Dear John and Doves,
 
I believe it is safe to say that the Word of God does not allow any wiggle room when it comes to the eternal consequences of voluntarily taking the Mark of the Beast, something expressly forbidden by God, as forbidden as His original prohibition given to Adam and Eve NOT to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. In that day that they disobeyed God, they condemned themselves to a path of sin and rebellion with which we are genetically tainted to this very day. Not one human has escaped the condemnation of sin, but One: our Saviour Jesus Christ.
 
It is not necessary to engage in endless analysis of this issue of what happens to those who choose to take the Mark of the Beast: Scripture describes the fate of those who do, and describes it in no uncertain terms. The answer to this question is simple: It is forbidden, and Rex Nunn said it well in his post of October 7th:
 
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/oct2005/rexn107.htm
 
My question to Tim McHyde is also relatively simple.
 
Tim, you have no doubt expended great time and effort and study in order to arrive at your position in which you believe that it is possible for God to forgive what is clearly forbidden in His Word (i.e., the taking of the Mark of the Beast), and giving you the benefit of the doubt, let us hypothetically assume that you are correct, and everyone else is wrong, that your study and interpretation of God's Word is accurate, and everyone else's is flawed. That means that the Mark of the Beast need not be the eternal death sentence seperating Christians (and others) from the presence of Almighty God, and they will NOT suffer as described in Revelation 14:11:
 
 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."
 
Let us assume that Revelation 14:11 doesn't mean what it clearly says it means. That means Tim, that you were able to correctly discern the true meaning of that passage, while everyone else was wrong.
 
Now let's look at the other side of that coin Tim.
 
What if you are in fact wrong?  Are YOU prepared to stand before God in that Day and explain why countless thousands, tens of thousands, perhaps MILLIONS of people who read and accepted your flawed interpretation of Scripture accepted the Mark of the Beast, thinking it was not the eternal sentence of damnation that it truly was, and will be lost for all Eternity?
 
I dare say that you are not so prepared, and what you are advocating and promoting is blasphemy.
 
If you are wrong, the souls of many will be upon your hands. Kindly reconsider your position with that in mind. What price does one place upon a human soul?
 
Marc McIntosh
marc.mcintosh@gmail.com