Could I Take the Mark of the Beast and Not Know It?

Ankerberg: With all the talk about the mark of the beast, people are wondering, using their credit cards, using all this electronic stuff, is there any chance that they could take the mark of the beast somehow today?

Hindson: No. Because it’s, I think, very, very clear that if the Antichrist and the false prophet are the ones that impose the mark, the name, the number, the insignia, that they have to be on the scene. And they’re not going to be on the scene until after the rapture. So Christians should relax and not feel like, “Oh, we’re going to take the mark of the beast because I used a credit card or an electronic transfer of some sort.” I remember 40 years ago people were saying zip codes were the mark of the beast, and things of that nature.

People are always speculating, how does technology play into this? And it probably will, but it will only be obvious at the very time that it’s imposed and used. But it’s not something people are going to accidentally take the mark of the beast and then feel like they’re going to be condemned because of that. I think people who take it will take it very knowledgably, very willfully. In other words, they’re siding with the beast and his kingdom.

Rhodes: And I think it’s important to also draw distinction between technology and the mark of the beast itself. The way that I read Scripture, the mark of the beast will be “on” the skin, either on the right hand or the forehead; like a tattoo or some kind of a brand. It doesn’t say “in” the skin, like a chip, it’s going to be “on” the skin. But technology is what makes it possible for the Antichrist to enforce the mark of the beast. And he could do that on a global basis. And, in fact, I would say the technology is available today to facilitate that.

Hindson: Yes, I think so too. They actually have a thing that they can put on your skin right now that has electronic transfer abilities with it. So who knows what that will come to eventually. But the real key there is, again, it has to be something somebody chooses to do, and has to happen after the time of the rapture.

So in the meantime, we have to ask our own questions, morally and spiritually, about the use of technology. How much is too much, how much is enough, etc. We’re using technology right now to broadcast this program, so it can be used for good. But ultimately it can be used for evil. What concerns me is, as the world becomes more and more technologically dependent, it will be easier for somebody to impose something like this, especially to control a global economy.