This one is fascinating to watch the news for – mainly because it is so straightforward to debunk!
During the COVID-19 pandemic, you likely heard pastors telling their congregations not to take the vaccine because they are the Mark of the Beast. We’ll delve into why they were wrong, but why were they telling people this in the first place?
To be clear, don’t take medical advice from anyone other than your trusted doctor. They should know your body and health risks better than anyone else. Make sure that there is a benefit for YOU in any of your medical decisions and that you aren’t being pressured to do something you aren’t comfortable with. If you want a vaccine and your doctor agrees, by all means, get the vaccine!
So why were pastors even discussing this being the Mark of the Beast? Because it had almost all of the hallmarks, save several keys (which is why it WASN’T the mark of the beast!).
If you study Biblical prophecy at all or attend a church where it is taught openly, then you will know some basics:
– The Beast (also known as the anti-Christ) comes into power and establishes rule over ten nations/kingdoms
– The Beast strikes a 7-year peace deal with Israel (where Israel re-builds the Holy Temple of God)
– The Beast establishes a physical mark for every person on earth – preventing commerce (buying/selling) unless the mark is present – we are explicitly told that the mark will be on the hand or the forehead.
– The Beast orders anyone without the mark to be killed (likely by guillotine/beheading)
– Anyone that takes the mark is doomed eternally as it is a rejection of God and embracing of man.
Those are some of the highlights regarding the mark of the beast.
The COVID-19 vaccines were/are not the mark of the beast because:
1) The beast that establishes the mark hasn’t been revealed yet
2) There is no seven-year peace deal between Israel and the middle east
This is not to say that the attitude around the vaccines didn’t mark a very ominous point in the timeline – two of the above requirements are in the mentality of the majority of the population at this point:
1) Every person on earth was being pressured to do something to their body “for the good of mankind” (echoes of the Tower of Babbel), and MANY, even professing Christians, were in complete agreement!
2) The majority was talking about severe penalties for anyone that didn’t do what was being suggested by the majority, from preventing them from buying/selling to excommunicating them from society to some even calling for the unvaccinated to be exterminated as existential threats to humankind!
It is a very tiny step at this point for the beast to come on the scene, tell everyone that they need to obtain a mark certifying their allegiance (my guess would be allegiance to the health/survival of humankind) and that anyone that doesn’t take the mark is against humanity and must not be allowed to mingle and interact with the ones with the mark. Could this signify the taking of a future vaccine? Given how pliable the entire population was during the height of the pandemic, even church leadership (see Beth Moore’s rebuke of the unvaccinated), this makes for a straightforward path for someone to step in, gain the trust of a scared world population, and issue requirements and ultimatums. The passion of the majority for complete vaccination was palpable during the pandemic.
What does this mean for Christians? Stay vigilant. The signs appear more frequently in the imminence of Jesus’ return for His Church. I have been deep diving into the seven churches in Revelation and have some startling observations to share in a future post. Suffice it to say that as Christians, we must do what Jesus told us to do – make disciples – and watch for his return. There is no need to be exclusively concerned with the things going on. 2020 seems to have been the start of a significant birth pang – we know it was not the last one before the end. There is more yet to come. That’s a scary proposition for the earth as birth pangs increase in intensity and frequency before the final event, but a sign for Christians that Jesus will soon return for us to spend eternity with Him!
Do not be discouraged.
Do not be afraid.
Dive into the Word.
Pray without ceasing.
Encourage others around you.
MAKE DISCIPLES!
Keep an eye on the sky.
I pray, MARANATHA! (Come quickly, Lord Jesus!)
Duane
