What makes Covid confused with the mark of the beast? Pt. 2

Before going into what makes people confuse Covid with the mark of the beast found in Revelation 13:I6, 17; 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4 I would like to summarize what we said in our previous article on the biblical reference to receiving a mark. 

        In our previous article, we pointed out that there were essentially three marks that God ‘handed’ out to people on earth.  One was to Cain who received this mark because of his rebellion against God over the proper way to worship Him.  This mark became an indicator of rebellion against God, not just for Cain, but for all those descendants that allied themselves with Cain against God’s instructions.  Here’s what we read in Spiritual Gifts:  “The descendants of Seth had separated themselves from the wicked descendants of Cain. They cherished the knowledge of God’s will, while the ungodly race of Cain had no respect for God and His sacred commandments.”[1]

        In Ezekiel 9:1-6 we find our second text that involves a mark. In this passage, God told Ezekiel that those that lamented and cried to Him over the wickedness in Jerusalem must receive a mark on their foreheads so when the guards come to destroy the wicked they will avoid those that have God’s mark.  In contrast to Cain’s mark, these people received a mark that showed them to be God’s followers, devotees to Him.

        The third mark we looked at was the mark of the beast and its image.  We also found that in prophecy the term beast refers to kings or kingdoms or governments.  We find this in Daniel 7:15-17 and Daniel 7:23.  So, when we speak of the mark of the beast in the book of  Revelation, we are speaking of a religio-political government that is rebellious towards God and His instructions; this is corroborated in Revelation 14:9, 10 where it says that God will send the destructive, seven last plagues upon all those that have this mark which belongs to the beast and his image.  So then, at this point, the Bible gives us three marks that show us either loyalty to God or disloyalty to Him.  Keeping this in mind then, of the marks showing loyalty or disloyalty to God, let us turn to Covid and to the mark of the beast to see how similar they are and why there is confusion between the two.

        As we look at Covid today we understand that the WHO has made it a pandemic.  Along with this pandemic status governments the world over have mostly mandated the following of their citizens: 1) they have called for the wearing of masks whether sick or not, to limit the spread of the disease; 2) they have called for distances between individuals of about 10 feet (in Alberta among the farming community they say two cows apart); 3) all schools were closed and learning was done online; 4) Churches were closed down but bars, strip clubs and the like were allowed to remain open with precautions!  Later on, churches were allowed to open with reduced attendance.  The attendees were to wear masks and exercise distancing, about two cows apart (about ten feet).  Right on the heels of Covid came experimental injections from Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and others which were strongly encouraged by governments. 

        If individuals refused the vaccines then they were vilified, humiliated, threatened with arrest, or being put into camps for the unvaccinated, the unvaccinated were threatened with not being allowed to buy food in groceries, to be charged a fine, a health tax and several other atrocious, criminal charges.  Many people lost their jobs for resisting the injections.  The world was on a knife-edge, there were uprisings, protests, protest meetings, and all sorts of inhumane treatment that were in fact crimes against humanity; these were charges laid against innocent people.  It was like the days of Hitler had come alive in our world, especially the developed world.  Leaders like Justin Trudeau, Macron of France and those in Australia were particularly unscrupulous and forceful using virtually the same script against those who refused to follow their autocratic rule and branded them as racists, misogynists, bigots and the like.  This was the milieu of Covid. 

        The question we have at this point is, do these charges, ridicules, persecutions and threats of even death apply to the mark of the beast?  In other words, if one refuses the future mark of the beast from this religio-political government, will they be threatened similarly as seen with Covid?  If this is the case then we can understand how people can confuse Covid with the mark of the beast.  Let us then look at the biblical texts that describe how citizens will be treated that resist the mark of the beast.  We turn first to Revelation 13.  In verse 6 we read of the beast (a religio-political government), the following pronouncements: 1) this future religio-political government blasphemes God’s name, His tabernacle, and those that dwell in heaven.  This is of course not showing loyalty to God. 2) It makes war against God’s people and destroys them; 3) it was given authority over all kindreds and tongues, and nations; 4) all that live on earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life.

        And there’s more: another political government will champion the cause of this religio-political government and cause the world and its inhabitants to worship according to the dictates of this religio-political government.  The new government supporting this beast power will perform miracles to deceive the world by making fire come down from heaven.  It goes on to tell the world that they should make an image to this supposedly religious power, and it decrees of those who refuse to worship the image of the beast that they should be killed; people are to receive a mark on their right hand or their forehead, and that no man would be able to buy or sell except those that had the mark, or the name of the beast or the number of his name which is shown to be six hundred threescore and six, or 666.

        Let us look at this table:

C O V I D-1 9.                                                               MARK OF THE BEAST

Orders everyone to wear a mask Distance from others about 10 feet apart for people No schooling; only online Cannot go to stores to buy supplies unless masked All churches closed for the first year; following years only a certain amount to attend but must have masks and must distance from others. Must take vaccines or cannot enter certain places. Unvaccinated threatened with camps for such people. Cannot attend church if not vaccinated in some places Unvaccinated should be left to die through starvation Unvaccinated will not be able to travel by air, or bus unless vaccinated.

Blasphemes the name of God, heaven and his sanctuary Makes war against those who worship God the Bible way and destroys them Given authority over all people on earth Makes miracles, makes fire come down from heaven and so deceives the nations If anyone does not worship the beast or his image then they should be killed. Those who disagree with the demands of the beast are branded as evil and destroyers of society Objectors will not be able to buy or sell. Those who worship the beast  are not found in God’s book of life Anyone who worships the beast and his image will suffer the ravages of the seven last plagues that will come upon humanity.

        Comparing the restrictions we have today for Covid with the restrictions that will be put in place to have all humanity worship the beast and its image it is not strange that many people mistakenly call Covid the mark of the beast.  While Covid restrictions will come to an end, the mark of the beast and its demands will bring the world to its end.  We also see from the table above that the mark of the beast has to do with worship, but not a worship that God approves because God condemns all those who worship the beast and his image.  The apostle Paul brings us a little closer to identifying this beast power (religio-political government) when he says in 2Thessalonians 2:2-12 that this lawless one opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sits in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God.  This is what the Bible calls blasphemy.

          We see biblically that Covid is not the mark of the beast; is there a purpose why God allowed Covid to destroy the livelihood and life of so many people?  Remember that while God gave freedom of action to humanity He also gave humanity a guidebook to live by.  If humans choose to discard that guidebook and do as they please then they bring suffering upon themselves and their fellow men.  Those who introduced Covid into our world had their motives.  However, it is my understanding that God allowed Covid to approximate as closely as possible what will happen in the future under the mark of the beast even though He did not bring Covid into existence.  By this God is telling us how to be prepared for the coming of the reign of the mark of the beast which will be short-lived but terrible; then it will be followed by the close of human probation, ushering in a ‘great time of trouble’ that both Jesus and Daniel spoke of in Matt. 24:21-24; Daniel 12:1.

        Now that we know that Covid is not the mark of the beast but that is it a warning from God for us to be prepared for something similar to Covid but that will be much worse, does the Bible give us any indication as to what this mark is and who the beast or government is? And what about the other government that gave authority and support to the first beast of Revelation 13?  In our next article, we will seek to answer these questions.  May God bless you as you continue to read and study His Word so you can be prepared for the future.  Blessings.

[1] Ellen G. White, Spiritual Gifts, (Battle Creek Mich., Published by James White, 1858) vol. 3, p. 60.

If you have any comments or questions please contact Pr. Ron Henderson at ronhende@outlook.com.

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