ARE VACCINATIONS THE MARK OF THE BEAST?
Dear Friends,
I can be very slow at noticing what goes on around me. However in the last couple of weeks, I have had several people tell me that they are talking to people who believe that the COVID-19 vaccinations are the "mark of the beast." They will not take the vaccine because as a Christian they do not want to have the mark of the beast. It turns out that there are a lot of people who think this, and it has been one of those things that have gone on without it really penetrating my attention.
The "mark of the beast' is a biblical idea that many Christians and non-Christians are aware of - it is a staple in various supernatural and horror movies and novels. The "mark" is referred to seven times, all in the book of Revelation (13:16 and 17; 14:9 and 11; 16:2; 19:20; 20:24).
So are COVID-19 vaccines the mark of the beast? A couple of things to think about.
First, it is possible that the COVID-19 vaccinations are the mark of the beast. You were probably expecting me to categorically reject the idea, but the claim is analogous to something else which Christians disagree about at times. When there is a natural disaster, it is not unusual to find out that some Christians are claiming that it is a judgment from God. Other Christians will quickly denounce the idea. Now I think people should be far, far more modest about claiming that God has done some particular thing and that they know why He has done it. Hopefully by me expressing it this way, saying that “I know why God has done something,” you can see how this sounds very presumptuous for a human being to say. On the other hand, the Christians who quickly denounce the idea of God bringing judgment are usually wrong. The reason is that they often speak as if God would never do something like this. But read the Bible and you will see that God has done things like this in the past, and the biblical narrative makes it certain that He will continue, at the times of His choosing, and for His reasons, to judge a nation, bringing disaster upon it. The Lord is still sovereign over the earth. So in the case of the mark of the beast, I think you should not quickly and categorically reject the claims made.
Second, you need to be careful you do not sin by using the Bible for your own political ends. The Bible is God's word written. He is the Triune God, the creator and sustainer of all things. He is the one who is bringing all things to the end of His wise choosing. He has no rivals. He has superintended the writing of the Bible; its recognition by His people that it is His word written; and its preservation over time, so that it is still available today. Given who the Triune God is, and that the Bible is His word written for us, and not your word to use as you choose, you should always be careful that you are not using the Bible to further your personal agendas and policies. If you are a Christian, you should be very, very careful that you are not taking a political or medical difference with other people and, literally demonizing those who disagree with you, saying that what they are urging is demonic, and that they are pawns of the beast. The Book of Revelation has a stern warning in this regard, see Rev. 22:18-19. The serious warning is not merely about adding or subtracting to the text of Revelation - it is about its teaching and applications. The warning is there, among other reasons, to sober us up when you get intoxicated with your own arguments. So, if you have good medical, economic, legal, and political evidence and reasons for your case, then please make them without demonizing those who differ with you on medical, economic, legal, and political grounds.
Third, given that the Gospel is for every people group on the planet, be careful about ethnocentrism. In the Great Commission, the Lord calls us to go to every people group and make disciples of Jesus. I delight in telling people that this coming Sunday, and every Sunday, there will be more people worshipping in Anglican churches in Nigeria or Kenya than in all of Canada, the U. S., England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand combined. The center of the world Christian movement is not North America or Europe, but Africa and Asia. Too often we take our Canadian and American issues as somehow the canary in the coal mine. It is in OUR context that the antichrist and the beast will be revealed. In Canada you wilt because you are unfriended on FaceBook because of your Christian stand - it is the sign of the rise of the beast you say - while Christians are being blown up and murdered in Nigeria. Really? We North American Christians need a lot of humility. One of the many ways that we know that those churches who refuse to abide by government guidelines in Ontario are not interpreting the Bible correctly - claiming some biblical right for unfettered worship right now - is that it is unimaginable that they would tell believers in North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, or Iran to do what they say. So it is with talk of the mark of the beast and the rise of the antichrist in the US and Canada. Sure, it is possible that the Lord will return next week. I pray that He will, and I seek to live each day in light of His certain return. But, Christians in the four countries I mentioned a couple of sentences ago would love to have even a fraction of our freedoms and prosperity. There is no reason biblically to think that what happens in North America is the defining indicator of the rise of the beast.
Fourth, the Lord Jesus Christ has won and will win. When it comes to matters of the devil, and by implication this applies to talk of the beast and his mark, too often people talk as if the devil has way more power over Christians than he does. One of the many key messages of the book of Revelation is that the Lamb Who Was Slain wins people for Himself and effortlessly defeats the dragon. In two of the "battle" scenes in the Book of Revelation (19:11-21; 20:7-10), Satan arrives to battle the Lamb Who Was Slain. Satan amasses a force that is so large it cannot be counted. But there is no battle. God wills the defeat of Satan and his army and they are defeated. Period. So whatever the mark of the beast is, it cannot be something which defeats grace, as if somehow once the devil marks you in such a way, Christ is now powerless. Like the rest of the Bible, the Book of Revelation is evangelistic - a call to come to Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and who has defeated death and the devil! Reject Satan. Reject the "earth dwellers" in rebellion against the Triune God. Reject the beast and the false prophet. Reject his arrogant mark on you and his arrogant (and wrong) claim about its power. Lay down your sword and shield and the armour that you vainly trust in, humbly bow the knee to the Lamb and become His. When you become His, He will never let you go.
In conclusion, pray that the person and finished work of Christ will become more and more real to your heart, and more and more formative of how you live each day. As you are gripped by Him, pray you will live each day without a needless fear of the devil, and without any presumption that you can do what you please while abusing His word. Pray for me, a sinner redeemed by the Lamb who was slain and who will come again. Maranatha!
George+
