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To: unlearner
"Since the Bible prophecies the mark of the beast, how could anyone stop it?"

My understanding of Revelations is that it is both a prophecy and a warning. Effectively; if you don't put a stop to The New World Order, this is what will happen.

Also, we are commanded by Jesus to not stop trying until He returns.

46 posted on 10/08/2004 7:03:28 AM PDT by Designer (Sysiphus Sr. to Junior; "It was uphill, all the way, both ways!")
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To: Designer
"My understanding of Revelations is that it is both a prophecy and a warning. Effectively; if you don't put a stop to The New World Order, this is what will happen. Also, we are commanded by Jesus to not stop trying until He returns."

I don't intend to be rude, but your understanding of Revelation and other scripture is not well informed.

The Bible is a book that must be handled with great caution and respect. It can be misconstrued and twisted if we do not study it carefully and with a willingness to make changes in our own lives.

Look at God's plan that Christ was to die on the cross for the sins of the world. When it came time for Christ to die, He said "What shall I say? Father save Me from this hour? But for this cause I came to this hour. Father glorify Your name." (John 12:27-28) Several times He explained to His disciples that the prophecies "must be fulfilled". (See Luke 24:44) It was not God's goal, but Satan's, to delay and prevent God's plan of redemption:

"From this time, Jesus began to show His disciples how He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took Him and began to rebuke Him, saying 'Be it far from You, Lord, this will not happen to You.' But He turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind Me, Satan: for you do not desire the things of God but those of men.'" (Matthew 16:21-23)

Satan is not in any hurry for these prophecies (like the mark of the beast) to be fulfilled. He wants to delay everything. He wants more time. Christians are told to be "looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God" in 2 Peter 3:12.

You are right that prophecies do contain warnings for us. But our job is not to prevent the mark of the beast from happening (nor help it), but we are to warn others not to accept it, and be prepared to endure the coming persecution.

The possibility that anti-christ could exploit a national ID and turn it into a mark of the beast is not a reasonable basis to oppose such an ID. (Of course the benefits or dangers of such an ID are subject to debate, just not on this basis.) It could just as easily be argued that we should oppose the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem because the anti-christ is going to set up his throne there. Or even, some might say we should hide our money under our mattresses because anti-christ will get power through financial institutions.

Every time there is a discussion of identification standards, the mark of the beast argument pops up. Let's lay this to rest and debate the subject on its own merits.
50 posted on 10/08/2004 9:05:56 AM PDT by unlearner
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