I work on political campaigns and familiarize myself with legislation under debate. During the health care debates a legislative proposal included possible implanting RFID chips into recipients of the “public option”, an implant containing health information and monitoring success or failures of medical issues. As a Christian these proposals scare me, they seem invasive and may provide the ability for abuse.
Talking with my father, I mentioned my concern and stated that I would NEVER accept such an implant, in fact I would die before accepting any government mandated implant. Is such a concern irrational? I believe, as Christians living for Jesus, we should have boundaries we are not willing to cross. To me a government chip/implant is crossing the boundary. I know the same concern ran rampant when the social security numbers were administered but I think something in line with the RFID (failed) proposal is different and much more dangerous.
It’s OK to make a strong personal stand about things, and invasion of privacy is an important issue. But just so you understand, the Bible doesn’t prohibit taking an RFID chip. What Rev. 13:16-17 says it that it’s prohibited to knowingly take the mark of the beast on one’s right hand or forehead, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.
There are several pre-conditions that must be met for this to happen. The anti-Christ and false prophet have to be in power to require and enforce this. This means the name and/or number have to refer to someone who has world wide executive power. Then the mark has to be necessary to either buy or sell goods and services which means a one world economic system has to be in place and functioning at the most basic levels of society. Also the person taking the mark has to do so knowingly and willingly, because it’s really a pledge of loyalty. Since all this happens within the parameters of the Great Tribulation, there has to be a Temple in Israel, the nation has to officially be in covenant with God, and the Church has to have disappeared.
None of these conditions have been met nor could they be met retroactively. The idea that people can be tricked into unknowingly taking the mark, thereby forfeiting their salvation if they have it, or their chance to receive it if they don’t, cannot be supported Biblically. This is why fears of the social security number, the uniform pricing (bar) code, RFID, etc. are unfounded. They may be pointing the way to the system the anti-Christ will eventually use, but they themselves can not be the mark of the beast.