HOW MIGHT 666 HAPPEN?

Revelation 13:16-18 reads as follows: “He(the false prophet) also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.” Emphasis mine.

I can remember back in the 1980s when the topic of the “mark of the beast” would be depicted in a movie or come up in conversation, it was generally dismissed as something that would be impossible in our modern world with its freedoms. The end times were thought of as far off into the future, if at all, because the world system did not lend itself to domination by any one person. Prior to this present generation it would be impossible for anyone to be controlled in buying or selling in any way.

At just about this same point in time my bank issued me a new card to carry in my wallet. It was an ATM card. Initially, I used it to get cash during hours when my bank was closed. I conducted all my monetary transactions with cash or by check. I paid my bills by check and most small purchases like haircuts and movies were paid with cash. As time went on, more and more businesses installed ATM/Credit card readers at their check-outs. Today I have very little need for cash and the only check I write is my tithe check to the church. My house payments and some utilities are handled by electronic withdrawals from my account. Pension check and Social Security are deposited in the same way. It is very convenient. Now, even while I am away from home on vacation, I can get on-line to my bank and have them make payments to anyone I designate. Nowadays, a $20 bill can last me two weeks before I’ll need to use it buy something. I know I’m not alone in this; you probably do the same things.

Because of the advances in technology over the past 25 to 30 years, everybody with a checking account is now in a system that can be controlled by one person! With the advent of electronic banking came a new kind of crime, Identity Theft. If someone gets a few of your critical identification numbers they can wreck havoc with your credit rating. This has spawned a whole new industry to help protect your identity. In addition, massive international drug dealing and terrorism are making it difficult for law enforcement to control people and money. There will come a time when the governments of the world will begin to cooperate as never before in an attempt to eliminate the need for currency altogether and control criminal and terrorist activities. There is already serious talk of a national ID card in the US and my driver’s license now has a bio-identifier encoded into the bar code on the back. But cards and licenses are too easily lost or stolen so something else will have to be done.

Enter the RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). Since 2006 the US, EU and many other countries have incorporated this tiny microchip into passports which, when passed through a radio transmitting reader, verify the printed information on the passport along with a digital picture of the holder. Some banks and high security minded organizations like the CIA and NSA issue special RFIDs to their employees. Some RFIDs can be read from several yards or more away. Very soon, people will find it more convenient to have an RFID implanted in their hand so the risk of loss or theft of ID can be eliminated. I see this sort of thing happening very soon but it won’t be the mark of the beast, not yet. First, we will just have to sort of get used to this new technology. Then, after the anti-christ is revealed it will be a simple matter of, after forcing people to pledge allegiance and worship to the beast or die, that their RFID will be “updated” so that they may buy or sell.

I don’t know what 666 means but I do know that the Bible tells us that if you do worship this beast or take the number of his name, 666, you will be forever damned with no hope of retracting your decision. It is better to die than to spend eternity in punishment. Jesus tells us not to fear the one who can kill our body but fear the One who can condemn our souls to hell. Dreadful times are coming. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!