Let's examine this response in light of the popular friendship bracelet and youth T-shirt phrase: "WWJD?" or, for the "less hip" among us, "What would Jesus do?"
How does this sound? "Love the Lord your God with all you heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself." The basic application of this commandment is this: if you believe the alarmists and move out to the boon docks to get away from the rioting masses, remember that you are still an ambassador for Christ and might want to consider opening your food reserves to your less prepared neighbors. Think of the opportunity you'll have to share the love of Christ when you bring that casserole and bundle of firewood to your unprepared neighbor! If, on the other hand, you do not believe the alarmists, then pray that you are right and that people will not take advantage of the opportunity to riot just because of the year change.
Finally, despite whichever viewpoint you hold to, if you turn out to be correct, please try to remain humble. This attitude will glorify God as you deal with all people, Christian or non-Christian. Some people may feel depressed or panicked if they turn out to be wrong; your humility will go a long way to helping these people back to normalcy.
In other alarmist news, there are those who tell us that the "cashless society" is the beginning of the end! There are plans in development right now, we are told, where ultra-small microchips are being implanted underneath the skin as a means of identifying us and allowing us access to our funds! Since these chips will be implanted in the forehead or in the hand, surely this must be the mark of the beast! FEAR TECHNOLOGY! THE AMISH ARE RIGHT TO ISOLATE THEMSELVES FROM SOCIETY AND REMAIN IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY!!!
Sorry...I got caught up in the rhetoric. Let's look at the Scriptures:
"Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. . . He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. . .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 number of the beast or the number of his name. . . His number is 666. . .The question that must be answered first is "What kind of God do we have?" Clearly, chapter 14 ( and its warnings ) come after chapter 13 (and its threats / promises ). Is our God the type of God who would send a messenger around after the fact and declare judgement on those who already took the mark? That's not God's style. . . Don't believe me? Do your own study on the love and mercy of God (never ceasing; renewed every morning) and the changeability of God (no shadow of turning; He does not change) then meditate on John 3:16-18 a while and let me know if I am wrong."Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth -- to every nation, tribe, language and people. . .
"A second angel followed and said, 'Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great. . .
"A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented. . . This calls for the patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus."Revelation 13:11a, 12, 16, 17, 18b, 14:9, 10, 12
What, then, can we discern from the scriptures? God will send a "third angel" to make a loud declaration about the mark of the beast. From this account, the declaration will occur after the fall of Babylon (as described in Revelation 18! which is, incidentally, also after chapter 13).
What about the mark?Every age has its mark or probable marking means. In the 1940's, there was the advent of the Social Security Number. In the movies of the 1970's, it was merely a tattoo of the number 666 written in binary. The 1990's have brought us the possiblity of implanted microchips. These discussions are similar to the ones surrounding the "ten nation confederation" of Daniel and Revelation. Every age had their "ten nation confederation"; don't believe me? Read an old copy of "The Late Great Planet Earth" by Hal Lindsey from the 1970's -- he identified the confederation as ten MiddleEastern and African nations which apparently never amounted to much. The 1980's brought us the European Union as the ten nation confederation and the 1990's gave us the newly formed states from the former Soviet Union (of course, with the introduction of the EU's currency, the Euro, I figure the EU will once again be the front runner for the "ten nation confederation"). The point is simply this:
Will YOU be ready?
Do you have any comments or questions? Please an e-mail message to me at kensiwek@hotmail.com and I'll be happy to respond, if you like. I appreciate any and all comments you may have to make.
* NOTE: The New International Version (NIV) is used in these notes with the permission of the International Bible Society.