'Exactly as the Bible Predicted': Evangelist Ray Comfort Points to 'Mark of the Beast' Tech
The Bible's New Testament warns of the "Mark of the Beast" – a key sign of the End Times before Christ returns. But how can Christians recognize the mark when it becomes reality? In a recent video on YouTube, Evangelist Ray Comfort examines that question by looking at Revelation 13:16-17.
The Biblical Prophecy of the Mark
The main passage in the Bible that mentions the “mark of the beast” is Revelation 13:15-18. According to the scripture: "He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."
This mark acts as a seal for the followers of the Antichrist and the false prophet. It is important to realize that the mark is literally placed in the hand or forehead and is not simply a card someone carries. Many good expositors of Revelation differ widely as to the exact nature of the mark, with speculations including an ID card, a microchip, or a barcode tattooed into the skin.
Modern Technology and Commerce
In the video, Comfort, the founder of Living Waters Publications and the ministry The Way of the Master, explains the mark is not a vaccine or a virus. "But the scripture gives us the reason for the mark, it is for commerce. Those who don't have the mark will not be able to buy or sell," the Bellflower, California-based preacher said.
"Fifty years ago, when I first heard preachers talking about a mark on the back of a hand that restricted the whole world from buying or selling, it did seem rather far-fetched," Comfort noted. "The technology wasn't available. Nowadays, it is."
Current Implementations of Microchip Tech
The recent breakthroughs in medical implant chip and RFID technologies have increased interest in the mark of the beast spoken of in Revelation chapter 13. In Sweden, around 6,000 people have already had a chip inserted in their hands since 2014. These chips use Near Field Communications (NFC) technology, the same as in contactless credit cards or mobile payments.
As a result of new rules that require individuals to have a vaccine passport at all events with more than 100 people, a number of Swedish citizens have opted to implant microchips with their vaccine passports into their hands. Comfort told his viewers, "Notice they've chosen to put the chips on the back on the hand, exactly as the Bible predicted."
| Entity / Location | Technological Development |
|---|---|
| Sweden (General) | Around 6,000 people have had chips inserted in their hands since 2014. |
| Epicenter (Stockholm) | Touting "human-compatible" tech for COVID vaccination passports on chips. |
| Three Square Market (Wisconsin, U.S.) | First company in the U.S. to offer its employees biochips. |
The Distinction Between Tech and the Final Mark
While the technology is emerging, it is important to realize that a medical implant chip is not the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast will be an end-times identification required by the Antichrist in order to buy or sell, and it will be given only to those who worship the Antichrist. It is possible that the technology we are seeing today represents the beginning stages of what may eventually be used.
The Mystery of 666
The meaning of 666 is a mystery as well. Revelation 13:18 tells us, “This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.” Some speculated that there was a connection to dates, but the scripture identifies the number with a person. When the Antichrist is revealed, it will be clear who he is and how the number 666 identifies him.