Virginia battles Antichrist, 'Mark of the Beast' microchips....

Virginia legislators claimed victory against the Antichrist and implantable microchips last week by passing a bill that prevents employers or insurance companies from forcing patients to accept the devices.

Del. Mark L. Cole (R-Fredericksburg), the sponsor of the bill, worried that the devices could someday be the "mark of the beast" as described in the Book of Revelation. Cole tries to explain:

"My understanding -- I'm not a theologian -- but there's a prophecy in the Bible that says you'll have to receive a mark, or you can neither buy nor sell things in end times," Cole said. "Some people think these computer chips might be that mark."

Apparently Cole's theology was good enough for the Virginia House of Delegates. The body passed the legislation, even though no one has ever proposed forcibly implanting microchips in humans. Apparently Virginia, with the help of Delegate Cole, outsmarted the Antichrist.

To think such ignorant superstition could command adults in the 21st century is astonishing. Even more disturbing news:

A Harris poll from November ’09 found that 89 percent of evangelical Protestants believe in the Devil, and a ’09 Scripps Howard poll determined that 25 percent of Americans had heard the rumor that Barack Obama is the Antichrist. In September 2009, Public Policy Polling found that 14 percent of New Jersey Republicans thought that Obama was the Antichrist, while 15 percent weren’t sure.

Previously the mark of the beast has been thought to be Social Security Numbers and more recently bar-codes.

Microchips using radio frequency identification have been used in pets to identify and track them. The chips are invaluable in making people's medical records portable and secure. Others have urged they be used with Alzheimer's patients.

Florida-based VeriChip introduced an implant in 2001 that can store medical data. The FDA approved the technology for use in humans in 2004.

You were saying ...

All I intended to suggest was that “in” the head could mean retina scan, and “in” the hand could mean ID chip implant.

Yeah, I sorta knew you were suggesting that. I was just jumping several steps ahead with this idea -- because I've heard it argued out before (like you were saying). And there are some Bible teachers who will go back to the original language and they say it indicates something is actually "on" the surface (at least something can be seen "on" the surface, while there might also be something underneath).

Their argument comes from the original language and I don't know the original languages. So, I'm dependent upon "translations" (which can be in error) while the original language is more dependable. And thus, you get down to that level of what does the original language say and indicate -- and that's not something I can personallly engage in (other than to quote someone) -- but other Bible teachers have done so, from their own work.

And so, that's why I was jumping ahead, because if we end up discussing this on the basis of a choice of "language translations" that we've been given, all we're doing is discussing on the basis of possible errors in a person's translation and not necessarily on the basis of the Word of God.

I "went to the end" before we got there... :-)

You were saying ...

What happens if Satan honestly repents and worship God?

Well, considering that God has already told us that he won't -- I don't think you'll have to be concerned about that one... LOL...

Revelation Chapter 20

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the
bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and
Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;

3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a
seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the
thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be
released for a little while.

...

7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from
his prison

8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners
of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose
number is as the sand of the sea.

9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of
the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of
heaven and devoured them.

10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and
brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be
tormented day and night forever and ever.

You were saying ...

But I do wonder if those that take the mark will really understand what it means...lots of people ignorant of Scripture....Will the mark be put on babies who have no choice but it is done with parents consent....lots I don't know about or am not sure of...like all government programs they start out innocent enought and its for the good of all...and then the program grows into a monster. LBJ. the great society for starters but most of the crap we have to deal with is not to any citizens advantage, only to those that govern....

You should have absolutely no worries or concerns there, in regards to someone taking the mark of the beast without knowing what they are doing.

When you see an angel making this announcement -- there will be no doubt in anyone's mind after at that point. And that's when it happens, at that point in time at which the mark of the beast is about to be given to everyone.

Revelation Chapter 14

6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the
everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth--to every
nation, tribe, tongue, and people--

7 saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the
hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and
earth, the sea and springs of water."

8 And another angel followed, saying, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen,
that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of
the wrath of her fornication."

9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If
anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his
forehead or on his hand,

10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which
is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall
be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels
and in the presence of the Lamb.

11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they
have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and
whoever receives the mark of his name."

That's the third angel, by the way. So, you'll get to see Angel #1 giving the everlasting Gospel to everyone on earth. Then Angel #2 will proclaim that Babylon has fallen. And then finally Angel #3 will warn to not take the mark of the beast and worship the beast.

If someone doesn't "get it" by then... they're too stupid to live... LOL...

You were saying ...

You ever asked why?

Have I ever asked why about "what" exactly?

Seriously Satan has to be as intelligent as your average human if not more so. He has to know Revelations and what awaits if he continues to disobey.

Well, considering that Satan thought that he could usurp the position of God, Almighty, Himself, who created him and gave him life -- in the beginning, it raises the question in my mind as to whether Satan does understand that, exactly.

I mean, if he really did understand what awaited him -- if he disobeyed from the beginning, he would have never gone down that track to begin with. But, since he did go down that track to begin with, this indicates to me that Satan apparently thinks he can get away with it, or at least thought he could get away with it back then. Perhaps he still does think he can get away with it.

Intelligence isn't the problem. Sin is the problem and that supersedes intelligence and makes it of no effect. I know that there are criminals who are super-intelligent, but they are still criminals. Intelligence doesn't determine whether one will be a criminal or not and/or whether they will obey or disobey the law. Intelligence actually has nothing to do with it.

If God is willing to give humans a second chance if they accept him I can’t understand why he wouldn’t do so to the fallen angels.

Well, you are mistaken in the fact that humans are given a "second chance". They are not given a second chance. No, not at all.

What has happened is not a "second chance" -- what has happened is that God has "paid the price" for the wrong that has been done, out of the sin nature of human beings. That's not a second chance -- that is "payment for the penalty" of sin.

And from that payment for the penalty of sin, comes the "redemption" (another word for "payment") in which we are given freedom from (1) the penalty of sin (there is still a penalty; it's just that we don't "pay it"), (2) freedom from the power of sin, and lastly (3) freedom from the presence of sin.

God did that with His Son, becoming a human being, in order to pay that penatly of sin for all the human race, in the infinite nature of the "Son of God" in that He is fully human and fully "God", in one being.

That's not a second chance -- that's God "paying the penalty" for you and everyone else who chooses to accept that payment from Jesus, the Messiah of Israel.

Those humans who refuse that payment for the penalty of sin, are forever separated from God, which is the eternal punishment and torment -- by their own choice. God doesn't force the acceptance of His payment for the penalty of sin.

Now..., in answer to the why angels are not given a second chance, remember humans are not given a second chance either. So, there is no second chance for angels or for humans. There is only the payment for the penalty of sin, for humans, because God, the Son, became "human" in order to pay that penalty of sin for all who avail themselves of the payment.

And..., the angels are not human, and thus -- they have no payment for the penalty of their sin. There is no payment, and thus there is no salvation for angels. It doesn't exist.

And going back to Satan and his original sin (because sin originated in Satan, before he passed it on to the human race) -- if you understand what has been said above, then you see immediately, that at the moment that Satan sinned, in the beginning -- he was finished, as there is no redemption for angels and Satan's fate was fixed, permanently.

And why not destroy the Devil rather than torment him forever and ever?

Well, if there is one thing we see from God's word about life -- it is that life is eternal, regardless of the situation of sin. It's either eternal with God or it's eternal without God.

And since God will tolerate no sin in His presence, those with sin will be eternally separated from God. And that is the eternal torment with which those humans, who have refused God's payment for their sin -- will find themselves in, in the future.

Those humans who have availed themselves of that payment for the penalty of sin, will have their salvation complete, as God promises them also -- the freedom from the power of sin, too. And God additionally promises them the freedom from even the presence of sin, altogether. That is the "new birth" in Christ, in that all who have accepted Him, as their Savior, will be "born again" -- which is to be "made new" in Christ, and therefore be free from the (1) penalty of sin, (2) the power of sin and (3) the presence of sin.

There is no destruction of the life that God has given by "His breath of life" (in that He has breathed life into those being). That life that God has given that way -- will never be destroyed. It either lives with Him, in a sin-free existence, or that life lives without God (totally separated from God) in a sinful existence.

And to be eternally living, and in a sinful existence, and never to be with God again, and all that is good (from God) is "eternal damnation and eternal torment" to be sure.

If that doesn't "scare the hell out of you" (literally so...) -- then nothing will and you will probably be one of those eternally damned and in eternal torment, along with those angels who chose to disobey God and also with Satan in his eternal torment, too.

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