Mark of the Beast—The Antichrist’s Secret End-Time Strategy
Technological power and possibility are increasing at an exponential rate, and within the coming months and years, we are going to witness unprecedented levels of artificial human enhancements.
Some of these technologies may be used for good purposes. Others will likely be weaponized in various ways.
However, the supernatural enhancement that we receive in Christ is far superior to any artificial enhancement that human beings can develop. The Kingdom technology that we have access to is far more powerful than any competing technologies in the systems of this world. It has always been this way, and it always will be. Consider again what happened when Moses and Aaron began to confront Pharaoh in Egypt:
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”
So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs (Exodus 7:8-12, NIV).
Though Pharaoh’s sorcerers had the ability to “perform mir- acles” in a way that mimicked the power of God, their staffs were ultimately swallowed by Aaron’s staff. The wisdom from above proved superior to the wisdom from beneath. And eventually, as the plagues on Egypt continued, the power of God went beyond anything that could even be mimicked by the Egyptian sorcerers, at which point they admitted: “This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:19, NIV). The supernatural enhancement that we experience in Christ will enable us to display God’s power in ways that will unequivocally testify to this generation that Jesus is Lord of all.
In Zechariah 1, the prophet received a vision of four horns that scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. But then the prophet saw four craftsmen who would terrify and throw down the four horns of the nations. There are many “horns” that have raised themselves up in our time: sickness and disease, poverty, corruption, family malfunction, war, etc. But God is raising up the craftsmen—supernaturally enhanced humans who have been trained to skillfully use Kingdom technologies. These masters of “Christ craft” will be empowered to work miracles and demonstrate the power of God in unmistakable ways.
The Mark of the Beast?
The book of Revelation foretells of a time when a wicked world leader will arise, deceiving the entire world through mystifying miracles and the creation of an image that appears to possess life. While history has seen many antichrist figures, this particular one will surpass them all in evil and power. Granted authority to dominate the earth, he will perform unimaginable deeds for a season—demanding worship and unwavering allegiance to himself and his system, under threat of death. Utilizing technology, he will wield global surveillance capabilities and mark all citizens of his kingdom with an implant or something comparable.
Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die.
He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666 (Revelation 13:11-18, NLT).
This mark acts as a seal for the followers of the 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, which is literally placed in the hand or forehead.
Recent advancements in medical implant chip and RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) technologies have sparked renewed interest in the mark of the beast mentioned in Revelation 13. It is conceivable that the technologies we are witnessing today may signify the initial stages of what could eventually be utilized as the mark of the beast. The medical implant chip and other technologies in use today appear to be precursors to the actual rollout of this demonic system.
The mark of the beast will be bestowed exclusively upon those who worship the antichrist. Simply having a medical or financial microchip inserted into one’s right hand or forehead does not constitute the mark of the beast. Instead, the mark of the beast will be an end-times identification mandated by the antichrist for conducting transactions, and it will be issued only to those who pledge allegiance to him.
Many reputable scholars of Revelation hold divergent views on the precise nature of the mark of the beast. Besides the implanted chip theory, other conjectures include an ID card, a microchip, a barcode tattooed into the skin, or simply a mark signifying allegiance to the antichrist’s kingdom. Essentially, present and emerging technologies make any of these interpretations plausible.
Similarly, the meaning of 666 remains a mystery. In Revelation 13, the number 666 identifies a person, and the passage clearly indicates that wisdom is needed to understand and calculate the number of the beast. Thus, somehow the number 666 is the number of a man, and it will serve to identify the antichrist. Throughout the centuries, scholars have attempted to associate certain individuals with 666, yet no conclusive identification has been made. That is why Revelation 13:18 emphasizes the need for wisdom. When the antichrist is revealed (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4), his identity and the significance of the number 666 will become clear.
Testify to the Truth
As believers, we know that we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony (see Revelation 12:11). We also know that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10, ESV). We speak often about being witnesses for Christ, presenting our testimonies, and testifying to the truth. These terms that we employ—witness, testimony, testify—are all legal terms. It is as if we are in a grand courtroom and we have been called to the witness stand to provide eyewitness testimony that provides sufficient evidence to render a verdict in a case. Our lives are intended to provide compelling evidence to the world around us that Jesus is alive and that He is Lord of all. Therefore, we must testify to the truth of Jesus Christ—by our words, by our deeds, and by our lives—so that the world can see Him for who He is.
We must ask ourselves, “Who am I in Christ? And who is Christ in me?” Each of us represents a specific revelation of the nature and character of Christ. God has shaped our lives and identities in such a way that we would each reveal a unique aspect of His Person. Christ intends to live His life through us, and He desires that His grace would work in us mightily to that end. This means that our lives are not our own. We exist to reveal Christ.
There is a heavenly script that contains all of God’s predetermined counsel concerning our lives, and each of us is living out a “chapter” of Christ from that script. The writer of Hebrews makes clear that even Jesus Himself came to fulfill what was written of Him:
Then I said, “Behold, I have come—In the volume of the book it is written of Me—To do Your will, O God” (Hebrews 10:7, NKJV).
In the Old Testament, many of the patriarchs, prophets, priests, and kings were “types” of Christ. In other words, their lives foreshadowed Christ in various ways. They had to have certain experiences, say certain words, and execute specific actions because their lives were serving as prophetic pictures of the Messiah who was to come. And when Jesus came, He fulfilled all of the “types and shadows” of the Old Testament through his birth, life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and reign.
As New Testament believers, we are called by God not to be types, but to be testimonies. We are no longer foreshadowing Christ; we are expressing His glory in the earth. Through our lives, we are bearing witness to the risen Lord. Therefore, we must be accurate and precise in our representation of Him, for we are functioning as His ambassadors to the world.
Consider the two witnesses found in Revelation 11:1-13. They were empowered by the Holy Spirit to prophesy in the city of Jerusalem for 1,260 days, confirming their words with powerful signs and wonders. They were testifying to the truth of Jesus, and upon completing their testimony, they were killed. Their completed testimony triggered a divine verdict, a judgment from the heavens, and they themselves were resurrected and vindicated.
This text emphasizes that our purpose as believers is to reveal the living Christ through Spirit-inspired words and deeds. Our genuine testimonies, once completed, will trigger verdicts from the heavenly Judge. These verdicts will approve and advance those who have received the testimony, and they will penalize those who have rejected the testimony.
The Church’s power lies in provoking divine judgment on regions, cities, and even nations by completing authentic testimonies. While we do not agree with the “hyper Kingdom movement” that suggests that the Church will take over the world prior to the return of Christ, we do believe that we have been called to powerfully influence the world and prompt divine judgments. In this way, we will fulfill our dominion mandate until the Second Coming of Christ. Lord Jesus, grant us grace to fulfill what You have written about us from the heavens!
The Lord revealed to me that many believers in this season will be sent to individuals, families, communities, and even nations to testify about different aspects of Christ. Some may be sent to a community for two years to reveal God’s love, while others may be tasked with demonstrating the power of Christ to an individual for 30 days. Another may be sent to a city for 10 years to reveal God’s wisdom. These testimonies are intended to advance and bless.
However, unfortunately, many of God’s witnesses are rejected, and their testimonies become evidence of hard hearts and rejection of God. Therefore, God will render a verdict from heaven, either advancing and approving those who receive the testimony or penalizing those who reject it. Just as godly people in past generations have shaken nations and cities through their testimonies, we are poised to do the same in this time. Therefore, we must not allow anything to compromise our testimony, for it is the only way to invoke a verdict from heaven and a true move of God on earth.
Over the years, I have learned that God will use the context in which a person exists as a courtroom for them to testify or reveal Christ. Consider the last book of the Bible, the Revelation of Jesus Christ. While some may view it solely as a depiction of apocalyptic and frightening events, it goes beyond that. It reveals Christ in some of the most bizarre and unusual situations, affirming that Christ is intended to be revealed in all facets of life, as He is all in all. Therefore, we should no longer fear difficult, bizarre, or tragic events, as God has chosen all of them as platforms for disciples to reveal Christ.
A testimony is not restricted to what God has done for us but also what He is doing through us by Christ. The moment we overcome our fear of difficult and tragic circumstances, we can confidently testify about Christ in any situation or state we find ourselves in. Remember, once the testimonies are complete, a divine verdict will follow, either advancing those who received the testimony or penalizing those who rejected it. Jesus even instructed His disciples to wipe the dust off their feet as a testimony against those who rejected His message.
True testimonies always shake environments when they are complete. After the apostle Paul finished his testimony in the Philippian jail, there was a tremendous earthquake. After the two witnesses in Revelation 11 finished their testimony, an earthquake ensued, and after our Lord Jesus finished His testimony on the cross, there was a tremendous earthquake.
We must not allow the enemy of our faith to compromise our testimony, rendering us unbelievable and inconsequential to the things of God. Let us solely rely on the Holy Spirit to empower us to be His witnesses—providing infallible proof of His life and lordship in every place we are sent!
