Three Square Market, a software design company in Wisconsin, gained national notoriety this week when it became the first company to offer to microchip all its employees. According to this article, the purpose of the chip is to allow “workers to open doors that require identification, login to their computers, and even pay for snacks out of the company’s vending machine.”
Christians and non-Christians alike have gone crazy all over the web denouncing this as the arrival of the end times. I have seen several polls asking, “Would you do this?” with some pretty heated responses. Many are calling this the “mark of the beast” and claiming that anyone who accepts it is selling his or her soul to the devil.
So, here are two questions:
1) Is this the mark of the beast?
2) Is this preparing the world for the end times?
Answers: No and Yes
No, this microchip is not the mark of the beast. Those who choose to interpret the Bible normally (the plain, literal, natural sense of the text), know this is true for at least two reasons.
- This is being offered by one company to its employees. The mark of the beast will be mandated, worldwide, by the one-world government (Revelation 13:16-17).
- The mark of the beast will not come into play until after the midpoint of the future Tribulation, a period of seven years of God’s judgment on this world. Before this begins, the Church must be taken to Heaven with Jesus (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 4:13-18; 5:1-9; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8).
Since we are not in the Tribulation, there is no one-world government being led by a man who can do “all kinds of miracles and signs and wonders” (2 Thessalonians 2:9), and this is not being mandated for every person on Earth, we can be sure that this is not the mark of the beast, and it has no effect on a person’s salvation if they choose to accept it.
On the other hand, can we say that this is laying the groundwork for the end times? Yes, of course. While we cannot say that the mark of the beast will be a microchip implant, we can say that it could be. Does that make the microchip wrong or evil? Of course not.
A microchip can be a useful tool in this age of advanced technology. I’m sure it would be nice to open doors, log into a computer, and purchase snacks without having to dig out a card or remember a password. How many of you carry fobs in your pocket that automatically unlock your car door when you approach it and allow you to simply push a button to start your car when you get in? It’s basically the same technology, just smaller and implanted under your skin. Both of our dogs are chipped so if they get lost, they can be returned to us. (BTW – does anyone know how to remove those chips? Asking for a friend…)
For decades, someone has linked every major technological advancement with something in the book of Revelation. Will some of this technology be used by Satan and Antichrist? Yes. Should we worry about it or not take advantage of it today? No.
So, to all those who are freaking out over this tech news, calm down. We’re not in the Tribulation, and this isn’t the mark of the beast. Getting chipped won’t cause you to lose your salvation, but you could still access your computer if you lose your password.
If you don’t want to do it, don’t. If you do, that’s a choice you have to make. Consider the risks. They say they won’t do anything bad with it, but can you trust them? That’s a much better way to make your decision than using fear and bad theology to turn this into something it most certainly isn’t.