Don’t Dismiss the “Mark of the Beast”

As I recently blogged, a coal miner refused to put his hand on his employer’s scanner, a device that recorded his time in and out of work for payroll. The miner refused due to his sincerely held religious belief in the “mark of the beast.”

What is the mark of the beast? According to GotQuestions.org, the “main passage in the Bible that mentions the ‘mark of the beast’ is Revelation 13:15-18. Other references can be found in Revelation 14:9, 11, 15:2, 16:2, 19:20, and 20:4. This mark acts as a seal for the followers of Antichrist and the false prophet (the spokesperson for the Antichrist). The false prophet (the second beast) is the one who causes people to take this mark. The mark is literally placed in the hand or forehead and is not simply a card someone carries.”

Returning to the miner, he was convinced that the hand scanner “marked” his hand, and therefore, conflicted with his religious beliefs. A jury awarded him over $400,000.

GotQuestions.org further explains: “The recent breakthroughs in medical implant chip and RFID technologies have increased interest in the mark of the beast spoken of in Revelation chapter 13. It is possible that the technology we are seeing today represents the beginning stages of what may eventually be used as the mark of the beast. It is important to realize that a medical implant chip is not the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast will be something given only to those who worship the Antichrist. Having a medical or financial microchip inserted into your right hand or forehead is not the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast will be an end-times identification required by the Antichrist in order to buy or sell, and it will be given only to those who worship the Antichrist.”

…

While my research is inconclusive, I see evidence in social media of sincere believers in the mark of the beast who reject bar codes and other RFID uses that “read” or “imprint” on the body—like a scanner. Where this is heading no one knows—but these technologies are becoming an everyday reality. The miner’s $400,000 jury award is a sign that this religious belief cannot be ignored or dismissed as nonsense.