What about RFID chip implant, if the our government imposes?

The Mark Of The Beast

Q. I work on political campaigns and familiarize myself with legislation under debate. During the health care debates a legislative proposal included possible implanting RFID chips into recipients of the “public option”, an implant containing health information and monitoring success or failures of medical issues. As a Christian these proposals scare me, they seem invasive and may provide the ability for abuse.

Talking with my father, I mentioned my concern and stated that I would NEVER accept such an implant, in fact I would die before accepting any government mandated implant. Is such a concern irrational? I believe, as Christians living for Jesus, we should have boundaries we are not willing to cross. To me a government chip/implant is crossing the boundary. I know the same concern ran rampant when the social security numbers were administered but I think something in line with the RFID (failed) proposal is different and much more dangerous.

A. It’s OK to make a strong personal stand about things, and invasion of privacy is an important issue. But just so you understand, the Bible doesn’t prohibit taking an RFID chip. What Rev. 13:16-17 says it that it’s prohibited to knowingly take the mark of the beast on one’s right hand or forehead, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

There are several pre-conditions that must be met for this to happen. The anti-Christ and false prophet have to be in power to require and enforce this. This means the name and/or number have to refer to someone who has world wide executive power. Then the mark has to be necessary to either buy or sell goods and services which means a one world economic system has to be in place and functioning at the most basic levels of society. Also the person taking the mark has to do so knowingly and willingly. Since all this happens within the parameters of the Great Tribulation, there has to be a Temple in Israel, the nation has to officially be in covenant with God, and the Church has to have disappeared.

None of these conditions have been met nor could they be met retroactively. The idea that people can be tricked into unknowingly taking the mark, thereby forfeiting their salvation if they have it, or their chance to receive it if they don’t, cannot be supported Biblically. This is why fears of the social security number, the uniform pricing (bar) code, RFID, etc. are unfounded. They may be pointing the way to the system the anti-Christ will eventually use, but they themselves can not be the mark of the beast.

Website: www.gracethrufaith.com

The first Messianic prophecy

The Seed Of The Woman

Q. I know Genesis 3:15 is the first reference to a coming redeemer, but my question relates to the comment in that verse where I understand God is speaking to Satan and says “And I will put enmity…between your seed and her seed”. I know what “her seed” is, in reference to many generations to follow. But what does it mean when God says of “your seed” (Satan’s)?

A. Actually the term “her seed” applies to only one, and being a biological impossibility it’s the Bible’s first reference to a virgin birth. The Hebrew word translated “seed” is in the masculine gender and seed comes from a man. But in the case of the Messiah, to whom the phrase refers, no man was involved, only a woman. The Seed of the Woman is the Bible’s earliest messianic term.

It’s the same in the case of Satan’s seed where one person is identified, the anti-Christ. God vowed to put enmity between the two. The anti-Christ will not hate all of Eve’s descendants, but he’ll have an irrational hatred toward one of them, the Messiah, whom he’ll see as his arch enemy.

Website: www.gracethrufaith.com

Comparitive Religious End-Time Prophecies

Moslem Vs. Christian Prophecy

Q. I’ve noticed many times that when speaking of End Times, many teachers seem to give the Islamic prophecies the same credence as they do to Biblical prophecies. Is there a basis for belief in any Islamic prophecies? Some Christian teachers compare the Mahdi with the AC as if he is really going to show up in the End Times.

A. I can’t speak for the motives of other teachers but I find it interesting that the one some Moslems look to as a messiah figure bears a striking resemblance to the one Christians know as the anti-Christ. For example, they’ll both come on the scene during a time of great chaos, they’ll both claim to be peacemakers, both will have 7 year reigns after which comes judgment, both will head up a one world government and a one world religion. This can’t be coincidental.

Do I think al Mahdi will come? Absolutely. But not because Moslem prophecies say so. I believe he’ll come because Biblical prophecies say the anti-Christ is coming.

Website: www.gracethrufaith.com

Red Heifer

Messiah And The Red Heifer

Q. Thanks again for your dedication and service as a teacher of the scripture. My question today has to do with something I recently read about the 3rd Temple. According to Jewish belief (as stated on the Temple Institute website) once the temple has been rebuilt the initial cleansing sacrifice of the pure red heifer will be performed by the messiah. This causes me conflict as I am under the belief that the Jews will again be worshiping in the 3rd Temple during the first 3 1/2 years of the tribulation period.

My question is could the reference in the Jewish scripture to the “messiah” in actuality be the anti-christ posing as the messiah and performing this initial sacrifice? What does the scripture really indicate about this? If it really is the AC, how are the Jews misinterpreting this scripture? Please help me out with this. Thank you so much for your insight.

A. Some Jewish beliefs about the coming Temple are just that, beliefs. That means they’re traditions based in interpretations of Scripture, not Scripture itself.

The Jewish Scripture is our Old Testament and the passages about the 3rd Temple are contained in Ezekiel 40-47, with it’s actual location spelled out in Chapter 48. There’s nothing in these passages that requires the Messiah to be the one to perform the initial purification. But since every living Jew is ceremonially unclean and will remain so until the red heifer purification sacrifice can be conducted, they’ll need someone who can claim to be clean to solve this problem (Numbers 19:1-10).

In chapter 43 Ezekiel describes the Shekinah Glory returning to the Temple and mentioning how the people have defiled it in the past, and in chapter 44 He speaks of them allowing foreigners to officiate in His sanctuary. I believe this is a reference to the Anti-Christ and perhaps the false prophet. If so, it’s possible that one or both of them could have presided over the Temple’s initial purification, but again there’s no specific reference to the ceremony itself.

Jesus prophesied that while they rejected Him as their Messiah, they would one day accept another who would prove to be false. (John 5:43) and Isaiah 28:15 speaks of Israel making a covenant with death, referring to the treaty they make with the anti-Christ.

It’s clear that a Temple will be built in Israel before the beginning of the Great Tribulation, which means it’s well before the 2nd Coming. That means someone other than the Lord will have to perform the initial purification ceremony. Since the anti-Christ and false prophet will have established themselves as world leaders during that time, and since the anti-Christ will be perceived as the one who made the Temple’s construction possible, and since the Temple’s dedication will take place before the anti-Christ makes his claim to be God in the flesh which alienates the Jews, it’s possible that he’ll be the one who dedicates the 3rd Temple.

Website: www.gracethrufaith.com

The Antichrist

A Satanic Resurrection?

Q. According to some teachers, AC is supposedly killed, then he is resurrected by Satan. Can that be true? I don’t believe it.

If Satan has power to give or restore life, or even to preserve a body from corruption after death, our Lord’s resurrection is not unique. That cannot be. Although Satan has the power of death (but, even then, only with God’s permission — he was forbidden to kill Job), only God has the power of Life.

What do you say?

A. The assassination attempt comes from Revelation 13:3,

One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.

The key word here is “seemed”. In other words, it only appeared that this had happened. Most scholars see this as a counterfeit resurrection, one of the things Satan does to fool the unbelieving world, and according to verse 3 it will work.

But even then it’s not a perfect job. Of this same event Zechariah 11:17 says,

“Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded!”

Website: www.gracethrufaith.com

A Jewish Antichrist ?

Must The Anti-Christ Be Jewish?

Q. It was always my understanding that Israel will accept the anti-christ as their leader and as the messiah? If that truly is the fact, then would they not follow his geneology back to David?? Wouldn’t he have to be a Jew?

A. It’s important to remember that only believing Jews will reject the anti-Christ, and they won’t do this until he claims to be God, at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Prior to that time, the anti-Christ will appear to fulfill all of Israel’s desires. Chief among these will be giving them the go-ahead for their Temple. And in their history, another foreign king, Cyrus of Persia, was called Messiah (anointed one) in Isaiah 45:1. He also helped the Jews rebuilt their Temple. So there is precedent.

Also in Ezekiel 44:7-8 there’s a prophecy that upon His return, the Lord will accuse Israel of putting a foreigner, uncircumcised in heart or flesh, in charge of His sanctuary during the Great Tribulation.

Website: www.gracethrufaith.com

An Assyrian?

Is The Anti-Christ An Assyrian?

Q. I was wondering if you might be able to comment on a recent article claiming that many of the prophesies of Isaiah 10 and 11 (and Isaiah 30:30-31) that traditionally are understood to have been fulfilled by the Seleucid King Antiochus IV around the time of the Maccabees might instead be prophesies that lie ahead for the Anti-Christ himself.

Could it be that understanding the Seleucid King who defiled the second Temple in the second century BC could teach us more about the Anti-Christ and how he arises to power such as where he comes from, how his government is formed, and his path of conquest than just the act of “Desolation” itself spoken of in the book of Daniel? As we come closer to end times events I’m reminded of Paul’s words that looking forward was like looking into a dark glass, however as we approach these events things get more clear. Could it be so here too?

A. I believe that much of Isaiah has a dual fulfillment, the first one now historical to us and the 2nd one coming soon in the End Times. Antiochus Epiphanes was one of our clearest models of the anti-Christ, and was the only figure in History to demonstrate what the Abomination of Desolation will look like. Roman Emperor Nero and Adolph Hitler were two others. In Old Testament times the Jews saw Assyrian King Sennacherib as a type of the anti-Messiah with Hezekiah foreshadowing the Messiah. Since the former Assyrian Empire was included in lands identified as part of the Roman Empire, an anti-Christ of Assyrian descent is compatible with Daniel’s prophecy of the coming prince (Daniel 9:26).

At the rate other prophecies are being fulfilled, if the Assyrian view is correct we should see the re-emergence of the Assyrian Empire very soon. However, whether he is Assyrian or not is of secondary importance. The Church is looking the Christ, not the anti-Christ. Having a certain amount of curiosity about who the anti-Christ will be is only natural, but it shouldn’t distract us from getting ready to meet our King and preparing for our life with Him.

Is The Anti Christ From Syria?

Q. I have been listening to some teaching by a messianic Jewish bible scholar who was talking about the identify of the antichrist. Though he agrees no one knows the antichrist’s identity, he believes the little horn mentioned in Daniel suggests the antichrist will be (a)-syrian.. or from Syria. He traces Syria history back from the Hittites, to the Assyrian Empire, Babylonian Empire, Persian Empire, Alexander, Ottoman and so forth. What are your thoughts?

A. There two little horns in Daniel. The one in Daniel 7:8 springs up within the 4th Kingdom, the Roman Empire, and is clearly a prophecy of the anti Christ. In Daniel 8 a little horn comes out of one of the four surviving components of the Greek Empire following Alexander’s death. This is commonly thought to be the Selucid Kingdom in today’s Syria. This prophecy was fulfilled in the life of Antiochus Epiphanes, the Selucid King responsible for the desecration of the Temple and subsequent Maccabbean revolt in 168-165 BC.

But beginning in Daniel 8:23 the Angel Gabriel’s interpretation of Daniel’s vision also seems to include an end times reference to the anti Christ, called a stern faced king, who will come to power by means of peace. This reference has helped scholars see Antiochus as a type of the anti Christ since much of what he did in prompting the Maccabbean revolt will be repeated at the beginning of the Great Tribulation.

Like the antiChrist, Antiochus called himself a god, and set about to destroy Israel. He erected a statue in his own likeness in the Holy Place, and required worship on pain of death. This too was called the Abomination of Desolation and sparked a 3 1/2 year revolt.

This may be where your teacher draws his Syrian conclusion. I am currently enamored with the notion of al Mahdi, the so-called Moslem Messiah as a likely candidate for the anti Christ, although I don’t believe the church will be around to see him emerge.

Website: www.gracethrufaith.com