking applications to include tracking of lab specimens, medications and possibly patients.

From a Telegraph opinion article, we see how a microchip-implanted society could be enslaved by its government as Bible prophecy tells us will become a reality in the prophetic future:

Old people will be implanted with microchips to remind them to take their medicine, according to a vision of the future conjured up by Ofcom, the communications regulating quango.

It won't end at that. We already see cats and dogs verified as rabies-free by chips implanted beneath their skin.

For humans it might sound quite handy to be reminded by an implant to take one's library book back or to send a birthday card to a niece. But what if the taste of the medicine is less welcome and the computer chip keeps buzzing away until
you've swallowed it all?

In one of the more nannyish Scandinavian states, there used to be a system making it impossible to buy alcohol unless one's income tax was paid up to date. Such an arrangement would be child's play to a well-programmed implant.

So unless state ID schemes are resisted today, tomorrow you'll have had your chips.

Anyone who thinks the implantable microchip isn't a stepping stone to the prophesied mark of the beast at the very least needs to bear the information above in mind and stay tuned to RaptureAlert.com where we will, occasionally, reflect on trends in technology that seem to be pointing mankind in the direction of prophetic fulfillment where Revelation 13:16-17.

Occasionally, because I thoroughly believe we are nearing the return of Jesus Christ for His Church, I like to include Revelation 13:18 in these commentaries because Scripture gives a hint as to the identity of the Antichrist that, when examined alongside the fact he will have confirmed a seven-year covenant of peace in the Middle East in fulfillment of Daniel 9:27 prior to implementing the mark of the beast, should make it easy to spot him at the time one will most need to.

Revelation 13:18: 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.

Six Hundred Sixty-Six (666)

The Antichrist to come is going to have a connection to the number 666. While many spend a lot of time and energy theorizing exactly how the connection between the Antichrist and the number will be made, I don't. I believe Scripture tells one all they will need to know to spot him when the need to.

The number of the beast (the Antichrist) will be able to be counted, it will be the number of a man and that number will be 666.

If, by chance, you should read this in the prophetic future and mankind is being compelled to take a mark of allegiance to a man whose number is 666 and you won't be able to buy or sell without accepting it? Remember the following and remember it well: DO NOT TAKE THE MARK OF THE BEAST!