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RE:
666 AND THE MARK OF THE BEAST
Joshua O. Ojo
On Sunday February 11, the Guardian published a fascinating article by Fidel Aloysius and Mary Odum on the subject of the imminent Mark of the Beast. While basically correct in alerting the nation to the unsavoury realities of the micro-chip (even if it doesn’t end up as the Mark of the Beast, the implications on privacy is enough bother for thinking people all over the world); the article is at best misleading in its analysis of the players behind this scheme. When one considers the hopes offered by the article in the light of the events described, we must conclude that the article is down-right dangerous.
The value and influence of the micro-chip is obvious enough. One can add several irresistible applications to the ones described by Aloysius and Odum in their article. And even then it is easy to miss the full implications of the applications they mentioned. For instance, when we translate the apparently minor application stated as “speeding up the work of sales clerks”, to possible scenarios such as beating the queue at the petrol station, or at Police check-points, toll gates, airports etc, one immediately realizes what an uphill task it will be for anyone to refuse for long to go for the chip-embedded card that grants access to the fast-track.
And of course, such cards are not for financial transactions alone. The fact of the matter is that virtually a limitless number of applications can be placed on the micro-chip (see www.mondex.com/index.html for a short listing by one of the global leaders in the field). That is why it will not be necessary for people to carry several cards as Aloysius and Odum supposed in their article. For instance in Nigeria, an article in Tell magazine (Dec 11, 2000 pg 52-53) mentions that at the World Bank office in Lagos, “a Valucard is used to open some doors”. However, even though serious (including arm-twisting) efforts are being made to take the Valucard to “market women, traders, electricians etc..” by the USAID through NGOs (Guardian July 3 2000, pg 27); invariably, the quickest means by which the micro-chip will soon get to most Nigerians will be through the much eagerly-awaited National Identity Card. In a recent Senate hearing, Chams, local partner of SAGEM S.A. of France, gave the technical specifications of the card and revealed that GEMPLUS micro-chips are to be embedded (Comet Nov 29, 2000, pg 23). So do we boycott the new national ID card? Even though that is what Aloysius and Odum clearly recommended, it is not clear to what extent they meant it.
In fact, from the analysis of the authors, it is not clear how “in a question of months” from now, people will be brutalized for refusing to take the chip-cards. Indeed, like the GSM, people are likely to be still scrambling to get theirs in the first several months of the availability of these services. In an article in PC Computing Magazine (October 1999), Opinion columnist Paul Somerson, while admitting the dangers posed by the chip concluded that it is nevertheless inevitable that people will be convinced to have these chips implanted in their BODIES. He cited a few ways this will be accomplished, and these are similar to those supposedly received in a divine message (dated 9th June 1998) in the article of Aloysius and
Odum. As we round up this introductory aspect of our article, we will like to ask the obvious question of why taking the micro-chip should be considered so dangerous despite all the potentials it promises. (Privacy issues can be a nuisance or whatever, but not necessarily dangerous). We agree with Aloysius and Odum’s article on the possibilities of health hazards on one hand; and more bloating of the human ego, further advancing secular humanism and kicking out godliness and true spirituality from our Society on the other hand.
However, we think there has to be more serious reasons why the Scriptures say any who takes the mark (assuming we are right in identifying this as the micro-chip) into their bodies is on a one-way expressway to hell (Rev 14:11). To us, one plausible reason for this is the potential to control the mind of any one such chip-implanted. This is not some fantasy in our head please! The book “Mind Control” by Peter Schrag reported a series of experiments in the 1950s by Jose Delgado of Yale to modify behaviour of animals (including ferocious bulls) via radio-controlled electrodes implanted deep within their brain. And in more recent years, Wired Magazine (February 2000) reported on Professor Kevin Warwick of the University of Reading, UK, who has pioneered bio-implantable microchips in humans using himself as a test subject. In his new experiments, Warwick is seeking to “send movement and emotion signals from one person to another, possible via the internet” provided such people are chip-implanted. With his wife collaborating with him, Warwick said they “will investigate the whole range of emotion and sensation..".” We leave the rest of the story to the reader to imagine what can be done with such a system. Now to a more serious issue concerning the article by Aloysius and Odum. Why is their bird attempting to fly on a single wing alone? According to the Bible (our sole inerrant authority), a new global political and economic order represented by the Antichrist is only one part of the story. A new global religious order to be ushered in by the False Prophet is a necessary second part. Surely, apparently well-informed authors as Aloysius and Odum cannot be ignorant of this fact! In their only fleeting allusion to this second part, they used the unscriptural terminology of "Anti-Pope" for the False Prophet and mentioned that he and the Antichrist are “working for the Red Dragon (Satan)”. The Bible is quite unambiguous in stating that it is the False Prophet that will prepare the way for the Antichrist and speed up the acceptance of him and his ideas by an incredulous trusting public.
“And
I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two
horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
And
he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and
causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first
beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh
fire come down from heaven on
the earth in the sight of men, And
deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those
miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast,…..”
Rev. 13:11-14
As a matter of fact, the Bible is clear that
it is this “another beast” that “causeth all, both small and
great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark …..” (Rev
13:16). The Mark which
was the subject of Aloysius and Odum’s article.
What is the danger in the article by Aloysius and Odum? While clearly and rightly pointing out the dastard goals of the first beast, the article is urging us to go to the second beast as our means of escape! Talk of jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
There is no doubts whatsoever as to who is spearheading the move to have a new global one-world religion. In October 1986, at Assissi, Italy, Pope John Paul II very openly invited together high priests of various religions and spiritual expressions to seek how to bring out the best in each to form a brand-new global religion that would be the basis of an enforceable new global ethic. Since then, much progress has been made. It really wasn’t difficult convincing Voodoo witch-doctors, Buddhists, Hindus, etc that they are worshipping the same God. It is however tougher convincing the monotheists –Moslems, Jews and Protestant Christians. But today, with the thousands of so-called apparitions of ‘Mary’ bringing extra-Scriptural messages (such as actively promoted in the article by Aloysius and Odum) and thus bridging the gap between Islam and the new emerging catholicism (see for instance, Comet, Sept 10, 2000 pg 5); with Anglicans already concluding deals of unification with the Church of Rome (see Guardian June 4, 2000, pg 23); and Pentecostal leaders such as Rick Joyner receiving catholic knighthoods and becoming representative of a catholic order (see www.pawcreek.org); it is clear that the emergence of this new global religion is already right at the door. In the latest developments, the much-beloved Pope John Paul II has declared that Jesus Christ is no longer a necessary factor for human salvation (Nigerian Catholic Independent Newspaper, 26 November, 2000 page 7). Bye-bye to the great offense in Christianity! See Revelations 16 in the Bible for further clear-cut details of the identity of the False Prophet and the Organization that promotes her.
One crucial fact is crystal clear. The Bible does not allow for any dichotomy between the coming new political and economic world order and its religious counterpart. They are simply both sides of the same coin. And that is why we are sore displeased with Aloysius and Odum’s trying to put all the blames on the so-called Masons. It is an open secret that the Masons have long thoroughly infiltrated the Vatican. Who can now honestly distinguish between the two? David Yallop in his book (In God’s Name, 1984) provided abundant proofs that the amiable Pope John Paul I, “the Smiling Pope” was killed (in 1978) 33 days in office for his war against Freemasons in high places within the Vatican. The Church of Rome has lost the battle to the Masons. Aloysius and Odum themselves came close to acknowledging so much when they wrote of “masonic Cardinals, Bishops and
Priests”
The new world order in politics and economics is real, and imminent. But even more imminent is the new one world religion. Only in June last year, the United Religions was formally launched. It is being set up as the religious counterpart of the United Nations. Indeed while the last Millenial Summit convened by the UN and chaired by Mikhail Gorbachev (self-confessed protégé of Pope John Paul II) was going on in New York last September, a parallel UR meeting was being held in the same city. The only news that filtered out concerning the event had to do with the insistence of China that the invited plenary session speaker, the Dalai Lama not be allowed to the UN building!
What is the way out of all these very messy business, which no man can do anything about anyway? “[Evangelising] the messages and appeals of Heaven” (i.e. apparitions of Mary) or “properly celebrating the Mass” as Aloysius and Odum urged us are certainly no way out. The way out is to be found only in the only source that accurately predicted all these events thousands of years before they are now being manifested. That is the Holy Bible. Interestingly, Aloysius and Odum started their article by asserting the authority of the Scriptures, right in the first statement – but changed to a different authority (‘messages of Heaven’) in the very next
statement
When the floods of Noah threatened, the only way of escape was not in trying to become more morally sound or taking lessons in underwater survival tactics, or other such efforts. The only way was to get into the boat. In the same manner, the Bible says clearly in 1 John 5:5, “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God”? The only anti-dote to people getting swept along by the attractive and irresistible new world order is a sound faith in Jesus as the Son of God. This is primarily a heart-issue. In the coming months that Aloysius and Odum mentioned, we can be sure there will be no physical brutality being used in selling the micro-chip. Rather, people will continue to fall over themselves to procure themselves one in order not to miss out on some benefits! At this stage, we do not see any harm in anyone receiving such cards, once our hearts are right with God through his son Jesus. However, it is an open secret that the mico-chip will eventually be transferred to the human body. That is why they are already made bio-implantable. We have already seen the implications of anyone allowing such implantation. It will be exactly equivalent to selling one’s soul to the controller of the technology. However, most people [excepting those whose hearts are truly right with God] will not be able to resist this idea, based on the benefits they would have gotten used to deriving from their chips. If you are not sure you can turn your back on all your worldly possession right now, you may have a job in your hand in this regard! (See Luke 5:11 and Luke 9:62).
There
is only one secure hope out of the coming turmoil.
It is secured by the most remarkable man that ever walked
planet earth, Jesus of Nazareth.
Here is the offer he freely makes:
“Let
not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In
my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were no so, I would
have told you. I go to
prepare a place for you.
And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive
you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John
14:1)
This
promise of being literally taken out of this world (as by a Noah’s
ark) is known as the Rapture and is further elucidated in Bible
passages as 1 Corinthians. 15:51-52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17.
We are free to choose to believe and receive this promise of
the only man ever born of a virgin or scoff at it thus holding the
one making the offer as deluded.
As for me and my family, we choose to believe Him.
Joshua
Ojo is the President of Church Arise! LivingWater Ministries. He lives at
Ile-Ife.
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