Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.
Revelation 13:16-17
The mark of the Beast grants the bearer the ability to engage in buying and selling, highlighting its direct association with monetary transactions. The word translated ‘number’ is the Greek word ‘arithmos,’ which means counting or computation, rather than simply denoting a numeral. Embracing this mark aligns one with the character of the Beast, assimilating the bearer into its collective and making them one of its number.
Revelation 14:9-12 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a markg5480 on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the markg5480 of its name. Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
The saints, identified by their adherence to God’s commandments and unwavering faith in Yeshua Messiah, are urged to stand firm amidst financial turmoil and resist succumbing to receiving the mark of the Beast. All those who receive that mark will face YHWH’s wrath and will be cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 16:2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the markg5480 of the beast and worshiped its image.
Revelation 19:20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signsg4592 by which he deceived those who had received the markg5480 of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.
Revelation 20:4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its markg5480 on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
The Greek word for ‘mark’ is Strong’s g5480 χάραγμα cháragma: from the same as G5482; a scratch or etching, i.e. stamp (as a badge of servitude), or scupltured figure (statue):—graven, mark.
Other than Acts 17:29, these verses in Revelation are the only places in scripture where this word is found.
Acts 17:29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an imageg5480 formed by the art and imagination of man.
The Hebrew word equivalent to ‘cháragma’ is Strong’s h7085 קַעֲקַע kah-ak-ah’: from the same as H6970; an incision or gash:— mark. From the Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon:
The only place in scripture that this Hebrew word appears is in Leviticus, where YHWH is giving the instruction not to tattoo or cut yourself in mourning for the dead.
Leviticus 19:28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marksh7085 upon you: I am YHWH.
The Beast requires everyone to receive a ‘mark’ on their right hand or forehead. Based on the definition of the word, this mark will be a brand, tattoo, or implant in the skin.
YHWH said many times in His Law that we are to write His Law as a ‘mark’ on our right hand and forehead. The question is, are these two the same but opposing ‘marks’, one labelling you as YHWH’s and the other as Satan’s? Let’s look at the word for ‘mark’ or ‘sign’ that labels us as YHWH’s.
Exodus 13:9 And it shall be to you as a signh226 on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of YHWH may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand YHWH has brought you out of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 6:1-9 Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that YHWH your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear YHWH your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as YHWH, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: YHWH our God, YHWH is one. You shall love YHWH your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a signh226 on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
This Hebrew word ‘sign’ is Strong’s h226 אוֹת ʼôwth: a signal (literally or figuratively), as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc.:—mark, miracle, (en-) sign, token.
The Greek word equivalent to ‘ôwth’ is Strong’s g4592 σημεῖον say-mi’-on: an indication, especially ceremonially or supernaturally:—miracle, sign, token, wonder.
Acts 7:36 This man led them out, performing wonders and signsg4592 in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.
Revelation 12:1-3 And a great signg4592 appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another signg4592 appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.
Revelation 19:20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signsg4592 by which he deceived those who had received the markg5480 of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.
There are similarities between YHWH’s mark and the mark of the Beast, but there are also very important differences. What we know is that the mark of YHWH that we are to have on both our head and hand is a: sign, miracle, token, or wonder, that is to be a memorial of YHWH and His Law. The mark of the Beast that will be on either the head or hand is a: scratch, etching, tattoo, or stamp, that is to be a badge of servitude.
YHWH’s mark on our forehead and hand represents us knowing and obeying His commandments, it is not a physical thing that is visible to others. The mark of the Beast is a physical thing that others can possibly see, which allows the bearer to conduct financial transactions.
The closer we get to the time of Yeshua’s return, the easier it will be to imagine what will be the mark of the Beast. Technologies are advancing rapidly in the areas of artificial intelligence, genetic modifications, and brain-computer interface. Elon Musk’s company, Neuralink, recently announced that they have successfully implanted a brain chip into a human subject, with the aim of developing a brain-computer interface to assist people with paralysis or sensory impairments.
Here is an excerpt from an article in the Harvard Business Review from September of 2020, called Are You Ready for Tech That Connects To Your Brain?
BCIs [brain-computer interface] fall into two categories: invasive and non-invasive. Invasive BCIs are implanted into the brain and connect tiny electrodes to neurons to measure their activity. Invasive BCIs, like Neuralink, require brain surgery — doctors drilling into the skull to implant the device and high-precision surgery robots to correctly attach the microscopic electrodes to neurons. Invasive BCIs capture better data and can be implanted in various regions of the brain. Invasive BCIs have been effective in treating spinal cord injuries, controlling prosthetic limbs, and treating depression. Non-invasive BCIs require no surgery, but depend on noisier signals from electroencephalogram (EEG) and infrared devices worn on the head. AI is used to isolate the brain signals that the BCI devices capture, as well as synthesize signals back into the brain.
BCIs have brought about incredible advancements in the medical field, and have been largely funded by the Department of Defense through DARPA. DARPA’s Brain Initiative is working on an impressive breadth of BCI projects that aim to help the body heal itself, restore sensory deficits caused by injury, and augment military service members by allowing them to operate drones, silently communicate, and integrate into defense systems. Companies like Kernel, Qneuro, NeuroSky and EMOTIV are rapidly moving toward widely-available devices and less-invasive BCI methods. These companies are working to measure and assess brain activity for a variety of uses, from playing games and stress reduction to typing out words by thinking them. Muse is a commercially available device that uses EEG to record and display brain data as a meditation aid. Even Facebook has been developing a BCI implant that reads brain activity, and is able to decipher a basic set of words.
In the distant future, if BCIs are successful at reading and writing information to the brain, and if humans adapt to the technology, we could experience some pretty amazing scenarios. Imagine having telepathic conversations with loved ones, instantaneously accessing superhuman computational power, playing back memories and dreams, or immersing yourself and every sense you possess into a virtual entertainment experience. These scenarios are currently influencing the work of researchers, technologists, and futurists.
On its website, Muse boasts:
Muse is a powerful, compact electroencephalography (EEG) system. Our industry leading dry electrode technology and ultra-portable design, Muse makes it easy to access and use brainwave data, inside and outside the laboratory and in real-world environments.
Electroencephalography, or EEG, is a state-of-the-art technology that reads and records the electrical activity within the brain. The result? Wave-like patterns that provide a real-time visual snapshot of the brain at work.
This powerful tool has allowed us to map states of consciousness, study neurological disorders, uncover the mysteries of sleep, and ultimately, advanced our understanding of the brain’s intricate workings.
Yet, accessing this tool has historically been costly, complex, and inaccessible outside of clinical settings.
DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), part of the US Department of Defense, has been working on a program called: Next-Generation Nonsurgical Neurotechnology. We found this information on their website:
The Next-Generation Nonsurgical Neurotechnology (N3) program aims to develop high-performance, bi-directional brain-machine interfaces for able-bodied service members. Such interfaces would be enabling technology for diverse national security applications such as control of unmanned aerial vehicles and active cyber defense systems or teaming with computer systems to successfully multitask during complex military missions.
Whereas the most effective, state-of-the-art neural interfaces require surgery to implant electrodes into the brain, N3 technology would not require surgery and would be man-portable, thus making the technology accessible to a far wider population of potential users. Noninvasive neurotechnologies such as the electroencephalogram and transcranial direct current stimulation already exist, but do not offer the precision, signal resolution, and portability required for advanced applications by people working in real-world settings.
The envisioned N3 technology breaks through the limitations of existing technology by delivering an integrated device that does not require surgical implantation, but has the precision to read from and write to 16 independent channels within a 16mm3 volume of neural tissue within 50ms. Each channel is capable of specifically interacting with sub-millimeter regions of the brain with a spatial and temporal specificity that rivals existing invasive approaches. Individual devices can be combined to provide the ability to interface to multiple points in the brain at once.
To enable future non-invasive brain-machine interfaces, N3 researchers are working to develop solutions that address challenges such as the physics of scattering and weakening of signals as they pass through skin, skull, and brain tissue, as well as designing algorithms for decoding and encoding neural signals that are represented by other modalities such as light, acoustic, or electro-magnetic energy.
The following are excerpts from a BBC article posted on April 10, 2022 called, The microchip implants that let you pay with your hand:
[W]hen it comes to implantable payment chips, British-Polish firm, Walletmor, says that last year it became the first company to offer them for sale. “The implant can be used to pay for a drink on the beach in Rio, a coffee in New York, a haircut in Paris – or at your local grocery store,” says founder and chief executive Wojtek Paprota. “It can be used wherever contactless payments are accepted.” Walletmor’s chip, which weighs less than a gram and is little bigger than a grain of rice, is comprised of a tiny microchip and an antenna encased in a biopolymer – a naturally sourced material, similar to plastic. Mr Paprota adds that it is entirely safe, has regulatory approval, works immediately after being implanted, and will stay firmly in place. It also does not require a battery, or other power source. The firm says it has now sold more than 500 of the chips.
The technology Walletmor uses is near-field communication or NFC, the contactless payment system in smartphones. Other payment implants are based on radio-frequency identification (RFID), which is the similar technology typically found in physical contactless debit and credit cards.
Patrick Paumen causes a stir whenever he pays for something in a shop or restaurant. This is because the 37-year-old doesn’t need to use a bank card or his mobile phone to pay. Instead, he simply places his left hand near the contactless card reader, and the payment goes through. “The reactions I get from cashiers are priceless!” says Mr Paumen, a security guard from the Netherlands. He is able to pay using his hand because back in 2019 he had a contactless payment microchip injected under his skin. “The procedure hurts as much as when someone pinches your skin,” says Mr Paumen.
“Chip implants contain the same kind of technology that people use on a daily basis,” he says, “From key fobs to unlock doors, public transit cards like the London Oyster card, or bank cards with contactless payment function. The reading distance is limited by the small antenna coil inside the implant. The implant needs to be within the electromagnetic field of a compatible RFID [or NFC] reader. Only when there is a magnetic coupling between the reader and the transponder can the implant can be read.” He adds that he is not concerned that his whereabouts could be tracked. “RFID chips are used in pets to identify them when they’re lost,” he says. “But it’s not possible to locate them using an RFID chip implant – the missing pet needs to be found physically. Then the entire body gets scanned until the RFID chip implant is found and read.”
Yet the issue with such chips, (and what causes concern), is whether in the future they become ever more advanced, and packed full of a person’s private data. And, in turn, whether this information is secure, and if a person could indeed be tracked.
Financial technology or fintech, expert Theodora Lau, is co-author of the book Beyond Good: How Technology Is Leading A Business Driven Revolution. She says that implanted payment chips are just “an extension of the internet of things”. By that she means another new way of connecting and exchanging data.
Yet, while she says that many people are open to the idea – as it would make paying for things quicker and easier – the benefit must be weighed up with the risks. Especially as and when embedded chips carry more of our personal information. “How much are we willing to pay, for the sake of convenience?” she says. “Where do we draw the line when it comes to privacy and security? Who will be protecting the critical infrastructure, and the humans that are part of it?”
Nada Kakabadse, professor of policy, governance and ethics at Reading University’s Henley Business School, is also cautious about the future of more advanced embedded chips. “There is a dark side to the technology that has a potential for abuse,” she says. “To those with no love of individual freedom, it opens up seductive new vistas for control, manipulation and oppression. And who owns the data? Who has access to the data? And, is it ethical to chip people like we do pets?”
The result, she cautions, could be “the disempowerment of many for the benefits of a few”.
Steven Northam, senior lecturer in innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of Winchester, says that the concerns are unwarranted. In addition to his academic work he is the founder of UK firm BioTeq, which has been making implanted, contactless chips since 2017. Its implants are aimed at people with disabilities who can use the chips to automatically open doors.
“We have daily enquiries,” he says, “And have carried out over 500 implants in the UK – but Covid caused some reduction in this. This technology has been used in animals for years,” he argues. “They are very small, inert objects. There are no risks.”
Back in the Netherlands, Mr Paumen describes himself as a “biohacker” – someone who puts pieces of technology into his body to try to improve his performance. He has 32 implants in total, including chips to open doors and imbedded magnets.
“Technology keeps evolving, so I keep collecting more,” he says. “My implants augment my body. I wouldn’t want to live without them,” he says. “There will always be people who don’t want to modify their body. We should respect that – and they should respect us as biohackers.”
Here is an excerpt from an article in Forbes, April 21,2022, called This Week In Credit Card News: Testing New Payment Method By Palm, and With A Chip Implanted In Hand:
Austin has become the first region outside the Seattle area where Whole Foods Market is offering the palm recognition service Amazon One as a payment option. The Arbor Trails Whole Foods store is the initial location in the Austin area to allow shoppers to pay with just a scan of their palm. Customer enrollment in the Amazon One service takes less than a minute, which involves linking credit/debit card info and creating palm signatures for one or both palms. A palm signature is created when a customer holds their palm over the Amazon One device, allowing the technology to evaluate multiple aspects of the palm. With no two palms alike, vision technology analyzes all aspects to select the most distinct identifiers on a palm to create a unique palm signature.
Those tired of taking out their wallet or phone to pay for things could soon skip that step entirely, thanks to a new implantable payment chip. The British-Polish company Walletmor has created a microchip that can be implanted inside a person’s hand and used as one would tap a credit card for payment. The technology is only currently allowed to be sold in the European Union and the U.K. The company said it’s the first to sell these kinds of chips to willing customers, unleashing its biopolymer technology about the size of a small safety pin on the world last year. The cost is around $300. The chips use near-field communication or NFC, the same system smartphones use for contactless payments, and that they cannot be read until they’re in close contact with a payment reader device.
It’s evident that the technology enabling the implementation of a mandatory mark for financial transactions is now available. With discussions surrounding digital currency and digital ID growing increasingly prominent, the prospect of the mark of the Beast becoming a reality appears to be right on the horizon.
May you be blessed by this study. Shalom.