Post by salindor on Mar 14, 2007 13:14:35 GMT -5
prophecyinthenews.com/articledetail.asp?Article_ID=196
Now, it can be truly said that the biblical "mark of the beast," with all its ramifications, is a technological reality. Everything is in place for a quick move toward the electronic registration of every human being on earth. This has now been made possible with the announcement of a new identification system. Unveiled in January, it perfectly fits the requirements of the famous mark.
It involves the use of a proprietary substance called RFID ink. These four initials designate the term, "Radio Frequency IDentification." It has now been tested and proven, and publicly proclaimed as ready for use. But before we look at it in detail, let’s review what the Bible says about the mark.
Throughout the Church Age, speculation about this sinister mark has been practically endless. And why not? Those who believe in the reality of an Antichrist have strained to understand how he will ultimately do the evil work described in the Bible. Before the computer age, it was commonly held that this mark would have to be some sort of brand, perhaps a tattoo. Certainly, Scripture describes exactly this scenario:
"And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
"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" (Revelation 13:15-17).
The "mark" mentioned here is translated from the Greek word, charagma, which denotes a stamp or impression. It may also indicate an engraving or even a tattoo. In his Notes on the Bible, Albert Barnes writes on the history of the mark. His observations are typical of those held throughout the Church Age:
"Applied to people, it was used to denote some stamp or mark on the hand or elsewhere — as in the case of a servant on whose hand or arm the name of the master was impressed; or of a soldier on whom some mark was impressed denoting the company or phalanx to which he belonged. It was no uncommon thing to mark slaves or soldiers in this way; and the design was either to denote their ownership or rank, or to prevent their escaping so as not to be detected. Among the Romans, slaves were stigmatized with the master’s name or mark on their foreheads.
"Most of us have seen such marks made on the hands or arms of sailors, in which, by a voluntary tattooing, their names, or the names of their vessels, were written, or the figure of an anchor, or some other device, was indelibly made by punctures in the skin, and by inserting some kind of coloring matter."
From Slavery to High Fashion
Lately, something very interesting has happened. The tattoo has become chic, stylish and fashionable. Once the mark of the social outcast and the lower class, the ignominious tattoo has risen out of the seamy world of sailors and motorcycle outlaws. Now, it festoons the upwardly-mobile world of the college graduate, the venues of pop music and even high society. Some socialites pay enormous prices for "artistic" tattoos.
Even schoolchildren are decorating themselves with waterproof tattoo decals of flowers and cartoon characters. It is as though humanity is being prepared for an international identification label.
Probably, for as long as men have speculated, they have imagined that the prophesied mark given by the Antichrist must be some sort of tattoo – a slave mark of some sort. The march of history has witnessed many such brands. One cannot help remembering the death camps of the Nazis, where they tattooed identification numbers upon the forearms of Jewish prisoners.
But in the case of the Antichrist, the infamous mark is much more than just an identifier, though it is certainly that. It entitles its bearer to operate within an economic system set up in a world that will be wracked by war, famine, death and depression. In the wake of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, men will be looking for something – anything – that will alleviate the suffering and the chaos that will descend like a shroud after the believing church has been taken from the world.
To them, the mark will appear as a sign of hope in a dark world. It will be a system that promises stability in an unstable world. The simple ability to buy and sell, taken for granted in the present world of prosperity and plenty, will be a great gift in that world.
The mark is said to include, "the name of the beast," which must be the biblical way of referring to official access to the system, an encoding of some sort that opens access to the massive trade organization set up by the Antichrist. The mark contains information, called, "the number of his name."
How could this be anything but an access code, allowing the bearer to do business? In a world without a reigning system, this new plan would seem like divine providence, bringing both the necessities of life and the promise of a better world. But of course, it has a dark side:
"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 13:18).
A Hex
That dark side is that the mark contains data, and data works both ways, as anyone who has used a credit card can testify. With it, you can access a system. But when you buy or sell, the system can also access you. For centuries, theologians pondered the mystery of "666," sometimes thinking of it as a code for the name of the one who would rise to control the world of the tribulation, and it may, in fact, be that.
Then came the computer, and in the system of computer science, a method of calculation was found to be a most suitable and reliable way of transmitting data. Mathematicians had toyed with it long before the age of computers. It is called the hexadecimal system, more simply "hex," from the Greek word for six. In an efficient union with a computer’s microcircuitry, this system effectively stores information, and can rapidly transfer it from one place to another.
One thing is certain, the Antichrist’s number is in some way hexadecimal. Some ancient manuscripts of the book of Revelation even spell out the number of the Antichrist’s name – 666 – as hexakosioi hexakonta hex. Hex is repeated three times, as if to emphasize the hexadecimal system. The mark will link one to a database.
This being said (and many have said it), the only remaining part of the puzzle to be solved is exactly how the mark would store the necessary data for buying, selling and identification.
The Radio Tattoo
The answer comes in the form of the amazing new technology mentioned earlier in this article. On January 10, 2007, the following news release was published through several Internet news sources. One of them, called InformationWeek, carried the following headline: "Invisible RFID Ink Safe for Cattle and People, Company Says."
Its author, K.C. Jones, writes, "A startup company developing chipless RFID ink has tested its product on cattle and laboratory rats."
"Chipless," means that no microchips are involved. Up to now, it was necessary to implant a small transponder about the size of a grain of rice, in order to retrieve a number, using a radio transceiver. Many years ago, the Digital Angel Corporation announced the availability of a patented implantable microchip that could be used to track both animals and humans. But in the truest sense of the word, an implanted microchip is not a "mark." The precise definition of the Greek charagma is much more befitting a tattoo.
The implantable microchip has now been eclipsed by a newer, and far more attractive, technology. Initially the developer of RFID ink has offered it to the ranching and cattle industry:
"Somark Innovations announced this week that it successfully tested biocompatible RFID ink, which can be read through animal hairs. The passive RFID technology could be used to identify and track cows to reduce financial losses from Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (mad cow disease) scares. Somark, which formed in 2005, is located at the Center for Emerging Technologies in St. Louis. The company is raising Series A equity financing and plans to license the technology to secondary markets, which could include laboratory animals, dogs, cats, prime cuts of meat, and military personnel.
"Co-founder Mark Pydynowski said during an interview Wednesday that the ink doesn’t contain any metals and can be either invisible or colored. He declined to say what is in the ink, but said he’s certain that it is 100% biocompatible and chemically inert. He also said it is safe for people and animals.
"The process developed by Somark involves a geometric array of micro-needles and a reusable applicator with a one-time-use ink capsule. Pydynowski said it takes five to 10 seconds to "stamp or tattoo" an animal, and there is no need to remove the fur. The ink remains in the dermal layer, and a reader can detect it from 4 feet away.
"Conceptually, you can think of it in the same way that visible light is reflected by mirrors," he said, adding that the actual process is slightly different and proprietary.
"The ink also could be used to track and rescue soldiers, Pydynowski said.
"It could help identify friends or foes, prevent friendly fire, and help save soldiers’ lives," he said. "It’s a very scary proposition when you’re dealing with humans, but with military personnel, we’re talking about saving soldiers’ lives and it may be something worthwhile."
"Somark says the technology could eventually also be used in laboratory animals, dogs and cats, prime cuts of meat, and military personnel."
It’s the Ink
Somark’s development takes the traditional single-needle tattoo to a whole new level. Old-style tattoos are made by painting the skin with some form of dye, then using a reciprocating needle to drive the color below the epidermis, where it permanently resides in the dermal layer of skin cells.
Now, through the use of multiple needles, only a few seconds are required to place a design on the skin with ink that reflects radio waves in the form of readable alpha-numeric identifications. Presumably, the needles leave a unique mark on each subject. Through a proprietary process, data is somehow stored in the design. We are told that up to 15 digits are readable in the new system. And it’s only the beginning. As the technique is perfected, the "number of his name" will only be the beginning. Imagine the data that can be stored after the system is improved over a few developmental cycles.
All of the above is ominous. But the worst aspect of the mark is that it signifies submission, devotion and reverent obedience to the Antichrist. Taking the mark is a tacit acknowledgment that the Antichrist is both provider and redeemer. It is a sign of worship, and the penalty for taking it is spiritual death:
"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
"The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
"And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name" (Rev. 14:9-11).
The good news is that there will be many who overcome the temptation to bow to the Antichrist in order to receive his providence:
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years" (Rev. 20:4).
A final note: Somark’s developers say that their tattoo can be either visible or invisible. One can imagine that, at first, most of the mark’s recipients would rather that it not be seen by others. But as the Antichrist gains power, it might actually become fashionable to wear a visible form of the mark, as testimony of close association and loyalty to his regime. It could become a mark of status. And the acknowledging beep of a nearby radio transceiver might eventually come to be heard as the proclamation of good news, even of blessing.
Think of this the next time you enter a public place and witness the passing parade of new, different and enticing tattoos!
Now, it can be truly said that the biblical "mark of the beast," with all its ramifications, is a technological reality. Everything is in place for a quick move toward the electronic registration of every human being on earth. This has now been made possible with the announcement of a new identification system. Unveiled in January, it perfectly fits the requirements of the famous mark.
It involves the use of a proprietary substance called RFID ink. These four initials designate the term, "Radio Frequency IDentification." It has now been tested and proven, and publicly proclaimed as ready for use. But before we look at it in detail, let’s review what the Bible says about the mark.
Throughout the Church Age, speculation about this sinister mark has been practically endless. And why not? Those who believe in the reality of an Antichrist have strained to understand how he will ultimately do the evil work described in the Bible. Before the computer age, it was commonly held that this mark would have to be some sort of brand, perhaps a tattoo. Certainly, Scripture describes exactly this scenario:
"And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
"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" (Revelation 13:15-17).
The "mark" mentioned here is translated from the Greek word, charagma, which denotes a stamp or impression. It may also indicate an engraving or even a tattoo. In his Notes on the Bible, Albert Barnes writes on the history of the mark. His observations are typical of those held throughout the Church Age:
"Applied to people, it was used to denote some stamp or mark on the hand or elsewhere — as in the case of a servant on whose hand or arm the name of the master was impressed; or of a soldier on whom some mark was impressed denoting the company or phalanx to which he belonged. It was no uncommon thing to mark slaves or soldiers in this way; and the design was either to denote their ownership or rank, or to prevent their escaping so as not to be detected. Among the Romans, slaves were stigmatized with the master’s name or mark on their foreheads.
"Most of us have seen such marks made on the hands or arms of sailors, in which, by a voluntary tattooing, their names, or the names of their vessels, were written, or the figure of an anchor, or some other device, was indelibly made by punctures in the skin, and by inserting some kind of coloring matter."
From Slavery to High Fashion
Lately, something very interesting has happened. The tattoo has become chic, stylish and fashionable. Once the mark of the social outcast and the lower class, the ignominious tattoo has risen out of the seamy world of sailors and motorcycle outlaws. Now, it festoons the upwardly-mobile world of the college graduate, the venues of pop music and even high society. Some socialites pay enormous prices for "artistic" tattoos.
Even schoolchildren are decorating themselves with waterproof tattoo decals of flowers and cartoon characters. It is as though humanity is being prepared for an international identification label.
Probably, for as long as men have speculated, they have imagined that the prophesied mark given by the Antichrist must be some sort of tattoo – a slave mark of some sort. The march of history has witnessed many such brands. One cannot help remembering the death camps of the Nazis, where they tattooed identification numbers upon the forearms of Jewish prisoners.
But in the case of the Antichrist, the infamous mark is much more than just an identifier, though it is certainly that. It entitles its bearer to operate within an economic system set up in a world that will be wracked by war, famine, death and depression. In the wake of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, men will be looking for something – anything – that will alleviate the suffering and the chaos that will descend like a shroud after the believing church has been taken from the world.
To them, the mark will appear as a sign of hope in a dark world. It will be a system that promises stability in an unstable world. The simple ability to buy and sell, taken for granted in the present world of prosperity and plenty, will be a great gift in that world.
The mark is said to include, "the name of the beast," which must be the biblical way of referring to official access to the system, an encoding of some sort that opens access to the massive trade organization set up by the Antichrist. The mark contains information, called, "the number of his name."
How could this be anything but an access code, allowing the bearer to do business? In a world without a reigning system, this new plan would seem like divine providence, bringing both the necessities of life and the promise of a better world. But of course, it has a dark side:
"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 13:18).
A Hex
That dark side is that the mark contains data, and data works both ways, as anyone who has used a credit card can testify. With it, you can access a system. But when you buy or sell, the system can also access you. For centuries, theologians pondered the mystery of "666," sometimes thinking of it as a code for the name of the one who would rise to control the world of the tribulation, and it may, in fact, be that.
Then came the computer, and in the system of computer science, a method of calculation was found to be a most suitable and reliable way of transmitting data. Mathematicians had toyed with it long before the age of computers. It is called the hexadecimal system, more simply "hex," from the Greek word for six. In an efficient union with a computer’s microcircuitry, this system effectively stores information, and can rapidly transfer it from one place to another.
One thing is certain, the Antichrist’s number is in some way hexadecimal. Some ancient manuscripts of the book of Revelation even spell out the number of the Antichrist’s name – 666 – as hexakosioi hexakonta hex. Hex is repeated three times, as if to emphasize the hexadecimal system. The mark will link one to a database.
This being said (and many have said it), the only remaining part of the puzzle to be solved is exactly how the mark would store the necessary data for buying, selling and identification.
The Radio Tattoo
The answer comes in the form of the amazing new technology mentioned earlier in this article. On January 10, 2007, the following news release was published through several Internet news sources. One of them, called InformationWeek, carried the following headline: "Invisible RFID Ink Safe for Cattle and People, Company Says."
Its author, K.C. Jones, writes, "A startup company developing chipless RFID ink has tested its product on cattle and laboratory rats."
"Chipless," means that no microchips are involved. Up to now, it was necessary to implant a small transponder about the size of a grain of rice, in order to retrieve a number, using a radio transceiver. Many years ago, the Digital Angel Corporation announced the availability of a patented implantable microchip that could be used to track both animals and humans. But in the truest sense of the word, an implanted microchip is not a "mark." The precise definition of the Greek charagma is much more befitting a tattoo.
The implantable microchip has now been eclipsed by a newer, and far more attractive, technology. Initially the developer of RFID ink has offered it to the ranching and cattle industry:
"Somark Innovations announced this week that it successfully tested biocompatible RFID ink, which can be read through animal hairs. The passive RFID technology could be used to identify and track cows to reduce financial losses from Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (mad cow disease) scares. Somark, which formed in 2005, is located at the Center for Emerging Technologies in St. Louis. The company is raising Series A equity financing and plans to license the technology to secondary markets, which could include laboratory animals, dogs, cats, prime cuts of meat, and military personnel.
"Co-founder Mark Pydynowski said during an interview Wednesday that the ink doesn’t contain any metals and can be either invisible or colored. He declined to say what is in the ink, but said he’s certain that it is 100% biocompatible and chemically inert. He also said it is safe for people and animals.
"The process developed by Somark involves a geometric array of micro-needles and a reusable applicator with a one-time-use ink capsule. Pydynowski said it takes five to 10 seconds to "stamp or tattoo" an animal, and there is no need to remove the fur. The ink remains in the dermal layer, and a reader can detect it from 4 feet away.
"Conceptually, you can think of it in the same way that visible light is reflected by mirrors," he said, adding that the actual process is slightly different and proprietary.
"The ink also could be used to track and rescue soldiers, Pydynowski said.
"It could help identify friends or foes, prevent friendly fire, and help save soldiers’ lives," he said. "It’s a very scary proposition when you’re dealing with humans, but with military personnel, we’re talking about saving soldiers’ lives and it may be something worthwhile."
"Somark says the technology could eventually also be used in laboratory animals, dogs and cats, prime cuts of meat, and military personnel."
It’s the Ink
Somark’s development takes the traditional single-needle tattoo to a whole new level. Old-style tattoos are made by painting the skin with some form of dye, then using a reciprocating needle to drive the color below the epidermis, where it permanently resides in the dermal layer of skin cells.
Now, through the use of multiple needles, only a few seconds are required to place a design on the skin with ink that reflects radio waves in the form of readable alpha-numeric identifications. Presumably, the needles leave a unique mark on each subject. Through a proprietary process, data is somehow stored in the design. We are told that up to 15 digits are readable in the new system. And it’s only the beginning. As the technique is perfected, the "number of his name" will only be the beginning. Imagine the data that can be stored after the system is improved over a few developmental cycles.
All of the above is ominous. But the worst aspect of the mark is that it signifies submission, devotion and reverent obedience to the Antichrist. Taking the mark is a tacit acknowledgment that the Antichrist is both provider and redeemer. It is a sign of worship, and the penalty for taking it is spiritual death:
"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
"The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
"And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name" (Rev. 14:9-11).
The good news is that there will be many who overcome the temptation to bow to the Antichrist in order to receive his providence:
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years" (Rev. 20:4).
A final note: Somark’s developers say that their tattoo can be either visible or invisible. One can imagine that, at first, most of the mark’s recipients would rather that it not be seen by others. But as the Antichrist gains power, it might actually become fashionable to wear a visible form of the mark, as testimony of close association and loyalty to his regime. It could become a mark of status. And the acknowledging beep of a nearby radio transceiver might eventually come to be heard as the proclamation of good news, even of blessing.
Think of this the next time you enter a public place and witness the passing parade of new, different and enticing tattoos!
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