“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six (666).”

Revelation 13:16-18

Yes, this post is about the Mark of the Beast, not the Coronavirus! But, please keep reading…

Just a couple of months ago the world was totally unprepared for the arrival of the Coronavirus pandemic, aka COVID-19. This virulent, new strain of flu was first seen affecting people in Wuhan, China and as of the writing of this article hundreds of thousands of people in 165 countries around the world have now tested positive and over 15,000 have died. It has spread so rapidly, catching the world off guard as a pandemic, that preventative measures such as travel between countries have now been banned by most governments; people are self quarantining themselves from the public in what has become know as “social distancing”; there is widespread panic that basic supplies such as toilet paper will be unavailable; the global economy is in shambles; some countries are actually going “cashless” in order to stymie the spread of the virus on their money; and, medicines to combat and vaccinate are being tested with no one drug yet affirmed to keep people from getting affected. While it is very serious and may evolve into something even worse, it is not yet as potent a killer as most flu strains that hit the world every single year, much less other “pestilences” like the Swine flu, Ebola, AIDS, measles and/or malaria.

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and PESTILENCES (capitals mine), and earthquakes, in divers places. ALL THESE ARE THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS (capitals mine).”

Matthew 24:7-8

Jesus Himself warned us all about the signs occurring in the world prior to the Last Days which will be the beginning of all the terrible things which will happen. If you are like me, you have probably been surprised at the intensity and emotion of the response most people have had to this flu. Can you imagine a time soon coming when not only is the world affected by global “pestilences”, but also where there are global famines; destructive earthquakes in many, many diverse places around the world; and many wars, both local and perhaps global? If this flu is a slight precursor of the uncertainty and fear of what this world is experiencing with this flu only, what will it be like when ALL these things are happening at the same time with increasing intensity and frequency? Toilet paper will be the least of our worries!

A friend of mine recently sent me an article about a proposed global identification (ID) system. This was remarkably followed a few days later when I received a blog posting from an author I follow that roused my curiosity to learn more because he identified a new company with the founding support of Bill Gates (of Microsoft fame). Just a few days ago I read in the WSJ where Bill Gates (the second richest man in the world with an estimated net worth of $93 Billion) was stepping down from his “consulting” role with Microsoft to work on improving the lives of people all over the world. By now you have heard of COVID-19 (the Coronavirus discovered in 2019). Have you ever heard of ID2020 Alliance? Probably not if you are like me. I strongly encourage you to go to their website (ID2020 Website) to learn more about them. Rather than have me try to explain their ideas and plans, let me quote directly their goals from their website:

“We Need to Get Digital ID Right”

1. Unfortunately, current models of digital ID do not meet everyone’s needs. They are generally archaic, insecure, lacking adequate privacy protection, and for over a billion people worldwide, unavailable.
2. Everyone should have access to a digital ID that enables them to prove who they are across institutional and international borders and across time, while giving them control over how their personal information is collected, used, and shared.
3. Only you control your own identity, what data is shared and with whom.
4. Accessible anywhere you happen to be through multiple methods.
5. Lives with you from life to death.
6. Unique to you and you only.
7. For over a billion individuals worldwide, accessing basic good and services is difficult, if not impossible, due to a lack of recognized identification. With “good” digital identity, individuals could use credentials issued from a variety of different institutions in order to gain access to a variety of different services, while preserving privacy and security and maintaining control over their information.
8. Article 6 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights stipulates that “Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.” The Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030) include target 16.9 which aims to “provide legal identity to all, including birth registration, by 2030.”
9. Women with an official identity are empowered to play a greater role in household decisions and maintain financial independence. Furthermore, identification can be an important defense against child marriage, exploitation and trafficking.