God’s News In The News

Week One Hundred Sixty-Four

End Times Update: Chip Girl And The Antichrist

That Title Sounds Like The Name For A New TV Show

When I typed that title, the first thing I thought of was a new reality show or even television show on some streaming service starring a woman and the Man of Sin mentioned in Bible prophecy. I grew up with shows like Mork and Mindy so I’m a little jaded like that, but you never know, I may be planting a seed in someone’s mind. I would like to be given credit for the idea, though if it does indeed get made. But seriously, there is a social influencer who goes by the moniker of “Chip Girl Here” and she has about 4.8 million followers on social media so she’s getting a lot of eyes on the things she posts. And recently, a video showing her paying for her groceries with the chip implanted in her palm garnered a lot of attention when her video clip was tweeted on Twitter. If you search for her you’ll see that she does a lot more than talk about the chip that was implanted in her hand, but the August clip of her shows her amazed by using her Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip at a Whole Foods store.

Not A New Thing

Having a chip in one’s body, specifically the hand is not a new thing as it’s been done since at least 2015 in Sweden and with one company in Wisconsin, albeit voluntarily, chipping it’s employees as seen in this quote from a Chicago Tribune article by Jeff Baenen:

A brief sting is all employees of a Wisconsin technology company said they felt Tuesday when they received a microchip implant in their hand that will allow them to open doors, log onto computers or buy breakroom snacks by simply waving their hand.

Three Square Market, also known as 32M, said 41 of its 85 employees agreed to be voluntarily microchipped during a "chip party" at company headquarters in River Falls.

Melissa Timmins, vice president of sales at 32M, said she was initially apprehensive but decided to give the chip a chance.

"I planned for the worst and it wasn't bad at all," said Timmins, who received a microchip in her left hand on Monday. "Just a little prick."

It’s here whether we like it or not.

The World Economic Forum And Microchipping

As could be expected, the folks behind the Great Reset are pushing it as well. Here is a quote from an article on their web site talking about it:

Bionyfiken founder Hannes Sjöblad told Tech Insider in 2015:

"The human body is the next big platform. The connected body is already a phenomena. And this implant is just a part of it. [...]

"We are updating our bodies with technology on a large scale already with wearables. But all of the wearables we wear today will be implantable in five to 10 years.

"Who wants to carry a clumsy smartphone or smartwatch when you can have it in your fingernail? I think that is the direction where it is heading."

Surprisingly, they do address the risks of using the technology, but these articles are from 2017 and the world, only 3 years later showed everyone the extent we will go to ensure our health and safety. Apps to have a digital passport cropped up and are still being pushed in the event of another pandemic.

Pumping The Brakes

Not everyone is chipper about this technology as a few quotes from an article about it in USA Today by Jefferson Graham notes:

On the flip side, seemingly everyone else wants to know: Is this what real life is going to be like soon at work? Will I be chipped?

“It will happen to everybody,” says Noelle Chesley, 49, associate professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “But not this year, and not in 2018. Maybe not my generation, but certainly that of my kids.”

Gene Munster, an investor and analyst at Loup Ventures, is an advocate for augmented reality, virtual reality and other new technologies. He thinks embedded chips in human bodies is 50 years away. “In 10 years, Facebook, Google, Apple and Tesla will not have their employees chipped,” he says. “You’ll see some extreme forward-looking tech people adopting it, but not large companies.”

The idea of being chipped has too “much negative connotation” today, but by 2067 “we will have been desensitized by the social stigma,” Munster says.

As you can see, this article predates the pandemic we went through so I wonder if opinions have changed. I tend to think they have.

The Biblical Stigma Of Microchips Remains

If the comments from the social post by our infamous Chip Girl are any evidence of the fear and hesitance to be chipped, it may take until 2067 for society to adopt doing it. Here is a sampling of those comments:

"Revelation be like."

"And so it begins….." another added.

"Revelations taught me better."

Others aired other concerns and queries, such as whether or not Chip Girl's card information would be safe:

"Are you afraid that people with the scanners can walk past you and get your card info?"

“It’s all fun and games until someone cuts your hand off for a pack of ciggies.”

And then there was this comment:

"I will pray for you."

Even secular people not only know about the infamous mark of the beast and its connection to microchipping but surely, they know about the Antichrist. I saw many, many comments where they posted the passages in Revelation 13 verbatim, so people may not know about Jesus or much more about the Bible, but they do know about that mark of the beast and 666.

Is It All That Bad?

Well, of course before the Rapture and the Tribulation all technology is pretty much neutral and can be used for either bad or good purposes. We constantly use our cell phones and navigate with the GPS system in our cars or in our apps. And we gladly pay with a credit card with a chip in it. Need I also remind us that most of our pets have said microchip in them and that’s been happening for a very long time. But I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that with the flick of a switch, that tech can become Big Brother as seen in Orwell’s book 1984. For now, if you are comfortable with it, having a chip in you will not damn your soul to Hell by itself. People like to point to Revelation 13 and say that the mark does that, but a careful reading of it shows us that it is the decision to worship the Antichrist that does it because Satan wants to mark or seal his believers just like God seals His believers. The actual mark is an outward sign of an inward decision.

Find Your Comfort Level

I always tell people to find their level of comfort with technology and not belittle those who don’t share it. For me, just like my father and brother, I like technology and embrace it as often as I can. I usually have the newest cell phone version and am always looking for tech to make my life easier and better. Oddly, both my wife and daughter eschew much of the advances in technology. As for the loss of privacy, well, that is hard to avoid anymore. Even if you turn off the GPS on your phone, emergency operators can turn it back in if they need to find you. And that’s not a new ability, either. Satellites can see you from space with their pinpoint cameras and many cities have surveillance cameras for security as well as cities that utilize cameras at traffic stops. London is known for its vast amount of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras and many other places across the globe are heading that direction. Vehicles and even roads are being built to track your cars and you will soon not be able to disable that feature. I hate to tell you, but the surveillance society you dreaded is here right now. Where you can, you can decide what tech you can live with, though. But that choice is swiftly have less and less power to keep you off the proverbial grid.

The Antichrist Isn’t In Power…Yet

Is there any good news now? Yes, there is and it’s actually in the form of Holy Spirit living inside of you and me, that is if you are a Christian. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:7 it is His presence inside of us that is restraining the Antichrist from taking over. As long as we are still around, he can’t take over fully if at all. It may sound like a passive restraining, but it can be much, much, more if we are about our Father’s business. My admonition for us is to do the works of Him who sent you now, during the day, because the night is coming when no man can work. And we are not to be given to a spirit of fear as the time of the man of lawlessness’ rise to power gets closer. Rather we are to live with love, power, and a sound mind. That sound mind actually means to live a balanced life, not being given to extremes. Living with that ability will help us to get things done for the kingdom as we change the things we can and leave the rest to God. As I have said, time and time again, He is still in control and that’s a good place for an amen!