A Step Closer to the Mark of the Beast

He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. Revelation 13:16-17

While some pooh-pooh the prophecies of the End Times, this is one sign that no one can ignore because the technology to implement it is already here.

You have to be living under a rock not to notice how much more convenient banking has gotten just in the past few years. I rarely have to write a check anymore since our bank sent us ATM cards with the Visa logo. I can use it to buy gas, groceries, dog food, pay the vet, and buy stuff at Home Depot. We can now go to a restaurant and not worry about cash. The only time I really need cash now is at work when I use the vending machines. And besides, there's an ATM in the cafeteria. Damned convenient.

Over the years the world economies have been gearing up to become a single-world economy. The EURO has already become the standard currency of a dozen or so European nations that until the previous century were constantly at each others' throats.

There's already a device - RFID - in place that can track everything you buy which is implanted with this device. Nowadays we can also track our pets with a microchip implanted under their skin. There's a lot of people out there who think we all should be implanted with a microchip. We just need a good excuse.

Well, we've come closer these past couple of weeks. Identity theft has been a growing problem in our country, and that became more evident with the announcement by ChoicePoint that records of some 140,000 consumers were compromised. This has prompted upcoming Senate hearings on the matter.

Identity theft can literally ruin your life - I see it in my job everyday. Those who commit identity theft are not your casual thief. These are hardened criminals. There right down there with rapists, murderers, and child molesters. This doesn't sound very Christian, but the best deterrent to identity theft is the death penalty. Unfortunately, the penalties for identity theft are little more than a slap on the wrist.

With identity theft becoming more rampant, things like RFID and implanted microchips look very attractive. Once that happens, Big Brother or worse yet - the Antichrist - will be able to track your every move with relative ease.

Stay vigilant, my brethren. Keep watch