http://unveilingtheapocalypse.blogspot.ie/2013/12/the-mark-of-beast-eternal-sin-and.html Emmett O'Regan is pointing to cell phone technology as a potential.
It is an interesting observation. Cell phones are ubiquitous and there is an effort to make doing transactions using them. Even in places such as Africa where infrastructure is sometimes minimal, cell phone towers are going up everywhere.
You know I was just talking about this yesterday. I really feel that the mark of the beast will not be something that we could easily be decieved into taking. What I mean by this is technically you could say the mark of the beast would be credit cards. We all have them now for the most part and with debit cards it is truly becoming a cashless society. Could society become cashless in the near future? Absolutley! So this system is already in place but we never had to accept it knowing that it was the mark. I just feel we will know what the mark is and have to make a decision to accept or reject.
I have a book called 'The Apocalypse Letter by Letter' which is a difficult read and contains some novel interpretations (written by a Catholic). The author has some interesting 'takes' on the Mark of the Beast which I summarise below (without necessarily accepting them). 1. The Greek word translated as 'mark' is actually more specific, it is a mark that is made by engraving, imprinting, carving, inscribing etc. 2. The name (not specified as first or surname) will presumably need to be short enough to be inscribed on a small female adult forehead but still be legible from say 15 - 20 feet away and so it could not contain more than 6 letters. 3, The implement used will probably have to be curved to make a neat and legible impression across a forehead. The mark on the back of the hand could only be achieved neatly and legibly (because of its bony structure) in one of a very few ways and the simplest would be by branding. 4. Only three languages have numerical values for all letters - Hebrew, Arabic and Greek. Hebrew and Arabic do not have vowels and their letters do not all have equivalents in the Roman alphabet, Greek does have vowels and its letters can usually be easily rendered in the Roman alphabet. So the name is probably Greek. 5. The name would need to be easily pronounced by people of all languages which imposes significant limits on which Greek/Roman letters might be included. It would not, for instance, contain an 'r' which cannot be easily pronounced by many people of east Asian origin. The author then provides the Roman and numerical equivalents for the letters in the Greek alphabet - which could make for an interesting game over Christmas!
Great observations Steve. I too believe it will be a visible mark. The book of Revelation also speaks of believers receiving the sign of redemption on their forehead which has to be a cross.
I think he is not too far off the mark in a lot of what he writes. There seems to be currently a global economic shift and potentially a move to one currency that will be mostly electronic or eventually only electronic. I am not sure that the 'www' of world wide web equates to the number of the beast though.
Someone told me their thoughts recently on the mark. They thought if there was a massive virus or epidemic that was killing a large population that the goverment would require you to have a vaccine in order to buy or sell things. And that you could be required to have a mark (which could be embedded)which signifies you've have the vaccine so others would know you've had the vaccine. I thought I could see that happening and people going for it. God Bless!
Still I wonder if we can be deceived into taking the mark or do we have to consciously choose it by our own free will? I feel we have to make the choice to choose it over trusting in God.
I am not the least bit concerned about taking on the 'mark of the beast' as it is impossible so long as you stay in the grace of God. Again, pray the rosary daily, wear the brown scapular, stay close to the sacraments do some fasting. These are the key to stay with God and away from any evil.
This really made sense to me, from godspeakswillyoulisten.org My son, who are the souls who will take this mark? They are lukewarm Catholics, apostate Protestants, and the followers of the antichrist. I will now explain this further for you. My words clearly states those who take the mark of the beast will be tormented forever with fire and brimstone. This means it is a final act of rebellion against my mercy. What would cause a person to rebel against my mercy with the knowledge of eternal damnation upon receiving the mark? It will be a rejection of my mercy through my warning. The warning shall take place before the mark of the beast is forced on mankind. Otherwise many innocent souls would take this mark not understanding what it truly means. The mark of the beast is more than a computer chip. It is the turning completely of your will to Satan and your sinful desires. A physical mark is an outward manifestation of an inward rebellion against God. Just as baptism, is an outward sign of an inward cleansing of original sin from a soul.
It strikes me that when the point is reached that people are required to bear the mark, there will have been so much chaos, so many conflicts and so much ruin in the world that computers won't be around and that it will probably be a physical mark on the flesh rather than a chip or something of that kind.
How come Emmett at Unveiling the Apocalypse and Desmond Birch to name another have a different view of what private revelation is saying, especially the timeline? I have the answer, they refuse to consider all the messages given the prophets. They're losing out questioning, dismissing the yet to be approved messages from Heaven.
I wouldn't underestimate the challenge that lies ahead, whenever that may be - the 'mark' might sound relatively easy to refuse in the current situation of relative material comfort. But imagine that it is imposed following a global economic meltdown as the solution to chronic food shortages etc.. In a scenario like that, the pressure will really be on, as refusing it may mean that you cannot feed yourself or your family. Then refusal could be equivalent to choosing martyrdom. Just as when the first Christians refused to worship the Emperor, they knew exactly on whose breakfast menu they would find themselves...
I have thought about this allot. I think you are right in some respect. However, there will be great graces for those who remain faithful. Keep in mind, this will be a world wide challenge for all the faithful remnant. Our Lord and Our Lady have promised to be there with us in a special way. Food may well come from heaven as it did for the Israelites. Persecution yes, but somehow I think there will be a sense of peace that we cannot now understand. Perhaps a joy of knowing you are under the mantle of Mary and nothing can touch you.
I've been young and now am old, yet I've never seen the righteous forsaken nor his children begging bread. Psalms 37:25
I will not be surprised if Google will be involved in some way. Everyone thinks Google give away so much free stuff online, but there will be a price to pay from handing over so much information about ourselves. Google can spread virally they are really good at that. The Eucharist may be our manna from heaven.
