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March 18, 2007

A Revelation Worth Heeding

New technology is stoking the expectations of Christians awaiting fulfillment of "mark of the beast" prophecies. And I must say that as I look at the technology, it does create some fearful possibilities. Between the future potential for a cashless society and widespread implantation of VeriChip RFID tags, it is entirely conceivable that a worldwide monetary and identification system could be established and individuals who refused to play the game could be barred from buying or selling anything, as foretold in Revelation 13:16, 17:

"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."

According to the chief executive of Visa Europe, Peter Ayliffe, all of Europe could by 2012 go almost completely cashless, with fees charged for cash transactions. New technology allowing credit cards to be read by waving them in front of a scanner, even reading them through purses, pockets, wallets, etc. when a customer walks by, will make the cashless society even easier.

On top of that, VeriChip implants are on the edge of an explosive surge in use. The company is heavily lobbying the Defense Department to replace dog tags with the implanted RFID chips, so that every soldier would have one. The chip, they say, could hold both medical and identification information and would be more difficult to remove from soldiers than dog tags. Additionally, more than 500 hospitals will soon begin implanting patients with the chips, which will replace hospital ID bracelets and the company expects to expand that to 800 hospitals by the end of the year. Initially the implants will only be used on patients who arrive at emergency rooms unconscious, delirious or confused. But I'm betting they'll be standard protocol for all patients in a few years.

We've already heard of scanners that can read RFID chips in drivers licenses and ID cards in a crowd to create a complete record of all who are present, and scanners at grocery stores that can read your payment card information as you walk through the check out line. Imagine the possibilities if all of these technologies are combined – and imagine including GPS, too. You could have an RFID chip implanted in every human on the planet at birth that contained all necessary identification and citizenship information, financial codes, and medical history. It would end ID theft, end illegal immigration, save paper, and make everything easier. You wouldn't have to fill out those annoying medical history forms when you go to the doctor. You wouldn't be able to lie to an insurance company about your medical history – or an employer. You wouldn't have to dig out your card to pay for things. You wouldn't be able to anonymously commit a burglary or avoid detection if you were a fugitive. And if you were an "enemy of the state" you could easily be found, rounded up and disposed of at a convenient time – or just allowed to starve because you couldn't buy food. And all your associates or anyone who helped you could also be nailed.

The real danger of this technology lies in the fact that human nature is imperfect, at best. It isn't a matter of whether an evil dictatorial leader will abuse this technology, but when that person will come to power. Whether you believe in the spiritual implications of the Revelation "beast" prophecy or not, its warning about the danger to mankind when a global leader has the ability to prevent detractors from being able to buy or sell is one that is worth heeding.

Posted by Becky at March 18, 2007 11:44 AM