Image Source & External Article - http://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/revelation/mark-of-the-beast/
Just recently here in Roswell NM (where I live, yes) I was telling a shop owner about Steem and Steemit, and he made the comment that he thought it sounded like "...one more step towards the Mark of The Beast"...
"...And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six..."
- Revelation Chapter 13 (Full Chapter)
Yes Virginia... I hate to break it to you, but digital currency IS indeed "one more step towards the mark of the beast" - and we all know it.
Let's just get that out of the way now. But fear not, this is NOT a paranoid religious post warning people about the eternal dangers of joining Steemit, nor of using digital currency in general however. This is just a hopefully rational religious post (inspired by a secular article) meant to stem paranoid fear (amongst Christians mainly) of utilizing Steemit specifically, and digital currency in general. Which I will get back to in just a second...
But first... If to you, "stemming this fear" makes me "part of the Satanic conspiracy" then I can't help that, and I won't engage with or reply to you if that is your view (which you are entitled to hold, and even to express as a comment below).
I'd rather use my time to inform non-Christian people who may have clicked in here (for laughs perhaps?) that Yes, I believe that the mark of the beast is coming, and you DO need to aware of the dangers of accepting it!
Image Source & External Article: http://www.evangelicaloutreach.org/markbeast.htm
(Hence the external articles links being detailed here for further reading - which I have not closely vetted btw, they just had top matches for images)...
Anyways...
As I told my friend Don (who DID join Steemit @roswellrockman ) "So is your debit card!"
Putting Don and I's end-of-conversation succinctly, there are many aspects of our everyday lives that have brought and are bringing us "one step closer" to the mark of the beast - but they are not in themselves the mark, they are not evil, and (imho) they are not to be feared, or shunned.
(Altho I will note respectfully that The American Amish community feels differently - see the link below these next images.)
There are indeed many examples from our now-everyday lives that could easily be said to be bringing us "one step closer" ... such as the "Bar Codes" on every product we purchase
... especially if the same types of "scanners" that read them, were then pointed to a laser tattoo or RFID chip in your hand, to receive payment for these goods at the register.
All 3 Images above & External Article: http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index1392.htm
"Radio Frequency ID chips" (see Wikipedia article) are already being used (some will say "being tested") to help pet owners keep track of their pets. Wal-Mart and other retailers also use them to track expensive items, to help prevent shoplifting. And especially "hi-tech" firms demanding secrecy and security clearances even use them on employees!
Could Big Brother and The Rothchild's and The Federal Reserve Banks and The U.N. (collectively, "The New World Order") one day very soon use all of this to both track you physically, and to observe or control your money supply?
Absolutely!
It's no stretch at all to imagine combining RFID technology with UPC Bar Codes - and then connecting it all to your bank account via the Internet (or the Blockchain!) - to fulfill the Bible prophecy about the mark of the beast happening in the near future, or in our lifetimes.
Folks I am no stranger to this belief. I first penned the words myself way back in 1997 (in my original webpage and book "Come Sail Away : UFO Phenomenon & The Bible"- << Amazon link to 2105 version) in the section I titled "Genesis 6 to 666"
"To understand how the world’s entire economy could be tied into a mark on one’s flesh would be a completely unimaginable miracle - a near impossibility - inconceivable to most Christians throughout the ages. This has left some events of the book of Revelation a little hard to piece together into a believable probability, much less an immediate future.
"In order to accomplish such an incredible thing, you’d have to have some way to access a person’s bank account from anywhere in the known world; all financial institutions would have to have some way of talking to each other through some sort of, of, machinated "net," or a "web," or something; you’d have to come up with some sort of mark, or magnetic strip, or some "barred code" that some futuristic "scanner" could read; surgical or laser-tattoo technology capable of implanting it, and a "personal secret code" so that no one could ever rob you in this "cashless society." Any-time machinery, for financial transactions, would have to be everywhere. Everyone would have to be assigned a separate number at birth. These "scanner devices" would have to be in every grocery, hardware, department and convenience store, and every product would have to be marked with this computerized bar-code…
"Yup, you’d need all that…
"Get that in place and you’re ready to go..."
(Original 1997 cover, now out of print - 2015 version available on Amazon here)
So getting to my main point - finally...
YES. All kinds of technological advances from the past 30 years and more could and probably WILL - imho - be used to make the Mark of the Beast possible... call me a paranoid religious nut if you like, I do firmly believe that such is coming.
The Internet itself, for example, connects and brings the whole world online. But if you're using it to read this, now, you are perhaps already hooked, and have no room to talk about Steem or digital currencies being the pre-cursors to the mark of the beast. Because everything you're already using is also...
The magnetic strips on the back of the debit and credit cards you've (most likely) been using for years and years. Online banking... Bar Code technology in grocery stores that you apparently don't have the religious conviction to oppose nor abstain from ... retinal scanners, or fingerprint security features in your smartphone...
See what I mean?
If you are not a practicing Amish person - or you use only "true money" (Gold and Silver) to barter and to trade for goods and services when you need them (or farm and grow your own food, to ensure that you don't) - then there are already DOZENS of aspects of your everyday life that you have accepted and routinely utilize that have already in fact brought YOU "one step closer to the mark of the beast."
YES - these "new-fangled concepts" like Steem Dollars, Bitcoin, and Digital Currencies are perhaps OBVIOUS steps moving us all FURTHER along that path to one-world government under antichrist...
(EXCEPT IT MUST BE NOTED in this article for you newbies to the concept, that TO-DATE, popular digital currencies (Steem, Bitcoin, Etherium, etc, etc) are actually intended AND ARE CURRENTLY BEING USED to help users MOVE AWAY from immoral government spying networks, and away from evil centralized banking platforms, putting "the power in the hands of the people" - for awhile at least.
So technically, by joining Steemit and adopting Steem as currency, you are fighting the underpinings of the Satanic One-World government that is forming all around us. You are actually, literally, restraining The Beast from his march to power! For awhile anyways...
So there.)
But yes, I would affirm that some form of digital currency in general could and possibly will be used by the evil-antichrist-oneworldgovernment-rothschilds-federalreserve-warmongeringtotalitarian New World Order yet to arise under the real antichrist when he appears.
In fact, it was seeing this article today published by The Coin Telegraph
4 Reasons Why Your Nation Will Kill Cash For A Digital Currency
that inspired me to drop everything and write this particular article.
The Coin Telegraph wonderfully details how national interests (Satanic, New World Order interests, for our purposes here) probably will in fact adopt a digital currency of their own in the coming years. I can totally see THEIR VERSION of a global digital currency exchange being the near-final step in implementing the true Mark of the Beast, when (but not until) The Antichrist is revealed.
But Steem/Steemit just isn't it. Today's free market digital currencies - if anything - are the "gum in the works - fly in the ointment - monkey wrench in the machine" to the eventual true Mark of the Beast, now that I think about it. Today's digital currencies actually serve to free us from the system that is now in place, by providing de-centralized mediums of currency (barter, exchange, etc) that serve as powerful alternatives to current banking structures, and chains.
Governmental agencies (NWO ones or not) are actually in a scramble currently to figure out HOW to regulate, tax, and ultimately control the existing digital currencies. But neither they - nor the devil - are behind them.
The Bible clearly instructs and solemnly warns all to not accept the Mark of the Beast, when it finally comes in the form of a mark on your hand or forehead that you cannot buy or sell without receiving. For this era's mindset and technology, some form of digital currency "fitting the bill" or "paving the way" does indeed seem logical, and quite likely to my mind in fact.
However, except as a private matter of conscience, abstaining from "the steps" has already proven impractical in most of our lives, almost unavoidable (again, except to the Amish), and ultimately not directly commanded in scripture.
The command to abstain from even "the appearance of evil" might or might not rightly apply here in fact.. BUT if you have a computer with internet access, a bank account, a credit or debit card with a magnetic stripe that excahanges funds digitally already...... Well, you get the point by now I think.
So my position is to say that unless you're either willing to become Amish today and forego ALL of the technologies I've detailed here (and electricity) then you've really nothing to fear from becoming an early adopter of Steem/Steemit, but especially, no room to criticize those who do so.
Power up and join us!
===============
Two things in closing:
#1) Here's one more lengthy scripture-packe receiving. For this era's mindset and technology, some form of digital currency "fitting the bill" or "paving the way" does indeed seeTpics of Aliens, UFOs, and The Bible. I have to date organized 7 conferences on that topic, and (after a 7 year hiatus) am putting together a new one for Summer 2017... please follow @ancientofdays for updates and tons of videos yet to come from past speakers and theologians who have participated, and will be again this year.
I bring all of this up in THIS article, only to announce here that:
My non-profit "Roswell Mission" will be accepting Steem for conference registrations (follow for details) and that
UP-FRONT VIP SEATING goes to those who pay VIA STEEMIT!
"I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years."
But this is only those who died rather than taking the mark of the Beast .
Some were not beheaded - they had BitShares.
"He who endures to the end will be saved."
NICE! And game, set, match, winner!
The "mark of the beast" is an idea with symbolic interpretations applied to it for people of any age/era to try to make sense of it in reference to their time. Don't try too hard to fit the words of some person long ago, that lived in a certain historical content and used parables, allegory, analogy, metaphor and symbolism, into your time now and proclaim it as some "divine" revelation about your time now. People have been doing this for centuries. Everyone thinks their historical time frame is what was being "prophesied" and fall for the same trap of subjective application of some writing to their lives in the now.
Peace.
Good points @krnel in that I likewise said in my own book (circe 1997, briefly quoted above) that we Christians have been guilty of saying "the end" is upon us for 2,000 years based on how "current" events "fit" prophesy - and that for 2,000 years we've always been wrong. Your first sentence has a of of merit, I just happen to also believe in a dual or even cyclical view of interpretation (prophecy or not) - that God (assuming He exists, did inspire the Bible) is actually smart enough to write in double, triple, etc, entendres than can be taken a variety of ways, in a variety of settings and time periods, and still be spot on. (That doesn't mean that men can't also get things wrong or misinterpret things tho - both can be true...). In the case of the mark not being able to "buy or sell" without it being on their "hand or forehead" are pretty specific words tho, that one would be hard pressed to "interpret" symbolically or metaphorically and not tie them to commerce however. There's whole books about the "different views" of Revelation tho, agreed. I'm open to hearing your interpretation of what the mark that one cant buy or sell without might mean however, if you have one. And thanks for the thoughtful comment!
While it is true that Christians have been watching for the fulfillment of these prophesies for 2000 years, this is not a bad thing. In fact, it is exactly what the Lord wants. There are many places where Jesus tells us to be constantly watching. In doing so, we keep our priorities straight in whatever generation we are living. When we come to the generation where it actually applies (in full) that generation will have a special blessing in that they will be prepared mentally, physically, and spiritually. In that sense, they will be in a position to help others and may be among those who Paul speaks about when he says, "We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
even if true, the spirit of the hacker/crypto community would be to hack the shit out of all this. and only enhance yourself with open source technology that you yourself have control over.
Well said! I totally agree. Glad you chimed in with that early.
Frankly even though I found the article interesting I don't understand the point in this, if the Bible is true then nothing you or anyone else does will change what is going to happen, it is all part of God's plan, right? So why worry about it? If digital currency are the mark of the beast then that is what they are and the only thing you can do is not use them based on your perception of what the bible says. I for my part don't believe in the bible coming from God, I mean why does God have to write a book, he could have just as easily implanted all of this knowledge in your brain and all would be good. Please don't take this the wrong way, I am only giving you my opinion which disagrees with yours, up voted you as I do think it is a fairly good article.
God used the writings of eyewitnesses who He personally instructed over 3.5 years so that there would be just the right amount of evidence for His children to believe but not enough evidence for those who would rather rebel and rule themselves. That's a fine line which offers men two paths - a wide one that leads the many away into darkness and a narrow one that leads a few into light. Jesus said, "Many are called but few are chosen." So we should not expect any alternative solution we can think of that would guarantee that all would believe.
As to whether knowing this in advance will make any difference, I think it will make ALL the difference! Here are a few obvious benefits I can think of. I'm sure there are many more:
If you know about this in advance, you can make other preparations to deal with the fact that you can't legally buy and sell. You can store food, learn to garden, hold crypto currencies or precious metals, team up in self-sufficient communities, etc. (Basically, be a prepper.)
If you do this, you won't be in the tight spot of choosing between faithfulness and death. Therefore, you will be less likely to fall away and lose your salvation.
Knowing this in advance, when the time comes you can point it out to others and perhaps save some of them. Nothing sharpens the mind like seeing prophecy unfold in real time.
Jesus put it this way, "Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved."
This is why the opening lines in the Book of Revelation say this: "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."
Great point that there's nothing that can be done to change what is going to happen (if true, I get you). My point with the article is exactly as I began - responding to what a local Christian said (and I know already that his view will be echoed by many. Bitcoin is easy enough to ignore as it's off in personal finance land, but Steemt will soon be quite public, and I see many Christians already taking to it. It's going to be a "hot topic" so to speak, and I wanted to set that down for the record) I'm glad you liked the article, and no offense taken whatsoever, I appreciate your input. I love that people of different worldviews can have such civil and beneficial exchange of ideas via Steemit.
As for "why did..." I agree with you that God "could have" implanted knowledge, God "could have" written a book, He could have remained silent. There's an infinite number of choices from our perspective making speculation futile however. It boils down to what did God choose to do? Way oversimplifying the topic, I believe He chose to write a book. Other possibilities require the act of thinking we can understand God or put ourselves in His place somehow - "Oh, well if I were God, I would've done it this way....." which doesn't work because I'm not.
And thank you so much for the upvote too @gduran , as I know they are precious to us all these days!
I thought the beast was one of the Roman emperors - Nero maybe? One of them anyway which would make sense because at the time he was persecuting the early church.
IMHO, pretty much anything that rears its head as a "God replacement" or competitor, or is in explicit rebellion to God's law, is "the beast" of Revelation.
And so, (again, IMHO) EVERY human government that uses violence as a means to its ends pretty much qualifies as a manifestation of the beast...
Glad to see articles like this, BTW, raising these questions.