About three weeks ago I mentioned two questions I had been asked concerning the Corona Virus COVID-19.
With so much reporting and discussion about the need for universal vaccinations and digital records of those receiving them, I have now been asked a further question about the "Mark of the Beast" mentioned in Revelation 13.
Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth...
It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.
[Revelation 13 : 11 - 17 NIV]
Scientific R&D in nano technology and the production of invisible inks, often alongside world-wide vaccine research, together with the hugely increased capability of the new 5G internet standard, could easily provide the ingredients for a compulsory system of global control of the distribution of goods and services.
You can read about some of this R&D on sites like www.sciencedirect.com and www.sciencealert.com and news.mit.edu.
Here's one example:
MIT researchers have now developed a novel way to record a patient’s vaccination history: storing the data in a pattern of dye, invisible to the naked eye, that is delivered under the skin at the same time as the vaccine.
[MIT News, December 2019]
So, although we could be swiftly heading towards having suitable technology for mandating such a global scheme, I don't believe its possible implementation as the "mark of the beast" is just around the corner.
Why?
I think the "mark of the beast" is due in the middle of the Tribulation, a 7-year period of conflict and devastation, and to be experienced after the Body of Christ, the universal, invisible church composed of all the true believers in Jesus, has been taken from the earth.
I know the Biblical study of the future, sometimes called eschatology or the study of end times, has produced hundreds of thousands of books, sermons and videos (and almost as many opinions), and my current view might be just one of them.
Nevertheless, my estimate is that the "mark of the beast" is at least 3 1/2 years away, even if the taking of the Body of Christ to be with Jesus happens as you are reading this.
And every day we find ourselves still here, the count for those 3 1/2 years has yet to begin.
So should Christians be concerned if a universal vaccination for flu and other corona viruses with accompanying quantum dot ink or other nano technology registration becomes obligatory and we are still here?
I don't see this as a problem until such an obligation is used as a passport for social/political acceptance or commercial transactions.
And we won't be around to see that!
We'll be gone by then!
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
Therefore encourage one another with these words.
[1 Thessalonians 4 : 16 - 18 NIV]
But even if my understanding of end times is not correct, I am sure of God's love and protection that doesn't depend on my accurate description of the future.
Check out these promises to God's faithful.
To his Hebrew saints of the Old Testament era:
Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
[Psalm 91 : 14 - 16 NIV]
To his Hebrew saints of the New Testament era:
"I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace.
In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties.
But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”
[John 16 : 33 MSG]
To his saints in the early New Testament churches.
You obeyed my message and endured.
So I will protect you from the time of testing that everyone in all the world must go through.
[Revelation 3 : 10 CEV]
Summing up:
- God's saints will not be here when the "mark of the beast" is mandated in the world.
- Restrictions or obligations introduced before then will not be the "mark of the beast", but may be used to produce it after we've gone.
- In the meantime, we should live confidently in God's love and providence through Jesus, our Saviour and Lord.
Blessings, Barry
This is the twelfth in a mini-series of posts responding to the arguments offered by Dr Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum (Dr Arnold) against God's plan to eventually reconcile and save all His creation.
His arguments against Universal Reconciliation (UR) are offered under five headings, the second of which is b. The Fixed State of the Unbelieving Dead. (see a previous post "Opposition to Universal Reconciliation" here).
Under the b. The Fixed State of the Unbelieving Dead heading Dr Arnold claims that the unbelieving dead are seen in a fixed state that cannot be altered and then quotes numerous punishment and judgement texts from the New Testament hoping to illustrate his assertion.
My discussion in Parts 7 - 11 demonstrates that the punishment and judgement verses he quotes, correctly translated, say nothing about fixed states.
And how could they?
If God's plan is to save His creation and bring unity to all under the headship of Christ, these punishment states cannot possibly be "fixed".
(God) intends all human beings to be saved and to come to a full knowledge of truth.
[1 Timothy 2 : 4 DBH]
With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
[Ephesians 1 : 8 - 10 NIV]
Indeed the Bible says that God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in His holiness
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. [Hebrews 12 : 11 NIV],
confirming the purifying purpose of the lake of fire for those whose names are not in the Book of Life at the final judgement.
Logic alone tells us that these punishments must just be temporary "stopping-off" places on the journey to God's final result, as all correctly-motivated punishments should be.
Also, how could they be more than temporary when ...
the Son of God appeared to destroy the devil’s work
[see 1 John 3 : 8b],
Christ appeared at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself
[see Hebrews 9 : 26],
and Christ must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
[see 1 Corinthians 15 : 25 - 26]
The only fixed state I can see in Scripture is represented by
God becoming everything to everyone (all in all).
[1 Corinthians 15 : 28]
Let's recall the underlying theme of God's creation, of which we are the highlight:
Everything comes from the Lord. All things were made because of him and will return to him.
Praise the Lord forever! Amen.
[Romans 11 : 36 CEV]
Blessings, Barry
Several people have been asking questions like:
Are we in the last days?
What is God saying to us through this coronavirus pandemic?
I don't think we are in the last days just yet.
I addressed this question on Tuesday, January 29th 2019 under the heading "Are We in the Last Days?".
You can find that post in the BLOG ARCHIVE.
So, what might God be saying to us right now?
Firstly, he might be reminding us that we are living in an imperfect world that has fallen a long way from God's original design.
Just focusing on Australia and especially the last few months, we have suffered the peak of a prolonged drought, raging floods, fierce bush fires and cyclones, another contagious disease, rampant selfishness and opportunistic crime.
Even though we can't avoid them, we can prepare ourselves to face most of them: we can harvest, store and distribute water, back-burn and clear forest floors, become nationally self-sufficient for essential supplies, and treat each other with respect, love and care.
On a personal level, we can prepare ourselves too: we can rekindle or refresh our relationship to God, our trust in him and our Biblical view of the future - and enjoy the peace this gives us.
I touched on this in connection with the current virus crisis on Tuesday, March 31st 2020 under the heading "COVID-19 Opportunities".
Secondly, he might be reminding us that we are not the big shots we often think we are, but created human beings, fragile, temporary inhabitants of our planet, who must learn how to submit to the Creator and practise being humble to each other.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
[Micah 6 : 8 NIV]
Thirdly, he might be reminding us that we are all equal in his sight - all of equal value and all equally in need of a Saviour.
Rich and poor, white and coloured, male and female, young and old: for everyone the supermarket shelves are empty and the medical services strained. Mercedes and Commodores both stand idle in our garages.
The focus is on survival, regardless of who you are: health has become the main game rather than wanting, competing and possessing.
Within just a few days, the whole world has levelled out considerably - we are getting a glimpse of the social equality the Bible teaches.
Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all.
[Proverbs 22 : 2 NIV]
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
[Romans 3 : 23 - 24 NIV]
Fourthly, he might be reminding us to permanently change the way we live: to follow his example of impartiality and his intention to provide for all.
For with God there is no respecting of persons.
Who intends all human beings to be saved and to come to a full knowledge of truth.
[Romans 2 : 11; 1 Timothy 2 : 4 DBH]
Finally, an observation that should make us grateful.
We are so blessed to have a genuine Christian as our current Prime Minister, who regularly prays for the nation and seeks God's guidance as he directs our response to this crisis.
If you missed a recent example, have a look here:
Let's pray and listen carefully to what God might be saying to us - individually and as a nation.
Blessings, Barry
"Every crisis is an opportunity."
I am sometimes asked if I am a universalist. I don't like this word because it has so many different meanings.
Saying "yes" might mean I am agreeing to a meaning that is in the mind of the questioner, with which I might not agree.
So I try not to give a straight "yes" or "no" answer without sounding evasive.
Instead I say something like:
I believe God is the Saviour of the world (1 Timothy 4 : 10)
through Jesus,
who died for the sins of the world (1 John 2 : 2)
meaning that
God is no longer holding our sins against us (2 Corinthians 5 : 19)
Jesus will return when it is time to restore everything (Acts 3 : 21)
by
drawing everyone to himself (John 12 : 32),
destroying his enemies (1 Corinthians 15 : 25),
including death (1 Corinthians 15 : 26),
so that only life will remain (1 Corinthians 15 : 22).
Everyone will eventually honour King Jesus (Philippians 2 : 9 - 11)
who will then hand his kingdom over to God (1 Corinthians 15 : 24).
God having brought unity to everything in heaven and earth (Ephesians 1 : 9 - 10),
thus having established a new heaven and new earth (2 Peter 3 : 13),
becomes everything to everyone (1 Corinthians 15 : 28).
So, am I a universalist?
Only if being a universalist means I believe the Bible teaches the universal reconciliation of all through Jesus. (Colossians 1 : 19 - 20)
And in our current coronavirus-induced climate of uncertainty and fear, that's a comforting position to hold.
Blessings, Barry
While we are gripped in the drama of this worldwide pandemic and thinking frantically about our survival, let's pause and decide to embrace some positive opportunities.
Firstly, let's pray for our leaders.
Our PM and his national cabinet are under great stress as they grapple with very difficult decisions for the nation.
While there are some of us who will always be looking for a chance to criticise our PM, our Premiers and our First Ministers, most of us would not want to be holding their position at a time like this and would much rather value the support and encouragement of the populous if we did.
So let's appreciate the enormity of their task and support them in it.
First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, requests, and thanksgivings be offered to God for all people;
for kings and all others who are in authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceful life with all reverence toward God and with proper conduct.
[1 Timothy 1 : 1, 2 GNB]
Secondly, let's rebuild our families.
Over recent decades, family life has become so fragmented and in some cases, has completely disappeared.
Many homes have become houses - places of residence at best, or unfortunately, postal addresses for overnight accommodation.
With the prospect of community lock-downs staring us in the face comes the opportunity for families to restore family life again.
Parents and children getting to know each other.
Families doing things together.
Relationships inspired by loving and caring.
Be devoted to each other like a loving family. Excel in showing respect for each other.
[Romans 12 : 10 GW]
Thirdly, let's show love to each other.
Isabel and I are in the so-called vulnerable age bracket and so have decided to stay at home during this time.
We are blessed to have two sons and their families living close by as well as young neighbours who have offered to shop for us (as well as the offer of a beautiful young refugee lady who lives several suburbs away).
To genuinely love others is to want the best for them and, wherever possible, to do that best.
So, in addition to loving family as previously mentioned, we could be looking for ways to love our neighbours - those known and unknown to us.
How?
To shop thoughtfully leaving sufficient on the shelves for others.
To offer to shop for those in lock down or self-isolation.
To use our phones and the internet to check up on and keep in contact with friends.
To show appreciation and courtesy to those on the "front lines" - medical, education, transport and customer service people.
Jesus answered, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
This is the greatest and the most important commandment.
The second most important commandment is like it: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' "
[Matthew 22 : 37 - 39 GNB]
Fourthly, let's restore our relationship with God.
So many people are being terrorised by the situation we are in.
- the health crisis caused by the importing and sharing of a new rogue virus.
- the economic crisis caused by the virtual total shut-down of business activity and subsequent loss of income.
I think the PM is doing a great job in this unchartered environment although he appears to be following the advice of his medical experts at the expense of his economic ones when a middle course of action might be better for the welfare of the nation in the longer term.
However, I won't get into that here - I am only a physics and mathematics man and these are medical and economic challenges.
For me, both these crises seem to have morphed into one - the crisis of fear.
Decades ago, the majority of Australians had the faith to trust God, no matter what the circumstances.
As a nation, we have lost that.
But God is still God, and is the Master of the universe.
Nothing, not even COVID-19, changes that.
Here is an opportunity to restore that relationship and experience the peace that God can give even in the most trying situation.
And, in any case, even if it is our time to leave this planet, there is much better in store for all of us.
We can trust God for that too.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
[Psalm 23 ESV]
Blessings, Barry
This is the eleventh in a mini-series of posts responding to the arguments offered by Dr Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum (Dr Arnold) against God's plan to eventually reconcile and save all His creation.
His arguments against Universal Reconciliation (UR) are offered under five headings, the second of which is b. The Fixed State of the Unbelieving Dead. (see a previous post "Opposition to Universal Reconciliation" here)
Under the b. The Fixed State of the Unbelieving Dead heading Dr Arnold claims that the unbelieving dead are seen in a fixed state that cannot be altered and then quotes numerous texts from the New Testament hoping to illustrate his assertion.
(i) The Matthew texts, (ii) The Rich Man and Lazarus parable, (iii) the John texts and (iv)Two texts from 2 Peter were discussed in previous posts - Parts 7, 8, 9 and 10.
(v) Two texts from Jude describing so-called "eternal" dark outcomes for sinners.
In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal (Gk. eonian = age-during) fire. [Jude 7 NIV]
They are like the waves of a wild sea. Their sins are like the dirty water along the shore. They look like stars moving here and there. But the darkest place has been kept for them forever (Gk. for an eon = for an age).
[Jude 13 NIV]
Once again, the correct, literal translation of the Greek destroys the "traditional" doctrinal of eternal punishment and darkness.
I have written about this mischievous translation (eonian=eternal) on several occasions; even so, I am considering writing a series of posts concentrating on these wrongly translated texts exposing how they have been used to induce the fear of eternal torment by a loving God for all those who have not been given the faith to become members of the Body of Christ during their lifetime on this planet.
Clearly the correctly translated punishment and darkness verses do not over-ride God's promise of restoring all things and bringing unity and harmony to the universe as the Bible records and I have quoted so often on this BLOG site, but instead show that any loss or correction will be limited to the ages, to the realm of time.
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
[Revelation 21 : 5 NIV]
Heaven must receive him (Messiah) until the time comes for God to restore everything.
[Acts 3 : 21 NIV]
With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
[Ephesians 1 : 8 - 10 NIV]
Correct translations make all God's plans clear and unchallenged.
Those not called into Christian service in the Body of Christ in this age only miss out on the kingdom age.
They cannot miss out on eternity if God holds true to his promises - which he always does.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
[Romans 8 : 38 - 39 NIV]
Blessings, Barry
One of the responsibilities we have as members of the Body of Christ is to tell others about God's good news (which we discussed in the previous post).
"Why?" you may be thinking, "I've been doing that for years with so little success."
We should not be disappointed about that slender success rate as God's purpose during this age is solely to build the Body of Christ.
(A previous post "God Is NOT Trying to Save the World Right Now" discusses this and compares members of the Body of Christ to classroom milk monitors.
You can refresh your memory here.)
God has chosen to use our spreading of the gospel in this age to complete the membership of that Body.
As we share the good news, those whom God has chosen to join us are given the faith to believe that good news and commit their lives to Jesus and to his purpose in calling them, as we were.
So faith comes from hearing the Good News, and people hear the Good News when someone tells them about Christ.
[Romans 10 : 17 NCV]
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
[Ephesians 2 : 8 ESV]
This number of people will always be relatively small. So let's not be discouraged - we are God's means of achieving his purpose in this age.
Our view of the "success rate" totally ignores what God is doing at this time. God has pre-determined how many will be in this Advance Party and he'll have 100% success in achieving his purpose.
Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before him.
Because of his love God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his children—this was his pleasure and purpose.
[Ephesians 1 : 4 - 5 GNB]
And when the Body is complete. God will turn his attention back to Israel.
Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
“and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
[Romans 11 : 25 - 27 ESV]
(A previous post talks about this here.)
So let's be totally focused on God's plan for this time and become enthusiastic about the part he has chosen us to play in it.
Because ... when the Body is complete, and Israel has been saved, and Jesus has ruled in his millennium kingdom, then will come the salvation of the rest of humanity.
As everyone dies because of Adam, so also everyone will be made alive because of Christ.
[1 Corinthians 15 : 22 GW]
Blessings, Barry
