The Mark Of The Beast Revisited

The mark of the beast (first mentioned in Revelation 13) is one of the only parts of Biblical eschatology that is popular enough to have been heard of even by those outside of the church.  It is also one of the only parts of Biblical eschatology other than the return of Christ that many inside the church will ever hear of or dwell on.  This leaves philosophically and theologically inept Christians--in other words, the vast majority of them--vulnerable to assuming that the hearsay and speculation of various popular figures is logically and Biblically sound.

One consequence of this is the idea that the mark of the beast must be a microchip placed in the right hand or the forehead, or at least that it is very likely the case that the mark of the beast will take such a form.  Unsurprisingly, the usually conservative subscribers to this notion are deeply frightened at any mention of a microchip being placed in humans for purposes related to politics.  While there are many assumptions made by them that often evolve into conspiracy theories, only one of them in particular needs to be exposed to undermine this paranoia.

Revelation 13 says nothing about a microchip implant intended to track and control the entire world's population.  When it addresses the infamous "mark of the beast," it provides relatively scant details.  Little is said other than that the mark will represent subservience to the beast, be associated with worship of the beast's image, and that the second beast, seemingly referred to as the "false prophet" elsewhere (Revelation 19), will ensure that it is difficult or impossible to conduct economic transactions without it.

In light of this, there is absolutely no basis for the evangelical dread that surfaces at every major announcement of a microchip for human use.  Not only is the mark of the beast not necessarily a technological implant by any means, but there is also no reason to expect every planned microchip to be in any way affiliated with an eschatological conspiracy to subjugate the globe.  Of course, if the mark of the beast does not have to be technological in nature, then the entire evangelical fixation on microchips is hollow.

As it is, the world is very likely not in the Biblical "last days" in any specific sense of the phrase.  Diseases far worse than COVID-19 are present in the historical record, and the same is true of atrocities far more severe than many of the more open sins of the current era [1].  Fear of microchips is just as irrelevant to Biblical eschatology as the claim that the modern age is the darkest time in human history.  Perhaps the mark of the beast will take the form of a chip implant, but perhaps it will not.  In either case, it is asinine and pointless to suppose that every investment in human microchips is part of a cabal against God and humankind.


[1].  https://thechristianrationalist.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-days-of-noah.html